Vision Ch. 07

"Really?" I look at her in astonishment.

"Yep, Lenny built and designed it all. That beautifully grained wooden table has no screws, it's completely tongue and groove, all join-work, it actually slides apart. I have extra leaves in the attic somewhere to make it longer for holiday meals. We didn't have to buy much wood to complete the house.

My baby brother is a genius and if you ever tell him I said so, I'll deny it. It was a 400-year-old white oak and shaded the entire house; it was almost as wide as it was tall. He used the entire tree, there's nothing left but a little firewood, kindling and wood chips in the garage, which I give to Eddie as she likes to smoke various meats.

I found a guy to remove the tree and then grind down the stump. I thought I was doing a good job of talking him down on the price of removal because he relented and eased up on the price a bit. Lenny happened to be here and asked him what he was planning to use the wood for and the guy straight up told him, oh it's beautiful wood and that he already had buyers in mind for it.

Lenny was like, let me get this straight, you're going to charge us to remove this and then turn around and make a double profit and sell the wood? Lenny gave him the hard look and told him thanks but no thanks; he'd take care of it, he most certainly did.

He and Harry found someone with a crane and did a little bartering and they got the tree off the house and after he trimmed the heavy limbs from one side of it he laid it down in the backyard. He studied that tree for a month, measuring and planning and then he came over with all his saws and equipment went to work. He used the widest part at the bottom for the dining room table.

We all got a little crazy once we saw all the available space once the tree was gone and Harry went to town when I said I wanted a larger bathroom. I was thinking Roman Bath." She laughed.

"But saner minds prevailed. I contented myself with a new patio, a pathway and greenhouse. I was finally able to put in a proper garden with all the newfound sunlight. After all that hard-work I gave him a good talking to and told him, you are going to start a proper business Lenny and I mean right now. Look at this place if you can do this you can do anything. He said it was a labor of love. I said it was sheer brilliance. I mean you've seen my floors. Hell, have you seen my bed? It's a hand carved English reproduction. "

"Yeah, about that? I've been meaning to ask, why is your bed so huge? You're not exactly big."

"Family joke. I tend to toss and turn at night and have been known to fall out of bed. If the bed's large enough though I'm ok. I used to do it all the time when I was little and my sister and I shared a room. She was an evil little thing. One night I'd persuaded her to let me sleep with her in the top bunk and when I fell out but didn't wake up she looked over and left me there. I woke up on the cold hard floor. Mean little bitch." She shakes her head and smiles.

"You really adore your brother and sister."

"I do. Lenny was 12 years old when our parents passed; he feels more like my child than my brother sometimes. Lili was 14. I was 17 and just about to start my sophomore year of college. They drove me crazy, but we stuck together.

It got a little dodgy when at 14 Lenny had a major growth spurt and shot up to 5'11 seemingly overnight and wanted to mouth off and not do his homework, which, in retrospect, was pretty normal for a teenager. But then he took up with some street thugs from school, and I couldn't have that. You really have to stay on top of young black boys. It got to the point where I was kicking his ass every other day after working and going to school myself, " she chuckles.

Luckily, I had an entire police force to help me. Namely I had Uncle Jack and Harry, who are much bigger. Lenny's always looked up to Harry who regards him as a little brother. They are fric and frac those two. I think Harry studying to be an architect at UVA was an excellent influence.

Lenny'd always been good with his hands, able to look at just about anything and figure it out so Uncle Jack got him apprenticed with a carpenter and an architectural draftsman where he learned all those skills, it was see a child work a child at its best. He was kept too busy and engaged to get in any serious trouble and the best part is he learned an invaluable trade, and is now a master carpenter.

It was rather providential that it worked out that way as Richmond, Virginia has the largest contingent of standing Victorian homes in the United States, he never lacks for business.

You should have seen him ordering me and Harry around as we fixed this place. He was in heaven, able to boss both of us around at last. Especially Harry, bossing anyone as large as Harry always satisfies. Those architects bring shame to the game he says as they can plan and dictate, but have no idea how to actually build anything and if you ever saw one with a paintbrush in his hand you'd die of shock. But honestly Harry has no problem getting his hands dirty and constructing whatsoever.

They did an equal amount of work but Lenny is especially proud and rather protective of his masterpiece, comes by frequently to make sure I'm not ruining it. Half the time I think he did it all to have something to gloat about for the rest of my life."

"What about your sister?"

"Lili's never been much trouble. Scored very high on an ASVAB test and decided she wanted to build planes and went into the military of all things. Lived in San Antonio, Texas for a while, working at Toyota, assembling cars.

She's a quiet one, you have to watch her. Shocked the hell out of me when she got knocked up. She never talked about it just quietly came home and purchased a little home for herself and Jackson.

Took a few business courses to understand the nuts and bolts of managing a business as far as taxes and insurance and decided to open her own garage. Helps Lenny with his books as she likes bookkeeping. Her garage is very successful and wildly popular.

She helped me get that Maserati at auction. Though we both panicked a little when Uncle Jack told us a former drug-lord who owned it might recognize it and come after me. He's always trying to scare us straight so to speak. So she completely changed the look of it. Black chrome paint, a retractable hardtop. Who does that?"

Filed off the old vin# and 'acquired' a new one. Only god knows what she's done to the engine itself. It's a badass muscle car and almost Nascar fast. I feel like a streak of lightning driving it, it's completely over the top and I love it. Lili's quietly quite badass and I cannot, for the life of me, understand some of the men she sees.

After I got rid of those two, I went off to New York for 8 years, wanted to do dance but ended up going to law school. Got a bit of travelling in and just lived as a citizen of the world in a big city. I loved it, but it was so expensive. A lavish and slavish rat race, constantly bombarded with people, some of them weirdoes you can't forget fast enough. I went through a particularly rough patch and got good and tired and finally came home.

But I still miss and love it. No one engages in inane small talk. Looking around the subway car some days is like looking at a scene from the Matrix. Everyone, including yourself, is dressed in head to toe black. If you find yourself lost they turn into your favorite, aunt, uncle, cousin and practically escort you to your destination.

New York is a genuine, loud, in your face, dirty, sexy hot mess and I love it, especially the general lack of pretension. If you pay attention and know what you're about things there are exactly as they appear and you always know where you stand. At least that was my experience.

Outsiders call them rude, but to me there's nothing kinder than the person cursing you out versus the person with the fine manners ready to knife you in the back. There are so many fine mannered people here in Virginia.

"Sounds like you really miss it."

"Sometimes, I desperately do. I'm never more myself than I am there. It's always like coming home. I could tell you stories that would straighten your hair."

"Oh really? What'd you get up to up there?"

She smiles secretively. "What didn't I get up to?"

I look at her sideways and narrow my eyes. "It can't be any worse than my imagination, try me?"

She arches that eyebrow. "Try two men a day.

"WHAT?!"

"I was young and earning a decent living. I eventually settled down somewhat but New York is a big city. I was pretty ruthless. If you couldn't make me come and didn't know what you were doing you weren't invited back for a repeat performance. It's ridiculous to risk a communicable disease for bad sex. I was pretty wild for a few minutes.

Lenny came up towards the end and spoiled my fun. Harry called in a favor and got him in the New School architecture program. It was a feeble attempt to put a leash on me is what it was. But yes for a brief and shining moment I was outrageous. I always practiced safe sex, even carried my own condoms. Why do you think I carry that card?" She smiles wickedly and sighs fondly.

"I like to think of it as my summer of Ho. Fine for a season, but definitely not a lifestyle choice. Well at least not for me. Not for moral reasons, mind you. The fear of contagion got to be a bit much for my naturally paranoid self. Some guys you feel like you should dip in bleach before you use them. But in the end I got so busy just didn't have the time. That's what I like about having you so handy when mama feels randy."

I'm starting to see red. Seeing the look on my face she sighs in exasperation. "You wanted to know, so don't start with the provincial bullshit. I'm not about to apologize for anything I did before I met you. I'm 30 fucking years old man. If you want a virgin, go out and find one. Good luck with that. I don't know what it is about men or rather society that thinks women are the meeker of the two sexes. I like sex, you should be happy about that."

She's got a point but still. I watch her carefully.

She sighs. "Surely you've rolled the dice a few times yourself Big Easy."

"I had my moments."

"Oh no you don't buster, fess up!"

"What do you want to know?"

"How old were you the first time?"

I groan. "I was 14, she was 17. I was physically precocious."

"So you've a penchant for older women eh? I thought I caught you looking at my MM. I'll have to watch you." Her expression is perfectly deadpan but there's a mischievous twinkle in her eye.

"Have you ever been to john school?"

"What the hell is that?"

"Ah, so the answer's no. Ever paid for sex?"

"I'm a man. We all pay for sex one way or another."

She throws a pillow at me.

I groan again. "Why do you ask?"

"Why don't you answer?"

I keel over face down into the thrown pillow. "Yes." My response is a bit muffled.

"What's that?" I hear the teasing in her voice.

I sit up and look at her. "Yes, I've paid for sex."

"Ok cool." She smiles.

"That's all you have to say?"

"Well it's nothing to be proud of. But, it happened before you met me I assume and as long as you're clean and no longer out there I could care less."

"You don't want all the dirty details?"

"If you care to share, sure." I look at her and she looks back at me like what?

"No. We've done enough sharing I think. We're heading into scaring territory now." I certainly don't want to think anymore about anyone else having had her.

She laughs at me. "Punk."

I frown at her. She laughs and straddles me on the sofa and kisses me until I smile.

"Come to think of it, have you paid for sex Lou?"

She gives me a wicked look. "Does a lap dance count?"

"Lap dance? Male or female?"

"Both."

Both? I can only imagine that scene. Is that what Matt was talking about?

She smiles in remembrance. "Yep."

"No, doesn't count."

"No?" She sighs wistfully. "Something to live for. If it helps, you're the first man I've slept with on this couch, in my tub and in my bed in this house for that matter."

"Yeah? Well that's something I guess." The last man if I have my way. I mutter under my breath

She rolls her eyes. I'm not proud of the fact, but this bit of information satisfies.

"This, what we're doing, is a big deal for me. You totally jacked me up. I could put it down to sex, but for me really I think it was that cake!"

I throw my head back and laugh.

She kisses me and runs her hands under my shirt.

--

It blows all night long and we hear the wind whistling eerily through the shutters at one point, but that seems to be the extent of it. A lot of rain and some flooding along the James River and a lot of downed trees. We rode out the storm pretty well, there's debris all over the place and the power goes out for a few hours but except for a cracked pane of glass on the greenhouse out back everything is in fine condition. We open the shutters and I put the gates up and we drag the plants back outside and Lulu heaves a sigh of relief. I think Lulu and I both have a touch of cabin fever and just need to be out in the open air for a bit.

"I'm going to ride out and check on Eddie, she lives out there alone on that mini plum plantation of hers. I'll call you if I need to. I'm taking my bike there's no telling how many trees are down around town.

Lenny's pulling up as Lou leaves, we're going to play some ball and hang out. I want to talk to him about an idea I have for a free standing wrought iron structure on rails to enclose the greenhouse during bad weather. Or maybe shatterproof glass.

We get to the gym and stretch for a bit and play a little horse and shoot the shit. It's pretty empty but then Harry and his buddies show up and we get a game going. Admittedly, I deliberately pit myself against Harry. I've got Lenny on my team and once we get on a roll we're pretty unstoppable, we're both great with the blind pass.

Lenny's very fast and he pretty much covers the backcourt while I am fast shooting off the dribble, which I pretty much have to be as Harry and his 6'5 are pretty much impossible to get around and there is not a chance in hell of any one of us getting close enough for a layup let alone a dunk. I can't really guard him, especially when he's driving to the basket.

He's large, fast and powerful. I've bounced right off him twice now trying to defend against him, but he's not quite fast enough to guard me either, so we're pretty evenly matched. These guys really are playing hard today and the score is 88 - 80 in our favor.

I'm feeling pretty good. I've got a triple double, 11 assists, 10 rebounds and 11 steals. All my steals are off of Harry. I can't stop him, the man is just too broad and kind of fast too. But for some reason he's easy pickins today and my pick and roll game is strong.

Well at some point he's clearly had enough of me dogging his steps, because he comes down and turns with his elbow and catches me in the eye, the last thing I see before I hit the floor is Lenny's look of surprise.

When I come to, I'm on my back and I see familiar black military boots coming towards me at a good clip, there's someone with her. Lenny's getting off his cell phone.

I can call an ambulance, he says. I can hear the distress in his voice. He's 25 but will always be a little boy in a sense with regards to his big sister, even though she's the smallest of the three children. She kneels down and looks anxiously at me.

Eddie kneels on the other side of me setting down her doctor's bag and with cool hands, examines me carefully. I can't get a fix on her. She's obviously a product of the swirl, but I can't tell if she's Asian, Hispanic or Black. I never noticed before but she's got beautiful hair, perfect curls. Damned tall.

"He's fine, just a little banged up but not heavily concussed or anything, he'll need some ice and ibuprofen but he'll live."

Lulu stands. "What happened?"

No one says anything.

She claps her hands loudly. "Someone answer me!"

No one says anything but they all look at Harry who steps forward.

"It was an accident, I came down and he was there when I turned around and I kind of grazed him with my elbow."

"Bullshit. That signature move of yours is exactly why I stopped playing with you. It's still a mystery how you managed to almost dislocate my shoulder. You accidentally grazed him with your elbow and that was enough to render him unconscious? This was no accident, this was malicious intent."

Her voice rises on that last word as she moves towards Harry. Lenny steps forward ready to stop her attack.

I sit up woozily. "Bébé I'm fine, really, just had the wind knocked out of me." I kind of want to whip his ass myself.

Riley helps me stand. She takes a deep breath but stays quiet.

"I'm good guys, let's finish up."

Eddie gasps, and goes to say something but Lulu stops her with a small shake of her head. They sit on the bleachers and watch the rest of the game, which we handily win even though my eye and the back of my head are really starting to throb.

Harry comes forward and apologizes again. "I'm sorry man really."

"It's all good. I'll see you guys next week." We shake hands. "You ready?"

"Yeah let's head home. Eddie you mind coming over for a bit?"

"No problem chicky."

"Catch Lenny and have him put my bike in the truck bed."

We head out and I make it out of the building and to the truck under my own steam. My head is killing me by the time I get in the car. I sag back against the seat. I am in no shape to drive.

Lulu goes "I thought so, let's switch."

She jumps out and comes around and shoves me across the seat and drives us home, sitting on the edge of the seat to reach the steering wheel and peddles. She looks like a little girl at the wheel. But she handles it pretty well even if she does grouse.

"I don't know how you drive this thing, it's got more blind spots than Ray Charles. I didn't mean to show you up, but when Lenny called me and said you were unconscious, I panicked a little."

Why is she apologizing?

"I can't believe Lenny called you, I only got the wind knocked out of me."

Looking straight ahead she snorts. "Lenny did the right thing and that's the only reason he's off the hook. I will tear Harry a new one later though you can believe that." Her look is menacing.

"Those two have beaten up more than a few of my would-be suitors on the court I assure you. Let me guess, you were winning when this happened?"

"How'd you know?"

She nods. "I knew it. When were both 15, he did the same thing to me. He was only a little taller than you are now, he topped out at 19. We were playing and he came around and clipped me, hard, bloodied my nose and almost broke my collarbone and dislocated my shoulder. It hurt like a motherfucker.

He didn't break anything but I was in a stabilizing sling for a month. " She chuckles, "Uncle Jack tore into his ass! In fact I am sorely tempted to call and rat him out now. Though knowing Lenny, Uncle Jack and Arlene both probably know by now, serves him right. I hope Uncle Jack makes him rebuild his entire house.

She fumes all the way home and though it's a little comic, I know better than to even crack the slightest smile. We arrive and she helps me out of the truck, she's got her arm around my waist supporting me, she calls to Eddie to come in and help herself to anything while she gets me situated.

We go down the hall into the bathroom. Stripping off our clothes, she gets me into the shower and scrubs me quite thoroughly, taking extra care with my face and head. Leaving me to enjoy the water and the view, she's all business as she gives herself a good lather and scrub and then we're out and she's drying us and wrapping us both in towels and telling me to lie down. Still looking worried and examining me all over, looking for further injury, she doesn't find anything else and breathes a small sigh of relief, but continues to look concerned.