The Food Desert

"Screw that, send them a text and tell them to stop at McDonald's and come back to bed."

She giggled and yanked the covers down. "Up! If you're a nice boy I'll let you wash my back."

That got me out of bed, and I did get to wash her back. And front. And top. And bottom. She finally swatted my wandering hands away and jumped out. I followed a lot more slowly, but by seven we were cooking away. It was a good thing because they started arriving before we were finished. Mickey and Ashley were first, but Miguel, Michael, their wives and children including the newborn, which was immediately scooped up by Ashley. Then Amy and Alice, with their kids and husbands. Amy's oldest ran up to me for a hug. "Poppy! I'm hungry!"

All their kids called me Poppy. It seems I was unofficial grandfather to all of them. Veronica and Saul were next, bringing a surprise. Mickey's little sister. I'd never seen her before except in old photos. She was twenty now and looked like a prettier version of her mother. The girl was scared to death. Grandma Vasquez was with them and we soon had her in a comfortable chair while all of us paid tribute to the Matriarch.

The ladies eased me out of the way and started helping. Soon the kids old enough to feed themselves were in the breakfast nook and the adults were gathered around the bar and large dining table. I counted: sixteen adults and nine children. The volume was at a low roar and I wondered what Kara thought of it all.

I found her at the table, feeding the two month old a bottle while her mother ate. She looked up at me and smiled. I could see the tears in her eyes but she didn't look distressed. I sat down beside her, gently rubbing the child's head. He gurgled and cooed after he finished his bottle. Kara got him up and walked him until he burped, then she lay him in the bassinet.

Breakfast over, the kitchen cleaned and the dishes washed, everyone wandered outside to explore. For the very first time I was truly grateful for my wealth, to be able to do this for my family.

We had to watch the kids pretty closely when we went down to the lake. Some wanted to jump in right away. Little C, as Amy's daughter was called, named for her grandmother Celia, had ended up between Kara and me. At first she was holding my hand, but as time went by she reached out and snagged Kara's, too. Kara seemed to not mind at all. The girl was a seven year old bundle of energy and endless questions.

Things were going fine when she popped off another question. "Are you going to be my new Grandma?"

Kara flinched a little before grinning. "I don't know yet. I'd love to have the job if the position is open."

"Mommy says you're going to be. Everybody said so in the car. I hope so. You seem nice."

I looked around and everyone was either busy with the children or refused to make eye contact. Couldn't hide the grins, though.

Little Celia soon got distracted when she saw a school of fish. "Fishes!"

"Yes, honey. Fishes. The lake is full of them. Maybe we can go fishing this afternoon, if you'd like."

She looked at Kara in surprise. "Do you know how to fish? Daddy watches fishing shows sometimes and I watch them, too. Will you teach me?"

Kara scooped her up and hugged her. "Yes, baby, your Grandpa and I will teach you, if you're a good girl for the rest of the day."

Celia just grinned, knowing she had me wrapped around her finger. She could be a hellcat the rest of the day and I'd still teach her. She kissed Kara, surprising her. "I want you to teach me, Grandma. Will you?"

She couldn't help it and let out a little sob as she hugged the girl close. When she put her down she promised, then she excused herself and walked off into the woods. Amy smiled at me. "We're kind of overwhelming, aren't we?"

"A little. Okay, a lot. You pass this on to the rest of the tribe. This is between her and me. We'll either continue at our own pace or we'll decide maybe it was just memories and an attempt to rewrite the past that isn't working out. Now, spread the word. Fishing lessons to anyone interested at six tonight."

*****

I strode off, looking for Kara, and found her in a meadow I didn't even know was on the property, sitting beside a small stream. She had her knees drawn up with her arms wrapped around them, an unfocused look on her face. I sat beside her, not saying a word.

Maybe fifteen minutes later she spoke. "I wanted kids, you know? To be specific I wanted your children. I thought about it later when Bob and I got together, but the window was closing and we just never got around to it. I look around at your big family and think that even though you aren't related by blood, you are by love. Little Celia couldn't love you more as a grandfather if she was your flesh and blood, and you return it. It hits me that if I love you they have to be included. What if they don't like me? I don't think I'll have a problem accepting them, but will they accept me?"

I wrapped an arm around her and pulled her close. "You know, one of the last things Celia said to me before she passed was to make sure I didn't let you get away. You don't get a higher endorsement in my world than that. Momma Chen and Grandma V say the same thing. You make me happy, and that's all they ever wanted for me."

She tried to hide it, but tears threatened to fall. I stood and held out my hand. "Come on. The kids are getting in the pool and I'm manning the grill for lunch. I'm gonna need all the help I can get."

By the time we got back to the house it hit me she hadn't let go of my hand the whole way. It felt right. Everyone had gotten into their bathing suits, and soon the pool was full of kids and adults. Kara disappeared for a bit, coming back in a wrap. I figured she'd be wearing a one piece, but when she dropped the wrap she had a bikini. It was conservative compared to the younger women, but it was still a bikini, and she rocked it.

Grandma V was sitting on a lounge chair under an umbrella, watching everyone play. Momma Chen sat beside her for a while before the kids dragged her in. She had that classic oriental beauty that didn't change with age and even though she did wear a one piece, it fit her quite nicely. Soon she was splashing with the kids, getting Kara to get in and join the fun.

Mickey and Michael helped the grill, just burgers and hot dogs, saving the heavy meal for dinner. The kids gorged anyway and then began dropping until even the oldest was taking a nap. The ladies handled the cleanup.

The guys walked down to the lake. Jose looked out at it and grinned. "I'm 60 years old, and you know, I've never fished before."

"Me either," came from Amy's husband Jason, "but how hard can it be?"

Michael and Miguel admitted they'd both been to a summer camp but refused to fish, saying it didn't look cool. Mickey just grinned. "You guys buddy up with me. Dad used to take me fishing a lot, until he got into the grocery business and I grew up. I miss it."

Then he looked at me and laughed. "I doubt you'll get to fish much Dad. Wrangling the kids will keep you busy." Just then we heard the women laugh and he looked up the hill. "Besides, it looks like you've already landed a keeper."

The others laughed and I blushed a little, which amused them no end. Then they all gave me their approval. Not one thought it would be a bad idea if Kara and I were together.

"You smile a lot, brother. It's been a long time since we've seen that on a regular basis. I say we keep her in the tribe just for that." Dan was smiling as he said it.

"Thanks guys, but it's not a done deal. There's still a lot of baggage to unload. Still, I believe it will be worth it. I was just a kid loving a kid when we were together the first time. Age and life has changed us both. For the better, I hope. We'll see."

We walked back up the hill and started putting up the tents: five large cabin tents and two little pup tents. I bought them because there was just no way I could stuff that many people into the cabin, even as big as it was. The children were all excited, the adults, not so much.

We lazed around for an hour before Little Celia tugged on my shorts. "Is it time to go fishing yet?"

It was only five, but I looked at the expectant faces of the kids and a few adults and decided it was close enough. "Why yes it is, baby. Everyone grab their chairs and let's go."

The kids ran while the adults walked carrying chairs, coolers, towels and a lot of wet wipes. I left the bait casters because I knew they were too complicated for first timers. That was a mistake, because I had to go back and get them, and cast them every time. I had already rigged all of them for crappie. I demonstrated how to cast, knowing they would have to practice later, and handed the rod to Celia. "Honey, watch the cork. If it goes under it means you have a fish."

"Like now?"

I looked back and her cork was nowhere to be seen. "Pull back and reel. Do it slowly and don't let it go slack. If it does the fish might spit the hook out."

Of course I had to help hold the rod and guide her. Her squeal of delight echoed across the lake as we landed a large crappie. Once I told her we could eat it she wanted to keep it. I thought that might happen so I had rigged a live well out of a cooler and tossed it in. The other kids were having a fit, so Mickey and Kara were drafted and soon enough eight rods were in the water.

It wasn't as much fishing as it was a fish slaughter. The lake, for all practical purposes, had never been fished and they were committing suicide on our hooks. The highlight of the night came when Grandma V caught a four pound catfish. I'd had to get the bait-casters out to keep up with demand, making sure only Mickey or I cast them. She watched the rod double as the drag screamed.

"What do I do! What do I do?"

"Keep the line tight, Grandma. If it gets slack reel it in." The whole group watched in awe as she pulled the fish from the water. After that we had to change most of the rods over to catfish hooks and bait. Kara was helping Celia, who apparently had attached herself, and they soon gave out delighted screams when she hooked one. This one was a monster, weighing well over eight pounds. The cooler was full and two stringers were in the water when we finally stopped. There were hundreds of pictures taken of parents and children holding up a fish they caught. Kara had to help Celia because she couldn't hold hers up.

Everyone soon headed back to clean up while Mickey and I cleaned the fish. It took us about an hour and we agreed someone was getting cleaning lessons the next time. The fish fry the next day was epic.

Everyone was in bed by ten, most of the smaller children out by eight. Kara and I snuggled down, out like a light. I woke up once wondering what felt different and noticed Celia between us. Apparently she'd gotten scared and her mother brought her in to us. She was snuggled up to Kara, who had both arms wrapped around her. She was smiling in her sleep.

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

Soon enough, Monday afternoon came and no one wanted to leave. I had a feeling my investment in the cabin was going to pay off in spades; the kids had their calendars out, deciding who got what weekend.

Kara and I had an interesting discussion Sunday afternoon with Sofia, Mickey's sister. She seemed scared to death of me, but as the hours passed she became more comfortable. She came to us just as we were going for a walk. I wanted to see more of my property and Kara decided it would be good exercise, so she invited her along. We walked for a while, stopping atop a low ridge that gave a view of almost all our little lake.

"I know I have you to thank for my life. Mickey was never good at keeping secrets and he told me you paid for the schooling for my sister and me. When I told him I'd like to go to college and a scholarship appeared, I knew who paid. You had no reason to help the offspring of a woman who had betrayed you. I worried for a couple of years if you were stringing me along for some sort of payback, until I realized the perfect payback would have been to just leave us where we were. I don't even begin to understand how to express how grateful I am, how grateful my sister is. If there's anything you ever want from me, it's yours. Just say the word."

"All right, there is something I want."

I had a serious expression and she looked scared to death. Then I grinned. "I want you to come and work for me after you graduate. It's a family business, after all. With your degree, you'd fit perfectly into the nonprofit arm of our company."

Her degree was going to be in creating, building and managing nonprofit companies. I saw her as the future. She surprised me by crying even as she smiled. "I accept. Don't be surprised if you come by and see pictures of Mickey, Ashley, my sister, and you and Kara on my desk. Family."

I nodded. "Family." Then the hugging portion began. Even though she was nineteen, she walked between us holding our hands like a child on the way back. Sofia was going to spend her summers until she got her degree interning with us. She'd be well ahead of the game by the time she went to work full-time.

After we watched the last car disappear down the driveway, Kara dragged me back to our bedroom and tried to kill me with sex. I finally fell back exhausted. "What was that all about?"

"That was me staking my claim. I fell back in love with you, but I love your family as well. I always dreamed about a big extended family, and you're handing it to me on a platter. I'm giving you three months to put a ring on my finger, or I'm gone. There may be another man out there who would like to finish his life with a devoted wife who would be a great step-mother and grandparent to his family."

I played with her hair, knowing how much it took for her to give that speech. "It's a good thing you've screwed me into exhaustion or I'd beat your ass. We don't have to wait three months. We'll go ring shopping tomorrow."

She rose up, looking me in the eye. "You're sure?"

"Yeah, I'm sure."

She gave me a kiss and grinned. "So am I, but I insist on at least a six month engagement. We'll be living together and if cracks appear, I want it to be before we say our vows."

"Fair enough."

She snuggled back down and was soon asleep. I played with her hair and looked at the ceiling for a long time, wondering what the future would bring.

*****

The future, apparently, was going to be filled with joy and contentment. After we settled in her condo, the best choice for us, we got on with the business of life. I still traveled as I opened more stores, and she still had to run her real estate empire. Three months in, after an irritating ten day separation, she came up with a solution and sold her business to her employees. She got less than she could have gotten if she'd sold it publicly, but her people had been loyal and she thought they deserved it. After that, she went where I went.

She was invaluable to me. She didn't know the grocery business, but she did know real estate, so I put her in charge of that arm of our business. While I was negotiating purchasing a defunct store or one that was running poorly, she scouted the area for investment opportunities and distressed properties.

We were in Detroit, as far North I had even been, when she came to me with an idea. She was quivering with excitement as she showed me through a section that was mostly razed or abandoned houses, almost eight square blocks. I didn't understand her interest until she pulled up an article on urban farming, something that was just starting to take off.

"The city is willing to give us a hell of a deal if we follow through with my plans. We raze the old buildings, and each block will be a farm. We'll run it through our nonprofit, leasing it to vetted individuals or groups. We'll provide hands on training in farming and business techniques to assure their success. It's a win/win for everyone, people get careers instead of jobs, the community gains access to fresh foods at a fair price and the exposure would be tremendous to our nonprofit."

"I didn't start this for exposure. However, I think it's one of the best ideas I've ever heard. Sofia gets out of school in two months; grab her and make this her project for the summer. We should have the blocks, at least some of them, ready by then. You're much more than a pretty face, you know that?"

She grinned, rubbing a hickey I'd put on her right breast the night before. "Thank you, honey. You're more than just a rich guy who turned out to be good in bed. We might have a future here."

It was my turn to grin. The family was thrilled with the engagement and after Kara told them of the six month rule, they started making wedding plans. Kara had been through more than one overblown wedding, and she wanted to keep this one simple, mostly just family. She still wanted it to be nice, though.

We had our ups and downs like most couples, but nothing major. One of the reasons she sold her business was so I could be sure where she was at all times. It got on my nerves so bad I finally confronted her. "If I thought you would ever cheat on me, we wouldn't be having this conversation. If I couldn't trust you, there would be no us. So lighten up a little. You don't have to be with me 24/7. I just have to know you're there for me when I need you of if you need me. We're adults, honey. Let's act like adults."

One thing we agreed on. August twenty-seventh was her day, her and Bob's anniversary. I knew she went to see him, to lay flowers and remember. She also knew I would visit Sandy on our anniversary, for the same thing. We both sought solace in each other's arms the next day.

*****

We got married. It was beautiful, elegant, and we were surrounded by people who loved us. Her wedding dress was simple, but flattering, and she looked much younger than her years. I think I looked pretty good in my tux, but really, a wedding is all about the bride.

I think there was a bit of collusion when she tossed the bouquet. A large hole appeared around Sofia, and it landed right in her arms. She looked down and grinned.

We had gone to pick her up from college a few months earlier, and her roommate answered the door of her apartment. I was paying for the apartment and Sofia was letting her best friend live with her because she was a scholarship student and money was tight for her. She had asked Mickey to help her, and he'd gotten her a part time job at our local store, the same one Sofia had worked at.

Sofia paid for the apartment, the utilities and got her groceries for nothing, so the money her friend Betty made allowed her to have nice clothes and a little spending money. The first words out of her mouth made Kara smile.

"It's about time I got to meet Sofia's parents. I was about to think she made you guys up. Please let me thank you for the week at your private retreat, we had a ball. I can't wait to go again."

Sofia had asked for the cabin for a girl's weekend. Kara had gone up to make sure it was just the girls, stopping at the local market to stock up on supplies. Seven young college students eat a lot. After getting them settled and warning them with a wink to behave, she left. The clothes, according to Kara, came off the first day and they all went back to school with nice, all-over tans. The weekend did not exclude a little play time, four of the girls were gay and couples. I didn't think Sofia was gay, but I thought she might be bisexual. Kara thought so, anyway. It didn't matter who she fell in love with as long as they loved her back, be it a man, a woman, or both.

We weren't just picking up Sofia; Betty was coming along. Her summer job was going to be working with Sofia on the urban farm project. It would look great on her resume when she graduated. Betty was her plus one at the wedding. Kara grinned and said it seemed we had picked up another daughter.