Chapter 54

During my morning run, I could only imagine what surprise the grandparents had for us. They’d be at the house by the time I got home from school. Mom was taking off work early so she could be there when they came in.

1st Sgt Gibbs stopped me on the way out to let me know that our meeting for the month would be on the 26th. He’d meet me at the Feed and Seed at 1:30PM.

I was doing very short reps with light weights in weightlifting and Coach Antebian wanted an explanation. I told him I had a fight on Saturday and didn’t want to overwork.

When I got home, I found out what the surprise was, and knew Randy was going to be pissed off when he got home.

Sitting at the kitchen table was JJ. Oh, this was going to get interesting really quick.

“So did Mom know you were coming?”

“Nope. That’s what made it this so much better. You should have seen the look on her face.”

“I could just imagine. So, what made you decide to come?”

“I had a few days of vacation that I had to use, and Grandfather kept talking about your fights, so I decided to see for myself.”

“It’s good you came. This is going to be my last fight win, lose or draw.”

-”Why? Grandfather says your pretty damn good.”_

“I’ve got plans, and it’s not really conducive to fighting. On top of that I’d like to not have brain damage by the time I’m 30.”

“I get that. This shitshow is going to get even grander, because Stosh will be here on Friday morning.”

“Let me guess. Mom doesn’t know he’s coming either?”

“Nope, and the Grandparents don’t know either. That’s what makes it great. Randy is going to shit bricks.”

“This is definitely going to get interesting.”

I went upstairs to change and as I hit the bottom of the stairs, it was obvious Randy was home. It was probable that he could be heard throughout the whole house. Through his ramblings all I could make out was that he was pissed off that JJ was here. It was also apparent that in no uncertain terms he wasn’t going to allow JJ to stay in the house while he was here.

It was only a matter of time before it shook out. The grandparents were on the back deck, so I went to see how things were going. My Grandmother seemed to think they weren’t going to stay long.

“So, if that horse’s ass has his way, we’ll be leaving as well. I hope that there’s a decent hotel nearby.”

JJ was grandmothers favorite, so this was a natural reaction. Grandfather noticed that I was standing in the doorway.

“Barnim, how are you doing? You ready for Saturday?”

“I’m doing OK. Feeling pretty relaxed and set in the game plan.”

“We’ll see about that tomorrow.”

“Guess I’m in for a long training session tomorrow.”

We sat around conversing about things going on. Dinner was a very tense affair as Randy was present for the first weekday dinner in probably 2 months. He said next to nothing and stared at JJ the whole time. You could almost feel the anger and rage radiating off of him. He would visibly shudder anytime JJ would transition into Polish. Mom was consistently nudging JJ anytime he spoke Polish. I could tell he was doing it on purpose

Randy and Randall were suspiciously quiet in their anti-Polish rhetoric during dinner.

This was going to blow up quickly and spectacularly. Somehow, we shockingly made it through dinner without any blood on the table. I logged it as a success.

Grandfather and I were sitting on the back deck having a beer after dinner.

“So other than the preparation for the fight, how are things going?”-

“Everything seems to be going fairly smoothly. I’ve talked to a recruiter to get that process started. Will your friend be able to take care of everything on that end?”

“I haven’t talked to him yet. I’ll do that as soon as I get back seeing as you’ve got the ball rolling. Don’t worry, he owes me big. I don’t see it being a problem.”

“OK, so what did you do that this guy owes you such a big favor?”

_”Well, when you actually graduate from boot camp, I’ll tell you the story over a beer.”

“Sounds like a plan.”

Grandfather pulled a bottle of vodka out of a bag I hadn’t seen. I was handed a glass with what amounted to 2 shots. We drank, and then were both quiet for a while. I then felt his hand on my shoulder.

“Go to bed, it’s going to be a long few days.”

-”Alright.”_

I finished my beer and headed up to bed. JJ was stretched out on the couch watching TV in the upstairs family room.

“Good night asshole.”

“Night cocksucker.”

I was about to go out for a light jog in the morning, but Grandmother wasn’t having it.

“Sit down, you need to eat something to keep your energy up before your fight.”

“That’s OK, I’m just going to go for a short run.”

“That wasn’t a request.”

Well, there was no point arguing at that point. I was normally not known to turn down bacon and eggs, so I sat down to eat. Grandfather came into the kitchen when I was getting up from the table.

_”I’ll ride with you to kick boxing, so come pick me up after you get done with school.”

“OK.”

School has been just another day, no different than most. Grandfather was waiting in the driveway as I pulled in. Before I could even get out, he was getting in the truck.

“Let’s go before the drama gets even worse.”

“What?”

“You’ll find out later, but there’s a battle brewing between JJ and Randy. Which as you know means your grandmother is also involved.”

-”Great.”_

The drive was quiet. I didn’t know what was going through Grandfather’s mind and mine was a mixture of what I needed to do for and on Saturday. There was also a good measure of “What the fuck was I going to walk into when I get home”. I had the feeling it wasn’t going to be good.

Once we arrived, Grandfather was thick as thieves with Master Boripat and Mr. Singh. I was instructed to change and get into the ring. When I made my way into the ring, there was now a new person there, a tall lanky guy.

“So did I drive the last guy away as well?”

“No, he had to cancel due to a family emergency. Tim here is as close as we could get on a short notice.”

Grandfather got up on the ring apron and waved me over. “I want to see everything. Go about 40% until I say otherwise.”

“I can’t, last time the guy’s leg was messed up.”

“Turn around, it’s taken care of.” I saw Master Boripat putting some sort of thigh pad thing on the guy. There was an obvious question that needed to be asked.

“Why didn’t we use those the first time?”

Master Boripat looked at me like I was an idiot. “Have we ever used anything but the big handheld blocker pads for the legs?”

“No.”

“That’s because there are none of these here as we didn’t need them before. Secondly, these are karate pads that I had to borrow. The pain and beating using them will toughen your legs up. That being said, I didn’t want you to ruin someone else that isn’t my student.”

“I didn’t ruin the guy.”

“Close enough. Now stop talking and let’s get started.”

We went for three rounds of two minutes each. Tim was decked out in as much padding as he could get away with. This session was about getting the game plan fine-tuned and so Grandfather could see it firsthand.

It was during the fourth round after a short break that I realized that there wasn’t any yelling from Grandfather on the apron.

I took my attention off the action to see Grandfather dressed and ready to get in the ring. You know as old as he was, I knew he still enjoyed boxing. On top of his many fights, he’d been some sort of boxing champion in the Navy. Looking back, it was obvious that he had gotten as much out of teaching us as we did.

The distraction cost me. I took a looping right hand that knocked me off balance. More from being caught off guard than the power.

“What the hell was that?”

“Well, Master Boripat. The old guy standing in the ring. His white pasty legs blinded me.”

There were a bunch of chuckles, groans and one “We’ll see about old”. Grandfather got in the ring and nudged Tim on the shoulder.

“Excuse me young man. I need to teach this mouthy whipper snapper a thing or two about respecting his elders. I figured the last time I put him on his ass would have taken care of that.”

“Well, I distinctly remember taking it easy on you before that happened. That definitely won’t be happening this time. You sure you don’t want to put the pads on?”

“Alright smart ass. Two, two-minute rounds. No quarter given, none asked for. 50% power.”

“Alright, but don’t go crying to Mom and Grandmother when we get home about how I beat you up.”

There was no verbal response, just a right jab that shot its way towards my face. The only thing that saved me was that he misjudged the range. It missed by only an inch or two. Guess we’re really doing this.

My first punch didn’t miss. While he was out of range, I wasn’t. That’s what 3 to 4 inches of height and reach advantage will do for you. That’s also what I had to contend with on Saturday.

“I’ll give you that one.”

He then came forward attacking so I could initially go on the defense. It was inevitable that at least a couple liver shots would be coming. I was waiting, and as soon as the first one did, I slipped to the side. It was a punch to the gut followed up by a kick to the inside of his left leg.

“Holy shit, that smarts. That’s not boxing.”

“Well, this is kickboxing.”

“Don’t be a smart-ass.”

“Better to be a smart ass than a dumb ass.”

There was no retort, though I was quickly pushed back by a flurry of punches. I wasn’t prepared and wasn’t able to gather myself until my back hit the corner and I could cover up.

“Piotr, we can’t have him banged up before the fight.”

“OK, OK.”

Grandfather backed up took a look at me.

“You’re lucky.”

“That’s one way to look at it.”

Master Boripat climbed into the ring and got in between us. He looked at Grandfather.

“You should know better.”

Looking at me he said, “You know you have a fight Saturday.”

“OK, I’ve been properly admonished. What’s next?”

“Well, sparring is over.”

We all retired to the office and discussed everything that needed to happen during the fight. It was a good session and I felt as ready as I had been before the other fights.

I was dressed first and waited for Grandfather. During the drive we both started apologizing for going overboard in the ring. It was comical, the reasoning was the same on both our sides.

It was damn near a war zone when we got home. The yelling was clear as day when we got out of the truck. I got the door open, and it was clear shit was going bad.

“You’re an asshole who acted like you gave a shit. Then, as soon as your first kid was born, we were just something to be controlled. Toe the line of the tyrant ruling with an iron fist.”

“You’re a weasley little bastard that cares for no one but yourself.”

“Well, you got one thing wrong. I know who my father is, so I’m no bastard. I don’t care for you. I take care of my family and you’re not part of it.”

This was going to be bad. JJ wouldn’t let it go and neither would Randy. All I could do was to try and keep it from getting physical. Grandfather decided to jump right into the thick of it.

“Both of you idiots need to separate and calm down.”

They both looked at him.

“He started it. He insults me again and I’m going to pop him one.”

“No, you’re not.”

It was at that point Randy decided to make things worse.

“We speak fucking English in this house. If you don’t want to abide by that, then get the Fuck out!”

Well, that was a rerun with a twist. I’d lost track of the number of times that I’d heard him say that in the last year. Hello, everybody in the family had heard it. I guess Grandfather had heard it one too many times and he decided to join the brouhaha.

“So, your small mindfulness can’t handle the fact that someone may be speaking in a language that you don’t know. I’m betting when any family members speak Polish, you automatically think they’re talking about you. Don’t you? Kind of pathetic in my humble opinion.”

This in turn set Randy off. After a bit of ranting, he made a big mistake.

“At least I went to war. You sat behind a desk.”

I stepped between them. I heard Grandfather from behind me.

“WHAT THE FUCK DID YOU SAY?”

I turned to JJ.

“Get Grandfather into the garage right now.”

I turned back to look at Randy.

“You need to shut your fucking mouth. If you had any sort of a clue, you wouldn’t have opened your mouth. I’ve seen yours and his service ribbons. Yours wouldn’t even stack up to half of his. Just remember that you were a cook on an Air Force base.”

I could see him visibly flinch when I said that. There was just one last thing that needed to be said.

“Just so you know, Grandfather wasn’t always a comptroller in the Navy. Ask Mom, what he did before becoming a comptroller. It should be illuminating.”

With that, I turned and headed out to the garage. JJ was there with Grandfather talking, it struck me that I hadn’t seen Grandmother since we got back.

“Where’s Grandmother?”

“She’s busy packing our stuff. We’re going to a hotel.”

“Really?”

“Yes. This isn’t going to end and will only get worse. This type of horseshit isn’t what we came down here for.”

“Well, I can understand that.”

“Just so you know, I’m going to call Stosh and let him know what’s going on. Then I’ll offer him to stay with JJ if he wants.”

“Seems like a good idea. Good that JJ finally told you he was coming. I need a shower.”

“I’ll see you when you get back from school tomorrow.”

“OK.”

After my shower, I was going over my chemistry report one last time when I heard another argument, though a little more subdued. Seemed like a good time to get a drink.

Mom was following Grandfather and JJ as they were taking luggage to the car. It was a back and forth about how much of an ass both Randy and JJ were. Mom was trying to get them to stay, but it didn’t seem to be working. She got the hint when they got in the car and drove off. It was a shame that everything went the way it did.

Seemed somebody was happy about the shitshow. Randall was very happy about getting his room back, I could hear him gloating in the hallway.

I took a short walk before school so I could clear my head. Last night had been an utter clusterfuck.

School was a breeze. I walked on a treadmill during weightlifting because I didn’t need to overtax my muscles the day before the fight.

Grandfather was sitting at the kitchen table when I walked into the kitchen.

“Do you have to go to work tonight?”

“No, Mr. Pope gave me the weekend off due to the fight.”

“That’s nice of him.”

“Yes, it is.”

“So, what time do we need to leave tomorrow night?”

“This one’s actually close by. It should only take about 25 minutes or so to get there. I figure if we leave by 5:15PM, we’ll be early enough.”

“OK. Go get changed. Your grandmother and I are taking you to dinner.”

“Alright.”

“Make it quick.”

I got cleaned up and made my way back down to the kitchen. Grandfather and Mom were talking. It seemed Grandfather still wasn’t happy about last night and was letting her know it. He wasn’t absolving JJ but was holding Randy to a higher standard as the adult in the situation. He saw me enter the kitchen.

“We’re going to dinner. I’ll have Barnim home fairly early seeing as he’s got a fight tomorrow night.”

“I think it’s nice that you’re taking him out.”

I decided to stir the pot.

“Yes, it’s a nice thing. Just remember we only speak English in this house.”

_”Stop being a smart-ass or you won’t be going anywhere.”

“Yes, Mother.”

We headed out to the rental, though Grandmother or I would be driving after dinner due to the drinking that would happen. We made our way to the hotel they were staying at to pick up Grandmother and then made the long drive to Dave Poe’s BBQ restaurant in Marietta.

We ordered at the counter and were given a number to place on the table. Grandmother and I found a table while the other three went to the bar. I had one beer as we waited.

Stosh decided to give a toast when they came to the table and sat down.

“I guess it’s a really nice day when all the Badzinski brothers are together.”

-”I’m glad you two could make it for my farewell fight.”_

-”So, it’ll be the first and last fight that I see.”_

“That’s right Stosh.”

“Why.”

“The plan, and I don’t want my brain scrambled.”

JJ looked at me.

“That’s the second time you mentioned a plan, and it seems that everyone here knows about it but me.”

I laid out the broad strokes of the plan for him and could see that he had questions that he wanted to ask. Though I’ll have to give him credit, he didn’t interrupt me the whole time. As soon as I was finished, the first 3 came out rapid fire.

“So, you’re graduating early? How’d you manage that? What are you going to do with all that money?”

Grandmother chimed in.

“Take a breath, you don’t need to ask every question at one time.”

I took a second before answering.

“Yes, I am graduating early. I managed that by switching from a college prep diploma to a general one. The money is going to be invested to grow it for retirement.”

“Come on man, that’s boring. You gotta buy some cool stuff. Just think of what you could buy with that much money.”

“I’d rather be boring than be living with my grandparents at 35 like you probably will be.”

That pissed him off. His face was getting redder by the minute. As to be expected, it was Grandmother that came to his rescue. Grandmother didn’t speak Polish enough to hold a conversation, so Stosh was sitting next to her translating.

“Don’t talk to him like that. I want him to stay with us so JJ can save money to get his own place.”

Yeah, like that was going to happen. Knowing JJ, the money was spent on booze, girls, and his brand-new car. I mean, that’s a common thing that people do in their 20’s, so I couldn’t completely blame him. I looked at JJ.

“So, how much money have you been able to sock away?”

I had to laugh when he dropped his head and was staring at the tablecloth.

“Exactly as I thought. So, I know you have the Firebird, but knowing how you are, what else are you working on?”

All three of us loved cars. JJ was an adrenaline junkie and I remembered that he had some sort of drag car but couldn’t remember exactly what it was. I wanted to torture him about it though.

“So, what are you blowing your money on?”

“You don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Come on, I’m guessing that you have something that’s taking over the garage. I remembered that the grandparent’s cars were in the driveway when I visited for Christmas.”

I noticed that Stosh had started altering some of what was being said. That made me chuckle.

“Come on, I know you have something. Just admit it.”

He finally came clean.

“It’s a 1971 Chevelle SS.”

“Let me guess. Turning it into a street racing car?”

“UH, yeah.”

The food was finally brought out.

_”Seems you’re saved by the bell.”

Everybody began eating, the three of them were on their 4th round of beer at this point. JJ started with the questions again.

“So, the military. Why?”

“Well, it’s always what I wanted to do, you should know that. On top of that, I see it as the family business.”