Chapter 2: With a Single Step

In the morning daylight, Andrew felt more optimistic. He recalled reading the Chinese maxim, “The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.” And there was so much to do! After everyone else had dressed, eaten, and left for school, Andrew took his last report card and went directly to the principal’s office at his high school.

“Dr. Cortez, thank you for seeing me this morning.”

“Of course, Mr. Bailey. I’m so sorry for your loss. What can I do for you?”

“I need to stop coming here every day. I need to find work and support my family. I’m asking you, sir, to help me graduate in spite of my absences. Otherwise, I guess I need to take that test, uh, the GED?”

During their discussion, Cortez learned all about Andrew’s family situation and how there were no other relatives to step in. After some discussion, he offered a plan that Andrew readily accepted.

“Since your grades in junior and senior year were so high, and there are only a limited number of remaining weeks before summer break, you will take (at home) and likely pass the final exams in your core subjects. Your records would document that you completed high school normally, and your final diploma will be mailed as usual.

“This is very irregular, but your prior performance justifies flexibility on our part. But what about college? I believed you already received acceptances at three universities and committed to the best of the three.”

“Like I said, though, I need to support my family. There are four of my younger siblings who are now my responsibility. I doubt I’ll ever go to college. Ah, maybe my sister (who’s now 18) and my other four brothers and sisters might go. Not me.”

“Oh, no, that’s not right. Mr. Bailey, Andrew, please try to be hopeful. I think there will be many options for a kid like you who has so much potential, shows maturity, and behaves so responsibly. And, no, I don’t mean you should take out loans that leave you in debt for the rest of your life.”

Andrew’s mood, so dark when he thought about missing college, lightened while they talked. The principal gave him his business card, with his private number written on the back.

“Listen, you call me whenever you need help or advice. Calling in the evening is fine. You understand I’m not in this job because of the high salary. (That wretched compact car rusting in my parking spot outside is four years older than you are.) Your success is important to me, Andrew. And I know you will overcome this terrible setback. Your family, your siblings, will be proud of you, I’m sure of it.”

“Dr. Cortez, you surprise me. High school principals are supposed to be mean. You can’t be my princi-PAL. If you’re caught being nice to students you’ll get in trouble with the union. I’d better leave before word gets out about you.”

“Get the fuck out of my office, Bailey.”

But Cortez was grinning like a fool.

“That’s better!” Andrew cried out as he fled.

“Worse every year. Damn kids.”

That remark was also insincere.

Albert Cortez was having his home’s decrepit and unsafe “Federal Pacific Electric” service panel replaced before the defective components inside could burn down his little house. In a stroke of good luck, he learned of a possible opportunity and got in touch with Andrew. Following a complex application process, Andrew was accepted as an apprentice electrician offering a starting hourly pay of $22 and, importantly, health insurance.

It would take years of work and study, but in his area the top rates for a fully credentialed and experienced electrician approached $90 hourly—over $180,000 in annual income for full-time work before taxes. With that kind of progression, he imagined a possible bright future career.

All he needed to do was work his fingers to the bone. BAs the youngest and most inexperienced member of the crew, he performed the least appealing tasks, such as digging trenches for burying underground cables.

But in time, he showed not only that he was willing (and even cheerful) but also that he could handle whatever task they assigned him, no matter how complex.

That was all in the future. In the first weeks, he would come home often after a brutal day out in the weather. He was dirty and sweaty, and when young Nia came to hug him, she recoiled a little.

“Drew, you’re stinky!”

“And a gracious hello to you, little sister. It’s fine; you’re right. I’m going to shower now. You can hug me later, OK?”

He rushed into the master bathroom because he also needed to pee. But Leah was in there, sitting on the toilet.

“Oops! Sorry.”

“It’s fine, I’m almost done. Oh, and you need a shower, dude.”

She wasn’t moving very fast, then she noticed the tense expression on his face, although he was looking away to the side, trying to be polite.

“You OK?”

Anxiously, “Can you hurry? Please?”

Now he was shifting his feet.

Realizing why her brother was agitated, she jumped up and scooted over to the sink.

“Just pee now while I wash my hands. You can sit and go like a girl if you’re shy.”

That’s exactly what he did. When she heard him groan, she had to peek. There he was, seated, mouth open, and eyes closed, finally getting relief. She couldn’t suppress her giggles.

“Feeling better?”

“Yeah, it’s a load off my mind.”

“Oh, no, you’re not...”

“It’s only pee; don’t fret. This is easy; I’m going to do it this way more often so I don’t have to aim.”

“Yeah, our little brothers are terrible; they’re so sloppy. And they don’t put the seat down after they miss—the little shits. Is it really so hard, uh, I mean, difficult to point those things?”

“Leah, you better let ME talk to those boys. I will make them clean the bathroom until they learn their lessons. And no, it is not hard to aim. I can show you if you want.”

“Ick! Andrew Bailey!”

Her hands were still wet, so she flicked drops of water in his face while shouting at him and scampered from the room.

“Take a shower, jerk. You smell.”

“Yeah, I know. So says Nia. Val would scream bloody murder. At least it’s Friday. God, I’m just tired and hungry.”

After she left, he started tugging off his dirty clothes and stepped into the shower.

With clean hair spiking in every direction, Drew wandered out to the living room wearing shorts and a sleeveless white cotton undershirt.

“What’s for dinner, Leah?”

She was relaxed and reading in the big recliner. She looked up, ran her eyes over him with a smile, and said, “Hellaphino.”

“You don’t know? Who’s making dinner?”

“The boys are. They said, and I quote, ‘In self-defense, we’re making some real food to eat.’ I guess my canned tuna casserole didn’t go over well.”

Exercising self-control, Drew avoided making any comments.

“Guess I’ll see if they’re ready.”

“We are; come eat.”

Tim had come out carrying a basket of rolls and set it on the dining table with a soft butter stick. Drew raised an eyebrow and turned towards the hallway.

“Val! Come eat. Nia, kill the TV.”

Nia made a “pistol” with her hand, and said “Bang!” She hunted down the remote and powered off the screen. The family had one month remaining on their old annual Disney subscription. Drew thought maybe he could renew it, as Nia’s birthday was coming soon.

At the table, they watched as Ted brought out a covered skillet and set it on a steel trivet (rack). Already on the table with the rolls was a bowl of peas and carrots.

Leah looked around the table gratefully. They did it!

Val couldn’t contain herself.

“You let the BOYS cook? We’re all gonna die!”

“Shut up, Val,” hissed Leah.

“Shut up, Val,” growled Andrew.

“You’re mean!” protested Nia.

“Hmph!”

Val slumped backwards, arms folded.

With his hand covered, Ted lifted the hot lid and placed it on a folded dish towel.

Drew’s nostrils flared. The aroma surprised him; it was familiar. And good!

“Oh my God, Ted, you made this?”

“No, I just carried it because it’s heavy. Tim made it.”

“Tim made it? Really?”

“Yes. Don’t go crazy. I asked Ted to fetch Mom’s recipe box from the upper shelf. She called this ‘Hamburger Helper’; it’s just macaroni, cheese sauce, and ground beef. It wasn’t too hard.”

Tim looked around, amused, at his stunned family.

“Look at them,” he thought. “It’s like I invented cold fusion or something.”

“I call first!” cried Nia.

Ted began dishing portions with a big slotted spoon.

Then there were two plates left next to Ted. His eyes settled on his sister. Without rancor, he simply asked.

“Val?”

“I’m sorry. OK? Jeez!”

In stilted tones, she continued, “Theodore, may I please have a portion of tonight’s entrée? Thank you. Timothy, would you be so kind as to pass the vegetables?”

“It would be my pleasure, Miss Valerie.”

Nia’s eyes were huge, jumping between them. Then she started giggling. Then laughing. It got so bad, she snorted, and that was enough to destroy everybody.

“I love my family,” thought Leah, not for the first time.

Andrew decided to put off to some other day his plan to reprimand his brothers for inaccurate urination.

Long-standing practice allowed Nia to stay up late on Friday nights. Joining her sister in the girls’ bedroom at 10:30, they got into their beds.

“Good night, Miss Valerie,” she cooed.

“Shut up, Nia!”

Rays from the rising sun streamed into the master bedroom. It was the second of April and about half past six. Leah had forgotten to close the curtains, so the light was hitting directly into her face. As she was slowly waking, she instinctively turned her face away from the glare.

Drew was awake, but he took no notice of her movement. He was preoccupied at the time.

“Why is the bed shaking, uh, rocking? What? Is he? Oh! Is he jerking off? Wait, let me think. Yeah, that must be it. I wondered. I thought he uses the shower? Maybe not.”

He had no idea Leah was awake and aware. He tried to find opportunities, but he just didn’t have a lot of alone time. In past years, he just waited until his brothers were asleep; they seemed like logs. At times, he overheard Ted’s fapping, but decided to ignore it out of politeness and embarrassment. It was the right thing to do.