Bart and Chris
by: E Walk
(© 2009 by the Author)
 

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Chapter 48

I Don’t Want To Go Home

When we arrived at the house, there were two, gallon-sized baggies, filled with chocolate chip cookies, sitting on the counter.  Barbie announced, “Bart helped me and Sarah make the cookies this morning when Mrs. Sweet had to go to a doctor’s appointment.  One bag is for us, and the other bag is for his band people.”

Bobby poured milk for the six of them and Chris got small plates and napkins.  They were eating when the band members started to arrive.  When the band members had just walked in, Tio asked, “Aren’t you afraid they’re going to steal something?  Does everyone know the numbers to get into the house?”

Ty’s four children and Chris looked at Tio and Bobby asked, “Why would they need to know the numbers to get into our house?  The band has been practicing here almost every Monday and Friday since Bart started to sing with them.  They haven’t taken anything yet, so why would they start now?”

The conversation was disrupted by the arrival of Bart and Roddy who each were carrying two instruments.  Roddy nodded to Chris, “Great show this afternoon, Chris.”

Bart looked at me, “Dad, I’ll come get our cookies and juice as soon as I introduce Roddy to the other people.”

After the two teenagers had disappeared, Chris looked at me, “Dad, who was that guy with Bart?  I don’t remember seeing him before today.”

“That was Dr. Del Rio’s son.  He was at school this afternoon and saw the talent show.  He’s going to practice with the band.”

Tio asked, “Nano Mark, may I have another cookie?   They’re really good; we don’t have things like this at our house.”

I looked at the young people, “You can eat as many as you like, but we will be eating dinner when everyone gets here.  It looks as if we’re going to have oven fried chicken with baked hash browns and corn on the cob.”

Bart appeared, “Dad, the chicken needs to be breaded, but the bread crumbs are ready.  The potatoes are ready to be put in the oven and the corn is ready to boil.  Everything else is ready.”

He disappeared with the other baggie of cookies and the juice. I sent  the young children to change into play clothes so they could go outside and play.  Tio started to complain, “I don’t have any other clothes here and the parents will get upset if I got grass stains on my clothes  What time are they going to be picking me up anyway?”

I put my hands on his shoulders, “Tio, we don’t know when your dad will be coming for you.  You can wear some of Chris’ clothes to play in.”

As I was fixing dinner, I noticed that the band had a totally different sound with Roddy playing with them.  They were good before, but they sounded even better with Roddy playing.   I was watching the six young people playing in the backyard, and listening to the music, when the phone rang.  I looked at the clock it was 4:30.

“This is the Jefferson/Washington house.  How might I help you?”

“This is Mike Corbin from the NBC television programming department.  I just reviewed the tapes that were sent to me by that Mr. Templeton from the local station, there in Kansas City and would like to offer Chris and Farmer Bear and the Fab Nine the opportunity to appear on a national television show.  We are putting together a show about talented young Americans.  Would it be possible for me to speak to the young men?”

“This is their dad, Mark Leavitt.  Chris is in the back yard playing and Bart and the other young people are practicing for shows that they are doing tonight and tomorrow night.  Perhaps you could tell me what you’re proposing, and I can talk to the people concerned and explain to them what you would like them to do.”

Mr. Corbin gave me the details of what he was proposing.  I informed him that I would get back to him as soon as I had discussed the matter with the people involved.

I had just hung up when Bart appeared with Roddy, “Dad, please call Rod’s parents and get their permission for him to appear with us tonight and tomorrow night.”

I looked at the guys, “Why do I need to call?  You know how to use the phone.  You call.”

Roddy called his house and he was obviously talking to Dr. DoDo. “But, Mom, the other people are the same age as me.  Their parents are letting them perform at the Guys and Gals  Club. … Okay, here’s Nano Mark.”

Roddy handed the phone to me.  “What’s the problem Dr. Del Rio?”

“Mark, the Guys and Gals Club is a place where people go to pick up people.  Are you sure the young people are safe there?”

“DoDo, we are well aware of what kind of club it is.  We’ve been there.  The management has agreed to provide security to make sure the young people are safe.  The clients are well aware of the hands-off policy.  The parents have agreed that their sons and daughters can appear.  Tomorrow night’s gig is at a teenage hangout and there is no alcohol sold.  I’ve been listening to the band practice and Roddy adds a whole different dimension to their music.”

‘Okay, let me talk to Roddy.”

I handed the phone to Roddy. 

“Yes, mom. … Mom, I’m not a little boy. …”

Roddy turned to us, “My Mom wants to know what time I’ll get home?”

I looked at Bart, “Bart’s curfew is 11:30.”

“Mom, Nano Mark says that Bart’s curfew is 11:30, so I guess I’ll be home before then since my car is still in the shop. … Okay.  I’ll catch a ride with some of the band members.”

Roddy hung up the phone, “I wouldn’t be surprised if my parents didn’t show up at the club tonight.”

I had put dinner in the oven and went to get the young children’s attention.  When they came into the kitchen, I directed that they go wash their hands so they could set the table.

Chris approached me, “Dad, tell Tio that it’s okay to use a lot of water and soap to get his hands clean.  He’s afraid that you’re going to yell at him for wasting water and soap.”

I went to the lavatory where Tio was watching the other children scrub there hands.  I looked at him, “I understand that you are afraid that I’m going to yell at you because you’re wasting soap and water.  Get your bottom over here and I’m going to show you how to clean your hands.  I don’t want anyone with dirty hands touching the things that I’m going to be eating off of.”

I put his hands under the water and squirted some antibacterial soap on his hands.  “Rub your hands together until they feel clean, and make sure you get the dirt out from under your fingernails.  Here, use this brush.”

I returned to make sure the dinner was going to be ready when the children arrived and Bobby assigned them each a task.  The band members were bringing their instruments from the basement, since they needed to take them to the club.  I heard Bart say,  “Rod, why don’t we put your instruments in our van, and I’ll pick you and Tory up since you live close to each other?”

Everything was just about ready when the others started to arrive.  Tip and Ty came in about the same time, and Ty’s four children and Chris hugged them.  I informed them that we would be ready to eat as soon as Zack arrived.

Ty nodded, “He should be here shortly.  He was talking to Philip Burns when I left.”

When Zack arrive, Chris hugged him, “Hi, Daddy, did you have a good day?”

“Good afternoon, Sir Christopher Robin.  I had a very good day.  I see you brought Tia Maria home with you again.”

“Dad, that wasn’t nice .”

I looked at Horatio and he was looking confused.  I looked at Zack and shook my head no and ran my hand across my throat to let him know that he should stop.

As we were starting to eat, Ty looked at Barbie, “Well, young lady, what did you do today?”

Barbie shrugged her shoulders, “Nothing exciting.  We made chocolate chip cookies.  Then we had to take Farmer Bear to school because Chris forgot him.  I got to sit with Becky during the show when Chris and Farmer Bear made everyone laugh.”

Billy and Becky gave their recaps and Bobby was telling about his day.  “Dads, I have to advise you that Nano Mark isn’t always perfect.  When he was in the fifth grade he got in trouble for talking in the halls and had to write five hundred words and their definitions.”

Zack was laughing, “Did he tell you he looked for a the words with very short definitions.”

Chris looked at me, “Is that what you did, Dad?”

Tio was surprised when Tip asked, “Tio, how was your day.”

Tio looked up, “I’ve had a very good day, thank you.  It is so nice to have someone to talk to instead of having to sit in my parents' office or in the house by myself.  I really don’t ever want to go home again.”

I wanted to deflect attention away from Tio, so I asked, “Bobby, did everyone return their permission slips for the party tomorrow afternoon?”

Bobby nodded yes, “I forgot to give you the slips this afternoon.  Everyone is coming and I reminded them that they were not to bring any gifts.  They are going to meet us at the golf place at two.  They’re excited about playing miniature golf.”

I looked at Ty, “When are you planning to take the children to Disney World?   The reason I’m asking is that I had a call from a Mr. Corbin in New York wanting Chris and Farmer Bear and the Fab Nine or I guess, as of now, it’s the Fab Ten to be on a television show.  It would be great if we could be gone at the same time, so we wouldn’t have to worry about a finding someone to stay with the children.”

Ty looked at the children, “I thought we would leave on the third of June and return on the seventh.  The children’s last day of school is the second of June, since Memorial Day is so early this year.”

I turned to Bart, “Bart, you need to check with the band members to see if they would want to go to New York and be on television, so I call Mr. Corbin tomorrow.”

When we finished eating, Zack stood, “Dish detail, bring the dishes to the kitchen so Nano Mark and I can clean up the mess he made.”

As we were doing the dishes, Zack started his report on the Oleanders, “Mark, the Oleanders are definitely living beyond their means.  They are hanging onto the house and their business by the skin of their teeth.” 

“Mrs. Oleander isn’t Tio’s biological mother.  His mother died when he was six months old.  The current Oleanders were married when Tio was just about eighteen months old.  In fact, the name on Tio’s birth certificate wasn’t Horatio at all; it’s Antonio.  His mother was of Hispanic decent and that’s why he is so fair skinned.”

“It seems that the current Mrs. Oleander changed his name so that Tio wouldn’t be considered to be of mixed origin.  I’m surprised that he’s even here.  Philip says his parents, especially Mrs. Oleander, showcase him, so people think that she is a wonderful loving working mother.”

Our conversation was interrupted by the arrival of Chris and Tio.  Chris looked at us, “Is Tio going to spend the night here?  If he is, where is everyone going to sleep?”

We hadn’t heard Bart come, “Never fear bro, I’ll suffer and sleep on the sofa bed in the sitting room.  Dads, I need to go.  Thanks for everything.  I’ll see you at 11:29 and 50 seconds.”

After Bart had departed, Tio looked at Zack, “Dad Zack, please don’t call me Tia Maria anymore.  My Mother calls me that when she gets upset with me and tells me I’m acting like a silly school girl.”

Zack hugged Tio, “I apologize, I had no idea.  Now, why don’t you two go get dirty before you have to take your bath or shower?”

Zack and I watched from the deck as the six children went into the backyard and started to play soccer.  It was fun to watch, because it was Bobby, Becky and Barbie on one team and Chris, Tio, and Billy on the other.  It soon became evident that Tio had never been involved in sports.  I was pleased to see that the other five, yes even Barbie were competitive.  Chris was the quickest and most flexible but Billy wasn’t far behind.

Tip came onto the deck, “Mark, a Mr. Xavier Oleander is on the phone.”

I went to the kitchen and picked up the phone, “This is Mark Leavitt.”

“Mark, this Horatio’s Father.  Can he spend the night with you people?  I don’t want him to know what’s happening.”

“Mr. Oleander, we have already worked out the sleeping arrangements.  Right now, Tio is in the backyard, playing soccer with the Jefferson children and Chris.”

“He’s what?  He’s never played sports in his life.  Mark, would it be possible for me to come to talk to him for just a few minutes?”

“Mr. Oleander, I have no problem with that, as long as you can be civil.  Do you know where we live?”

“No.”

I gave him the address and he indicated that he would arrive about eight thirty.

I informed Tip and Ty that Mr. Oleander would be arriving later and went back to the deck.  Zack was standing at the railing, watching what was happening.  He turned to me, “Mark, you have to see this.  It’s as if someone flipped a switch and turned Tio on.  He, Chris and Billy are working like a well oiled machine.”

Just as he said that, Tio lofted a ball to Chris and he headed it to Billy who kicked the ball into the imaginary goal.  Bobby sat down on the ground, “I quit.  You guys have been practicing.”

I whistled, “It’s time for you to come in and get your snacks before you get your grubby bodies ready for bed.”

The children were having a fudge sundae while they were talking when the doorbell rang. 

Ty brought Mr. Oleander into the kitchen, “Mark, Mr. Oleander would like to speak to you.”

I looked at the clock and it was 8:00 o’clock.  “You a little early aren’t you Mr. Oleander?”

Tio scrunched down in his chair, “Father, I don’t want to go home.  No one yells at us here.”

“Horatio, I didn’t come to take you home.  I came to talk to Mr. Leavitt.  I want you to stay here until I can find a place for us to live.”

“Father, my name is Tio when I’m here.  I hate being called Horatio.”

I interjected myself into the conversation, “Tio, your Dad and I have already talked and you are going to be spending the night with us. I suggest that you young people put your dishes in the dishwasher and go get ready for bed and we’ll come tuck you in.  Make sure that you take good long showers or baths since you were rolling around in the grass, and make sure that you shampoo your hair and brush your teeth.”

Mr. Oleander watched as the children took care of the dishes.  He looked at Zack and me, “You two could be charged with slave labor for making the children do the dishes.”

I looked at the man, “Mr. Oleander, if you remember, I didn’t order the children to do the dishes.  I suggested that the children do the dishes.”

We heard giggling at the sink and Horatio pouted, “I’m not scrubbing the floor.  I wasn’t the person who sprayed the water all over the place.

Bobby grabbed some paper towels and handed them to everyone.  Okay, we’ll all wipe the water up, so we don’t have to scrub the floor with a tooth brush when Bart gets home.”

Mr. Oleander asked, “Who is Bart?  Is he your servant?”

Zack started laughing, “I don’t think Bart would appreciate being called a servant.  He’s our sixteen year old son, who is out making money as we speak.  He takes great pride in his kitchen.”

Fortunately, the children had departed before Mr. Oleander's next question “If he’s sixteen, why is he out working and worrying about the state of the kitchen instead of going to school?”

I took over, “Xavier, Bart is being home schooled and will be attending Monmouth Academy in the fall.”

“Shit, you must be rich for him to go there.”

I took a deep breath, “Mr. Oleander, first, we definitely are not rich, and second we don’t permit vulgar language in this house.”

Xavier completely surprised us, “Guys, I apologize.  I have been playing the pompous ass, excuse the expression, so long that I forget that not everyone is overwhelmed with making a living and making a name for themselves.”

We were interrupted by Chris with a towel wrapped around him, “Dads, come make Tio get in the shower.  He’s afraid that his Dad will yell at him if he stays in the shower too long since there isn’t a timer.”

Mr. Oleander followed Zack and me to the apartment.  I decided the situation called for some shock treatment.  I shed my clothes and stepped into the shower and shouted, “Okay, you two brats, get your butts in here, and I mean now.”

The two boys climbed in and I shampooed and conditioned their hair.  “Okay, you can make sure the rest of your bodies are clean while I shampoo and condition my hair so I look beautiful.”

Tio giggled, “Nano Mark, you already look better than almost all of the men on my Father’s computer.  It’s a good thing he can’t see you.”

I climbed out of the shower and Zack and Mr. Oleander were standing there.  I hadn’t thought about what Tio was saying.  “Zack, get me a pair of briefs and bring two of my tee shirts for the guys to wear to bed.”

I handed a towel to Mr. Oleander, “Here, you make sure that your son is dry while and I take care of Chris.”

The boys were dressed in a pair of briefs and a tee shirt of mine when I reentered the bathroom.  I pulled out a new battery charged toothbrush.  “Here you go, Mr. Tio.  Keep brushing until the timer stops.”

After a minute had passed, Tio looked at me, “Nano Mark, my mouth is so full of foam that there is no way I can swallow it without getting sick.”

Chris took his tooth brush out and spit his foam out, “Well, spit it out and keep brushing.”

We finally had the boys in bed and Zack and I kissed the two boys, and yes even Farmer Bear and wished them happy dreams.  Farmer Bear spoke up, “Mr. Oleander, aren’t you going to kiss us goodnight?”

Tio spoke up, “Father never kisses me goodnight like your Dads.”

Mr. Oleander took a deep breath and leaned down and kissed Tio on the forehead and then started to do same thing to Chris.  Farmer Bear yelled, “Chris, you need to give Tio’s Dad some kissing lessons.”

By the time we finally left the bedroom, Mr. Oleander, I swear, was in a state of shock.  To add injury to insult, Farmer Bear yelled as we were leaving, “Dads, you need to get Tio’s Daddy some kissing lessons.”

To be continued...

Editor's notes:  I actually think there is hope for Tio's Daddy.  I don't know how long it will take, before he comes around, but I think if he gets away from that so called woman, he stands a good chance of becoming a loving father to Tio.  Won't it be nice for the band to be on national television? I am pretty sure that the kids will enjoy Disney World.  Will Tio go to New York with Mark and Zack or will he go to Disney World with Tip and Ty and the kids, or will he be with his Dad by then?   I guess we will just have to wait for the next chapter to find out.

Darryl AKA The Radio Rancher

Posted: 09/04/09