Date: Wed, 9 Sep 2015 23:10:58 +0000 (UTC)
From: Les Goldsmith <follies71@att.net>
Subject: Echoes From a Wishing Well Ch 12
All rights reserved. Copyright held by the author. If you are underage or
are offended by gay fiction, containing graphic sex and explicit language,
please exit now.
<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>
"Echoes from a Wishing Well"
Copyright Ritchris, 2007
A Story
by
Ritch Christopher
literary enhancement
by
Les Martin
<><><><><><>
chapter twelve
<><><><><>
Cyrus and Dean walked their hostess from Dee's dining room into the living
room, then Dean held onto Granny's rocking chair to steady it until she was
seated. Cyrus plopped himself down on the sofa which was draped with a
colorful afghan that Dee had crocheted years ago. After seeing Dee
comfortably seated, Dean seated himself in an antique winged-back chair
next to her.
Cyrus patted his belly, which was big and full, almost needing to loosen
his belt.. "Dee, I swear to goodness, it I didn't know any better, I say
you were trying to fatten me for the spring slaughter!"
"Oh, shoot, Cyrus, you only came back for seconds. If I wanted to fatten
you up like one of my hogs, I'd made sure you had thirds and fourths," Dee
replied, chuckling.
"I've eaten just about every kind of cuisine on this planet, Dee, but
that's the first time I've ever had chicken and dumplings!"
"You're joshin' me, Cyrus!"
"I don't think he is, Dee. I've never seen him eat them before."
"Well, how about you, Dean? Surely you've eaten them before...?"
"I had something they were passing off as chicken and dumplings, but the
dumplings were so heavy and hard, when I got up from the table, I felt as
if I had eaten a plate full of rocks! Your dumplings were so light, fluffy,
and airy, I thought I was eating chicken-flavored cotton candy."
"I make my dumplings the same way I make my biscuits. There ain't no
secrets to my recipe...you gotta remember to let your buttermilk set until
it's room temperature. If you use cold milk, your dumplin's'll get hard. I
throw in my pinch of salt, half a handful of baking soda along with the
baking powder. Trent used to laugh and say I knew more about chemistry and
mixin' things together better than his teacher in school! He said one of
these days, I'm gonna mix too much soda and baking powder with too much
cider vinegar and I was gonna blow the roof off the house!"
"Speaking of Trent, when's the last time you heard from him, Dee?"
"Just after he got back to New York from visitin' Art in Boston! He was
talkin' a mile-a-minute about how good Art's show was and about meetin' a
couple of Broadway stars!"
"Yes, Tim Woodrow and Rob Hawley. They're both good friends of Cyrus and
mine."
"Yeah, and it was the Tim fella that asked Trent to sing at that money
raisin' for a new show?"
"A backer's audition! That's quite a good experience for
Trent. He'll learn a lot from doing it, not to mention that it should put a
good chunk of change in his pockets!"
"Why, Trent didn't say anything about them payin' him!"
"Even if the producer doesn't pay Trent, I'm sure Tim and Rob will---
they're both millionaires!"
"Lands sake! They became millionaires working on Broadway?"
"I'm sure they've made a lot of money on Broadway, but Rob and Tim had a
benefactor from their home town of Briarwood who gave them each a million
dollars!"
"Heavens to Betsy! What kind of person gives away millions of dollars?"
"A man who sorta adopted about a dozen young men and when he got ill and
thought he was going to die, he gave each of them a fortune before he
passed away. Then he got well and sat back and watched to see what they
would do with the money he gave them."
"This man from Briarwood...he didn't adopt any little old ladies, did he?"
Dee's eyes twinkled as she asked.
"Not that I know of," Cyrus replied. "But I think that's only
because he never met you, Dee." "Well, I don't really need a million
dollars, but if you ever talk
with him, be sure and tell him I'd love for him to come by my place and
letme cook him a good old-fashioned home meal!"
"Roger would love it!"
"That's his name? Roger?
"Yes, Roger Cole. Have you ever heard of a big medical research facility
called the Cole Institute?"
"Good Lord---who hasn't? He's that Cole?"
"The very same. How do you know about the Cole Institute, Dee?"
"Well, on the other side of Weston, there's a section where mostly black
folks live. One of the residents was Amos Farmer--he used to be our
mailman. He drove the mail truck to the farms in Weston for years and
years. A sweet man. Any rate, Amos and his wife, Lurleen, had a child when
she was in her late forties. Amos was already fifty-something. They had a
little boy and the child was sick all his young life. He suffered from
headaches, which ain't normal for little boys to get headaches every
day. They finally took him up to the medical school at the University in
Knoxville and did
one of those brain scans on him...and the poor little fella, his name was
Alan, he had inoperable brain cancer and there was this big gray mass
covering nearly three-fourths of his brain. Both Amos and Lurleen were
heartbroken, they loved that boy so. There was nothing anybody could do to
help little Alan, the doctors said. The doctors at U.T. sent him home with
a big bottle of pain killers to keep him eased until he passed away. Amos
about worried himself sick. I know Amos couldn't keep his mind off little
Alan 'cause one day, he was crossin that old wooden bridge across
Henderson's Creek and somehow, I guess he wasn't watchin' where he was
goin, but he drove right through the railing on the bridge and the car fell
into the water. When they finally got to him, Amos was dead. The coroner
said he didn't drown. he died from a heart attack."
"Good heavens, Dee!" Dean exclaimed.
"Well, Lurleen had to bury Amos and take care of her dyin' little
boy. Some one gave Alan's name to a Hospice to come take care of him...and
one of the Hospice nurses asked Lurleen if she would mind if they took a
weekend drive to the Cole Clinic. There was nothin' no one could do for
Alan anyways and so they went...the nurse, Lurleen, and Alan. The doctors
at the Institute spent the next week running all kinds of tests on Alan and
they asked Lurleen if they could try some kind of experimental treatment on
Alan. Well, Lurleen prayed about it, called her minister back here in
Weston...and the minister got his entire congregation to pray for
Alan. Would you believe it that institute cured Alan? In about two months,
she brought Alan home...weller than he'd ever been in his whole life! And
they didn't have to pay a cent!" Dee paused to wipe her eyes with the
bottom of her apron.
"Where's Alan now, Dee?" Dean asked.
"He entered the ninth grade at Weston Junior High School last week, I
believe. He's a straight 'A' student and pitches for his baseball
team. Thanks be to God, to prayer and to the Cole Institute!"
"That's a wonderful story, Dee," Dean said. "The next time Cyrus or I runs
into Roger, we'll tell him about little Alan!"
"Tell him how much he's loved by all the people of Weston. My only regret
is that Amos didn't live to see Alan get well."
"Dee, you mentioned earlier that a woman from Social Services is supposed
to be here around eight o'clock?"
"Yes, Cyrus, it's only ten `til eight, now. She's bringin' two
young people that need some help. I have rooms made up for both of the
children. The boy's going be stayin' in Trent's room and the girl has a
nice room I've fixed up for her. It used to be my sewing room!"
"The boy is fifteen and his sister is fourteen?" "Yes, the poor little
dears lost both parents and their younger siblings in a fire at the Memphis
hotel. They've been swapped off to dozen shelters by the Tennessee
Placement Service. I suppose either of them could've been adopted had they
been willing to split up, but it's kinda hard for most people to take in
two chidren...and two teenagers at that. A
member on the board at the state agency didn't want to separate them. They
had lost both their folks, not to mention a three year old little sister
and a baby brother just barely six months old. The two smaller kids burned
up with the parents."
"My Lord, Dee! It's a wonder the two teens aren't emotionally marred for
life!" Dean said "What are their names, Dee?" Cyrus asked.
"Their last name is Douglas. The boy's name is Jody and the girl is
Laurie."
"How is it that they escaped the fire?"
"They were in school at the time in Plainsville, Tennessee. Their dad was
out of work, so he took his wife and the two small kids with him to Memphis
to see about getting a job. The wife went to try and find them a place to
live. They didn't have much in Plainsville and anything that was worth
anything was sold off to pay their local grocery and utility
bills. That left Jody and Laurie with might' near nothing. About a month
ago, they were shipped off by the state to live in the shelter here in
Weston since we had the most vacancies at our shelter. When I called to see
if they had anyone who needed a good home in return for helping me out
around my farm here, the social worker asked if I'd mind taking a brother
and a sister. Heck! You know me. If I had the room, I'd take half a dozen
kids to get them out of one of those places."
"Do you know if either has any kind of behavioral problems?"
"The social worker said they didn't when I asked. She said she'd place
them with me on a temporary basis to see how it worked out. I guess you'd
say they're coming to me with a thirty-day guarantee. If I don't like 'em
or if they don't like me, I can just ship them back like I would any item
from a Sears-Roebuck catalogue. Land sakes. who'd do a thing like that?"
"Well, Dee, needless to say, if you need any help with them, Cyrus and I
are just down the road. We'll help you all that we can."
"Shoot, Dean! You didn't have to say that. I knew that
already, bless you. That's another reason I said I'd take 'em. I knew you
and Cyrus would help."
"You won't be so lonesome for Trent with them around."
"Oh, I'd miss Trent if I had the Mormon Tabernacle Choir living under my
roof!"
"Trent is still planning on coming home for Thanksgiving, isn't he?" Dean
asked.
"Sure thing...and he's bringing Art with him. Trent says I need to feed
Art about six good meals to fatten him up."
"Start Art out with your chicken and dumplings!" Cyrus said. "He won't
know what the heck he's eating, but he'll love it and it'll put five pounds
on him the first time he tries them."
"Speaking of chicken and dumplings, Cyrus, I have some more on the stove
when you feel you're ready for them."
"Oh, no! Not tonight, Dee!"
"Well, in that case, I'll put them in a covered bowl and send them home
with you and Dean. You still might decide you want them later for a
midnight snack."
"Dee, maybe Jody and Laurie haven't eaten yet. You could heat them up a
plate."
"Have you ever known me to be without a full meal in my
refrigerator? If the kids are hungry, I can scratch them up a plate of food
in no time at all!"
"Dee, I think I heard a car stop out front...."
"It's probably them, then!"
There was a light tap at Dee's front door and Dee went to answer it.
"Mrs. Matthews?" the young lady said.
"Yes?"
"I'm Wilma Cutler from the foster home placement..."
"Oh, how do you do, Miss Cutler. Come in."
"I have Jody and Laurie with me if you'd like to meet them?"
"Lands sake! Come on in and bring 'em with you. I don't want to just meet
them, I want to get to know them!"
Wilma Cutler held the screen door open as Jody and Laurie entered, quite
subdued, with their heads down. Jody was as tall as Trent, but even
thinner, if that were possible. He had a full head of long blonde hair,
badly in need of a haircut. His complexion was pale with a sprinkling of
freckles across his nose, the same as Trent. He wasn't handsome or pretty,
but just plain looking with strong cheekbones and sturdy chin. His eyes
were emerald green and his lashes were strangely dark which accented his
eye color. Laurie had light brown, shoulder-length hair tied in two
strands, one on either side of her head. Her absence of makeup showed her
true beauty. With a touch of blush and lipstick, Laurie would have been
downright beautiful... much prettier than Jody was handsome. When she stood
in front of Dee, she curtsied, impressing both Dean and Cyrus.
"You're Jody and you're Laurie and I'm...I'm your Granny Dee!" Dee said,
going to both to give them a big hug. Neither responded to Dee's embrace,
but they didn't try to shrug away. "I've been looking forward to meeting
both of you ever since I talked with Miss Cutler over the phone. Tell me,
have you two had your supper?"
"Yes, ma'am," both Jody and Laurie replied quietly in unison, their
solitude plainly showing.
"Would either of you like a snack? Some homemade ice cream, a glass of
lemonade or iced tea?"
"No, thank you, ma'am," Laurie replied.
"I...I sure would like some ice cream if you have plenty..." Jody said,
his voice showing his need for love.
"Jody, one thing you're gonna learn about me is that I always have plenty
of everything. If I run out of ice cream, I can whip up another batch in no
time at all! Would you like some fresh strawberries on top of your ice
cream? I picked 'em fresh this morning?"
"That...that would be real nice, ma'am!" Jody said. His face clearly
reflected his disbelief, his confusion. To be offered ice cream? And
strawberries, too?
"Well, first thing, I'm not 'ma'am', I'm your Granny Dee! Next, I want you
to turn around and meet your two new uncles. The one on the right is your
Uncle Dean and the one on the couch holding his belly is your Uncle
Cyrus. They don't live here, but they live just down the road a piece."
"Hi there, Jody!" Dean said, offering his hand which Jody took, mumbling,
"Hi..."
"Jody, I'd get up to offer you my hand, but your Granny Dee filled me full
of her chicken and dumplings and it'll take a crane to move me!"
Jody walked over to Cyrus on the couch and offered Cyrus his hand to say
"Hi" to him.
"And Laurie...I hope it won't embarrass you, but I find you pretty as a
picture!" Dean said.
Laurie blushed and curtsied to Dean. Without being asked, she walked over
to Cyrus and curtsied, saying not a word.
"Dean, I hate to disagree with you in front of Laurie, but she's not
pretty as a picture! She's as beautiful as a Raphael Madonna!" Cyrus said,
which made Laurie blush an even darker shade of red.
"Miss Cutler? How about you? Would you like a dish of my ice cream?"
"Thank you, no, Mrs. Matthews. I should be getting back. It's late and I
hate driving alone at night."
"Well, I hate to see you rush off like this..."
"That's all right. You have my telephone number and you know where to
reach me, day or night."
"'Deed I do!" Dee said. Wilma bade her farewells to Dee's new charges,
nodded to Dean and Cyrus and left."Well,now, I'll go get Jody's ice cream,
Dean, if you'll go out on the porch and get the youngsters' clothes."
"Gladly." Dean said as Dee headed for the kitchen. Cyrus asked Jody and
Laurie to have a seat and Dean went outside on the porch to get the
suitcases. He flipped on the front porch light switch, walked outside and
all he saw were two brown paper grocery sacks, each not quite half
filled. He looked further, but that's all he saw. So he peeked inside one
of the bags and saw two pairs of boys' socks, a pair of boys' briefs, and
two t-shirts. Dean shook his head in disbelief and looked into the other
bag. In that one he saw a pair of socks, two pairs of cotton panties, a
sweater, and what appeared to be a cotton dress. That was all.
Dean was in a quandary. Should he bring the two bags inside and risk
embarrassing Jody and Laurie for their lack of clothing or worldly goods?
He decided he'd sneak the two sacks inside and hide them behind Dee's
rocking chair
and discuss the matter with Dee later.
Cyrus spoke up, saying,"No one asked if either of you needed go to the
bathroom. I know I always need to go after a long car trip!"
"It wasn't that long...just from the other side of town..." Jody
said. "But I would like to go, sir."
"The bathroom is right down that hallway, last door on the right!" Cyrus
told him.
Dean hid the bags and came back to sit in his chair. "Well, Laurie, what
kinds of things do you like to do to entertain yourself?"
"Nothing really. Well, I do like to sing," Laurie replied.
"That's wonderful! Your Uncle Cyrus and I are both musicians! Perhaps you
can come down to our house and let me play the piano so that you can sing
for us. Would you like that?"
"Yes, sir..." Her face seemed to brighten for a moment before the gloom
settled in again.
"Do you have a favorite song?", Dean asked, trying to draw her out.
"'Over the Rainbow' is my absolute favorite!"
"Have you ever seen 'The Wizard of Oz'?"
"Yes. My mother...she had the movie on video tape and we played it at
least once a week."
"Did you bring the tape with you?"
"No, sir. When the state came to take Jody and me away, we left everything
we owned..."
"Surely, they let you take your clothes?"
"We had two suitcases full of our clothes...Jody and me, both. Then when
we got to the first shelter, they took our suitcases and divided up all our
clothes and distributed them to kids who had none. Jody and I don't have
many clothes now, but we're fine."
"Oh?" Cyrus sat up with interest. "I think you, Jody, and I will have to
go to town tomorrow and meet a lady named Mrs. Miller!"
"Hey, that's a great idea, Dean!" Cyrus said. "I just might go with you."
"I hoped you would, Cyrus!"
"Okay! Here's a big dish of vanilla ice cream topped with fresh
strawberries!" Dee announced, entering the living room. "Where'd that boy
get off to?"
"He's in the bathroom, Dee."
"I...I hope he's not sick!"
"I think he had to pee, Dee!" Cyrus said.
"Oh, thank goodness! I was afraid..."
"Dee, don't start worrying about Jody and Laurie. They've had to take care
of themselves for quite a while. Don't go making a chart for every time he
wants to pee!"
"Pshaw! Cyrus! I've raised a crop of boys and I've never kept a chart on
either of 'em!"
"Granny Dee?" Laurie spoke up. "If I can ask, what kind of work do you
expect Jody and me to do to earn our keep?"
"Laurie, darlin', there's nothing around here to do that I don't
already do myself. So anything you want to help me with will be greatly
appreciated, but I don't want you ever to feel as if you have to earn your
keep around here. Just do what you see that needs to be done and nothing
more. It's fall now and I have lots of pickin' to do in my garden and with
pickin'
comes cannin', so that we'll have lots of good things to eat come winter!"
"I can cook...iron, sew, mop, wash dishes and clothes. I did all those
things for my mother."
"You must've started when you were pretty young..."
"Yes, ma'am. I learned to do all those things when I was six. Jody can
hoe, rake, dig...he can even plow with a real horse!"
"Well, it's good to know that you two can do all those things, but I'm not
gonna sit back, let you do 'em, and watch myself become an invalid, honey!"
"Looks as if you've got yourself a good team of workers, Dee," Dean said,
smiling with approval.
Jody came back from the bathroom and Dee handed him the ice cream. His
eyes widened in near-disbelief, but he thanked her and sat down on an
ottoman to eat.
After one spoonful, "Wow! This is the best ice cream I've ever tasted in
my whole life!" Jody exclaimed.
"Now don't go trying to butter up an old woman with sweet words and
compliments!"
"No! I mean it!" Jody said, scooping up another big bite to put into his
mouth.
"Dee, I was telling Cyrus that I'd like to take Jody and Laurie
downtown tomorrow and go see Candy Miller!"
"Ah, shoot, Dean! You don't have to do that!"
"I know I don't have to...but Cyrus and I are new uncles now and we want
to!"
"Alright, go ahead and spoil the two of 'em. It'll be good for 'em!"
"Who's Mrs. Miller, ma'am?" Jody asked.
"She's a jolly old soul who looks like Mrs. Santa Claus!" Dean replied.
"You've almost finished that dish of ice cream, Jody. Let me get you
another dish!"
"Thanks, ma'am---I mean Granny Dee, but I've had enough. I...I don't eat
very much. My mother used to say I ate like a bird."
Dee smiled. "Does he remind you of someone we know and love?", she asked
the two older men.
"Two birds from the same nest!" Dee said. "You two, come on, and let me
show you your rooms!"
"Rooms?" Jody asked. "Laurie and I.. we each have a room?"
"Of course. I don't allow boys and girls to sleep in the same room at my
house."
"But we've always..."
"Jody, you and Laurie aren't afraid to sleep in a room alone, are you?"
"No...it's just we've never had a room to ourselves...either of
us."
"Well, starting tonight, you'll know the meaning of privacy!" She didn't
utter the word 'love', but Cyrus and Dean heard it, plain as day.
Dee stood up and took Jody and Laurie by their hands and led them down the
hall. She stopped at the sewing room first and took them inside to show
them Laurie's room. Dee had made new curtains and had put on a brand new
bedspread which she had saved for years in her linen closet. It was a
chenille bedspread with the picture of a huge peacock embossed on
it. Laurie's eyes almost popped out of their sockets. She couldn't believe
that she had a whole room to herself. Her same eyes moistened.
Dee left Laurie in her new room and took Jody down to Trent's former
bedroom with all his posters of movie stars, games, and all the things
Trent had left behind after moving to New York. "This room belonged to my
grandson, but for now, it's all yours, Jody!"
"It's so big! I...I don't have to share it?"
"Only if my grandson moves back from New York!"
"How old is he?"
"Sixteen..."
"That's a year older than me."
"Then everything in here should suit someone your age. Use everything in
here as if it belonged to you...games, books, everything!"
"I...I've got to pinch myself, Granny Dee, to see it's not really
Christmas!"
"Oh, yes. My grandson will be home for Christmas and for
Thanksgiving. You'll meet him then."
"Do you really think Laurie and I will still be here for
Thanksgiving and Christmas?"
"I'm sure you will...that is, if you want to stay?"
"Boy! Do I!!!"
"All right, you settle in and I won't enroll you and Laurie into
school until next Monday. Tomorrow, your two uncles are going to take you
into town. When you get back, I'll see what you can do to help me in the
garden!"
Dean was at the door listening. He handed the single paper bag to Jody
without a word. He had already taken Laurie's bag to her. Jody took it
silently and placed it on the bed.Then he looked up to say, "Thanks, Uncle
Dean!"
"Where's your suitcase, Jody?" Dee asked.
"Uh...it's coming later, isn't it, Jody?" Dean said, winking at
Jody. "Dee, let the boy have some of that privacy you promised him..."
"Oh, sure. I'll come back later to see if you or Laurie would like to
bathe before you go to bed!"
"Thanks, Granny Dee." The slender boy's voice seemed to say that he didn't
know what to make of this kindness, but his face seemed to show a glimmer
of hope, though it was still tinged with doubt.
Dean hustled Dee out of Jody's new room and out into the hallway.
"What was in that paper bag, Dean?"
"That, Dee, was the total sum of Jody's wardrobe and all his worldly
goods!"
"Land's sake! He must be practically naked!"
"Just about, Dee. That's why Cyrus and I want to take them to Miller's Dry
Goods tomorrow and get them some clothes to wear to school."
"Dean, now you tell me how much you and Cyrus spend on each of them and
I'll pay you back every penny!" Dee said.
"Dee, I hope you'll pardon my language, but 'like hell you will'! Cyrus
and I want to treat our new niece and nephew to a few gifts, so please
allow us to do so!"
"Lord, Lord, Lord! I thank God in my prayers every night that you and
Cyrus came into my life...and Trent's!"
"Dee, it just might be the opposite!"
"What do you mean, Dean?"
"I think the good Lord sent you two into Cyrus' and my lives and for that,
we have to be thankful!"
"Oh, you two...! I'd better go into the kitchen and sack up those chicken
and dumplings for Cyrus! I'm sure he'll want more before he goes to bed!"
<><><><><><><><><><><><><>
The phone rang at Art's apartment on West 74th Street and Trent picked it
up before Colette had the chance. "Hello?"
"Trent?"
"Daddy Art! Hi!"
"Hi there, son! I was just calling to see if you'd heard anything more
from the backers' audition?" Art said.
"Only that they want Rob and me to play the male leads, but Rob is already
committed to another project...both him and Tim, too."
"What about you? You're not committed to anything but your school and your
education."
"I know, Daddy Art, but I keep thinking...it's the lead! The
leading role in a Broadway show...a show starring me'? Gosh, it's so
tempting...and scary!"
"I know, Trent, and I only want what's best for you. Not many boys with
your small amount of training, but most of all, with your talent, get such
a big opportunity. I wish I had a part in my show to offer you. Then you
could still open on Broadway."
"Speaking of that...when's your opening night set for?"
"A week from Thursday...which reminds me, I want you and Angio to get one
of my credit cards from Colette and go down to Brooks Brothers and have
each of you fitted for a tuxedo to wear to the opening!"
"A tuxedo? And Angio, too?"
"Angio is still your best friend, isn't he?"
"...If I have a best friend, I guess it's Angio..."
"Do I detect a riff between the two of you? The last time I saw you two
together, you had just spent the night together in the same bed up in
Boston!"
"Angio's been acting strange ever since I did that backers'
audition."
"Didn't someone warn you that friends can become bitter enemies during
times of auditioning?"
"Yes, but Angio wasn't asked to perform and I was...?"
"But how would you have felt if Rob and Tim had chosen Angio for the
audition and not you...?"
"Oh? Oh, I think I see what you mean, Daddy Art!" "Don't see it through
my eyes, Trent--try to see it through Angio's eyes!"
"I swear I won't mention the backers' audition to Angio, ever
again."
"And what happens if you decide to take the role and have to quit school?"
"Then I suppose that's what the old saying means, 'that's show business!'
Sure, I'll hate myself for a little while, but I know in the future
there'll be plenty of roles that Angio'll play which I won't be considered
for...Daddy Art, it's just that I'd feel so guilty about quitting school
and wasting Ronnie's tuition money."
"Trent, if 'La Di Da' is the hit I think it's gonna be...we won't
have to worry about tuition money or money for anything we want from now
on!"
"Gosh! I hope so!"
"Now will you promise me that you'll take Angio to be fitted for a tux
with you?"
"Yes, of course I will!"
"Get one with a fancy cummerbund so that everyone in the theatre will
notice you!"
"Heck, if you like, I'll get a cummerbund that lights up like a
Christmas tree!"
"That reminds me--we are still going to Tennessee for Thanksgiving and
Christmas, aren't we?"
"Sure! I...I don't have to give the producer my decision about 'Other
Voices' until after the first of the year!"
"I'm glad to hear that. At least you'll be in school until then. That
should just about complete your first semester."
"Are Uncle Dean and Uncle Cyrus coming up to New York for your opening?"
"Well, they'd better! I've reserved house seats for them, for you and
Angio, too! Sixth row center on the aisle!"
"Wow! I can't wait!"
"Neither can I, Trent. I've waited my whole life for this. I
suppose that's how you feel about starring in 'Other Voices'. Only your
break came much sooner in life than mine."
"Yes, but your show is gonna be a big hit. Mine might close out of
town---that is, if I do it."
"That's the big chance every actor takes. Of course, back in the 60's,
when Ethel Merman and Mary Martin were the toast of Broadway, a show could
come into town on a sixty-thousand dollar budget. Nowadays, it costs ten to
twenty million to bring the exact same show back to Broadway as a
revival. Back in the good old days, if a new show folded out of town, it
was easy for everyone the backers to write off the show and not be hurt too
badly financially. Not so today. If you have a turkey to begin with and it
lays an egg on the Great White Way, you've destroyed your bank account and
your reputation. Back in Merman's day, the weekly budget to run a show was
around thirty-thousand dollars a week. The weekly budget for 'La Di Da'
will run around eight-hundred thousand in ticket sales per week just to
meet costs!"
"If it costs so much, why do people keep producing shows?"
"Can you imagine New York without Broadway? It's what kids like you live
for...you learn how to sing, how to dance and act and you showcase your
talents in the toughest arena of all. I'm very lucky that my show is so
successful out of town. Most new shows with new music and lyrics and a
brand new book barely stand a chance. That's why an investor would rather
sink his money in a revival...a show that's already been a big hit. There's
less chance of its failure!"
"I...I've got so much to learn, Daddy Art!"
"And I'm going to teach you everything I know...so will Rob and Tim,
Cyrus, and Dean! We're gonna be behind you, buddy boy, to make sure you
head in the right direction with the right people!"
"Daddy Art, if Uncle Dean and Uncle Cyrus are successful in writing
'Echoes From A Wishing Well', do you think they could write a big part for
Rob too?"
"If you ask them, I'm sure they'll try !"
"Gosh! What a night that'd be!"
"Are you still getting your box of goodies every weekend from your Granny
Dee?"
"She hasn't missed yet! I can't wait for you to meet her! I talked with
her and she has a boy and a girl living with her to help her around the
farm!"
"That must take a load of worry off your back!"
"Boy! Does it ever! Granny Dee can't wait for me to meet them!"
"Well, Thanksgiving is only a week after my show opens so I hope we'll
have lots to be thankful for!"
"We will, I'm sure of it! I can't wait to see Uncle Dean's and
Uncle Cyrus' faces when they see your show! Uncle Cyrus will bust with
envy!"
"Trent? Will you do something for me?"
"Of course!"
"Would you invite Angio over to spend the weekend with you to patch things
up?"
"I was going to do that anyway, Daddy Art!"
"God, I only wish you knew how much I love you, Trent! I loved Ronnie with
all my heart, but I thank God that I have you to love now! Everyone needs
someone to love."
"I know how you feel, Daddy Art, and I hope you know that I feel the same
way!"
"Thanks, Trent! I needed to hear you say that!"
"If I'm gonna call Angio, I'll better call him now before his
parents go to bed."
"All right, son...take care and I'll talk with you later in the
week and I'll see you next week!"
"I love you, Daddy Art!"
"And I love you too, Trent!"
<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>
Even though Trent and Angio saw each other at school every day, Trent
thought that Art's idea of inviting Angio over to spend the weekend was a
good one. The two 'best friends' needed some time alone together to
rekindle the feelings that had occurred in Boston. Trent liked the thought
of them lying in his bed...'relaxing' one another.
He picked up his phone and dialed Angio's number.
Mr. Marcano, Angio's dad, answered. "Pronto?"
"Mr. Marcano?"
"Si?
"This is Trent...Trent Matthews!"
"Oh, hello, Trent! Nice to hear your voice again!"
"Thank you, sir. I know it's kinda late, but I was wondering if I could
speak with Angio?"
"Trent! What's the matter with you? Don't you and Angio talk with each
other any more?"
"What do you mean, sir?"
"I could only assume that Angio must've told you that he's spending the
entire week with Rick...Rick Yesso."
Trent was a bit hurt because he didn't know..."He's..he's staying the whole
week?"
"Yes, Rick's parents went down to spend the week in Atlantic City to
celebrate their anniversary and do a little card playing, I bet..."
"Oh, that's right!" Trent did a quick recovery by lying. "I don't
know why I didn't remember. I...I'm so used to calling Angio at home, I
just naturally dialed him when I should've dialed Rick's instead."
"Well, if you call him, Trent, tell him I said behave and don't break
anything I might have to pay for. I mean, I was against two boys spending a
week together without a chaperone. There's no telling what boys will do
when left all alone!"
That thought only made Trent think the worst. "I'm sure Angio and Rick
will mind their manners! I'll give Angio a call anyway!"
"Please do, Trent...and come over and see us sometime soon. We've missed
you!"
"Thanks, Mr. Marcano! Good night!"
"Buono notte, Trent!"
Trent's mind started to race. Had Rick ever shown any sign of being gay or
of being interested in having sex with another boy? Lord knows Angio was
always hot to trot! What if he got Rick drunk on wine or some kind of
liquor and took advantage of Rick? 'Would Angio DO such a thing?' Trent
asked himself...and the reply came quickly, 'You bet he would! Damn!'. For
the first time in his life, Trent was suddenly jealous of anyone, including
Rick, who might take his place in Angio's life. Trent suddenly began
questioning
his own sexuality. If he was jealous, did that mean he was gay and had more
than just a 'good friend' feeling toward Angio? Oh, how he wanted to dial
Rick's number but if he got the slightest inclination that Angio and Rick
were having sex, that might be the end, or at least a great change in the
nature of Trent's and Angio's friendship...and so Trent decided not to
call, but he swore to himself that he'd keep his eye on Angio and Rick at
school the next day and watch them like a hawk!
He had a difficult time going to sleep that night. He tried
masturbating. He tried thinking as hard as he could about Wanda Sells, but,
alas, his mental TV kept switching right back to the 'Angio' channel.
<><><><><><><><><><><>
The following morning, Jody and Laurie were up by seven...just as soon as
each got a whiff of the buttermilk biscuits cooking in Granny Dee's
oven. The two bounced into the kitchen and Dee met them with hugs. This
morning, the teenager returned Dee's hugs with hugs that, unbeknownst to
them, amply revealed their gratitude to their new 'Granny'.
"Well, my little darlin's! How did you sleep?" Dee asked.
"Wonderfully!" Laurie exclaimed. "I felt like I was floating on a
cloud. I've never slept in a bed that was so soft!"
"What about you, Jody?"
"Oh, I slept sound as a log. It was so quiet and peaceful. It's the first
time in my life that I slept alone in a room...my own
room, all to myself!"
Jody's new bedroom had another advantage he'd never experienced before but
had quickly discovered. He was in a private room with a lock on the door
and for the first time ever, he didn't have to sneak to gratify himself
sexually. Until last night, the only way Jody could ever find time to
himself was by slipping off to the bathroom in the shelter at three or four
o'clock in the morning and even then, he had to hurry and be careful not
get caught. This always hindered him
from indulging in long fantasies as he had to concentrate on finding just
the right spot on the head of his penis which would trigger an orgasm. But
last night, for the first time,
Jody could take his time. It never occurred to him that he should decide if
he was attracted more to girls or to boys...however, as he lay in his bed,
leisurely touching himself, his eyes roamed about Trent's bedroom at
Trent's personal things that he had left behind. On top of the dresser, he
saw a picture of Granny Dee standing with a young boy about Jody's age,
whom Jody assumed was Trent.
Jody got out of bed and carried the picture to the bedside table to get a
better look at it under the light. Trent was a handsome boy. The picture
showed Trent smiling. He was wearing overalls with no shirt. There was a
hole in the right knee of Trent's trousers...and Jody found it sexually
stimulating. He stared at Trent's crotch, wondering what lay beneath the
denim and the mystery of Trent became even more intriguing to Jody. He was
lying in Trent's bed and Jody wondered how often Trent had jerked off in
the same
spot where Jody was...and Trent became Jody's very first fantasy. He
masturbated three times while looking at Trent's picture before he finally
got tired and fell asleep.
The first thing he did when he awoke was to put the picture back on the
dresser, but he knew he'd would move it back to the nightstand that evening
for 'round two'
The following morning, down the road, in their kitchen, Dean and Cyrus ate
a couple of Dee's biscuits with honey that Dee
had gathered from the hive in the back yard. Well, Cyrus actually ate four
biscuits to Dean's one.
"What time does Candy get to work?" Dean asked.
"Eight o'clock sharp every morning, regular as clockwork."
"In that case, we ought to load up the car and head into town!" Dean
replied.
Jody and Laurie still had no idea where they were going or why, or who
Mrs. Miller was, but it sounded exciting to them as they jumped into the
back seat of Cyrus' car. As they drove, the two youngsters noticed that the
houses on this side of the town were nicer. The fields were huge and some
of them were in the process of being harvested. To them, Dee's house had
been like moving into a Hollywood mansion, but when they passed Cyrus' and
Dean's house, their mouths dropped wide open in awe. Their two new 'uncles'
must have all the money in the world! Dean drove straight down the main
street of Weston until they stopped at Miller's Dry Goods Store.
"Well, we're here!" Dean announced. Jody and Laurie jumped out of the car
and stood in front of
Miller's store, looking in disbelief at the wonders in the shop windows,
just as Holly Golightly had stood in front of Tiffany's. They hadn't yet
connected the name, 'Mrs. Miller', with the sign over the shop.
Dean and Cyrus escorted them inside and walked them to the back where they
saw a smiling lady.
"Well, bless my soul! Look who's here!" Candy announced. "It's so good to
see both of you at the same time!"
"Good morning, Mrs. Miller!" Cyrus said.
"My! Aren't we formal? Dean calls me Candy and you call me Mrs; Miller?"
"Well, I hope before we're finished with our transaction with you this
morning, I'll know you well enough to call you Candy, too!"
Candy scoffed at Cyrus' confounded reasoning but then she spied the two
teens who had accompanied Cyrus and Dean. "And who are our two young
visitors?" she asked.
"This is Jody and his sister, Laurie. They're going to be living with Dee
for a while to help her out while Trent is in New York."
"Oh? Are these the two? I've heard so much about you coming to help out
Dee. I'm so pleased to meet both of you."
"Kids, this is Mrs. Miller!"
They both mumbled, 'Hi', and as expected, Laurie curtsied.
"What can I do for you this bright autumn morning?"
"Jody and Laurie are in need of some of your finest young attire!" Dean
said.
"In that case, I'm sure I can fix both of you right up with the
latest fashions!"
Jody and Laurie looked at each other questioningly, but their
questioning looks were soon answered.
"I want you to fit them out with everything from the skin
out. Since Cyrus and I don't know anything about women's clothes, I'll
leave it up to you to decide what Laurie needs. We can help Jody, if it's
OK with him, that is?." Jody's face seemed to say he still didn't know what
to think, but he mumbled his assent.
Touching the young girl's hair, Candy said, "Laurie, honey, you come with
me and let the men do their own shopping. Now, Dean, if you need something
you don't see, you just let me know. I have boxes and boxes of things I
just got in for Christmas that I haven't put out yet!"
"Thank you, Candy!"
"You...you're gonna buy us some clothes?" Jody asked, unbelieving.
"Don't you think you could use some new ones?" Dean asked.
"Yes, I guess, sir, but...but new ones?"
"Mrs. Miller doesn't sell old clothes, Jody!" Cyrus said. "Now you pick
out anything you like."
"I...I could use another pair of underwear and maybe a shirt and maybe
some jeans?...if it doesn't cost too much!'
"What kind of shirt? A t-shirt, a polo shirt, a pullover, a
button-up?"
"Whatever costs the least, sir," Jody said quietly.
Cyrus closed his eyes and bit his lip, taken back by
Jody's lack of wantonness, his apparent lack of self-worth. He almost cried
as he thought back on his own life, the times when his family couldn't
afford anything new for him at
Christmastime and he had to settle for some second-hand shirts from the
Good Will Industries. Even so, he remembered how thankful he'd been then.
"I'll tell you what, Jody!," Cyrus said, looking him straight in
the eyes. "Just go around the store and pick up anything and everything you
like...a dozen shirts! Two dozen! Then when you've picked 'em all out,
we'll look them over and buy the one you like best!"
"If I pick out a dozen, I'll be sure and put the others back. I
don't want to mess up Mrs. Miller's store."
Cyrus was really choked up now. "Dean, stick with him for a few minutes,"
he said. "I have to go outside for a minute to....to see if I locked the
car." With that' he turned away abruptly.
Dean saw how emotional Cyrus had become and let Cyrus leave while he went
from shirt rack to shirt rack, picking out different colors and styles.
It was a tough decision for Jody to pick out a brand new shirt with so
many to choose from. He liked the blue one best...but the green polo was
really neat-looking! That white button up could be worn to church---if
Granny Dee took them
to church. Just then, Jody spotted a bright red t-shirt...and that became
his very favorite...until he saw another one...with stripes!
In the front of the store where girls' dresses were kept, Candy selected
about half a dozen from the racks for Laurie to try on. Each dress seemed
to the girl to be more beautiful than the one before. There was a pink
dress with a faux petticoat sewn in the hem that Candy asked Laurie to try
on with long light-colored stockings and white Peter Pan shoes.
Mrs. Miller tied Laurie's hair back with a pink ribbon and
Laurie thought she looked like a princess. Her little hands touched the
soft fabrics gently, afraid to dirty them. They were so soft, so beautiful!
As soon as she saw herself in
the mirror, she broke into tears...so did Candy. Cyrus was coming back into
the store when he saw Laurie. After taking one glance at 'Cinderella',
Cyrus did an about face and went back outside to cry some more.
Several customers had come into the store, but soon all of them were
huddled outside the changing room to see Laurie model the next dress. After
the fifth change, some women were actually applauding the transformations,
as if they were watching Cindy Crawford walking down a Gucci runway.
Two hours and dozens of changes later, a pile of boys' clothing was on one
of the check-out counters. Six pairs of jeans, a suit, three pairs of
slacks, tennis shoes, a good pair of lace-ups, loafers, a pair of cowboy
boots, two dozen shirts of all varieties, underwear and socks galore,
pajamas, sweaters, jackets...both light and heavy, belts, lanyards,
colognes, deodorants, shaving gear, a nail kit.
But now, Jody knew, the time had come----he had to make his choice.
On the adjoining counter were dresses, skirts, blouses,
sweaters. slips, training bras, panties, a winter coat, shoes...both flats
and semi-high-heels, necklaces, bracelets, perfume, women's toiletries, a
brush and comb set...a pile of girls' merchandise to match Jody's.
"Is there anything we've missed?" Dean asked. "Something special that we
might have overlooked?"
Jody and Laurie eyed the piles of clothing and could think of
nothing else. Laurie decided that if the price wasn't too much, she
definitely would love the pink dress and the white shoes. That would be her
choice while Jody couldn't make up his mind about the pants,....but he
really wanted that red
shirt.
"What'll it be, kids?" Cyrus asked.
"The pink one, please...?" Laurie said, her eyes imploring but prepared
for denial.
"The red shirt...and maybe a pair of blue jeans, if that's OK?That's all I
need, sir!" Jody replied.
"Pink and red?" Cyrus interjected. "Don't you know that those two colors
will clash when you go to school together? What about a blue shirt
instead?"
"The blue one is fine..." Jody said, knowing how much his sister wanted
the pink dress. He didn't really like the red one that much, he told
himself.
"Oh? I see that neither of you can make up your minds..so I
guess I'll have to make up your minds for you!" Cyrus roared.
"Whatever you think...Uncle Cyrus..." Laurie said, almost
heart-broken.
"Were you keeping a tally of what's on your counter, Mrs. Miller?" Cyrus
asked.
"Well, actually, I was..." Candy said. "I seem to remember back when Dean
brought Trent in to buy some new clothes..."
"Don't you think these kids deserve as much as we bought Trent?" Cyrus
asked Dean.
"Oh,absolutely!"
"Okay, then! Mrs. Miller, wrap 'em all up!"
Jody and Laurie couldn't believe their ears...'What a cruel joke to play
on them!' But then, to their utter disbelief, Candy began to put everything
into large paper bags! The dresses she put inside boxes and tied them with
string.
"I suppose you want to put these on your charge card?" Candy asked Cyrus.
"Certainly. Here you go!" Cyrus said, handing a credit card to her.
"No, Cyrus! Not the American Express, Cyrus!" Dean said.
"And why not?"
"Because American Express charges Candy more than Visa, MasterCard, or
Discover!"
"Then why the hell didn't you tell me?" Cyrus roared as he handed Candy
his Platinum Visa card.
Dean and Candy laughed at Cyrus, but privately Candy was thinking, 'Here
these gentlemen have brought me almost a month's business, and they know
it, and still they worry about my concerns!' "Here's your receipt in case
you
need to exchange anything later."
Cyrus looked at the itemized bill and looked sternly at Candy
Miller. "What is this fifty percent discount?" he demanded to know.
"Cyrus Barnes! You're not the only one who can be charitable! It's my gift
to Dee and her new charges!"
"By God, when Dean called you, 'Mrs. Santa Claus'...I now know why!"
"Enjoy your new clothes, children!" Candy said as Cyrus turned around to
blow his nose...again!
She gave Jody and Laurie a big hug and helped everyone out to the car with
the scads of new clothing.
Cyrus was the last one out the door. He paused and quietly said, "Thank
you...Candy."
"You're more than welcome, Cyrus! You have a good day! Ya hear me?"
Once they were in the car, Cyrus looked at Dean and said quietly, "I
swear! If I weren't gay, that's the first woman I've ever seen that I'd
marry!"
"Oohhh! Should I be jealous?" Dean joked, reaching for Cyrus' hand.
"Just watch yourself! That's all I'm gonna say...just watch yourself!"
Dean glanced at the kids in the back seat as they looked at the packages
and then at each other. He chuckled as he drove the car back toward Dee's.
<><><><><><><><>
(To be continued in "Echoes From A Wishing Well"---chapter thirteen...next
week!)
AUTHOR'S NOTE: You sent over eleven hundred emails to make this story
longer...so sit back and enjoy the long ride!
Ritch and Les
ADDENDUM:
The above note was written long before Ritch passed away. I'll do what I
can in his memory. -Les