Chapter 6
Clem
Oren has become obsessed with Whitney, my new neighbor.
I think it is because of the lack of female interaction in his home environment.
With his mother not being around, and neither his father nor I bringing random women around him to get a false attachment to, he seems to have taken a shine to Whitney.
But from what I’ve seen so far, Whitney would be a good person for him to be around, and who wouldn’t hurt Oren.
I’ll have to speak to Myles and see if he’s okay with Oren seeing Whitney as much as he is.
“Come on, bud, it’s time for school,” I shout, knowing Oren has been a little off school lately. It stems from when the year changed teachers. I’m not sure Mr. Brewster gels with his class as well as Mr. Cosworth did. I hope it only gets better as things go along.
“Do I have to go to school? Whitney needs my help today. She’s got her furniture coming,” Oren whines, and I hold back a chuckle because I don’t think it would be wise to encourage his wanting to stay home.
“Yeah, bud, you have to go to school. But when you come home, we’ll pop around and see if she needs any help.” It’s the best I can offer him at this stage because he’s going to school whether he likes it or not.
Opening up the garage, I look at the list of jobs I have, and think Myles better get his ass home soon or I’m going to have to hire a mechanic. I can’t keep up with everything on my own.
Two hours into working I hear my phone ringing. While I’ve been on my own and looking after Oren I’ve kept the radio low so I don’t miss any calls. Picking up my cell phone, I see it’s Oren’s school.
I quickly wipe my hands and take the call. “Hello, is Oren okay?”
“Mr. Barstow, Mr. Glenshaw speaking. We need you to come and pick Oren up. He had a fall and has a gash on his leg. The nurse thinks it needs a stitch. We have placed a Steri-Strip on the gash, but it needs a professional to look at it.”
Mr. Glenshaw is the principal, and he is a reasonable man, always showing care to the children. Both Myles and I have found him decent and in touch with the young kids under his care.
“I’ll lock up the garage and come right over. Give me thirty minutes.” I know this is going to mess up another portion of the day.
“Okay. I’ll keep Oren in reception so you can pick him up there.” Mr. Glenshaw quickly cuts the call when someone speaks to him.
Arriving at the school twenty-six minutes later, I walk into reception and Oren is sitting with a sad look on his face. He’s obviously been crying, and I don’t like to see that.
“What happened?” I ask the woman at the reception desk. She’s new, so I don’t know her or how she interacts with people.
“Apparently, Oren was fighting, but he won’t say why.”
“Okay, I’ll find out.”
I quickly walk over to him and hunker down in front of him, lifting his chin up with a finger. “You okay, bud?”
Now, Oren who is usually a chatty thing just gives me a nod before putting his head down again. I kiss the top of his head. “Come on, let’s go to the hospital and let someone have a look at your owie.”
“Okay,” Oren replies with a wobble on his chin. Yeah, this has upset him.
After getting a stitch put in the gash at the hospital, we head to the garage for me to lock up properly for the rest of the day. I’m watching Oren closely as he seems sullen, which is not like him at all.
Handing Oren a glass of milk and an Oreo, which he loves, I sit next to him on the sofa and see a tear run down his cheek. I put my arm around his shoulder and draw him to my side. “What’s up, bud?” I ask as I kiss the top of his head.
“Bryan was telling me my mother hates me; that’s why I’ve never seen her.”
Gritting my teeth, because although it is typical of kids to hurt others, I know this is coming from Bryan’s father who hates Myles.
“No, she doesn’t hate you, bud. She was a person who wanted what was best for you, and the best for you was for her to leave.
You have your dad and you have me. You don’t need anyone else. ”
“Do you think Whitney will leave because it’s best for me?”
Now, I have to grit my teeth again, because I don’t want Oren to think every woman he knows will leave him. “Now, isn’t Whitney just moving in?”
Oren nods, but doesn’t reply verbally.
“If she’s just moving in, why would she leave?”
“Oh…” Oren this time softly replies. “Yeah, she did just move in.” This time said with a much livelier tone.
“Now, tell me how you got your gash?”
For the next half an hour, Oren tells me all about how he punched Bryan, how he had to see the nurse, and then sat in reception. But what is going to be addressed is the fact that Bryan was not hauled into the office to be disciplined.
“Uncle Clem, Uncle Clem…” Oren shouts, and I rush into the living room to see what’s going on. “Look, Whitney’s stuff is here.”
Now when he wants to, Oren can move his ass, and that’s what he does. He bolts past me. Even with the stitch in his leg he doesn’t seem to have any trouble running with it.
“Hang on, bud. Whitney may not need you to go over just now,” I chase the little shit over to Whitney’s house just in time to hear Whitney speak.
“Hey, Oren, just in time. Can you keep the door open for them to carry these things in? Don’t let it close or it could scratch something.”
“I can do that, Whitney,” Oren responds, and he responds so seriously that I smirk.
I continue walking over to Whitney. “If he’s trouble, I’ll take him back home with me.”
“He’s fine, Clem. He’s a darling. Why isn’t he at school?” Whitney asks.
“He had an altercation with another kid. Spiteful little shit he is. But Oren punched him and was pushed to the ground. Trouble was he hit the side of the bench seat as he fell, and he has a stitch in his leg because of it. He’s been adamant he wants to help you get moved into the cottage, and a stitch isn’t going to stop him.
” I grin at the look of shock on her face.
“He’ll be fine with me. I’ll make sure he’s okay, and I’ll reward him with a cookie.
” Whitney smiles, gives me a small wave, dismissing me really, but she walks over to Oren and runs her hand over his head, kissing his forehead before telling him how important he is.
The pride I see on his face, and the way he puffs out his chest has me rubbing my own because I love that kid, and never want to see him hurt.
An hour later, I see the delivery van drive away. Whitney certainly had a lot of furniture delivered. I amble around and knock on the front door. Oren answers with a huge smile and a chocolate-milk moustache on his face
“Hi, Uncle Clem, come in,” Oren invites me in as though he lives here, which I chuckle at.
“Hi, Clem. Oren has been an enormous help. Thank you for letting him come over.”
“You are welcome,” I reply and smile in return to her broad smile.
“I’m going to see if I can find something for us to eat, would you like some with us?” Whitney asks and I see Oren looking smug that he’s going to be eating with Whitney.
“Actually, I have something made at the house, but if you would like to join us we’d be happy to have you.”
Whitney stopped where she was placing dishes into the dishwasher before folding the box she’d emptied and looking up. “I would love that if you have enough?”
“Plenty, I always cook more than I need. It’ll be ready in thirty minutes, so both of you come on over.” I ruffle Oren’s hair as I walk past and out of the cottage, scowling to myself when I catch myself humming.
Sure enough, the three of us tucked into the roasted beef, smashed potatoes and carrots I cooked in orange juice and ginger.
Oren talks about all the furniture Whitney has, and about the fact that it needs unpacking.
He even informs me that the beds need to be made and some bookcases and things need building as they came pre-packed.
“Well, it’s the weekend tomorrow, so if you would like, Whitney, both Oren and I can give you a hand?” I volunteer, telling myself it’s for Oren, but underneath that lie to myself I know it’s that I want to get to know her better.
“Oh, that would be kind, but I don’t want to be a nuisance. I can do it myself,” Whitney I can see is a little embarrassed but, of course, Oren jumps in again.
“You are our friend now, Whitney, and I’d like to help. Uncle Clem, you want to help don’t you?”
“I sure do, bud,” I reply, giving Whitney my best shit-eating grin. You can’t refuse now I’m smugly thinking.
“Well, thank you. It’s so good of you, so neighborly. I have a lot to do, and I want to decorate for Christmas. I see you haven’t decorated yet!”
Shit, so she’s struck back. “Oh, we’re going to Walmart to get new this year.” I try to cover my ass.
“But Uncle Clem, you don’t have decorations do you? I’ve never seen any here at your house. We have some at our house, and a tree. Maybe you could have a tree Uncle Clem?”
Now I’m not sure if the little fucker is being sneaky or not, but he has a half innocent half devil-horned look on his face. “Well, maybe I could this year, have a tree and some decorations.”
After I dismiss Whitney’s offer to help clear up because it’s the time Oren and I spend together each night she leaves, and we get things cleared away.
Oren takes a shower and gets into bed. I can tell he was tired from the day when he is asleep as soon as his head hits the pillow.
But his last thought was about making beds and building furniture, which has me shaking my head at him.
I make the call to Myles, and he picks up after only three rings. “Hi, Clem.”
“Hi, Myles. I just wanted to update you on Oren having a run-in with a kid at school, and he ended up having to have a stitch. Only one, and he’s okay with it, took it like a champ.”
“Fuckin’ hell, what happened?” I explain the situation and know Myles is not going to be happy. “Are you going into school?”
“Oh, yes, I’ll be seeing the principal alright, and he’s not going to be happy if he does nothing, because he’ll have to take his damn car to another auto shop if he pisses me off.”
Myles chuckles, “Good to hear. I’ll be home before Christmas, but I’m going to put the house up for sale. I’ve paid Greta off, but it’s costing me the house. I don’t care as long as she’s out of Oren’s life for good. Is it okay if we stay at your place?”
“Of course, you can stay here as long as you want or need. Brother, we only have each other now, and we will make sure Oren is good. He’s even more infatuated with Whitney since he’s been helping her move into the cottage today.
” In the next twenty minutes, I tell Myles all about Whitney and how good she is with Oren.
How she doesn’t baby him, but treats him like a mini-adult.
I tell him I’m drawn to her, but I’m not sure because the last thing I need is a woman.
“Clem, if you like her, and I mean really like her don’t let her slip through your fingers because of what happened with Greta.
I’ll find another woman eventually, but I’m more concerned with Oren right now.
He is my priority, but if I find someone who fits me and him, you better believe I’ll hang on to her. ”
That part of the conversation plays over and over in my mind while I’m falling asleep, and I don’t think I’m as cold on the idea as I thought I was.