Date: Sat, 1 Mar 2003 06:46:32 -0500
From: C. E. Jordan <c.e._jordan@mailandnews.com>
Subject: Village Boy - 15

********************************
The Village Boy
Copyright c.e. jordan

zedzero5@hotmail.com


>From last episode:



     "Kevin's your friend, you can stay overnight with
him if you want to... as long as homework's done and it
isn't a school night.

     As I uttered those last words, I couldn't help
feeling totally weird. All of a sudden I'd switched
from lover and friend to `dad'...and that was a
disjunction that made me very uncomfortable. Did I have
the right to make such rules? Jeremy had stopped chewing
and gazed steadily at me. I suppose he sensed my confusion and unease.

     Just before he cleared away the breakfast things he
smiled, and without a word, came around the little table
and hugged me.
___________________________________


			 THE VILLAGE BOY - Part 15


     I stood gazing out of the windows of my living area while Jeremy
dressed in his room.  Down in the street below, torrents of white steam
belched from the round black mouth of an open manhole. Workers in yellow
construction helmets were scurrying around, appearing and disappearing in
the spreading mist. The morning traffic, with an occasional taxicab the
same bright color as the helmets, crept carefully around temporary
'Do-Not-Cross' blue barriers placed haphazardly in the street.

     Kevin. I couldn't shake my vague apprehension as I thought about the
blonde boy.  What bothered me about him? I searched my heart. No. It wasn't
jealousy. I truly liked Kev. He was cute, intense, emotional, plus he had
the good taste to love my Jeremy. I also knew in my heart that it was good
for Jeremy to have someone nearer his own age to be a companion--to care
about him. I must never delude myself into believing the boy belonged to
only me. Yet, Kevin, in a way, represented the big alien world outside that
belonged to Jeremy without me in it. What exactly was that world like? And
how does my young love function in it?

     Down below, the workers, shouting, yelling, and cussing at each other,
seemed to have things under control and had re-fastened the manhole
cover. Now, the men quickly removed the temporary wooden barricades they'd
set up earlier. The morning sun glinted off windshields as the traffic
adjusted immediately and began its steady flow into the distance.

     I realized with a slight shock, that I knew, actually, very little
about Jeremy. We were intimate at an emotional level beyond words, but what
about his practical life? I had no idea what things he liked or
disliked. Come to think of it, I'd never heard him mention any friend other
than Kevin. In the time I'd known him he'd called nobody and no one had
called him.

     **Jer doesn't have many friends,* I remembered Eliza telling me
once. Why was that?  Jer was gentle and loving and he was drop-dead
beautiful. Surely girls--and boys should have been falling all over
themselves to be his friend. I frowned. This is something I'd have to
investigate later.

     "Whatcha doin' Charles?" I was startled out of my reverie as a pair of
arms closed around me from behind.

     "Oh...nothing, just waiting for you." I turned around in his arms and
leaned back to look into his calm face. "Do you like going to school Jer?"
The boy tilted his head and looked quizzically at me.

     "Yesss...?" He stretched the word out into a question, probably
uncertain as to where this was leading. "It's alright... why?

     We exited the apartment. "Just asking. School will start soon, so we
have to think about that. But your mom said you make good grades, is that
so?

      He gave me a mischievous grin, "Yep, I'm very smart, Charles, a real
nerd... just like you.

     "Who ya callin' a `nerd', boy?" I demanded in a gruff voice and
playfully elbowed him into the walls of the elevator as we swiftly
descended to the apartment lobby.

     "You! You're a nerd!" He giggled and pushed me back hard against the
wall. I grabbed him and pulled him into a headlock just as the doors opened
up to reveal an elegantly dressed woman waiting there with a small yapping
dog in her arms.  Jeremy and I quickly broke apart. Vaguely embarrassed, we
exited as my downstairs neighbor, the lovely older actress, got on. She was
obviously back in town and staying here in her tiny pied à terre, her
home away from home. I guess we were going to hear a lot from Legal, her
dog, who yipped a mad welcome at me as the woman smiled.

     "Hello, darling Charles, seems like you're having a lot of fun with
your... friend." There was real warmth in her smile as she patted me on the
cheek with a free gloved hand. Her fascinatingly coloured eyes made a quick
assessment of Jeremy, "What a beautiful child, you should bring him to
visit me soon, okay dear?

     I tuned away when the elevator doors slid shut before I could
answer. But Jeremy remained standing there staring with mouth open, at the
closed doors, "Hey!  That was...........her... that was...

     "Yeah, Jer, that was the famous lady herself," I tugged on his arm,
"but we have to go, the car's waiting for us.

                                                                         ***

     The limo flowed steadily along the road on the way to the hospital. We
were barely aware of the car moving. Jeremy had retreated into himself
again and was quietly staring out of the car windows. I spent most of the
trip chatting on the phone with my lawyers, once again making sure that the
legal aspects of my relationship with Jer and Eliza were nailed together as
tightly as possible. All that remained to be done was to acquire a few
signatures from Eliza, and then we'd be set. Anthony Sussman, my lawyer,
was supposed to meet me at the hospital to secure Eliza's notarized
signatures for the papers he was working on.

                                                                          ***

     Jeremy waited impatiently as I entered his mother's room first. I
halted at the door in shock and stared at the small still figure on the
bed. I fought for control against the helpless constricted sensation that
twisted in the pit of my stomach. Even the clean white geometry of the
chamber was as cool and oppressive as a tomb. It was astonishing how
quickly Eliza's condition had deteriorated. That was probably because of
the massive medication and radiation she was being treated
with. Illuminated by the cold fluorescent bulb above her, Eliza was a
faded, almost invisible presence beneath the thin hospital sheets. Her pale
tight skin glistened like phosphorescent marble, and wispy strands of her
hair blended into the white of the pillow. I almost broke into tears, but
her head turned towards me and I fought for control. Smiling, I walked over
and took her small hand in mine.

     "Hey, just look at you." I said.

     "Yeah, just look at me... I look great, don't I?" She smiled wryly.

     "Well, to me, you are beautiful as ever.

     She grinned, "Yeah, right Charles! Too bad you're on the `other' side,
I always said you would have made a great boyfriend, you know just the
right things to say.

     She paused for a moment. "How's Jeremy doing? You guys getting along
okay?

     "Yes, so far everything has been going smoothly... he's going to visit
Kevin today...

     She gazed at me, "And that's okay with you, right?

     "Of course... I like Kevin.

     "Good." Was all she said.

     "Eliza... my lawyer will need you to sign the final documents making
me Jeremy's legal guardian.

     "Good, but he'd better get over here soon... or..." Her voice trailed
off. I understood that she actually believed she might die before Anthony
got there. I had another urge to start weeping, but I smiled instead, "Oh,
Eliza, you're not going anywhere for awhile." But I realized she was
actually just about gone. I continued speaking, "The lawyer will be here
with a notary in a few minutes to get your signature on a couple of papers
and that will be the end of that.

     "Yah... the end. Umm....Charles?

     "Yes?

     "I want them to stop all of this.

     "Huh?

     "All these medications.... radiation... and stuff... it's really
killing me," She laughed feebly at the irony of that statement then
continued, "it's only making me feel dead before I am dead, so what's the
point?

     "They're just trying to help you Eliza.

     "I know, but remember what you promised Charles? Don't let them drag
this out...  please...

     I looked at her silently for a moment. "Eliza, do you want to get out
of here? I've decided, I'm going to take you home.

     Her eyes came alive, "You'd do that? I don't want to be a burden...

     "You're no burden Eliza... you and Jer have been nothing but a
blessing to me in the short time I've known you... and I love you both.

     I could swear she blushed, making her look more vital and alive than
she'd seemed since I had arrived.

     "I'd better let Jeremy come in. and I'll let the hospital know that we
will be discontinuing your extreme treatment. Then you're coming home with
me as soon as possible.

     She didn't say anything, but I noticed her blink away the moistness
that formed in her eyes... and she looked happy.

    When I leaned over and kissed her, I felt her fingers tighten around
mine.

     Outside Eliza's door, my lawyer Anthony Sussman, accompanied by the
notary, had arrived, and they were chatting with Jeremy. I told him to go
see his mother.  When he first caught sight of Eliza, he stood there frozen
for a moment, then he cried out, his pubescent voice breaking, "Mom.... oh
Mom...." Jer ran over to the bed and almost threw himself on his mother,
hugging her tightly and almost dislodging one of her tubes.

     "Take it easy baby.... let me look at you... hey, you look so good."
She ran her fingers through his hair and stroked his face, "Has Charles
been taking care of you?

     "Yeah, he's the greatest! Mom... I'm going to see Kevy today... he
asked about you...  maybe I can bring him to see you?

     I left the room at that point to talk with Anthony. I told him that I
wanted to take Eliza off drugs and all other therapy aside from necessary
medications to keep her comfortable.  Whatever time she had left I wanted
her to spend with her son and me.

     "Ms. Bell can do whatever she wants," Anthony assured me, "she is an
adult and cannot be forced into doing anything she doesn't want to do.

     After giving Jeremy enough time to be alone with his mother, we got
Eliza to put her notarized signature on all the necessary papers. She
seemed visibly relieved when it was all done. "I know now, that whatever
happens, Jeremy will be taken care of...  remember, don't let my boy fall
into the hands of my family.

     The lawyer was cool and assured. It was wonderful how he had cut
through official barriers to get these documents ready so quickly. I don't
know, and didn't really care what he did to get past certain legal time
requirements, but the result of his work was excellent. I guess having
money does make a difference sometimes. I was able to hire the best and got
prime results in return.

     "If any family members should suddenly show up," Anthony told us, "let
me know, and I shall deal with that event if necessary, just give me a
call.

     "Thanks Anthony." We shook hands, and then the lawyer and company
exited the room.  At this point, I could sense Eliza was tiring from all
the activity, and her eyes were closing down, so I gently persuaded Jeremy
that we should let her rest. I held her hands again while Jer kissed her
goodbye.

     Observing her son's sad face, Eliza smiled, "Don't worry so much baby,
I'll be alright...  have fun with Kevin... and tell him hi for me, okay?

     "K, mom.


***


    On the trip away from the hospital to drop him off at Kevin's place,
Jeremy was pensive, and then gradually became more hyper than I'd ever seen
him. I was concerned. He didn't talk or look at me; instead, he would stare
out of the windows on one side of the big car for about five minutes, and
then slide over to the opposite set of windows for another five
minutes. Then he'd repeat the activity. He was like a caged cub- tiger. I
restrained my adult impulse to order him to `be still'. I realized that
this childish repetitive activity was perhaps a way to preoccupy himself; a
means of `not-thinking' about his mother's condition, or of his own future
without her. I think he was quite shell shocked about everything. Too many
things were happening much too quickly.  After all, Jeremy, at fourteen,
was still a child.

     On his next perambulation from window to window, I caught hold of him,
and held him captured in my arms. He struggled hard for a moment, looking
surprised. It was almost like he'd forgotten I was there in the car with
him. And for a second, his eyes were unfocused, much like his mom's used to
appear sometimes.

     "Baby, baby," I cooed, "it's okay, relax, relax... please..." He
gradually began to actually `see' me. Slowly, the tension went out of the
traumatized boy and he laid his head on my shoulder. I pulled him sideways
onto my lap like a child. He put his arms around my neck, clinging tightly
to me. He wasn't crying, but I could feel his heart beating hard and hear
his breath rushing and rushing by my ear...

     I didn't know what to say, so I just held him. Rocking him gently, I
found myself singing low, a verse from one of my mother's favourite Dinah
Washington torch songs:

     "I'm mad about the boy...
     I know it's stupid to be mad about the boy
     I'm so ashamed of it,
     But I must admit the sleepless nights
     I've had, about the boy....

     I admit it was a weird kind of lullaby, but unaccountably, the old
song just popped into my head, and then out of my mouth. But it was
surprisingly effective.

     Jeremy stayed very still until I finished the first verse, and then he
sat up in my lap with his arms still around my neck. He was staring at me
amazed, a gentle smile on his face.  "Oh boy, you can sing!

     I was embarrassed and shut up right away, but his smile put me at
ease.  "Sing some more," he ordered. I was so pleased to see that Jer was
himself again, I closed my eyes and sang just a little bit more:

     "Will it ever cloy?
     This odd diversity of misery and joy,
     I'm feeling quite insane and young again,
     All because I'm mad about the boy...

     "So.... are you *mad* about me Charles?

     "Yeah.... crazy about you baby." I brushed my lips against his
forehead.


                                                                         ***

     We were pulling to a stop, so Jeremy slid off my lap to grab his
backpack. I looked out the window. The curly-headed boy waiting at the door
of a red Village townhouse had caught sight of our car, and even before we
pulled to a stop, was rushing down the flight of concrete stairs, taking
two steps at a time as he raced toward us. Kevin.

     Dressed only in a white t-shirt and blue jeans, and without his normal
baggy clothing, or his skateboard, blonde Kevin was fragile-looking, a
slender boy who appeared even younger than I'd remembered. The driver was
coming around to open the door for us, but Jeremy didn't wait for him, he
opened the car door himself and rushed over to meet Kevin halfway.  I fully
expected them to embrace each other, but when they came together, they
stopped short and shyly eyed each other without speaking. What an
interesting duo, I thought, the exotic-looking beauty and the cute blond
boy-next-door. I figured I'd better go out and break the ice. Kevin, the
sun catching in his golden hair, turned to me, all smiles, "Oh... hi
Mr.... um....

     "It's just `Charles', Kevin.

     "Oh, yeah." He said, a bit embarrassed, then he reached for Jeremy's
backpack, "Lemme carry that for you, Jer.

     "Okay.

     "Is your mom home Kevin?" I figured I should talk to an adult since I
was already right there.

     "Um... yah, but she just went to the store, she'll be back in about an
hour... you wanna wait?

     "No... It's all right Kev.... I'll talk to her later.

     The two boys turned to leave. "Oh, Jer, wait a second." I took out a
cell phone and gave it to him. "This is yours, call me if you ever need
to... and you can call for a car anytime you want to, that number's on
speed dial, okay?

     "Wow, thanks Charles." And he hugged me.

     "'Bye baby, have fun.

     "'Bye, Charles.

     Pausing at the green door at top of the steps, still dragging Jeremy's
backpack, Kevin turned and waved goodbye to me.


.... To be continued...>>>