Chapter 4 #3
Knox called the family and told them that he thought that the rental was much too small for them.
They still wanted to see it, and he was all right with that.
But he was going to draw the line at them moving in.
It wouldn’t do well for anyone to be crowded into a house that small.
He set up a time and day for them to go and look at it.
August called the businesses and said that even though it was marked as a business, the place was too small for anything of value to go into the place.
They, like the couple, wanted to see if they could make it work, and he was all for it.
It would be another failed business, and he didn’t want to have to clean up after them when they left.
“What do you know about the new teacher in town?” Knox immediately thought of Elaine and almost told his brother that she was off limits to anyone single. “She’s a looker, I hear, and is filling out the spot nicely at the school.”
“There are three teachers that you could be talking about. All three of them are doing a good job so far, as I’ve heard.
And like we figured when we started helping the school board in getting new teachers, three more quit that just didn’t show up on Monday morning.
” He told him she was the kindergarten teacher.
“Elaine Westcock. She’s doing really well.
Are you thinking about talking to her about Zander? ”
“I was wondering if either one of you had dated her yet, yes. I didn’t mean to step on your toes if you’re already seeing her.
” Knox said that other than helping her move in, he wasn’t seeing her socially.
Not yet, anyway. “All right. I’ll leave it alone then.
Zander doesn’t seem to be willing to date much either.
Have the two of you formed a pact of some sort that you’re not dating anyone? ”
“No, nothing like that. But we have been busy with Carrie’s case.
It’s been a long time in coming around. But I’m glad to see that it’s paid off finally.
” He said that he was as well. When he’d spoken to Carrie, she seemed to have a weight lifted off her shoulders.
“I would imagine that she has. I can’t imagine walking around waiting for one of you guys to knock the shit out of me at any time.
They’ve done enough damage to her, I would say. ”
They talked about how much work Carrie and Mandy were doing for the older generation in town.
They’d had several classes now in teaching women and men how to use a computer to order online and to run a household with a computer in mind.
Ordering groceries was the biggest class that they held, and so far, everyone who went through the classes had good things to say about it.
He was very proud of them for doing it with the Martha Grable Foundation.
“Did you hear that this week’s dinner is going to be at Locke’s house?
He said that there’s a pregame on television for Thursday night and he wants to watch it with us.
” He said that he’d not heard, but that sounded fantastic.
“Yeah, I guess he’s ordering food in so that we can have a variety.
I’m just hoping that he has the kind of food he did last year for the end of season games. That was a blast.”
“He does know how to get food done up well.” Knox laughed and told him about the mess-up last month when he’d ordered food for a meeting.
“It was all fresh food, and the people looked at it like it was garbage. No one ate any of it because it was things like fresh vegetables and fruit. I wish I could have seen his face when he had it all set up for them. It must have been a disaster.”
“Yeah, but I heard that he did the same thing the next month with a meeting. Those people enjoyed it a great deal. I guess it depends on the people that he’s meeting with.
” Knox agreed and said that he loved a fresh layout.
“I do as well. It’s not something that I want to eat every meal, but I could enjoy some of it if it’s around.
I’d like to have pizza too. And some burgers.
I wonder if he’ll have that sort of layout for the house dinner? ”
“Who knows with him.” And that was the truth. Locke was a doctor now and knew the value of eating well. So did his wife, Alex. But he’d noticed that they could pig out on different foods, too, when it was around. “I have work to be done. Do you need anything else from me while you’re here?”
“Are you shoving me out the door?” He said that he was actually because he really did have a lot of work to do.
“All right, I see how you are. I’ll get going, but I did want to ask you about the strip mall.
Do you have anyone who wants to rent out one or more of the spaces? Have you heard anything?”
“Nothing other than the tire shop that’s going to be going in as soon as his part of the building is finished.
I’ve been wondering about a hardware store.
We could certainly use one of those on that end of town, but I haven’t heard anything.
There was interest in a fishing shop, they’d sell licenses and such along with bait, but I’ve not heard anything more from them since they first asked.
That would be great around here, I think.
I would love to learn how to fish again. Remember doing that as kids?”
“Yes, sometimes it was the difference between us eating or not. I hated it.” He said he had as well, but would really like to go out and fish again for fun.
“I don’t know. You do it and let me know.
I might even join you sometime. But my first thought is no, I want nothing to do with catching fish and having them because that’s all there is. ”
“I understand.” He thought that he did too.
There were lots of things that he loved doing now that he hadn’t as a teenager.
There was chopping wood for his house that he used to do because it afforded them school supplies.
Now it was fun for him to sit next to this fireplace and be warmed by wood that he’d cut up.
There were other things, too, that he now enjoyed that he’d not as a child growing up with nothing. Less than nothing really.
Every once in a while, he’d think about his father.
He was a mean bastard and a drunk. When they were growing up, his dad would be drunk before noon, and he was a mean drunk, too.
Once, when he was bringing in the groceries that they had gotten, his dad was pissed off because they didn’t buy any beer.
Not that any of them were old enough to purchase the stuff for him, but he beat them all within an inch of their lives that night.
It had been three days before any of them could walk around, and by then all the food was gone.
He either ate it all while they were down or tossed it out.
More than likely the latter of the two. Their father wasn’t a good man at all.
“I’m headed out. I’ll see you Thursday for sure.” He’d see him tomorrow, too, because that’s just the way that they were. They would hang out together every day for some time, and it was good for them all. He loved his brothers more than anyone in the world, and he told them that daily.
They were close, the six of them, and even though they had wives now, most of them anyway, they were still close.
He loved the fact that they got together once a week to hang out, and he loved even more that they saw each other daily when they were doing something as a family.
Knox simply loved being around his family, no matter what was going on.