CHAPTER 66 - LOCKS, CHINA BUMPS AND HICCUP

MICHAEL’S APARTMENT, OHIO - THURSDAY AFTERNOON

MICHAEL

I can’t wait! Not only do I get to see JR at the weekend, but according to Lindsay, the images for Rage have been released. I can’t wait to see them!

I call Lindsay again and once again, it goes straight to voicemail. I am beginning to think she’s ignoring me…

LINDSAY’S APARTMENT

LOUNGE

GILDA

“As I said Ms Peterson, I am perfectly within my rights to increase the rent and give you notice, which is what I am doing. You have two months left on your tenancy. Should this increase prove too onerous for you then let me know and I shall give you notice to quit officially on Monday.” I look round the room and frown. “Ms Peterson, have you been redecorating?”

She looks at me in what, she assumes wrongly, is an imperious manner. This bitch is fucking rude! “Yes, well after the unpleasantness of Mr Novotny’s legal mishaps, I thought that the place could do with a little finessing. It was looking a little tired.”

Oh Miss Bitchy, you have stepped up to the wrong plate!

“Funny, but I don’t remember you asking permission to do that, which as part of the terms of the lease, you would have to. Excuse me a moment.” I get up and walk round the apartment it takes her a few seconds to follow me around, but when she goes to speak, I put up my hand. I take in the changes to the bedrooms and the bathroom, the latter being cosmetic but she should’ve asked to do it. I head back to the lounge and make myself comfortable again. “Ms Peterson, this property is not a one bedroom with a walk in; it is a two bedroom apartment. Oh no, do not speak! Mr Novotny’s legal woes are not my concern and do not give you the right to finesse without my permission. I shall have some people in to change it back to what it originally was at your expense. Also, I notice the lock has been changed. Again you did not advise us of this. I want a copy of the keys by tomorrow evening. Be advised that failure to comply will result in immediate termination of the lease agreement and your immediate eviction.” I stand up as she sits there, simmering. “Ms Peterson, I will see myself out.”

LINDSAY

Stunned! Absolutely stunned! Everyone knows that the terms of the lease are generic! I can’t believe she is going to do this! Yet again Michael is calling! I grind my teeth and pick up. “Hi Michael. Are you all set for the weekend? No, I wasn’t ignoring you. Of course not, but I was in a tenants’ meeting. Yes, everything is set. But Michael I have to go, the meeting ran on longer than we thought and I have an appointment...bye!” I hang up on his prattling and grab my coat and keys.

PETERSON RESIDENCE - AN HOUR LATER

LINDSAY

I sigh in relief as I pull up in the drive. I press the clicker to open the garage door and then drive inside. I rest my head in my hands for a minute before getting out the car and putting the alarm code in. Once I hear the familiar beep, I unlock the door and nothing happens. I try again and again yet nothing. “What on earth?” I mutter to myself. I try again but then at the same time, my phone rings. “Hello mother! How is Australia? I’m so glad.” I say between gritted teeth. “Um mother, I hate to cut the conversation short, but I need go. I’m trying to…” I pause as she talks over me. “Well yes I am, how do you know that?” I start to feel sick. “But why?!” I gasp, infuriated. An hour later, I am still in the garage sobbing! When the phone rings, its daddy. “I can’t under…” I listen horrified and then I drive back to the apartment, my heart hammering in my chest. As I pull up to the parking space, I notice another van and going inside the van are the pieces that I bought for my walk in!

“What the hell are you doing?!” I scream. “Those pieces are mine! How did you get into my apartment?!”

“I took some time to think and I didn’t believe you would do as requested so I changed the locks. You can thank me later. These are your new keys. Do not change them again or I shall remove you immediately from the premises!” Gilda’s ice like tones rain on my psyche! I watch them load in the dresser and turn back to her and nod. “Good. We will give you the details of the storage facility where these will be taken. Good day, again, Ms Peterson.”

As I head wearily upstairs, I slump on the sofa and watch as my home is transferred back to ours.

I feel like a zombie as I go about my everyday things. It’s not until three days later when I wake up to the incessant ringing of my phone and to Michael’s grating voice that my world tilts! “Hi!” I chirrup brightly and sit bolt upright! “Say that again! But why have you been denied?!” I demand while shimmying and shaking my thang round the bedroom. “What do they mean you still have not proven yourself?” I slap my head in frustration and wish immediately that it was his. “Michael, how did you send the second lot of the money to the wrong person? Is the other Melvin Marcuse giving you back the money you accidentally sent to him? Well that’s a plus isn’t it? Why isn’t it?” I want to smash my head into the floor. Talking him to sometimes is like trying to hold a cohesive conversation with a two year old. “So what you are saying is that this is one of your comic book buddies, who is going to sit on the money until the bank or the authorities make him hand it over?” I listen to his whine before realising that this is a good thing for me. I listen to him bang on for a while before I have had enough. “Michael! Because of your mistake, you can’t come this weekend. Mel is going to make hay out of this, so it's best if you aren't there to antagonize her even further. Accept this fuck up for what it is and let's just move on from there! Now I have to go!”

BRITIN - SUNDAY MORNING

LOUNGE

ARNO

I am really trying hard not to laugh! Justin looks like he wants to cry and Brian is on the cusp of losing it!

“Ruth stop it and help!” Gilda guffaws.

“Okay.” She chuckles. “Let’s do Lee first.” She sits down in front of her protesting daughter and takes her hands. “Lee, sweetie, stop it now.” Lee’s eyes are glistening with tears. She is having her scalp oiled for the first time and of course, they are tenderheaded. Any touch is agonising for them. “It has to happen, my darling.” We wait and Lee takes a big breath and we watch incredulously as Ruth dabs her fingers into the oil and then almost strokes Lee’s scalp softly and gently. “The trick is not to press.” She grins. Just stroke her as near to the scalp as you can with the oil and it drips down to her scalp. See no tears!”

“And the China Bumps.” Gilda orders and I melt at the smile on Ruth’s face.

“Now, these.” She murmurs as Lee grins up at her daddy. “Brian, you need to sit here.” He quickly sits down. “You are going to be masters of this because of your fingers.”

“Fingers?” Brian questions.

“Yes, because their hair is long. So what you will do is take a section and twist it nice and gentle, AFTER you have oiled their hair, and as you twist it goes into a bump, like so. See? So now you try.”

Warily, both of them do a bump each and although Lee’s face looks concerned, she doesn’t cry.

“Aww, can I put ribbon on it?” Justin gushes.

“Sure.” Gilda smiles. “As long as you want the wrath of Satan upon you when you try and take the ribbon off!”

“No ribbon. Got it!” Justin states.

For an hour, they gently do their hair and they don’t cry. “Adorable!” Brian breathes as he inspects Lee’s head. “Wait, that one is not quite right.” He decrees and redoes the one that he doesn’t like.

“Oh for fu...fudge sake!” Ruth exclaims and runs to the bathroom.

“Is she okay?” Justin asks, taking yet another picture of his daughters.

“Food poisoning.” Gilda sighs. “Started last night.”

“Ouch!” Brian winces and goes to get some water.

BRITIN - A MONTH LATER

BACK GARDEN - SUNDAY AFTERNOON

BRIAN

We’ve now got the hair thing down pat. But now our worry is Ruth. She has been sick for the last couple of weeks. As I watch her come back outside having yet again rushed to the bathroom, I look across at Justin, who is staring at her and am about to say something when I stop and look at Ruth. My jaw drops. “Debs, come take Harper and Daph you with me!”

“What’s wrong?” She whispers as I drag her into the kitchen.

“Is it possible that a woman can get pregnant with a man who has a low count after she’s had children but not with him...say with twins?

“You think...?” She gasps.

“Look at her; I mean really look at her.”

Daphne looks across and she grins. “Oh hell yeah! But to double check, give me half an hour.”

I keep Ruth and Arno distracted until Daph comes back and then she calls them over. As she leads them inside, I shake my head at Justin. Another forty minutes later, they are back looking stunned. And Daph is grinning!

“Ladies and gentlemen, your attention please!” I order and it goes quiet. “Gus, can you come here, you too papa?” They both look confused. “Daph, am I right?”

“Yep!” She grins.

“Can I?” I ask and they just nod.

“Gus, you know that the Caramels are your sisters?”

“Yes daddy.”

“Well all being well the...oh what are we calling it for now?”

“Hiccup.” Arno chokes out.

“Well the Hiccup in Ruth's tummy will be your brother or sister too.”

It seems like the world has stopped, it is so quiet. Gus and Justin look at me then at them and then back to me. “She’s…” Justin gasps.

“Yep.”

“Daddy, does Ruthie have another Caramel?!”

“Yes, yes she does.”

“But why is it called Hiccup? Wait is it like Hiccup in How To Train Your Dragon cos it’s so small?”

“Yes Gus, that’s why.” Ruth is finally able to speak.

Gus walks over to her and then turns back to us. “Daddy, papa, you have to give Ruthie, Arno and Hiccup a room here. My sisters and maybe brother have to be in one place!”

“Okay, Sonny Boy.” I smile as he places his hands on Ruth’s tummy. Jennifer comes over to take Lee and I pull my sobbing with happiness husband into my arms. “Praying for a boy?” I whisper and he nods. “Me too!”

I look across at Arno and we smile. Finally he’s the daddy!