Walls - 12. July 2015 • Part I

Rod placed two large suitcases in the rear of the Jeep, slammed the gate shut, and walked around to the front. “Thanks for picking me up, cuz!”

“My pleasure. It’s awesome to have you in town at last.” CJ was excited his cousin was moving to Washington and his broad smile reflected his pleasure. “That all the luggage you brought?”

“Yeah, the rest of my stuff’s being shipped. Should be here by the end of next week. This is way more than I’ll need ’til then, anyway. Staying at your place while the apartment’s finished and furnished made it silly to bring even this much with me.”

“You’re gonna love your new place! I was there yesterday and it’s sick! You’ll see. We’re going there first. Papa said they’re doing the last of the work today. It should be all finished before the fourth.”

CJ drove Defiant through the alley next to the building and parked by his dad’s Ford F-350. There were two other pickup trucks in the lot along with a silver Toyota compact car. “Looks like your welcoming committee’s all here.”

“Is my stuff gonna be safe?” Rod jerked a thumb towards the suitcases in the back with a questioning expression. “I mean this is where Uncle César got held up, right? And with your Jeep being all open and what not…”

“Should be fine, cuz. I’m going back to the house after I say hello and I’ll take your bags with me. Plus we can keep an eye on them. Remember, there’s security cameras. That’s how Papa saw Dad being robbed and was able to save him.”

“Okay… I recognize Taisha’s Yaris and Leo’s big Ram. Who does the shiny red Nissan belong to?”

“Oh, the Titan’s Gray’s new toy. His daddy bought it for him as a present. Wait ’til you ride in it. The fucker’s got a giant diesel engine and once it gets started, it can move.”

“Say what? His daddy?” Rod’s surprise made CJ laugh.

“Prescott decided his boy needed fancy wheels. I’ll fill you in on those two later. But whatever you do, don’t touch the chain and lock around Gray’s neck. I’ve been told it’s bad form. Come on, let’s get you in there so I can go home. I have to pack for my trip.”

Climbing the stairs, the guys followed the hallway to the front of the building where a door stood ajar. Inside the open space they found Brett, Leo, and Gray screwing plates over electrical outlets and light switches while Taisha stood with her arms crossed watching them. When CJ coughed a couple of times to get their attention, she turned towards the entrance and her bright smile lit up the room.

“ROD!” Her shout must have been heard by pedestrians on the sidewalk through the open windows. She rushed towards the newcomers, and standing on her tiptoes, wrapped her arms around Rodney and gave him a kiss on the cheek. “Welcome to your new home!”

CJ chuckled at her restraint; he was certain there would be a more intimate welcome later in the day. He rolled his eyes and shook his head. His cousin was such a goner. The way Rod hugged the pretty girl and smiled spoke volumes of what was going on between those two.

“Hey, Rod. Had a good flight? What do you think?” Brett stood from where he had been kneeling working on an outlet by the front windows and waved around the room.

“Yeah, it was fine, Uncle Brett. This looks fantastic! A little dusty and empty, but I’ll fix that in no time. Hi, Leo. Nice truck, Gray.”

“Good to have you in town, son.” The burly, gray-bearded, retired marine shook Rod’s hand and with the other one clasped his shoulder. “I’m looking forward to working with you on a regular basis.” Leo Dallas, the owner of Leatherneck Construction, had become Brett’s go-to-man in his development projects during the past year.

“Thanks, Rod,” Gray said. “I’ll take you for a ride sometime soon. I hear Taisha’s taking you shopping for furniture and stuff for the apartment. I’ll be happy to help you guys lug it all back here if you need me.”

“Thanks, buddy. I’ll have Brett’s truck while he and Uncle César are out of town, but I might need help carrying furniture up the stairs. I have a feeling Taisha and IKEA are gonna do some damage to my credit card this weekend.”

Brett handed the screwdriver he’d been using to Leo and stared at his son and nephew. “Don’t you have stuff to do at home, CJ? What the heck are you doing standing around here? Scoot! Rod, don’t bother cleaning. We’re having Ana come over on Friday and she’ll get the place ready for you. We’re going to put her on the company’s payroll anyway so she can get health insurance and better benefits. And we’ll reimburse the company for any personal use of her time. And speaking of the company’s payroll, you and Taisha come back to the office. We need to get you set up so we can add you, starting today. There’s a bunch of forms to fill out for insurance and stuff. There’s also a couple of things I need you to do while I’m out of town, I wanna go over them with you.”

• • •

“We’re not hiring a car this trip?” Owen asked as he, CJ, César, and Brett stood in the taxi line outside the baggage claim area at Miami International Airport.

“Nope.” César nudged his bag with a foot as the line inched a step closer to the front. “My dad promised to have the car emptied out of all the crap he always kept in the back, serviced, and washed. We get to use it while we’re here before you guys drive it up to DC.”

“I still can’t believe we get to drive a bloody Mercedes Benz ute. Or that he’s getting rid of it and giving it to Rod as a present.”

“Abuelo has a thing for getting a new car every three years or so. Rod’s old car was a piece of shit. It wouldn’t have made the trip from Chicago. So the Benz’s his graduation present.” CJ pushed Owen forward as the line moved again and imitated his dad’s actions with his own luggage.

“But what about Randy? I mean his brother gets a slightly used expensive car. Wasn’t he upset?”

“Nah, he told me Abuelo sent him a check for what the car’s worth so he made out like a bandit. You play your cards right, maybe Abuelo will buy you a Ferrari or something when you graduate from law school.”

“Asshole!” Brett swatted CJ on the back of the head. “Stop talking so much and load the bags in the taxi.”

• • •

“I wish we lived closer to your parents.”

“Why’s that, Jarhead?” César and Brett were in their room at the Biltmore Hotel getting ready for bed. They’d taken a cab to Coral Gables, had dinner at César’s parents’ house, and then driven Sebastián’s old vehicle to the hotel.

“The food! Your mom can cook up a storm.”

“She can at that. But I’m not sure I could eat that much on a regular basis.”

“Well, I definitely could. And did you see the amount of food CJ and Owen put away?”

“They did seem to enjoy it. Speaking of Owen, has he said anything concerning money to you recently?”

Brett had stripped to his boxers and was emptying out his suitcase into the dresser. “Not a word. As a matter of fact, it’s been a long time since he complained about us spending money on him. Why do you ask? Did he mention anything to you?”

“Nope. I’m just surprised. He was so adamant about paying his own way before, I was worried this trip we’d be facing the same bullshit.”

“Maybe him and CJ becoming a couple for real mellowed him out? Hopefully he’s starting to realize he’s part of the family.”

“Damn, I sure hope so. I like the guy. A lot.”

“Me too. But more importantly, CJ does. And anyway, at least this part of the trip’s cheaper. No need for those two having separate rooms anymore. I just hope their room being next to ours doesn’t mean we’re kept awake with loud moans and groans.”

“I have a way to deal with that problem…” César stood behind his husband, wrapped his arms around the man, and ran his hands up and down Brett’s solid chest and stomach.

“Oh, yeah? And how do you plan to do that?” Brett allowed himself to be pulled against the other man’s chest, enjoying the feeling of César’s hairy torso against his back.

“By making you moan and groan loud enough to drown out any noise coming from next door.”

• • •

Following the GPS directions, CJ exited I-95 at Sunrise Boulevard heading east. Owen sat in the front while the dads were in the back seat. “What made you want to get a tattoo at this place we’re going to, Papa?”

“You remember the guy we encountered at Shenandoah National Park? The one you ran into at the Harley-Davidson Museum? After you found him online, your dad and I traded e-mails with him. I liked his sleeves when we met him so I asked him who’d done the work. That’s where we’re going. Holden and his wife own Formula Ink.”

“And you made an appointment without meeting him?” Owen turned in his seat to look at his boyfriend’s fathers. “Won’t it take a long time for him to come up with a design?”

“Already done, dude. Through the magic of the internet. I wrote him letting him know how I’d heard about him and what I wanted. He did a couple of sketches, e-mailed them to me, and we agreed on one. He should have the final version all ready to go.”

Since Ritchie was busy with the baseball camp end-of-session gathering, CJ and Owen had invited themselves along with the dads. They planned on walking around downtown Wilton Manors, doing a little shopping, and grabbing a bite to eat while Brett got inked.

“There’s the sign, CJ.” César tapped his son on the shoulder and pointed at a small strip shopping center.

“At last! Traffic in South Florida sucks as much as in Washington.” CJ turned into the parking lot and pulled the car into an open spot. “So, how come you’ve been all mysterious about what you’re getting?”

“It’s a little surprise for you and your dad.” Brett’s trademark eyebrow wiggling made his husband and son roll their eyes and Owen smile. “You’ll see soon enough. Come on guys, let’s get this show on the road.”

Inside the narrow, two-story corner spot occupied by the tattoo parlor, CJ’s senses were assailed by a cacophony of artwork and tattoo flash pieces covering most of the walls; any space not so occupied, held shelves crammed with toys, models and an eclectic assortment of odds and ends.

“Howdy, I’m guessing one of you must be Brett.” The ginger bear had a friendly smile as he welcomed them.

“That would be me!” Brett raised his hand before extending it to grasp the one being offered by the artist. “This is my husband, César and the young guys are our son, CJ and his boyfriend, Ozzie.”

“Cool! Any of you three looking to get inked?” Holden finger-combed his long red beard, looking at the guys standing behind Brett. “As long as it’s not extensive, one of the other artists can draw up a custom design and get it done while I work on Brett.”

“Not me, thanks. I’ve heard how much it bloody hurts. I don’t think I could handle the pain.” Owen raised his hands in a sign of surrender and shook his head.

“Me neither,” César said. “What about you, CJ? You mentioned to us a long time ago you wanted some ink. Now’s your chance, kiddo. Papa and I will sign off on anything as long as it’s not obscene.”

“Ummm, nah. I’ll pass. I know what I want my first tattoo to be but the timing’s not right yet.”

Brett rubbed his hands together and looked at Holden. “Guess it’s just me. Let’s see what you have, dude.”

“Come on back and I’ll show you what the final design looks like.”

The drawing atop the lightbox depicted a beach scene. Froth rimmed ocean swells lapped at a sandy seashore at the bottom, two palm trees leaned towards each other with their trunks crossing, and a third one stood by itself. On top, a handful of double curved lines represented birds in flight.

“That’s going around your right forearm, Captain? What does it mean?” Owen stared at the drawing and then at Brett’s arm.

Brett looked at César and a small smile creased his face. “About two years ago I got myself a husband and a few months later I became a father. In the eyes of the world and legally, I had a family again. Something I’d lost when my parents and then my grandfather died. The two crossed palms are me and César, the other one’s CJ. Once he gives me grandchildren―”

“Ha! Don’t hold your breath.” CJ’s comment made Holden chuckle. He’d been standing back, not saying anything, watching the interaction between the four men.

“Whatever… Anyway, there’s room to add more trees if someone decides to father some kids. At the bottom, about an inch or two above the wrist, I’m going to have all our names inked in bold script. Once again leaving room for potential grandchildren.”

“And how many of those are you expecting, Papa?”

“Oh, I don’t know… Half a dozen?”

“In your dreams. Holden, Ozzie and I want to head over to the center of town to do a little shopping and grab a bite to eat. I’d also like to get a trim. Is the barbershop next door any good?”

“Yeah, the owner’s a friend too. We’re both originally from Detroit. Tell him I sent you.”

• • •

On Saturday, the four men from Washington and Ritchie spent most of the day at Bayfront Park in Downtown Miami. America’s Birthday Bash was a long-running open-air festival held on Independence Day. Food booths, exhibits, and concerts brought together the city’s multi-national residents in a true celebration of the country’s cherished image as a melting pot of immigrants. Owen’s use of his newly-acquired skills in Spanish brought smiles to vendors, and his knowledge of French helped them communicate with a Creole speaking Haitian woman they purchased multi-colored woven bracelets from.

The next day, following Sunday Brunch at the Biltmore, Brett and César insisted Ritchie stay behind with them while CJ and Owen headed to the airport. They explained the need to talk to the boy alone so they could fill him in on some of the changes looming for the kid as he moved to Washington and began a new chapter in his life.

“There she is, there’s my sister. LIZ!”

The girl’s face lit up when she heard her name shouted and saw Owen and CJ running towards her. She let go of her luggage cart and dropped her shoulder bag when Owen wrapped her up in his arms and lifted her off the ground, twirling her around while she squealed in delight. CJ watched with an amused smile, noticing how many of the other arriving passengers grinned seeing the happy reunion.

“Put me down, you bloody big ox. Everyone’s staring!”

“I don’t rightly care.” Owen did put his sister back on the ground but wouldn’t let go of her. “It’s so good to have you here. I’ve been looking forward to this since you said you wanted to do some traveling. We’re going to have so much fun. You look great. How’re you feeling?”

“I’m feeling great.” Liz was at last able to extricate herself from her brother’s embrace and look over at CJ. “Hi, CJ. Thanks for coming to pick me up. And for letting me come on the trip with you and your brother. Now, why the heck are the two of you hairless? You look ridiculous.”

“It was CJ’s idea.” Owen ran a hand over his bald head and grinned. “We went to a barbershop on Saturday and he said since your hair hasn’t grown back in yet, he wasn’t about to let you be the only one with a cool hairdo. Of course I had to follow along. And wait until you meet his brother. When Ritchie saw us and we explained why we’d done it, he insisted on doing it too. Said he didn’t want to be the only one with hair on our trip.”

There were tears in her eyes when she hugged CJ. “You’re the best, CJ. I can’t believe you’d do that for me. And your brother too! I can’t wait to meet him. I’m so glad you’re my brother-in-law.”

“Hey, hey! None of that. No tears allowed.” CJ held the pretty girl’s face in his hands while she dabbed at her eyes with a tissue. “And for the record, we’re not in-laws. Ozzie and I ain’t married.”

“Ozzie?”

• • •

“This is delicious, Mrs. Abelló. I haven’t eaten so much in a very long time.” Liz had attacked the yellow rice and chicken soup-like dish with delight. “What did you call it again?”

“Asopao de pollo,” Rosario replied. “It’s a Puerto Rican dish. Cubans have a similar dish we call Arroz con Pollo but our chicken with rice’s dry, not soupy like this. Who wants seconds? CJ?”

“No, thanks, Abuela.”

“What’s wrong, mate? You’ve been kinda quiet tonight.” Owen looked across the square table at his boyfriend who sat next to Ritchie.

“I’m ticked off. The dads are renting motorcycles and riding down to Key West and I don’t get to go.”

“Stop it, CJ. You’re whining and you know that’s against the rules.” César pointed at his son, stabbing the air with a fork.

“Yeah!” Brett added. “Would you rather go to Key West or on your road trip?”

“I wanna do both!”

“Ain’t happening, dude. César and I don’t travel as much as you do and this is our second anniversary present to ourselves. So suck it up and try to enjoy yourself. It ain’t always about you, ya know? Stop being selfish and concentrate on making sure Liz, Ozzie, and Ritchie have a good time.”

“But―”

“I said stop it, CJ.” César’s tone had a finality to it that made his son look up from his plate. “We don’t deny you much. Don’t make me start saying no to you. Anyway, I’m sure by the time you get to Orlando, you’ll have forgotten all about us.”

“Dude, you enjoy your trip and we’ll enjoy ours. Yolo!”

While Ritchie giggled at Brett’s comment, the grandparents looked confused, and CJ rolled his eyes. “That’s it, another great word gone. If the oldies are using it…”

“What does yolo mean?” Rosario asked.

Ritchie was able to bring his fit of giggles under control long enough to answer. “It’s from a song by Drake, Abuela Abelló. It means you only live once.”

After dinner was over, the out of towners walked back to the hotel. CJ left Owen and Liz alone to catch up and drove Ritchie back to Aba’s. “So, what did the dads want to talk to you about?”

“A bunch of things. They told me about the school they want me to go to. About how I’m going to get an allowance every week so I can have my own spending money. About me being responsible for taking care of Wingnut and some other chores, and about me getting your old room on the second floor. I was kinda hoping I’d get one of the ones downstairs so I could be next to you.”

“They talked about that part with me before and what they said made sense.” CJ reached over and tousled his brother’s hair in an affectionate way, “My old room’s much larger and has its own bathroom. The ones downstairs are smaller and share a bath which only has a shower in it. Plus, my friends stay over all the time and they use those when they spend the night. Look at it from a different point: we have to get on a plane to see each other now. Once we’re in Washington, all we have to do’s climb a few steps on the staircase.”

“So, you’re saying I don’t get to have it all my way either?” Ritchie’s smirk made CJ roll his eyes.

“Asshole!”

The following day, Liz was treated to a driving tour of Coral Gables, including a stop at the University of Miami campus bookstore where CJ wanted to buy a shirt and the girl purchased a knit cap banded in the school colors of orange and green.

“It’s a little warm for that hat,” CJ said when she brought it to the cash register.

“Here it is, but back home it’ll still be winter when I return. And an uncovered bald head’s a very cold head.”

“Funny how we don’t think of that kind of thing. My biggest concern right now’s not getting sunburnt and I’m not the type to wear lids all the time. Remind me to keep using sunscreen on my head?”

“It’s kinda fun watching you and my brother rub each other’s head. I mean, I know you’re putting that stuff on to keep from burning but I wonder what other people think you’re doing.” The girl's comment and giggles made CJ roll his eyes.

“Watch it, woman. Don’t make me start calling you the same thing I call your brother and mine all the time.”

“And what would that be?”

“Don’t worry about it, Liz.” Owen joined them carrying a pair of green UM basketball shorts and a tanktop. “CJ and his dads call everyone they love an asshole. But it’s always in an affectionate way.”

The girl at the registered smiled when, after listening to the conversation she heard CJ mumble, “Asshole!” while handing over his credit card.

Their next stop was Little Havana. After buying coffees and guava pastries at the same restaurant Abuelo Abelló had taken Owen to during his first visit, they strolled next door to Domino Park to watch the spirited play of mostly elderly men. Done eating, they stepped inside a souvenir shop and Liz bought a couple of CDs by Latin artists before settling in front of yet another storefront where they viewed men and women roll cigars at the Little Havana Cigar Factory.

Inside, Owen closed his eyes and inhaled the aroma while bending over a barrel full of dried tobacco leaves. “Mate, I love the smell in here. I wanna buy something.”

“Well, you sure as hell ain’t buying one of those barrels. I don’t think we’ll have room for it in the car.” CJ’s quip earned him chuckles from Liz and a swat to the back of the head by his boyfriend.

“I meant cigars, mate. Cigars! What is it your dads always smoke? I like those and I’m always mooching from them so I think I should buy a box and have my own.”

“Gloria Cubana Maduros. Panetelas, I think. They used to have a factory just like this one down the street. I remember going there with Dad but they closed it up earlier this year. We stopped by when I was in town with Thiago and the factory’s gone but there’s still a store selling their cigars.”

They walked the four blocks to the Cigar Boutique of Little Havana where Owen was able to purchase his box of Gloria Cubana Cigars. He also bought a large ceramic ashtray with the company’s logo on it saying they needed one for the basement since that’s where he spent most of his time with a cigar in his mouth. He’d offered to buy his boyfriend a t-shirt but CJ declined, claiming he already had one he’d stolen from his father.

“CJ has a bad addiction to t-shirts,” Owen explained to his sister. “At heart he’s a nudist. He’d rather walk around his house wearing boxers or less when he’s downstairs in the basement. If he has to get dressed, his first choice’s a tee. It’s the first thing he packs whenever we go on a trip. You’ll see him wear a different one every day.”

“Are you complaining? If he was my boyfriend I’d want him wearing as little as possible.”

“Elizabeth Liston! What would Mum say if she heard you?”

“She’s not here, so who cares. And she might just agree with me anyway. She thinks CJ’s cute.”

After their shopping spree, they had lunch at Garcia's Seafood Grille & Fish Market on the Miami River, drove through Downtown Miami staring at all the commercial and residential towers, and ended their sightseeing with a stroll along Ocean Drive in South Beach.

“We’re having dinner at your other grandparents’ house tonight?” Liz asked CJ as they walked arm in arm on the sand by the edge of the water.

“Yeah, Ritchie’s birthday is tomorrow, but since we’re leaving town in the morning, we’re celebrating tonight. Hey, you wanna do what your brother did the first time I brought him here?”

“And what is that?”

“He took his shoes off and had me take a picture of him standing in the water.”

“And why did you do that, Ozzie?” Liz had taken to using her brother’s new nickname but always emphasized the word and smirked when doing it.

“Because it was my first time in the Atlantic Ocean! Come on, let’s do it together. CJ will take our picture and we can text it to the ’rents.”

“Geez, Owen, you sure have changed after a year in the United States. You speak Spanish with the shopkeepers, you’re smoking cigars, and you sound more like a local than an Aussie. You’re growing, big brother.”

To save Olga from having to cook for such a large crowd, and since Ritchie wanted Chinese for his birthday dinner anyway, Brett and César placed an order at the boy’s favorite restaurant and stopped to pick up the food on the way to the Westchester neighborhood. They rode with Cesar’s parents while CJ, Owen, and Liz took the Mercedes SUV. Rosario refused to allow the containers in her car, saying she didn’t want it smelling the next day, so the younger crowd drove the rest of the way with mouths watering due to the delicious aroma.

“Down, Wingnut! Sit!” The excited Golden Retriever was being held by the collar by Ritchie when he opened the door but ignored his master’s commands and kept trying to jump on the visitors.

CJ wasn’t certain who would win the tug-of-war so he placed one of the bags he was carrying on the floor and stuck his hand in front of the dog’s face. “SIT!” The dog complied although his tail swept the floor behind him with incredible speed.

“Not bad, dude.” Brett nudged his son and walked into the house while CJ and Wingnut were locked in a staring contest. “But I think when we get to Washington, we need to send Ritchie and the pup to obedience school. Otherwise I’m afraid Wingnut’s gonna pull out your brother’s arm. Where do you want the food, Olga?”

“In the kitchen, in the kitchen. I’ll put it on platters and bring it out to the dining room and then we can eat.”

“I’ll help you,” Rosario said. “You boys go sit and we’ll call you when it’s ready.”

Over dinner, Liz talked about her cancer diagnostic, surgery, and treatment. She claimed she was almost back to normal and itching to return to school when the new school year began in January. Ritchie asked about other kids his age living in the neighborhood in Washington and was reassured by his brother they could hang out together as often as possible until he made his own friends. Owen described his internship at The Nature Conservancy and how he was looking forward to working for the organization in the future, and CJ spoke about his volunteering for the Human Rights Campaign and how he planned on continuing doing so even after school started again.

Once everyone had eaten their fill, Owen stood and started collecting and stacking empty plates. “Why doesn’t everyone go to the lounge while CJ and I clean up?”

“What’s a lounge?” Ritchie asked.

“That would be the living room, bro. Aussies talk funny.” CJ ducked to avoid the head slap aimed his way, grabbed two serving platters, and ran to the kitchen to put the left-over food away. Ritchie had asked Aba to bake him a pineapple upside down cake and CJ had found birthday candles shaped like baseball bats he stuck on the cake after the cleaning was done.

When he and Owen carried it out with the candles lit, they found Ritchie sitting on the floor with a stack of boxes wrapped in festive paper between his legs. The smiling boy sat through the singing of “Happy Birthday,” blew out the candles, and then turned his attention to opening the packages while the two grandmothers cut and passed out dessert.

Since they wanted to get an early start the following morning, CJ and Owen insisted on an early evening. Ritchie hugged everyone, thanking them for a great time and promised to be ready when his brother returned the next day to pick him and Wingnut up.