Chapter 39: Blue Thunder

When we got to Detroit we checked into the hotels where rooms were reserved for those who needed rooms. I paid for a double king-sized bedroom, my parents were my roommates to make sure no funny business went on after curfew. Our next stop was lunch at the Silverdome courtesy of Little Ceasar’s Pizza, as this was their backyard, Tomorrow was Domino’s Pizza’s turn. After we ate we were too full, but we had two hours to walk it off as the first games started in about three hours. I left the team as I had a business appointment that couldn’t wait as I was here in town. Mayor Coleman A.Young wanted to speak to me about moving the MasonGroup World Headquarters into the Renaissance Center in downtown Detroit. Mayor Young said. “Detroit is the business hub of the state of Michigan, your company needs to be located in the new jewel of the city as well. I am willing to give you all of the floor space you would need to be comfortable in the Center.”

“Well, we will consider your proposal, but I need to get back to Pontiac now. Just so you know, I will be spending most of the summer in the city of Detroit, Mayor Young.” I said. I asked Pam after we were back in the car headed to Pontiac with a police escort. “What was that all about? Didn’t he know why I was in town?”

“Yes, Teddy, but he is desperate to get that building rented out. And your business is in demand as you can fill a building up fast. In addition there is the worry you plan to set up shop in Grand Rapids, as we are being offered many addresses there as well.” Pam said.

“Well hopefully you can stop any other business meeting from popping up, please?” I asked Pam. When I arrived, I went directly into the locker room and had a trainer taping my ankles for the game after I got dressed in my uniform, as both of the teams were shooting around on the court. I picked a ball and began moving around practicing my low-post moves. By the time the team came back in I was sitting in the corner leaning up against a locker dozing. “Look at sleeping beauty, Everett’s players think you are too scared to step onto the court. Their big man thinks he is going to run all over you. ‘Scared Freshmen don’t deserve to play on a Varsity team.’ So I hope you enjoy yourself tonight at his expense, as he is not as big or as tall as you. Where did you go anyway?” Traylor asked me.

“On some fool’s errand here in Detroit. The Mayor of Detroit had something he had to show me just in case we lost today or tomorrow, and didn’t return next week. I made a small wager about the outcome of the tournament. The Mayor believes in his city’s High School teams. The state trophy will be residing once again here in Detroit this year, as far as he is concerned anyway.” I said. Coach went over a few more things, reminding us to just play loose, and do the things that we have worked on and talked about.

I walked out to a sea of orange once again. We had more than a few thousand people cheering us on. “I hear you were looking for me, you were worried I was afraid of you because you are also up for Mr. Basketball. For the next 32 minutes I will be glad to be the scared big freshmen for you. I hope you don’t hurt yourself trying to help your team win tonight. Good luck.” His night of hell had just begun right after he scored the game’s first basket. I didn’t try too hard to stop him from scoring the first basket, either. By the time he scored another point I had eight assists, four points and five blocks. The Evans brothers were making lay-ups and dunks at will, there was no answer for them, as they were running freely to the basket. After the three point shooters for our team began hitting at a steady rate, Everett just wanted the game over with as soon as possible. Early in the fourth quarter I left the game with sixteen points, twelve assists and eight blocks, along with fourteen rebounds. By the middle of the fourth quarter all the starters for both teams were sitting on the bench waiting for the final buzzer.

We all dressed and left the locker room so the next teams playing could use the locker room. We were free to do whatever we wanted until 10:30 p.m. I left to go to Pam’s house in Detroit for a few minutes, plus eating dinner, namely a home cooked meal. We all sat around talking about the day’s events as well as the game itself. Just before I left, Sonja fed me some of her liquid gold we all call milk, which led to me fucking Sonja. Not rutting like two wild animals going at it, but two passionate lovers enjoying themselves. As Sonja’s pussy was both tight and juicy I was loving all that liquid heat. And I just about lost it each time the woman released her warm liquid flow, I wouldn’t say she gushed, it was more like a steady flow, something like a lava flow, flowing all over both of our crotches. Damn, that felt so good, almost as good as when Fallon also releases her own flow, like mother like daughter. I managed to fill Sonja up just before it was time to leave, with no time for a shower. My Dad was waiting for me at the front door in pretty much the same shape. We both look at one another, before laughing on the way to the hotel, as we were both ripe smelling strongly of pussy.

My Uncle James met us at the Hotel room looking like the world started ganging up on him again. “Good evening, Teddy, I have a few new family problems at this moment that I don’t know yet what to do about all of them. Margo called me about an hour ago, but she had just brought Jimmy home from the hospital. She wants me to take and move Jimmy up here to Michigan permanently, as he has been beaten up and threatened. He was beaten up by some girl’s brother down there in Indianapolis. Very early last summer Jimmy got the girl pregnant, maybe even before their Junior High School was out for the summer, they both go to the same school. First the young lady informs our young Jimmy of her new condition. After repeated attempts to get Jimmy to understand that she was going to need help from him, her family stepped up to Jimmy and told him that she was indeed pregnant soon after the school-year began. Jimmy’s answer was to put his head in the sand and to put them off like he was going to tell his parents, but he kept this information to himself, as though this serious situation would just go away if he could ignore it long enough.” Uncle James said.

“Anyway the child is do to be born any day now, and her older brother and a few of his friends found Jimmy in the park playing basketball. Jimmy chose to deal with the brother by running off at the mouth, trying to intimidate him. That was a bad move, considering he had three friends with him from his motorcycle club. After hearing what the beef was all about, plus they didn’t want to tangle with any of the motorcycle club members, the boys that Jimmy was playing ball with moved away from Jimmy as the confrontation heated up. Jimmy was on his own, and a first class ass-whipping was put upon him when he denied that he was the father of the child. Jimmy’s friends finally stepped in when it looked as though they were going to beat him to death.” Uncle James said.

“Margo called to speak to the girl’s Parents just before she called me, after Jimmy gave her the telephone number. Margo and I will be meeting with them on Saturday to get a serious understanding of where we all go from here. I know you will be busy in Detroit this weekend, but I was wondering if you would allow your dad along with a few of your Uncles to go with me, so that these people can see us Masons are not to be pushed around.” Uncle James said.

“Uncle James, please ask them to meet you in Detroit Saturday. Tell them that you are willing to charter a motorcoach for them and anyone they feel they need to bring to feel comfortable that can fit into the one motorcoach will be welcome. Let them know why we are all are all planning to be in Detroit for the coming weekend. They need to respond back quickly so that we can get the hotel rooms as close together as possible, if we can’t get them all in one location.” I said.

“We Masons as a family are all for settling this matter as quickly and quietly as possible, with no more drama or any more injuries occurring to upon either of our two families. Make it clear to them from the get go, as politely as you choose to, that any further foolishness like what happened to Jimmy will be met in kind very fast so they know we are capable of dishing out treatment like that also. And we are more than willing to come to Indianapolis to prove it if we have to. We truly don’t want any more violence to happen on either side of this situation. But Jimmy has to return to Indianapolis for a few more weeks, and we Masons will not be taking any more free ass-whippings without retaliating in kind. I am sure, Unc, that you know exactly how to get your point across without me saying anything else. But this way you let these people know we as an entire family will defend our own too.” My Uncle looked as though a great weight had been lifted off of his shoulders. I had the beginnings of a plan that would make both Jimmy and his mother very happy for a very short while, most likely. I had to keep from laughing at how this situation could or would most likely end up with Jimmy wishing that he had not ever seen the young lady that was changing his life forever.

“Uncle James, can I ask you a few questions right quick?” I asked. He just nodding his head, indicating yes. “Uncle James, you know that you will never really be rich, as in millionaire rich, with just your share of the trust. Correct?” Again he nodded. “Well, I propose that I give you a $1,000,000 for your interest in the Mason Trust shares that you would get from your parents eventually. From my point of view that should put you a ways ahead in the game, wouldn’t it?” I asked. “Yes, Teddy.” Uncle James said. “In that case, this is what I would like to do. First off I would want to get Jimmy emancipated so you and his mom are no longer responsible for any of his actions from now on, as overkill so protection from everyone involved I would require a signed contract with signatures from the three of you ONLY AFTER after Jimmy is emancipated. I WOULD NEED three signatures from each of you on three different contracts so there will be no loopholes to try and come back after me or the Trust after all the money has been distributed, or after it has all been spent. By having these signatures protects me from the three of you, and it will protect you from the two of them, and lastly it will protect the two of them from each other.” I said.

“I am not worried about you doing anything, as you have a great income and your loot is going to continue to grow. Auntie Margo is going to get a few more dollars from me as her part of this deal, and I am going to help Jimmy with this child support situation, but I need anyone and everyone he might listen to in on this plan. He needs a lawyer to really spell all of this out to him, so he understands that once he is emancipated he will be the GO TO person to get him out of trouble from now on, in the eyes the law, anyway. I will be receiving my own emancipation the same day before he gets his. For all of this, I want the rights to your share of your parents’ shares of the Trust. I will pay you and Jimmy $1,000,000, and give half a $500,000 to Auntie Margo. And to make this all happen I personally will pay this girl $1,200 a month for child support and all of the delivery cost, after the child is blood tested. Part of that $1,200 has to go for insurance for the baby. I want the child support issue taken care of first, as soon as possible, with the understanding if I am paying $1,200 dollars monthly they can’t turn around and file on with the Indiana version of the Friend of the Court against Jimmy, as I am paying on his behalf. I plan to ask Mason family members who would be willing to sell their shares to me also in a group meeting next week, I am having people flown in from all over the country for this meeting.” I said.

“I would appreciate you being there, but I would prefer Auntie Margo and Jimmy happened to miss this big meeting. I am sure you are seeing the big picture, or at least see what I am really after. I would like to obtain as many of the family shares as possible. I want to obtain the shares, but pay folks for the shares so they can get more out of life now, per se. As long as they remain employed by the Mason Group they will maintain their tax-free status. Because most members don’t have shares when they come to work at first in the Mason Group, so their tax-free status will be fully intact, unless they go to work for any other non Mason Group company. After they reach the age of eighteen, if they are working for any company besides the Mason Group, any salaries they earn outside of the MasonGroup are taxable, just like anyone else. This information is usually covered as Mason relatives reach the age of eighteen.” I said.

“But anyway, set up this meeting in Detroit for this weekend and we will see if these people want to do business or intend to see what they can dig up. I can structure the payments to your family so they will wish they had taken that $1,200 from the get go. Just let me handle the meeting after we get there, since I am the one with the deepest pockets. I am sure they think the way this meeting is being set up they will smell money, too bad for them, though, the fourteen year old Mason with all the money is not fifteen year Jimmy Mason. I am willing to set aside $259,200 to be paid out at $1,200 monthly over a period of eighteen years, taken from the $1,000,000 I want to offer Jimmy. They can’t go back on this offer after they accept the first check, unless they refund any and all monies they may have received before they have a change of mind. I am sure we have to flex a few muscles before the brother sees that other people can be just as bad as this little group he runs with. And I would be willing to bet that the thoughts of a very big payday will be floating around that family’s thinking by the time we all sit down in Detroit.” I said.

I was able to get to bed after the unexpected visit from Uncle James. I slept alone as I didn’t want to be tired tomorrow for game one. Though on paper, this weekend seemed as though it wouldn’t cause too much trouble as long as we play our game and played to our strengths we would be ok, I hoped anyway.

(Saturday, Morning.)

We had the late game,, so we were going to be at the hotel going over the best knowledge we had of West Ottawa High School. West Ottawa was indeed a Cinderella team this year, they were playing beyond the team you saw on paper. They were small for the most part, but very quick. Their tallest player was 6’7” Wes Unsold wannabe, meaning he was big and wide and did what it took to get the job done. His cast around him was mostly 6’4” or less, including a few well below 6 foot. They played their hearts out, and left all that they had out on the court. Coach warned us that we have to be on our game to win this game. “Look, I know it sounds like I am blowing smoke in the wind, but overconfidence can be your undoing too. It is too, too easy to sleep a loss now. West Ottawa has been winning games, and that gentlemen, is no accident. Then coach went over how he wanted us to play this game. It all involved playing differently and using our strengths, and playing a few guys we normally don’t play. We were going to be at the Silverdome all day to keep us from getting into mischief.

West Ottawa was formidable, but after the third quarter they were shown the fact that the trip to the dance was all over here in Pontiac on the second day. Once I locked in my triple-double I was excused from the game. All I got for my troubles was 11 points, 10 rebounds and 12 assists. I didn’t feel too bad, as most of our starters were on the bench off and on most of the game. We went to the hotel after Domino’s Pizza was good to us, curfew, curfew. I slept well, though I wished Sandy was with me.

(Sunday, Morning.)

We brought our suits in our garment bags, as we were dressed for the game with started at noon. We went over what Coach expected from Muskegon Heights High School, they were another team playing above their game, but they had decent size and skills. While they were not winning by large margins, they were grinding out their wins nonetheless. Muskegon Heights gave us a run for a win, we never trailed them, but I did get to play for most of the game. Ending up with 26 points, 15 rebounds and 10 blocks, with six assists. But it took everybody on the team pitching in some way to help us win this game. After the game Coach simply said. “This is the kind of effort this team has to put forth to win from here on out. No matter if you are a starter or not, you have to do your part to help us win. Like I said, in a few years people won’t know most of who was playing these games. Look at your new jewelry and be glad it says your name on it. Let us just win these games, gentlemen.”

We all lined up for the convoy back to Grand Rapids, but we all were glad to still be in the hunt. Our fan club had us winning the NBA Championship. The State Championship was supposed to be a cakewalk as we were so good. No matter what those of us on the team understood, we were capable of losing just like any other team. Coach kept reminding us of this fact often during the season. No, we heard it at more than once a day. Carmanza’s Cheeseburgers hit the spot. I went to bed early to rest up, Sandy keping me company, I was comfortable. Until that damn alarm spoke up.

(Monday, Morning.)

I came down to breakfast dressed in a midnight blue three-piece suit that was new. My parents were at the table, as were my sisters’ mothers also. In fact everyone from down the street was there. All my ladies were there also. “Teddy, you are not going to school today, you have too much going on. Nor are you going to basketball practice. I asked your coach for this day off as you need to let the WestStar situation come to some kind of end, as these people can’t do much business with you controlling their companies. And you have yet to say what you want to do to them, so this afternoon you will have to tell them what you want to do with them. This morning Toni and her parents are pleading guilty to fraud charges, and her uncle would going before the State Bar Association to investigate his role in this fraudulent case. I want us all to be there. The media will be there also. Your favorite words, if they should get close enough to you to ask, is ‘no comment’, ok?” Pam said.