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

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Chapter 32  

The Vultures Prepare To Descend

Burnsey dialed a number, “She probably won’t answer, or she’s out trying to impress someone. … Hi Mom, it’s Burnsey. … Mom, that’s what I choose to be called, and I won’t respond to Junior anymore. … I not going back to school at that prison. … I don’t care. … Tell them you want your money back. … No I’m not going to be living with Dad and his witch of a wife. … I’m going to be staying at Summerhill where they treat me like a person, rather than a puppet. … Mom, you and Dad don’t want me around, so why should you care. … I’ll talk to you later.  The guys are ready to leave for Summerhill.”

Burnsey broke off the connection, “Dr. C., can we go home, now?”

I expected Coach Lewis to react, but he sat there as if he was in a stupor.  Cole walked me and the boys to the van and he shook his head, “I can’t imagine what kind of life Burnsey must have had to be so bitter toward his parents.  I’ll call you later.”

On the way to Summerhill, Burnsey apologized, “I guess I was acting like a little kid tonight.  But I’m tired of people always yelling at me and telling me what I have to do.  They won’t yell at us at your school will they?”

Benji answered, “Nope, not unless you’re hurting someone or doing something bad.”

I was lying in bed thinking about what had happened when the phone rang, “This is Doug.”

“Doug, I finally was able to get the Coach settled down.  He was devastated by what happened tonight.  He wanted to talk, but I reminded him that he needed to get his mind on football or things would be getting even worse.”

“Cole, there’s more to this story than we know.  Something just doesn’t fit.  Have you met the Coach’s present wife.   Why does Burnsey dislike her so?”

“Doug, you’ll probably be able to find out the answers before I will.  I’ll call you Friday, since we’ll be in the air tomorrow night.  Love you and give the boys a kiss for me, even Burnsey.”

I was sitting on my bed putting my socks on when there was a knock on the door.  “Come in.”

Benji came and sat down beside me, “Dad, why do you suppose that Burnsey doesn’t like his parents and his Dad’s new wife very much?”

“Son, your Dad Cole and I were talking about that last night after you were in bed.  You’ll probably know why before we adults do?  Just be a good listener and don’t pry, or that might cause Burnsey to not talk.  Dr. Baldwin and his family are going to be arriving tonight.  We’ll have to make the sleeping arrangements when they get here.”

“Dad, are they going to be here for dinner?  We need to tell Miss Patty, if they are?”

“The Baldwin’s won’t be arriving until after dinner.  Dr. Baldwin will be applying for a job at the College.  I think he said that his two boys were four and eleven and that their daughter was eight.”

Benji hit his left fist with his right hand, “Shucks, I guess that means we won’t be having any skinny dipping parties while they’re here.”

I hugged Benji, “Son, we’ll cross that bridge when the time comes.  Are you going back to bed?”

“No, I’ll go put some shorts and a shirt on and eat breakfast with you.  The other guys are still sleeping.”

As we were eating breakfast, Benji was talking about everything under the sun.  I was thinking, ‘I can’t imagine what life would have been like if Cole and Trent hadn’t found him after the tornado.’

When I arrived at the college, Greg was already in place.  He had the papers on my desk, for me to read and sign.  I was amazed at the number of donations that were still arriving.

I took the papers into the office and asked Karen to call Bill Oliver and have him come to talk to me.  I was sitting in the office with the door open when Bill arrived, “Come on in, Bill.”

“Whatcha’ need, boss?”

“Bill, I have several things.  Walt and his family are going to be arriving tonight.  I’ve asked them to stay at Summerhill with us.  Walt has his formal interview in the morning at ten.  We’ll have a board meeting at eleven.  I’d like to have you provide an updated report of the school’s finances, for the board.”

Bill nodded, “Walt, called and asked if the two oldest boys could stay with Logan and me, if necessary.  Greg already called me about the formal interview and I asked to be excluded, because of my relationship with Walt.   We are already working on the financial summary.  It will be current as of close of business today.  Clark called and asked that I have Logan attend, in case there are any questions about the construction.”

I started to laugh, “It sounds as if everyone is way ahead of me.  Bill, Walt mentioned that he had a niece and a nephew who lived with them.  What can you tell me about the two of them?”

“Dr. C., I don’t think that it is my prerogative to tell you about them.  All I will say is Walt and Margi have done wonders for the two young people.”

“Have it your way, Bill.  Did Logan mention the relics that were found on the construction site?”

“Yes, but he didn’t say much more than that they had found a total of six of them.  Do you know what they are, yet?”

“Yes, but unfortunately so do some bureaucrats.  Tell Logan not to tell anyone how many of the relics have been found.  So far as the bureaucrats know, there is only one, for sure.  I fully anticipate that they will be making an attempt to claim the relic in the very near future.”

Bill laughed, “I’m glad I’m not in your shoes.”

After Bill had departed, I called Uncle Howie, “Hi Uncle Howie, it’s Doug.  Are you available to meet with me this afternoon?  I have some very important college business to discuss with you, before tomorrow’s Board of Trustees meeting.”

“Doug, Rob and I are getting ready to have lunch with Louisa and the boys.  We’ll drop by about two.”

“That’s great.  Perhaps Mr. Nixon will have some good advice.”

I went into the reception area, “It’s awfully quiet around here.  It’s like the calm before the storm.”

Karen grinned, “Don’t knock it, boss, we’re finally getting caught up before orientation starts next week.  When classes start in two weeks; you’ll be wishing for some quiet time.”

I decided to get some lunch at the deli that was close by.  The owner came and sat down as I was eating, “Dr. Christiansen, what are you trying to do to me?  Run me out of business.”

“Mr. Reese, what are you talking about?  The Student Union Building won’t be finished for at least a year and a half.  You could always move your business into the Union building.”

Mr. Reese looked at me funny, “What are you suggesting?”

“Mr. Reese, I’m just thinking ahead.  I envision the union to be like a food court at a mall.  There are a lot of us older people who aren’t aficionados of fast foods.”

“I’m intrigued, please keep me advised as to what’s going to happen.”

When I arrived at the construction site. I was looking at the progress.  Some of the buildings were actually beginning to look like buildings.  When I arrived at the office, Greg handed me a note, “Dr. C., I don’t think this call is going to make you very happy.”

I read the note, “A Mr. Stoner, from the Smithsonian called and said he and Ms Esterbrook were going to be here at ten o’clock in the morning to pick up the relic that was found on the construction site, since it was declared a national historic treasure.”

I said something very atypical for me, “I’ll show the son-of- a-bitch that he’s not going to tell me what to do, or when.”

I realized what I had said, “Karen and Greg, I apologize.  That just slipped out.  The bureaucrats of this country are out of control.”

Karen grinned, “Boss, I couldn’t agree with you more.  Maybe you should sic Benji on them.”

Greg and I started to laugh as the office door opened and Uncle Howie and Rob Nixon entered.  Uncle Howie asked, “What’s so funny?”

 

“Thanks for coming, Gentlemen.  I’ll explain in my office.”

After I had explained what had transpired with the relics, Uncle Howie shook his head, “Doug, the first thing we need to do is get the relics out your house, just in case they come armed with search warrants.  I don’t think they should be stored in any place that could be associated with you or the college.  Why don’t we take them and store them at our ranch, temporarily, since the bureaucrats would have no reason to associate the two of us.”

I nodded, “That sounds like a good idea to me.  I'll drop them off after dinner, if that’s amenable.”

Rob Nixon suggested, “Doug, it might be best to not bring the existence of these relics to the Board members’ attention until this mess gets resolved.”

Uncle Howie nodded, “I agree with Rob.  In the meantime, I’m going to make some phone calls and see what I can find out about these two people who will be visiting.  We’ll see you tonight, when you bring the relics.”

Rob said, “I suddenly remembered something.  When I was growing up, there was an old man who lived in the area that was destroyed by the tornado.  He used to talk about the good old days when people were ladies and gentleman and how they hid their treasures so the Yankee carpetbaggers wouldn’t be able to take them.  I’ll need to do some research.”

When I arrived at the house, the guys were busy helping Dan and David with a party.  It must have been a late party because the visitors were eating hamburgers and hot dogs.  I decided to deliver the relics while the boys were busy, so I wouldn’t have to explain to them what I was doing.  I informed Patty that I would be back in a half hour.

When the relics were secured, I went back to Summerhill and arrived as the visitors were leaving.  I watched as the young guys helped David and Dan with the cleanup.

Dan handed the guys some money.  I watched as the young guys stuffed the money in their shorts’ pockets as if it was just paper.  I decided that I really didn’t like the idea of them having money lying around.  They needed to learn that it was worth something.”

After dinner, Benji came to me, “Dad, I guess we can’t go swimming tonight, since we don’t know when Dr. Baldwin will be arriving, huh?”

“We probably should stick close to the house until we get the people settled.”

It was about eight thirty when a van pulled up.  The sliding door opened before the van was even stopped, a young boy jumped out holding his crotch, “I gotta go to the bathroom.”

Benji took the boy around the side of the house and when they returned, the boy was complaining, “The big kid made take down my pants and pee on the grass.”

Benji laughed, “I figured you had to go so bad that you couldn’t make it to the bathroom.  Besides, the horses won’t laugh if they see you doing it.  We do it all the time.”

Walt introduced his family, “The bathroom kid is Rollie. His sister is Andrea and his brother is Peter.  This is my wife Margi  and these our niece and nephew, Alex and Alexis.”

Benji was very proper as he greeted them and introduced everyone else.  “We need to show you to your bedrooms so we can put your suitcases in them.  Dr. and Mrs. Baldwin, you’re going to be sleeping in Granddad and Grandmother Christiansen's room when they come to visit.  Alexis and Andrea, you will be sleeping in Grandpa and Grandma Summers' room when they visit.  Rollie, you can sleep with Mikey  and Peter, can sleep with Burnsey and Rocky.  Alex, I guess you get stuck sleeping in my bed with me.  You don’t snore, do you?”

Alex asked, “What are the bathroom facilities like?  Do we all have to share a bathroom?”

Benji looked confused, “No, we’ll be sharing a bathroom with Rollie and Mikey.  The girls and Dr. and Mrs. Baldwin have a private bathroom. The other guys will share a bathroom.”

We helped the visitors put their luggage in the appropriate rooms.  Benji and the guys took the visitors to show them around Summerhill.  When they returned, Peter asked, “So all of this belongs to Dr. Christiansen and you guys?

Benji added, “Don’t forget our other Dad, Dad Cole.”

Dr. Baldwin laughed, “Benji, tell the others who your other Dad is.”

Benji shrugged his shoulders, “Our other Dad is Cole Weaver.  He plays football.  He has a game in Seattle on Saturday night.”

Peter blurted out, “Benji, you’re shitting us.  Cole Weaver isn’t your other Dad.  He’s a super stud.”

Walt reminded his son, “Peter, you know better than to talk like that.  Benji was telling you the truth.”

Everyone had gone to their assigned rooms and I locked up and had taken a shower and was lying on the bed in a pair of briefs when there was a knock on the door, “Enter.”

Benji came in pulling Alex, “Dad, tell Alex he doesn’t have to hide his body from us.  He took a shower and was trying to get dressed in the dark.  He doesn’t understand that we don’t wear shirts.  If he’s going to be like that in the bedroom, how’s he going to be when we go skinny dipping?”

“Benji, not everyone is like us.  Some people are not used to people seeing them naked.”

“Dad, that’s so silly.  Dr. Baldwin went skinny dipping with us, the last time he was here.”

Alex tried to leave, “There is no way that I’m going skinny dipping.  You people would all laugh at me.”

That caught my attention and I sat on the edge of the bed, “Alex, I know that something bad happened to you, but I have no idea what.  Whatever it was, I promise you that neither I nor my boys will laugh at you.  You can’t go around living in a cave.  If you’re going to be going to school here, then you need to lose the self pity.  People aren’t going to be concerned about your past.  You need to move past whatever happened in the past and look to the future.”

“Damn you, Dr. Christiansen.  My uncle and aunt have been telling us since we went to live with them.  Why can’t people understand that I’m ugly because of what happened to me.  I’m dirty.  No one could ever love me.”

Benji pushed Alex on the bed, “Dad, take his shirt off of him and I’ll take his shorts off.  I’ve got to see why he thinks he’s so ugly.”

Alex jumped up, “Here, I’ll show why I’m dressed as I am, and then would you please let me alone?”

Alex pulled off his tee shirt and shed his shorts, “There, are you happy?”

Benji sighed, “I’m afraid that you’ll have to lie on the bed until I make my inspection.”

Benji started, “Dad, the patient seems to have all the necessary facial features.  I guess I’d better check to see if he has all his teeth.  Dad, what do you think, the penis and testicles look about normal.  Do you suppose Alex knows what they’re for?”

“Look, you creeps, I know what they’re for.  Look at my back and tell me that I’m not ugly.”

Alex flipped over and Benji ran hands over Alex’s back, “All I can feel  are some little bumps.  If they don’t hurt, why would you think they made you ugly?”

I finally intervened, “Alex, Benji is right.  Your imagination is working overtime.  You are a very handsome young man.  I suggest that you guys go get some sleep.  I, for one, have a busy day tomorrow.”

I watched as Alex put on his shorts and carried Benji out of the room, “I’m going to make you pay for embarrassing me.”

As I was trying to go to sleep, I was thinking, ‘Benji has struck again.’

To be continued...

Editor's Notes:  I believe I would have to agree that Benji has indeed struck again. I wonder what did happen to Alex. I hope he can get past his troubles.

Who are these greedy bastards that want to get their hands on the relics? 

I hope we get another chapter soon.

Darryl AKA The Radio Rancher

Posted: 08/20/10