Chapter 4
Clem
Well, I’ve been single for a long time now.
After ditching my high school sweetheart after hearing her talk smack about me, I’m perfectly happy living alone, not having the baggage of a woman around me.
But Whitney moving in next door has me thinking I’d maybe consider it if I weren’t so leery of women.
I’m looking after Oren at the moment as my brother has gone chasing his ex-wife across the country. She never wanted to settle down and have kids, and after getting pregnant she just checked out. Gave Myles a hell of a hard time throughout that pregnancy, and as soon as Oren was born she took off.
Myles is trying to find his ex-wife, Greta, so he can push her to sign over her parental rights to Oren.
She’s contacted him twice lately, threatening to go for custody if Myles doesn’t send her money.
It’s not happening, and she can’t force that.
But the fear of her getting Oren by a judge that could be bought, or is just not on this earth, has him doing what he can to finally get her out of their lives.
Walking into the kitchen, I take out a box of cereal and some milk while I pop bread into the toaster before shouting to Oren to get a move on, or he’ll be late for school.
“Can’t I come to work with you today, Uncle Clem?” Oren asks as he walks into the kitchen yawning.
“No, sorry bud, you gotta go to school. If you want to work with me when you grow up, you’ve gotta get your schooling done.” I try to always rationalize with Oren as he can be a little airheaded at times.
“Do you think the lady next door will let me go visit?” Oren asks with his mouth full of cereal.
“Hey, no talking with your mouth full, and keep it shut when eating because nobody wants to see the chewed-up stuff in your mouth.” I feel like his father rather than his uncle as he spends so much time with me.
“Yes, I think Whitney will be okay with you going around and visiting. Let her get moved in first though, bud.” I ruffle his hair as I walk past much to his annoyance.
“She’s pretty isn’t she, Uncle Clem?”
Now, she is beautiful, 5’4” I guess, with shoulder-length hair, brown with flecks of gold where the sun has highlighted it.
She is slim but not thin. She’s got meat on her bones, but she’s fit.
I wonder if she does any form of workout?
Realizing I haven’t answered I look at Oren. “Yeah, she is pretty.”
After getting Oren to school, I make my way to the garage where I open up and check my work roster for the day. Owning this place has grounded me, and I love working for myself. I don’t like the paperwork much, but it comes with the job.
Lunchtime came and went, and I eventually had to close up for thirty minutes to pick Oren up from school. I bring him back here to finish my work hours while answering all Oren’s questions, and listening to his never-ending chatter about his day at school.
I love this kid, and I’m going to miss him like crazy when his dad comes back for him.
I chuckle when I watch him trying to carry a heavy toolbox before throwing himself in front of the motorized toy car I purchased for him.
I, of course, disabled some things so he has to work out how to make it work.
The only way to learn is through trial and error.
Straightening up from under the hood of the vehicle I’m working on, I stretch my back until it cracks. I look over at Oren and he’s still concentrating on what he’s doing. Hearing my cell phone ring I pick it up from the tool bench and see it’s Myles calling. “Hi, Myles.”
“Clem, I’m sorry, but I’m not going to be back this weekend after all. I’ve found Greta, and she’s trying to pull a fast one about signing. I’ve told her she signs, or she’s a fuckin’ dead woman. I’ve got her tied up in the basement of the house I’m leasing.”
“Oh, shit. So, you gonna wait it out until she signs?”
“Damn right, I am. She’s a piece of shit, Clem.
She’s obviously on something, and I’m enjoying the sight of her coming down from it.
She’ll go through every part of withdrawal until the bitch signs.
Once she’s signed, I’ll ditch her where I found her, which was in an alley behind a nightclub.
That’s where she belongs now, Clem, in alleyways using the shit she’s addicted to.
” Myles sighs. “How’s Oren? Is he okay? I miss him so much, but I’m doing this for him and his future. ”
“I know you are doing it for Oren. He’s fine; he’s got a boy thing going on with my new neighbor. She stupidly spoke to him, and now he wants to go visit and have cookies with her.” I can’t help but chuckle.
“Is she nice?” Myles asks, and I know he asks because, like me, he has reservations regarding women now.
“She seems nice. She’s not moved in yet as the sale has just gone through. They came yesterday and took the For-Sale sign down. We’ll see what she’s like in time. Do you want to speak with Oren?”
“Yeah, put him on, and Clem thanks brother for looking after him.”
“Always, Myles. I’ll always look out for him.” I turn and see Oren still concentrating on the pieces of the car he’s taken apart. “Hey, Oren, come speak to your dad.”
I leave Oren talking excitedly to his dad about everything going on in his life, and chuckle when I hear him telling Myles all about my new neighbor, eating cookies and drinking milk.
Not having time to cook something for us tonight, I stop at the local KFC carry-out and buy us a stack of food. Not healthy but necessary. I’ll make sure to cook something wholesome over the weekend.
Later in the dining area I watch as Oren chomps heartily on chicken wings, the hot ones, which he loves. But he’s stuffing things in his mouth way too fast, and I have to slow him down again.
“Do you want to go to the museum on the weekend, Oren? They have a dinosaur exhibition on.”
“Wow, yeah, let’s go. I want to see dinosaur stuff,” Oren then goes into excitement mode about T-Rex and other enormous animals he wants to learn about. This kid is so excited about everything that he really has you looking at things in a different light.
As I’m washing our cutlery, my mug and Oren’s glass from his milk, I hear him talking to someone. Walking out the front door, which the little shit has gone out of without me realizing, I see him talking with Whitney over the hedge.
“Are you moved in yet?” Oren asks Whitney.
“No, not yet. I’ve got to get all the furniture first. But if you keep your eyes open you’ll see things getting delivered.” Whitney is speaking to him in such an adult way it confirms my first thought about the way she spoke to him.
“I’ll watch them so they don’t drop shit,” Oren lets slip the swear word, and quickly Whitney corrects him.
“You mean you’ll watch them with my purchases?” Whitney gives him a questioning eyebrow along with a look that says, don’t say shit again.
“Yeah, that’s what I said,” Oren says it with a hint of understanding, then gives Whitney a huge smile. “I’ll come over and make sure they put it where you want it.”
“Oh, that is so kind of you. You’re going to be such a gentleman when you are all grown up.”
Puffing his chest out with pride, I step up behind him and place a hand on his shoulder. “Come on, Oren. It’s time for a shower and bed. Say good night to Whitney.”
“Good night.” Oren waves and runs into the house.
“He’s a cute one. But I bet he’s a handful at times,” Whitney laughs at my look of ‘You can say that again.’
“If you need anything, just give me a shout. Moving isn’t easy, and if you need something moved, I’ll help.
” I give her a smile in return to the one she gives me, and you know I can’t help but think she has one heck of a beautiful smile; it lights up her entire face. Goddamn, I think I may be in trouble!