Chp39 Easters surprise.
Monday after Easter:
Ben pov.
I fly back to school in Chicago. What a week. Just my family was a bitch. Throw in the girl's evil grandmother and that crazy woman, thank god it's over. I relax as the matronly stewardess hands me a packet of nuts. Nuts, boy does that describe my family.
Earlier last week:
After the horrific Monday, with Mikey heroics. And the Tuesday recovery. Wednesday, we headed back to Layton Manor. Just Ray, mom and me. This is supposed to be a healing time. Within hour of arriving, I'm standing before my very angry grandmother. My soaking wet cousins whimper and whiny. I threw them in the pool, twice. I should have punched their lights out. How dare they say thing like that about my sisters.
Grandmother is on a tear. The family is family speech. Ray and family is now part of the Layton clan. So everyone better gets on the program. I apologize after my cousins. But I'm keeping an eye on the three spoiled brats.
The rest of the day goes good till after lunch. The little one asks me why they have to hate Annie, Mary, and Mia. I calmly ask why. They tell me the cousins demanded family loyalty against the white people. Boy that does it. I find the little shits whacking grand mom's prized hydrangea with golf clubs. I don't speak, shout or explain. They lay on the ground crying. Celesta escape to rat me out. I don't care. I kick the two little shits into the house. The grandparents are in the sunroom; granddads leg is still in a cast.
Uncle Lewis and his wife are outrages as I sucker punch the shits back to the floor. I proudly explain my action. I feel a hand on my shoulder. Ray "go check on the little ones. We'll deal with this." I leave glad to be away from the fight. Everyone thinks I'm so good, meek and mild. They don't see me lose my temper. Mom has too many times too be surprised.
Uncle Lewis and Family leave. Grandmother is on a serious tear. We let her vent, and calm down. Latter after dinner she sits with me and we talk. About the family, the new family and how I feel about the family. I reflect on how cool my sisters are. How Luke and Shawnee are a bright spot in the new scheme. How happy mom is. How happy I am. Even with the cousin shit today, I'm happy, loved and respected. So cool!
Xxxxxx
Easter day:
The stogie A.M.E. church of my grandparents is rocked to the rafters by the Grey-Steele families. I don't think the church has ever had so many white people in attendance. Mom is shining like a beacon. Ray mesh with the other ex-military, and the craftsman. The Greys are an established couple, with many professional friends here. We Kids are free, happy and likable group. Even Elliot and Kate who flew in this morning after getting the doctor's ok.
My sisters steal the show. Boy can they sing. Perfect harmony. The choir director Mrs. St. Pierre, ask if they live in the city, she'd love for them to join the choirs. Rev Wall is impressed with Ray and sons. The ex-pro football lineman is taken by our united front. How well I get on with Ray. It so easy, I mean, he is down to earth, very few words, and very caring, gentle man under the ex-army green beret image.
The main REV. Elisha tease me about me beginning alone is a sea of couples. I laugh, I'm still looking for the right woman. Besides I have to sow some wild oats, or so my roommate tells me. Grandma Toni parade half a dozen girls in front of me before the service. And even more afterwards.
We stay for the after service festive. The kids egg hunt, roll, the Easter bunny outreach. The main event is the dessert contest. A group of Rev, and deacon will judge the deserts, cakes, pies, brownies and cookies. Afterwards the food is sold by the slice to raise money. The click around Mrs. Abigail is fierce.
Grandma Toni come over, "where your mother." "What wrong?" she looks about. "Your mother entered the cake contest." "I don't understand grandma?" "Well, the last time she did a fight nearly broke out at the reception with Abigail." my inner voice roars, let the dogs out.
As the contest results are announced. I see Mrs. Abigail and friends looking very unhappy. Mom takes first with her Carrot Cake; Anna gets second with her sinful four-chocolate cake. Mary wins third with her buttercream strawberry cake. The three made the most money. Mrs. Abigail protest that you have to a member of the church to compete. Granddad in a loud voice "they are part of Layton family and we are in good standing, are we not Rev. Elisha." He nods.
Then to throw gasoline on a fire. Grace's apple crumb pie wins the pie contest. A Mia wins the brownie contest. God, those brownies are an instant diabetic attack. I notice Christian and Steve steal extra a hide them on the bus. I smirk. As the last event the cookies, here a fierce competition raged, lucky we didn't have an entry. Mrs. Abigail and her baking cliché have owned this event for decades. Grandma smiles at them. "The last time your mother entered you were in kindergarten, she won cake, pie, and cookies. I had no idea she could bake so well." I smirk, mom is a closet cook and baker. I don't think I ever had store bread till I when to summer camp. Grandma housekeeper bakes fresh bread every other day and it not as good as mom's or Gail's.
After Easter dinner the family escapes. The Greys return to Seattle with Luke, Shawnee, and Mikey. That night. The parents go to Miami on the family jet with a stop in Atlanta to drop of Regal and family at the in-laws. Contessa is sulking in her SoHo apartment. Uncle Lewis and family is in self-exile at his house down the road. Uncle Robert is taking his family to visit the in-laws down south in Baltimore by train in the morning. The kids love going on the train. So it's just Christian and Anna, Sawyer and me. I crash at the grandparents, while they go to their new penthouse.
Mia was upset that Sawyer has to work, but with Taylor laid up. He's in charge of security. She has to grow up. He has a job, it important and he loves what he does. I spend a couple of day's basking in the grandparent light. but head back early to school. my roommate called, he has a couple of coeds to party with before school kicks in. How I got stuck with Casanova as a roommate.
Xxxxxxxxxx
Washington DC Monday:
Pentagon ring E: homeland security infrastructure system project office. General Wolcott pov
1700: I sit staring at the phone. Shit, shit. I will file my papers Wednesday and retire to my house in Belize. I have enough money to live good, even enough for some teenage girlfriends. I won't miss any of this shit. I should have terminated those kids when I had the chance. But no I let my little step brother Andrew talk me into giving them to him to experiment on. See if he could enhance or define their intelligence. Shit. Now, he's dead three years from cancer. Only four people know. Me, the bitch now in jail awaiting a syringe, the general and that congressional asshole Flinch, national security advisor my ass.
I can shred the leftover stuff and be gone by next Wednesday. I served my country, thirty years. Left a broken family, three ex-wives' and a spoiled leftist gay son. I day dream about Belize and my quiet house in the palms.
Xxxxxxx
Yuma AZ. Fort Huachuca: Area 7
The field testing and proving ground for the ultra-secret joint intelligence agency R&D is conducted in area 7. With it extreme security and remoteness the area is second only to Military's Canada bio-warfare laboratory in security anonymity. Area 51 comes in a distance fourth. The advance electronic system of the military's NSA means that everyone is suspect, everyone is checked and rechecked. The fantasy imagination of genius become the reality here. I am full bird air force colonel guarding an 80-year-old genius writing on a wall wearing a diaper.
The guy is genius, but Alzheimer's has robbed him of reality, he thinks he's six. Yet the writing on the wall will have a dozen doctoral working for days to decipher. I should take pity on him, but I've seen his records. How the government let him get away with all that evil shit. I mean it must be a tradeoff super smarts with no moral or ethical compass. Hell! we don't even know how old he really is, no birth certificate. The first anyone knew about him was when he was drafted in the Navy.
I watch them put him to sleep, we have to sedate him. He must know his time is short. He just wants to write on the wall. The math and physic is beyond 99% of the people in the world. He is very fragile. I doubt he'll live to see summer, well it doesn't matter to him, he's not been out of the facility, in the fresh desert air, for eighteen years, not since the spree in New England. I shudder at the evil bastard.
The only one to visit him is his daughter, how she can stand him after what he did, I don't know. She just left last week. He refuses to see her. She stares for hours thru the one-way glass at the monster of her father. She seems a nice woman. A forty-year-old doctor of geology at LSU. She will probably never see him alive again.
Xxxxxxx
Seattle; may 20: Seattle memorial hospital: pediatric wing.
I hate paperwork. I hate paperwork. I plow thru the reams and reams of paper that is the modern American medical system. I have a full time clerk to help me from being buried in the paperwork. I smile this afternoon is story time on the kid's cancer ward. I look forward to the time. The children are so brave, so giving. Christian has donated a dozen PlayStation and a horde of the latest video games. Elliot finished an indoor play town of kid size shops and houses. To play in. my family. Mia and friends volunteer two days a week after school. my family.
I press thru the bullshit. RING. RING. "DR. GREY. yes Dr. Salazar, you have the results. What do you mean they match? I didn't submit them for a match. Yes, I understand. That very disturbing news. There is also a match on the national donor register. Sent me the information, yes I understand confidentiality, then keep us anonymize. Yes, I await the report. And the outcome of the contact with the donor. Goodbye"
Complicated, complicated. My life just got extremely complicated. I bury my head in my hands. My mother words haunt me. "God doesn't give you more than you can handle. You just need to learn to delegate better". I close my eyes and focus on Cary; his sweet lips, the strong arms, the giggles he makes me take as he strokes my breasts. The sweet summer love on the boat in the cool sea air.
RING. RING. RING. RING. "DR. GREY. Oh hi Stacy, he is! sent him up." I stand, clear my small work table. Waiting at the door till I hear a knock, I swiftly open the door and surprise a smiling Mikey with a picnic basket. "ha you surprised me." I hug him a bring him in. "I brought lunch, you want?" "Yes, set it up here on the table." He does, Andrea my housekeeper is a dream it sad to lose her. but her brother's stroke will take her to Spokane full time, once he out of rehab.
The lunch is great Mikey sits next to me, telling me about his work with Christian's Flintstones at GEH, and the huge Lego death star he's building with Gigi Lees, one of Fred's minions at GEH, kid brother who has down syndrome. Also Mia and him are going to a fashion class on Saturday with Kate. He is sad Ethan is in Boston, but cheers up when I tell him. I arrange for Ethan to do his summer project here in Seattle.
He packs up the remains of lunch a put a tin cookie box on my table. "You can't open till I leave." I walk him out Warren his CPO is waiting "I don't need a babysitter." He pouts. "Mikey, for the last time, I'm your driver, not your babysitter. If you hadn't already got four speeding tickets in town." Warren says.
"yes, Mikey, I worry about you. Especial after two of those tickets were on rollerblades. If I knew that Elliot's Forman Clint was as reckless, and crazy like Elliot; I would have never let you go" "I'm not crazy, I fearless." Thumbing his chest. I lean in and hug him. He holds me tight, not letting go. I stand there relishing the love. Till he releases me. "Behave, no causing me and Anna grief, got it young man." He hee and haws; then kisses my cheek and escapes the hospital.
I open the tin, cookies, chocolate oatmeal, a note. "for Storytime love Anna" I hold the note, an cry. How did I get so blessed with these wonderful people in my life? My Physician Assistant touches my shoulder, "are you ok, Grace". I hand Willow the note. She smiles. "Dry your eyes, the kids are waiting. She hugs my shoulder as we walk down the hall to the kids. I notice several cookie tin at the nurse stations. Anna never misses a beat. The kids erupt when I enter the room. they have some supernatural ability to sense the Anna's cookies. I know without asking that they a suited to the kids needs and restrictions. Anna never misses a beat "Alright, what the Book today?"
