It was an unforgettable year, with their friends by their side as they anxiously waited for the day of the concert to arrive. Ma and Pa are trying their best to keep the boys' minds occupied with other things
of the season. Pa and EJ had worked hard that summer, sanding wooden blocks and making soap horses. It took most of the fall to use up all the shape, but Ma never minded as she placed another carving of horses by the tub. He never did figure out what happened to all that wax, looking back at all the scuff marks the boys made spinning that winter during the rainy season.
"Ready, son?" Pa asked.
"Ready, Pa," EJ replied as they tiptoed up to the Walkin's doorstep with a bag of toys in their hands. EJ almost slipped several times at the Fetcher's house and had to dive behind a bush as the porch light came on. They called the game. "Ding, Dong, Ditch." According to Will and Robert, where they ring the doorknob or knock on the door and leave before they get there, so nobody knows who is leaving the goodies behind. "Man, that was close," EJ said as they skittered back to the sleigh, laughing as they drove down the road to the next farmhouse on their list.
Yes, those were the good days, looking down the road, but still, the day arrived nevertheless, as the boys looked across the audience arriving, sighing. "Where did the time go?" As they looked at their friends, doom was approaching, whether they liked it or not, as the clock ticked down.
Pa and Ma make sure they look smart in their suits, giving them a final nod as Mr. Faith tells them to find their seats. The boys shake with nervous energy as the curtain rises and lights go down all around them. With a click of his wand and a quick nod, the lights fade, and the music starts to fill the room. The chorus sings first as Robert takes his first deep breath. EJ's heart is pounding right out of his chest. He looks at Ma in the corner as she smiles at them, holding Pa's hand.
Then it happens as they all let go; a calmness fills the air as Mark, Peter, and then Will with Frank join in; they are doing it. As EJ looked over at Ma, she had tears in her eyes. It was magnificent when Robert began his solo, and EJ joined him. It brought chills down their spine as the boys came together as one, and then the choir finished it off at the top with loud applause that filled the entire room of the Payson Jr. High School Auditorium.
They sang their little hearts out three nights that week, feeling proud of themselves because the world did not come to an end or crushing at their knees. Thanks to Ma standing by them, and Pa pulling them through it that year as they unwrapped their Christmas presents. With their friends by their side, it's all they ever wanted.
Looking at Peter in his new kitenge that EJ's Ma made him. EJ and his new beads as he spun around the room in his, that could stop a horse from crossing a street. He was home, where he was supposed to be. He kissed his Ma and sister Julie on the cheek and gave his brother Danny his new stuffed teddy bear, and a set of blocks he made with his two little hands. "Thanks, Pa," EJ replied, wrapping his arms around him in his new
tool belt. EJ handed him a new pair of mittens since he wore the other ones out. Pa gave Ma some more sheets, and Aunty M gave Ma another quilt. For the bed for those cold nights as the shadows visit them down the hall. Yes, it was the best Christmas ever. EJ got what he wanted, looking down the road as they toasted themselves around the fire in their new house.
Steve was right; they were in it by spring, but spring was not here yet as he watched the shadows dancing inside the house, Aunty M pacing the floor and looking down the hall. She may have gotten two off her back, thinking of those IOU's. Granny was happy with Mr. Golden eyes, aka Nathanial, and well, let's say for now, they are expecting something soon, looking at Mr. Jayden Faith and Lizzy, but that still leaves two ladies and a groom and one they don't know who, as Aunty M watched the shadows in her room every night as the wind blew.
****
''Are they coming?" Richard asked, pacing the floor in the house, and looking down the road.
"Yes, son," Richards mother said hanging up the phone in the
kitchen by the window. Richard pulled out the list Wayne gave him. He checked it twice and then folded it back into his pocket, pacing a couple more times, sighing with relief and frustration, leaving the room and his Ma standing there. Richard has been working hard gathering things, looking at Wayne's list. Most of the things were hard to find as he looked down the road and waited as he shook his head. "Ma," asked Richard. "Do you think he'll like it?" placing the last packages underneath the tree.
"Yes, son," she smiles, "they all will," turning towards him as she looks him straight in the eye. She was trying not to reveal how nervous she actually was, eyeing her purse with court documents inside regarding EJ's future and hopes and dreams for all of them.
Richard listened to every sound, pacing back and forth, watching the clock on the wall, and hearing the small rooster chimes at the top of the hour. "They should have been here by now," Richard mumbled going to the window and checking outside for any signs of them. Richard's mother has never seen him so uptight.
"Relax, Richard, they'll be here," she said.
"I know," Richard said, looking towards the door. "It's just been such a long time that's all mother." Five or six weeks, to be exact, but being away from the Downing farm seemed to be a long time ago, as he smiled inside, missing it and the wonderful memories. For it was the best summer he had ever had.
He remembered how good it felt to feel the soft, cool dirt sifting
through his bare toes and the cool, fresh summer breeze entering his lungs. He profoundly misses, most of all, the old Mr. Rooster that greeted him every morning with his cock a doodle doo, singing on his fence by his window. Oh, how I missed it all.
Finally, they arrive, pulling into the driveway. Richard swings the door open, not caring about the cold breeze that came through the house that his Pa and older brother Steve built."Well, it's about time!" Richard said, looking at them with a questioning look. "What took you so long?" He took little Danny in his arms and carried him into the house, with Sam and Ted following right behind him. Another thing he missed was having them around. He missed the noise and their laughter.
Wayne turns to Richard and smiles. "Sorry, Richard. I didn't know we were running late," slapping him on the back.
"Grandma! Grandma!" Sam, Danny, and Ted yelled, running towards her. Each leaped into her arms to give her a big fat kiss on the cheek and a great big old bear hug. They loved her more than anyone in the world, and they knew without a doubt that she loved them.
Blood nor genes did not mean a heck of a lot to them as far as they were concerned. She was their grandma; they were her grandkids through and through.
"Come in; come in," Grandma said, meeting them all inside the door
with a hug and a kiss for each one. "Martha?" looking at her stomach. "Oh my, oh dear. Yes, I see," Wayne slowly helps her up the steps.
"Sorry, grandma, it takes me a bit longer these days," she smiled, feeling like she was carrying a huge watermelon, not a young daughter who would be born this coming spring if she could wait that long.
"It's quite alright, dear," Grandma said, watching Richard swing Danny on his shoulders and wrestling with Sam and Ted. "Now then," taking everyone one's coats. "I just made some hot chocolate," handing them each a nice hot cup. "Ah, that's better," Grandma said, sitting back in her favorite chair near the tree. "Well, don't just stand there," pointing to the living room, Grandma rubbing her hands together, pointing to the gifts under the tree, laughing.
The children rush to the living room, all with wide anticipation. "Wow," they reply, all the children looking at all the packages. Under the tree with all their names on all the packages she and Richard had gotten for them. Adding the ones they had brought for them also filled every corner of the room besides just under the tree.
"What did you think grandma forgot?" she laughs. "Not on your life," giving a laugh and nod to Wayne and Martha, and they give her a wink back as Grandma passes out all the presents that Wayne and Martha had hidden away just for them.
The children opened their presents; there were new dresses for the girls, hats for the boys, everything a child could want, and more.
"Thanks, Grandma," Julie said as she and Anna put on their new lockets. Inside, there was a picture of her and Richard, and a special note from her for each locket made it extra special. "You're welcome, dear," giving them each a kiss on the cheek and a warm smile.
"Now then," Grandma said, glancing over at Richard. "I believe Richard has something for the boys, but it's out in the shed," Grandma said, gazing outside the window toward the old shed. That had seen better days, but at least it was still standing.
Richard smiles, putting his arm around them."That's right, Mother; I do," he smiles. With Danny on his shoulders, Will, Robert, and EJ head out to the shed, with Sam and Ted right behind him. Richard opens the door, watching them as their eyes go wide. The boys found a brand-new bike with their name on it for each of them.
"WOW!" watching their eyes go wide with excitement, running to the bikes. "They're ours?" they all ask.
"Ahha, huh," Richard nods and sets Danny down on his little green one. "You like them?" He asked.
Richard watches as the boys rub their hands across the handlebars. "Do we?" With eyes big as saucers, "do we ever," giving Richard a great big hug. That warms him from the inside out, feeling the love and the joy that comes with it. It makes him even lonelier without them.
Grandma and them, watching the boys through the window. "Now that's better," Grandma sighs with relief. Watching with a tear in her eye, she saw the smiles on their faces. "There's nothing like it, Wayne. no soiree Bob." Looking out the window, Grandma said. "A boy just got to have a bike; they just lost without one."
"I see what you mean," Pa said, watching his boys ride their bikes up and down the road.
"Now then, Martha, Wayne," Grandma said, feeling a little more than tired, plumping back down in her comfortable old chair.
"You don't look so good, Grandma. Are you sure you are alright?" Martha asks.
"I am fine, just tired, that's alI," as she patted her hand. "Martha," Grandma said, looking her straight in the eye. "You and I have some unfinished business," as they both looked down the road. GrancLna pulled out a letter from the State and set it on the table.
"Yes, Grandma, we do," taking Wayne's hand and looking him in the eye.
"You see," Grandma said, pointing to this letter. "That our time is nearly up concerning Danny and his brother EJ."
"Yes, I am aware of that," Martha said, watching the boys outside. "I did some checking," Grandma said as she frowned. "They got us
by the short hairs concerning Danny, but I did manage to find a couple of things regarding our other problem," she tries to smile. "Did you know that bylaw, EJ can choose after he turns a certain age, which is in a matter of a few days?
That's right, Martha, he can decide whether he wants to go home or stay; they cannot make him. But there are conditions." Grandma said when she looked out the window. "Guidelines, really, if you think about it. Now then," she said, sitting back in her chair. "It's up to him and us whether we meet those guidelines, which could break us and lose everything we worked so hard to get. Which means," patting Martha's hand. "We are in for some rough waters looking down the road because one of those guidelines is?"
Martha looks out the window, watching Danny. "They can't," she replied.
'Tm afraid so," GrancLna said, watching Danny from the window, "he must. There's no other way that I can see. He must go back, which complicates things for us and EJ.
"But that would mean?" Martha replied in tears, thinking about him giving up his little brother in Danny and how it would break their hearts. "Yes, I know dear," dabbing her eye, "and he must, they both have
But I got a plan," as they watched Richard and the boys some more. "That may buy us some time," as she tries to smile. "It just needs a little more time, I think, and some quick leg work on your part." Placing the papers in front of them. "This will give us the time we need," Grandma points to the State papers. "They're not local, so it will take a while. At
least another year, I am guessing, but it's our only choice, providing you still want to go through with it?" As they all watched the boys outside.
"Of course we do," Martha said, taking Wayne's hand with a new resolution in her voice. "I, we have never been more certain," Martha said, wiping a tear from her eye. "It's just," looking at Danny and the boys racing down the street, "Danny and they are so happy, and now this," Martha said, pointing to the papers.
Grandma sighs. "I know, dear, I know."
Martha squeezes Wayne's hand, looking him straight in the eye as he nods. "Alright, grandma, you got us this far," giving Martha a soft kiss on the head as they sign again on the dotted line.
They whispered a quiet prayer in the stars for Danny and EJ, hoping for some miracle. Someone or something will help them in their time of need. Not realizing that Derrick, Jayden, and Mrs. Jennings, known as Lady Luck, and many others behind the looking glass were watching them not too far away.
Not to mention, many other not-so-good guys were also watching patiently. For their chance to grab the boy once and for all. Before he could come of age and change their destiny. Yet, most importantly, find those five keys and the powerful objects needed to use them to rule the worlds and beyond.
Grandma tries to smile, folding the papers and putting them back into her purse for safekeeping. "How soon, Grandma?" Martha asks, watching the boys racing up and down the road in front of her house.
''According to the letter. The guidelines start around the first of the year."
"I see," as Martha dots her eye. "Well then, it doesn't give us much. time."
"No, I am afraid not," Grandma replied.
****
Linda, EJ's mother, was walking down the hall of the boys' rooms, now unused; Linda took just a moment to look at the now empty beds that awaited them, sighed, and sat on EJ's bed, looking down the road. Chills still run down her spine from that fateful night. "My poor boy, I do hope he is alright," she whispers softly to herself. The new voice in her head telling her it was all her fault. And this time, she agreed, not letting the earlier echoes even in her mind say that they weren't. For the first time, she felt guilty for not stopping her husband, Jim. From what he had done or what she and he had done to their boy together, for years. Linda let out an anguished cry of guilt.
Peggy saw her mother in the room crying in a fit of tears and pain, knowing that her time of being the oldest and the only child was soon coming to an end, thanks to Mrs. Jennings and her team from Social Services, trying to gain control once more. She and her father needed to do something which meant they both needed to step up on their game plan and soon. "Mama, please don't cry," putting her arms around her, "we're still here."
"I know, dear," Linda said as Peggy leaned on her mother's shoulder. "Danny will be home soon," Peggy said, looking at the bed, wishing
and hoping that too would not come to pass. 'Tm sure wherever he is, ma. ma, he'll be just fine," swallowing hard, hoping Eric never comes back. For things are just fine without him. One down, two to go. "Oh why, did he and Danny have to exist at all?"
She softly said that only she could hear as she gazed out the window, then turned her head, staring at Donna in the kitchen. Yes, we are more than fine without them. The thoughts of Eric's last screams as the belt whistled in the air against his warm flesh and the sound it made as he jumped through that window still brought a chilling smile to her face. Wishing he could have died that day. "Why couldn't he have died?" She has asked herself so many times.