A Mothers Castle Part 1

Chapter 198

A Mothers Castle

Part 1

You have heard the saying a man’s home is his castle. The term has been used in England to imply a person's absolute right to exclude anyone from his home, although this has always had restrictions, and since the late twentieth century it means that what is done inside the home the law can not touch unless it requires a search warrant or permission of said parties inside the home.

It also means it is left to the residence of the home to decide what is permitted and what is not, again left to interruption. My Mother ruled the house; the house was in my mother's name, not my fathers. Which meant whatever he said was overruled. The same went for Cranny’s home, except Paul was the on the deed of the home, but he wasn’t the one wearing the pants or made all the decisions final, his wife Jennie was.

It was agreed that I and my guests would be dropped off, at the Cranny’s house and my mermaid friends would be joining me as well on Tuesday. But Jennie didn’t trust Paul not to insult my guest. She knew I could handle Paul even though he seemed quite certain that he could handle me. The fact that I was a trained killer meant nothing to him; in fact, he looked at us as little boys fighting over the last cracker and him stealing it away from us. Jennie and my mother did try to warn him, but he scoffed at the idea. Stating he was more than enough man to handle one little scrawny boy even Eli didn’t seem like anything more than child’s play.

He quickly reminded me that I had promised him and his boy's full treatments of sexual desires that were not…. and stated it clearly “were not classified as a free sample.” He wanted it all and intended to get his money’s worth. It didn’t matter that Dad and Mr. Vincent had already given him what he wanted, it rubbed against him that I had weaseled out of our deal. Knowing I had no problems when it comes to my friends and family it was him I had the problem with. His boys just happened to be collateral damage.

The moment we arrived after going over the rules that we were not allowed to leave the house for any reason without Tony or Jenny, or our team beside us. Which was more of a precaution than anything, but understandable. Jennie made it clear that girls would not be allowed anywhere near Paul seeing him gasp in anger stating that he was being deprived of part of the package plan.

Jennie said. “It’s your choice, Paul. Touch, or even think of touching any of the girls without my permission will cause me to sign those divorce papers.” Rhoda bless her heart came to his rescue by asking my mother one simple question. That was if they had enough food in the house for all of us, knowing we would eat her out house and home knowing how hungry us boys get that require sometimes 5 or 6 meals a day not including snacks.

However, she failed to mention that girls could eat just as good as we can. I took a page out of Dads book and that was never saying anything regarding woman packing it away like us boys. I also had warned them that my mother was a lousy cook, even though she had made some improvements over the years, she still sucked at it. 

Which meant if we wanted anything that tasted good; it would have to be done by either me or them. Eli said Rhoda was an excellent cook and so was Jackie. I knew my three mermaids were as well so I knew none of us would starve to death and besides we wouldn’t be home much while visiting my Santaquin nudist friends.

My mother said she was planning to go too the store said she had been kinda busy catching up on school work. We all knew it was a lie, knowing the only thing she and Becky were busy with was with Paul, and engaging his sexual appetites and fantasies Becky had been allowed to have sex with Paul and any boy she chooses or was willing too for one simple reason. She couldn’t get pregnant. Rhoda and the girls each gave us a smile she said. “Then we will leave the boys here to get acquainted and so Paul can get his money worth because a promise should never be broken.”

I watched her take out her list that she played twenty questions in regards to the kind of foods that we boys and they liked. Knowing beforehand that my mother always bought on impulse and never used a grocery list in her entire life.

The girls already had quickly planned out a menu of the items we would be eating. In fact, Stringum had made sure that the money they were spending never reached my mother's hands. Dad and my grandmother had already told them in regards to my mothers spending habits. I knew the money that High Bishop gave her for her trouble was long gone, and none of it went for bills or groceries. I didn’t need Dad to remind me about not spending my money other than for food, entertainment and more importantly for the car Stringum had arranged for me to buy my mother. 

He would have bought it himself, but my mother and my father needed to know that car belonged to me the moment I had my driver’s license and graduated from high school. True he or Dad could or any of my rich friends could easily have bought me brand new spanking new car and my mother as well. It was to teach me the value of money; it was to teach me responsibility instead of giving me a silver spoon handout. It would be mine to take care of and nobody else’s when the time came. 

For now, it was mine and my parent’s responsibility to make sure that they kept it running, and paid the insurance and adding me to the policy the moment I got my license, until graduation, and then it was all mines. My parents would have to buy themselves a replacement and my mother had agreed to those terms. Considering my father no longer drives due to his very bad eyesight since the car accident.

It was also a very sore spot with Susan because of it. She hated the fact that car belonged to me, she hated the fact all her friends that were getting their licenses all were getting cars for their birthday or graduation. Well the friends that mattered to her, and those were the ones made of money. Which was another sore spot because I did and she didn’t, but unlike me, she didn’t believe in working for it? She wanted everything handed to her on a silver platter; after all, that was what my parents had taught her and Becky. Why work for something when you can always get it for free. Trust me even after 30 so years that hasn’t changed, she still trying to get the cow and the milk for free.

The girls all left leaving us boys and Paul here telling him and us they would be back by supper time, maybe? And if we got hungry there were leftovers in the fridge. Jennie wasn’t like my mother in regards to keeping house or cooking. In fact, she was the complete opposite. True she did most of it herself and only required her boys to pick up after themselves or help pitch in every once and awhile. Like taking out the trash and cleaning their room and making their own beds, plus a little vacuuming every once and a while and sometimes the dishes by hand as a punishment rather than using the dishwasher.

However, in regards to my mother's house, Aaron and I did most of the cleaning and what we didn’t do my father did. My sisters seldom, if ever lifted a finger, other then taking turns washing dishes. Expect around birthday time Aaron and I each got an extra week and sometimes three. One of the reasons why the moment I moved out and he joined me. We made certain that rule died.

We go out and eat and buy each other presents, whereas when we lived at home the only present we received from our parents, were extra chores, not once did we get a present from them or our sisters. Grandma usually gave us our birthday presents at Christmas time because mine was in December and his was in January, it always became a sore point with my parents and my sisters.

My Rothwell family and my friends never forgot either me or Aaron, but when it was sisters or my parents birthday they didn’t bother other than a card; watching them each opens them trying to dump out any money first before reading the card. I did trick them a couple of times by placing a dollar and quarter inside as they looked at me asking me where the rest of it was. I said. “Sorry” the banks closed; perhaps if you got a job and errand some.”

They would give the excuses that nobody would hire them because of their age and I would say “Aaron and I don’t seem to have that problem.” and I would offer to pay them for doing our chores. Which they refused I would shrug my shoulders and say. “Fine, I rather spend my money on people that deserve it anyway,” and walk away.

It bothered them that I worked for Stringum; it bothered them that I had lawn mowing business that I easily made 300 dollars a month on that alone. Everything I earned from working for Stringum went into a college fund, and the same with the money I earned when I lived with the Rothwell’s after I paid my way through school, and help pay rent for me and my wife as well as food for us. I learned responsibly were my sisters didn’t learn anything, but how to spend money.

Everything I did angered my sisters and sometimes my mother, but more so my sisters and my father. The idea I had money made them angry, the fact I was given money in large amounts when I was undercover being Nate Carrion rubbed them the wrong way because it never landed in their pockets.

What they never understood was it was to keep me and them alive, making them untouchable. I am not saying I never gave them a slice of the pie every once and while, because I did. It bothered me that they expect it. It bothers me that they thought there was always more where it came from, and bothered me that when I did give them a slice they used on themselves instead of things like food, gas for the car, bills the basics that keep them alive and a roof over their head and warm. They tossed it way like there was endless supply for the taking.

Nothing has changed. They still expect it from us. It said when they want a vacation they pack up the car and buy a case of Ramon noodles make their way down this direction with nothing in their pockets as they invite themselves in… to anyone that is willing to have them. The vacation was on us or the people that they are staying with, that includes, gas, food and entertainment and free room and board while begging and pleading us to give them our hard earned cash as a loan that is never paid back.

Once they have bled you dry they pack up and go back home with smiles on their faces as we all get stuck trying to figure out how we are all going to make next months rent; for those that were stupid to give them a free handout and free vacation. We cringe when we hear that they are thinking of coming back down this direction. So far Susan has learned that I am not one of her golden tickets. Aaron, on the other hand, hasn’t learned to say no. He wasn’t raised like I was, and it shows.

I didn’t ask where Aaron was or Susan, I knew perfectly well that Susan was with my father or her friends during the break and Aaron was either with his friends or with my grandmother. I had my own problems to deal with and it had nothing to do with pleasure. Like I said Michel and Robert became collateral damage because of their Dad Paul. The boys quickly piled up their sleeping bags and suitcases so the girls could have room to put all the groceries.

Stringum rented a car in case we all got stranded here, knowing my mother. Yet she knew and she had been told under no circumstances was we allowed to spend the night here. The neighbors were to close together which meant trouble with a capital T. Plus me buying her a car was something she couldn’t resist. He told her that guy was expecting me to stop by at 7 pm tonight so we could look at it and purchase it. I knew the guy would be willing to wait until morning or later in the afternoon when he came home from work. But Stringum stated he had already made an appointment with a local mechanic to go over it with a fine tooth comb in the morning.

What he did tell her as he had already done so. The mechanic only needed my mother’s signature for the temporary plates and the state taxes and inspection; this was before they had to have the emission test. The inspection too was already done, but my mother didn’t know that. The main reason was I was safer inside my mother’s house then I was inside Paul Cranny’s house, whereas in Santaquin the cops and my friends could be at her house in a matter of minutes. Here it would take longer for the cops to arrive and we have to rely on Tony’s team to keep me safe inside the house, more so when the biggest part of our team was scattered tying up loose ends.