Chapter 21 - Shutdown #3
Apple, also recognizing Swallowtail, rose from his table, moving to stand in front of Micah.
At his side appeared Cherry, Passion Fruit, Lemon, Sour Grapes, who had come without Bella, and Jared.
Ricky stood at the end of the line, holding a hammer.
Why he’d brought a hammer to a wedding was for a later conversation as Apple announced, “To get to him, you must first get through us.”
Slow rose from the table, standing in front of Apple, making a fourth line of defense.
Joined at his side were Zeke on the left and Yield on the right.
Stop stood, joining the line, gnawing on a chicken leg, followed by Falling Rocks, One Way, Wrong Way, Merge and Mrs. Hump, who seemed bored by it all.
The Mann joined the line at the end, opting to be far away from Mrs. Hump.
Slow, in his leisurely manner, proclaimed, “You’ll never get to them because you will be dead before you make it through us.”
Mark Neary wanted in, jumping to the end of the line and proudly proclaiming, “And me! I’m Slippery When Wet.”
“Daddy, you don’t have a handle, please sit down,” Slow said.
Joe Neary, shocked his brother was in on it and not him, got to his feet as well. “I’m the Dead End. The buck stops with me, and nobody is getting through me!”
“Slow your roll, Daddy,” Gabriel Neary said, rising to stand front and center of The Directions. He was flanked by Azrael, Belial, Ariel, and Moloch. “The Archangels are present, and the last thing you want is to take on us.”
A loud, maniacal, Spaghetti Western Bad Guy laugh came from a corner as Jesús de la Marta came forward. “Cousin, are you aware of this infraction upon a family fun event?” He asked of Eduardo.
“I have sanctioned no moves. As a matter of fact, I did the opposite, and I know none of these people would dare defy me!” Eduardo announced boldly.
Kurtzwilde threw up his hands. “Whoa, whoa, whoa! I have an invite. I came to eat dinner with my kids, wish the newlyweds well, and play with my grandsons. No trouble from me,” he said, waving his invite. “I even brought a gift.”
Helen, in the rear of the room, clapped her hands. “Enough. Stand down everyone. Everyone stand down. I invited them all,” she said, separating herself from the kids.
She patted Micah’s shoulder, offering him a wink as a thank you.
The Fruits parted the line, allowing her to walk down the middle.
The skirt of the open-faced panted dress swaying as she walked.
The Directions created an opening as she stepped through, and Gabriel offered a slight bow as she passed.
“Stephen, Jeffrey, please come escort the ladies to their table,” Helen called out.
“Michael, it is good to see you again. Mama Ruth, can we have the servers bring him a chicken dinner? You can join your kids at Table Two. DJ, let’s get the music going again.
Ladies, please take a seat and enjoy a meal, and I shall join you momentarily. ”
She said the last part as Mustang walked into the room with a look of confusion on his face. The vibe of the room had changed. In the center of the maelstrom was of course his wife. “I was gone ten minutes! Ten minutes! What in the hell happened?”
“Swallowtail, Hornwood, and Imperial have arrived,” she said, pointing at the ladies.
“Hornworm,” he gently corrected, looking at his father who was in a protective stance as well as Uncle Joe.
The look on his brother Slow’s face said some shit went down, and a young man with entirely too much machismo was giving him the stink eye.
“Who is that kid looking at me like he wants to fight me?”
“The Bushmaster,” she told him, “However, you might have to fight Naomi to get to him.”
“Just tell me later,” he said as Ruth pulled them both by the arm to cut the cake.
He looked over the crowd, noticing that Jesús had actually come to their wedding.
He spotted Naomi trying to get to the one his wife called The Bushmaster, and his brother Slow trying to prevent her from doing so, and finally, Mustang noticed Eduardo Delgado. “Wait, is that?”
“Yes, it is,” she called out to the Fer de Lance, “Senor, wave hi to The Mustang.”
The Fer de Lance scowled at her, making Helen smile. “He likes me a lot. A bitch made a friend,” she said, laughing.
Hand-in-hand, they sliced through the cake, gently feeding each other a bit of lemony goodness.
The servers arrived, passing out plates to everyone else as Helen whispered to her husband, “I’ll join you at the table in a few.
” First, she needed a conversation with two shrinking caterpillars.
She made her way to the table as if she had all the time in the world.
Chicken dinners were served before the women with glasses of white wine to accompany the meal.
“Ladies, I’m glad you could make it,” Helen said, taking a seat.
“Did we have a choice?” Swallowtail asked, her heavy voice filled with bitterness. “You came to my home. How dare you come to my home!”
“You’re lucky I didn’t take your life, you disgusting pedophile,” Helen said in a lowered voice, smiling at her. “I am offering this olive branch to you both. You see my face. You see the team behind me. Cease your operations of preying on children, and you’ll be allowed to live.”
Hornworm spoke, “And if we don’t?”
“Let’s see what happens,” Helen said, offering a smile.
The red aura surrounding Hornworm stated loudly how unapologetic she was for anything.
“You’re entirely too old to be this nasty.
Take up a craft, travel, find another way to pass your time before time passes you by.
Look around this room; look at these families.
Even Imperial has a family, well, several.
Those children of his are very accomplished people.
You have given nothing back to this world. ”
Swallowtail’s black aura darkened as she spoke “In all honestly, you don’t know what the fuck I’ve given to this world.”
“Perhaps. I know when you leave it, no one is going to give a fuck; especially me, I just don’t want to sully my hands to make it happen. But I will if I need to,” Helen said rising. “Enjoy the cake. Nice chat.”
“That’s it? You had us come all this way for some rubber chicken and fucking cake?” Hornworm said.
“No, I had you come all this way to see the power that is against you,” Helen said.
“I am the Cranberry. I am the protector of women, children, and the defenseless in the state of Indiana. There is one of me in every state. Don’t take the chance.
Shut it down. Retire like Imperial. Go live a quiet life.
Hire a young chick who will willingly lick that rubbery old cooch.
Figure it out and excuse me. I have nuptials to celebrate. ”
She left the table and walked over to where the Stray Bullets were seated. A plate of food had materialized in front of Kurtzwilde, who seemed full of emotions. Helen stopped at the table and looked at him.
“Per your request,” she said.
“Thank you. I’ve retired,” Kurtzwilde said.
“So, I’ve heard. Enjoy the downtime,” she replied, moving towards the kids. She made a stop in front of Micah.
“Have you decided on a school yet?” She asked the young man who was happy to get away from the young women vying for his attention.
“MIT is looking good and possibly Yale,” he replied. “I even considered Miami University to be guided by The Lemon, but I am uncertain. If I do choose that option, I shall have built-in friends, and possibly a visit from my second favorite Tia.”
“Well, knowing who your favorite Tia is, I’m okay with second fiddle,” she said. “Plus, my niece has taken a liking to you.”
“Ah, the other is your sister,” he said, looking at Cherry, who was wedged between her mother and their father, looking quite miserable.
Slow wasn’t all too pleased either, talking with Darnell Nelson.
“She is interesting, but nothing like you. You, I don’t know; confuse me.
I want what I can’t have plus a hug from you.
It confuses me and leaves me with a desire to speak with you about my biological mother.
Si, confuses me this relationship we share. ”
“I am your friend,” Helen said. “I shall always be your friend, but you have a bigger challenge ahead of you in Alita. Be good to each other and it will work out well for you. Never take her for granted.”
“Senorita,” he said as she began to walk away. “I have this deep affection for you. The chances you take, you should not, but if you are ever in need, you have my card.”
“And nephew, you have mine,” she said, adding a wink.
The DJ called for the Bride and Groom to come have their first dance. Mustang joined her on the floor, extending his hand. Helen’s first thought was to tuck and roll to him, but it would mess up her hair. As he took her in his embrace, the conference doors swung open wide.
Anita Barnes entered the space, wearing a pink ball gown, swaddled in layers of taffeta, looking like a walking bag of cotton candy.
Waldo, dressed like a side show minstrel, came in the door striking a pose.
The reaction she wanted wasn’t the one she received as the entire room burst into laughter.
Anita Barnes deflated at her grand entrance being mocked.
On the dance floor, Anita spotted her daughter in the arms of a handsome, hunk of man.
Helen waved her hand and two young men, flocked to Anita’s side, escorting her to the table with Cherry, Slow, Stephanie and Darnell Nelson.
A mini family reunion. A quick glance showed the shock of Anita at seeing so many families and friends at her daughter’s nuptials.
So much of Helen’s life she knew nothing of, and she sat, quiet as a church mouse, learning, the little girl named Shenita was no more.
The woman on the dance floor was a new person, she would need to get to know.
“Your mother?” Mustang asked.
“Yep. Late. Loudly dressed and rude,” she said, facing him as the music started. “I love you.”
“And I you,” he said, twirling her about the floor. “Our journey hasn’t been by the book, but it makes for an interesting story.”
“So will this honeymoon,” she said, tiptoeing for a kiss.
“Yeah, you never said where we are going,” he replied, placing his cheek next to hers, careful of the cut on his chin.
“Italy. Wine country.”
He stopped. He stood frozen in the floor gawking at her. “You’re kidding, right?”
“The Cranberry don’t kid, baby,” she said. “Funky cheeses, dusty wine cellars, and grape juice slurping for seven days.”
“Marry me,” he told her, lifting her into his arms.
“I’m all yours,” she told him. “We have it all shut down for a little while, anyway. I get to simply be loved by an amazing man. Thank you for seeing me.”
“Baby, I can’t see anything but you,” he said softly, looking up. “That and the cloud of pink your mother is wearing.”
“She’s all kinds of ridiculous, but she’s mine,” Helen spoke, “and all of these people are my family. Life is good.”
The End