BOMAW 7-9

by Mercedes Keyes

  She was answering Gert's question about what she did for a living, working in a bank. She was very educated, refined and well spoken. She sat proper in her seat, proud, and with elegance and grace. Bart was enjoying this time he had to observe her. To really look at her. Her skin, very smooth and even, accentuating her classical features. Never had he seen eyes so captivating. She glanced at him, noticing finally, that he stared at her. It made her blush.

  "I'm sorry, am I going on too much?"

  "Not at all, lil' gal. I'm just seeing, finally, what my Gert's been going on and on about. You are one, helluva good-looking woman, lil' girl! Mother, you have the eyes of an eagle, when it comes to our boys."

  Gert's grin was a mile wide, she winked at Vivian, and threw a kiss at her husband. "Can you see the lil' ones that'll come from her and Jake?" She asked him, looking back at a blushing Vivian.

  "I'm beginning to, mother, I can just imagine - 'specially they blessed enough to look like her." Bart grinned at Vivian, tickled by the look on her face, he imagined she must be red as could be under her dark skin.

  "You two are so kind to me, but - the last I saw of Jake, he promised not to return."

  "Girl, don't you pay that no never mind, they all say that. He'll be back - fact is - me and Bart's been betting on how long it'll take him before he's out to the house, once he knows you're there." Gert went on to inform her.

  "I don't know, he's not so happy with me. He thinks I'm a little girl with fairytale fantasies, because - well - I, uh - well ... because I want marriage - stability, a family. He doesn't."

  Bart shook his head, his eyes narrowing, "I can just imagine what he wants. You listen here, lil' gal. You stick to your guns, you hear? Don't you let that son of mine run roughshod over you. He's got to learn, there are the marrying kind, and the no-need-to-marry kind. He's had plenty of the latter, I'd like to see him with someone for once, that'll bring him to the alter."

  "Oh, this one will, Bart... she's been already giving him a run for his money, haven't you, darlin'?"

  Vivian didn't know what to say, by the looks of his father, she may have said too much.

  "No need to be bashful with us! We're on your side." Gert announced.

  "If that's the case, maybe we oughtn't be trying to hook her up with Jake, mother." Bart pointed out sincerely.

  "Now, Bart... don't you start - he's the only one we got left!"

  "Sorry about that, young lady, him bein' the last - you might wanna reconsider." Bart warned Vivian.

  "Bart! Now, cut it out! Jake ain't so bad! He's got a good heart, and he'll make a decent man to the right women! And that's you!" Gert mildly fussed at her husband, and then pointed at Vivian at the last of it.

  Grinning, embarrassed, caught on the spot, Vivian asked, "Can we not ... talk about him, me - I mean, us right now. As I said, he's not really interested the way you wish him. And I came with the need to just get away. Not with the hope of anything happening between him and I. Please."

  "Fair enough, drop it, mother!" Bart ordered, as they meals arrived.

  Gert would for the moment, but she would make sure Jake knew that she was there.

  The waiter left after placing their meals before them. "Oh, this looks delicious." Vivian commented, picking up her knife and fork.

  * * *

  Sylvia walked into the house shaking her head. Her son, and his friends, had it sounding like a block party outside. Shawn was no better, he'd joined them coming back from their walk, as she sat by Shanna's a bit. She decided to leave because Officer Collier had shown up, giving no mind to the music the boys were playing, he was there to, "check up" on Shanna. Sylvia knew when it was time to make her exit.

  Stepping into the house, the phone rang. She rushed to it, "Hello?"

  Sylvia heard a distinctive sigh of impatience on the line, "Hello? Who is this?" She asked, wondering who in the world would be sounding so impatient with her answering the phone. "May I speak to Shawn, please." A woman abruptly requested, as if she had little time to go through her, to get to him.

  "And who may I ask is calling?" Sylvia urged, trying to mind herself - but she didn't appreciate the tone, nor the fact that a woman was calling there to speak with her husband.

  "Is he there, or not?"

  "Who is this?" Sylvia ignored the question and demanded.

  "Well, who is this?!" She demanded back.

  "His - wife!" Sylvia returned.

  "Can you please call Shawn to the phone?" She repeated.

  "Not until you tell me who I'm talking to. Now I repeat, who - is - this?"

  "I'll call back later."

  "I'll be answering then, too, I'll make sure of it! So save yourself, and me, some time. Who is this and what do you want, calling here asking to speak to my husband?!"

  "God, I cannot stand rude, ignorant, people!"

  "Rude! Since when is it proper etiquette to phone someone's home, ask to speak with their husband, while refusing to identify one's self? That - is rude! Now, what's it gonna be?" Sylvia offered the choice.

  "Christine Jacobs! Now - may I speak to Shawn?"

  "About what?"

  "Excuse me, that is between Shawn and I."

  "I figure you two said all there was to say, earlier today. What more need there be said? You firmly backed your continuous lie about Benjamin being Jake's, and that's that. What, you calling now to tell the truth or something?"

  "I beg your pardon - what do you know about me? I didn't call here for this, I called to speak with Shawn! Now get him on the phone!"

  "No! I'm not going to! You've screwed my husband's day enough with all this BS, and I get a feeling this phone call is about nothing more, but more - BS. So, unless you're phoning to enlighten him with some truths, don't bother."

  "I want to know, has Benjamin come by there?"

  "Why would he come by here?"

  "Because, he left here upset, and I need to speak to Shawn about it."

  "According to you, Shawn is not his father, so why do you need to speak with him about Benjamin being upset? What is he upset about?"

  "Hel-looo, because he may have come there to speak to him! Thanks to your husband coming to my house, it's stirred up a big mess between me and my son! I don't want him telling Benjamin anything, if he should ask him questions!"

  "Are you trying to say, in your own rude and awkward way, that Benjamin is aware of your discrepancies, when it comes to the validity of paternity?"

  "Will you please let me speak with Shawn?"

  Before Sylvia could answer, Jake walked into the basement. He'd just returned from Chicago. When he'd driven up, there had been no one outside, but he could hear music coming from the basement of Shawn's house. He'd parked, hoping to come in, check in with Shawn, let him know he'd be helping him out all day tomorrow. After he smoothed things over with him, he would slip off again, to his parents' house. He knew that Vivian was there, and he had to go by to see her. He was carrying a bag in his hand from Wal-mart, where he stopped to purchase yet another, mobile phone. However, what he encountered was a hostile looking Sylvia, no brother in sight.

  "Hang on, just a minute here. Exactly who you need to speak to, has just walked in the door." Sylvia announced to her, her eyes shooting daggers at Jake. Taking the phone away from her ear, "Mind speaking to this fool on the other end of this phone?!" Sylvia asked, in a demanding manner; holding the phone out to Jake. Confused, he tossed his bag to the sofa and took the phone.

  "Hello? Who is this?" He asked, staring down at Sylvia. She was leaning on the kitchen counter with one hand on her hip, not about to leave the room.

  "Jake?"

  "Yeah... Christine? What? What are you doing? What's going on?"

  "What are you doing there?" She asked.

  "I'm staying here, for the time being. What's going on? You call here?"

  "Yes, I did!"

  "Why?"

  "Because of your brother! He showed up here today! Asking me about Benjamin! Benjamin saw him leaving he
re, and now he's back to digging for answers!"

  Jake sucked in a deep breath and blew it out, and raked his hand through his hair.'Shit!' He thought. Shit was hitting the fan because of him opening his mouth, and saying what he had to Shawn. He should have known this would happen. He hated being spontaneous and petty... now, he'd opened a right nasty can of worms.

  "And you've called here, why? To do what about it? What is Benjamin asking you?" Jake inquired, not daring to leave Sylvia's presence. He had a feeling, she would only follow him. He also had a feeling, by the looks of her, he needed to prepare himself for a chew out, it was written all over her.

  "He's demanding to know who his father is!"

  "Well, what did you tell him?"

  "The same thing that I've always told him - you, of course!"

  "I see. And the problem is?"

  "For some strange reason, he doesn't believe me."

  Jake barked with laughter and stated, "What's so strange about it?" He went on, laughing as she yelled at him on the other end, "Fuck you, Jake! Fuck you!"

  "Yeah, and that's what got you into this mess! Doing me and my brother! Otherwise, there would be no reason for us to be talking today. Had you stopped with just Shawn, you wouldn't be trying to save face, and no explanations would be needed! Give it up, Christine, tell the boy the truth already."

  "I have told him the truth! I don't want him coming there questioning Shawn!"

  "Benjamin's going to do, what Benjamin's going to do! He's a grown man, and he has a right to know the truth to whatever the hell he suspects! And he's a McPherson, so I would expect no less! Frankly speaking, the way these people talk around here, he should already know."

  "You know what, Jake - you could care less! You've never given a damn about them, anyway! You're nothing but a motherfucker!-..."

  "AND YOU'RE NOTHING BUT A BROTHER-FUCKER!! SO DON'T START THAT BULLSHIT WITH ME!! I DON'T WANNA HEAR IT!! I'M NOT ABOUT TO GO ON A GODDAMN GUILT TRIP WITH YOU!! YOU FUCKED MY BROTHER AND THEN FUCKED OVER HIM, BY FUCKING WITH ME!!! ALL YOU HAD TO DO, WAS SAY NO!! NOW, TELL YOUR SON THE TRUTH, GET THE FUCK OFF THE PHONE, AND DON'T CALL BACK HERE WITH THIS BULLSHIT!!!" With that said, he hung up on her. Turned to Sylvia and invited, "Okay, now it's your turn to chew me out; it's written all over your face that you want to."

  "You sho' right about that! And I'll tell you why!"

  "Can I sit down first?" He asked, capitulating.

  "Yeah, I think you're gonna need to." Sylvia returned.

  Jake walked over to the table, inhaled deeply and sat down.

  "You know what my problem is with you, and this whole situation? It could have all been avoided, if you hadn't baited your brother!"

  "Yeah, but - you brought it up first. Did you not say to Shawn, that you thought Benjamin was his?"

  "Yes, I did! Because I had the chance to get a good look at that boy, and I suspected it. And I brought it to his attention. However, he hadn't given it much thought, because of Shawn2 looking like him, so it was no big deal to him, until you all but confirmed it." Sylvia stated, and then paused to let that sink in, while she revved her engine towards getting her second wind.

  "You know what, you know as well as I do, that your brother loves you. I wasn't there when you guys were growing up, but you were! Locked in your mind, whether you're willing to face it or not, are memories of all that he's done to show that he loves you! Also, there, are all the big and little things you did to make his life a living hell. That bullshit - stops here and now! Jacob Patrick McPherson, grow your ass up, and get the hell off of my husband's back! He is only one man, and he is human! And you, dear - have hurt him for the last goddamn time! I don't give a shit if you never look my way again, in fact if you wish, when I'm done - you can cuss me-..."

  "I would never do that, Sylvia. Come on, give me some kind of credit. I'm not a complete piece of shit - I would never disrespect you."

  "You know what, I'm glad to hear that. But that doesn't mean as half as much to me, as you discontinuing in this driven need to hurt Shawn! He's opened his home to you! After all the shit you've done to him, you're living here-..."

  "What - you want me to leave?" He asked gently.

  "Did I ask you to leave? Have I made any kind of statement like that to you?"

  "No ... but, I don't wanna cause problems between you and Shawn."

  "You can't cause problems between me and Shawn! Whatever was possible for you to do, has been done! Ain't no man, nowhere, equal to my husband! So ain't no man, nowhere, which includes you - can come between us! Just as you know he will fiercely fight to defend what is his, don't let my size fool you! Please don't, Jake." She stared at him a moment. She didn't want problems between them, but she couldn't take this constant need he had to crush Shawn.

  "I love my husband, and I will not, stand idly by and let anyone hurt him. Including family, that would be you. Now, between you and Christine, you've collectively, once again - 20 some odd years later, hurt him with the same ol'shit! It pisses me off! He doesn't deserve it, Jake! Just like some no-account brass-ass monkey, you gonna come up in here, sit and eat at his table, then turn around and shit on his floor! Not while I'm up in here, you ain't! You say you respect me? Never do anything to disrespect me? Let me clarify that for you. When you disrespect my man, you disrespecting me! By showing him respect, you showing me respect. That's all, Jake, I need from you... that's all." Sylvia finished, staring at him and of course, with perfect timing, Shawn walked in to see her in a stance of confrontation.

  He looked from her to his brother who was seated.

  "What's going on here?" He asked.

  Chapter 155

  Sylvia looked towards her husband and then back down at Jake, correcting her posture. "Nothing, I'm heading up to bed." She said softly, smiling at him.

  "Why doesn't it look like nothing?" He questioned, crossing the room from the door. Jake had his head down, feeling another reason coming on, to ready himself. "Christine called." Jake announced, with his back to his brother.

  Hearing that stopped Shawn. He glanced from Jake's back to his wife. She walked up to him, stretched up for a kiss, "I'm going to bed, can I have a kiss?" She asked. He wrapped his arm around her, squeezed her to him, looking into her eyes. "Did you talk to her?" He wanted to know.

  "Yes... she wanted to speak with you. I wouldn't come and get you for her, we were about to get into a bit of an argument, when Jake walked in; he talked to her instead. Anything more, you can find out from him. I'm going to bed, I'm tired - can I have that kiss?"

  Shawn paused, staring down at her, she smiled at him and winked, "I love you - don't ever forget that...okay?"

  He smiled, nodded, and gave her a kiss. "I'll be up in a bit." He stated. She walked away, "Goodnight, Jake." She called.

  "Goodnight..." He returned. Taking another deep breath, he turned in his seat to face his brother.

  Both of them were silent as Sylvia closed the door at the top of the stairs.

  They both stared at each other, collecting their thoughts. Wondering how to deal with the situation at hand. Jake was the one who opened with, "You - haven't a clue, of how lucky you are. You haven't a clue."

  "What do you mean?" Shawn inquired.

  "My brother, Sylvia McPherson... truly - loves you. Never doubt it - never doubt it. And whatever you do, don't ruin it - don't blow it."

  "Not if I can help it, I won't. What brought that declaration on?"

  "Ohhh, what can I say. She just told me off, that's all." Jake looked up at him and grinned. "Ain't nothing like being told off by a black woman. They have this special way of doing it that makes you feel exactly like a piece of shit. Kind of the way I feel right now." Jake added.

  "Yep, if they ever have an Olympic event in telling off, Sylvia will win the gold every time." Shawn joked in return, trying to lighten things.

  "I'll second that, brother." They both chuckled a bit. Shawn walked to the sofa and flopped back in it. Then asked, "What did she say?"

>   Jake automatically knew they were now off the subject of Sylvia and on to Christine.

  "She's upset. Benjamin's been questioning her, it seems he saw you leaving there today."

  Shawn turned to look at Jake, "Questioning her about what?"

  "He knows. I know and you know."

  Shawn slouched there thinking that over. Trying to take it all in, "How did this all happen, Jake?" He finally asked.

  "Simple... I screwed one girlfriend of yours, too many. You had gone, and thanks to pop - I was left, literally, holding the baby."

  "Have you always known?" Shawn asked softly.

  "No... not until I saw him for the first time. However, I will admit, that I denied him. Didn't wanna have anything to do with him, and then, mom and dad brought him home one day. He started crying, and I was forced to go and take a look. When my eyes fell on him, I knew he was yours, and ... I loved him. From that moment on, I wanted him - I wanted to take care of him, and I did. Just as you, my brother, had always taken care of me."

  Shawn was choked up and lost for words.

  They were both silent for a moment. Jake broke the silence by saying, "Remember all the whippings you use to take for me? I do. Almost all of my life, has been spent, running from responsibility... but Benjamin... was my one chance, to do one thing right - for you. Because I knew, in my heart, you would have done the same for me. Shawn, I loved him, because he was -... no - is - your son."