Of Fathers and Sons
The volunteer group rode in a bus to the work site. They would be doing yard work, maintenance and repairs for several elderly homeowners in the small subdivision. The volunteers ranged in age from ten (LJ DiNozzo) to eighty (Leroy Jethro Gibbs), with most of them in their thirties and forties. Along with LJ and Gibbs, Tony, Anthony, Tim, John, Jimmy and Charles had boarded the bus at the Navy Yard at 0600 on that Saturday.
The coordinator asked the volunteers to form groups of eight to ten persons, so the eight in the Gibbs family formed a group. Gibbs was secretly glad that his family had been able to work together, since he knew each one's strengths and challenges when it came to handiness. The coordinator asked for one member of each group to come forward to draw assignments for the day. Each group would be given a cap of the same color for identifying the groups quickly. Gibbs went forward, and got the assignments for his team and eight red caps.
Tony noticed the red caps and commented to Tim that Gibbs finally had his team of redheads, earning himself a head slap from Gibbs. "Shutting up, Boss, um, Dad."
The family gathered around as Gibbs went over the work to be done at the four houses assigned to them. All four yards needed mowing and trimming. One house needed new steps for the back door, another needed screens put back into the windows, and a third one needed some painting done on the front of the house. Gibbs divided the group into two teams: the yard work team and the repairs team. He put Jimmy, Anthony, Charles and John on the yard work team. The repairs team would be Tony, Tim, LJ and himself.
Jimmy and the older boys went to get mowers, trimmers, rakes and other yard tools from the trailer of tools and supplies. Jimmy had Anthony take one mower and Charles the other and started them on the first two yards. He and John took the trimmers and started on the first two yards as well. They would move to the other two yards when done. Anthony and John were working in the yard where the homeowner was in the hospital, but would be home in about a week.
Gibbs sent Tony and Tim to get the painting supplies and start on that job. He and LJ went to measure the back door steps and then get wood and tools for the repair.
Tony and Tim took the paint supplies to the front porch of the house to be painted. They knocked on the door to introduce themselves to the elderly lady who lived there. She smiled at them and thanked them for coming to help her. She told them to call her "Miss Johnnie." After she went back inside, Tony and Tim got to work on the paint job. They used a wire brush to remove the loose flakes of paint before they painted.
Anthony and Charles were making good progress with their mowing as John and Jimmy used string trimmers to do edging and trimming where the mowers could not go. John had also trimmed back some overgrown azaleas that formed a hedge along the front property line of one of the houses. Jimmy had pulled weeds from the flower beds along the front walkway of the second house.
LJ and Gibbs had brought new wood to the rear of the house they were repairing, and were in the process of removing the old stairs when the elderly man who lived in the house came outside to greet them. He introduced himself, "Joseph Benning," as he shook hands with them.
"My grandson, LJ, and I'm Gibbs."
Mr. Benning shook hands with LJ. "Pleased to meet you, sir." LJ liked the old man from his first impression.
"I'll be inside painting, if you need me." LJ perked up at the mention of painting.
"Acrylics, oil, or water colors?" LJ asked Mr. Benning.
"Acrylics today, water colors yesterday." The old man smiled at LJ, "Do you paint?"
LJ nodded, "Yes, sir, both Grandpa and I paint with water colors and acrylics."
The old man grinned at LJ, "Then you and your grandpa must come inside to see my work!"
"When we finish the steps, we will come inside to see your work." Gibbs gently reminded LJ that they had a job to complete first.
They got to work on the cutting and assembly of the new steps. When the new steps were assembled, Gibbs had LJ put a coat of marine spar varnish on the whole structure. After LJ finished, the two walked to the front door to visit with Mr. Benning and see his paintings.
Tony and Tim had just finished painting the front of Miss Johnnie's house when she came outside with a tray of cookies and three glasses of lemonade. "Time to take a break, boys." She smiled at them and motioned for them to follow her around to the side porch where she set the tray on a table.
The men pulled up chairs and sat down with Miss Johnnie. She handed each of them a glass of lemonade, and then took the third one for herself. "Help yourself to cookies, boys."
Tony grabbed a chocolate chip cookie as Tim took a peanut butter one. The cookies were delicious, and both went back for a second one. "Thanks, Miss Johnnie, these are excellent cookies." Tony smiled at her and nodded as Tim spoke.
Anthony and John came into the yard, and went over to their fathers.
"Miss Johnnie, this is my son, Anthony, and Tim's son, John." Tony introduced the two boys, who shook hands with Miss Johnnie. She offered them some cookies and then went inside to get more lemonade. She returned with a pitcher and two more glasses.
Anthony and John thanked her for the refreshments.
"Abba, we are going to get started on the lawn soon." Anthony addressed his father. "Do you have any more painting to do? We want to be careful not to get dust or cut grass in the paint."
"We are going to put a second coat on soon, but I think the porch is wide enough to protect the wet paint, if you aim the discharge away from the house." Tony and Anthony went to check the first coat of paint and the amount of protection the porch would give.
"Abba?" Miss Johnnie looked at Tim.
"Hebrew for Dad," Tim explained. "Tony's wife, Ziva, is Israeli by birth, but she became an American citizen years ago."
Anthony and Tony came back around to the side, ready to get back to work. Tim and John finished their lemonade and John ate one last cookie. The boys went to the yard to begin mowing and trimming, while Tony and Tim started the second coat of paint on the front of the house.
Jimmy and Charles had finished the yard work at their first house and had moved to the final house. They were greeted by the pair of elderly sisters who lived there. The sisters offered Jimmy and Charles some iced tea and sandwiches. Father and son ate hungrily and thanked the sisters for the food.
They then got to work on the yard with the mowing and trimming as the sisters watched them from their porch.
Gibbs and LJ visited with Mr. Benning, who showed off his art work of mostly landscapes and trees. He offered them lunch of sandwiches and soda. The three ate in Mr. Benning's kitchen, discussing painting techniques and favorite subjects.
Gibbs hated to end the conversation, but he and LJ still had to do one more job. "LJ, we need to get the sisters' screens put in for them. We can come back to visit more with Mr. Benning when we are done, if that is okay, sir?"
Mr. Benning nodded his agreement to Gibbs. "You two can come back any time, you know."
Gibbs and LJ headed to the sisters' house and saw the two on the porch watching the Palmers. "Hello, this is my grandson, LJ, and I'm Gibbs. We are here to put your screens up," Gibbs greeted them.
"I'm Mary and she is Margie." The older looking of the two introduced herself. "Do you know Jimmy and Charles?"
Gibbs nodded, "Jimmy is my son and Charles is another grandson."
Mary showed them where the screens were stored and the two got to work. They finished within ninety minutes and sat on the porch with the sisters as Jimmy and Charles finished the yard work. Mary had brought out some brownies and milk for a snack. They all thanked the sisters for the snack.
Tony and Tim finished the second coat of paint as Anthony and John finished the yard work. Miss Johnnie brought out some more cookies, ham and cheese sandwiches, and lemonade for the four workers. They all thanked her as they ate the snack and listened to her story about her sons.
She told how her boys had gone to the big city to get an education and then worked in various places around the USA. The older of the two had been killed in Viet Nam and the younger had died of a heart attack. She only had a grandson left, but he lived in Oregon. She heard from him only a few times each year and hadn't seen him in almost twenty years.
"Miss Johnnie, would you like us to come back and visit and help with your yard work again?" Anthony asked her, thinking that he and the others could be like family to her if she wished. "We know how to make a family and we could be yours."
Tony, Tim and John all nodded agreement as Miss Johnnie wiped tears from her eyes. "Would you do that for me?" She was incredulous; these four were kind and generous with their time.
Tony spoke for all of them, "We made a family when all of us needed one, and we can bring the others with us if you want. We are a family of the heart and you can be one of us, if you want." As he spoke, Gibbs and LJ came up her front walk. "Here are two more of our family. My son, LJ and my father of the heart, Gibbs."
Miss Johnnie looked at the two newcomers. She smiled at LJ, "I can tell who your Abba and brother are! You look just like Tony, except you boys have brown eyes." LJ was surprised at her use of the Hebrew word, but he smiled and shook her hand.
"Gibbs, ma'am." Gibbs shook Miss Johnnie's hand. "Are my boys telling you stories?"
Miss Johnnie smiled back at Gibbs, "Just that you all are a family, and young Anthony has invited me to be a family member."
"Smart kid!" Gibbs ruffled Anthony's hair, even though the teen tried to duck out of reach. "I think we should make you, Mr. Benning, Miss Mary and Miss Margie honorary family."
Jimmy and Charles came to the porch as Gibbs made his suggestion. All of the Gibbs sons and grandsons nodded in agreement. They had made four new friends by volunteering. By the time the bus was ready to take them back to the Navy Yard, the group had made plans with the four elderly homeowners to return every two weeks to help with yard work, small repairs and to visit. LJ and Gibbs also planned to paint with Mr. Benning.
As they rode back to the Navy Yard, Gibbs listened to his boys' plans to visit and help their new friends, and was proud of all of them for their kindness and generosity. His sons and grandsons were good men.