Chapter 3: A Woman's Misplaced Revenge

Cleveland, Ohio Lake Front Marina, Monday early afternoon

"Amanda, except for taking Jane from me, God has been good to me. When I sold my half of the company, I gained a significant amount of money and I had good lawyers.

"One of the things I did to get out of taxes is to set up a foundation that my daughters are administrating. It is a sort of "Habitat for Humanity." We provide financial training to people in trouble, and help them get into good housing. After they get into a safe environment, then we train them so that they can buy a home of their own, and maintain it. Right now, we have no government involvement, but there are agencies that can provide leverage to our funds and provide more help. In addition to that, many banks, building supply companies, and large contractors have offered help.

"After my sabbatical, I plan to take over the foundation and try to help people. This has been a dream of mine and David Belkie, the man who got me into construction. In fact, the name is the Belkie Foundation."

"You're the Belkie Foundation?"

"Well, there's more to it than that, and the girls are doing most of the work right now. However, it uses my money."

"You go play with your new toy boat while I fix lunch." She reached between my legs and gave a light squeeze. "After lunch cleanup, I'll play with my new boy toy."

I took a deep breath and reached for her. She laughed and slapped my hand away. "You're going to have to learn to keep your hands off the help when the help is working. We play when I'm not serving you."

"I'll move my stuff from the master cabin."

"No way are you going to double my work load by having your own room. I only plan on washing one set of sheets at a time. If I'm lucky, I may have to wash them often, but only one at a time. I still want you. It's just that now, I can have you and my pride too."

I knew when I was out of my league. "I'll be in the engine room when you're ready to eat."

The engine room was now more of a crawl space than a room. The modifications Boats made to the area took up lots of space. There was a series of doors around the hull that took up most of what used to be walkway. Here was stored an almost whole engine sealed against rust, enough tools to rebuild an engine, and enough spare parts to fix any system on the boat. Even though he spent his time running inland stations for the Coast Guard, one could tell Boats was a blue water sailor at heart.

As I ran a mental inventory of the stored parts, I went through the scene I stumbled into starring Brian's wife. I had stopped at Brian's apartment to pick up a marathon schedule.

I had pressed the doorbell to Brian's apartment. When no answer came, I knocked on the door, but all I heard was some sort of rap music turned as loud as it could be. I listened to some gangster rapper screaming about a woman's place was to be violated by her man. I knew where the schedule was, so I used my key and opened the door. I yelled. "Brian, Charlotte are you guys here?"

I didn't hear any response, so I moved through the rooms, following the rap. When I got to the master bedroom, I froze at the sight. This was not a side of my daughter in law I had ever seen. This woman didn't even sound like Charlotte.

Charlotte was on her back naked as a Blue Jay. In her was the biggest dildo I had ever seen. She was slamming the black 12 inches of plastic between her legs and screaming with the rapper. Her breasts were flopping from side to side, and the 40 pounds she had gained in the years of marriage to my son shook like something out of the "Night Before Christmas."

"Come on Nigger. Pound me hard. Show me why Brian wants some black whore. Fuck me. Give me a black baby. Take me away from this fucked up family. Fuck me. Yes! Oh, fuck. Here I go!" Her screams of orgasm brought me back to my senses and I backed out of the room and left.

I called Brian on my cell phone to explain what I was doing. Of course I didn't mention that I had been at his home. He knew our friendly harbourmaster and was excited that I was the sucker who bought Boats' money pit. We made arrangements to meet in Toronto while we were waiting on Amanda's papers.

Back to the present

"Earth to Wesley. Earth to Wesley. Calling Wesley Jeffers. Lunch is served on the sun deck."

I jumped, which was a bad idea in such a low space. I came out of the engine compartment holding my throbbing head and climbed the ladder to the forward sun deck. "When did I stop being Jeff?"

"When you became my boss and boy toy, besides, Wesley is your name. Why would I use a name like Jeff when Wesley has so much more class?"

"'Cause that's what people call me?"

"Oh, but I'm not just people. I'm special. "

"Yeah, I can see that." I leaned over the blanket she had spread and kissed her lightly on the lips.

"Ahoy there," broke the kiss as Brian and Charlotte made their way forward.

"Hey kids! What are you guys doing out here?"

"Charlotte and I had lunch at Hornblowers (May the dinner barge rest in peace. Hornblowers closure was a great loss to Cleveland's lakefront.), and thought we'd take at look at what you were going to blow my inheritance on. Boy is she sweet. I didn't know you guys were going to be here, though."

I looked at Charlotte and all I could see was her naked on the bed of her apartment. "Charlotte, have you met my new maid, Amanda?"

Charlotte looked at Amanda as if she were the remains of a dog's breakfast. In a voice filled with sarcasm, she said, "What a pleasure to see that you have moved from the world's oldest profession to another stereotype. I hope this means you have moved on from trying to get you hooks into my husband. Good move. Jeff has a lot more money for you to grab."

"Charlotte!" I cautioned. "You are talking to my guest. Watch your mouth."

"Brian! I want to leave. I will not have you hanging around that slut. Jeff, I suggest you be careful. The difference between love and herpes is that herpes is forever. You have no idea what kind of disease this whore carries." With that, she turned around and angrily stomped back to their fishing boat.

Brian was beat red. "Amanda, I'm so sorry. She was at the house when the Chief told us all that bull your former boy friend is spreading. She wants to believe it even if I tell her it's not true."

"Brian, I don't know what has happened to Charlotte, but this is not the same girl you married." I slowly shook my head. "I don't think I want to see that woman on my boat or in my home until she has some sort of exorcism or something."

He looked at the deck. "Dad, I understand. I'll try to talk to her, but I don't understand it either. I've been trying to get her to the Cleveland Clinic, but she just won't go."

"I know, Son. I think we are going to take off and do a little shake down. I have my cell, so let me know if I can help with anything."

"See you later, Dad. Amanda, I don't know what to say."

"Brian, don't worry. You didn't say anything, and I think your wife just wants to protect what she feels is hers. I don't know if I blame her." She turned and took my hand. "The men in your family are pretty special."

We stood hand in hand as we watched Brian and Charlotte boat back to shore. Amanda turned to me. "You know some of the things Charlotte said may not be far from the truth. A lot has happened in the last year that is truly a nightmare."

"Amanda, sometimes circumstances dictate what happens to us. I guess, though, it may be too late for safe sex."

Amanda laughed. "It would be if Brian hadn't made me go to the hospital when he picked me up. I have no diseases to worry about, but I do need a place to get more birth control pills before we get more than a week into our great adventure."

"I'm sorry I didn't have enough consideration to discuss this with you before we acted like mink. I just haven't been in a relationship since Jane died."

"Then I'm honoured at what you are offering me now. Thank you."

The rest of the day was spent checking provisions and adjusting the important medical supplies such as birth control pills for a six-month trip. We decided to spend the night on the boat and do a shake down sail at first light.

Boats was invited to have dinner with us on the boat. After a few sea shanties by Amanda and Boats, Boats asked where we were going.

I decided to show off. "I was thinking of somewhere around 32.70 North and 64.45 West. What do you think?"

"Bermuda is a beautiful place, but be careful if you go too far east of there. There is something out there that scares the hell out of me. It may or may not be anything, but a lot of shit has happened. Just be careful."

Cleveland, Ohio Construction Site, Next Morning

Brian was in the old building by 6AM. It was not unusual for Brian to walk a job site before it was cleared. He would always talk to the building, try to feel the spirit of the site, and apologize for tearing it down.

"These old buildings," he once told me, "don't deserve to die. They spent their lives serving the users, and their reward is to be cast aside and destroyed. It's just not right."

I had looked at him with a simile. "You sound like these old things are alive."

"Dad, they are alive. Feel that banister. Touch that stone. We are taking the work and sweat of the builders, and casting it aside like it was nothing. Loving, proud hands put this together as their gift to future generations, and we are violating their trust. I know we have to do it, but sometimes it makes me sick.

"I still think of when we were kids and we coned you into taking us onto a job site you were surveying for a bid. Barb got lost and fell into that old building. I still believe that building lead me to her. I have no idea why I believe that, but I swear that's what happened. There was something that made me see little sister at the bottom of that shaft."

I didn't believe it was the building, but Brian did. I thought it was a bond that exists between siblings. It's something like ESP. I knew I had it with my brother before he was killed in Viet Nam.

That's a day I'll never forget. I was in school and I felt something tear at my midsection. I passed out in English class. I woke up in the hospital with a worried mother hovering over me and a distraught father walking the room. I felt some sort of vacuum in my head. I suddenly knew something was wrong. I asked my mother what had happened to Brian and she passed out.

Anyway, my son, Brian and his sister, Barb for some reason had this same link, but when I tried to explain it to Brian, he wouldn't believe me. He felt he could communicate with old buildings. Actually, we were most likely both right.

Charlotte could never understand this pride in workmanship I had given Brian. Her comment was always, "Fuck 'em. They got paid for their work. Now it's time to move on." This seemed to be a popular point of view for people of her generation. Brian and my girls were exceptions to this 'right here and right now' mindset, and I was damn proud of them for that sensitivity to past and future generations.

Shaker Heights, Ohio, Same Time

The three men that had watched Brian pull his pickup out of the garage and drive to the new demolition site hid in the early morning shadows. As soon as he was out of sight, they moved to the back door of the apartment house and within 30 seconds defeated both the locks and the security system. As they entered the two story apartment, each of the men moved through a designated section to confirm no one was downstairs. They then moved through the upstairs bedrooms.

When all other rooms were searched, they moved to the master bedroom. The large room made the king sized bed look small. Scattered around the room were restored chairs, small tables, and a large entertainment centre. The floor was covered in a beautiful Brazilian slate, which in turn was covered by antique wool carpets. The soft yellow walls flowed into the stone and brought an airy brightness to the room.