Redwood Nine: Season 02 Ch. 07

"Glad I can help. Oh, here's Arthur coming in."

"Okay, Clay is out there with his cars and looking around the garage as well, for anything of interest. So, where do you want to start?"

JT and Marlene looked about and then to each other, shrugging their shoulders. Arthur made a move and ushered them into the small living room and sat them down on the couch together.

"How about we start in here and I'll start, let's see, how about this wall here and we'll go through every item in the room and decide to keep it, or donate it, or it's just simply garbage and of no use to anyone. Once we're done, I'll start in another room and we should get through it pretty quick that way, sound fair?"

"Yeah, sounds fair. We figured out everything in the kitchen, so that's done. Not much left, but here, the bedroom and the storage area."

"You ready, Mar?"

"Ready as I'll ever be, Slick."

"How well do you guys actually know each other, if you don't mind me asking?"

"Mar and I have known each other since the day she met Jake, so what, twenty six, twenty seven years?"

"Shh, that many years makes me feel old. We've known each other a long time, JT. I went on lots of rides with Jake and Slick and the rest of the guys. I loved sitting behind him, wrapping my arms around him tight and flying down the highway together. It was the freest I've ever felt in my life. That bike you're riding has a lot of memories for me too, you know. Jake and I made out on it lots of times. Lying under the stars naked and..."

"Okay Mar, that's all we need to know about that."

"Awww, Slick, what's the matter?"

"We're here to go through stuff, not relive old memories and please, it's Arthur, or Art. Slick is a thing of the past and needs to stay there."

Marlene could see it was exposing raw nerves in Arthur, events and moments of the past he insisted be left where they were. Arthur went to the wall and took down two pictures and handed one to each, then went back and took down more things. Piles began to form for each category, as Arthur systematically cleared one area after another. It was obvious that Jake wasn't into decor or fashion in any way, the spartan appearance leaving little to judge.

With the kitchen and living room decided on, Arthur went into the bedroom and took everything off the dresser, he could carry. He laid it on the table and JT and Marlene went through it carefully, looking at each piece and talking about it. Trip after trip was the same, as he carried out the remnants of a cherished life. It was after the sixth trip back out, that he laid everything from one of the drawers out, then he stopped and waited. The pair looked at him and wondered what he was wanting to say. He reached into his jacket pocket and took out a dark, blue, velvet case and handed it to Marlene.

"I'm pretty sure this was meant for you, Mar."

She took the box and held it, as if it was extremely fragile, looking at it and knowing what could be inside. The men watched her slowly open it and immediately crumble into tears, as she laid it back on the table. The large, solitary diamond sparkled brilliantly in the sun's rays, coming through the window. Neither knew what to say, knowing the exact meaning of it and the invitation to accept it never given and never responded to. JT carefully closed it again, taking the sight away, in hopes it helped calm her.

"You knew how much he loved you, Mar."

"I know, I know. Oh, Arthur, how could I have have been so foolish a woman, to not love him the way he should have been loved?"

Marlene took the box and opened it again, then took out the ring and looked at it more closely. She slid it on her ring finger and looked at it sitting where Jake had wanted it to be. To the air around her, she breathed the words she truly wanted to say.

"I will marry you, Jake and love you forever."

She gently kissed the ring and looked at it, then looked at the two men and weakly feigned a smile to them.

"Shall we continue?"

"Are you sure, Mar?"

"Sure, sure, I'll be fine."

"Okay, look through that pile of stuff and I'll get the next drawer emptied and see if there's anything there. I'm just putting clothes on the bed for now, so you can go through them later, if you want."

Arthur left and the couple sifted through the bits and pieces of jewelry, finding a couple of interesting pieces. Arthur came back with a small pile of papers and several large envelopes, putting those to the side. JT held up the ring he was holding and asked about it. Arthur took it from him and looked at it, then smiled wanly at a memory.

"His club ring. I had it made when he officially became president. If you look at the lines more carefully, you'll see the letters E, B and R, for East Bay Riders. He never took it off once, until he left the club. Don't know if he ever put it on again, or not."

JT took it back and studied the abstract lines on it, finally seeing the letters.

"This is cool, I really like it. Is it alright if I take it?"

Arthur laughed at the question.

"JT, it's all yours, son. You do what you want with it."

"So, if I asked you if you'd like to keep it, knowing the history and all, maybe you'd like to have it?"

"Really? You're offering Jake's ring for me to have?"

"Yes, seriously. I mean, I want to keep a whole lot of Jake's stuff, but like Marlene, some stuff should go to who it really belongs to."

"Thank you so much, JT. I truly appreciate this gesture. It does mean a lot to me. I remember the party we had, when he was declared president and we all got our jackets. What a smash that was. We got so drunk, we couldn't ride for two days afterwards."

"I remember Jake telling me about it after, the next time I saw him. He still looked bad, even then. You guys really tied one on that night."

"Yeah, we sure did. Last time we had one like that, too. No one could handle another one. I see you found Jake's Army ring. He got that the day before he was discharged. Said it was the only thing he wanted to wear, that reminded him of the war."

That lightened spirits again and they went through the rest of the jewelry, looking for other interesting mementos. They found a pin from his church for good attendance, as well as his high school pin and ring. They were putting the small things in a bag, when Clay came inside.

"I got the Olds running, but the Caddy needs a boost and most likely a new battery. Didn't see any real oil drips to worry about, so they're holding together okay. I'm going to take the Olds for a spin and see how it is and if it needs anything. Maybe I'll go to the shop and grab a battery for the Caddy. Is it okay if I bring a guy back to drive one of the cars, Mr. Lowen?"

"Sure, Clay, no problems. That will be fine."

"Great, Okay, I'll see you guys a bit later then."

"See you, Clay."

The three heard the low rumble of the Rocket V8, as Clay backed out, then heard him floor it and roar away. Arthur shook his head afterwards.

"Jake would be screaming blue murder, if he saw him do that. He hated when guys treated their cars badly."

"Really? He must have died, when I laid a patch of rubber a hundred feet long, in a Chevy I had."

"Probably did, JT."

"Oops."

They began opening the large, brown envelopes and saw that there were pictures in them. They opened the first one and it held pictures of Jake's time in the war. A few were with him on his bike, while others were of him and other soldiers standing together. Marlene turned the photo over and read what was written on them. Most of the pictures of him and another soldier, were ones he had saved, or helped out. There was even one of him in a hospital bed, with his shoulder bandaged up. JT knew that must have been the wound he received and the services of a French woman to help in recovery. A letter from his commanding officer, was among them as well, stating Jake's actions under fire and his recommendation to receive a medal for the Distinguished Service Cross.

"Wow, Jake was recommended for the DSC? He must have done something awesome, to be up for that."

"Jake was recommended several times for medals, as far as I remember. I know he had his Purple Heart pinned to his chest, the day I picked him up at the base, when he got out. You know, I don't really remember if he had any other medals on."

"Do you think he got them?"

"He never said if he did, or didn't. I've never seen any, or heard him talk about them."

Marlene had been quiet throughout the conversation JT and Art were having, until she felt she knew something they needed to know.

"He got them. I have them, in a safe deposit box at my bank."

"You have some of Jake's medals?"

"No, JT, I don't have some of Jake's medals, I have all of them."

"All? How many did he receive?"

"Four. I'm not sure what they are, but he gave them to me, because he didn't want them and I didn't want him to throw them away."

"What? Why did he want to throw them away?'

"He didn't want to be reminded of the war and in all honesty, he said he didn't deserve them. He said the men he saw go into battle and lose their lives, they were the men who deserved medals. All he said he did, was be lucky enough to come home again, they didn't."

"True to form, that would be Jake's way of looking at things."

"I can get them for you, if you like."

"Would you, Mar? I'd really like to see them."

"Sure, you want to see them too, Art?"

"Very much and very appreciated, Mar."

They finished looking at the war photographs, noting how well liked and friendly everyone was towards Jake. The put them back in the envelope and opened the next one, finding some pictures of him as a boy and a few of his parents and relatives. They studied the transition of years, watching Jake grow up on celluloid. Once done, they too were carefully put back and Art went to the storage area to see what was in there.

Marlene and JT waited patiently, wondering what was taking him so long. JT got up and peeked down the hall to the storage closet and heard the stifled sound of crying coming from inside. He crept down and peered around the door, blocking his view. Art was looking in an opened box, at what was stored inside.

"What is it, Art?"

"Oh, sorry JT. I saw what was inside and it just hit me hard to see it."

"What's inside?"

Art moved back slightly, so JT could see and he looked in. There, in the worn cardboard box, was everything Jake had saved from the club. He began taking things out and looking at them, asking Art about each piece. Marlene came over and looked in and sighed with forlorn memories.

"If there was anyone I could ever feel jealous about, it was the club. He loved it and the guys, so much. It was the one thing that made Jake, Jake. The club really made him the person he was, not all the war medals he won. I loved how passionate he was about it and I hoped he felt the same about me. No matter what happened between Jake and I, he never lost sight or focus of the club and his role and purpose in it."

"He was that way, Mar. I was telling JT earlier much the same thing."

They were talking about some of the old days of riding, when Officer Needham knocked and opened the door to shout in.

"Are you folks nearly done?"

"Sorry officer, I know we said about an hour or so, but we came across some things that require us to go over them in detail. We'll try and hurry it up, I know you have other things to do, instead of sitting out there baking in the hot sun."

"No problem, take your time. I just need to call in and let them know the status."

"Sure, you let them know we'll be wrapping up shortly, maybe another half hour, or so."

"Thanks, but don't rush, take all the time you need, I have no where else to go and nothing to do, but watch out for you."

"I thank you so much for that, Officer. I'd be scared to death going outside right now, without you."

The trio watched Officer Needham return to his cruiser, as they sorted through the last of Jake Harding. More and more, another side of him appeared, adding to the mystery of who he was. It was almost deceiving to JT, that someone could keep that much of themselves secret and go about life pretending they were some one else.