Page 17 of August

Carrie came to the kitchen to help him when one of his newly hired staff left with a stomach bug. She said she didn’t care but would love to help him out. She and he shared lunches while in college, and she told him that he always had the best leftovers.

Like his family usually did, they talked over one another and loudly. It was never angry conversations but loud all the same. When the last of the plates were taken out, he and Carrie sat down at the table and sampled the things that he’d made. The only thing that he noticed that she didn’t take was some of the kiwi fruit that was with the pork.

“You know I don’t eat green fruit.” They all thought that was odd, and he had her explain why she didn’t. “We were in class together when someone brought up vomit. That was all it took for me to be turned off by green fruit. The guy explained in great detail what it looked like and the consistency. I still see him once in a while, and I still think he’s a gross man.”

Demitrius loved his family and the way that they were so accepting of people. He knew thatshe worked for Thomas Grocery and had seen her in there a few times a while back. He also knew her family and was going to warn his family about them. Carrie said that she tried to and was told it didn’t matter.

“It might. Her older brother is a piece of work. He’s always been the type that if he wants it, you might as well give it to him. Until he met me. Wayne was bullying his way through campus one day, and he found me.” Carrie said that her brother had wanted Demi, what she called him, to take a test for him. “Yeah, it wasn’t a question that would I. It was more that I was going to take it, and I’d better get him a good grade, too.”

“I remember that term. You came home telling us about this bully that was in your math class or something.” Demitrius said it was language arts. “That’s it. Martha told you that you should take his test and fail it. Even going so far as to spell his name wrong.”

“I did, too. I spelled his namewyaneand got a two on the test. I think that the only reason that I got that high of a score is because they were grading on a curve. My goodness, he was pissed off.” Carrie asked if he’d ever looked at him before. “No, not the way that most people see me. I usually wore bulky clothing on campus so that no one knew that I was this nerdy guy that looked like he cou ld bench pressed cars during the school year.”

He remembered the day well, and after telling his brothers that he’d put the other man in the hospital, it was over before it seemed to have started. Telling them stories like that one, ones that they’d not thought of in years, made him feel great. It also brought up memories of Martha and the things that she did for them. After dinner was served and things cleared away, he was happy to be able to sit with them and talk about the old days.

There were plenty of stories to tell, too. How they had never told anyone how they had won the lottery. How, since it was in Ohio, they’d not ever been found out. After his brother had won the largest jackpot ever, the rest of them had benefited as well. And in turn everyone around them had also done well.

“You never told me that.” He just told her that no one still knows. “Don’t tell my family. You understand the reasons why in that more than most would.”

Knox asked what was so bad about her family. When she started talking, Demitrius realized that he didn’t know half of what had gone on at her house. He wished that he had. He might well have helped her a great deal more.

“I have a lot of family but I’d never be able to sit and talk to them the way that you guys do. Once, the only time they were around for the holidays, my mother tried to kill Wayne with a butcher knife. Only because he’d told her that the turkey was dry. Another time he and my brother Finley got into a fight that the police had to come and break up. Nearly all of them were put in a jail cell for the night, and Mother decided it was too dangerous to have them all under the same roof.” Zander asked her what had happened. “Oh, this is a good one. You’ll think this is funny, I bet. Wayne was telling everyone that he won the lottery, the one I think that you guys won and my brother called him a liar. They were all liars if you ask me, but being the baby, I had pretty much learned not to get into shit with them. So Wayne picks up a chair and hits Finley over the head with it. After that everyone was bashing something over everyone’s head. Mom and I, we headed for the basement and hid out there. By the time it was finished, Mom didn’t have a stick of furniture left, and fourteen windows were broken out, and the police had bombed the place with tear gas that to this day is something that you can smell.”

“My goodness, I think that your family rivals any of the ones we came from. Christ, how did you turn out so well?” She said that as soon as she turned sixteen, she left. “Good for you. There is no telling what would have happened to you had you stayed there with them. They sound like they’d stop at nothing—what am I saying? They don’t stop at anything to get what they want.”

They talked about everything that popped into their minds. She learned that Shipley’s first name was actually Candance and even her husband called her by her military name. She loved the woman for her lack of control in saying what she wanted, no matter anything that was going on around her.

Knox was an attorney but he was more of a researcher type of attorney and worked with Zanderon cases that they wanted to take on for the underdog. They also worked for the family with contracts as well as keeping things legal that they were invested in.

Locke was waiting on the results of his state boards to become a doctor. She had a feeling that the man had aced the test, but she didn’t tell him that. He was cute when he was embarrassed. She could tell, too, that he only had eyes for his wife.

August was harder to read. He was in love with his wife and the children that they had adopted, and he nearly killed himself when his wife needed something to get it for her. That was true love. Something that was truly lacking in the world today.

She’d bet that in fifty years, they’d still be looking at one another the way that they did tonight. Like they wondered how they’d been so lucky as to have someone in their lives like each other.

“Well, I’m exhausted.” She was, too, and decided that while she didn’t know where she was going to sleep tonight, even if it was on the floor, there was a good chance that she’d be asleep and comfy until she woke up. “Why don’t you stay with me. I have a nice house, and that way, you won’t be putting anyone out. I have plenty of room.”

“Only if you allow me to cook breakfast for you.” He told her that it was a deal and that he was looking forward to it. “When we were in college together, he used to bring in the best leftovers from his dinner. I gained about twenty pounds that semester and didn’t regret a single pound of it either.”

They were headed out the door when she saw her brother, Allen. Before she could go back into the big building, all the family hid her away but stood around her. As soon as she was in the limo that she’d game here in, she had to put her head between her knees and hope that she didn’t toss up her dinner. She’d been so terrified that he’d find her. Of all her family, Allen was the most violent of them all. He would kick you while you were down like you were still up and fighting him. Most of the time, he’d kick you in your head. She knew of one person that he’d killed with his temper.

“I told you that we had you.” She nodded at Alex. When she touched her hand, Carrie held onto it like it was a lifeline. “You’re going to be just fine. Tell me about this brother. I’m assuming that he’s worse than the others.”

“He’ll kill you without a second thought.” Alex told her that she seemed more frightened of him. “I am. Once, when I was about ten years old, he beat me nearly to death. I spent nearly a month in the hospital. I can’t have children because he kicked me enough that I nearly lost my kidney as it was. He came in one night and told me if I told on him, he’d make the next time so that I never recovered.”

The others got into the limo, and they started out. She asked where she was going, and they said that they were taking her to Demi’s home. She wondered if he’d be upset with her as the rest of them were calling him by his nickname that she’d given him sometime back.

Demi, like the others, lived in big houses. She had walked by their home on the way to work and marveled at how quickly they were getting things finished up. Carrie supposed that if you have all the money in the world, you could do just about anything and get it done quickly.

“I don’t have any clothing.” She blurted that out and felt her face heat up in embarrassment. “Sorry. I usually say what my mind is before I think about what I’m saying. Sometimes, it’s inappropriate. Mostly, that’s why I keep my mouth shut at work. So I don’t insult anyone.”

“She’s not quite like that. I saw her working with an elderly man when his card wouldn’t work for his food. Turned out it was all used up by his son who had gotten him a new card. I wonder if there ever be a time that people are kind to one another.” She doubted it and said so. “Yeah, I think you’re right.”

At her instance, they went by Wally World. She was only to get what she needed, and they’d pick up the rest tomorrow. She didn’t tell them but thought that they’d guessed. She didn’t have much in the way of clothing there either.

Chapter 7

August was waiting on his next client when his brother Demi—he was taking it pretty well in being called that and thought that he could get used to it, came into the office and had a seat. He looked perplexed.