Buying Silence Part 2

Chapter 89-1

Buying Silence

Part 2

 

Dad had me help him back the truck and the trailer into the spot he had chosen. While Mom found the campsite that still showed signs of us being here. Telling Jared to gather firewood and Jason to clean the area where our tents would be set.  While Dad and I saw to the horses and Sparky who couldn’t wait to be let out to run the second I opened his cage.  We all laughed as we watched him race around in circles spending all that pent up energy on those tiny little legs of his, marking his territory on every bush and tree.

Dad and I spent a lot of weekends here and Shane before he went to the MTC as well as our friends. Even though we didn’t own the land Dad had gotten permission to build a standing holding pin for horses that would allow them to roam freely and safely. It was nice to see our hard work still standing, remembering the hard back-breaking work digging a long trench from the stream bed that led into our pond and into the field; by simply lifting a gate to allow the water to flow into the field for our horses.

Yet today instead of finding the trench, we find a new pump anchored to the ground and small horse trough filled with undrinkable, stagnate water. Dad simply drained it and had me wash it out with fresh water before replacing the cork at the bottom. After the horses were seen to, it was our job to set up the tents. Dad had purchased two new tents still in their new box state. One was for him and Mom and the other was the outhouse except it had a chemical base toilet. None of us liked the idea of squatting in a hole behind a tree. Boys peeing behind a tree was one thing the other was just nasty. 

We had purchased a large cook tent last year with a screen that went all round to keep the bugs out of our food and still give Mom plenty of room to cook on a propane stove that Dad had specially built by army buddy of his, after Mom accidentally tipped the small store bought one over and our dinner with it. This one was large as or bigger than her home stove which included a small grill or could be changed easily into a flat top instead of using skillets to fry on with a six burner stove top.

Dad saved no expense when it came to Mom and our outdoor comfort, which included a tabletop counter and a large table that could be folded up into four sections with bench seats. Normally it would take two to fit our large family, but since it was only the five us and highchair for the baby. We only needed the one.

Dad would time us boys on how fast we could set up a tent and camp and log it. Telling us if we beat our previous score, which was 9 minutes flat for each tent and 30 minutes to set up camp. Overall we were done usually within 45 minutes and this time was no exception. Since Dad and Mom had purchased a separate tent for themselves us three boys would be sharing mine and Shane’s tent. Normally Dad would have a problem of us sharing the same bed because of what happened with the three bad boys.

Yet when we had set our sleeping bags so far apart he became upset asking why, or if there was a problem that needed his attention? When we said that there wasn’t a problem that we weren’t sure about how Mom and he felt about it after what three bad boys had done. Dad demanded us to be brothers the same decent and loving sons that we had always been ordering us to sleep in the same bed like we had done long before Shawn and they had tainted it.

We knew Dad wasn’t angry at us, he was just angry that they had tainted what was once good and wholesome when it came to brotherly love, now was under a microscope. He quickly lightened the mood by engaging us into a major tickle fight. Having Mom come in the tent to help Dad tickled us out of our clothes like they had done so often at home that we looked forward to the tickle fights.

When they were finished Mom sent us out to play in the pond admiring our well-developed tans. Even though we had brought swim trunks, we all knew that we wouldn’t need them and certainly not here. Like I said earlier our new spot wasn’t as nice as the other, but it was a closes second in spite it was almost 150 fifty miles from home compared to the twenty we used to travel and the five extra miles on horseback, both were secluded that it was a rarity we ever saw anyone. 

After making sure Sparky was taken care of with plenty of food and water and chained to nice shade tree so he wouldn’t get into trouble. I followed my brothers shouting to Dad he better hurry or we would dunk him for being tardy. I watched Mom push him towards us, losing one piece of clothing at a time having Mom pick up his clothes off the ground, yelling for us to be careful of snakes. Which are quite common around these parts even a bear or two might be seen.

Dad wasted no time picking up Jason as he ran, placing him under arms like a football reaching the pond counted to three as he swung him back and forth in his arms and threw him in. Dad and I did the same to Jared, Dad taking his feet and I taking his arms and shoulders and swung him like a hammock and released him as he sailed into the water.

It hurt knowing that if Shane was here he and Dad would do the same to me. Now that too was a passing memory. Yet didn’t stop Dad from lifting me over his shoulders like a sack of potatoes groaning that I was wasn’t as small as I used to be; always reminding me that I would never be too old to be spanked, giving me a loving pat on my bare bottom once he had me in position having to readjust me a little as we both fell into the water.

Mom soon arrived after, unlike us she didn’t undress until she arrived at the pond.  I knew if we were home or at our other spot, she wouldn’t have even bothered waiting until she got near the water or outside. But she had removed all the babies clothing, handing him over to Dad.

Even though he was almost three its didn’t take long before he too would streak through the house and the yard like the rest of us. I could only imagine the look on my sisters and my father face seeing my baby brother was just as tan as the rest of us wearing nothing but a smile. In fact, he would throw a fit if he wasn’t allowed to join us. Mom was always having too pick up his clothes off the floor or the yard, wondering why she even bothered to dress him at all.

Even when she bathed him she struggled to get him to wear a diaper more than five minutes, to the point she would throw her hands in the air and let him go. Mom set down the diaper bag in case she needed anything instead of going back to camp and quickly joined us, and the war was on.

Mom didn’t ask if Dad and I made up, she simply knew just by watching me and Dad act as if everything was the way it used to be, and would hug me tight and tell me how much she loved me hearing me repeat that I loved her too. The world was good again and because of that, we were able to feel the spirit of family and God back into our lives.

Dad was right we as a family needed this time together to heal ourselves and fix the rift between us. In some ways, I felt bad that Shawn and Arthur had been kicked out of our family. I hoped and prayed that they too would change and become part of our family again.

That first night meant more to me than I had thought it would, even though Mom and Dad had bought my silence. I felt loved and was able to quickly forgive Dad for what he had done to me and my brothers and told him so that very night when he tucked me and my brothers beside me.

I watched as he wiped a tear from his eyes and hugged me, saying “thank you, son.” And kissed me on the head, telling me how much he loved me, hearing me repeat it back. The words were heartfelt not hollow as I snuggled next to my brothers. Placing my arms around them, to me they meant the world to me and I would fight a pack of zombies to keep them safe.

Mom had woken us at the crack of dawn with the smell of whole wheat chocolate chip pancakes and freshly cooked beacon. Even Sparky had his fill, Dad always wondering for a small dog where he puts it all. We didn’t stay long even though we all wanted another dip in the pond before we left. Dad promised that on our way home we’d get another chance, wanting to get an early start. Dad still wouldn’t tell us where we were going; just that it would be worth the wait. Not even Mom knew where Dad was taking us.

Like a practice army brigade, we struck camp in record time and headed down the mountain. Dad only stopped long enough to confer with Mom where we would be stopping next and quickly tossed me the keys, grabbing us a six-pack of orange soda from the cooler. Dad only smiled when Mom handed us each a sack lunch, giving me a wink, tossed it behind the seat, placed his ball cap over his eyes said. “Onward son, and don’t stop until I say so.”

I said, “yes sir,” turned the key and signaled my way back onto the road with only a gas gauge as my only map.

It was almost 10 am when the gas gauge reached a quarter of the tank seeing a town just ahead of us, right where Dad said it would be. I nudged Dad telling him that we had arrived and asked him where he wanted me to go, Dad said. “Third exist and make a left turn at the light there should be a gas station a block and half down.”

Not once did he look up from his ball cap until I had found the gas station he wanted. I should have been shocked, but I knew Dad if he said there would be a flock of ducks crossing the road, and then I should expect to see a flock of ducks crossing the road.  Mom followed right behind me knowing as much as I did.

Dad got out of the truck telling me to filler up until it won’t hold anymore and wash the window like a good lad and my mothers as well.  In those days we didn’t have to pay before we pumped and gas was 79 cents a gallon. As I pumped the gas and washed the windows; Dad quickly made a phone call to someone. Not telling us who, just said an old friend that owed him a favor or two back in the day.

Mom shrugged her shoulders reminding him that she needed a few things from the store, Dad handing her a list and some money from his wallet. Mom scanned his list, which said nothing that would give a hint too where we were going. Other than the fact it had a list of cleaning supplies and other odds and ends that said only we would be cleaning something.

Dad gave her direction to where to find the store and verified it with the gas station attendant. We had transferred the remaining items to Dads truck so Mom would have plenty of room in the back of Shane’s truck for the groceries she needed to buy; sending Jared with her to help her. Dad gave her direction to where we would be, yet still giving no hint to what he has planned.

All he said he wanted to be on the road by 2 pm and it was 11’o’clock now. Mom was getting frustrated with all the secrecy, but Dad wouldn’t say a word just gave her a breathtaking kiss that made her wobble. That all she could do was moan and watch her lick her lips.

I smiled wondering what she was feeling. Yet in some ways, I felt I was intruding on their privacy. Dad quickly whispered something in her ear that made her eyes pop and leaving a smile that lit up her face causing her to squeeze his butt cheeks. I blushed and quickly turned away checking the back of the truck.

Dad lifted Jason into the truck sitting him between us, giving me my next instructions. At first, it seemed we were headed towards the mountains again. Until Dad had me turn down a dirt road with a large field with grazing sheep. He only got out of the truck to open the gate and closed it behind us. It seemed we traveled nearly a mile before we reached a house that stood in the middle of nowhere. 

Dad waved to older chap roughly the same age as Dad… sitting on his front porch in a rocker next to his wife. I was usually good with names, but I only met the couple once and we only stayed long enough to. Eat a whole plate of cookies and drink a cold pitcher of lemonade. Dad had me put the horses on walking turner so they could get some exercises and take Sparky for a quick walk while we waited for Mom and Jared.

I watched Dad pocket something that looked like a key, wherever we were going that key had something to do with it; which could be a million things, but it did make me curious to what Dad was planning. Mom arrived shortly after 2:30 Dad played it cool as if we had all the time in the world. In some ways we did.

I had a feeling that Shawn and Arthur weren’t having as much fun as we were, and I was good with that. I only wished my sisters Kerry and Jody, as well as Shane, could have been here with us. Yet life is cruel and they weren’t. And just for a moment I felt lonely and could feel the dark thoughts slipping inside my mind. Telling me I needed to feel numb. I shook my head and raced Jason back to the house, letting him win.

Dad only allowed Mom enough time to put the perishables into the coolers and refilled the ice that had melted, before we were back on the road. Mom and I still had no idea where we were going. Dad studied the map and his strange notebook that held the information that we needed.

Dad only said when the gas gauge reaches ½ a tank we will stop and have quick dinner. Mom asked. “When will we arrive at our destination Robert?” Dad only smiled and took his spot asking Jared if he cared to join us. Promising Jason he could have the last leg of our journey after we had nice supper, Jared slipping in between me and Dad giving me a fist bump. Dad had his reasons and it was so Mom could put my baby brother down for a nap as well.

It also meant that Dad wanted something from Jared and I didn’t have to ask, I simply knew that had something to do with keeping our secret about the turn-table. Yet during this leg of the trip Dad didn’t bring it up instead he just leaned Jared against him and removed his shoes and socks as well as his shirt; told him that he loved both of us more than we possibly know, kissed him on the head and told him to take a nice long nap.

It was almost 5:30 by the time Dad had me pull into a small town that was half the size of Santaquin. He opened his notebook waking Jared asking us if we were hungry. Dad knew it was a stupid question because we boys were always hungry.

Dad had me pull into the gas station. Dad tickled Jared finding his tickle spot just below his rib-cage on his left side. Telling us to change our shirts and put on our flip-flops and wash up for dinner, hoping to get some of the ponds stink out. I never realized how bad we stunk until I smelled my shirt wrinkling my nose as tossed into a bag of dirty clothes. I quickly grabbed a bar of soap and some deodorant and towels for us boys and did exactly what Dad said while he filled up.

Bathing in restroom sink is not ideal by any means with four brothers; like always I took charge filled the sink with warm water and helped my brother’s strip off the rest of their clothes putting them inside a bag for Mom to wash. 

One by one starting with my baby brother I quickly washed his hair the best I could with a wash rag and worked my way down to his toes. Tickling him just because I could and sent him out to Mom to finish dressing him, dippers where not my thing and I didn’t have the room to lay him down to do it. I did the same with Jason having Jared help me, putting on clean shorts and sent him out to Mom and changed the water for me and Jared.

Mom handed us each a clean shirt taking the bag of dirty clothes and combed our hair to perfection even though we had already done so. Mom was Mom and we loved her for it. Dad took his turn having the whole restroom all to himself, we laughed as Dad cursed because it was so small. Mom had already done her sink bath coming out smelling like a rose before us boys had even finished. Mom leaned next to the door wait for Dad holding the same bag and zipped the bag closed not daring to put her nose to it.  Even she combed his hair until she was satisfied.