The Contract Ch. 05

"I wouldn't know Paul."

"So Ben, what are you doing here at the dojo?"

"Taiko Drumming, I'm one of the instructors."

He sat on one of the stools and lathered himself up. I looked at him, and noticed a red mark on his butt.

"So, I see that Tonya told you to get tested."

He washed off and came into the soaking pool.

"Yeah, I got it too. Tell me, did they pull out a long....."

I nodded. "Hurt didn't it?"

He nodded. "Paul, she lied to me. She told me that she was already in the process of divorcing you. I thought you had been served eight months ago in February. She said the divorce was coming, but the paperwork was dragging behind. I found out she had not told the truth when she had you served at the football game. Do you know that she also wanted us to leave Quartz Springs high school, and go to Batesville."

I held up my hand. "Don't care. Don't want to care. She's from Batesville, so that makes sense."

I let out a deep breath. Maybe I did care, a little. Batesville was 35 miles away. Tonya switching schools to her home town would put her in a AAAA School district. She didn't want to stay at a AAA High school like Quartz Springs. She had ambitions.

"Well Ben, she was divorcing me, but she never told me she was. She had a man hating bitch for a lawyer, and was planning on royally screwing me. My lawyer turned it against her. Tonya ended up getting fucked by her lawyer's tricks, but she'll be OK."

We sat there silently for a few minutes.

"So, are you going to marry Tonya?"

"I broke it off as soon as she came back to the stadium. We're not seeing each other right now."

"What?"

"Yeah, she lied to me. She told me she wanted me to move in with her immediately. This has all happened too quickly, and I demanded a cooling off period. I wanted her to get her head on straight before I commit to anything with her. I don't trust her."

I nodded. I understood what he meant about trust.

"Just remember this Ben. You would be marrying a woman who was unfaithful to her first husband. She really needs to prove to you that she won't get the seven year itch on you."

"Yeah, I've been thinking about that a lot."

We didn't say much after that. I finally got out and started to leave.

"My god, you really did get worked over!"

"Yeah, I can't wait until my third day of class."

***** Thursday 10/26/2006 *****

I didn't go out of the trailer. I managed to make ramen noodles, twice.

A crew came up and knocked on the door. They were going to work on the slab for the workshop. They made a lot of noise, and then they went away.

***** At the Dojo *****

The room was quiet as Mr. Sato entered the room and knelt.

"Mr. Sato, what is your evaluation?

"Mr. Himaki, his training is good, but he lacks flexibility especially in his left shoulder. The rigidity is pretty typical for someone using hard techniques. He has strong wrists, probably from his two sword fighting style in Kendo. He is very respectful of his superiors, never telegraphs his moves, is patient with others, and is very tenacious. Overall, he has the making of a champion, and would make an incredible instructor for the dojo.

Mr. Sato looked over at Ran Himaki, who was pouring tea for the two of them to drink. There was no expression on Ran's face. She finished pouring the tea, returned to a corner of the room, and sat. Mr. Sato continued.

"By the time Mr. Beckson has completed the minimum requirement of two months of training as a white belt, he will probably have successfully demonstrated the Waza for the first five levels. He will have to wait three months as a yellow belt to obtain the orange belt. It takes a minimum of three years to obtain a black belt, but he will have to actually desire the black belt to get it. I have no idea why he only wants a yellow belt."

Kenji Himaki leaned forward. "We can offer him a Junior Instructor position for Kempo, and Kendo, but he will not have enough classes to add him full time to the Dojo. He was given a six month membership, so we think we will have to offer him a full time position before that. Can we count on you?"

Mr. Sato shook his head, "Not with an orange belt. In two years, if he acquires a brown belt, yes. But I can not make him a junior instructor in six months. You will have to find something else for him to do. What about running the Kyudo hall?"

"He has no training there either."

Kenji Himaki picked up his tea, and took a sip. He had expected Mr. Sato's response to be exactly that. He had hoped Ran had heard enough. Ran had Kyudo experience. She even competed while she went to High school, and at Tokyo University. Ran could train him in Kyudo, if she wanted him around full time. He decided to give Ran a little push.

"Ran."

"Yes father."

"After his next Jujitsu lesson, I want you to examine Mr. Beckson's left shoulder. Report your findings to Mr. Sato, and charge any medication to my account."

"As you wish, father." As Ran bowed, she smiled.

***** Friday 10/27/2006 *****

I woke to the sound of machinery. The building people had a trencher and dug eight inch slits joining each of yesterday's holes. Metal rods were going into the slits, and metal forms were going up around the edge. I was told that the concrete slab would be poured today. I left to get away from the noise.

There was a short stop at the bank, Tonya and I finalized the transfer of the house and refinanced the loan into her name. I was now separated completely from Tonya.

I spent most of the afternoon at the glass supply store, talking to Eddy. I was in limbo in terms of getting back to anything with the glass. I did show Eddy the pattern block that I had made, and the pot melt results. The pattern block was good, but the pot melt sucked. I talked to Eddy about how to get started in the craft business.

I went back to the farm at four, only to be blocked by cement trucks trying to get in. I drove back into town. I thought about calling Mary and talking to her, but she would be at the football game with her son Jason. I didn't think Mary would appreciate me taking Sherri out to dinner. I didn't want to go to the football game. I had no interest in seeing Tonya's drill team, or Ben's marching band.

I ended up having a beer and barbeque. The place was deserted; most people were at the homecoming game. I took my time.

I felt alone, very alone. The last two days I had been alone. Sure I had talked to Eddy, but I had not talked to my friends at work in a week. My wife was gone. I was required to stop training in Kempo and switch to Jujitsu, for my anger management requirements, so those friends were gone. I still had Kendo, but I had passed on Thursday's class because I was too beaten up. If the Sempai Sato didn't let up on me, Kendo would be out, too.

The country music at the barbeque switched to a song about losing your woman. The music wasn't helping at all. I thought I was handling this well, but it was starting to hit me how alone I was. Mary was right, I would take a few days before this whole thing would hit home. Right now, I needed someone to talk to, and there was no one.

The next thing I knew Richard was standing at my table and reaching his hand in to shake mine. He sat down and we talked. But it was more like I listened. I was happy to hear a friendly voice. Richard eventually slipped me the numbers of two women at the company who were very concerned about me. Wow! Women were giving me their numbers, without me even asking for them! My ego was given a huge boost.

***** Halftime at Stadium ******

The band and the drill team watched as the away team marched on the field, Mary Brooks picked up another case of Sprite and Coke and placed them into a washtub. Once the bottom of the tub was filled, Mary dumped the cooler of ice on top. Her job would be to hand out drinks to the band and drill team members after they did their show. She looked over at the float, and a tear ran down her face.

Seventeen years ago, she was seventeen years old. Mary was on one of those floats, and she had been first runner up as homecoming queen. These were happy memories of that night. She also had the memory of what changed her life that night. Seventeen years ago, Jimmy Brooks, the all county linebacker, made love to her in the bed of his pickup at Arrow Point, and they conceived their son Jason. She spent most of her senior year, receiving condemning looks from her classmates. When Mary graduated in May, she was seven months pregnant. Mary had a June wedding and a July delivery.

Mary would not have an abortion. She felt it was a horrible thing to end a life. All the people she thought were friends treated her like she had the plague. She was abandoned, and ridiculed for doing what she felt was right. Jimmy seemed immune to the scorn. Many friends gave him high fives for showing how virile he was. Jimmy's parents paid for the engagement ring, which he gave her on Christmas Eve. Even with the engagement ring on, Mary was a scum in the eyes of the student body.

It had been a hard life, living in the garage apartment of her parent's home. Jimmy went to work as an auto mechanic, and didn't help much with Jason. She felt ashamed of her pregnancy, but loved her child. When she went to the grocery store to buy food, she felt that all eyes were staring at her, condemning her as a slut. Her mother stepped in, and started going to the store for her. Mary stayed home, and didn't venture out of the apartment for almost two years.

Jimmy would come home, and watch TV, waiting for Jason to fall asleep. He would then rut into his wife until he had ejaculated, and then go back to watching TV. Mary became a pleasure doll for him, and he expected sex to only be about his gratification. The only love bond that Mary had was with Jason, especially as he suckled on her breasts. She felt that she was the only one who cared about her son and vowed to keep him safe. She would never abandon her son, like her friends had abandoned her. Breast feeding Jason became the time when Mary nourished her own soul.

Finally, Mary's mother convinced her to earn a college degree at night.. Her mother babysat Jason two nights a week, for four years. When Jason was in the first and second grade, Mary switched to day classes. After earning her degree, it took Mary another eight months to pass the CPA exam. She'd done it. Mary Brooks was now a Certified Public Accountant and started to come out of her shell of misery.

It was while studying for the CPA exam that Mary caught Jimmy cheating for the first time. She took him back, but swore not to get off the pill until her career as an accountant had been established. She suspected that he'd been running around on her the entire marriage, but had no proof. Twice more Jimmy strayed. Twice more Mary forgave, but never forgot.

In a last ditch effort to save her marriage, Mary gave in to Jimmy's pleadings, and agreed to have a three way with another woman. Jimmy brought home Sherri Grey, and the three enjoyed themselves. The following week, Jimmy set up a second encounter, but had to work late. When he got home, he silently watched the two make love before entering. Jimmy found out that both Mary and Sherri had faked every orgasm with him, and that ended their marriage.

Mary used Ben as a rebound lover, and contracted Chlamydia. She went back to Sherri, and Sherri opened her heart to her. Mary's talk about nursing Jason turned on Sherri's biological clock, and now Sherri longed for a baby. Mary responded by pretending to be her child, and once again, breast feeding became the time that Mary nourished her soul.

Mary reached into her bag, retrieved a thick rubber right glove and put it on. The glove insulated her hand from the cold when she reached into the tub to grab a soft drink. She paused and looked at the ring that Sherri had given her six days ago. Less than two years ago, Mary thought that she was a heterosexual woman. While she still hadn't said "Yes" to Sherri, she was getting more and more used to the thought that she was going to have a female life partner instead of a male. She still had not talked to her mother, or any of her friends. The only sole who knew was Paul.

Once again, she was afraid of the condemning eyes that would glare at her. The homecoming brought back the shame that she had felt in her senior year.. It was going to happen again. This time she might not have her mother to help her through it. This time the entire town might turn their backs on her as a lesbian.

Tomorrow was a big day for Mary; she was going shopping with her mother. Her mother knew that she was living with a roommate, but thought it was a platonic relationship. Unlike her son Jason, Mary's mother would understand the significance of the ring she was wearing. Mary wasn't expecting to get much shopping done. She was worried about how her mother would act. Her mother had done so much to help her raise Jason, and it was tearing her apart to think that her mother might turn her back on her.

"Bitch."

The voice was low, but she had heard it. Mary was knocked out of her train of thought. "What did you say?"

Mary turned in the direction of the voice, and saw Tonya.

"You heard me the first time, Traitor."

Tonya had accused her of stabbing her in the back, but Mary knew she had done the right thing. In Mary's eyes, Tonya became every friend that had abandoned her that last year of high school. This time, Mary would not shrink away. She would fight back for what she felt was right.

"Tell me Tonya, would you call me that if Paul was the one having an affair, and I had come to you?"

Tonya was frozen.

"I see. I actually liked both of you, and I would have ratted either of you out. I don't like cheaters. My ex cheated on me at least three times."

"You almost cost me my job." Tonya was still talking in a low voice, trying to make this look like a casual conversation.

"And you're actions caused Paul to lose his. There is no comparison here, Tonya."

"Paul is keeping something big from me, and I want you to find out what it is. My lawyer told me that he had set up a trap for me."

"Oh, so you want to know about the bonus check?"

"What did he cheat me out of, Mary?"

"Nothing Tonya, Paul actually never received the bonus check until after the annulment. So you have no claim to it, if your lawyer would have slowed down instead speeding up the annulment, you might have gotten part of it. Besides Tonya, you made out well, from what I hear."

"That's not true, I got bent over and screwed."

"I'll trade you settlements right now, Tonya."

"What?"

"You heard me, I was married for sixteen years Tonya, I will trade you everything I got for everything that you got."

For the second time, Tonya was frozen.

"One year ago, I got a two year old Volkswagen Jetta with a ten thousand dollar loan on it, two thousand dollars in credit card debt, and four thousand in cash. I ended up leaving my marriage with eight thousand dollars of debt. Now, before you EVEN accuse me of going after either Ben OR Paul, I want you to look at this!"

Mary held up her left hand, and showed off her engagement ring. She was now proud to be Sherri's partner. Tonya had given her the courage to face her mother, and tell her everything. Mary pulled off the glove, reached into her bag, and pulled out her cell phone. She punched the speed dial.

After a few seconds Tonya could clearly hear Mary say, "Honey, I love you, with all my heart, and the answer is YES! I will marry you!"

Tonya was crushed. She was hurting over the loss of both Ben and Paul. She wanted someone to sympathize over her situation. She had become angry that no one would listen to her side of the story, and had lashed out at Mary. Mary had it far worse that she did, and was not giving her an ounce of sympathy. Worse than that, Mary had filled her life with someone she truly cared about, and was rubbing it in Tonya's face. Tonya shrank away, and went back to her drill team.

***** *****

Ben watched the little encounter between Mary and Tonya, and was happy that someone else was giving Tonya grief about what she did. If he was going to connect up with Tonya ever again, she would have to learn to respect the feelings of the man she was with. She was smothering herself in self pity, and denying any responsibly for failure of her marriage.

He thought they had a chance, but he could not start a relationship on deception. He had to break it off. She would have to come clean, and then he might be, and that was a big might be, able to start it up again. The trust was gone, and now he took Tonya's words with the same regard as one of his students when they forgot their homework.

He was tired of the life of casual sex, he was able to get pussy any time he wanted it. What he wanted now, was a wife and a family. Ben was a musician, and before being a high school band director, he was a bass player in several rock bands. Besides being a musician, Ben was also extremely well endowed. He would have the groupies begging to take another slide down his pole.

He had all the women he wanted, but no security. He had learned the hard way, the difference between a musician and a large pizza was that the pizza could actually feed a family of four.

His final stint lasted three years with a local band that never made it out of the college circuit. They had a CD and tried to get a larger national following but had failed. He did get his pick of women every night. They would flock to him and open their mouths and their legs. He had contracted an STD a few times, but had been careful and very lucky.

After a threadbare summer tour, the bottom fell out the rock band, Azure Heart, three years ago. Three of the five members had contracted permanent STD's. Two had genital herpes, and Ricky, the drummer, tested positive for HIV. Ben was one of the two that had dodged a bullet. Within three months Ricky came down with full blown AIDS. His health slipped away quickly, and was barely able to make it to the band's final concert, a tribute and fundraiser for him. Ben remembered playing his heart out at that concert. That concert was considered the best concert Azure Heart ever put on.

For the past three years, Ben had been a high school band director. It didn't pay very well, but it was a living. Other than the tribute concert, Ben had started to live a more normal life, and wanted to find a special someone to share it with.

He tried to hook up with the single parents of his students, considering it less hazardous than being on the road. It wasn't. He contracted Chlamydia. Word got around that Ben was a "Big Man", and divorcees came running to him, but not for marriage. He became a novelty for the women to sample, and pass on. Many had sex with him, just to humiliate their ex with how they were now getting it from a "Big Man". Worse still, one woman had laughed in his face at the thought of getting married to him. That woman got a larger alimony check each month than Ben made as a teacher. She'd lose her meal ticket and that was out of the question.

Ben was a novelty act to these women. He didn't want to go back to the life on the road. He wanted a normal life. He wanted to meet a woman, fall in love and marry her. He thought he'd found it in Tonya. She was amazing and her husband didn't appreciate her. It was a dream come true when he comforted Tonya about her dissolving marriage, and she told him that she was falling in love with him. When he learned of the impending divorce, he thought he'd be a part of a husband-wife team, working together, sharing in their accomplishments. He felt led on and used by this two-timer, just like the other women who just wanted to have the experience of a big man between their legs. When she said she wanted to spend the rest of her life with him, he thought she was telling the truth, but now, he wasn't sure.