Chapter 9

Saturday, March 23, 2002

I woke up later than usual, half past seven, and I spent a few minutes looking at Jenny, her face peaceful in sleep. I leaned down and kissed her lightly, and she opened one eye. "Gonna sleep," she muttered. I got out of bed, tucking her in.

I put on jeans and a t-shirt, and went out to the kitchen to find something to drink. My dad was doing the same thing, and he glanced at me. "Want to go for a walk?"

I contemplated that, decided that walking was just part of his purpose, so I nodded. We went outside, hardly 8 am in mid-March in Phoenix. It was only in the low 60's, it had been cool this year and we had yet to punch through to 90 for the first time since Thanksgiving. Dad set a brisk pace, and I concentrated on keeping up.

After a bit, a jogger passed us and I laughed once she was out of earshot. "I remember you telling me about joggers." He smiled; evidently he remembered too. Jogging, Dad said, jarred the brain; it produced these chemicals called endorphins to make it feel better. Runners, he said, were druggies, looking for a high. A brisk walk, he told me, did everything a doctor could want, so far as exercise was concerned.

"How are you holding up?" he asked.

I laughed, "I'm not in that bad of shape."

He shook his head. "I was thinking more of the recent cornucopia of convivial concubines that have taken, of late, to making your life more pleasant."

"Nothing to complain about there, that's for sure," I said with male macho certitude.

"I'm a bit jealous, you know. You're just sixteen; it didn't happen to me until I was twenty," he puffed a theatric sigh. "The top years of my sex life, with only my hand for solace."

I blushed, never having had quite this frank of a discussion with my father before. Funny, I hadn't blushed last night when I'd told Jenny I was going to do that to pleasure myself.

"Once upon a time, a long time ago," he went on, unaware or unconcerned about me embarrassing myself, "I went to college. There I met Craig Summers, and we became roommates. I was an engineering major, he was after an MBA. We became friends, then good friends, then best friends.

"One Friday afternoon in the spring he brought his sister, Ellen, over to our dorm; she was a high school senior and wanted to see life at the big University. We had dinner in a pizza place, and then he took her back home for the weekend.

"That summer, Craig wanted to move into an apartment; for him, school and expenses weren't a factor. He was smart; his parents were rich. I had to work at my grades, and I had to work, period.

"We made an arrangement; I would do the housework in the apartment, something Craig loathed, in turn, I got to stay in a very much nicer place than I could ever have afforded on my own, for a fifth of the cost, rather than halves.

"We'd been in the apartment less than a week when he told me that Ellen was going to come and stay the weekend. I made some comment about how the couch was pretty comfortable to sleep on and he laughed. 'That's a good thing, Dave.'

"'Why's that a good thing?' I asked him back.

"'You're my friend, right? You'd never rat me out to anyone? Right?'

"'I am, ' I told him, 'your only friend.'

"Craig thought that was funny, and shook his head

"'Dave, Ellen is my friend too... and she and I are going to be sharing the bedroom and you're going to be on the couch, deaf, dumb and blind about what you see and hear.'"

My dad paused, looking around at the blue sky. "I thought about pointing out that Ellen was his sister, but I didn't. After a while, Craig explained about her getting pregnant in 7th grade; like him, I wanted to find the creep and pulverize him.

"After that, Ellen spent a lot of the summer in the apartment; her parents had never forgiven her for getting pregnant, they weren't terribly happy about Craig helping her get an abortion.

"Still, life went on. I wished I had a girl friend, but I didn't. I wished for a lot of things. In the fall, Ellen was at the university too, but in the dorm. She was swamped with school, new friends and all that stuff.

"One day I was sitting in the apartment and Ellen came in. I told her that Craig was in Phoenix, getting something for his car. She nodded, came and stood next to me. To this day, I have no idea what happened or why; I stood up, took her in my arms and kissed her; she kissed me back.

"Afterwards, we lay in each other's arms, and I was incredibly depressed that I had a) screwed my best friend's sister, and b) made love to the girl he was sleeping with.

"Ellen straightened me right out, she was pretty emphatic. Craig didn't own her, I didn't own her. Then she added, 'Kim doesn't own me, Shirley doesn't own me, Keisha doesn't own me, ' she told me. Just because I make love to someone doesn't give them more than a place in my heart; they don't own it, they just have a place there.'

"At the time, feeling guilty as I was, I accepted that. Besides, I'd gotten laid for the first time in my life. I was feeling pretty big about then. Later, Craig got back, and Ellen came and sat on my lap and kissed me in a big way. I was never so surprised in my life, Craig just laughed, said it was about time I got something for doing all the chores, and sleeping so many nights on the couch.

"Then, along came Thanksgiving." Dad shook his head, but didn't slow the pace of the walk. "Oh my! There's a reason why in our family Thanksgiving is the big holiday, and we do a very minimalist Christmas!"

"I thought it was because Christmas was too material," I said with a smile.

"That too. But that four-day weekend, Ellen brought her roommates over to the apartment for Thanksgiving dinner away from home, a dinner with all the trimmings that Craig and I fixed ourselves. And that night, they started thanking us." Dad laughed. "By the end of the weekend, it was all either Craig or I could do to get out of bed, we were that worn out. God, it felt good!"

We walked for another few minutes, still at a brisk pace. "To make a long story short, over the years, the six of us have remained close. Very close.

"Now, there is another generation coming of age. And evidently, cut from the same cloth as their parents," he said to me. I nodded, evidently indeed!

"Craig and Shirley got married, but Shirley couldn't have kids. Ellen and I married, we could have children and did. Kim far prefers her roommates than she does Craig or I, but she's not close-minded. You know Penny is Craig's daughter?" I nodded at the question. Now I did, and why I'd never heard about a Mr. Wells.

"In LA, Keisha has a daughter, a year younger than you. Brandy is her name; Brandy is your half sister. Keisha's life partner is a woman named Leslie Warren, who was married to a black man named Walter, who did as too many black men have done: left his wife and kid. Leslie's son is Lionel, who is two years older than you.

"A few years after you popped into the world, Kim was pregnant with Penny, your mom with Joanna, Keisha and Leslie decided to get pregnant too. So, you have another half sister named Jade, Leslie's daughter, and Craig is Janice's father, Keisha is her mother. They are both roughly the same age as Joanna and Penny. The 'twin twins' everyone calls them.

"Two years ago, Leslie met a girl on the streets; she was not quite fourteen at the time. Donna Emerson had run away from home, lived as a prostitute and drug addict for more than a year, and who one day decided that she had had enough and walked away... she actually started hitchhiking, meaning to come to Phoenix. Instead, she met Leslie.

"Leslie helped Donna straighten out; got her off drugs. Donna had syphilis and Leslie got that taken care of. Donna was malnourished, she'd suffered frequent beatings and those had taken a huge toll on her. She weighed in at 75 pounds when Leslie found her.

"In that respect, Donna and Jennifer will have a lot in common; Donna doesn't like men much either."

I took it in stride, a stride that, if anything, had picked up. After a bit, Dad said softly, "And now for something you maybe won't like. Two some things."

I glanced at him, but I was beginning to feel the strain; we'd been walking for more than a half hour. In Phoenix, all the major streets are even fractions of a mile apart. We had covered more than two miles, almost three.

"First, the women choose. Never ever push past no."

"I never have," I told him. "After Jenny, I can't imagine ever wanting to."

"I know, and I understand. But, it's important for when you meet your ah, 'cousins' from LA. Part of the responsibility that goes with that right to choose, is that the women are responsible for birth control. In theory, you don't have to worry about it. You are a total fool if you don't worry about it, and a bigger fool if you don't contemplate what you will do if birth control fails."

That was indeed something to think about; I knew in my heart of hearts I was entirely too casual about it. First Marsha, then JR and Penny, Kim, Mom... all had made it pretty clear I had nothing to worry about. Wrong!

"And, the next thing is that next Friday, spring break starts." I nodded, not sure what he meant.

"We've talked, the adults have. Kim had already planned on taking Penny to LA for the week; we've decided to send you and Joanna along with them as well. We're not sure about Jennifer, but probably her too. Almost certainly. You'll leave Saturday morning, early; get there a little after lunch. What happens then..." He shrugged. "That is up to you and them. Maybe nothing, maybe something. Impossible to say. But your parents have been friends for nearly twenty years; we have a vested interest in our children and their friends.

"One last thing. Last week and this week, you dated."

Like this was news?

"There are no rules about dating outside the group. At one point, Leslie suggested we shouldn't bring anyone new into the group without prior approval from everyone else. That was, obviously, a self-limiting condition, and a few years later she saved Donna, and had the good sense to understand that dogma doesn't cut it and has given up on that particular rule.

"Feel free to date outside; we've never believed in owning people, or controlling them. Maybe we aren't the typical family you thought we were; maybe we're really very different from everyone else. But we seek to make each other happy, not to cause pain or grief; that's another important rule. Maybe not everyone has as many lovers, 'intergenerational' lovers at that, as we do. But that's them and this is us.

"I do know that it seems silly to me that I'm supposed to teach my children all sorts of things, but leave off something that I'm the most proud of: The fact that I can and have loved many women, made them happy, and continue to do so. I love them. Each differently, each in her own way. Leslie can be like making love to a cactus; thorns and prickly at the best of times. Kim is like the earth mother, loving being loved. Your mom more so. Shirley is extraordinarily fond of young people, girls and boys."

We fetched up at the walkway in front of the house. "Now, we'll make sure everyone knows about next week; in theory Ellen was going to tell Joanna and Jennifer when they got up. Of course, of late, everyone has been sleeping in."

He looked at me for a long second. "And you're okay with all of this?" I nodded.

"Me and your sister?" He pressed on.

"You and my sister. Me and my sister. Mom and my sister. Mom and me. Penny and Kim and my sister. Mom, Kim, Penny, JR and Jenny. JR and Uncle Craig. JR and Roger Parker; now that I had a problem with. Since fixed." On the spur of the moment I decided not to include Sue Ellen in the list.

"That's cold," he told me.

"That, Dad, is reality."

He looked at me for a long moment. "Ellen said you'd come a long ways; that you are, in your own way, the most moral person she's ever met." He frowned. "I thought about the numbers and put that down to your mom's preconceptions. You'd think that by now I would know that her preconceptions are the basis of all that follows."

"I'm trying to do what's right," I told him seriously. "Hindered by the fact I haven't met many girls I would kick out of bed. Or women. Not even my own mother."

He grinned then. "Well, I never felt the least twinge of desire towards my mother; you're ahead of me there. But, Tom, I think you ducked the question by changing the subject. What about me and Joanna?"

"What about Mom and me?" I shot back.

"Her choice," he replied, just as fast.

"And that's the answer, if what you said before wasn't self-serving hypocrisy."

He jerked like I'd hit him; then stopped and looked at me. "And here, a minute ago, I was lecturing you about how the women in our family choose." He sighed. "You're right, I'm wrong. Tom..." I looked at him. "All that you say is true; God, I had more butterflies in my stomach when Joanna and I were together than all the other times in my life, combined.

"She's a special young woman, beyond special," he murmured, and I nodded vigorously in agreement. "Yet, if anyone outside the family found out..." He shook his head. "Jail. Ruin for the family. Others do the 'intergenerational' with impunity; it scared the pee out of me."

I stopped and thought for a second. "And it should have scared me just as much; instead, I was only too eager to cooperate. More sex!"

He punched my arm. "Think like that, son of mine, and you're going to find out the definition of pussy-whipped: What happens when they beat you to a pulp." He smiled, "Changed the subject on me again! Damn, you're good boy!"

I shook my head, not sure what he meant. "Suppose you and Jennifer were together?" he asked.

"If it was what she wanted, but that's up to her. Pigs are a whole lot more likely to fly first, I think."

We stared at each other for a few seconds, and then Mom stuck her head out of the door. "You two need to come in."

I smiled, and Dad reached out his hand for mine. "Welcome to the bigs, Tom."

I shook his hand and we both laughed. He'd said that once before, when I'd been laying in the hospital with a bruised elbow; victim of a come backer when I was playing Little League baseball and I'd been pitching. Up to that day, I'd had a future as a jock; after that, I lost my nerve. He'd seen everything, knew what I was thinking; distilled it into five words.

We went inside and Mom nodded at Dad. "I told Tom," he said simply.

"And I told Joanna and Jennifer. Jennifer said, on balance, if Tom is going, she doesn't want to stay." She looked at us. "Is this going to mess up anyone's social life? Besides Tom and his new girlfriend?"

The others were silent; I thanked the good Lord God that JR didn't mention Sue Ellen, Jennifer didn't mention Elizabeth.

"I've started dating Shannon Leary; she's asked me to meet her parents tonight for dinner." I announced into the silence.

"Now that's serious!" JR said with a laugh.

"Joanna," Dad said quietly. JR turned to look at him. "At some point in time, you're going to bring a friend home. Contemplate whether or not you want the rest of us making sarcastic comments -- or not."

JR thought that one over for about a second. "I think I'll pass. Sorry, Tom."

"Good choice," Mom told her. "So, Friday, after school: no plans. You will come home, pack, get a good night's sleep. That's sleep, as opposed to 'sleeping with'. You will, I assure you, need all your energy when you get to LA."

JR looked at Mom as though she was going to say something. "JR," I said, and she looked at me instead. "Chill."

"I don't have enough time for the people I like now," JR said, looking at Mom. "And this is going to make that better?"

"No," Dad agreed, "it won't. It will make it different. How you respond is up to you.

"Tom and I both love you, Joanna. Your mom does, Kim, Penny, Jennifer... who knows, maybe others." I saw JR blush; gosh Dad, that was Sue Ellen you are talking about! And if Tony finds out about JR and Sue Ellen, you're going to find me buried in the Gobi Desert someplace, that's if I'm ever seen again. Moreover, if you remind JR of Roger, she's liable to cut us both off.

We talked for a while about other things, then it was time for chores; afterwards I took a shower, and lay down on the floor in the family room with a good book. JR and Jenny came in, also with books, and they laid down at right angles to me, but JR's head on my thigh and Jenny's on my stomach. It was a quiet, peaceful time and I enjoyed the book and the silent company, the warm pressure of two bodies on mine.

I heard the doorbell; thought nothing of it. A lot of door-to-door salesman came by on Saturday mornings. Mom was polite, but gave them short shrift; Dad was less polite and even shorter shrifting.

After a few minutes, both Mom and Dad came in the family room, a woman I'd never seen before in tow. "Jennifer, could you come here, please?" Mom asked.

Jennifer looked up, and then stood. JR and I did the same. The woman was about five-ten, very blonde, with breasts that reminded me of Sue Ellen. The woman nodded at Jennifer. "I'm Eleanor Johannsen," the woman said. "From the Children's Services Division of the State of Arizona."

I froze, not believing my eyes. Trouble in River City! "I'd like to talk to you for a few minutes, okay?" the woman went on, politely.

"I don't have anything to talk about," Jenny said, her expression like I remembered from a week ago; defiant and afraid.

"Please, Jennifer," Mom asked. "It's okay."

The woman turned to my mother. "I know this is your house, but could Jennifer and I have a few minutes alone, please?"

Dad spoke up, "According the law, you can request a private interview, but the subject may have a representative present if the subject so desires. You don't have to be alone with this woman, Jennifer."

"Could Tom be there?" Jenny asked, and the woman looked at my Dad.

Dad grinned. "I'm David Ferguson, this is my wife Ellen, my daughter Joanna and my son Tom." He gestured to each of us as he named us. The woman's eyes rested on me for a moment, and then she shrugged. Mom motioned to JR, and the three of them left.

"This is just a request for information, Miss Reese," the social worker began.

"My parents told me I was no longer part of their family," Jennifer said immediately. "I've stopped using the name. Jennifer, plain and simple."

The woman nodded, and looked at me. "I'm here to ask Jennifer some questions; not you."

"Haven't said a thing," I agreed.

"Have you been staying here since you left your parents?" the woman asked Jenny, and Jenny said yes. "I checked with your school, they say you haven't missed any days."

"Mr. and Mrs. Ferguson were quite clear; if I want to stay with them, they expect me to go to school, keep my grades up, and do my share of the chores. When I was with my parents, Mom and I did all the housework. Here, everyone helps with everything."

"Do you have a room of your own?" she asked, and Jenny nodded. "Is there a lock on the door?"

Jenny looked at her without expression. "Unlike when I lived with my parents."

"And why did your parents ask you to leave?"

"They didn't like my friends," Jenny replied.

"Were you having sex with some of those friends?" Jenny just stared at her without responding.

"Has he," the social worker waved at me, "or anyone else in this household bothered you sexually?"

Jenny lifted her chin. "I don't like boys."

"That wasn't an answer," the woman said, for the first time pressing for an answer.

Jenny looked her right in the eye. "Every night, before Joanna and Tom go to bed their mom and dad come in and tell them they love them, give them a hug and a kiss good night. In all the years I lived with my family, no one, not even once, said they loved me. No hugs, no kisses. Here, I get hugs from Tom and his dad. Hugs and kisses from Joanna and her mom. It is not a bother and it's not sex." Jenny was very emphatic on the word 'not.'

After a second, Jenny went on. "Joanna told me right after I moved in, that in this family love is as common as dirt, and treated like gold. In my house, love was rarer than gold and treated like dirt."

The woman looked at me, and then back to Jenny, "Could I see your room?"

Jenny's eyes went to mine, and I nodded. Up to you, Jenny.

Jenny turned and went up the stairs, I following behind the other two. Jenny opened the door, and the woman just stood outside, looking in. None of us in our family were sloppy; Mom was a fanatical house cleaner. JR and I had long since been told that either we cleaned our rooms, or Mom would. And if she did, a lot of cherished possessions would vanish. We cleaned.

The woman looked around, gestured at the door across the hall. "And whose room is this?"

"Tom's."

I pointed to my bedroom. "This was once a duplex, Mom keeps talking about cutting a door between bedrooms, but has never got around to it. My sister's room is on the other side, my parent's room just beyond it. You have to go downstairs, through the family room, the kitchen, and then up the other stairs to get there."

The social worker didn't exactly glare at me, but let me know that I wasn't supposed to talk. We trooped back downstairs, and the woman led the way into the living room, where the others were.

"I understand, Mr. Ferguson, that the Reese's gave you some papers?"

Dad nodded, fetched them from the table. "A limited power of attorney to deal with the school, medical treatment in an emergency," he told her.

She read through them, and then looked around again. "Miss Reese..." She stopped, restarted. "Jennifer is close to the age where we give due credence to her wishes. Obviously, everyone is different; some young people are more mature than others. We do try to make allowances.

"Young people being kicked out of their homes isn't nearly as unusual as it should be; we try to reconcile the parties, of course, but that isn't always possible. In this case, the action was started by someone other than Jennifer's parents; I can't say whom. I've talked to her parents, they are quite adamant about not wanting her back.

"When that happens, we try to find the best situation we can; relatives if possible, friends of the family or foster homes as a last resort." She looked at my dad for a long minute. "Do you expect any money to care for Jennifer?"

"It's not a problem," Dad said. Mom simply shook her head.

The woman turned to Jenny. "It is my job to be judgmental about the situations young people find themselves in. I am judgmental about all sorts of things, including life style choices. You would be very wise, young woman, not to make choices that limit your future. You are physically mature enough to enjoy sex, but just because you can do something does not imply that you should."

She gestured at Mom and Dad. "I hope this will be satisfactory; if it should turn out otherwise..." She handed Jenny a card. "You can call me, any time of the day or night.

"I am not an ogre, no matter what you or anyone else might think." She looked at me when she said that, and I decided, why not? I stared at her imposing breasts. Nice!

"Many girls in your situation, Jennifer, do not have happy endings. You have here, I believe, a chance at a happy ending. Do listen to what Mr. and Mrs. Ferguson tell you, and if it doesn't work out..." She nodded at the card. "There are far worse ogres in the world than me." She turned to my parents. "Thank you for your time and patience; many people get hostile and upset when I show up on their doorstep."

Dad gestured for her to wait. "I'm a engineer," he told her. "But I'm not unfamiliar with the law; we have a family lawyer. I talked to him about this. I realize that Jennifer's parents can revoke the papers even faster than they granted them; they can contest custody. Please note that I do not think Jennifer would be better off with them. Still, if that was her choice, we'd acquiesce. If it was not, then we would contest her return to them. No matter how expensive or hopeless."

The social worker shrugged. "That would be an option open to you. I would, were that to happen, reevaluate the situation in the light of any new developments and would render my opinion to the court as to what I believe would be in the young woman's best interest."

Then she was gone. For several minutes we stood looking at each other, then Mom sighed. "That went better than I imagined it would."

"I wonder if she is a closet Republican?" Dad said with a laugh.

"Thank you," Jenny said quietly, after everyone had quieted down. "Thank you all for being so wonderful, so kind. For letting me stay here."

Mom walked over to her, hugged her. Then we all stood around Jenny, hugging her. "And now, I'm the ogre," Mom said. "Jennifer and I are going to make lunch." We laughed, and I went back to my book, JR joining me.

She hugged me, and I hugged her; that led to smooching, which led to touching. We were still at it a half hour later when we were called for lunch.

After lunch, JR and I snuggled down for a nap; Mom and Jenny vanished, Dad went off to a golf game he had scheduled with some friends of his from work.

JR and I hugged and kissed for a while, and then she fell asleep; then so did I. Mom woke me up later, "Phone, Tom."

I nodded, got up and went and picked up.

"Tom," Tony said exuberantly on the other end, "Thanks for taking Sue Ellen home last night!" I gulped, decided that Sue Ellen was unlikely to tell him; I sure wasn't.

"No problem. We stayed and watched a movie. She has a really cool home theater."

"You watched the movie?" he laughed sarcastically. "Not what I heard!"

"Ahhhh..." I gargled. Tony had talked to Sue Ellen! But Sue Ellen hadn't seen what Shannon and I had done, because she and JR were elsewhere. "What happened to Roger?" I hoped changing the subject would work.

"Along about dawn this morning, we let him off near Chinle." I blinked. "Actually, it was a few miles further east of there. There's a road along the south rim of the Canyon; about ten miles or so east of Chinle is a place called 'Apache's Leap' where a bunch of the Apaches jumped off a butte to avoid capture by soldiers. There's a little turnout and a historical marker. We left him there."

"Cool."

"It was," Tony agreed. "Very cool; of course, ol' Roger dodger was bare, so it was really, really cool."

"Bare?"

"Yeah, we shaved him, head to toe. Made a few nicks; he wouldn't hold still. We figured he wouldn't want to bleed on his clothes."

I laughed, and Tony said, "What are you doing tonight?"

"Going over to Shannon's for dinner. Then we were going to hang out together."

"Well, Sue Ellen said you'd be welcome to come over to her place, we were going to watch another movie," he yucked it up when he said that, and I knew we'd not be watching a movie.

"Shannon said her parents were going out, so maybe not," I told him.

"Well, you'd be welcome. What are you doing tomorrow?"

"Nothing planned." I told him.

"Well, maybe we'll come up with something, I really owe you for looking after Sue Ellen."

I winced. "Sure, Tony."

"Gotta run," he said. "Sue Ellen's parents are leaving now. Gotta catch up on my quality time." He hung up and I shook my head. Wow! With luck, he'll never know!

I started getting ready to go over to Shannon's; Mom suggested I stop at the store on the way over and get some flowers as a hospitality gift. I thought that was cool, so I did. A little before six, I presented myself at the door.

My first thought when the door opened was that it was Shannon's older sister; it took a second look to realize that the woman was older than she looked.

She smiled at me, "You must be Tom. I'm Mary Leary, Shannon's mother." She held out her hand, and I shook it, kind of in a daze.

Mary Leary was even more redheaded and freckled than her daughters. She was wearing jeans and a blouse, with the blouse tails tied across her stomach; a very flat stomach covered with golden hairs that vanished beneath her low cut jeans.

I lifted my eyes to meet hers, realized I was still holding her hand. I let go and blushed. Her eyes held mine; gray, lively eyes. She stepped forward, and I took a step backwards, not having a clue, still mesmerized by her eyes.

"Shannon wanted to call you up," Mary Leary said quietly, the door now closed behind her. "And ask you not to come."

I blinked in surprise. "My husband decided that seventeen years of marriage had been nice, but sufficient; he moved out this morning."

"Oh," I said, feeling stupid. Why had I assumed it had something to do with me?

"Shannon hasn't taken it well; Elizabeth is Elizabeth. Who knows what she feels?" Mary's voice sounded down and depressed, quite at odds with her sparkly eyes.

Our eyes met, she stared at me for a second. There was no change that I could see but she abruptly said, "So, ve vill hef dinner! Ve vill hef fun, ja wohl!" She said it with a laugh.