Chapter 16

Saturday started off slowly. Caesar was passed out next to me and I was alone. My wife's voice came back to me

her: I like your list. I would have loved to do each and everyone one of those. Please don't do them alone. You need to find a friend who wants to travel and take them with you.

me: Should I take Maureen or Ashlee?

her: No don't bother with Maureen. She is not good enough for you.

me: Oh, ya. They both came off as a bit preoccupied with money didn't they?

her: Ya. They did.

me: So who should I take with me?

her: You will find someone, don't worry about it. She will make herself known to you.

I rolled over away from Sam's pillow and look at the ceiling. She would have been great on this trip. I don't know if the boys would have enjoyed it very much. They have never been on a plane before so that would have freaked them out, but I am sure that the stuff here in the US would have been fun. I would have to include things like Disney to the list. That would have been for them. For me though, this list is perfect.

While I was in the kitchen getting my breakfast ready, I started to hear voices outside. Not a big deal, I have neighbors so nothing to worry about. I go about my business.

ding dong

bow wow woof woof bow wow

"Ok Caesar, I heard the doorbell too. Here I come. I look out through the little window above my door and see several people on my front lawn and Julie standing at my door with a young man holding a rake.

"Hi Julie. what brings you to my door so early in the morning?" I say when I open the door.

"Paul I said that I was going to get a group of people to come to your house and serve you and here we are!" she said with a smile and a wave of her arm. "What do you need us to do?"

"Oh, I don't know. I was just finishing my breakfast." I stepped away from the door and opened it fully, "Why don't you come inside and I'll give you a tour showing you what I'm dealing with."

Julie and the young man she introduced as Kyle came into the house and took a seat on the couch as I excused myself to put on real clothes.

When I got back to the living room, Julie was looking at the last few pictures that I had left sitting out. A photo of my sister, her husband, Sam and myself we had professionally done a few years ago. "Who are these other two people?"

"That is my sister and her husband. They live in Topeka. We had that picture taken a few years ago before my sister lost all of her weight. She is like 120 pounds now. Looks totally different than that picture."

"It's still a good picture of everyone."

"Thanks. So, shall I give you a tour of the yard?"

"Let's go." and I led them both outside. Caesar right by our side.

"Ok, the back yard needs to be raked really badly from the house out to the fence line. then I would love if someone could spread out the seed I have in the shed with my spreader so that some of those bare spots will get filled in." While I was showing them the backyard, I thought of something else. "Oh, did anyone bring a ladder?"

Julie looked at Kyle "I don't know Mr. Johnson, but we will ask. Why?"

"I was wondering if you did, could someone take a stab at cleaning out my gutters. I think I'm starting to grow trees in my gutters."

They both looked at the gutters and agreed that something was starting to grow up there. "Ok Mr. Johnson, we will try and get them cleaned out."

"Thank you. Let's go and check the front yard. Follow me." I took them to the gate and opened it and lead them around the front. The same can be done here, rake the leftover leaves away from the house to the street. Once that is done, I wouldn't mind if someone mowed the lawn. The mower is in the shed along with the spreader and seed."

Julie looked around, thought for a minute and then said to me "We can get this done for you. not a problem"

I smiled, I was worried that I had blown them away and had overstepped what needed to be done. Looks like I didn't.

"Thanks Julie. I'll leave the gate open for you all, just please make sure that everything gets put back into the shed."

Julie headed off to the assembled crowd and started directing traffic. Half the group went around back the other half stayed in front. They all started working. Silently I said, Thank you Lord. I went back into the house and went back to my room to finish getting cleaned up.

After about three hours, Julie came back to the door. It was close to lunch, and asked me to come out and look the place over. I came out and everyone was lined up on my lawn, with sweaty brows and smiles on their faces. "We have gotten everything done just like you asked. Come and have a look."

I followed her around the house where she pointed out the lack of weeds in the planters in the front, all the leaves that have built up against the house were gone, in the back nothing was growing in my gutters anymore, and the leaves in the back were all gone as well. When we got back out to the front, I then noticed that two of the trucks that had been driven to my house had paper bags in them filled to the brim with leaves and grass clippings. "This is amazing. Absolutely amazing everyone." I tried to address everyone that had gathered at my house.

I turned to Julie and offered her a hug which she gladly accepted and I said to her while hugging, "Thank you very much for caring."

"It is my pleasure to serve." She said.

When I released her I then walked to the gathered group and started shaking hands and thanking them for their help. It took a few minutes, but I was able to thank all of the young people who had worked on my yard. They packed up their stuff and everyone drove away leaving me in my front yard now cleaned up and freshly mowed.

While I was walking around the yard, Tessa and Jenna came out of their house and came over to me. I waved at them and yelled Hey!

"What happened over here?" Jenna yelled.

I stood there with my hand behind my ear, trying to tell them that I couldn't hear them properly. then I shrugged my shoulders with my hands up in a classic 'what' motion. The two of them threw up their hands and ran across the street and came bouncing into my yard. "What is going on over here?"

"I had a bunch of people over from the church to clean up the yard for me. You woudn't believe how much stuff they hauled away for me. It was really nice of them, there is no way I would have done it."

Jenna, the younger one, just sort of lost interest in it all and wondered back home. Tessa the more mature one, stayed behind and continued to talk to me. She and I may have had sex several times in the past few weeks, but it has not been a real relationship or anything. At least not according to me. "How have you been honey?"

"Missing you." She stepped to me and put her hand on my chest. "Where have you been?"

I looked into her eyes, "hiding out, finding out who my real friends are and thinking about what to do with my life. Why? Do you have any idea what I should do?"

"Actually, I might have a few ideas." she smiled coyly. "Why don't you come over to the house and I'll tell you about it."

I thought for, about, a second. "Sure. Let me get my keys and I'll be right over."

"Yeah!" She then skipped home and I watched her go.

I went in, got my keys and locked the house up and then went across the street. knock knock knock Their dogs started barking and soon enough, Krystal answered the door and welcomed me inside. "How are you doing?"

"I'm doing ok, just trying to figure out what do with myself is all." I say as I walk into their house. "Tessa asked that I come over since she 'says'" with quote fingers in the air "that she has ideas on what I should do with myself."

"Well by all means come in. Ignore the mess and have a seat."

When I walk into the family room, John is in his chair watching TV and he gets up to greet me. "Good of you go come over." We exchange firm embraces then I sit in an office chair next to him. "What idea did Tessa have for you?"

"I have no idea. She didn't say just ran off back here and hasn't told me yet."

Tessa walks in wearing a robe and a smile on her face. "I'll show you my idea." She flings the robe off and displays to her parents and me her bikini. "You need to go on vacation to a beach somewhere."

"Tessa!!" Both of her parents shout at her. "Go get dressed. This is no way for a lady to act."

I was a bit shocked, but her bikini isn't small at all. In fact it covers a lot. The bottoms are full coverage in the front and back. The top is more like a sports bra than what you would think of a bikini top. They must have been too surprised by her act than by what she is wearing.