She Took It All

  Chapter Six

  “Okay guys, mount up and let’s go see what you own.” Elizabeth had given me the keys so we could explore the first floor. I had walked through once when I first thought of leasing the building. Now I wanted to start to plan where my equipment was to be placed.

  I gave Jimmy the keys and the three kids ran for the building. The entrance to the two floors above was on the right. There was no elevator, just stairs. You went into the empty first floor by the same entrance.

  There was room for two trailer trucks to back up to a loading dock at the other end of the building. Actually, this building was sitting on a little more than a five-acre lot, so it was quite large. The trucks did not have to back in off the highway because there was room to come in and turn around. There was nothing attractive about the place. The whole lot was graveled with a sagging chain-link fence around the perimeter.

  The kids went running through the downstairs to the loading docks. There was a lot of junk and assorted rubbish packed against the back wall from when the construction workers had renovated the upper levels. I walked into what had been the office area and liked it. Some old desks and filing cabinets had not been moved out. One was an ornate golden oak roll-top I was going to claim for my own.

  I opened a door in the corner and saw a stairwell going down. The lights didn’t work. This was something I would have to investigate later. Just then, I heard the rumble of a man speaking. I came out of the office just as I heard Sandy answer a question.

  “We own the building. Jimmy’s mom bought it for an investment for us. Who are you?”

  “I live upstairs in apartment number four. You kids are too young to own something like this. You get out of here right now or I will call the landlord.”

  “You don’t understand, mister. We are the landlords, honest. I’ll find my dad to explain if you don’t believe me.” This was Jimmy taking up for his younger sister. I stepped out of the office.

  I addressed an elderly man. There was a little old woman with him. “Hello, Sir and Madam. The children are technically correct. Jimmy’s mother did buy the property for them, but they do not take control until Sandy, the youngest, becomes twenty-one. I’m in charge as their manager until then. I have leased the bottom floor here from them and will be opening up a small manufacturing business some time after the first of next year.”

  “What is going to happen to us who are renting the apartments?”

  You will still be able to rent them. In fact, we will be going through them and upgrading them if we think it necessary. Do you have any complaints you would like to tell me about right now?”

  “Our worst one is that our heating is terrible. We have a gas wall furnace. It is old and unreliable. It costs us a lot to keep having the service man come and fix it.”

  “It will be warm weather in another month. Can you survive with it until then? In fact, any service you need before summer, you can have the furnace technician send the bill to me. I’ll make sure you will be comfortable next winter. Tell me, is that the way each apartment is heated, with the tenants paying for their own heat?”

  “Yes.”

  “You let me look into the situation and I will see what I can do for all of you. In return, in the future maybe you can overlook some noise that my machinery will make down here for a few hours a day. And, that I promise I will make as minimal as possible.”

  The two old folks didn’t say anything. Maybe I was too soon in bringing up that there was going to be machinery operating here. I had decided I did not want to hide anything. “May I have your names please so I will at least know one of our tenants?”

  “We are Sadie and Tom Burns.”

  “Good, I’m happy to make your acquaintance. I’m assuming you know all of the tenants. Would you take the kids around to all of them and introduce them as the new owners? Kathy is the tallest and oldest girl. Jimmy the boy, is a year younger and Sandy is the youngest and the smallest. She also is the one the two others look to, as their leader. They let her be boss and I haven’t figured that one out yet myself.

  “I’ll be around next Wednesday about six in the evening to meet everyone. I will post a notice just inside the entrance to that effect. I’ll try to have a place for everyone to sit down here on the first floor. Oh, do you know what is in the cellar? There are no electric lights down there.”

  “I honestly don’t know. I have never been down there. Probably not much but junk.”

  “Okay, I just wondered. I will get it checked out. You kids go meet all of the people upstairs. Miss Sadie and Tom, I’m pleased to have met you. We’ll be seeing much of each other.”

  The kids went upstairs ahead of Tom and Sadie. I listened as they knocked on the first door and were explaining to someone who they were. I walked toward the other end of the building, imagining where I would place different pieces of equipment for my business.

  There was more than enough room for my operation. I think there would even be room for another small discount bread store. I was thinking of ways to keep the tenants and this might tip the balance of those who objected to the noise from the machinery. I jumped off the docks and walked toward the back side of the lot.

  I had a revelation. It would not take but a narrow building to house the hammer mill, the mixer and the pellet mill, as they were an inline operation. The storage silos for the corn and the beet pulp would be positioned close to the milling equipment. This would cut down on the noise in the apartments and keep a lot of dust out of the building as well. It could be situated along the back fence. The out of date bread could go over there in tubs, transported by a forklift.

  Sure, it would be a big modification from my present operation, but this would be more efficient. I could also handle a larger quantity of material. I also had most of a year to put it all together.

  When I got back into the warehouse, there was a woman waiting by the office with an infant in her arms. “Hi, my name is Phoebe Taft. I rent 302. Kathy, I think she said her name is, said you would see that I have heat. I called a service man two days ago and he said it would be this coming week Thursday before he could get here. I know it is the first of May, but I really still do need heat. Can you help?”

  “I’ll try. Let me get my book of service people that is in my vehicle. I’ll call someone.” I got my list and came back to make the call from my cell phone.

  “Hey Pete, I have a lady here that has a gas wall furnace that isn’t working. I know it is a weekend and I know you will charge me extra, but there is an infant in the apartment. She needs heat. The address is 1437 Meldrin Street apartment 302. I will take care of the charge.

  “I’m manager here now so all repair bills for the furnaces will come to me. You can leave your card in the ten mailboxes. I want these furnaces to keep going until warm weather. I may do something different about heat for the coming year. You get a chance to bid on anything new.” Pete told me when he would be here.

  “Phoebe, he will be here in an hour and a half. If he can’t get it fixed, call me and I’ll make arrangements to find you a place to stay with your baby that is warm.”

  “Thank you so much. I won’t call because the woman in 303 has been kind enough to let me stay with her. It is just that I hate to be a burden on her with my little one.”

  “I’m pleased to hear that. That is what neighbors do. There will be a meeting Wednesday here downstairs and I will meet you all at that time.” I received a smile and she started up the stairs. She met the kids coming down. I heard her tell Kathy that I had contacted someone to have her heating unit fixed by evening.

  “I knew Dad would take care of you. He’s the best.”

  On the way home, the kids excitedly told me all about the different people they had met and how much explaining they had to do about being owners of the property. “Papa, I think we have hired an excellent manager. Keep up the good work.” I had to laugh at my little blonde-haired lass.

  ———————

  I had many ite
ms and jobs to take care of and I was putting in long days. Shelly was busy as well. She was supportive in that wherever there was a need that I did not have time for and she could handle it, she was there for me. She was the one to post the notice I had drawn up about the meeting with the people who were renting the apartments. This she did on her way to the warehouse where she saw to the loading of the truck and then drove it out to the pig farm.

  Things such as this made it so we all could have our evening meal together. We would talk over what went on in our lives during the day. On school days, the kids went to bed by nine o’clock, and sometimes sooner, as their days were full too. Shelly finished her housework while I did paperwork related to one of the three endeavors in which I was involved.

  George Caruthers and Mindy Evans came into the warehouse and kept me updated on the Fortier Renovation project. Neil was often there as well for this meeting. He and Brett Turnbull were working toward putting the project under the umbrella of a holding company as Christian Stone had advised. At every turn there were things that I had no knowledge of, but among all of us, we were able to keep things moving ahead. It still would be some months before we would be able to start the permitting process.

  I gathered a half dozen flood bulbs and a dozen 100-watt light bulbs and went over to the new building. I wanted to see what was in the cellar. The kids were interested as well so we did this right after an early dinner. They of course would stay for the meeting with their tenants. The kids were apprehensive about going down into the dark dungeon as they called it.

  When we reached the foot of the stairs, I spotted a single fuse box and it was off. I flipped a switch and there was a dim light that we could see way out at the further end of the cellar. It at least gave us a bit of orientation to see our way. However, we waved our flashlights around and could see empty light sockets over our heads. The ceiling was nearly twelve feet high. I would have to find a ladder to reach the light sockets.

  “Jimmy, take your flashlight and look for a ladder. I would think there might be one here somewhere.”

  “There is one right behind you Papa, and there is a bucket of light bulbs on the floor beside it.”

  “Thanks, Sandy.” The ladder was a tall stepladder and Jimmy could just barely reach the ceiling to screw the bulbs into the sockets. I had him put in a floodlight in every third socket to give us plenty of light. We then went about examining what was down here.

  There was an aisle down the middle, ten feet wide or so. This was fairly clear without obstruction. On both sides, though, there were broken machinery parts, pulleys, gears, and castings of machines, many of these cracked and broken. Apparently, this had been a woodworking factory at one time. Rather than send the broken equipment off to the junkyard, it had been stored down here for salvageable parts.

  Down near the end of the building was a large crate. It had the date scribbled on it that was only four years old. I walked around the crate and there was an invoice tacked to it. It identified a steam heating plant. I didn’t know too much about something such as this, but I was hoping this was purchased to replace the wall furnaces for the apartments. Behind it against the wall were bundles of piping. I would get Ted to come look at it.

  I then began to look around to see how this heating plant was lowered to the basement. Above the crate, I spotted what appeared to be a large trap door. Just as soon as we were finished looking around, we went up to the first floor and I could see beneath piles of junk, the trapdoor and the hinges that swung it open. Overhead I saw a short rail and an electric hoist. This then was how the boiler had been lowered into the cellar.

  Tenants were drifting down from the apartments upstairs and I was not quite ready for them. Sandy and Kathy spoke with them as they came in. Sandy addressed most of them by name. She had met them on Sunday. I was amazed that she was able to do this. Jimmy and I went about setting up the chairs that had been stacked in the corner where Shelly left them this morning.

  Phoebe Taft came and thanked me for getting her furnace working in apartment 302. “I want to thank you so much. I called my husband and it relieved his mind about me having the baby and me here alone. He is away for two months. He works for the government. How he laughed when I told him I had met the new owners and the oldest was thirteen. Anyway, thank you again.”

  There were about thirty people sitting down. I had the rental records and all their names, but I hadn’t had time to get to know them yet. “I’ll start by introducing myself. My name is John Rheingold. I’m the manager, hired by my children. Jimmy Rheingold is my son from a previous marriage. Kathy Rheingold and Sandy Waters are daughters of my present wife, Shelly. I consider all three my children.

  “One more detail, my ex-wife purchased this building to give to me in a final settlement. I wouldn’t accept it, so she set up a trust and put the property into the trust for the children and named me as manager. That is why the kids have been saying they are the owners. Enough of that.

  “What I have in mind for the property probably has you concerned. I will go into that now. I have a business where I collect bakery goods returned to the suppliers. A lot of it is still good enough for human consumption because some of it is returned before the sell by date. I do have a discount store where I sell this. Most of it has to be sold the same day. If it isn’t then I make pig feed out of it.

  “Where I am leasing now is going to be torn down within a year. I am going to move my operation here to the first floor of this building. I thought at first my whole operation would be in this building, but I am going to construct a shelter for the nosiest equipment along the west edge of the property.

  “More than half of the floor here will be taken up by storage. There will be a small discount store and what equipment needed to remove the wrapping and packing from bread and related products. Some of the people I employ won’t want to come so far from the city center, so those that don’t I will have to replace.

  “There will be a chance for some of you to work right here. I must warn you that this is not a high paying job. Most of those I pay will be minimum wage, but remember there is no traveling, so that has to be considered. I’ll take questions from anyone now.”

  There was a man who stood up from the last seat on the left. “My name is Jack Timmons. You said something to Tom Burns about changing the heating here in the apartments. Will you be doing that and with what?”

  “I will do something so the heating is central in some way. I was just down in the cellar. There is a new steam heating furnace and boiler in a crate down there. I’m having a heating technician over to check it out. This should be a lot cheaper than each one of you buying your own fuel. I’ll have figures within a week. It appears this is what a previous owner planned. He just never followed through.”

  “What about the money we had to put up front when we leased here. Do you have that?”

  “I have the accounting and the escrow account has been turned over to me. You can check with my wife anytime to make sure it is correct. She is keeping the books. She is an accountant. You will be meeting her in a few minutes. She is bringing some trays of bread and bakery goods you can have to divide among you. Is there anything else you would like to know?”

  “Can we visit the operation where you are now to see what you do firsthand?”

  “Yes, of course. I meant to mention that. You are welcome between nine and four any day during the week. Now I just heard my wife drive in. She will have the bakery items. They will all have a sell date by tomorrow, but it all should be edible for a couple of days.” The kids went running out and some of the tenants offered to give Shelly a hand.

  Shelly whispered to me that there wasn’t as much to bring as she hoped. There were two loaves of bread apiece for each tenant and three boxes apiece of half dozen doughnuts. She had four trays of English muffins and four bags of bagels. There were more than enough Twinkies and cupcakes. All of the tenants were tickled to have the goodies and to think they did not have to pay for them.
br />   I surmised most could pay full price, but you can’t beat something for nothing. The kids had to be in school tomorrow so we left soon after the food was given out. Sandy led the trio around to say goodnight. That kid just amazed me more and more!

  I gave Ted the keys and had him go over and inspect the crated boiler. He knew the company that built it and said it was one of the better units. All that was needed was the boiler and piping to be installed and hooked up. He said Elizabeth really had a deal because the boiler would have cost several thousand dollars to buy. Ted said he would get an estimate for me to have the work done.

  I wondered if the iron and junk that was in the cellar was worth anything. I found a person on the Internet who advertised for old machine parts of this type and vintage and he promised to come to look at what was down there.

  ———————

  It looked as if I was set with finding a stable place to continue my pig feed business. Elizabeth had done it for me, but she had also made my life a little more complicated. If I had taken the property, as she wanted me too, I would have worked in getting things moved and dealt with the problems in an orderly manner.

  I would never tell anyone, most of all how my ex-wife made things more difficult for me. Understand, every night I had three excited juvenile owners tackling me about something concerning their property. If one couldn’t think of something that needed doing immediately, think of three of them with their heads together.

  Shelly realized I was devoting more time to the kids and their property than I should. I know she must have talked to them about it. She suggested that if they wanted to discuss the tenants or the building with me, they present it in a business-like manner, scheduling a meeting that was short and concise.

  She worked with them and it did help a lot. Not once did I ever get short with them or cut them off. After all, I was working for them. I also knew at some point that they might lose interest. At that time, it would be my chore to show that they had to look at this as a project and they had to pay attention to their responsibilities.

  The days were creeping along toward Memorial Day, which meant a three-day weekend. Elizabeth was apt to call up Jimmy and talk. Often it might be Sandy or Kathy and sometimes all three. “Papa, Aunt Elizabeth wants to take us up to a lake for the holiday. We all want to go. Can we?”

  “I don’t see why not, Sandy. Are you sure you want to go with her?”

  “We do. They are going to take us to see a big parade. There are going to be men marching and some exercises in several cemeteries. They are going to fire off some guns and we have to listen carefully to what some people will be saying when they are speaking. Uncle Neil will be with us. He was in the National Guard and is going to help explain things.”

  “Ask your mother and you can tell her I said you could go.”

  “Goody. We are going to take my laptop so Jimmy can send you some pictures and you can see them on his. We are leaving right after school on Friday and come home Monday afternoon.”

  I smiled to myself. This would give Shelly and me some time alone. Elizabeth called Shelly, telling her what to pack for the kids to wear. For some reason, she suggested a nice dress for the girls and a suit for Jimmy. His suit, we were unable to provide as he had grown out of it. Must be she wanted to take them out to a nice restaurant in the evening.

  That same evening we got a call from Madie, saying the Missus had found a small home for her and Will to live in. They were there now and would have us over after the holiday to see where they lived. In the meantime, they were living at a motel until their belongings arrived on Tuesday.

  I invited them to stay with us, but she declined saying the Missus had arranged everything and she did not want to change now. Wow, Shelly and I still had the weekend for ourselves. We showered and went to bed before dark. This was the most we had been able to relax since our time in Chicago. We took our time and it was a beautiful experience for both us.

  I had brought Jimmy’s laptop and Sandy’s cell phone in and put both on the nightstand. We were laying there cuddling when the cell phone chirped. “Papa, turn on Jimmy’s laptop. want you to see a picture of us.”

  “You should be in bed.”

  “We are too excited to sleep. Open the laptop and you can see why.”

  I sat up and nudged Shelly. “The kids want us to see something. Elizabeth probably bought the kids a puppy or something.” I opened the computer.

  In the image, Sandy, Kathy and Jimmy were standing in front of Neil and Elizabeth. The kids were holding a hand-lettered sign that said “We’re Married.” My ex-wife had put a lot of effort into this, for Jimmy had on a new suit and the girls had on flowered dresses. Elizabeth had on a pale lavender dress and Neil had a suit just like Jimmy’s suit. I closed the screen.

  Shelly looked up at me. “How do feel about this, John? It must hurt you a little not being invited to their wedding. She was at your wedding.”

  “No, I am tickled as hell that I didn’t have to appear at my ex-wife’s wedding. Elizabeth did tell me one time that it was very uncomfortable when she was at ours. I agreed and I can see why she would be. She must have remembered. As far as the kids are concerned, I think she wanted to give you and me some time alone without them. I imagine that in the future we will see more of this time alone. She really does love them all and seems to want them with her.”

  “Well let’s use this time alone to its full capacity. I’m up for a little more loving.”

  Saturday morning brought its own surprises. I heard a car drive in. I was up and was just getting ready to crawl back in beside Shelly. I went to look out. It was Molly Fortier. She came up the walk slowly. She looked dejected and not her usual self. Her hair had not been combed and she usually had on some makeup, which was missing this morning.

  I held the door open as she approached. “Good morning, Molly. This is a surprise. If you will wait a minute, I’ll get out of these pajamas. Sit, please.”

  “You’re good. Afraid your dick will pop out and scare me? Where are Shelly and the kids?”

  “Shelly is in bed, but she must have heard us so she’ll be out in a minute. The kids are with Neil and Elizabeth.”

  “Well where are they? I couldn’t find them.”

  “Actually, Elizabeth and Neil were married last night by a Justice of the Peace. We didn’t know about it until afterward when Sandy sent us a picture.”

  “That bastard. The boy is never here when I need him.”

  Just then, Shelly came in. “Hi Molly, what brings you here?”

  “I need to talk to somebody. I guess you two are it. Make me coffee and I need a stick in it. Whiskey if you have it. I’m in trouble. Son-of-a-bitch, I can’t believe it. I’m too old for this shit.” I started to smile. “Smile you prick. You think it’s funny. Why didn’t someone tell me this could happen at my age?”

  “You’re saying you are pregnant aren’t you?”

  “More like knocked up. You tell me what I’m going to do with a little bastard at my age?”

  “You will love it. What does Ted say about this?”

  “Haven’t told him yet.”

  “You should before you decide anything. He has the right.”

  “I suppose. I could go and have it disposed of without telling him.”

  “The man loves you. Do you want to cheat him out of having his child? He might come to the decision to do that, but if he isn’t of that mind, and he finds out later you destroyed the fetus, you’ll surely lose him.”

  “There is that. Which way do you think Ted will go?”

  “I don’t have any idea at all. Call him and ask him to come over here. Tell him Shelly is making breakfast and he is invited.”

  “You will be right here with me when I tell him, won’t you?”

  “We will be.” Ted promised he would arrive in forty-five minutes.

  When he came in, he questioned Molly why she had got out of bed to visit us so early this morning. “Eat your breakfast and then I’ll
tell you.” He kept looking at her, and Shelly and I could see how much he loved Molly. Molly felt it too and was smiling again. Much different from when she first arrived.

  The table was cleared, except for the last round of coffee. “Okay Molly, tell me what’s going on?”

  A look of fear crossed Molly’s face. “Ted, I’m taking full responsibility for this. I’m pregnant and it is only you that can be the father.”

  Ted was stunned. “You never said, but I thought you were too old.”

  “Apparently I’m not. What do you want to do about it?”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Do I keep it or what?”

  A look of horror appeared. “Oh no, you couldn’t rid yourself of something I have had so much joy in giving you. Molly, I never had a woman who I thought would love me. I never dared think I might have a child to call my own and I had given up hope years ago. Please don’t even think about doing something like that. I would like to ask you to marry me so we could be a family. I know how much Frank Fortier meant to you, so I won’t—but I want to.” He looked hopefully at Molly.

  “Hell Ted, ask me. I might surprise you with my answer. I learned this morning that Neil and Elizabeth were married last night. We will leave it to Neil to carry on his father’s name. If you want me to become Mrs. Theodore Theobold all you have to do is ask.”

  Seriously, he asked, “Molly, would you become my wife and take my name so we can give it to our child?”

  “Yes Ted, I damned sure will. Do you have any reservations about this?”

  “Just one. When the baby is born, I’m demanding that you give up swearing and cussing.” He grinned so we all knew he really didn’t mind.

  “I can do that, but I may slip once in awhile. You would forgive me wouldn’t you?”

  “Probably.”

  ———————

  “Shelly, Ted needs to take me home, now. We have a lot to talk about and plans to make. I know you wanted this weekend for yourselves, but you two are the only ones I feel comfortable sharing my problems with. I’m going to get along with my son’s wife, but she is a lot like me in some respects and two women the same cannot get along all that well. ’Course I’m one up on her, I can swear and she would never think of it.”

  “You used to swear don’t you mean?”

  “Ted, that’s what I meant. So would you two come over for a late breakfast Monday morning and help me decide how I’m going to handle this getting married shit—I mean stuff?”

  As they drove off in their car, Shelly said, “Molly is a mystery to me. She is worth several hundred million dollars and acts as if she just retired from a life of prostitution.”

  “Being mysterious is part of her charm. I love her and wouldn’t change her for a minute.”

  “With a statement like that, I think you better take me back to bed. I won’t stand for you loving anyone except me.”

  “I should have said I like her, but that didn’t seem strong enough.”

  “I know, and I love her too.” The remainder of Saturday and on Sunday, we didn’t do anything, but we were always close enough to reach out and touch each other. We didn’t speak much either, there was no need for we were as one.

  Molly said come for a late breakfast, so we arrived at nine. She was waiting on the front porch for us. This morning she was made up and wearing a short skirt and white blouse with three quarter sleeves. There was a little lace around the collar and on the cuffs. I received a kiss on the cheek and Shelly got the same. She led us to the smaller of the two dining rooms. Ted was waiting for us, shook my hand and Shelly received a hug. This was the first time I had ever seen him display any affection for any one other than Molly and that had always been quite reserved.

  “Ted and I have been talking. First, the fucking money Frank left me. Ted won’t hear of having any of it. I’ve overridden his objections. What I am going to do is put an equal amount in each of our accounts. The rest will be going into a blind trust for everyone that is related to me. It will be distributed sometime in the future. The goddamned lawyers can hash that out. You and Shelly are in on that. You two have more smarts than the rest of us.”

  Shelly and I started shaking our heads in denial. “Don’t matter whether you say no or not. You are in and you are getting a check once a year. Do the work or not, the check keeps coming. I’m betting you’ll be there.”

  “Molly, I could get pissed at you sometimes.”

  “Wow, John said a nasty word. I’ll take that as a yes to help set this up.” I was still shaking my head, but was grinning at the same time.

  Molly went on to explain how she and Ted were to get married. “We’re getting a license and then we’re just going to see an old judge that was a friend of Frank’s. He has already agreed to perform the ceremony. Can you get free this Friday? You two are going to be witnesses. I would like it that you not say anything until I announce that I’m pregnant.

  “Neil and Elizabeth are just married and Ronnie and Pam are being married in two weeks. I will announce it the week of July 4. I will have another blowout here at that time. Ted and I don’t want a big deal made of this.” She paused, and then went on, “Actually this is a big deal for both of us. The renovation of the factories will occupy our thoughts day times, but nighttime this baby in me will be for us alone. I missed Frank for so many years, and Ted never had anyone to love. Now we will have each other and a baby.”

  Again, she paused. “Christ, listen to me. I must be getting old and maudlin. I guess what I’m trying to say is that I am happy. Go on, go home. You still have a few hours before the kids get home. Put it to good use.” There were tears of happiness in her eyes as she and Ted stood in the doorway waving goodbye.

  ———————

  The kids came home in the early afternoon. They were excited and gave us a moment-by-moment account of how Neil and Elizabeth had sprung on them what was going to happen and they were to be married that same night. Madie and Will came to the chapel right after they were told about what was to happen. From then on, it was an exciting time for everyone. They spent all Saturday at a camp the newlyweds had rented.

  The one big decision was what my two girls were going to call Elizabeth. This had been decided at one time before, and it was reaffirmed that Kathy and Sandy call her Aunt Elizabeth. Technically, she wasn’t related. Jimmy was her son, they were his half sisters, and she loved them almost as much as she did Jimmy. Here again it was Sandy that objected to calling her Mom as was suggested.

  “I have my own mother and I’m going to have a step-mom who I’ll call Mom sometimes. I can’t have more mothers than that. Someday, I’ll have a mother-in-law and I may want to call her Mom as well. It would be too confusing if I called you anything but Aunt Elizabeth.” There was logic in this and Elizabeth bowed to Sandy’s wishes.

  There was also a serious discussion about going to college. Sandy insisted a way had to be found so all three could go together and live in the same apartment.

  Neil came up with an idea for Sandy to study very hard and jump one grade during middle school. He was aware of how intelligent she was. She then would enter high school in the same class as Jimmy. Sandy seized on this idea and wanted Kathy to work one year after she finished high school and then they could all be together.

  I threw up roadblocks as fast as I could. “Sandy you will have to work real hard and you won’t have time in your life except for study. By the time you are in eighth grade, you may want to go to dances and out to the movies with your friends. You’ll feel terrible if Jimmy and Kathy are doing these things and you opt to stay home and study.”

  “It is what I want. You say I’m smart and this is a good way to prove it to you. Anyway, you aren’t going to let me go out on dates until after I get into high school. I really want to do this. If I get behind, I will ask you for some money to hire me a tutor. Or you can take it out of the profits I’ll be making on the apartments.”

  Shelly put in, “She is extremel
y intelligent. She could do it if Jimmy and Kathy helped her. It would be nice if all three went on together. I feel they would be much safer.”

  “You went on. You made out okay.”

  “I know I did John, but I wished many times I had some boy around who I could ask what I should do in certain instances. I could have used an older sister many times as well.”

  I made a half-hearted promise. “We’ll explore the possibility and see where it takes us. It seems as though you are trying to grow up too fast to keep up with your older sister and brother.”

  “They want us to be together. It isn’t just me.” There was that united front the three always presented. So far, there was no reason to say it hadn’t worked well for them.

  ———————

  Shelly and I were ushered into Judge Joe Hamilton’s private home Friday evening. Molly laughed and joked with the judge and we were the only ones who knew how nervous she was.

  “Molly, I’m glad to see you have a man who will make you happy. Frank would approve I’m sure. He thought a lot of Ted and would applaud your decision to wed. Now Molly, repeat after me and then it is Ted’s turn.

  Tears of happiness were in Molly’s eyes when Judge Joe charged Ted to kiss his bride. “Come, Mr. and Mrs. Theobold and have a brandy with me. It always makes me so happy to join two people in wedlock. Tell me what your plans are?”

  “Well Judge, I’m knocked up, so I guess I’ll have a baby. This man here, John Rheingold, is shepherding me through the intricacies of renovating all those manufacturing buildings I own. He even lit a fire under Neil’s ass and got the boy showing me a lot of promise. John keeps saying he does not want to be rich, but somehow I’m going to make it happen. He is the smartest man I ever ran into.

  “The smartest move he made was to marry the woman that is standing beside him. He has one son and she has two daughters and a finer family I never met. I even have her working for me and she is no dummy either. A few other things that are making my life exciting are that John’s ex-wife followed him out here from the east and Neil latched onto her. They were married last weekend.

  “Shelly’s ex-husband needed a job and I put him to rehabbing those monsters that Frank’s family built. He’s an artist and when he gets finished, all three houses are going to be just as perfect as they were a hundred years ago.”

  The judge was laughing. “Molly, how have you found time to get, as you say, knocked up?”

  “Don’t know, Judge, but it seems as if everything is coming together. Oh, in two weeks I’m having a blowout in my backyard. Shelly’s ex is getting married and I am having it catered. Judge, I want you there. You will see what is happening in my life. Oh, please don’t mention to anyone that I’m pregnant. I’m saving that for the Fourth of July when I have the blowout for me and Ted.”

  As we got into the car after leaving the judge’s home, I said, “You laid it on pretty heavy about me to the judge, didn’t you?”

  “No more than you deserve. This is a good time for me, so I will say and do what I want. You reap what you sow. I don’t know where that expression comes from, but it fits you. Let’s stop at the nearest fast food place and get us a hamburger. A person should celebrate on their wedding.” McDonalds, it was.

  The kids finished the school year just before Ronnie and Pam were married. Pam had wanted to be married with just a small ceremony. However, Molly convinced Ronnie to have the ceremony just before the reception, which was outdoors behind her house. Molly had been so good about giving him work, he felt she couldn’t be denied.

  It was a beautiful day. Neither Pam nor Ronnie wanted a tent and were glad when the day opened clear and cool. Pam’s mother was there. She was a widow, her husband died three years previously. She was a larger person than Pam. The comment was made about it and she explained, “Percy was a small man and Pam took after him. He had a big heart, though. We had some heartbreak early in our relationship and he kept me from losing my mind. That was long in the past and not to be thought of today.

  “I despaired of Pam ever getting married, but I like Ronnie. Maybe they will have some kids for me to be grandmother to.”

  Sandy spoke up, “Kathy and I will be your granddaughters just as soon as Daddy and Pam are married. We would be pleased to call you Gram. You have to take Jimmy too. He is our brother, and we have already decided to call you grandma.”

  “Bless you child. I can see why Pam is marrying your dad. She has wanted children and she talks about you a lot, so I feel I know you already.”

  Ronnie and his two helpers had constructed an arch to stand under for the wedding ceremony. Molly had made sure there was seating enough and had hired a photographer to record the event. This was a large crowd. Mindy Evans and fiancé, including George Caruthers, his wife and his two small children were invited. A couple of others connected with the housing rehab and of course, the judge who had married Molly and Ted made his appearance.

  Ronnie’s parents were there and Jimmy got to know some cousins that were Ronnie’s sister’s and his nieces and nephews. Neil and Elizabeth brought Will and Madie. My three knew most everyone and felt it their duty to circulate constantly and make all comfortable.

  Mrs. Johnson talked with Shelly quite a bit. It was late for this determination, but I do believe she was trying to find out what kind of a man Pam married. Shelly didn’t trash him, just saying that their marriage ended with a set of unavoidable circumstances. Mostly from being unemployed. She went on to say that when Ronnie was working, he paid the child support as ordered.

  Overall, it was a great day for everyone and as the guests started to depart, Molly said she wanted a fourth of July party and invited everyone to meet here for another summer get-together.

  ———————

  Shelly was showing her pregnancy by this time. We figured sometime around Thanksgiving was when the baby would be born. Molly kept telling her she could cut back on her hours working for her. “If I cut back here there is always something to do for John or the kids. At least here I get to relax.” Molly relayed this conversation to me the next day. I saw to it there were days when I had little or nothing for Shelly to work on.

  Molly and Ted’s party on the fourth was almost anti-climactic. Even when she told everyone she had been married for a full month and figured she was almost two months pregnant, there just was not the excitement of a wedding. It was enough that the two were married and happy.

  Neil would be twenty-seven when he had a new sibling. Molly was concerned about this until she saw how Neil thought of it as a huge joke.

  I was busy planning the move from the warehouse in the Fortier complex to my leased property that my kids owned. I wanted things completed by cold weather. I went about having the new addition constructed to place my equipment in on the west side of the property.

  Molly insisted on lending the money for this. How she screamed when she received the first repayment check from the “Rheingold Apartments.” This was what Shelly had set up for a business name for them. Molly was overridden when I explained these kids wanted to learn how to operate a business and there was no better way than using this as an example.

  We did follow through on Sandy’s request to skip one grade. It was decided that it would be eighth grade. At the end of the seventh year, she would be tested and would be passed on either to the ninth year or just go into her regular eighth grade. She still had the sixth and seventh years to complete.

  Those on the school board said it was foolish for a child to plan on something like this taking place and foolish for us to even consider it. They were sure she would lose interest before she finished the seventh year. I wasn’t so sure. They did not know how tight she was with her brother and sister. They would do anything for her by helping all the way through to her goal. After all, it was their goal as well as hers.

  It was a busy summer. I had my own business to move and get set up. I also was the one who Molly looked to keep the rehab project moving ahead in an orderly ma
nner. Don’t think I knew it all. I spent hours on the phone talking to the friends I had made years before while I was married to Elizabeth. The knowledge was there, I just had to find and implement what I found. I even drew Elizabeth in when I was searching for someone I had spoken to about something, but couldn’t remember his or her name.

  We were working in my office together a month before my baby was due. Elizabeth came in. “John, I’d like to share something with you. I’m pregnant. I haven’t even told Neil yet.”

  “Why tell me before Neil?”

  “I don’t know. It just seemed right. I know of course that Neil will be ecstatic, but I guess I still look to you for approval. Maybe I want to refute a statement I made several months ago. I said then to get married to provide an heir was the worst reason to get married. I said that to you. I’ve changed my mind, especially after I have fallen so deeply in love with my husband.”

  “We all evolve. What is true one day is not necessarily true the next. You and I are the same age. I’m looking forward to us having our child and maybe one more. In your case, the child is going to carry on your husband’s line. That is good, but it shouldn’t be the main reason. I am having children because I love them. There shouldn’t be any other reason. My approval, not necessary, but I applaud your decision for the reason I just said.”

  “Can I quote you to Molly on what you said?”

  “No, and I’ll tell you why. Use what I just said as your own words. She has changed since she is pregnant herself. She will love you if you use my words for your own. She may not share with you as she does with Shelly and me, but I guarantee she feels the same way I do. Of course, if you and Neil do have a boy, she’ll be that much happier.

  “By the way, why does everyone come to me to share something? I want to know.”

  “I don’t know. I used to think you were kind of a klutz. That was a long, long time ago. Now, when I make a decision of some magnitude, I think ‘I wonder what John would do or think about this,’ so I believe as you say, we all evolve.”

  I was shaking my head. “Anyway John, you came through for me again. I will use your words.” She walked out the door without looking back. If I didn’t have a pregnant wife at home, I would think I had made a wrong decision to have divorced Elizabeth. I actually liked her again. Nah, I have too much going for me at home.

  I came in and kissed Shelly the minute I got home. “John, you won’t believe this, but I just got off the phone with Pam. She and Ronnie are pregnant.”

  I burst out laughing. “Can you keep a secret?”

  “Cross my heart. What?”

  “So are Elizabeth and Neil.”

  “Is she happy about this?”

  “She came to ask for my approval.”

  “That doesn’t surprise me. That is what Pam called for—just to see what I thought about my ex-husband starting a new family.”

  “Let’s see, first Molly and then Elizabeth and now Pam. How come you didn’t ask?”

  “Because when we got married we became as one. I wanted a baby so I knew you did too.”

  “Good answer. What is for dinner? Oh, by the way, I love you!”