Chapter 95
As Roger pulled up and turned off the engine Izzy started laughing as he pulled another bag out of his trunk. "Oh man! If the Well Hungarians could see you now!" He roared.
"What's so damn funny?" Roger asked, having a pretty good idea what he was laughing at.
"Oh nothing! Just first the blue hair goes. Then you stop bleaching it. Now," he laughed, "Roger Davis, former rocker extraordinar, driving a mini van!"
"Oh shut up!"
"Oh come on Davis. A mini van?"
"Yeah, so not exactly my first choice, but how else were we all supposed to get down here?"
"Yeah I suppose." Izzy kept laughing. "But can I take a picture of you driving that thing? To hang up at the Iguana?"
"Get a life!" Roger yelled at him, grabbing the grocery bags from the passenger seat."
"Oh come on, please? Mini van and groceries. It's too much!"
"Izzy leave him alone!" Krystal laughed, walking out of the house in shorts and a bikini top. "Roger this place is incredible!"
"Yeah it's great isn't it?"
"I still can't believe Cass found this place." Krystal slammed the trunk shut as they carried the rest of the stuff into the house. "I mean a shore house, with a pool, hot tub, three house up from the beach and it sleeps ten adults and two kids. And the fact that you guys are paying for it too. It's too much."
"Yeah well," Roger set the groceries down, "after me being in the hospital last year, and Cass' accident she decided Collin deserved a really good vacation. And God forbid we leave anybody behind." Roger laughed. "Especially Mattie."
"Especially Mattie." Krystal laughed.
"Yeah, you know that kid woke us up at 6:30 this morning. Ready to go."
Roger laughed. "Got you beat. After almost never going to bed Friday night, Collin comes in at 5:45 yesterday, already wearing his bathing suit, waking me up cause he's ready to go."
"What did you tell your son? Because what Izzy said this morning wasn't the best choice of words for a five year old." Krystal gave Izzy a dirty look.
"I told him I only went to bed three hours ago and if he didn't go back to sleep he wasn't going this week. Plus the car rental place didn't even open for another two hours."
"Much more appropriate." She gave Izzy another look.
"Oh that reminds me," Roger laughed at Izzy grumbling under his breath as he carried the bags off toward their room. "Rule is Collin's not allowed to wake anybody up before 9:00am. No pestering anybody about taking him to the beach, letting him go in the pool or breakfast. If he's hungry he can eat cereal and watch TV till somebody's up. Period. That work for you?"
"I've got no problem with that." Krystal smiled, helping Roger unload the grocery bags.
"Hey where is everybody?" Roger looked around.
"Well," Krystal began, "we only got here about twenty five minutes ago, but Mattie already had his suit on, so Mark took him down to the beach to see Collin, who was there with Jason and Collins. Jen and Rich are in the hot tub and Cass and Mo are laying out on the upstairs balcony."
"Why are they laying out up there?" He asked confused.
"Because they're topless!" Izzy laughed coming back downstairs. "Man I never realized Mo had such major--"
"Izzy!" Krystal yelled at him, hands on her hips as both Roger and Izzy started laughing.
"Okay, okay." He laughed. "Hey why did you need us to bring Mattie's sleeping bag?"
Roger pulled a water out of the fridge. "Oh, Joanne and her girlfriend are coming out next weekend. We figured they could sleep in the boy's room since it's only two nights. Collin and Mattie can sleep on the floor somewhere."
"Okay. I'm gonna go down to the beach, check on Mattie. You want to come with?"
"No. I'll be down in a little bit. Tell Collin to stay out of trouble."
"Okay." Izzy walked out.
Krystal turned back to Roger who had started fixing himself a sandwich. "Um, Rog?"
"Yeah?" He turned around, chewing.
"What I said before, about all of it being too much. I mean it."
"Don't sweat it. Cass said this place was her Christmas bonus last year." He shrugged.
"Yeah, but this, and the school…" She trailed off, looking at the ground.
"It's what Cass wants."
"But it's so expensive."
"Look, in the beginning I had real issues dealing with Cass' money and the way she spent it on me and Mark. But it's what she wanted and what made her happy. Just like this."
"But Roger…"
"Listen Krystal, until Cass met Mark at school she never really had any friends. Real friends at least. Ones that weren't cokeheads or something."
"I know, but…"
"And she won't let that happen to Collin. No matter what it takes or what it costs."
"But--"
He cut her off again and continued. "Mattie is Collin's best friend. Cass wants to keep it that way. And she thinks if they go to the same school it'll be easier. Plus she doesn't want either of them getting stuck in some East Village public school. I mean you work at a New York public school. You really want him going there?"
"But it's so expensive."
"Look her father could never write enough checks to cover all the guilt he's got. Cass tells him she wants him to pay for Mattie to go to school there as well as Collin. So her father pays and it makes him happy, which I couldn't give a crap about, but it makes Cass happy and that's all I care about." He grinned at her. "Conveniently enough, it also ends up working out pretty good for you guys, Mattie and Collin. Just take it okay? Please? If not for Mattie, do it for me. Kinda like payback for everything Izzy's done over the years for me. Please?"
"You're a really sweet guy Roger Davis. You know that?" She leaned over and kissed him on the cheek.
***********
Maureen walked into Cass' room and flopped on the bed.
"What's up?"
"Ugh. You got anything for a headache?" Maureen asked her.
Krystal laughed. "Izzy and Mattie are real good for a headache."
Cass started laughing at that too as she dug through a drawer and tossed Maureen a bottle of Tylenol. "I think she meant to get rid of one. If she wants to get one, we have plenty of people to do that at home. The last thing we need to do is import them."
"Import who?" Jen asked, walking in with two pitchers of margaritas and a bunch of plastic cups.
"Nobody. Bad joke." Cass told her, reaching for a cup. "Why do you have two pitchers? What's the difference?" She asked as Jen poured the first round.
"Well apparently Izzy and Roger are verging on drunk."
"Shocking!" Krystal said in mock amazement to a round of laughter.
"I'm almost afraid to ask," Cass hesitated, "but what are they doing?"
"Arguing that they know what they are doing when it comes to making margaritas and the other one is full of crap. All I wanted was a drink, but hey if they're going to have a pissing contest so to speak," Jen laughed, "who am I to turn down free drinks?"
"Good point." Maureen said, pouring more in her glass. "So are we supposed to drink both pitchers and judge this little contest?"
"Oh please! Who cares! Besides, I watched them each make both pitchers, they are almost identical! What a couple of dorks. No offense." She told Cass and Krystal.
"None taken." Cass grinned.
"God no." Krystal laughed. "So how did this all start?"
"I don't know. Izzy was making me a drink, Roger was telling him he didn't know what he was doing. Then Roger was making me a pitcher. Next thing you know they are calling each other no talent hacks and each was arguing about how the other didn't have a clue what they were doing. Roger told Izzy how he better let him cook the steaks for dinner and yada, yada, yada." Jen shook here head. "Luckily, we already have plenty of drinks, and Collins took over the cooking of the steaks for dinner."
"Probably a good thing." Maureen laughed. "Besides Roger only knows two temperature for steak. One step above mooing or well done."
Jen poured more margarita in everyone's glasses. "You know, I always wondered what made Roger and Mark friends. I mean they are so different and all, but then again, so alike in ways too. And they've known each other forever. But Izzy and Roger is almost a bigger mystery sometimes."
"True." Maureen agreed. "I mean let's face it, Roger takes a lot of patients. Which Mark has a lot more of than Izzy. It's always amazed me that Izzy hasn't fired Roger's ass all these years."
"He has." Krystal and Cass both laughed.
"Many, many times." Krystal grinned. "Of course God help Roger if he ever listened to him and didn't show up the next day." She laughed. "And you guys buying into the bar didn't make it any better. Now they just try and fire each other." She shook her head.
"Too true." Cass laughed.
"I mean Izzy has been great for Roger. Mark's over patient with him and Izzy has no patience with him. It works out well." Maureen smiled. "But you gotta wonder what made Izzy take on the project that was Roger Davis back then. I mean he didn't even like the Well Hungarians."
"Very true." Krystal laughed, thinking back to how those early days when Roger first got his band together. "But you know, Izzy didn't book them to play for their musical talent. He booked them to give Roger a break. Same reason he hired him to work the bar."
"But why?" Maureen asked before looking at Cass. "No offense."
"Actually, I've always kind of wondered that too." Cass said.
"Cause of Mattie." Krystal told them, thinking it explained it all.
"He's five. This was way before that." Maureen said.
"Not my Mattie. Izzy's brother Mattie."
"Izzy has a brother? I thought he just had his sister in Jersey." Cass said confused.
"No, he had a little brother named Mattie." Krystal said, looking down and playing with the pattern on the bedspread. "Actually I don't even know if Roger knows this. Probably not I guess. But yeah, that's why, cause of Mattie."
Krystal looked up and realized they were waiting for more information. "See I've know Izzy since I was like ten, so I knew Mattie too. I used to baby-sit for him. He was the sweetest little kid." She shook her head. "Izzy was teaching him how to play bass guitar. He was pretty good."
"What happened?" Jen asked, her curiosity as usual getting the best of her.
"Well, when Izzy's parents where killed in that car accident, he was 21, his sister was 24 and Mattie was 14. Cheryl, that's his sister, she got custody of Mattie. Supposedly she and Izzy were raising him but it was mainly her. He was such a good kid. He just got messed up with the wrong crowd of kids at school. He started smoking pot, drinking, getting into trouble at school. Cheryl kept trying to get Izzy to talk to him, straighten him out. Izzy was just starting the bar with his uncle's help. He was working a lot. He didn't have enough time for the bar, me and Mattie. Nobody realized how bad he was getting or how messed up he was until it was too late.
"Just before his eighteenth birthday he got into a huge fight with Cheryl and he took off. When he didn't come back for a couple of days Izzy started looking all over for him. Tore his room apart. That's when we really realized how bad off the poor kid really was. Izzy read this journal that Mattie had been keeping and cried. He didn't even cry when his parents died, and he sat there and cried realizing what had been going on with him.
"When they found him he had made it all the way to the Poconos. Trey, Izzy's cousin, the one with the band, his parents had a cabin on a lake. From the time Izzy was little they would spend summers going up there. Mattie had always loved it. Especially after Izzy and Cheryl were older and didn't go too often. He got to go and hang out with just his dad and his uncles. Apparently that place meant a lot to him. Izzy didn't know where else to look, so he and Trey drove out there. That's where they found him. He broke into the cabin and overdosed on sleeping pills."
"Oh wow." Jen said sadly.
"Izzy took it real hard. He blamed himself for it. That he didn't spend any time with him. Didn't talk to him when he started getting into trouble. Just didn't do anything. Didn't matter what me or anyone else told him, he blamed himself."
"Wow. I guess I can see where he sort of related to Roger." Maureen said softly.
"But you don't know the half of it." She shook her head. "The first time I saw him…" She shook her head. "I couldn't believe it. Roger looked so much like Mattie it was almost scary. That's why Izzy hired him originally. Then he got to know him. Roger sort of became his little project. Make up for what he didn't do for Mattie. In the end, I think that's what helped him finally get over it. But that's also why he's always been so hard on Roger at times.
"When he found out what was going on with him and April boy did they get into it over that. When Izzy found out he was shooting up he tried to get him into rehab. Even offered to pay for it if Roger would go. But he wouldn't leave April. Izzy even offered to pay for her too. But Roger took off on him. Izzy didn't see him for weeks. That about killed him all over again. After April, he tried to get him to come back to work. Finally he just let him be like Mark was doing. I guess he figured at least that way he knew where he was. But that was really hard on Izzy too. That's why after Mimi died he didn't go as easy on him. When Mimi was sick, he gave him all the space he needed, but he never let him quit the bar or the band."
"Yeah, I remember him on more than one occasion coming over and dragging Roger out of the loft to go to work. Which was good. Mark could never have done that." Maureen told Cass as Krystal nodded.
"But yeah, that's why they get along the way they do. It's Izzy's way to try to make up for what happened to Mattie."
"Wow. Roger never told me any of that." Cass said somewhat amazed.
"Honestly, I don't even know if Roger has ever even known about Mattie. Izzy doesn't talk about him much so don't say anything to him okay?"
"Oh definitely. No problem. But it does sort of explain a lot."
"Yeah I guess it does." Krystal got up and walked to the balcony to see what all the noise was down at the pool. "Come here." She told the others, laughing.
Cass, Jen and Maureen walked over and saw the guys out by the pool. Izzy had a hold of Mattie and was about to do a cannonball off the side of the pool.
"Roger put him down before you drop him and he gets hurt!" Cass yelled down to them.
"Okay!" Roger yelled back as he threw Mark into the pool.
Mark bobbed up, wiping his eyes and spitting water. "Thanks a lot Cass!" He laughed.
"My turn! Do me! Do me!" Collin shouted, jumping into Roger's arms as he tossed him into the air before being caught and dunked by Mark who was still in the pool. "Do it again!" He yelled as he popped back up like a little bobber.
"Collin you're supposed to be taking a shower." Cass called down to him.
"Daddy said I could just go in the pool instead." He told her, climbing out so Roger could throw him again.
"Roger!"
"Well he's wet and sorta clean. I mean he's got all the sand and stuff off him." Roger laughed. "I mean we're on vacation Cass."
"Yeah Mommy! We're on vacation." Collin piped in from atop Roger's shoulders.
"Yeah Mommy, we're on vacation." Mark laughed from the pool as Roger got ready to throw Collin again.
"Oh whatever! I don't care." She shook her head as they watched Izzy and Mattie rush up behind Roger sending all four of them into the pool. Cass went over and plopped back down on the bed followed by everyone else. "I swear he's impossible. And Mark is no help!"
"I know." Maureen laughed.
"I don't know why I packed that child any clothes. All he's worn is his bathing suit and pajamas."
"Tell me about it." Krystal laughed. "Who wants more?" She held up the pitcher and poured more in her glass as well as Cass' and Jen's. "Mo?"
"No thanks." Maureen lay back against the headboard.
"Maureen Johnson turn down free drinks? I've never seen that happen before." Krystal teased her.
"Me either." Jen laughed.
"What's the matter Mo?" Cass asked her.
"I don't know. I don't feel great."
"Yeah you have been really quiet. I mean for you and all."
"What's the matter? Too much sun?" Jen asked her.
"I don't know. I don't feel bad, I just don't feel right."
"Maybe you should go to the doctor." Jen offered.
"Maybe you're pregnant." Cass said innocently.
"Oh so not funny!" Maureen rolled her eyes.
"Maybe you are Mo." Krystal added.
"You're a big help." She gave them both a look. "I'm not pregnant. God forbid. Your kid and Heckle and Jeckle are quite enough thank you." She smiled at them. "I'm just tired is all."
"I don't know. That's one of the biggies when you're first pregnant." Krystal teased her.
"I am not pregnant, just tired. Now can we drop the subject before Mark overhears us and has a coronary." She laughed for a second before becoming somewhat more serious. "But while we are on the subject of tired people," she looked from Cass to Jen, "is Collins okay? He just hasn't been himself the past few weeks. He seems sort of run down."
"I don't know." Cass said, eyes on the bedspread as she played with the edge. "I mean he hasn't said anything to me, and if he and Roger talked about it, Roger hasn't said anything to me either." She said quietly, not looking up.
"What about Jason? He tell you anything?" She asked Jen.
"No, but I know he's worried about him, I can tell."
"When does he go back to the clinic?"
"I'm not sure. Two weeks I think."
"Good."
"Dinner!" Jason hollered up the stairs at them.
"Come on, let's eat!" Cass hopped off the bed, happy to drop the subject.
********************
"Uncle Jason?" Collin said softly, stepping into the kitchen.
"You're supposed to be in bed asleep."
"Where's my mom? I don't feel good."
"Come here." Jason put a hand on his forehead as he picked him up. "She's on the deck, laying in the hammock." He walked out carrying Collin and a six pack of beer.
"What are you doing up?" Roger asked from the hammock as Jason handed him Collin and a beer.
"He says he doesn't feel well. He's not hot or anything."
"What's wrong Sweetie?" Cass asked scooting over closer to Roger to make room on the hammock for Collin.
"My tummy hurts." He said with big pathetic eyes.
"It was probably all the junk food he ate on the boardwalk." Maureen said, trying to be helpful.
"You think?" Cass said sarcastically, laughing as she gave Roger a look.
"What'd I do? All I got him on the boardwalk was a soda and an ice cream."
"Relax, you're not in trouble." Cass grinned at him. "But while that was all you actually bought him, he had way more than just ice cream." Roger just looked at her so she continued. "There was your funnel cake, and part of Mark's candy apple, some of Jason's pizza, Mo's popcorn, Rich's fudge and Collin's saltwater taffy. Not to mention all the pool water and ocean water he's probably swallowed the past few days."
"Ewww. No wonder the kid doesn't feel good." Collins laughed.
"You want to lay here with us for awhile?" Cass asked Collin who nodded and got comfy on the hammock with Cass and Roger. "Okay. For a little bit."
"Krystal." Izzy called from the upstairs balcony. "Mattie's up."
"Well tell him to go back to sleep."
"I did. He says he doesn't feel good and wants you."
"Oh all right." She grumbled, getting out of the hot tub and going upstairs.
"We're going to walk down to the beach. Anybody want to come?" Collins asked, standing up with Jason.
"We'll go." Jen told them, pulling Rich up. "Mo you guys coming?"
"No, I'm going to go take a shower." Maureen told her, standing up and heading inside, followed by Mark.
"What about you guys?"
"We're going to stay here. See you guys later." Cass told them smoothing Collin's hair down. The three of them swung in the hammock for a few more minutes before Cass reached over and undid the brace on her hand.
"You're supposed to be wearing that thing." Roger told her at the sound of the Velcro ripping open. "You've hardly had it on all week."
"First of all, if I wore it this week, I'd get a funky tan. Secondly I really only need to wear it when I'm working and typing and stuff."
"Does you hand hurt still Mommy?" Collin asked, tracing his fingers over the scars on her hand and wrist.
"Sometimes a little. When I'm working it gets a little sore. But the cuts are all better. They're just scars now."
"Did you tell that Physical Therapist it hurts sometimes?" Roger asked her.
"Yes." Cass smiled at him. She loved the way he worried about her and Collin. It was one thing when she first cut herself, but now, almost four months later he was still worried about it. Now it was all healed and she was even done with physical therapy, but he still worried. As if Roger didn't have bigger, more important problems to worry about.
"Can you feel that yet?" He asked her, running his fingernail over the big scar on her wrist and hand.
"Some of it, sort of. The doctor said the scars may always be a little numb."
"I'm glad you're all better Mommy."
"Me too."
"Me too." Roger told her, intertwining their fingers as he kissed the back of her neck. He brought their hands up and kissed each of her fingers. "Me too."
After a while Mark came back outside. "Hey Rog, Izzy found the poker chips. You want to play cards?" When he didn't answer, Mark came closer in the dark.
They were all still in the hammock. Roger, still holding Cass' hand, had his arm wrapped around both Cass and Collin. All three of them were sound asleep