Friends Part 3

Chapter 201-2

Friends

Part 3

 

Not everything went into the moving van, we started a pile of trash and pile for DI (Desert Industries) where things can be reused and resold. As we waited for large city dumpster for our uses instead packing in a weekly garbage can. We also were given construction dumpsters that were separate from the trash pile that helped with things like broken pieces of glass, paint cans and wooded items. We would be taking almost the entire house with us including doors, kitchen cabinets, and light fixtures and appliances. The house and everything on the property was being demolished and in its place would be several houses.

Bishop Earl had also several large tuff-sheds and those two would be load unto a flatbed trailer and taken to Heber. There was nothing he could do about the pool or the hot tub because they were in the ground to stay, but he could take the wooden fence and the post that were still good the rest would be replaced. His goal was if at all possible to be out long before next Saturday his goal was Tuesday or possibility Wednesday.

He may be rich enough to buy everything brand new, but he was thrifty, and he couldn’t see a perfectly good door or its hinges being smashed to or a single window in the house being broken when he or someone else could use them, and that included his appliances. He was going to give back to the people in his ward that needed them more then he did. He would give everything away if he could if it wasn’t for his wife crossing her arms telling him No. And No meant no or alright over some pillow talk or several secret kisses.

You couldn’t really tell we had done anything by lunchtime, unless you looked outside seeing the dumpsters being filled and moving Van being nearly half full and several rolls of bubble wrap waiting to be used stuffed in the corner with every size box lined up against the wall of the living room and small table filled with roll after roll of tape to make them and seal them shut and several black markers listing where each box belongs. Even all the major furniture was still in its places, but some of it like the things on the walls and end tables and coffee tables were missing and the ones that remained we marked with someone one's name on it or marked to go on the big furniture truck trip.

Everything had to be done not only on this side but also on the other end as he made several calls to Heber talking to my Dad and seeing how things were going on large storage shed that was being built that was the size of large metal barn that was least a half as big football field that everyone was sharing while their houses were being built by large crew of several construction crews; working around the clock. I could only imagine the noise on our piece of mountain and the people working tirelessly to beat the colder weather that was coming merely weeks away.

Mrs. Earl took charge of the house as Bishop Earl placed Eli, Greg and I in charge of the outside stuff stating if I had questioned whether to toss it or keep it to set in the pile to be sorted when he got back. He made a bet with his wife that everything outside could be packed away before she was done at 5 pm to tonight, before she could go through the entire house for the first things to go, reminding her that our goal was to have everything packed and in Heber by Wednesday afternoon when the kids come home from school. So he could go into work and see about getting the ball rolling and also see if he could talk my sister Becky into fulfilling her contract with me and his wife.

I wished him luck and he did the same for me. He said if I had the entire fence down and the sheds as well as the garage emptied by 3 pm he would buy me four sets of brand new tires for my Super Nova. Knowing how each tire was nearly 50 dollars brand new and that didn’t include taxes or installing them. He didn’t have to tell me twice as told me to call Ben Larsen and Zack and Terry over and the rest of Greg’s friends so I did because Cindy was calling in reinforcement and so was his wife. It was all out war to see who could win, the girls against the guys.

Greg and I canceled my trip to the wrecking yard so we could keep working there was no way we were going to let the woman beat us, we put ourselves into overdrive as our friends quickly came to help. The cars were lined up down the street  as the mothers came to help and dropping off the kids for our babysitters to watch who happened to be my three mermaid friends as they built boxes for us and kept a steady stream of them for both sides as the kids helped wash toys and unbreakable items and those that were too young to help like Tanya and Christopher and kids like them played in the yard or colored in huge stack of coloring books out of the way downstairs or in the yard so they wouldn’t get stepped on.

Several times I caught Mrs. Earl wiping tears away as she packed and talked about all the memories she was saying goodbye too as women hugged her and quickly went to work. Dinner and lunch was taken care of so she wouldn’t half cook in a kitchen by the women and the girls in the ward.

Everyone asked who the new Bishop was going to be because it was obvious that Bishop Earl was being released this Sunday if he planned to be moved out by Wednesday. She would say I don’t know or I can’t tell you that. Even the kids in our ward would ask, begging to know or start guessing when we wouldn’t tell them. I knew of courses or we had a pretty good guess as we looked at Mrs. Clark and her three boys and two girls as they played along as if we didn’t know.

I was a little surprised when Bishop Earl came back with Becky in tow. Then again I shouldn’t have been, in fact, he brought her friends along as well. She looked at me and skipped over and said. “I am keeping my promise. So be ready to pay up.”

I nodded and said. “A deals a deal, but not until you keep your end of the bargain like I said each day you work I will give you your money after your shift not before then.” I pulled it out of my wallet and showed it to her and put back in and folded it, earmarking it. She tried to grab it out of my hand but I was quick and put my wallet away and went back to work. She glared at me and went inside the house when Mrs. Earl called for her and put her right to work.

Bishop Earl looked at all the work we had done and smiled when I had nearly completed more than half of the fence work. I placed the boards into three piles, ones that were rotted, ones that could maybe used and the ones that were still good. He then cringed at the pile of things he needed to sort through. But he didn’t complain he changed his clothes and put his work gloves on and dug in, I smiled as he tossed most of it away. He wasn’t sentimental he just shook his head asking himself. “Why did I keep it in the first place?”

And Greg said. “Because Dad you said it could be fixed with little elbow grease. You’re a packrat.”

He said. “It's true, but look I am tossing it way. I am turning over a new leaf.”

Greg said. “Yea right?” And they both laughed knowing that was never going to happen; watching him pick up a shovel that had a broken handle and put in the keep pile.

Greg picked it up and tossed it said. “You have three brand new ones over there.”

He said. “Ok, Ok maybe I need my butt kicked.”

Greg and Eli were just finishing loading the last of the wooden fence when the time expired at right 3 on the dot. Bishop Earl said. “Good work looks like I owe you a set of tires. Now go get cleaned up and so you can spend time with your friends.” I looked over at Ben and my friends and said. “What’s next? We have all next week to play.”

Bishop Earl smiled and said. “Ok, let’s go inside the house and see if we can work some magic.” His wife saw us and smiled and shook her head and he said. “Dear there boys, it will be like were camping out. We can save time by going without a few items. We can sleep on the floor if we have too, we can eat on plastic plates drink from plastic cups. We need everything out of this house by Monday so we can have all of Tuesday to remove the windows, doors and everything we can either give to people in need or use it in our new home. Remember the kids will be in school and it will be just a small handful of guys I can bring in to help. So let’s be practical.”

She said. “Fine,” and yelled. “Ladies its time to get serious.” And like that everything started to happen.

Bishop Earl picked up the phone and called the moving company and said. “That’s right were ready for the big stuff. I realize the shed won’t be ready until Saturday but if it is in trucks it can sit outside until the shed is ready. And we can make one big trip last trip on Saturday and finish it off on Monday and Tuesday and be finished by Wednesday. Stringum said that you guys are the best and work around any time table. I am willing to pay a bonus to all for your help if you can have everything in Heber by Wednesday morning.” He hung up the phone and said. “Ok men lets get serious. Everything goes except the clothing and the mattresses and basics we need for four days. Were striping the house the moment the vans arrive.”

He picked up the phone and said. “Yes I would like to order 50 large pizzas, no sir it’s not a joke, I’ll pick them up at 7 pm. Fine give me 15 minutes and I’ll pay up front, but you better not waste a minute of that time.” he hung up the phone and said. “Ok boys, let's get to work.”

His wife said. “Ok, ladies you heard the man.”

Bishop Earl had me drive having Eli and Greg ride in the back seat. He said. “You boys will be on food detail since I couldn’t get them to deliver them.”

We quickly arrived at the only pizza place in Payson which was Domino's. I watched him fish out his credit card and told the guy in charge that we would be the ones picking them up. They all nodded and I gasped when I saw the total even with the Bishop discount. We stopped over at Smiths, the only grocery store in Payson at the time. And bought a whole case of paper plates, silverware, cups and napkins; and everything else he normally used when camping out with the ward, using the same discount being Bishop.

For the first time, I got to see my Super Nova being filled to the max and I was proud of her. He tried to turn on the radio and I smiled as it didn’t work, he said. “It’s not a car son until you have tunes. First thing in the morning we're going to the wrecking yard and we're going to get everything we need to make this baby purr with happiness.”

He gave me a fist bump and we drove in silence. I never realized how far it was from the school I used to go and home walking the street I was now driving on. How no wonder my feet were tired. I pulled back up to the house and we went back to work unloading the car as we watched the moving van line up in front of the house. If the Santaquin didn’t know that Bishop Earl was moving, they certainly did now, as the big stuff was being loaded into the vans and pickup trucks with members of the ward helping to take the items to someone in need.

By the time Greg, Eli and I had picked up all the pizzas using his Dads car and my car. The house was almost empty. It echoed with noise as everyone made a line filling their plates with pizza and everything the ladies brought from home to help feed our very large crew, as we all sat on the floor. Normally Mrs. Earl would have a fit if anyone spilled anything on the carpet, in fact she would have like adoptive mother would have, had a fit with shoes on in the house and getting dirt or mud on the carpet, but she shrugged it off reminding herself the carpet was going to be destroyed with the rest of the house.

Yet didn’t mean she didn’t vacuum it after everyone went home, as the moving vans were locked up and sent on their way to Heber and another one would arrive in the morning.  To finish what was left over the weekend, watching them and the men going home telling us they will be back bright and early Saturday morning, for the rest.

My mother called as the phone echoed in the house. Telling me that she and Jennie were still at the school asking Mrs. Earl if she wouldn’t mind if Jennie’s kids all spent the night. She said the more the merrier; even though she had pretty much planned on it had put them to bed noting the time was a little after 9 pm. We all knew my mother, we knew she wasn’t at the school, she was at the Cranny’s house, and most likely having sex with Paul.

She didn’t know about what we learned last night, and we had no intention of saying anything over the phone. I had kept my word to Becky as I dropped her off at home when my father demanded that she be home or he was calling the cops and pressing charges for kidnapping.

Becky quickly took the money as I reminded her that she still had to work Thursday, Friday, and Saturday as to our agreement. She quickly took the money me and Mrs. Earl promised her and I watched her wave it in front of Susan’s face as I grabbed a change a  of clothes. Checking to make sure my door was locked which it was as I quickly reset the alarm inside my room. My father growled, but there was very little he could do when Bishop Earl was sitting in the living room waiting for me. I heard my father asks Becky if she knew who the new Bishop will be.

She said. “No, but I tend to find out tomorrow. I know they know who it is Dad because he plans to be gone by Wednesday morning.”

I didn’t say anything and neither did Bishop Earl as we walked out the door as my father said to me. “Don’t come back, you hear me boy? We don’t need you or immoral trash.”

Bishop Earl turned around and grabbed my father by the front of his shirt and looked into his eyes and said. “Tough s**t, because it’s his mother house, you can take it up with her, but if you make her life a living hell. I promise you that if you even threaten the boy or his brother or his mother ever again. God and I will see to it that you will be the one living in hell.” He let go and my father fell to his knees but he looked like someone had been struck by God, as he screamed in agony as he tried to get off his knees. I could have sworn I saw darkness surround him as if something was holding him down.

Yet when I blinked it was gone as I watched him stagger up to his feet as if he had been whipped as he stumbled and fell back on his knees. I looked again as Susan helped him up and said. “Dad, did he touch you?”

Dad pushed her aside and said. “Get to bed, I am going for a walk, I need to find out who the next Bishop is, somebody must stop him, we can not afford to have another man like that ruining this town.”

Bishop looked up and said. “Good luck with that… let's go. I am in need of a nice hot long bath.” I knew how he felt feeling my tired aching muscles.  We are all soaking and too tired to move as we sat there until the water had long turned cold and crawled into bed too tired to do anything other then close our eyes and we were off to dreamland, I saw my father walking the streets as he kept asking himself who the new Bishop was as if it was driving him mad. He smiled when he looked up as looked up at Clark's house peaking in the window as he watched them all kneel in prayer. I woke up in a cold sweat hearing the window break inside the house and smelling smoke.

 

I heard hateful words of many angry voices as Mr. Earl ran through the house telling us to all to get away from the windows as more burning beer bottles shot through the windows. It was moments later when we heard sirens and saw police lights streaming through the windows as we stomped out the fires before it could spread. We quickly dressed in robes as we stood our ground as the police chased them off. But the damage had been done as we looked outside seeing the house spray painted with satanic symbols telling us to get the hell out or they would kill us. The only thing that saved us was the fact the house was basically empty. And the moving vans were safely away ahead of schedule.

It was nearly 3 in the morning before we could even think about going back to bed after covering the holes in the windows with cardboard and tape, while the police patrolled our streets. I had no doubt that the new Bishop house was also being watched. Bishop Earl said the devil was working overtime tonight. Trying to frighten us or make sure the Earls never made it to Heber.

Or the new Bishop took his place knowing that if he could take us out single-handedly it would mean he could get a foothold here; which only made it more clear that what we were doing was making him mad. However that also meant our lives just became more complicated, but what else was new it was already complicated. And that was something I was getting used to. I’ll it did was make me want to take the satanic church down even more.