Tying Up Loose Ends Part 2

A Chapter by Shep

Chapter 208-1

Tying Up Loose Ends

Part 2

When Ben’s Mom came up to get him around 3:00 pm after finding out we wouldn’t be needed until the painting was done and installing the appliance which would be done long after we had returned to Heber. Eli, Greg, Chad and I went home with him, with our brand new pillows and sleeping bags and two large suitcases that held all our clothes that we were able to save and our backpacks with everything else.

Eli and I kissed our wives goodbye, telling them we would see them on Friday. They were staying with Tony and Jenny at one of Stringum’s neighbors. So Tony could oversee the repairs to Stringum’s house, which looked like a bomb had gone off seeing broken windows lying against the side of the house and large planks of wood nailed over the windows. Even where Knox’s house used to stand was nothing more then an empty lot with a large mound of dirt pushed to the side and a large dumpster filled with debris from the yard and the house.

On our way to Ben’s house I saw my father coming home, I noticed that my car was sitting in the driveway. I had heard my father wasn’t pleased that I had given her a dog for her birthday, yet because it was hers and not mine. He had agreed too let her keep it on two conditions. That was she didn’t stay with Cranny’s while she was in school. If she did she would have to take the dog with her, stating that there was no way he was going to take care of it while she is gone. That if that happened he would call the pound and have them take it and be destroyed. The other was I wouldn’t be let back into the home, but my mother told him no that was never going to happen.

Yet the room I was in was no longer empty, my mother had turned into her sewing room/offices. Hoping too gets my father back into the bedroom, leaving him only two choices, so she had thought. One he could sleep on the couch on the worn out mattress or her bed with her.

My father found a third choice which was moving Becky out of her room and having her share Susan room, putting Aaron in her room while he takes Aaron’s room so he wouldn’t have to be anywhere near her and he could watch over both his girls at the same time. He had outlawed any boys what so ever in his house, not counting my brother. Nor were they allowed to visit any of the boys they had been with, or are they permitted to sleep over at any of their friend's houses. Not even Aaron’s friends were allowed over, regardless if my mother was home.

Aaron wasn’t allowed to be home unless my mother was period; he could go anywhere he liked as long as he wasn’t home. In fact, he would prefer that he never came home at all, but my mother and my grandmother stated that was never going to happen. So my mother was up against the wall, she had no choice but to go to school during the day and be home by 2 pm. If she wasn’t the dog would be gone, and Aaron wouldn’t be allowed in the house unless she was home.

My neighbor took care of the dog while she was in school, not trusting my father to keep his word other then the fact he would get rid of the dog if she wasn’t home when he came home. For now, there was nothing either of us could do, and I was ok with that, even though I didn’t like the idea that Aaron was a prisoner or a bargaining chip, but like me, there was very little he could do about it. Yet he knew my father couldn’t touch him without going to jail. If my father needed a reminder all he had to do was look outside his window is see a police car stationed right outside watching him.

There was no way the police were going to leave my father alone on his own; they followed him to work and everywhere he went in Santaquin, reminding him, that no one trusted him. Which only made him hate me even more if that was even possible.

Personally, I really didn’t care, as long as he left me alone and my brother alone and my mother alone. Knowing if he didn’t I would kill him, or finish what was ever left of him after my police buddies took care of business. It was then Santaquin stopped being a friendly home to him, and he hated it feeling like a prisoner, and unable to do anything about it. He had his day in court and he lost. The monster was angry, but at least it was leashed, unable to break free. I didn’t feel sorry for him, I felt nothing for him, and in truth I was numb.

So when we drove by him as he rode his bike home, I didn’t look at him, I kept my eyes forward and pretend he never existed. He was no longer my concern anymore, so I had thought at the time. Yet if I had a chance to go back, I would most likely kill him, so I would never have to be afraid of him ever again. Jeff told me he would pay for it in the end, he would pay for all the times he was cruel, all the times he tried to kill me and Aaron, and he would pay for it all. So for the moment, I focused on everything Else but him as I left him in the distance.

I smiled at Eli and said. “Mrs. Larsen I should warn you ahead of time, that I am a nudist, so are my friends Eli, Greg, and Chad.” Her eyebrows rose as she turned into the driveway and looked back at me.

She laughed. “Yea Right?” I know for a fact that nudists are not from around here. They live in seclusion and they certainly aren’t LDS or Catholic.”

Ben shrugged his shoulders. “Mom his not joking, they are nudists.”

She smiled. “Sure they are Ben darling? If that was the cases, then I have nothing to worry about after all I have seen you and your bothers naked most of your life.”

Mrs. Loraine Larson was a stay at home Mom and a die-hard Catholic. Which was rare here in Santaquin but not unheard of, mostly because the nearest Catholic church was in Payson or in Spanish Fork. Her husband Mr. Mat Larson works for the city of Santaquin as Telephone worker.

Like Ben, she had blue eyes and dishwater blond hair but was more blond than brown worn shoulder length as it laid loose at the sides. She was average height maybe 5’9 or a little taller, more so with high heels with legs that seemed like they went on forever. Even when she was wearing jeans and a simple pullover shirt with a low collar that showed just enough of her breast that said they were well formed like soft loaves of bread.

Her face was oval in shape with a rounded chin and ears that were bigger then most I have seen even her noses was straight and long, flaring outwards so you would notice her blue almond shaped eyes with long eyelashes. Her lips thin, but full, tapering at the cheeks with dimples on the side when she smiles. She didn’t wear a lot of makeup, but neither did she need it as pretty as she was.

When she smiled it made you want to smile back and she had a cute little laugh that was infectious. She was the mother of four boys. Ben who is 16, Darin 15 and Cal 7 and Chris who was 6 and two girls Pat for Patricia who was 18 and attends the same school as my mother Utah Valley State College and her sister Tammy who was 17 and attends Payson High School with her younger brothers Ben and Darin.

Ben shrugged his shoulders. “I am just giving you fair warning Mom. If he and his friends come out of the shower naked or walk the house at night without any clothes on you won’t freak out.”

His mother said. “Yea right? Somehow I don’t think that’s going to happen, certainly not 16-year-old boys with girls in the house. If they were 6 or 7 or younger when you didn’t think it was a big deal, maybe. I bet they haven’t even been with a girl before, without blushing.”

Ben got out of the car and said. “Remember I told you Eric and Eli were married, and like me, we have had sex many times with girls, you even gave me permission to do so and spend the night with them that one time I went with them to Stringum’s big estate.”

She laughed. “O’ I remember dear, but to tell you the truth your father and I simply didn’t believe you, knowing you were just trying to pull the wool over our eyes. I also know for a fact that they can’t be married only being 16. It’s against the law for that to happen.”

I smiled and corrected her. “Actually Mrs. Larson it’s only against the law if your parents don’t give their permission. I have a copy of my marriage license if you want to see it that shows that Eli and I are married to each other and two very beautiful girls. I have a picture of my wife and me.” Pulled out my wallet and said. “Her name is Rhoda Eli’s sister, Eli married her best friend Jackie and me not more than two weeks ago.”

She looked at our pictures noticing that they were our wedding pictures. She gasped. “I see so you are not joking about being married?” I shook my head and showed her mine and Eli wedding rings to drive it home.

I said. “And I am not joking about us being nudist, either; it’s just polite to tell you that beforehand so won’t freak out seeing us in the buff.”

I pulled out another picture of my adoptive family my favorite nudist picture, it didn’t have Shane in it or Arthur or Shawn. “I have two sisters and four brothers, being naked in front of each other is nothing for us to be embarrassed about. We believe in open marriages and sharing ourselves openly as a family. We were taught like I said to make sure we tell the people we are staying with or they come to visit us that we are nudists. And if they have any questions they are more then free to ask us so they don’t get the wrong idea about us.

“As I said we have an open relationship with each other and as a married couple we ask permission first before we have sexual relations with anyone else, always practicing safe sex. If they say no, no means no; we never force ourselves or our beliefs on anyone. If you prefer us to be decent, all you have to do is tell us, if not we will assume that it is alright and you won’t be freaked out by it.”

She nodded and said. “I don’t have a problem with it if you don’t. Thanks for the warning though, even though I still think you're teasing me.”

I said. “I’ll remember that.” She laughed and opened the door for us, asking us if we wouldn’t mind removing our shoes so we don’t track dirt and mud in the house. I didn’t say anything regarding that it was our standard policy.

Eli said. “Something smells good Mrs. Larsen.” Setting his shoes next to mine, she said opening the oven and lifting the lid and stirring it.

“I hope you boys like BQ ribs, corn on the cob and baked potatoes?”

We both licked our lips and she smiled. “Ben says you boys are good in the kitchen.” We nodded Eli said I was more than the rest of them, stating I was planning on being a chef as my career goal.

She said. “Well that’s something I am not used to hearing, most boys shy away from the kitchen because they believe it to be woman’s work.”

I nodded. “It's true, I am or I was the only boy in the class full of girls, but I really don’t mind because many times those girls like it when I help them. Is there anything I can do to help?”

She nodded. That corn still needed to be shucked and potatoes washed and wrapped in foil. I said. “Not a problem, just give me a moment to put my things away.”

Ben’s home was fairly large home, and then again it had to be with such a large family. Ben apologized that his room was in the basement. I said taking a deep breath not to panic; “as long as it has windows I can see out of I’ll be fine and it is never completely dark.” I followed him down the stairs and feeling that trapped feeling until a saw the windows and the large patio that was closed in like atrium with nice hot tub with plenty of light. The family room was huge with big screen TV and large fireplaces with some sort of furry rug on the floor. His room was a little further down a small hallway where there was a small bathroom that only contained a toilet and a sink.

He said the shower and tub are upstairs and opened the door next too it which was a storeroom/ laundry room/furnace room as his mother called him to bring up the potatoes when we come up. He opened his bedroom door finding two full-size beds one was his and the other was his younger brother Darin. While his two younger brothers and his two sisters slept upstairs with their parents.

We quickly put our things away and opened my suitcase and pulled out my apron and knife set that I keep in a nice case, then quickly followed the boys up the stairs into the kitchen. I quickly washed my hands at the sink and put on my apron that said the best chef in town which caused his mother to smile. She asked what I had in the case I said showing her my own personal knife set. She smiled. “I guess you weren’t joking about wanting to be a chef?”

I shook my head said. “I am told that the good ones like me intend to make a lot of money.” How wrong I was because even though the money was good the manager made twice as much as the head chef; which was why I decided early on that not only would I major in cooking but in restaurant management, and was the best decision I had ever made.

It wasn’t long when Ben's three brothers walked in the door, they had been at football and soccer practice. His two sisters would be home around 6 or so, so Ben quickly introduced us. Then had them help bring up the larger table so we could all fit comfortably, and had them set it while Eli and I finished shucking the corn and wrapping the potatoes with foil.

Once we were done there was nothing left to do so we went downstairs to play video games? At the time the latest and greatest video game was Atari which was a simple 16 bit game with very little graphics or movement based on arcade games. Like Pac Man, Asteroids and Ping Pong. It wasn’t long until the girls came home and their father. As Ben mother introduced us to them. It was then I noticed who got what in looks.

The moment Eli and I shook hands with Ben’s father that strange feeling came over us, that feeling that Ben’s father was a man I could trust. Eli said once he too got that same feeling and watched our rings glow. “Dude what’s up with that, every person we seem to meet here that strange feeling comes over us.”

I shrugged my shoulders, “If Jeff was here I would ask him what the hell is going on.”

“I agree bro it’s like every person we have met lately here has given us this strange feeling.

I told you Jeff said. "Something bad is coming; maybe this has something to do with it. Yet the question is why our rings are glowing every time we meet such a person.”

Eli said. “Yea that’s what concerns me the most.”

Each of the girls had light brown hair like the color of honey, they each had the same blue almond-shaped eyes and the firm, but soft facial features as their mother while the boy’s got the brownish hair color from their father and more firm jaw and facial features. Both were very beautiful and kind, not snobbish in any way like my sister Susan. Ben told them that I was Susan’s older brother. Causing them to eye me like a snake backing away; Ben and Greg told them that I wasn’t like her in any way, and should ignore everything Susan said about me.

I wasn’t surprised by the fact that Susan considers herself the oldest or the fact she had told everyone that I was worst then trash, I was a rapist and thief, or my favorite I had been to prison or Juvie for getting caught raping young women and I was gay. Which was contradictory in itself, because if I was gay I wouldn’t like raping women.

Yet all anyone really knew about me was what Susan has been telling everyone. It didn’t matter that my Santaquin friends told them everything she said was a lie, not without having any proof to contradict her. Now that I was standing before them they remembered me and Eli as the two boys that took down five of the worst bullies in school and lived to tell about it.

I cringed remembering it as they said. “Aren't you the boys that kicked those boy’s butts in the lunch room?” Eli and I nodded. Greg had already told me it was all over the school. Telling us that was so awesome. And asking me where I learned to fight like that. I said that competed a lot in gymnastics, and kickboxing and done a little wrestling. Eli and Greg said I was just being modest telling them all about my awards I had won over the years.

Their mother called down telling us that dinner was nearly ready that we needed to wash up and to please make sure we hung up our clothes so she wouldn’t have to pick them up off the floor or put them in the hamper to be washed. Ben said. “Mom hates it when we get BQ stains on our clothes, so when we do have it she has us take off our shirts and strip down to our boxers or shorts to prevent getting any on our clothes.”

I nodded and followed him and his brother Daren’s lead, as he put on a pair of shorts and placed his dirty clothes into the hamper while we stuffed ours into a cloth duffel bag to be washed later. Eli, Greg, Chad and I didn’t have a pair of shorts with us. All our summer clothing was sent home with the rest of our clothes. We were used to wearing just our boxers around the house or going in the buff. So we borrowed a pair from Ben even though they were slightly bigger on me and Eli as we pulled them up and made our way upstairs. We didn’t want to freak out his family by going nude even though their mother told us we could and she wouldn’t freak out. We were in a sense being polite.

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