Benji in Control
by: E Walk
(© 2009-2010 by the Author)
 

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

Chapter 28 

I’m Staying Here

As we were finishing breakfast, I looked at the six young guys, “Go get ready for church.  Benji, Rocky and I will go pick up their
Grandmothers and meet the rest of you at the church.”

That caused an immediate reaction from several corners.  Burnsey complained, “I don’t have my uniform here.  I can’t go to church.”

Benji looked surprised, “We don’t wear uniforms to church.  We can wear whatever we want.  We just need to look nice.  We’ll probably take the grandmothers to lunch at the club after church.  Daddy, we should take Burnsey with us, since four people don’t fit in the back of Dad Cole’s truck.  Both of you say anyone under the age of twelve shouldn’t ride in the front seat, because of injuries they might suffer from the air bag if something should happen.”

“Okay, just go get ready. 

As we were driving to the assisted living facility, Benji explained, “Burnsey, these are our great grandmothers, whom we’re going to pick up. I have so many grandmothers that I can’t keep track of them.”

Burnsey was confused, “Benji, what do you mean you have so many grandmothers?”

Fortunately, Benji was spared from having to answer, because we arrived at the assisted living facility.  Benji and Rocky jumped out, Benji told Burnsey, “We’ll be right back, after we get our Great Grandmothers.”

Burnsey looked at me, “Sir, is it always like this around here.  It’s as if Benji is in control of everything.”

I turned around, “Burnsey, Benji is the person who brought us all together.  So I think everyone would agree that Benji is in control, but he is being closely monitored to make sure he doesn’t get out of hand.”

When Benji and Rocky were approaching the van with their grandmothers in wheelchairs, Burnsey sighed, “That explains the special van.”

When we arrived at the church, Burnsey asked, “Don’t we need to wait for the older people to go in first?”

Benji looked at me with a funny look, “Burnsey, we sit together as a family.  It doesn’t make a difference how old anyone is.   Would you forget what happens at your school?”

When we were seated, Burnsey was sitting beside me.  He whispered, “Dr. C., why are people talking?  When we went to church at school, anyone who talked would get a demerit.”

I hugged him, “Burnsey, this isn’t your school.  People will talk until the organist begins playing the processional.  Then they’ll stop talking.”

When the organist started to play, it got quiet.  Burnsey looked up at me and grinned.  We were some of the last to leave the sanctuary after the service was over because of the great grandmothers in wheel chairs.  As we exited, we were met by Clark, Larry, the boys and an older couple whom I didn’t know. 

Clark said, “Everyone, these are my parents, Esmeralda and Horatio Burnside Lewis.  Dad would like to meet with Burnsey, this afternoon.”

Mrs. Lewis smacked Clark on the shoulder, “Be serious for a change.  I’m Esther Lewis and this is my husband, Roger Burnside Lewis.  Burnsey is as cute as Clarkey was, when he was ten.”

Burnsey was laughing, “Mrs. Lewis, I hope that doesn't mean I’m going to grow up to look like Dr. Lewis.  I guess I’d better wear a paper bag over my face.”

Clark’s parents were laughing and his Dad answered, “Clark, did you hear that.  Maybe you should wear a paper bag when you come to the house so that the cats won’t run and hide.”

Clark turned red, “Dad, you and Mother don’t have any cats.”

Mrs. Lewis turned to the four Morgan boys, “Come on, we need to get the Dr. out of here before he loses his temper.  Dr. Christiansen, the guys will be at Summerhill at three this afternoon for a men’s only swim party.”

After a fun lunch at the club, we delivered Grandmother McBride and Grandmother Cunningham to the assisted living facility.  As they were exiting the van, Grandmother McBride commented, “Doug, you certainly don’t lack for any excitement in your life, do you?”

It was almost two o’clock when we arrived at Summerhill.  Benji looked at the cars that were parked in the driveway, “I guess the giants are going to have basketball practice.”

Burnsey was totally confused, “What giants and why would they practice basketball here?”

 

Benji took off for the basketball court, “Come on, I’ll show you. You already know some of the giants.”

I watched as Benji, Burnsey and Rocky disappeared around the side of the house.  When I entered the house, I heard the three youngest sons upstairs, so I assumed that they were changing clothes.  Since Cole wasn’t around, I presumed that he was upstairs as well.  I was correct in my assumption.  He was sitting on the bed in his briefs.  He looked at me as I entered, “Do you really think that we’ll be skinny dipping when Clark’s dad is here?  How did Clark’s mother know that we went skinny dipping?”

I shrugged my shoulders, “Don’t ask me.  Why don’t we wear our swimsuits under our shorts?  We can always lose them if it is indeed a skinny dipping party.”

There was a knock on the door and Benji and Burnsey entered, after being given permission to do so.  Benji started, “Dads, Dan and David will have the wagon here at three o’clock.  It’s going to have to be a skinny dipping party, since none of the giants has their swim suits with them.  Coach Carpenter is going with us, so one of you will need to take him in the cart.”

After Benji’s proclamation, Burnsey asked, “Mr. Weaver, when are you going back to Atlanta?”

Cole looked up, “Didn’t you mean, when are we going back to Atlanta.”

Burnsey shook his head no, “I’m going to stay here.  I don’t want to go back to Atlanta, I like it here.”

Cole shrugged his shoulders, “I had planned to leave after the young guys went to bed tonight.  We have practice at eight o’clock in the morning.”

Mark came into the room since the door was open, “Dads, Uncle Clark is here with his Dad and the Morgans.”

When we went downstairs, Clark was sitting in the living room, with his Dad and Larry Morgan.  Benji looked around, “Where are the young guys?”

Clark answered, “They were going to see if they could go for a horseback ride before we go skinny dipping.”

Benji started toward the door, “I’ll go help them.  Burnsey, you get these big people squared away and come join us.  We’ll be in the riding area.”

Burnsey came and sat beside me.  Mr. Clark started, “This young man must be related to us.  The reason I think so is that the name Burnside was my great-great-grandmother’s maiden name.  All of the three boys that she and my great-great-grandfather had, had Burnside as their middle name.  In my immediate family the oldest son, was given the middle name of Burnside.  Since Clark is our only son, he is the person who lucked out.”

“I’ve done some searching, trying to determine what happened to the rest of the Burnside and Lewis clan, but I have some gaps.  Burnsey, do you know your grandfather’s first name?”

“No sir, I always just call him Granddad Lewis when I see him, which isn’t very often.  He lives in Connecticut I think.”

I decided this wasn’t going to get us anywhere, “Burnsey, why don’t you call your dad.  Mr. Lewis could talk to him, and they can figure out if and how you’re related.”

I handed the phone to Burnsey, “Hi Dad, it’s Burnsey, I mean Junior. … No I’m not homesick and I’m not coming back to Atlanta and I'm not going back to that military school. … Dad, that’s not why I called.  There two other gentlemen here who have the same middle and last name as we do, and they’re trying to figure out how we’re related. … Yes, Mr. Weaver is sitting right here. … Okay, I’ll put him on.”

Burnsey handed the phone to Cole, “Dad wants to talk to you.”

“This is Cole. … Coach, your son isn’t exaggerating.  Dr. Clark Lewis and his father are here as we speak.  I think you should take time to come visit with the gentlemen and your son.  You’ve been to Summerhill before.  You know how to get here. … We’re going to go going skinny dipping, shortly.  … I’ll explain when you get here. … When you’re about twenty minutes out, give us a jingle so we can be here to meet you.”

Cole had just hung up when Benji appeared.  “The skinny dipping express is now loading in the parking area.  Greg and Jordan are taking Coach Carpenter to the lake in the cart.”

Clark’s dad raised his eyebrows, “Kyle’s going with us?”

Benji giggled, “Yep, he needs to make sure his players don’t drown.  Let’s get going.”

When we arrived at the lake, Tim Cooper had a funny look on his face, “Dr. Christiansen, I don’t know if I can go skinny dipping with my grandfather here.”

Benji heard what Tim had said, “Tim, he's just a man like all of you.  Why should it matter if he sees you or you see him?  If he’s not bothered by it, why should you be?”

Tim started to say something, “To h….” He stopped and dropped his shorts and went into the lake.” 

Greg and Jordan carried a naked Coach Carpenter into the lake and when he was positioned so he could swim, he started to do so.  Benji went and was swimming right with the Coach.” 

When the Coach started to get tired, Benji motioned to Cole and me, “Dads, the Coach is getting tired and would like you to help him onto the pier, so he can dry off before he gets dressed and gets back into his wheelchair.”

After Cole and I helped the Coach onto the pier, he was lying on a towel.  Clark’s dad went to talk to him.  Tim swam to where Cole and I were standing, “Benji was right again.  Granddad is just like any other man.  I think he’s enjoying himself.”

At four o’clock, Coach Carpenter yelled, “Jordan and Greg, I need to go home.  Your mother and I have a dinner meeting tonight.”

Cole and I went to help Kyle get dressed, but he needed very little assistance since all he was wearing was a pair Bermuda shorts, a shirt and sandals.  That was the signal for everyone to get out and get ready to leave.  When Greg and Jordan had Kyle and his wheelchair in the cart, I whispered to Greg, “My wallet is on the dresser in our bedroom.  After you get the Coach delivered, go to the Kentucky Fried Chicken and pick up a meal for twenty people.  You already know the pin number.”

Greg grinned, “I’m going to feel like a thief walking into your bedroom to get your card.”

When we arrived back at Summerhill, everyone departed except Clark, his father and the Morgans and our boys, of course.  Dan announced, “We’re going to go visit our parents.  They want us all to be there.  They’re probably going to tell us that they’re expecting another child.”

It was just about four thirty when the phone rang.  I answered, “This is Doug Christiansen.”

“Mr. Christiansen, it’s Ray Lewis.  I should be there in ten minutes.”

“Great, we’re all present and accounted for, come on around to the deck when you arrive.  It makes it much easier to keep track of the guys from there.”

It was approximately ten minutes later when Matt arrived with the visitor, “Uncle Clark, your brother is here.”

Clark stood, “Matt, I don’t have a brother.  I think that the gentleman is probably Burnsey’s daddy.  Go tell Burnsey that his Dad is here.”

All ten young guys returned.  Burnsey looked at his Dad, “Hi Dad, I’m still not going back to Atlanta.”

“Junior, we’ll talk about that, later.  Let me find out what the relationship between these people and me is.”

Burnsey sputtered, “See, guys, I told you my dad didn’t care about me.  He cares more about finding out how he’s related to your Uncle Clark and his dad than about me.  Let’s go shoot some hoops.”

I looked at Coach Lewis, “Sir, you just made another big mistake.  You told your son he wasn’t as important as finding out how you are related to Clark and his Dad.  He told me that you were more concerned about football than him.  He also has told us that your new wife doesn’t want him around, and that his mother doesn't want him around.  No wonder he feels like no one wants him.  Get this relationship thing settled first, and then you need to try to mend some fences with your son.”

“Who the hell are you and what right do you have to tell me what to do?”

 

I stood, “Coach Lewis, I’m the President of Harwood Community Junior College.  I have four sons and a fifth young man whom I am responsible for.  I may not be the best father in the world, but at least I try.”

I was angry, “Come on, Larry and Cole, Greg and Jordan should be here with the food shortly.  Let’s go make sure the boys are okay while the three Mr. Lewises visit.”

We went to the basketball court and the boys were playing jungle basketball.  Cole grabbed the ball, “Guys, it would be so much better if you tried to practice basic skills rather than play like the giants do.  We need to get you some more basketballs so you can practice and not get bored.”

I interrupted, “I think that’s Greg and Jordan.  They’re bringing our dinner.  We need to go set up the picnic area so we don’t mess up the house.”

That was all it took.  The boys went and retrieved the reusable utensils and paper plates, cups and napkins.  They were setting the tables while Cole and I went to get the juice and iced tea.  Greg came in to the kitchen, “We need some tongs, and spoon for the potato salad and the coleslaw.”

When everything was ready, I sent Benji to get our other three guests.

It was interesting to see how the boys seated themselves.  The four Morgan boys sat next to their Dad, Clark and Mr. Lewis.  What was obvious was, that Burnsey sat next to me and his dad was sitting at the end of the table, next to Cole.

After dinner, the boys were taking care of the cleanup and Clark’s father came and thanked me.  “Doug, this has been a fun afternoon.  We’ll be talking to you soon.  I need to get home to Esther or she’ll be sending out the state patrol.”

As he was climbing into his car, he yelled, “Ray, make sure you call your father and see if he can fill in some details.  I'll send a copy of the genealogy chart that I have with Cole the next time he comes home.”

Greg came up to me, “Dr. C., here’s your card.  Thanks for dinner.  I really enjoy being around your sons.  The new boy, Burnsey, fit right in.  I’ll see you in the morning.”

After Greg and Jordan had departed, Ray blurted, “You mean that you trusted that black kid enough to let him take your credit card?”

I tensed, “Mr. Lewis, Greg works in my office.  He is a wonderful young man, as is his friend Jordan.  I don’t know what your background is, but I’m betting your home life wasn’t a bowl of cherries.  If you will excuse me, I need to start to get my sons ready for bed.  I don’t think it would be advisable for you to take Burnsey back to Atlanta tonight, because he’ll probably run away.  You need to tell him it’s okay if he stays here.”

Cole came to the bathroom where Mikey, Mark and Matt were having a shower and I was shampooing their head, “Doug, you’ve really upset Coach Lewis.  He’ll probably take it out on me during practice.”

“If he does, then tell him to shove it.  He's not the owner or the general manager.  He’s an employee, just like you.  If he can’t take care of his son properly, then how can he manage a football team?” 

To be continued...

Editor's Notes:  I don't like Ray very much. He seems to be a very snotty uncaring individual, who happens not to care much for black people. 

I was going to chalk up his behavior, toward his son, to him being tired after his long drive, and his curiosity about his genealogy, that is, until he came up with that hateful racist remark, and then I really gave him the benefit of the doubt.  I doubt that he is a fit father, and I doubt that I am ever going to like him one little bit.

Burnsey is a good boy, and he is finally getting some of the attention he deserves.  That coach doesn't deserve to have a boy like him, or any other child, for that matter.

He is definitely on my S**t list.

I want another chapter, please!

Darryl AKA The Radio Rancher

Posted: 07/16/10