Chapter 29
So sorry this took so long. The reason? Too much shit happening in life, so extra runs, extra workout hours and extra time out the house. But, hey, you know. Life's too short to live with amounted shit. :D
"You put the turkey in yet, love?" David asked as he came up behind his wife. He pushed back her sandy blonde hair and began to kiss her neck, gently holding his hands on her waist.
As she continued to cut up some vegetables, she said, "I put the turkey in about four hours ago. It should be ready in another two."
"Oh, please! People over forty five should not be doing that," came the voice of a teenage boy, who had a rucksack slung over one shoulder, a laptop bag over the other, and a suitcase by his side. He threw a hand into his spikey, sandy hair to use his forearm to hide from the sight.
Clare and David turned around suddenly. "Harvey. Hey," David greeted his stepson.
Harvey nodded and smiled at the welcome before he was embraced in a tight hug. "My baby boy," his mother squealed.
"Mum, it's only been two weeks."
"Oi, it's a long time for me."
Harvey mumbled something incoherent.
"Where's your sister?" She asked.
"She's saying hello to the younger ones. Oh, David? Chloe, Jess and Jodie are here."
"Thanks." David said as he walked out the room.
"How was Florida?"
"Great. Thanks. By the way, dad asks if you could pay for school this term, for Rach and me." Harvey told his mother.
"What?" She angrily shouted. "You know what? It doesn't matter."
Harvey took this as his cue to leave.
"What's all the shouting about?" Steve asked.
"The asshole claims he can't pay for school this term. I can't either. That's five kids to pay for. He needs reminding of his responsibilities." Clare shouted.
"Hey, hey. Calm down. Talk to Dave later and sort it out." Steve went forward and gently touched her shoulder. "I'll get my mom in here and she can help you."
Elsewhere, most of the others were sitting in the lounge. The six young children were watching some Disney movie on the TV. Tom, Sam, Ajit, Harvey and Rachel were sitting on the four seater couch - Harvey was sat on the arm - and they were talking about something. Steve stood with David and Chloe, also talking about something or other. Kayla was at the airport, collecting Taylor and Avan. It had been last minute for the other two to come, having only called yesterday that they were coming.
Catherine came down the stairs exasperated, her brown hair being chewed on by a young girl. "Steve!" She called at her husband. "Can you take her for a minute? I just got a call from Joey to pick him and Keat up from Danny's."
"Why are they at Danny's?" Steve asked as he took his daughter, Alice.
"They collected William from kindergarten. I've got to go. Love you." She pecked his cheek and ran out the front door.
"And Danny picking up his own son would be ridiculous, wouldn't it?" Steve said to no one in particular.
Three hours later, everyone was sitting around the table. They were in another lounge area, but the furniture had been removed the day before. Now, in the ten by six meter room, there were various tables joined together to make a long table in the middle. The make-do table went up and down in the sections where the tables were not the same height. A door that linked directly to the kitchen was in the far right corner.
Once everybody had sat down, people began loading their plates and talking to the people next and across them.
"So, Tom, Sam, you set a date yet?" Keatan asked.
"Well, I wanted sooner rather than later." Tom said.
"I think we have agreed on November or December." Sam confirmed.
"You think? And there was an 'or'. So really you have no clue." Joey stated, cutting another piece of turkey and putting it in his mouth.
"We were going to see how long it took to plan. We've already thought about who we will invite, we have a band, and the themes. Tom has already chosen a suit, which took him about five minutes to look in his wardrobe." Sam explained.
"Just being efficient," Tom said.
"Who's the band?" Joey questioned.
"You remember Scooter? Yeah, his band with Jonny and Mark," Tom told them.
"Isn't he the one that got you into a clash with the cops quite a few times?" Keatan remembered.
"It was two... Three? Four? It was only five times." Tom countered. "Anyway, they were all minor offences; nothing big."
"Hmm," Keatan mumbled.
"Everyone, can I have your attention please?" Steve shouted above all the noise.
After a few seconds of knives and forks clattering as they fell onto the table or plates, and the talking dying down, Steve continued.
"Just would like everyone to know that Cath and I are expecting another little one early next year." There was a round of applause and congratulations.
"Yeah, now, who's up for dessert? We have apple pie and ice cream – not necessarily together." Catherine rounded off.
After around another half hour of food and chatter, all had made their way into the lounge again.
"You boys doing anything tonight?" David asked his sons.
"Weren't going to," Ajit said.
"Well, you should. This is the last time all you guys will be able to go out together for a while."
"Real positive, dad," Joey uttered.
"Joey, you can go too."
"You sure?" Joey asked in disbelief. His father rarely let him out with his brothers on nights as he was almost seven years younger than the previous, Avan.
"Yeah, Harvey, you go too. You don't want to be stuck here with the rest of us. And ask the girls if they want to come." David stood up, buttoning his suit jacket - he was the only one who bothered to dress smartly.
"Tom, you coming?" Keatan asked.
"Hmm, I don't know."
"Go on, have fun." Sam ushered.
With a groan and second thoughts, Tom nodded and went to stand. "Let's go then."
"Sis, you wanna come with?" Joey asked Taylor.
"Sure. I'll just go ask Kay." She replied.
"Lette go then." Joey said in an odd voice.
