Bart and Chris
by: E Walk
(© 2008 by the Author)
 

The author retains all rights. No reproductions are allowed without the author's consent. Comments are appreciated at...

Chapter 19

 Break a Leg

The play group had left and I was fixing lunch when Mrs. Sweet and Bart finally emerged from the dining room.  Mrs. Sweet announced, “Bart is going to take me to lunch and then we have an errand to do.  We’ll be back about two.”

I figured so much for lunch and after Barbie and I ate, I started to do the laundry and to vacuum and was confused by everything that was happening.  ‘Why wasn’t Zack back?  What are Bart and Mrs. Sweet up to?’ 

It was almost two thirty and no one still had surfaced.  I started to fix a snack for the children.  Bart and Mrs. Sweet came in and Bart was carrying a bag with a sparkly jacket and some other things.

Bart went to the apartment to hang up what he had and Mrs. Sweet started, “Sorry, we’re so late.  Bart drove us to lunch, and then we stopped at the costume shop and found some that he could wear to make it seem like he was Nat King Cole and another Elvis costume.  We stopped by the hotel to check to see what the facilities were for the dinner tonight, and we had to have the staff make some changes.”

“By the way, someone needs to take Bart to get his driver’s license.  He’s a better driver than I am or ever was.”

I put up my hand, “Mrs. Sweet you are creating a monster whether you know it or not.”

She looked at me, “I’m an old lady and that’s what I do best.”

We were interrupted by the arrival of school children and Zack.  Mrs. Sweet didn’t waste anytime, “Zack, take Bart to get his driver’s license. Don’t let him know what’s happening or it will make him nervous.”

When Bart came into the kitchen, Zack stood, “Come on kid, we need to go take care of some things that your other Dad forgot to do.”

After the two of them had departed, Mrs. Sweet looked at me and started to laugh, “Zack is even more lethal than you.  I have to go home and get beautiful for my dates tonight.  Make sure Tip and Ty pick me up on time.”

I had decided that since it was only going to be Zack and me and the seven young people that I would fix tacos for dinner with some Mexican side dishes.  It was almost five o’clock when Bart and Zack returned.  Bart was beaming, “Dad, I got my driver’s license.  I even got a 100% on the written test.  Dad Zack says I can’t drive by myself though until you get me on your insurance policy.”

I looked at the clock, “We’ll take care of that on Monday, since it’s almost five o’clock.  I think you need to go get dressed and get your outfits for tonight, since Tory is going to be arriving shortly.”

I looked at Zack, “Now you see what my life is like everyday. How come you were able to come home early this week?  Not that I minded, because I really enjoyed the way you woke me up last night.  How come you stayed at school all day?”

Zack came and put his arms around me as I was fixing the ground beef for the tacos.  “Markie, slow down.  One question at a time please.  First, the Chancellor cancelled classes for this morning because the President was going to be making a speech on campus at ten o’clock and I decided I would rather come home and spend the time with you than listen to the President’s speech.”

“As far as why I stayed at school, it was because the music teacher asked me to accompany the third graders to the retirement home to perform the music program that they will be putting on next Tuesday night.  It seems as if one of the parents who was to accompany the children as they walked to the home had an emergency and wasn’t going to be able to make it.”

“I figured why not since I’m not going to be here to see them perform on Tuesday night.  I would have called you but I hadn’t taken my cell phone with me and there wasn’t enough time for me to go to the office to call.  When we returned after the performance, I went to recess with the children and then the teacher had me read to the children as she finished putting things in their folders.  She is really impressed by how much Chris has changed.”

“As far as how I woke you up last night, just wait until you see how I put you to sleep tonight.”

Our conversation was interrupted when Tip and Ty arrived at the same time.  Tip started to give us a difficult time,  “Don’t tell me that’s what the two you did all day.  Honestly, you need to get a room.  What are the children going to think?”

Zack took his arms away and I turned around, “Look, you don’t have time to stand here and gawk.  You are to pick your date up at six o’clock.”

Ty looked confused, “What date?”

“Mrs. Sweet of course.” 

Tip and Ty went to get dressed and Bart came in carrying  his costumes, “Dads, I need someone to help with my tie.  I can’t get it to look right.”

I took the costumes, “Zack, help him with his tie while I go get him some luggage to put his costumes in.”

I went and got my hanging bag and put the costumes in it.  I handed the hanging bag to Bart, “Son, if you get any more costumes, we’re going need to a rent U-Hall trailer or something.”

It was precisely 5:30 when Tory arrived with her three brothers.  The boys had their backpacks with their changes of clothes.  Chris, Bobby and Billy had heard the doorbell so they came to greet the boys. 

As Tory and Bart were leaving, I yelled, “Break a leg, People.”

Bart turned and looked at me, “Dad, why did you say something like that?  Why do you want us to break a leg?”

Chris was standing with his hands on his hips, frowning.  “Dad, that was a mean thing to say.”

I looked at Zack for help, “Look, what your Dad was saying was good luck tonight with your show.  That is what people say, especially when a new show is opening.”

Chris wasn’t done chastising me, “Dad, next time, just say what you really mean.”

Tip and Ty appeared in their tuxedos.  Chris looked at them, “Uncle Tip and Uncle Ty, you sure are handsome.”  Chris turned and looked at me, “Are you going to tell them to break a leg, too?”

Tip and Ty looked bewildered and Zack couldn’t stop from laughing.  I answered, “Chris, they’re not going to be performing.   We probably should make sure they have their anti acid tablets with them since Tory said they were going to have some yucky food to eat.”

Billy looked at Tip and Ty, “Dads, why did you get all dressed up to eat some yucky food?”

Tip looked at me, “Mark, you started this mess, so you need to finish it.  We need to leave if we’re going to be on time to pick up our date.”

When we finished eating, Bobby announced, “Nano, we’ll take care of the cleanup, and then can we go to the park for a while?”

“I don’t see why we can’t go to the park until it’s snack time, if that’s what you would like to do.”

It was a good thing that we went to the park because there were some other girls there for Becky and Barbie to play with.

Zack and I were sitting on the top of a Picnic table  watching the children playing.  Out of the clear blue he announced, “I have this strong urge to throw you down on this table and have my way with your naked body in broad daylight.”

I started to laugh, “Why whatever would yuh be wanting to do that for, suh?”

“I be wantin’ to pull all of the hairs from your body and listen to you  scream.”

I sobbed, “Oh, suh, you just be jealous because I have moe hair than you evah will.”

Zack poked me on the arm, “Chris was right.  You do have a mean streak in you.  I’ll have to take care of that tonight.”

I did my two finger whistle and the children all started toward us, “Come on, Children, we need to get Mr. Jackson home before he has kittens.”

Robbie looked at Zack, “Are you really going to have kittens, Uncle Zack?”

I leaned down, “Robbie, I was just teasing him.  He's not really going to have kittens.”

Ricky looked at Bobby, “Shucks, I wanted to see him have kittens.”

After the snack, I sent Chris and Randy to the apartment to get clean. “Bobby, you and Ricky use the shower in your dads’ bedroom and don't make a mess.” I turned to Zack,  “Zack, you help Robbie and Billy and I’ll help the girls.”

I had gotten the girls settled and went to check on Chris and Randy.  I went to the bedroom door and knocked even though the door was open.  Chris called out, “Dad, why didn’t you just walk in.”

I walked in and sat on the bed and leaned down, “Open your mouths, says me.”

The boys opened their mouths and I sniffed, “I do believe you two gentlemen forgot to do something.”

Chris jumped out of bed, “See, Randy, I told you Dad was mean.  We have to go brush our teeth.”

I could hear the boys talking as they brushed their teeth.  When they came out of the bathroom, Chris hugged me, “Dad, we were talking and just forgot.”

I hugged and I kissed both of them.  Randy looked at me and he hugged and kissed me back.  “Nano, our Daddy never kisses us.  He doesn’t even hug us very much.”

“Guys, sleep tight.  I’m going to close the bedroom door so we don’t wake you when we come to bed.  Sweet dreams and don’t let the bed bugs bite.”

Chris yelled, “We won’t.  We’ll catch them all and put them in your bed.”

Zack was sitting in the living room when I got back from the apartment, “Zack, did you per chance hug and kiss the four boys when you got them settled?”

“Mark, that’s a strange question.  I hugged them but I didn’t kiss them, because I didn’t know how Ricky and Robbie would react.”

“Wrong answer, Zack.  We have unfinished business to take care of.  Let’s go.”

Zack followed me up the stairs and I knocked on the door to the boys’ room.  We were told to enter and I burst into the room.  “Okay, men, open those mouths for an inspection.”

I started with Bobby and Ricky, “It appears that these two critters forgot to do something.  I suggest that you get your fat bottoms into the bathroom and brush your teeth good.”

The two boys moved smartly to go brush their teeth.  Billy and Robby were lying there giggling.  I sat down on their bed and they both opened their mouths, “Good job men.  Now give me a hug and a kiss.  I need all I can get.”

When I hugged and kissed Robbie, he seemed to be holding on extra tight.  He finally released his grip when Bobby and Ricky returned from the bathroom.  I stood as they were getting ready to get into bed and ordered. “You two men stand tall and let smell those mouths.”

I exaggerated my sniffing, “That’s much better, Men. Now I need my hug and kiss to keep the bed bugs away.  I hugged and kissed Bobby first and when I put my arms around Ricky he was rather tense but he just seemed to melt against me when I kissed him.  He kissed me back and whispered, “Thanks Nano Mark, it’s been a long time since anyone has kissed me.”  I hugged and kissed him again.

I stood and announced, “Uncle Zack needs a great many kisses and hugs to keep the bed bugs away since he’s allergic to them.  So maybe you could give him an extra hug and a kiss.”

When we got to the living room, Zack leaned his head on my shoulder.  “How did you realize that the boys, especially Ricky and Robby needed hugs and kisses?”

I hugged Zack, “When I was getting Chris and Randy settled. Randy told me that his Dad never kissed and almost never hugged him.  I can hardly wait to see what happens after the boys tell their parents that we hugged and kissed them.”

Zack and I were mainly just sitting there holding each other and talking about the future.  At about five minutes before eleven, someone was coming in the back door.  I looked at Zack, “Why is Bart coming in the back door?”

It wasn’t Bart at all.  It was Tip and Ty.  They came in plopped down on the sofa facing us.  Tip started, “Just so you know, we granted Bart permission to stay out until 11:30 at Mrs. Sweet’s insistence.  She was so upset with the band and Bart and Tory that she paid them a hundred bucks to disappear.”

Ty took over, “That woman is so devious.  She arranged for two beautiful ladies about our age to be sitting beside us so we would have to dance, so we danced the night away.  By the way, the food was absolutely delicious in case you’re wondering.”

Tip was laughing. “I’m sure Mrs. Sweet rigged it so Ty and her son won the free family passes to a performance of Charlotte’s Web at the Children’s Theatre tomorrow.  The Sweets got five free passes and Ty won seven passes.”

Our conversation was disrupted by the front door opening, “Thanks for the ride, Steve.  I’ll see you tomorrow.”

Bart walked into the living room with his garment bag and I questioned, “Why did Steve bring you home?  What happened to Tory?”

Bart was so matter of fact, “We decided that Tory shouldn’t drive home alone so Steve and Andy followed us to her house.  After I made sure that she was in the house safely, they brought me home.”

Ty looked at Bart, “That was a rather smart decision.  Now why don’t you tell your Dads what happened after you did your act before the presentation?”

Bart blushed, “When I finished my solo performance, I received a standing ovation.”

Tip continued, “Tell them what happened after you and Tory sang your duets especially when you sang Blue Moon and Tonight.”

Any other teenager would have been bragging.  This was like pulling Bart’s wisdom teeth.  He finally told that they had received another standing ovation.  He looked at us, “If you will please excuse me, I’m mentally exhausted after everything that has happened today.  I can’t think anymore.”

I reminded Bart, “Bart, don’t forget that Randy and Chris are in your bedroom.  You probably should sleep on the sofa.”

Bart left and Tip looked at me, “Mark, you have done a tremendous job with your two boys as well as Ty’s and my children. We’re going to bed.  Bart was right, it has been a long day and a long week.”

We watched as Tip and Ty disappeared up the stairs.  Zack grabbed and hugged me, “Now see what you've done.  You’ve allowed our son to turn into a monster.  You need to pay for this.”

I pretended to shudder, “Oh master, please don’t hurt me.  I’ll be good.  Let’s go to bed and I’ll show you how good I can be.”

When we got to the apartment, Bart was sitting there in his briefs with the computer and head phones on.  I took them off, “Son, just go to sleep.  You have to be exhausted after everything that has happened today.”  I hugged and kissed him and Zack did likewise.

He looked at us, “Dads, you’re the greatest.”

When we were in bed I whispered, “Zackie, you heard what our son said.  He said you were the greatest now prove it.”

Just so you know.  Zack did prove it beyond a shadow of a doubt.

To be continued...

Feedback always welcome:     

Editor's Notes:  Well, what have we here, a pair of real studs, with love on their minds? I suspect so.  These guys have indeed done wonderfully well, taking care of all the children, but especially Chris and Bart. Both of those boys had a lot of tension to work out.  They certainly needed to know that they were loved and deserved to be loved, and that none of the terrible things that had happened to them were anything close to their fault.  They have both come a very long way.

Of course, as always, I want more, lots more.

Darryl AKA The Radio Rancher

Posted: 01/23/09