Andrea Donovan Pt. 04

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FAMILY

"... furthermore, If you scratch or bite anyone -- you go back outside, to stay. If you tear-up anything inside the house, - you go back outside, if you poop or pee in the house -- you go back outside. ...Use the kitty door that Daddy built for you when you need to go outside, Wolfie. ...We're going to have a whole house full of people staying here soon and you'll need to be able to get along with everyone if you want to stay in the house." Andrea explained as she stirred the pot of roast beef.

Andrea now smiled and winked at me as she continued talking to Wolfie " ...Yes, I recognize your mid - Western dialect of the kitty cat language ...yes it's very evident. NO, wrong Amigo! - It's time to eat when I SAY that it's time to eat, not before ...that doesn't matter. ...No you can't have a cell phone ... I don't care if all of your girlfriends do -- you're not getting one. ...No, kitty cats don't drink coffee either." Andrea explained to Wolfie.

I sipped my coffee and smiled at Andrea and Wolfie's "conversation" within the kitchen now. Interjected between Andrea's mandates were yowls of seeming protest and malcontent coming from Wolfie but the two of them did seem to be laying some form of rough outline pertaining to the way things would and would not be conducted here at the Lazy-G ranch. ...Andrea had informed me that she did in fact speak fluent "kitty cat" and that I needed to quickly learn the language for myself, lest I be taken advantage of.

"...Here, now sit down and eat this, you have to go out help Daddy build the coral today." Andrea said to the cat as she set down a plate of roast beef for him.

...It was now the second day that Wolfie had stayed inside the house with us and he seemed to be doing fine so far. The previous evening I had installed a kitty-door within our front doorway which Wolfie seemingly understood almost immediately and began to use with just a little coaxing from us. ...The cat was cleanly, well mannered and seemed to like sleeping on the foot of the bed, closest to Andrea; he simply didn't want to be handled or petted which Andrea and I understood and respected -- after all he was feral. Realistically it was probably the first time he'd ever been within a house and he seemed to understand that -- within the house, at least, Andrea was boss. ...This is exactly how it had always been at Mom's house, Ricky and I had always understood this. Brenda was also cut from this same cloth as Mom and Andrea both, in this regard.

What the lady says ...is the way it will be within the house. Out of doors and anything concerning the vehicles were generally regarded as Ricky's and my domain, fair enough, I thought. ...Generally, whenever I had lived with a woman, including Mom, I'd never really cared where we had moved the furniture or what color we painted any of the walls and I don't believe Ricky had either. We had been raised within the generation where the house itself, was considered to be the lady's pride and joy -- she was nice enough to let us live there with her. For Ricky and me, our pride was within our ability to create; this included metal fabrication and the building of hot rods -- this was considered our domain and the ladies seemed to understand and respect this about us.

..."Do you think Wolfie really understands much of anything that you just told him, Andrea?" I asked as she sat down next to me, with her coffee.

"Don't kid yourself, Tim; he understood a lot more of what I told him than you'd think. He's a smart cat and he may not have comprehended the words so much, but he understood the gist of our conversation. He also knows we love him" Andrea replied, sipping her coffee.

"Yes, I think he does." I nodded, watching the cat eat.

"We'll never have vermin in this house as long as he's here, I'll guarantee you that. If Wolfie can just get along with everyone and not potty in the house, - then he essentially owns the place. ...What time do you think Ricky and Brenda will be here this afternoon?" Andrea asked, sipping her coffee.

"They left Phoenix around eight thirty this morning so I would guess any minute, within the next three hours or so" I replied.

(sigh) ...OK, I think we're ready for them, the roast beef should be done in time" Andrea said, closing her eyes and running a hand through her hair.

"Honey, Ricky and Brenda are just common folks and they love you. They don't expect or want anything fancy, just be Andrea, OK?" I reassured her with a shoulder rub.

"I know, Baby" Andrea nodded.

"Ricky's going to help me with the corral and I know you and Brenda will want to do some things together -- take her to go see Pippi" I suggested.

"Oh Honey, don't ask Ricky to work on the corral, you guys should go some places together and do some of your own stuff, show him the Texaco" Andrea said, looking at me.

"We plan on going some places, Andrea, but we also like building things and working on projects together and we aren't going to make, work, of anything. I think, with Ricky helping me, that we can knock-out the corral within the week, and it needs to get done. The Texaco can wait, but right now we need to get Pippi's pad ready for her." I replied.

"You're a fine husband, Tim" Andrea replied quietly.

"We're all family, Babe, and we love you" I said finishing my coffee and standing now.

I leaned down and kissed my wife, "I love you, Andrea Millhouse."

"I love you too, Tim."

"WolfCat, we've got a corral to build now, c'mon buddy" I said opening the door.

While Andrea finished making the large pot of roast beef, I began cutting, grinding and welding pieces of old rusty pipe now. I really never cared much for welding pipe but the coral was, slowly but surely, beginning to take shape and I took a lot of pride in this fact. Once it was completed then everything would be wire-wheeled and coated with a nice shade of turquoise which Andrea had already selected. I knew that Pippi would be a lot of work to stable and care for but I also knew that the animal would create much joy within Andrea. Andrea and I genuinely wanted Pippi to be happy here and it was my belief that she would be.

Apparently Duffy was beside herself with excitement, the prospect of riding with Andrea was something the ladies had been discussing for quite a while now. Andrea and Duffy had already visited with Pippi several times within the last few days and I knew that Brenda would be next in line. Somehow, Andrea's excitement seemed to rub off on me and the hard labor of constructing the coral and stables didn't really seem like such hard work after all. Pippi brought out the little girl inside Andrea and it was hard not to feel some emotion when watching the two of them interact. ...I never thought I'd be building a horse coral but then again, I never thought I'd be married to a woman like Andrea Millhouse either -the girl that bought her ol' man a toy gas station. At noon, Andrea brought me out a hardy roast beef sandwich and a jug of orange juice. We shut off the noisy welder and sat together on the open tailgate of the little raggedy Chevy.

"It's so quiet out here, Love" she said as she chewed on her own sandwich and looking off toward the horizon.

"The Desert has a mystique that's all her own, Andrea ...this is delicious, by the way!" I replied, chewing.

"It helps when you're screwing the chuck wagon driver, cowboy, remember that" Andrea said, leaning her head on my shoulder.

"I'll have to have another roll in the hay with her when I can, 'cause she can sure cook and ain't bad lookin' either" I replied, rubbing my cheek in Andrea's jasmine scented hair..

"I think she'd like that, Tim" Andrea sighed contentedly.

Wolfie suddenly jumped up onto the tailgate now and sat beside us. I gave him some roast beef from my sandwich.

"Do you ever miss the Alaskan winters at all?" Andrea asked.

"I miss the majestic mountains but not the winters, Andrea" I replied quietly.

"I can understand that, the mountains there are magnificent" she answered.

"I also miss the coast of Alaska but not enough to spend a winter there ever again" I added.

..."I have a surprise for your birthday" Andrea now said, changing subjects.

"What? ...I thought the Texaco was my early birthday present" I said incredulously, looking at her.

"No the station was simply my gift to you because I love you. I have something else for you on your birthday -- just the two of us. Something very special but we'll have to be up very, very early that day" Andrea said, taking another bite of her sandwich and looking off into the distance.

"What would you like for your birthday, Love?" I asked.

"The coral and stables are my birthday present, Tim" she answered.

"We'll go to dinner then, I insist. Anyplace you'd like, honey" I said.

"Alright, Tim"

My phone alerted me of a text; I pulled the device from my pocket and swiped the screen.

"Their twenty minutes out, now" I said.

"OK, the roast beef is ready now" Andrea replied, nodding.

"Thank you for all your effort, Love" I replied, kissing the top of her head.

"Wolfie, we're going to have family here in a few minutes so you need to try and get along with everyone now. There'll be a dog and another kit-cat here with us soon, so be a good kid for us" Andrea said looking at Wolfie.

Wolfie made no reply but seemed to sense that something was about.

Twenty minutes later the little tow truck, towing a two axle box trailer, and followed by the little Camry came into view along Sunland Gin road. Andrea and I now jumped off the tailgate and stood.

"Honey, these people love you so just be yourself, OK?" I asked, taking her into my arms.

"We're family, baby. I'll be OK" she replied quietly.

..................................

..."You look well Amigo" I said as Ricky and I hugged.

"It's good to finally be here, brother" Ricky replied, hugging me tightly.

Yogi was soon beside me and I gave the dog a good hearty welcoming hug as well. Wolfie continued sitting on the tailgate and quietly watched all of us.

..."She's doped up a little, Tim, please just hold her now" Brenda said tiredly as she handed me Stormy the kitty cat. I held the droggy cat in my left arm as Brenda and I half hugged with our right arms.

"Glad you're here, Bren" I said.

"It's good to see you and be off the road, Tim" she replied with relief.

"How you doing baby, you ready to rest now?" I asked the cat gently.

"Welcome to the Lazy-G Ranch, my friends. You must be tired from your journey, please come inside for some refreshments" Andrea said.

"We're your family, and we love you, Amiga" Brenda said as the two ladies hugged.

..."Andrea" Ricky said as the two hugged a minute later.

"Welcome, Amigo" Andrea said.

"We have a new mascot here, his name is WolfCat or Wolfie. He's a bit feral so don't try to pet him, you two" I said indicating the cat. Wolfie was still on the tailgate and continuing to observe us.

"Pretty cat" Brenda said, looking over at Wolfie.

"C'mon Wolfie, let's go inside now, our friends are tired from the road" Andrea spoke out to the cat as Brenda and Andrea walked arm in arm together toward the house.

"This girl's name is Stormy, you'll like her, Wolfie" I said as I carried the sleepy Stormy, and lead Ricky up the walkway, behind the ladies.

"She's on some medication that the vet proscribed to her for travelling, Tim. Stormy should be good as new in the morning, we just need to pamper her a little now" Brenda explained, looking back at me as we walked now.

"We love Stormy, so pampering her won't be a tough job, honey" I responded as we walked into the house with the mouth watering aroma of roast beef greeting us warmly.

..."How'd that ol' fifty Chevy run, brother?" I asked once we were sitting down inside the living room and sipping cold drinks.

"The ol' gal used about a quart and a half of oil on the trip but by-George; she didn't miss a lick, all the way down here, Tim." Ricky replied, sipping his beer.

...By-George, was an expression my mother had often quoted as Ricky and I were growing up I suddenly reflected. I hadn't heard the expression in years now but it had once been quite common among people. The expression originating from solemn oaths and declarations made in the name of King George and indicating a heartfelt sincerity, I reckoned. ...I could just imagine Mom sitting here with us now and quipping such a phrase in regard to some portion of Ricky and Brenda's long journey here. "By George, it's good to see you, at last." ...Mom had always been such a good hostess; her specialty had been in making others feel welcome.

God, I missed her.

..."I'm not surprised that the old piece run good for you, Ricky." I replied as I gently petted the sleeping Stormy cat.

Wolfie now came into the room and deftly jumped up onto the backrest of the sofa, behind Andrea. The cat remained in a sitting position and just quietly observed all of these strange new people with a curious look about him.

"Where'd you come up with Wolfie?" Brenda now asked, looking over at the grey cat.

"It's technically his spread that we're squatting on now, Brenda, - he's feral and was already living here when we bought the place. All Tim and I have to do, to live here, is pay all the bills, feed him and provide him with the proper place to sleep -- then Wolfie lets us live here for free." Andrea replied.

"Is there another opening for Wolfie's position, by any chance?" Brenda asked, in jest.

"Not yet, but I think you're going to really like that house in Casa Grande" Andrea said.

"The photos that you sent are beautiful, honey" Brenda nodded.

"After the two of you rest for a day or so, we'll all head over there so you can look at it. Tim really likes it" Andrea nodded.

"Tell us about Pippi Longstocking" Ricky suddenly said, looking at Andrea.

"She's a little AQH and I think she'll be very happy here, Ricky" Andrea replied, smiling brightly.

Andrea then elaborated for several minutes on our new friend, Pippi, and her much anticipated arrival. It was easy to see that Andrea was very excited about Pippi's eventual home coming and this enthusiasm seemed to rub off on the rest of us, after all, Andrea was a cowgirl at heart.

"AQH, what's that?" Brenda asked.

"American Quarter Horse, you'll love her!" Andrea replied.

"I'm sure we will, Andrea. I haven't been out of big cities for more years than I care to admit to and I'm looking forward to meeting Pippi. I think country living will do Ricky and I both a lot of good. Yogi and Stormy should like it too." Brenda replied.

"She's a pretty horse, in the photos, Andrea" Ricky replied, looking at his phone.

"One of our local friends also has an AQH and we want to go riding together" Andrea elaborated.

"That's awesome; Andrea, Brenda and I are glad for you." Ricky said, still looking at his phone and the photos of Pippi.

"You sold all your pan-head stuff, is that right, Ricky?" I asked suddenly and changing the subject.

"(sigh) ...yeah, it was time, I guess. A guy from Australia came all the way over here and bought it. The stuff's on its way over the pond right now, as we speak, Tim" Ricky replied.

"What'd it fetch?" I asked.

"I got seventy thousand for everything, including the engine in the chopper. He got a good deal and it also allowed me to sell that conex box to him for another four grand. He just had the whole thing loaded onto a Landoll and carted off to the docks, worked out really slick." Ricky responded.

"I know you had a lot of NOS stuff and Pan-heads would be a hot item in The Land Down Under, I would imagine" I said, speculating.

NOS being New Old Stock, which were sixty year old "new" parts that had never been installed.

"They're a hot item anywhere now, Tim, and there was a lot of knuckle stuff mixed in there too, that I'd collected over the years. Apparently the guy's a really smart business man and he plans to double his money with the stuff, and he probably will" Ricky said, shrugging.

"You've been collecting that stuff since we were in high school, so I don't doubt it, brother" I said, thinking back over the years.

"It was time" Ricky shrugged again.

"What are you going to put in the chopper now?" I asked.

"Probably an S & S engine" Ricky replied, sipping his beer.

" - Tim, let's set the table now so we can feed everyone" Andrea suddenly interrupted and standing.

"Yes, - Brenda, Ricky, you two just stay put and rest. We'll be eating shortly" I said rising from the sofa and handing over Stormy to Ricky.

"Sounds wonderful and the aroma is mouth watering!" Brenda replied.

"Andrea's got some roast beef that will blow your socks off, guys" I nodded.

Andrea and I set the table and then served our guests their food, Wolfie and Yogi also received large helpings while Stormy slept in Brenda's lap. We then sat down as a family and watched the movie The Outlaw Josey Wales and ate Andrea's wonderful roast beef until our hearts were content. It was so good for Andrea and me to be spending quality time with my little brother and his wife once again. The following week Ricky planned to return to Seattle, alone, for his Ford pick-up and camper which was loaded with the last of the couple's belongings. He would then make the trip, once more, to Arizona City while Brenda and Andrea looked into purchasing the house which Andrea had found recently. I was in hope of completing the stables and coral within the next ten days and looking forward to receiving the newest addition of our family, Pippi Longstocking. ...Someone's life was about to change obviously - mine. I'd never been around animals much, other than pets, and I knew that Pippi would prove to be a lot of work but also a great joy to us as well.

........................................

..."When does Vic get here?" Ricky asked, once the movie was over and we were sitting on the outside swing, alone, together.

"Couple days, I think, Ricky" I answered quietly.

"...Take some big cajoles to be a cop in that damn town, Tim" Ricky said, taking a sip of beer.

"Yes" I replied.

"How bad was he shot?" Ricky asked.

"Ricky, his arm is going to heal a lot faster than his heart is" I said evenly.

"Brenda said something like that, Tim. Too bad" Ricky nodded.

"I guess Angela's a real piece of work, Brother. You and I are so Blessed with our wives, Ricky." I said.

"We did alright for ourselves, Tim, and I think Mom would have loved Andrea. Brenda sure does" Ricky replied.

"She's a good lady, so is Brenda" I nodded.

"...I sure miss Mom, especially when we all have dinner together, like this. I even miss that loud fiddle and banjo music that she'd play on the HIFI sometimes" Ricky said reflectively.

"...I know, Mom was really something wasn't she? Ain't nothin' like eating a home cooked meal to the sounds of Celtic Warrior music, is there? ...I miss her too, Brother" I said smiling.

"Remember the time I came to the table in my dirty shirt and smeared gear oil on her new table spread?" Ricky asked, chuckling.

"Hell hath no fury like the wrath of a woman scorned, Ricky" I said laughing.

"I think we were changing out the differential in Limon's Cadillac that day, when that little event took place at the dinner table" Ricky recollected.

"...Yes we were, because I remember Limon telling me later that Mom had scared the hell out of him that day. -- Remember, she invited him to eat dinner with us, and he was there when she blew her top at you. She scared the hell out of me too that evening." I replied as Ricky and I both laughed.

"...Wonder what ever happened to Limon?" Ricky asked quietly.

"Not sure" I replied, just as quietly.

There was a long silence between Ricky and me then. I think Ricky and I both suspected that the man, Limon Hays, and my mother had been secret lovers for a fair while. Doc Feldman had been gone for several years by then and Mom wasn't a woman that had ever liked celibacy. Mom had always been a proper lady and had never slept around but she had loved men and hated sleeping alone, at least that's what her friend Wren Gleason had confided to Andrea and me. How different things may have been if Rick Sheffield had survived Vietnam I now pondered. ...Limon had been our local pharmacist for years and Mom had known him even before Ricky and I were born. I had been acquainted with Limon my entire life, in those days, but had never really known him; he'd been a quiet man that had always kept his own council. A Korean War Veteran hailing from Tennessee as I recalled. He'd played the fiddle, I suddenly remembered.