BOMAW 10-12

by Mercedes Keyes

  "No! I Darren, not Willy!"

  Ben rolled backwards from the door roaring with laughter, as well Angela and Crystal.

  "No yo'name not Willy! Talkin' bout yo'pee-pee out." Isaac went on to explain exasperated with him as he cooperated with his mother dressing him.

  "My pee-pee out?" Darren looked down at it, grabbing it. "My pee-pee?"

  "Yes! You got a pee-pee, I gotta pee-pee, Ben got a pee-pee, but we ain' runnin' round wit' our pee-pee out, is we Ben?"

  His words shocked Crystal so she gasped and then fell back on the floor laughing until she cried, rolling with her stomach cramped up from the look on Ben's face from Isaac's observation. Angela had her mouth covered trying not to laugh, turning red, too bashful to look up at Ben, who couldn't believe how quickly a child could embarrass you. Needless to say, he was gone from the scene in a flash.

  Crystal sat up, wiping her eyes, trying to calm down, grabbing Darren to her to dress him. "Get your hand off your willy boy." She ordered, working to return to normal, but kept giggling out more when the look on Ben's face flashed in her mind again.

  "No willy, my pee-pee."

  "Yeah, yeah, yeah - time for bed for you. Isaac, go give Mundo his kiss goodnight."

  "Okay mama, can I give Ben a kiss too?"

  "Yes, you can give Ben a kiss too."

  "I g'Ben kiss." Darren announced nodding his little head of wet curls, as if that was okay with him.

  "Yo-o-ou, gonna give Ben a kiss? I gotta see this." Crystal smiled finishing getting him ready for bed. Angela had followed Isaac out of the room to direct him and then she would take him up to bed. Crystal came down the stairs to laughter, obviously Ben had told Mundo about what had transpired in the bathroom and this was the reason that Mundo was in tears, trying to give Isaac a kiss goodnight. This all while Ben leaned on the sofa, controller in his hand, red in the face, trying to avoid looking up at Crystal, but smiling as Isaac climbed on his lap and gave him a kiss goodnight.

  "Nite nite Ben, nite nite Mundo." He was done, climbing down when Crystal approached and put Darren on the sofa between them. Standing, he leaned towards Mundo, kissing him. "Nite nite."

  "See you in the morning lil'dude." Mundo returned.

  He then leaned towards Ben, kissing him right on the mouth. "Nite nite."

  Grinning, feeling the day couldn't end more perfect, Ben grabbed him, growling, gave him a tight squeeze and pretended to attack his neck where it was the most ticklish, receiving the desired effect. Darren screamed and shouted in laughter, scrunching his shoulders to protect his neck while wiggling out of control. "Ben do me, do me!" Isaac asked wanting in on the fun. Ben grabbed him up, doing the same. Suddenly he stood with both of them, "Time to head for bed, this way." He announced, carrying them on each arm, "Wave goodnight to everyone." He instructed leaving the room with them.

  "G'night - g'night - g'night." They called over and over.

  Smiling, surprised, Crystal followed him up with them. Angela sat on the sofa grabbing the game controller Ben had abandoned, "Time for me to kick your butt now." She challenged Mundo. Who at that moment, was thinking about the scene he just witnessed. He wasn't sure what his feelings were. He liked Ben, he liked Victor. However, Victor had stepped out of the game which Mundo could somewhat, understand. Fact was, he was willing to let his sister get a divorce, so in view of that, she was, in a sense, free, or almost free.

  Then there was Ben.

  He hadn't known Ben as long as he had known Victor but he couldn't see Ben hurting his sister; especially with Shawn and his mother standing by. Then there was his sister. It was a fact, that it had been a long time, since he'd seen her so happy, so carefree. Granted, that was partly due to Shawn's entry into their lives, but since Ben, her eyes were brighter, her smile and laughter sweet and for once, she wasn't as hardcore serious as he'd always known her to be. She seemed, younger, he liked that. He'd leave it alone. She wasn't stupid. She knew how to handle herself. And right now, for the time being, Ben was a welcomed distraction from her wrecked marriage. He could hear the boys upstairs laughing, it sounded like they were playing more than being bedded down for the night.

  He was right.

  Ben had gotten them riled up playing airplane landing into bed. First one, then the other, he would raise one into the air, telling them to stretch their arms straight out like wings, and their legs straight and together and then proceeded to pretend they were airplanes circling for a landing, coupled with sound effects and all, they loved it. Each wanted to do it again and again until finally Crystal halted the fun.

  "That's it. Last landing, no more playing, time for sleepies." She announced.

  "One mo'time mama?" Isaac pleaded standing in his car bed.

  "One mo'Ben!" Darren held his arms out to Ben for another flight and then landing.

  "No!" It was Crystal who called it out this time.

  "Come on, let me do it once more?" Ben asked, enjoying himself.

  "No! You just as bad as them. It is their bedtime, they need to calm down, chill and go to sleep. And that will not happen, if you're flying them around the room."

  Ben made a face. "Ach!"

  Laughing Crystal shook her head, "Oh no you did not. Out you go, I'm gonna read them a story to settle them down."

  Ben stared at her strangely for a moment, then at them, wanting to be in on it, but thought he better leave well enough alone. "Okay, well - I guess I better, leave you to it then." He looked at the boys, waved to them and left the room.

  Crystal stood still in disbelief. He'd wanted to stay. She could see that he did. With a soft smile, a shake of her head, she turned from the door to her boys, putting them down for the night and then sitting on Mundo's bed, she began reading to them very softly so they would quiet down. However, it wasn't easy, because Ben's face and the expression on it kept coming back to mind.

  Half an hour later, she walked back down stairs to hear Ben, Mundo and Angela discussing the earlier event with the pool. The question they were trying to decide upon, was whether to tell Shawn and Sylvia what happened when they got home.

  "I think we're going to have to. I mean, the neighbors saw what happened. They'll be pissed off if they hear it from someone else." Crystal reasoned.

  "My dads going to drain the pool, I'm calling it." Angela stated. "He's going to be mad too that I left that door open." She worried.

  "We don't know if it was you, we don't know who left it open." Mundo defended her.

  "Doesn't matter, its over. Question is, would it make you feel better if he drained the pool Crystal? To me, the solution is not to drain the pool, but to teach the boys to swim. I can do that. I'm an excellent swimmer, and I've been a lifeguard in the Dells since I was 16. It was my first summer job, I've been trained on all emergency maneuvers. I've attended six consecutive courses on training others to swim, including, little ones, I'd love to teach them. Tell me what you want, that's what we'll do."

  Crystal had to remember not to look him in the eyes for any length of time, it was playing havoc with her head. She turned to look at Mundo, "What do you think?"

  "I think, if my man can teach them how to swim, they need to learn how to swim. That's my opinion."

  Crystal looked at Angela, "You're their auntie, what do you think?"

  Angela sat straighter, feeling elated that Crystal included her in that way.

  "I'm with Mundo, and Ben; it's safer if they know how to swim. The problem is going to be my dad. He is going to go through the roof."

  "Well, when he comes down from the roof, I'll let him know, that I don't want the pool drained. I want my sons to know how to swim. Are you sure Ben you wanna do this? Spend your time that way?"

  "Absolutely. What happened today, should never happen again. However, should it, when I'm done with Darren and Isaac, they'll know how to flip over on their backs, relax and float so they can breathe. Once they get that, then comes the part of teaching them how to hold their breath in the water and swim. I want to do this
."

  Crystal smiled, "It's settled then. They'll learn to swim."

  With one last smile, she turned heading off for the kitchen that still had to be cleaned because she hadn't finished due to Darren's going swimming alone earlier. Mundo and Angela were tired of playing video games and started watching tv, VH1, watching videos, doing the surf for something they both were interested in. Ben stood walking towards the stairs, he hesitated, fighting the urge to go into the kitchen to help Crystal. Realizing that he had to stop giving into this need to be around her, he forced himself up the stairs and into the room where the boys were sleeping to get fresh underwear, a t-shirt and loungers that he slept in. Keeping the light off, he was being as quiet as he possibly could, Isaac was out cold, but Darren was still awake. He was peering up at him from the crib, "Ben." He whispered his name smiling. Ben knelt on the floor by the crib looking in through the bars at him, whispering, "What are you still doing awake? Go to sleep little man."

  Darren smiled, reached through the bar, grabbed Ben's nose and squeezed it laughing. Making Ben laugh out as well. He grabbed his little hand gently, and kissed his palm. "You, are just like your mama, you know that? A little imp. Full of mischievous energy with the most incredible smile I have ever seen."

  Darren leaned up, pressed his forehead to the bars, "Ge'-up Ben." He climbed to his knees, holding his hands out to be taken from the bed.

  "Aaah Darren, man you're gonna get me in trouble. You're supposed to be sleeping."

  "Ge'-up Ben." He repeated, standing in the crib, holding his arms out to him. Ben couldn't resist, he stood, took him from the crib and held him in his arms. "Now what? You should be sleeping."

  "No."

  "Yes."

  "No, n'sleepy Ben." He said in such a sweet little voice, that Ben wanted to hug him, kiss him. He really did look like his mother even though he had his father's coloring. With a sigh he gave in to him, "Well, if you're not sleepy, you're just not sleepy. But you can't get down and play, 'cause mama wants you sleeping. So you'll have to stay with me until you get sleepy, okay? Will you stay with me? Mama's busy, Mundo's chilling and Angela is too, so its just you and I." He spoke softly trying to think of what to do with him while he took a shower, second thought, "Looks like my shower is going to have to wait. Wanna go for a walk? Get some fresh air?"

  Darren nodded that he did.

  Ben reached into the crib, grabbed his blanket, putting it around him because the evening was slightly cool, turned and found his trainers, slipping his feet into them. Next, he came quietly down the stairs and headed for the kitchen. Crystal was kneeling at the refrigerator wiping up spilled juice when Ben entered carrying her son.

  "Crystal." He called to her softly, she turned, obviously surprised and stood closing the door. "He can't sleep. We're going for a little walk." Ben informed her right away. Crystal sighed, "Darren, you do this every night." She spoke softly, approaching them, trying to keep things on a low keel hoping that he'd eventually grow tired. She stood before Ben, who was holding her son, whom at the moment, wasn't interested in coming to her. In fact, he was leaning towards Ben's shoulder. Looking at him up there, Crystal was once again reminded of how tall Ben was. Because she was barely taller than her mother, maybe an inch or two at the most, Ben's 6'2 stature had her looking up. Once more, standing close to him, played havoc with her heart. She didn't understand it. She was in love with her husband, soon to be ex-husband Victor, so then, if she was in love with Victor, why was Ben's nearness doing to her what it was, she didn't understand that at all. She was not the only one struggling with the close proximity.

  This was not the first time Ben had to confront his urges. Urges that he knew he had to squash because she was in love with her husband.

  "Um, come with us? Just a little night time stroll, get some fresh air in him, maybe he'll drop off to sleep." He invited. He needed to break this feeling he had with her standing there, yet, he still wanted her near.

  Crystal smiled, she wasn't ready to part from him either.

  "Okay. Think maybe we should invite Angela?" She offered.

  He smiled, hiding his disappointment. He'd wanted to be alone with her and Darren, but answered, "Sure, if she wants to come."

  Crystal walked down the hall towards the living room, "Angela, Darren is still up, Ben and I are taking him for a walk, wanna come?"

  Mundo looked up at her, then looked away, his mind going once again.

  Angela turned looking up at Crystal, "No, I'm getting tired, you go. I'm gonna get in the shower in a minute."

  "Oh, well - okay. See you when I get back."

  "Okay." Angela smiled, feeling excited.

  Mundo looked at her, "What you grinning like a fool fa'?"

  Kneeling as she was, her hand went to her hip, and the head rotated with her answer, "I ain't grinnin' like no fool! Fool!" She simpered.

  Mundo laughed, "You best watch it lil'o'rich girl, you losing all that refined and cultured speech, startin' to sound like you from the hood." He chuckled shaking his head.

  "You know what Mundo?"

  "What?" He replied, distracted by what was on tv.

  "I want Ben and Crystal to be together. That way, Crystal won't ever leave and go away anywhere else."

  He was surprised by her saying that, turning to her his response was, "Maybe. But if she stay by herself, she won't be going anywhere else anyway."

  "I know, but Ben makes her happy. I want her to be happy."

  "How you know, Ben makes her happy?"

  "I know he does, I can tell the way she acts when he's around." She informed him.

  "You know she still married to Victor, don't you?"

  "They're getting a divorce though."

  "True dat, but - she need to chill a bit. Be sure of what she want."

  "Don't you like Ben, Mundo?"

  "Of course I do, he real cool. But you know he got a girlfriend right?"

  Angela sighed, deflated, "Yeah, I know, I heard it through the grapevine." She sounded so black, Mundo flipped over on the sofa dying laughing, "Girl you know you crazy! Heard it through the grapevine, ain't you 'bout a trip."

  Angela shrugged, undeterred. There was still the ball her mother mentioned to Crystal. She would make sure to mention that to Ben. She stood heading upstairs, her mind in a dreamy fantasy of Sleeping Beauty, when they danced at the end of it. She superimposed Ben's and Crystal's head on the fantasy couple and was determined to make it so. She wanted what she wanted. Her world was almost complete. She had her father, Sylvia. She had Mundo, and now Ben. She didn't need test results to prove that he was her brother, she just knew that it was true. And to make sure she always had Crystal, she wanted her married to Ben. Then she would be a McPherson, and then with Jesse James coming, they would all be together, one big amazing family, living happily ever after.

  "I have to say, that it is absolutely beautiful here. I love it." Crystal spoke softly as they slowly strolled within the rich estate, surrounded by incredible landscapes, trees, bushes and gardens galore.

  "I will have to agree with you, I'm glad I came." He responded.

  Crystal looked up at him, smiling, "I'm glad with you. You being here, saved my baby's life. That's something I will never forget."

  Ben smiled, rubbing Darren's back, pulling the blanket up around him, "I guess all those years of being a lifeguard paid off in the greatest way ever. I still can't believe that he was out there, I mean, climbed right over the safety railing."

  "I know!" She exclaimed softly. "Babies will drive you insane, especially when they're near or in their terrible twos. I thought he was in the living room with you guys."

  "I tried to get him to come to me, but he was not interested in me in the slightest bit."

  "Well, look at him now. I would say, that he is very interested." She murmured quietly.

  Ben smiled, with Darren's head on his shoulder, he was starting to drift. He was thinking about her last line, that Darren was very interested. Ben wished that she was
as interested in him. But at least, for now, she considered him her friend.

  "You do surprisingly well with little ones considering the fact that you're single and so young yourself. Their own father is not even this good with them. Don't get me wrong, he loves them, but Mundo is actually more hands on with them than he is. But he tries to be a good father, he's always been a good provider, I must say that."

  "Well, Jake was a good provider. He always took care of Kevin and my needs financially. But my father, Quincy - man I tell you, he is a star in my eyes. I mean, there aren't many men who will take on another man's sons and raise them as if they are his own. He did that. He did it whole soul, holding nothing back. I mean, he really loved me and Kevin. We could actually feel it."

  "That's so nice to hear. So uh, when was the last time you called him, out of the blue and told him that?"

  Ben looked down at her, "I haven't - told him that."

  "Emmm, then, might I suggest, when we get back to the house, you getting on the phone and doing just that. Because I can tell you this, men like him deserve the greatest rewards of all. You see, I have one too. He may not have raised us from very young, as Quincy did you and Kevin, but - he's doing all in his power, to make up for all that we lacked in a father. I love me - some Papah-Shawn. You see, he is my hero. My brother's hero. How often do you find, a white man - stepping up to a black man's children, and saying to them, with all his heart and soul, you are mine and then ... meaning it?"

  "Yeah, you're right. And that's why, I want him too. Does that make me greedy?"

  "Of course not. He's your father."

  "Maybe."

  "I think he is."

  "I hope so, I want with all my heart and being, to find, that he is my father. And I just need you to know, that its not to discount Jake. I know he loved me. In fact, he's pissed off at me right now, hurt. Gee-whiz you know, life can be so tough. Even when you don't mean to, you end up hurting the people you love, just trying to make sense out of who and what you are."

  "Believe me, I know exactly what you mean. And you know what, I don't claim to be all that smart, or wise, but I'm learning that, you have to be real and true to you. Jake is too cool to let this fester in him for long. So don't worry about him. You, me, we need to make up our minds on how things in our lives effect us. And when we make a mistake, we need to own up to it and make it right. That's why I filed for a divorce. My mother sent me off to college to finish my education. I should have been focused on that, instead of tripping over the first guy that made me feel special."