Ring in Mine #3: Nephi and Jerome: Chapter 29
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----------------------------- Nephi & Jerome: Chapter 29
By mid-June it was hotter and more humid in Florida than the ladies enjoyed. Nephi and Jerome met them at the airport in the big people mover. It had been a group effort but they had Marie's house clean and ready. The new owners of Paula's old property had already started construction.
Nephi insisted on showing them the compound before taking Marie and Mary home.
The under construction main gate was two rock pillars and a pile of dirt that looked nothing like the alpine waterfall it would become. Grass had turned the barren space in front of the compound green. A family of goats was munching away at the grass keeping it an even height without having to mow it.
The women walked through the gated archway into a handful of grandchildren. Jerry had convinced Micah and Almania these were their grandmothers too. The three littles hugged each grandmother, Jared shared hugs with his mother and grandmothers.
"Where is Drake?" Marie asked.
"He meant more to me than I did to him." Jared answered providing no details.
Jerry confronted Zeke, Rafe and Kenton. "If you don't give grandmothers hugs you don't get cookies." Jerry had spotted the basket from Bertram's in his dad's hands. "They are Uncle Bertram's cookies."
Kenton was the first to crack. Nephi didn't bring Bertram's home often and he chose not to leave the safety of the compound. Kenton would hug almost anybody for a Bertram's dessert.
"I'm Kenton. Sean is adopting me." He introduced himself as he hugged Paula. Seeing Kenton with his cookie Zeke and Rafe made the rounds of hugs.
"Come see the main house." Nephi suggested. Jerry was having troubles keeping the secret as he led his Grandma Marie toward the boy's dormitory. Everyone followed.
Jerry took Grandma Marie's hand. "Close your eyes." Jerry examined his Grandma eyes. "You're peeking."
Jared had Grandma Grace's hand. Micah and Almania each led a grandmother.
"Surprise!" Balloons and a welcome home banner decorated the two-story room. Decorated tables had replaced the beds. Nephi had refocused the uncles' planned surprise party. Many of Paula's old neighbors filled the room. Paula's eyes filled with tears to see so many of her friends still cared.
Paula met with one group after another. Often the topic was Nephi's lifestyle or Paula's new home. Maybe Nephi should have been more selective about the guest list. Gossip had run unchecked since the fire. Sister Thompson was less than pleased with what she was hearing. Having only lived in the neighborhood for five years, she was a closer friend of Nephi and Jerome than Paula. Her comments about Nephi's charitable actions added fuel to the fire bringing his motivations into question.
Jerry was in seventh heaven as he introduced his old friends to his new brother and sister. His biggest concern was Donny's absence. Like the Pied-piper Jerry led the mob of kids into the courtyard followed by Nephi. Hope and Donny entered through the arch. Jerry didn't notice Holly's tear streaked face, but Nephi did. Nephi turned and scanned the room of guests. The nearest family member was Kenton.
"Will you go with the kids to see the animals?" Kenton was the perfect choice. He helped Rebecca and Clark around the farm.
Jerry greeted his friend with a giant hug and the littles were off to see the farm. Kenton tagged along to insure their safety.
Nephi diverted Hope in the office. "I can tell something is wrong. How can I help?"
"I'm not sure you can?" Hope sobbed handing Nephi an eviction notice. "My husband hasn't come home for months. He didn't pay the mortgage for the past five months and our bank account is empty. We have to be out in three days. Where will we live?"
"That is the easiest of your questions to answer. You and Donny are welcome to live here. I will ask Benny to get the lawyers to look into the rest." Nephi answered. "There is plenty of room and you can help Sariah and Rebecca. Let's talk about it after the party."
Nephi gave Hope an opportunity to pull herself together and they joined the party. Rebecca and Sariah hugged Hope. Finally, there was someone they knew. If anyone could convince Hope she was welcome, it would be the two women.
As the party wound down the adults went looking for their children. With Kenton's help Jerry had been the perfect guide for the farm. Kenton had given them each a small cup of chicken feed. They had walked through the chicken yard feeding the chickens. The chicks in the brooder had grown. Jerry insisted everyone wash their hands after holding the chickens.
They had fed the dairy cows through the fence. The calves were in the warming area of the barn. One calf wasn't doing well and was being bottle fed three times a day instead of twice. Kenton checked the feeding chart. It was about time for feeding the calf. The littles each held the bottle for the calf. Each took a small bucket of pellets and refilled a calves' food bin. All of the calves had names before the kids moved on to the alpacas.
Parents found their children, surrounded by alpacas that had decided being petted was a fair price for being hand fed their favorite treats. As guests left there were promises made to keep in touch. Marie and Mary were ready to go home. Benny and Luke were more than willing to drop them off on their way home.
After dinner the littles including Donny were watching cartoons on the bigger television in the main house. The teens weren't happy. They wanted to use the big screen to watch a new video Marie had given Jared. Nephi motioned the boys to follow him. "I have been saving this as a surprise. I guess you may use it tonight."
Nephi unlocked the smaller of the dormitories on the second floor. Rows of theater seats on steps filled half of the room. "I told Benny we didn't need it, but Benny knew the guy that put the new seats in the Villa Theater so we got the old ones. Benny couldn't resist."
A large box hung from the ceiling and pointed at a white wall. Nephi put the tape in the machine and pressed play. The Dolby logo appeared on the wall and sound came from all directions. Nephi closed the door behind him and nodded. Benny had promised they would sound proof the theater. He had kept his promise. With the television crisis handled Nephi had his next problem to deal with.
Benny had consulted with Paula about her new home. Paula had selected the colors and furniture. Benny had followed her instructions to the letter. She nit-picked at the smallest things. The paint wasn't quite the right shade. The wood floors ran the wrong direction. Why wasn't her craft room stocked? With each complaint Nephi's smile faded a little more.
Grace thought Paula's apartment was beautiful. Paula even had her own washer and dryer. Everyone else used a shared laundry room. Grace had watched Paula's attitude change during her visit to the Keys, but nothing this drastic. Grace over heard some of the things that were being said. Anyone who knew Nephi and Jerome should know they were the vicious fabrications created by gossip run wild. Did Paula except this pack of lies as the truth?
Grace had spent three months with the other ladies. She chose to stay near her grandchildren. She was more than willing to adopt the whole lot of littles. The workmen had remodeled two of the smaller apartments into a larger suite for guests. Grace claimed it as her own.
Nephi turned to the last problem of the night. He called Sariah, Rebecca, Hope and Jerome to the kitchen table. "Hope have you considered our offer to live here." Nephi asked.
"How could I? I don't have a job to pay rent, but I have nowhere else to go." Hope answered.
"We weren't expecting you to look for work. There is a job here on the farm waiting for a hard worker. Rebecca and Sariah have their hands full. I had debated hiring someone to help. Why shouldn't it be you. It comes with room and board." Nephi explained. "Your apartment has a small kitchen if you want something special but we eat as a family."
I am not asking you to decide right now. Stay with us for a few days. Tomorrow after Church we can move all of your stuff into your apartment here and store what you don't need for now.
Sariah and Rebecca had found Hope the few things she would need for the night. When she went looking for Donny she found him in pajamas saying his prayers with Grace and the Lord as his audience. The children all climbed into the King-Size bed.
"Mommy, I'm having a sleepover." Donny squealed. Jerry disappeared long enough to return with Daddy Nephi and "The Monster at the End of This Book." Nephi tried to skip the next part that had become part of their nighttime routine, but Jerry insisted. He pulled the children's book of bible stories from the shelf. Micah wanted to hear "Daniel and the Lion's Den" again. It was the third night in a row. At the end of the story Nephi knelt on the edge of the bed. Jerry told Grace and Hope they needed to kneel too.
"Heavenly Father; Thank you for all of the blessing you have given us this day and for our growing family. Thank you for the animals you have given us to care for. Give us a good night's sleep. Help us share your love by being kind to others. In the name of..."
"Daddy Nephi you forgot a part!" Jerry interrupted.
"Thank you for Bertram and help him make delicious cookies. Amen."
Nephi had a hug and kiss for each of the littles even Donny. "Jerry says I can call you Daddy Nephi."
"Donny, or course you can call me Daddy Nephi." Nephi gave the boy a kiss on the forehead.
"Good night Daddy Nephi." Donny tried on for size.
"Good night Donny, Micah, Almania, and Jerry. Sleep in the Lord's love." Nephi announced.
Grace heard Donny's question as she was leaving. "What's sheep in the Lord's love? I didn't see sheep"
Almania answered. "It means God will protect us as we sleep." Grace smiled. It seemed odd. Even though his church had pushed him away, Nephi seemed closer to his God than he was before.
Sunday morning began as all days did. Early morning chores and breakfast. Paula and Hope followed the family to the chapel. The service was nice but it didn't fill their needs. Nephi offered to take Paula, Hope and Donny to the local LDS congregation. Paula and Hope wanted to attend church at their old ward. If Donny was going, Jerry wanted to go too.
Jerome got down on one knee. "Jerry, I don't say no often, but today I have to say no. You may not go to church with Donny."
Jerry looked at Nephi but he was shaking his head. Jerry ran crying from the room.
"I can't believe you are so bitter. You won't allow your son attend an LDS church." Paula accused the pair.
"If you want to attend the local ward, not only will we let Jerry go, we will go with you." Nephi answered.
"You sit here with your own little world and your own little church, but you do not have the truth. Where is the Nephi my Peter brought home?" Hope was waiting in her car. Paula didn't wait for an explanation. She climbed in the passenger seat. Hope had to hurry to make it across the valley in time for church.
"Jerome, why don't you go check on your son?" Nephi suggested.
Jerry was already playing with Micah and play-doh. Jerome sighed, grateful he didn't have to explain his concerns for his son's safety.
Jerome returned to check on Nephi. Unable to find his partner Jerome picked up the nearest phone and dialed the paging code. "Where are you Nephi?" Jerome could hear his voice echoed on all of the phone extensions.
The phone in his hand rang. "Jerome, I saw Nephi leave in his truck. Is everything all right?" Sean asked.
"I don't think so." Jerome answered.
Jerome wanted to hop in his car and look for his man, but he didn't know where to start.
Jerome went to the office and pulled out Nephi's rolodex and dialed. "We had an incident today. If Nephi shows up would you call me." No one seemed to be home. Jerome left the same message over and over.
"Margaret, I'm glad you are home. Paula just unloaded on Nephi. I have never seen him look so defeated and I don't know where he went. I've called everyone I can think of." Jerome was rambling.
"Jerome, what happened?" Margaret listened as Jerome related the conversation. "That doesn't sound like Paula."
"We had a lot of her friends from the old neighborhood at a party yesterday." Jerome explained.
"I'm going get Benny to talk to Paula. I want you to stay at the compound. We don't want to be looking for both of you.
There was no news of Nephi when the trio returned from church. The family had postponed lunch until they returned. Benny and Luke joined the family for lunch.
The family stood around the table. Paula sat down either from a lack of awareness of the family's protocol or in defiance.
Jerome would have preferred Clark give the Gospel lesson, but in Nephi's absence he felt it was his responsibility. Jerome wasn't above asking for Clark's help writing the lesson.
"When faced with things that are different. We often lash out in anger because we haven't taken the time to understand those that do not meet our expectations. We are all God's children with needs, desires and motivations. Do we need to incorporate all new ideas into our lives? No. Do we need to take the time to understand different points of view? The Lord expects no less. "
Sean blessed the food.
A buffet of cold fried chicken, potato salad, crock pot baked beans and veggie sticks filled the sideboard. The adults helped the littles fix their plates. Jerome sat in his normal seat leaving the head of the table empty. Jerome hadn't made a plate.
Paula pushed her food around her plate. "Paula, is something wrong with the food?" Jerome asked.
"It's just not what I think of when I think Sunday dinner." Paula answered.
"We have a large family. We have hot dinners every night. Nephi felt Sunday should be a day of rest for everyone. The paper plates make clean up easy. Sunday foods take little preparation or are made ahead." Jerome answered.
Grace tossed in her two-cents worth. "I can't count how many Sundays I worked in the kitchen while my husband and son watched football. I think it is a great idea."
Jerome stood. "Each of you are special to Nephi and me. Enjoy dinner." Jerome left the table. The family heard a high pitch whistle. "Max, let's go for a walk."
Benny took the floor. "Luke, the kids look finished. There is a basket of Bertram's cookies in the garden."
The kids gathered their plates and silver leaving them in the kitchen. They followed Luke into the garden.
"We have a problem. I think Jerome had the right idea. It is important that we understand each other's stories." Benny sat down. There was silence around the table.
"My name is Sean. Peter hired me right out of the military. I worked during the Summer and at a ski resort during the winter. With so little snow the resort didn't hire everybody this year. I picked up odd jobs. My wife threw me out. After I came here to live she served me with divorce papers. She found someone with more money. I lived in my car until the boys asked Nephi and Jerome to give me a home."
"This is my son, Kenton." Sean put his arm around his boy. "His family abused him and locked in the garage. Someone murdered his family. Nephi gave Kenton a home. I am giving him a loving father." Sean kissed Kenton's forehead. Silence filled the room.
"My name is Ezekiel. This is my partner Rafael." Zeke put his arm around Rafe. "Uncle Josiah was Father Jacob's brother. Jacob's word was law. Josiah had a solution for gay boys." Zeke made scissor motions with his fingers.
Rafe continued. "My mother and Aunt Sariah loved us enough to give up their former lives for Zeke and I. Nephi welcomed us into his family rather than throwing us out."
"I am Clark and was an LDS chaplain in Vietnam. My body, mind and faith came home wounded. I couldn't hold down a job. Nephi gave me my life back and employment away from the crowds and noise."
"Paula, I grew up in the house across the street. My husband hasn't come home and mortgaged my parent's home. He emptied the bank accounts and I am losing my home. Nephi has offered me a job and a place to live." Hope looked at Paula waiting for a response.
Paula looked at Benny. "Nephi was at the cabin having sex instead of protecting my house, but you were probably there with him. Nephi has taken everything Peter left for me and made it his. Look at what Nephi has created." Paula paused her ranting for a moment. "I don't want to live here. I want to live by my friends, but I can't. Nephi spent everything on this."
"Please leave us alone." Benny asked. The family cleared the table and the buffet leaving Paula and Benny alone. Sariah hated a messy kitchen. She was cleaning up as Paula and Benny talked. She didn't mean to eavesdrop but they weren't talking softly.
"Paula, if you didn't want to sell you should have said something. I haven't cashed the insurance check and the money from the sale of the property is still in escrow. I know of a house in your old neighborhood for sale. You have enough money and then some. The trust will continue sending you a check every month and will pay the utilities, repairs and taxes just as Peter directed in his will." Benny explained. "We want you to be happy.
"How did Nephi pay for all this." Paula demanded.
"Nephi thinks Grace loaned him the money. I paid for all of this." Benny answered. "I own the property and faced two choices: rip it down or fix it up. I didn't want to tear it down and refused to fix it up and leave it empty."
"You also need to know, whoever set the fire thought Nephi and his family were home. They meant to kill them. The boys weren't having sex at the cabin. Jerry and Leonard were chaperones." Benny let that set in.
"You used Peter's trust to pay for all of this." Paula insisted.
"My parents created the trust before they died. It belonged to Peter and me. You have never been part of it. Dad wanted to protect me from some guy that wanted my money instead of me. Spouses and significant others were excluded from the trust and there are strict spending limits. You even signed a written statement of understanding before Peter had access to the funds." Benny paused for Paula's rebuttal, but there wasn't one.
"You have always been well taken care of. Peter wanted Nephi to continue the company. That is why Peter made Nephi part of the trust months before he died just like dad did with Peter and me." Benny set out the facts for Paula. "It had nothing to do with Peter's will and can't be contested. Jerome cannot access the trust. Peter didn't want Nephi to know about the money. He wanted Peter to make it on his own.
"The Nephi I saw yesterday isn't the boy Peter brought home. He left the church. Did you know he doesn't even mow the ward's grass anymore? He didn't even make time for me at my party."
"Nephi wanted you to enjoy your time with your friends. I don't know what gossip they shared, but Nephi is so much like Peter he could have been his biological son instead of adopted son." Benny was looking for a response. "Yes, Peter adopted Nephi. That was when he renamed the company and could make him a trustee. Nephi didn't leave the church; the church left him."
"Take a second look at Nephi's family. Tell me which one of them Peter wouldn't have tried to help." Benny looked into Paula's tear-filled eyes.
"I can understand they need help, but I don't want to live with them."
Paula returned the few things she had unpacked to the suitcase. She realized not everything her friends had said at the party were true. How could she have been so blind. These were the people Peter would have tried to help. Except for Nephi, Peter had brought none of them home. Nephi shared his home with gays, polygamist wives, children that slept in the same bed and homeless people. It was something Peter would have done.
"Benny, it is just like Peter, but I'm not that strong. I could never feel safe here. I learned at Grace's that I accept people's differences from a distance."