I parked well away from everyone. It was like bumper cars in the parking lot, and I didn’t want to get my Jeep scratched up. Mary and Tracy came out of the store with a full cart.
“They had several rotisserie chickens. I figured we could do a lot with that,” Mary told me.
I agreed and took them back to the house. I then went and got Mom and Dad. I knew they’d want to be at the house if I had so many people over. We swung by and picked up Tom from work. We then stopped and got Mrs. A, Beth’s mom. She had her huge coffee pot and several gallons of apple cider. I liked the way she thought.
My next trip was to go get Greg, Kyle and Angie. Mac and her mom joined us, so I had to make two trips. From there it was driving all over town, getting people or taking girls home. I found the people that did have generators had full houses. People looked out for each other. When our house filled up, Mom came out and told me the church had a generator, and they were open to anyone who needed help.
I ended up driving several of the football players and their families to my church. The reverend sent Dad with me to help get some of the older members and bring them in. Many of them were getting ready for Thanksgiving and insisted on giving me pies or homemade goodies. Every so often I’d shoot home and drop off the goodies. Tracy or Pam would meet me and haul it in.
When my church filled up, I was told the Catholic church was looking for some help. I ended up driving well into the night. They had a couple of people with chains on their cars, helping out. I was beat, so one of the priests asked to borrow my Jeep and took me home. When I finally came in, Dad was waiting for me and gave me a big hug. Mom made me a chicken sandwich on homemade bread. There were people sleeping everywhere.
“Any idea when the power will be back on?” I asked.
“It may be a couple of days,” Dad told me. “How bad is it?”
“It’s a mess. They haven’t started working on the streets, because it hasn’t slowed down. Outside of town the snow’s drifting. Did you see the tree out back?” I asked.
“Yeah, I think this is just the beginning. They’re talking about high winds come morning,” Mom told me.
Mrs. A came wandering into the kitchen and she gave me a hug. She pulled my mom and dad to bed. They’d been waiting on me. I went to my apartment. Tracy and Pam had me get in between them. I wish I had time to savor it, but I just fell asleep.
AT ABOUT FIVE IN THE morning the priest called me to return my Jeep. I got up and met him in my driveway, and then gave him a ride back to the church. He thanked me for the help and loan of the Jeep. I noticed he’d filled it up for me. That was more than I could say about my brother when he borrowed my car. The priest looked really tired, but he kept making me out as some kind of hero. I just shook my head and went home. I put the Jeep in the garage and went back to bed.
Chapter 24 – Thanksgiving
Wednesday November 26
As I rolled over, the clock said it was ten, and I was alone. I heard movement in my bathroom, and then Tracy came out and gave me a weak smile. There will always be something between us.
“Tracy ...” I started, but she shut me up with a kiss.
I pushed her away and smiled at her. Something wasn’t quite right. We’d been friends. No, that wasn’t right, we were more than friends. So, it was easy for me to detect her moods, and I could tell something was bothering her.
“What’s wrong?” I asked.
She curled up next to me.
“Just hold me,” she said.
I wrapped my arms around her; I smelled her hair and found she’d used my mint shampoo. I could tell she needed just that, me holding her, so I drifted off, back to sleep.
I WOKE UP TO FIND TRACY gone. I went out to my living room to find Jim, Wolf and Cassidy were playing my new video game, Far Cry 4, which I hadn’t played yet. I had a momentary Kyle moment and wanted to yell ‘Mine!’ but I quickly got over it.
I went to the house to get breakfast. I was happy to see it had stopped snowing after leaving almost half a foot on the ground. I about killed myself sliding on the sheet of ice underneath. I carefully traversed the short distance and went in to find my house overrun with people. There was a platter of bacon and scrambled eggs, so I put a couple of pieces of bread into the toaster and then made a quick sandwich. Dad found Greg and me and ordered us to go out and shovel the driveway and sidewalks, and then salt them. It’s funny how child labor works.
Greg was being a wuss and whining about how cold it was, while I simply enjoyed our time together. It felt like we were brothers again. I missed him being around—until he dumped snow down my back. I really felt bad for Angie; she was going to have to raise Kyle alone. Poor Greg had no idea that at six-four and a little over two hundred pounds, I might be stronger than him since I’d worked out like a madman for nearly a year. I picked up the dork and dumped him into a snowdrift.
Why is it that parents always see you do something like that?
“David Allen Dawson!” Mom yelled at me.
“He started it,” I complained.
“I don’t care who started it. Now help your brother out of the snow before Greg freezes to death,” she ordered me.
The little shit was playing possum and pulled me in with him. We wrestled until I pinned him. Oh, how the tables had turned. I was dancing in the driveway when a snowball hit me in the head. It was Angie defending her wimpy husband. She shrieked when I chased her back into the house.
Mom sent me to my apartment to take a shower and warm up. When I came back down, she had hot chocolate waiting for me. I gave her a hug and a kiss on the top of her head.
When the power came back on, Dad used my Jeep to take some of the dads home to get bigger vehicles to help the other people home. By two that afternoon, we had everyone out of the house but family. Well, Mac and her mommy, Joyce, were considered family.
I WAS ROLLING AROUND on the floor, letting babies crawl all over me when Mom found me. She had a big grin on her face.
“As much as I hate to break this up, you’ve got to get ready for your date,” she told me.
I looked at her curiously. I hadn’t planned a date for tonight. Kyle tried to sit between my legs ... and missed. I sucked in my breath.
“Man down,” Greg teased.
I thought I might have just lost my left nut. Greg and Angie got the babies before I hurt one of them from my thrashing around on the floor. What is it about seeing a guy getting hit in the nut-sack that’s so funny? Angie got a glint in her eye.
“Do you want me to kiss your boo-boo to make it better?”
I just glared at her. Mom got me up.
“Now go get ready,” she ordered.
“Hang on! Who am I having a date with?” I asked.
“Beth,” Mom told me.
That brought a happy smile to my face. It was the annual Dawson/Anderson date night. Since Greg had failed so miserably in bringing our families together, it had fallen to me to take Beth out last year. I really missed my friend. I had a spring in my step as I headed to my room to shower and change.
When I got to my room, apparently either Angie or Mom had laid out clothes for me. I suspected Angie because she had put out my new stripper underwear. I decided it would be fun to wear it if the evening went that far. Angie had also put out a nice pair of slacks, a fitted sweater, and a sports jacket.
When I got dressed, I looked at myself in the mirror and got a little nervous. The underwear lifted and centered my package, which gave me a noticeable bulge. I almost changed, but Angie and Joyce came bounding up the steps. Angie was all business.
“Turn around so we can see,” she ordered.
Joyce blushed and couldn’t seem to quit looking at me below the waist.