Love Refound
by: E Walk
(© 2008 by the Author)
 

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Chapter 48
The Results

On the drive home, I kept wondering what was going to happen next and I decided that worrying about things wasn’t going to stop anything from happening.  It was just six o’clock when I walked into the house.  I was accosted by Benji, “Dad, why did all four of us have to be checked by Granddad Miller today, when it was really only me they wanted to test?”

I knelt down and hugged him, “It was me who suggested that you would get suspicious if you were the only one that was tested.  I figured that since it wouldn’t hurt, your brothers wouldn’t mind having the test done.  Have you talked to them about it?”

Benji shook his head no, “No, Daddy, I didn’t.  I won’t tell them.  The test has to do with seeing if the people are really related to me isn’t it?”

“Yes, Benji it is,.  How did you figure that out?”

“I heard Granddad Miller tell Dad Cole that everyone else’s sample had been collected and that he would have the results later today.  I asked Dad Cole on the way home if you had to do what we had done and he said no.”

“Benji, why didn’t you talk to Dad Cole about this?”

“Daddy, I tried, but he said I was being silly.  I guess he thinks that I’m just a little kid.”

I hugged Benji, “Son, let’s go eat. I’m starved.”

As we were going to  where the others were sitting, I took off my tie.  When my Mother saw me, she commented, “Doug, you look extremely tired.”

“Mom, it’s been a long day.”

Benji added, “He’ll tell you about his day when we four boys aren’t around.”

I looked at Benji, “Benjamin, why would you say something like that?”

Benji smirked, “We can tell when something has happened that you don’t want us to hear about.”

Karen announced, “Dinner is being served in the dining room.”

We had just started to eat when the phone rang; Cole went to answer it.  When he sat down, he looked at me, “That was Doctor Miller.  He said that they would be here about 7:30 with the results.”

Benji quickly asked, “Dad Cole, who is they?”

Cole shrugged his shoulders, “Benji, Doctor Miller didn’t say.”

Benji looked at his brothers, “Don’t worry, guys, Daddy told me that the tests they did today have nothing to do with you.  They’re checking to see to if I’m really related to the people like they think.”

Everyone’s eyes turned toward me, “Don’t blame me.  I didn’t tell Benji what was happening.  He figured it out by himself.”

Benji wasn’t done, “Dads, we boys have every right to hear what Granddad Miller has to say, since it has to do with us, especially me.”

Both Cole and I responded, “We understand, Benjamin.”

“Make sure you do, Father Christiansen and Father Weaver.”  Benji looked at the Grandparents, “You four grandparents need to make sure they understand and get it right.”

The four parents were trying hard to not laugh.

Dad mentioned, “You certainly did a nice job during the interview.”

“Thanks, I was a little uptight at first because we were met by Mr. Stark and some police people when we arrived.  Mr. Stark wanted them to arrest me for what we had done to him.  He had the audacity to try to go to the interview with me but Mr. Caster stopped  him.”

“When we were leaving the interview, Mr. Stark was waiting with a Mr. Lumbaugh who demanded that I apologize to Mr. Stark.  If it hadn’t been for Uncle Howie, I would probably have decked both of the two males.”

“When I got to my office, I had a call from Mrs. Stark to tell me what she had found when she was packing Mr. Stark’s things.  She found some evidence to support what Cole and I witnessed yesterday.  I also had another call from Mr. Lumbaugh threatening me more legal actions, because of what I supposedly caused Mr. Stark to do.”

Benji interrupted, “Dad, why aren’t you telling us exactly what happened.  Remember we four boys saw what he was doing.   We don’t know exactly what you did to Mr. Stark yesterday, but I’m guessing it had something to do with the way he was dressed when he finally arrived back here.”

Fortunately the scolding was interrupted by the doorbell.  Matt brought Uncle Howie and Mr. Nixon into the dining room where we were still sitting, “Hi again; Mrs. Stark called and said that Mr. Stark committed suicide and she had some evidence that she wanted me to keep because it seems that Lumbaugh person called and demanded that she turn over all of Mr. Stark’s things to him.”

“She said, you told her to make sure that the CD’s and DVD’s were in a secure place.  She decided to bring them here, since she was to be here at 7:30 for another meeting.”

Benji nodded, “I guess that proves she’s related to me.  Uncle Howie, what is it that you said about what Mr. Stark did?  Did it mean that he killed himself?”

Uncle Howie sucked in a huge breath of air, “Yes, Benji, I’m afraid that’s what it means.”

The doorbell rang again and Benji went to welcome whoever it was, while the rest of us moved to the living room.  Benji returned with the Mrs. McBride, the Millers, Mrs. Stark, who was carrying a box, and Meg Hayworth. 

After everyone was seated, Benji started, “I take it, that the tests Granddad Miller did, prove that I’m related to you or you wouldn’t all be here.  I am not going to leave my Dads.  If you want to be related to me, then you have to accept my three brothers, too.  Mrs. Haworth, where are Freddie and Frankie and are we related?”

Meg Haworth shook her head no, “Benji, they are not blood relatives.  They are my stepsons.  Their Mother died like yours.  I have only been married to Mr. Haworth for about a year.”

Benji asked, “Where are the boys, anyway?”

Meg responded “Their Dad took them to visit his parents while Mother and I came down here.  They had a great time yesterday and want to come visit again.”

Benji grinned, “They can come to visit anytime.  Maybe next time we can go skinny dipping.”

There was an persistent banging on the front storm and Benji went to see who it was.  He returned, “Dads, it’s two men who want to talk to you.  They don’t look very happy.  One of them said his name was Lumburg or something like that.”

I went to Mrs. Stark, “Ma’am, I don’t think we want the visitors to see these.  I’ll take them into the study. You wouldn’t know which one might have the pictures of Mr. Lumbaugh, per chance?

She nodded, “I only started to look at the first one of them and quit because I couldn’t stand to look at any more.  I’m sure that he is on it.  He was at  the house a number of times to talk to Charlie  It’s the one with the red dot on it.”

I went into the study and slipped the DVD into my computer and took it into the living room.  When I arrived in the living room Uncle Howie was introducing everyone and Mr. Lumbaugh was being his pompous self and not acknowledging anyone until he saw me.  “That’s the bastard who caused Mr. Stark to commit suicide and I’m guessing that black man over there is his accomplice.”

I walked up to the gentleman who was with Mr. Lumbaugh, “I’m Doug Christiansen.  This is my home.  I assume that you’re Mr. Lumbaugh’s  legal representative.  I would ask you to have him refrain from using vulgar language in my house since there are minors present.  Ladies, I suggest that you might want to adjourn to kitchen and keep my sons from hearing or observing what is going to happen.   You probably would not appreciate what I’m about to show our visitors.”

I turned to Cole, “Mr. Weaver, would you please inform the boys that they are not to interrupt and then guard to make sure they don’t see what we’re about to witness.” 

I connected the computer to the large screen television and started the DVD.  It had played less than a minute before Mr. Lumbaugh jumped out of his seat screaming, “Any idiot can see that that DVD has been tampered with.  I’m leaving.  We’ll be filing a case of child pornography to the list of charges against you Christiansen.”

Cole pushed the Lumbaugh person back into the chair where he had been seated.  “Listen you pompous ass, all the people here will testify that we had never seen the tape until now.  Mrs. Stark brought the tapes with her when she arrived about twenty minutes ago.  Sit down and shut up.  Uncle Howie, can we charge this piece of trash with being involved in child pornography.  I can hardly wait until the news hits the headlines.”

Mr. Lumbaugh’s attorney started to laugh, “Rash, you literally have put yourself in a bucket of shit, this time.  There is no way that I would represent you after watching this short segment of one DVD.  How many more discs are there?”

I answered, “I would guess that there are approximately forty in the box that Mrs. Stark brought.”

Mr. Fortenberry, as we were to find out, asked, “What do you plan to do with the discs?”

Uncle Howie answered, “We’ll be taking them to the Fulton County Sheriff’s Office first thing in the morning.  Fort, I'm surprised that you would be associated with the likes of this piece of junk.”

Mr. Fortenberry shrugged, “A wealthy client of mine called and asked me to take the case.  Mr. Lumbaugh must have done a good sell job.  As you well know, my services are not cheap, and I’ll probably lose a client or two over this matter.  I don’t suppose there’s any way that I could catch a ride back to Atlanta tonight, is there?  I certainly don’t want to ride with that man.”

My Dad answered, “I’m sure that Mrs. Stark and Mrs. Hayworth will give you a ride.”

The conversation was interrupted by Benji, “Dad, can we go get ready for bed?  We have school tomorrow.”  

“Yes, Mr. Lumbaugh is leaving.  You can tell the ladies that they can come back into the living room, now.”

Cole went to help the boys.  Mr. Fortenberry started to laugh, “I just realized who you people were, now that I’ve seen the four boys.  That’s Cole Weaver who just signed a lucrative contract with the Atlanta Falcons, and you’re Dr. Christiansen who had the interview on television, this afternoon.  Howie, how are you connected to these people?”

Uncle Howie grinned, “We just happen to live next door, and I just happen to be Doug’s uncle.”

Mr. Fortenberry asked, “Who owns Summerhill, anyway?”

Everyone pointed to me.

Mr. Fortenberry threw up his hands, “Why wouldn’t I have guessed that?”

The four boys were coming down the stairs and Benji asked, “Dad, did that mean man leave yet?”

I nodded my head, “Yes, guys, he’s gone.”

The four boys came into the living room, dressed only in their briefs. I looked at them, “Guys, don’t you think you should have some other clothes on?”

Benji stood in front of me and put his hands on his hips, “Why, Daddy, everyone has seen us in our swimming suits except that man who came with the mean man?  We only want to say good night to everyone.”

After the four boys had said goodnight to everyone and gone back upstairs, Mr. Fortenberry laughed, “This is unbelievable.  A young six year old boy runs this household.  He has four grandmothers, three grandfathers and a great grandmother and yes even a birth mother he didn’t know he had.”

Mrs. McBride added, “More importantly, he has two Dads and three brothers whom he dearly loves.  Doug and his wife, and now Cole, have certainly raised a very wonderful individual for someone who was found in a field.”

Finally all the visitors departed and the parents had gone to bed leaving just Cole and me on the first floor.  I put my head on Cole's shoulder.  “Cole, hold me.  I thought my world was falling apart today.  Every day isn’t going to be like this, is it?”

Cole hugged me, “If the days are going to be like this, I’m going to be leaving.  Doug, I need to go find a place to live in Atlanta when I have to start to work out.  I can’t be driving back and forth everyday.  I need to make sure I have room for you and the boys to come and stay with me when you have time.  I think I’ll go tomorrow while the three oldest boys are still in school.  I think both sets of grandparents are planning to leave in the morning.”

Cole wasn’t finished, “Doug, would you object to my enrolling in some graduate courses at Tech.  I don’t plan to be a football player all of my life?”

I kissed Cole, “Why would I object to you taking courses?”

Cole grinned, “I was just checking.  Doug, I gather that all of the boys’ grandparents, except perhaps for Mrs. Stark, might have some money that they might some day be receiving. What’s going to happen when one of them, especially Benji in the eventuality of Mrs. McBride’s or the Millers’ deaths, were to inherit some funds.”

I sat up, “Cole, why are you thinking like that?  What difference would it make?  Between the two of us, we’ll be making more than enough money, and besides.  Summerhill is making a profit, believe it or not, thanks to Denny.”

Cole bristled, “Doug, I didn’t grow up on the right side of the tracks, as you did.”

I pushed Cole down on the sofa where had been sitting, “Look, you need to stop thinking like that.  Your time has arrived; so enjoy it.  Let’s go to bed and make some hay while we can.”

Cole pulled me into a hug, “Doug, bear with me.  So much has been happening that I’m having a difficult time making sense of everything.  What is going to happen when the boys realize that my skin is a different color than theirs’; will they still love me?”

“Cole, I don’t understand why you’re questioning how the boys feel about you?  You know they love you.”

Cole and I were in bed and there was a knock on the door.  I put on a robe because I had no idea who was there, Benji was standing there, “Daddy, is something wrong with Dad Cole?  He seemed different tonight.  Doesn’t he love us anymore?”

Cole could hear what was being said.  He reacted immediately even though he was naked.  He grabbed Benji and picked him up, “Benji, I love you, your brothers and your Daddy more than anything else in the world.  Why would you think I didn’t love you?”

Benji hugged him. “Dad Cole, it was as if you were there tonight when you were getting us ready for bed, but your mind wasn’t.  Mikey is afraid that you are going to leave us.”

I looked at Benji, “Are you sure that it’s Mikey who is afraid, or is it you?”

“Daddy, it’s all four of us.  We all love Dad Cole.”

Benji kissed Cole on the lips, “Dad, put me down before the boys miss me.”

To be continued...

Editor's Notes: That was a rather unpleasant experience for the family.  I think that 'Rash person', and I use the word 'person' loosely,  is in for some real grief. At least I hope so.  He is a pompous hypocrite. Or should I say hippo critter?  We will have to wait for the next chapter, to see what happens next.

Darryl AKA The Radio Rancher

Posted: 11/13/09