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

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Chapter 34  

Who’s That?

After dinner, Patty and Karen were chased out of the kitchen.  Alex and Alexis led the cleanup brigade.  Walt asked, “Would it be okay if Margi and I go look at some more homes that are for sale?”

I grinned, “We’ll have lots of supervision around here when the Giants arrive.  We’ll make sure that none of the young people drown.”

Dan and David pulled the tractor around.  By 7:15 the parking area was full.  Greg had passed the word that it was a mixed swim party.  A couple of the giants had brought girlfriends.  Clark and Larry arrived with their boys as did Derek and Austin.  Benji and Rocky made sure we had lots of towels.

I was feeling a little sorry for Andrea, because she didn’t have any other girls her age to play with.  She wasn’t bothered by it, though; because it turned out that she was a total tomboy.  I watched to see what Alex and Alexis would be wearing and if they would try to cover their backs.  When Alexis had shed her jeans and shirt she was a very stunning young woman.  We already knew that Alex was a handsome young man.

The old timers helped the visitors fit right in.  It was interesting to watch some of the single guys vying for Alexis’ attention.  I began to feel sorry for Alex, but the guys included him as if he had been a friend forever.

As we were going back to the barn, Rollie crawled on my lap, “Dr. C., can we go swimming next time without any clothes?  Mikey, Jimmy and Johnny said that was the way you usually went swimming and that it was more fun that way.”

“Rollie, we can’t go swimming like that if there are girls with us.”

“Next time, make the girls stay home.”

“Rollie, I’ll see what I can do.”

Greg and Jordan helped the young people off the wagon.  Denny came and collected Jimmy and Johnny so they could get ready for bed.  He announced, “We need all hands on deck that can be here in the morning.  We have four parties scheduled for tomorrow.  The first group is scheduled to arrive at ten.  We’ll probably need to be very flexible.  Benji, you need to be available to prevent any riots.”

Benji stood and pounded his chest, “Never fear, Uncle Denny, I’ll have my goon squad available to keep you from being mobbed.”

I sent our three youngest, and Rollie, to get ready for bed.  Andrea excused herself, “I had a great time, Dr. C.  I’m going to get ready for bed, and read for a while.”

I was sitting on the sofa and the young guys were watching a college football game when Alex and Alexis came into the room.  Alex asked, “Dr. Christiansen, do you think it would be okay if we go to Tim’s house for a party tomorrow night?  We can’t ask Uncle Walt and Aunt Margi since they aren’t here.”

“I give you my permission to go.  I know Tim’s parents, and they aren't going to permit anything out of the ordinary to happen.  I’ll clear it with the Baldwins when they return, since I‘m Dr. Baldwin‘s boss.”

Alex laughed, “Uncle Walt may quit before he starts.”

When I told Walt and Margi about Alex and Alexis asking to go to party, they practically cheered.  Margi said, “We were beginning to think that they were going to become recluses.”

I laughed, “I think you can stop worrying about that happening, after what I saw tonight.”

I was in bed when the phone rang.  “This is Doug.”

“Hi Doug, what’s happening, there?”

“Nothing much.  Our eldest son, helped some teenagers understand that they weren’t ugly.  The Baldwins are staying with us for the weekend.  We only have four parties scheduled for tomorrow.  Oh yes, two schmucks from D. C. tried to commandeer the relics that were found on school property,”

Cole started to laugh, “Gees, I’m so sorry it’s so boring around there.”

“Cole, by the time you get home on Sunday, I’ll be totally gray, even around my penis.   Approximately what time are you going to be here?”

“We’re scheduled to land at six a.m. at Hartsfield.  I should be there in time to go to the late church service.   There may be a problem, though.  Coach Lewis was talking to me on the flight last night suggesting that he needed to come talk to Burnsey.  I just wanted to warn you.  I think the Coach has been totally devastated by his son’s comments and actions and doesn’t know where to turn.  Don’t say anything to Burnsey, yet.  I need to go.  We’re having a stupid offensive team meeting in ten minutes.  I swear these assistant coaches are trying to make themselves look like Gods.  Talk to you Sunday morning.”

To call Saturday a wild day would be an understatement.  To make matters even worse, a group who wasn't even scheduled to have a party just showed up out of the blue.  I was hoping that Denny, Danny and David would turn them away, but they had everyone scurrying.

The parties went off without a hitch, until the last group, which was scheduled from four to six, was in the riding area.  The guys were leading the young people whom I guessed to be eight or nine around on the horses.  Benji climbed on his horse and was going to take the young people for a ride.  They had just started on their ride when a huge white limousine pulled up and the driver started to incessantly honk the horn.

I watched, to be sure the children were safe and Walt followed me to the limo and I yanked open the driver’s door and yanked him out, “What do you mean, creating a safety hazard on private property that could have caused some children to get hurt?”

The man was shaking, “Sir, I was only doing what my passenger told me to do.”

I was steaming, “I suggest that you take this crate and your passenger and get out of here, now, before I call the sheriff and have you arrested for creating a disturbance on private property.”

The back door opened and a lady exited, “You have no right to talk to my driver like that.  We have every right to be here to take my son away from this reform school.  Have your servant go bring my son.”

“Lady, you are a complete ditz.  Dr. Baldwin is not my servant.  He and his family are our house guests for the weekend.  Would you kindly leave, or do I need to call the sheriff’s office?”

“We’re not leaving until I get my son.  I’m taking him back to the military school.”

“Miss Starr, I assume you are speaking of Burnsey and I can assure you that you won’t be taking him anywhere, any time soon.  We are preparing to have both you and your husband declared unfit to be parents.  If you didn’t want children, you should have considered the consequences before you had sex.”

“How dare you talk to me like that?”

The conversation was interrupted by the arrival of Benji, “Daddy, who are these people who almost caused some of our guests to get hurt.  That lady looks like she came out of a bottle.  She must really be ugly if she has to cover her face with all that red and pink stuff.  She must think she’s important to come in here and honk her horn without caring for the safety of others.”

Burnsey’s mom must have had all she could take because she stepped up to Benji and slapped his face, “How dare you talk to an adult like that?  I’m positive that I need to take Ray, Junior out of this hell hole.  Where is he?”

The lady who brought the group who was eating had come over to where we were standing, “Miss Starr, I saw you slap this young man.  I don’t care what provoked you to do it; you should spend time in a detention facility.  In person, you look even more like a slut than you do in the movies.”

Benji had backed against me and was shaking, “Dr. Baldwin, go tell Burnsey to hide and call the sheriff’s office.  Tell Burnsey that The Wicked Witch of Hollywood is here to whisk him away.  Lady, after what you just did to me, I’m going to tell everyone I know about what you did.  You’re even a bigger bitch than Burnsey said.”

Benji spit on the ground and there was blood.  I was livid, “Miss Bradford, if you caused our son any permanent damage, you’re going to find yourself being sued into poverty.

A television reporter and a cameraman approached us, “We caught what happened on tape, since we were here to tape the party for the special needs children of Harwood, and we caught the lady slapping the young boy on the face.  Since she is a movie star, we would like to show what she almost caused to happen today.”

“You may show whatever footage you want, but there will be no comment from anyone here at Summerhill, at this time.”

Miss Starr started to stammered, “You can't show any of this without my permission.”

The visiting lady shook her head, “That's where you’re wrong, Miss Starr.  This is the private property of Summerhill, which is owned by Dr. Christiansen, and he has given us permission for the tape to be shown.  You allowed your vanity to get in the way of your brains.  Heaven help the young man whom you claim to be here to rescue.”

We heard a siren approaching and Miss Starr climbed into back of the limo, “You haven’t heard the last of me.”

After the limousine had departed, Benji looked at me, “Daddy, why are people always slapping me.  There isn’t going to be another big accident tonight is there?.  Please don’t make me go back to the Emergency Room.”

I knelt down to look at Benji’s mouth.  “I think you just cut your lip with your teeth.  We’ll go rinse it and check it.  I’m guessing you’re going to have a big lip in the morning.”

Benji looked up at me, “Better a fat lip then have that ugly lady take Burnsey.  Dad, I was really scared today that one of the horses would try to run away when that horn was honking.  Some of the children who were here today go to our school and they have special problems.”

Walt grinned, “I admire the way that you and Dan and David were able to talk to the horses to keep them calm.”

“Thanks, Dr. Baldwin.”

Benji went to say goodbye to our guests and Walt commented, “Benji doesn’t back down from anything, does he?  He must get it from you.”

After dinner, I handed Alex the keys to my car.  Benji smirked, “You’d better be home by eleven thirty, or Dad’s car will turn into a rotten tomato and the wheels become rattle snakes.”

The young guys went to take a shower and were going to watch the football game in Cole’s and my bedroom.  I made some popcorn for them and took them some juice.  As I was going down the stairs, I suddenly realized that I hadn't seen Andrea.  I asked, “Walt and Margi, "where’s Andrea?  I suddenly realize that she hasn’t been around.”

Margi answered, “Bill and Logan took her to meet Logan’s niece who's about the same age and they are spending the night at Logan’s niece’s parents’ house.  In fact, we made an offer on a house in the same neighborhood this morning, contingent on our house in Charlotte selling.”

Walt asked, “Doug, when would you like me to report for duty.  I need to give the bank a two week notice.  That would mean that I can be here for the start of school.  Since I’ve been told that I would be teaching two classes, I need some time to prepare.  Hopefully our house will sell quickly and we can be in place for the children to start school, here.  Would it be permissible for Alex and Alexis to stay here until we move here?  Alex informed me that they needed to start training for their work study program job, immediately, since Greg is going to be busy running the new student orientation program.  I have been tremendously impressed with the young people that you and Cole have surrounded yourselves with.”

“Never fear, you’ll meet some more of the prime players at church.  I need to go check on the guys, so I can get a blow by blow description of the football game from the boys.”

When I had sat down, Burnsey came and sat down beside me, “Dr. C., you aren’t going to let my mother take me away, are you?”

I hugged him, “Burnsey, we’re not going to let you go with anyone until we’re satisfied that you aren’t going to be mistreated.  After what I’ve seen from your two parents, that may be some time way down the road.  Until then, you’re welcome to stay here.”

By halftime, the score was 31-0.  Benji looked at me, “Daddy, we’re pretty tired.  We’re going to bed.  The announcer said that Dad Cole probably wouldn’t be playing anymore tonight.”

“Make sure you brush your teeth.  I’ll come kiss you guys tonight, when you’re settled.”

Burnsey was still sitting beside me, “Dr. C., can I sleep with you tonight.  I’m scared that she might come and try to kidnap me.  She’ll probably kidnap the wrong person because she probably doesn’t remember what I look like.  I haven't seen her for almost a year.”

“Burnsey, you certainly may sleep with me.  Surely your mother isn’t stupid enough to try anything tonight.”

It didn’t take Burnsey long to go to sleep.  I went to take a shower and the football game was really boring, so I turned to the local news.  The young newscaster announced,

“Harwood had an unannounced visitor, today, when Hope Starr arrived at Summerhill this afternoon, and slapped the owner’s son in the face.  It seems that she and her limousine driver arrived in a flourish, and were frantically blowing their horn, which caused some of the horses our special children were riding, to panic.  I guess that’s what being a movie star allows you to do.  I don’t think that Miss Starr will find herself to be a welcomed guest at Summerhill anytime soon.”

I turned off the television set, “You got that right.”

I was lying in bed, listening for strange noises.  It was about eleven fifteen when I heard steps coming up the stairs.  Someone knocked lightly on the door and I went to answer, assuming it was Alex.  He had a big grin on his face, “Here are your keys.  Thanks for letting us use the car.  We had a great time.  Did you watch the game?”

“It was on, but the young guys went to bed at half time because Cole wasn’t going to play the second half and the score was rather lopsided.”

“That’s pretty much what happened at Tim’s house, too.  We went to a pizza place and visited.  I think I made sure the doors were all secure.  I’ll see you in the morning; I'd better go to bed before Benji sends out the canine patrol.”

We heard a voice meowing and Alex started to laugh, “I guess he sent the feline patrol, instead.”

To be continued...

Editor's Notes:  Some people are so full of themselves, and believe that they are much more important than anyone else, that they completely lose sight of the fact that fame is a fleeting thing, and that acting like a spoiled brat will not win friends, OR fans. 

It must have really been terrible for poor Burnsey, to have both of his parents treat him as if he were a throw away toy that they neither one wanted to be bothered with.

Thank goodness, he has now found a family who loves him the way he should be loved.   

I can hardly wait for the next chapter!

Darryl AKA The Radio Rancher

Posted: 09/03/10