Chapter four
Happy Birthday: Part Two
|
Valenti Sr. Residence
Roswell, NM
27 June 2009
Friday
|
/end of chapter3/
A loud noise resonated outside of the house. Michael was the first to reach the front door, ready for an attack. Max was right behind him, followed by Jim. The rest stayed behind ready to protect the kids.
Michael held out his hand ready for an attack, But Jim shoved past him and yelled, "NOOO!!"
///
|
"How could you?" Jim fumed and lifted his hands to block out the scene on the front lawn. Max and Michael both relaxed, signaling that everything was all right. Well, almost everything.
Amy saw her husband run off of the porch and quickly walked over to see what was wrong. When she was in full view of the yard, she whispered, "Oh, dear."
"Well," Maria shrugged, "the good news is Kyle is here."
"And the bad is that he is about to die," Michael added quickly. Liz and Isabel both looked at him with an annoyed look. "What?" he asked. "Jim is going to kill him for sure!"
Kyle slowly opened the door to his '03 Chevy SUV and exited his vehicle. He stood in the middle of the lawn with a very worried look on his face. He saw his dad stalking toward him and took a step back. Kyle's plan to park on the lawn had just back fired, big time!
Jim stopped and kneeled next to his bird bath that was lying on its side with a large chunk knocked off of it. He gently touched the broken piece with his hand and stared at it in shock. Then he picked up a tulip that had once been planted neatly in the flower bed surrounding the broken statue. Jim crumpled it in his hand and gave Kyle a look that would send anyone running.
Kyle had discretely inched toward the back of the SUV sothat now it was between Jim and himself. He raised his hands in a reasuring manner and tried to reason with his dad, "Ok, now...Dad, let's talk about this rationally. The closest place to park was in Mrs. Jo..." Kyle never finished his sentence. Jim stood and started to chase Kyle around the vehicle in a game of cat-and-mouse.
"Come on Michael. We need to go help," Max said and walked down the stairs. He turned to look at Michael who was still standing on the porch.
"I'm not going out there. Do you think I'm crazy?" Michael said with a laugh.
"Michael, if you don't get your but out there right now, you are going to be crawling off," Maria told him as she gave the "look of death". Michael lowered his head a bit and followed Max quickly.
Isabel turned to Maria and commented, "You finally got him whipped."
"Yeah, it's great."
Out on the lawn, Michael had taken Kyle's side of the car, leaving Max with Jim. From the porch, Isabel was amazed that Michael wouldn't blink at enemies from his planet who had powers that could kill him in an instant, yet he was terrified by his wife and father-in-law.
"Jim," Max said softly, "It will be ok. It was just a bird bath and some flow-"
"Just a bird bath?!" Jim asked in a tempered voice. "Just a bird bath? Why don't you spend a few years looking for an expensive piece of artwork by a renowned sculptor, finally find it and put hours of work into it to make it look nice in your yard, and then have it all taken away in an instant by your idiot son that can't park on the street like a normal person and walk a little to get to the house?!?" Max was stunned at how mad Jim actually was.
Amy could see how things were quickly getting out of hand, so she handed Sophie to Liz, walked out to her husband and put her hand over his face, closing his eyes. "Breath and count slowly to ten," she said smoothly. Jim was instantly relaxed, which made Kyle let out the breath he was holding. "Now, let's go inside into the air-conditioning."
"Yes, the air-conditioning," Jim mumbled.
Amy turned around to see five astonished faces staring at her (Kyle was too relieved to be astonished). "Hypnotism. It works wonders."
Everyone laughed; they were relieved that no one was hurt. After a few minutes everyone was calm and Mac was finally opening Kyle's present. As soon as he saw what it was, he jumped at Kyle to give him a hug.
"What is it?" Liz asked.
"Nascar 5 (you can be Tony Stewert) and something else called Goedock. The clerk said that is was really popular with kids," Isabel answered. Maria gave Isabel a confused look. "Kyle needed help..." she answered.
"Oh," Maria said in understanding as she nodded her head. "So what is this one?" she asked and picked up a good sized box.
"This is from Jim and me," Amy answered. "Go ahead and open it."
Mackenzie tried to pick it up, but it was too heavy. He stood in his seat and tore off of the papers. With everyone watching Mac, Jim sneaked into the master bedroom.
"Tools! Awesome, Moma." Mac exclaimed.
"And guess what you get to work with them on!" Amy announced as she motioned towards the hall way entrance.
"I don't see anything," Michael muttered. This was returned with Maria's elbow in his ribs.
"I said for you to guess what you get to work with them on!" Amy's voice was louder this time. Everyone waited and stared at the hall. After a moment Amy stood from her chair. Just then, Jim appeared pushing a child size jeep that had all of the emblems of a sheriff's vehicle.
"Oh my gosh! Moma, Daddy, I love you forever!!" Mac yelled as he rushed over to his new, battery powered Jeep.
"What a minute, Mac, you still have one more present till you get to play with your new toys," Amy told him. She might as well have stomped out his internal spark. He turned around and walked heavily back to his chair. With a quick glance to the jeep, he started opening the last present.
"Try not to look so disappointed. I spent some time getting this present," Max informed.
When Mac finally opened the present, he said, "A remote control Home Depot car." with only half of the enthusiasm he previously showed. "Can, I go now Moma?" he pleaded in a sad voice.
"Hold on, partner," Liz said. "Why don't you open up the truck and see what's inside?"
"Ok," Mac mumbled in an exhausted manner. Mac opened the trunk of the toy car and pulled out six long pieces of paper. "What is it?" he asked in a confused voice.
"Those are the tickets that say you get to see Tony Stewert race at Las Vegas and meet him up close and personal," Max answered in a very proud voice.
"Uncle Max! Aunt Liz! You guys are GREAT!" Mac ran over to Max and gave him the biggest hug of all night.
The rest of the evening was spent playing with presents or talking. Mostly the women talked and the guys and children played with the toys.
"They never really grow up all the way," Liz commented.
"I know," Maria said. "I'm positive Michael got that G.I. Joe for Mack just because he couldn't have it himself."
"I heard that!" Michael said loudly from the next room.
"Just keep playing with your toys, dear," Maria responded.
They all giggled lightly. "So, Isabel, how's the clinic?" Liz asked.
Isabel was now a Nurse and worked in a walk-in clinic. "The usual, I guess. Fulfilling at times and depresing at others. I'm about to take and extra-long maternaty leave, though. Alex doesn't want me working in this state," she gestured to her round stomach. "And I can't really argue with him. Everything is getting so hard to do."
"Amen, sister! I remember those days all too well," Maria preached.
The night continued in the same fashion until one by one, everyone left. After the children were settled, Jim and Amy were left to pick up the house. Jim placed a few cups in the kitchen sink and looked out the window to the lawn. "What happened to my bird bath!?" he exclaimed.
Feeling tired, Amy walked over to her husband and once again placed her hand over his eyes.
Happy Birthday: Part Two
|
Valenti Sr. Residence
Roswell, NM
27 June 2009
Friday
|
/end of chapter3/
A loud noise resonated outside of the house. Michael was the first to reach the front door, ready for an attack. Max was right behind him, followed by Jim. The rest stayed behind ready to protect the kids.
Michael held out his hand ready for an attack, But Jim shoved past him and yelled, "NOOO!!"
///
|
"How could you?" Jim fumed and lifted his hands to block out the scene on the front lawn. Max and Michael both relaxed, signaling that everything was all right. Well, almost everything.
Amy saw her husband run off of the porch and quickly walked over to see what was wrong. When she was in full view of the yard, she whispered, "Oh, dear."
"Well," Maria shrugged, "the good news is Kyle is here."
"And the bad is that he is about to die," Michael added quickly. Liz and Isabel both looked at him with an annoyed look. "What?" he asked. "Jim is going to kill him for sure!"
Kyle slowly opened the door to his '03 Chevy SUV and exited his vehicle. He stood in the middle of the lawn with a very worried look on his face. He saw his dad stalking toward him and took a step back. Kyle's plan to park on the lawn had just back fired, big time!
Jim stopped and kneeled next to his bird bath that was lying on its side with a large chunk knocked off of it. He gently touched the broken piece with his hand and stared at it in shock. Then he picked up a tulip that had once been planted neatly in the flower bed surrounding the broken statue. Jim crumpled it in his hand and gave Kyle a look that would send anyone running.
Kyle had discretely inched toward the back of the SUV sothat now it was between Jim and himself. He raised his hands in a reasuring manner and tried to reason with his dad, "Ok, now...Dad, let's talk about this rationally. The closest place to park was in Mrs. Jo..." Kyle never finished his sentence. Jim stood and started to chase Kyle around the vehicle in a game of cat-and-mouse.
"Come on Michael. We need to go help," Max said and walked down the stairs. He turned to look at Michael who was still standing on the porch.
"I'm not going out there. Do you think I'm crazy?" Michael said with a laugh.
"Michael, if you don't get your but out there right now, you are going to be crawling off," Maria told him as she gave the "look of death". Michael lowered his head a bit and followed Max quickly.
Isabel turned to Maria and commented, "You finally got him whipped."
"Yeah, it's great."
Out on the lawn, Michael had taken Kyle's side of the car, leaving Max with Jim. From the porch, Isabel was amazed that Michael wouldn't blink at enemies from his planet who had powers that could kill him in an instant, yet he was terrified by his wife and father-in-law.
"Jim," Max said softly, "It will be ok. It was just a bird bath and some flow-"
"Just a bird bath?!" Jim asked in a tempered voice. "Just a bird bath? Why don't you spend a few years looking for an expensive piece of artwork by a renowned sculptor, finally find it and put hours of work into it to make it look nice in your yard, and then have it all taken away in an instant by your idiot son that can't park on the street like a normal person and walk a little to get to the house?!?" Max was stunned at how mad Jim actually was.
Amy could see how things were quickly getting out of hand, so she handed Sophie to Liz, walked out to her husband and put her hand over his face, closing his eyes. "Breath and count slowly to ten," she said smoothly. Jim was instantly relaxed, which made Kyle let out the breath he was holding. "Now, let's go inside into the air-conditioning."
"Yes, the air-conditioning," Jim mumbled.
Amy turned around to see five astonished faces staring at her (Kyle was too relieved to be astonished). "Hypnotism. It works wonders."
Everyone laughed; they were relieved that no one was hurt. After a few minutes everyone was calm and Mac was finally opening Kyle's present. As soon as he saw what it was, he jumped at Kyle to give him a hug.
"What is it?" Liz asked.
"Nascar 5 (you can be Tony Stewert) and something else called Goedock. The clerk said that is was really popular with kids," Isabel answered. Maria gave Isabel a confused look. "Kyle needed help..." she answered.
"Oh," Maria said in understanding as she nodded her head. "So what is this one?" she asked and picked up a good sized box.
"This is from Jim and me," Amy answered. "Go ahead and open it."
Mackenzie tried to pick it up, but it was too heavy. He stood in his seat and tore off of the papers. With everyone watching Mac, Jim sneaked into the master bedroom.
"Tools! Awesome, Moma." Mac exclaimed.
"And guess what you get to work with them on!" Amy announced as she motioned towards the hall way entrance.
"I don't see anything," Michael muttered. This was returned with Maria's elbow in his ribs.
"I said for you to guess what you get to work with them on!" Amy's voice was louder this time. Everyone waited and stared at the hall. After a moment Amy stood from her chair. Just then, Jim appeared pushing a child size jeep that had all of the emblems of a sheriff's vehicle.
"Oh my gosh! Moma, Daddy, I love you forever!!" Mac yelled as he rushed over to his new, battery powered Jeep.
"What a minute, Mac, you still have one more present till you get to play with your new toys," Amy told him. She might as well have stomped out his internal spark. He turned around and walked heavily back to his chair. With a quick glance to the jeep, he started opening the last present.
"Try not to look so disappointed. I spent some time getting this present," Max informed.
When Mac finally opened the present, he said, "A remote control Home Depot car." with only half of the enthusiasm he previously showed. "Can, I go now Moma?" he pleaded in a sad voice.
"Hold on, partner," Liz said. "Why don't you open up the truck and see what's inside?"
"Ok," Mac mumbled in an exhausted manner. Mac opened the trunk of the toy car and pulled out six long pieces of paper. "What is it?" he asked in a confused voice.
"Those are the tickets that say you get to see Tony Stewert race at Las Vegas and meet him up close and personal," Max answered in a very proud voice.
"Uncle Max! Aunt Liz! You guys are GREAT!" Mac ran over to Max and gave him the biggest hug of all night.
The rest of the evening was spent playing with presents or talking. Mostly the women talked and the guys and children played with the toys.
"They never really grow up all the way," Liz commented.
"I know," Maria said. "I'm positive Michael got that G.I. Joe for Mack just because he couldn't have it himself."
"I heard that!" Michael said loudly from the next room.
"Just keep playing with your toys, dear," Maria responded.
They all giggled lightly. "So, Isabel, how's the clinic?" Liz asked.
Isabel was now a Nurse and worked in a walk-in clinic. "The usual, I guess. Fulfilling at times and depresing at others. I'm about to take and extra-long maternaty leave, though. Alex doesn't want me working in this state," she gestured to her round stomach. "And I can't really argue with him. Everything is getting so hard to do."
"Amen, sister! I remember those days all too well," Maria preached.
The night continued in the same fashion until one by one, everyone left. After the children were settled, Jim and Amy were left to pick up the house. Jim placed a few cups in the kitchen sink and looked out the window to the lawn. "What happened to my bird bath!?" he exclaimed.
Feeling tired, Amy walked over to her husband and once again placed her hand over his eyes.