A Gathering of Brothers
by Atonia
Part 2
Chapter One.
It had been a big meal with all of them there; they cleaned out Anne’s fridge and made good in roads in the pantry. She sat down and made a list while Donna and Delia loaded the dishwasher and cleaned up the kitchen. She didn’t have to ask these two they got up and did what needed doing. She thought Ben had a good woman there. Monica had rinsed and stacked the plates by the dishwasher and disappeared.
Out in the backyard John and Jeff had a ball game going with the grandsons and the sounds brought back so many memories for Anne. She paused her pencil and just listened to the banter back and forth. She craned her neck, Colin had joined in the fray. It was good, she thought, they all needed this.
Upstairs Steve and Monica had just finished making love in one of the twin beds.
“Whose room was this?” she asked
“John and Richie’s” Steve lay on his back with Monica draped across him in the narrow bed.
“I want to go home.”
“What? We just got here.”
“I don’t belong here, I don’t feel part of it at all.”
“You haven’t given it a chance, it’s only a week, what would you do if you went home?”
“Clean out the fridge, read a book.”
“You’re not going.”
“I am going, I have a return ticket I can get it changed,” she sat up on the side of the bed and began reaching for her clothes.”
“Monica, no don’t do this…please I want to stay here a few days, come on.”
“You can stay, I didn’t say you had to go.”
“I wanted you here with me.”
“You don’t need me here.” She got up and pulled her bag from the closet and began tossing her things inside.”
“I do, I need you, don’t go Monica.”
“Like you say it is only for a few days, I’ll be there when you get back.”
Steve sat up and began pulling his clothes on, “I can’t let you do this, this is my family Monica.”
“Yes it is your family but I am not part of it, I don’t want to be here.”
“I want you here, doesn’t what I want count at all.”
“Not this time,” she zipped up her bag. “I’m not comfortable here and I don’t have to stay.”
“What happened did somebody say something to you?”
“No, everybody has been very nice”
“Then I don’t understand it?”
“No you don’t you don’t try to put yourself in my place. I’ll call a taxi”
“You’ll do no such thing, give me that bag.”
“Steve stop it, now just stop…I’m going.” She moved quickly out of the door.
“Monica,” He called after her and ran down the hall.
“What’s going on out here?” Zack came out of his room.
“Aw it’s,” Steve was flailing his arms around, “Monica is leaving.”
“Something happen?”
“No, yes, same old thing,” Steve ran down the stairs.
“I’ll take you, no need to call a taxi,” Cal found his coat.
Monica was on the front porch with her bag, “Monica…please.”
“I’ll see you in New York, Steve.”
Cal gave Steve a questioning look and passed by him headed for his car.
Steve fell against the wall and rolled himself into the family room.
“Don’t ever beg.” A deep voice from the long cushioned sofa.
Steve found a chair and sat down, face buried in his hands.
“Did you hear me?”
“Yeah, Ben, I heard.”
“Don’t ever beg a woman for anything.”
“It’s more than that; we fight all the time.”
“Get rid of her, life’s too short to spend time scratchin’ and fightin’ you don’t need it, Steve.”
“I do…not the fighting…but her. I’m afraid I love her, when it’s good it’s very good.”
Ben sat up pulling his waistcoat down, “It has to be good all the time, you don’t live for a few minutes here and there.”
“We almost got married one time and I chickened out.”
“It ain’t in you to marry her; are you livin’ together?”
“Sometimes.”
“Don’t, move out.”
“It’s my apartment.”
“Move her out, damn, Steve she ain’t the one. What’s so good about it that you put up with all the horse shit?”
“Sex.”
Ben chuckled, “That ain’t enough. There’s got to be more, like a meeting of the minds, you got to care about each other and each other’s feeling’s. There’s good and bad in every relationship but the good has got to outweigh the bad and the good has got to be more than three letters.”
“Yeah, I know you’re right…it’s so hard, we’ve broke up before and end up back together.”
“In bed?”
“Yeah.
“You’d do well to practice a little celibacy or else find another outlet for it. Hell New York is full of women, Steve, get out there and find one.”
“I don’t have to put up with this shit all the time.”
“Hell no you don’t, find your balls man.”
Steve looked at Ben for a minute and got up and went outside for a walk.
Richie had been standing in the hallway and heard the last part of the conversation, after Steve left he came into the family room. “Good advice you give.”
“Ya think so, I doubt he’ll heed it.”
“I doubt he will either, I’ve tried to talk to him about her. She don’t fit; ya know what I mean?”
“I don’t know her at all except what I’ve seen today, she don’t say much.”
“She says too much, gets on my nerves.”
“I reckon you see a good bit of Steve livin’ close like you do?”
“I see him, not as often as you might think.”
“Why is that?”
Richie sat down sighing, “We’re both busy people. I got a shitload of problems of my own.”
“Hell everybody does.”
Richie looked up, “You talk to Colin?”
“Yeah.”
“He’s headed back inside, Ben, only a matter of time.”
“Not what he tells me.”
“What you think he’s going to admit what he’s into? He didn’t tell me either.”
“That’s the detective comin’ out in you.” Ben lit a slim cigar and studied it for a minute, “Colin’s his own man you can’t tell him nothing.”
“So you’ve tried.”
“I put on my big brother hat and went to see him one time, right after he got out of prison, offered him a job…he turned me down. I ain’t goin’ back and beg him.”
“He needs to get out of LA; away from the environment he’s living in.”
“I’ll tell you somethin’, Richie, wherever he goes it will follow him or he’ll find it; that’s just how he is. Like finds like.”
“Yeah, well how did you get out of it?”
“I don’t know what you’re talkin’ about.”
“I don’t really know either, just a hunch.”
“Let’s let it lie then,” Ben said quietly smoking his cigar.
A shaft of sunlight coming through the window put Ben’s face in shadow and so Richie couldn’t see his face clearly, but he knew if he could he’d see that cold look in his eye he used to get before he beat the shit out of somebody. It occurred to him his brother was a dangerous man. He’d been around enough types in his career to know and it chilled him.
He changed the subject, “You sure surprised us with a wife.”
“I reckon I should have called Mama and let her know, in fact I know I should have. But I didn’t. I’ve been living in my own little world for so long I forget there are people who care about what I do.”
“You’ve got a big family here, everybody cares; and Mama most of all.”
“I’m gonna do better, I think Delia will make sure I do.”
“You’re lucky, Ben always have been.”
“Heh, luck ain’t got nothing to do with it, I’m smarter than the average bear.”
“That too.”
“You’ve got a fine son, Richie, something to be proud of. I heard about the divorce, sorry I was to hear that especially where children are involved. But you’d know about that.”
“That was a long time ago and I still had Dad just around the corner. Laurie wants to take Michael to Vegas.”
“You gonna let that happen?”
“I don’t see how I can stop it, I ain’t exactly squeaky clean.”
Ben smiled, ”You ain’t never been clean, though you had Mama fooled. One thing I do know, Richie is that when it comes down to it, you’ll do the right thing.”
“I hope so.”
“There you are, I wondered where you were hiding.”
“Hey Delia darlin’ was you lookin’ for me?”
“I was, I’m going to ride with your mother to the store, she’s got a long list.”
“Don’t let her pay for nothing.”
“I won’t,” Delia kissed him softly on the lips and straightened up, “Oh I didn’t know you were there.”
“Hey don’t mind me,” Richie smiled.
“You reckon she’s got any coffee left in the pantry?” Ben stood up.
“I think so want me to make a pot?”
“I’ll do it darlin’ you go on off with Mama.” He glanced at Richie, “you in?”
“Nah, I think I’ll go for a walk.”
Ben chuckled, “Woods must be full of brothers.”
Donna was calling out the back door, “John, will you watch Joey, we’re going to the store.”
“Yeah sure, go on.”
“Hey, Ben,” Donna turned from the door.
“Hello, Donna, off shopping eh?”
“I don’t know how she fed this crowd all those years.”
“It wasn’t easy but we ate good. She had a vegetable garden and grew everything we ate except for meat and bread.” Ben filled a filter with coffee.
“Did all of you work in the garden?” Donna buttoned up her jacket.
“Every one of us, we always worked and helped around the house.”
“I can believe it, John still does…work around the house I mean, no gardens in Alaska.”
Ben smiled, "Well you have a good time off with Mama, she don’t have much company to go around with.”
“I will, bye,” she smiled and left the kitchen.
“Okay I quit, you’ve beat my ass.” John bent over breathing hard.
“What’s the matter old man getting tired,” Jeff teased.
“Damn right,” he looked up and grinned. Touch football had finished him off for the day.
“I’m ready for something to drink,” Colin wiped his face.
“Hey boys, stay right where I can see you don’t go wandering off.” John called and headed for the back door.
Jeff came in with them and found a coke in the fridge, “Anybody else want one?”
“I just want a glass of ice water,” John replied.
Colin looked up at the clock, “It’s beer-thirty.”
“Don’t see any beer in here.” Jeff looked through the fridge.
“Might have to make a run then.”
“Run for what,” Zack came into the kitchen.
“Beer man, must have beer.” Colin passed by him to go change his shirt.
“Where’ve you been, we coulda used you out there?”
“Taking a nap, used me for what?”
“Colin and Jeff just whupped our asses.”
“Touch football,” Jeff informed him setting a bowl of chips and salsa on the table.
Ben came back in for his coffee, “You boys have fun?”
“Yeah I reckon that’s what you call it.” John pushed his hair back.
“Okay I’m off; anybody wanna ride?” Colin stuck his head in the kitchen door.
“Where are you goin’?” Ben asked.
“Liquor store and to get some beer and ice.”
“I’ll ride with you.” Ben set his cup down and followed Colin out.
Zack walked over to the back door and watched the boys throwing a Frisbee around, the dog was making most of the catches. “Looks like the kids are getting along okay.”
“So far so good,” John answered.
“Anybody seen Steve?” Zack asked.
“No not since lunch.” Jeff answered.
“Monica left.”
“Did she really?”
“Yeah, he was pretty upset when I saw him in the hall.”
“What happened did they have a fight?” John asked.
“You mean another fight I think,” Zack answered him and took Ben’s cup and poured a cup of coffee.
“I saw Cal drive off with her but I had no idea what was going on.” Jeff into the chips and salsa.
“Too bad, poor Steve, he deserves better…I think.” John finished up his ice water.
“You don’t have to wait.” Monica sat down in one of the plastic chairs at the gate.
“I’ll stay until you get on a flight.” Cal stretched out his legs.
“That’s nice of you.”
“Sorry things didn’t work out for you to stay.”
“Well you know, sometimes you just don’t feel right in a place.”
“Yeah I know that feeling, I hope you know the rest of us don’t feel that way about you.”
“Thanks. I’m sorry too.”
“None of my business but you and Steve you don’t get along so well?”
“Oh well, we do and we don’t. It’s complicated.”
“How come you’re still together?”
“We have great sex.”
Cal looked over at her, “Oh.”