3- The Godfather
1638 Words
Andrew
“Mom, I’m home.” I yell, closing the entrance door behind me.
“Andy, is that you?”
“How many kids do you have?” I joke.
I hear some shuffling in the kitchen, my mom’s den, and then I hear her running.
“Honey, what are you doing here?” she says as she throws herself at me and gives me a tight hug.
My mom smells of lavender and cookies… and lots of love. Yep, I’m a mama’s boy! How can I not be when she sacrificed so much for me?!
“You told me you had a problem in the guest bathroom and that you couldn’t find a plumber.”
“That’s not what I said, silly boy! I said the plumber will not be able to come over and fix it today.”
“You said, the plumber will come in two days. I was just thirty minutes away.” I shrug my shoulders.
“What am I going to do with you?” she laughs as she pulls me down by the collar and gives me two big kisses on the cheeks.
“You are going to let me fix the plumbing in your guest bathroom.” I grin.
“What do you know about plumbing?” she teases me.
“Mother! Grandpa Jay is turning in his grave!” I playfully scold her.
I owe my handyman skills to Grandpa Jay. We renovated this house together when I was just seven years old, and we spent many weekends renovating and flipping houses.
“Are you OK, honey?” Mom asks me, worry in her eyes.
“Yes. I was just thinking about Grandpa Jay.” I answer truthfully.
Grandpa Jay was the father figure I never had.
“I miss him, too.” She smiles at me.
“Can I have chocolate orange cookies after I fix the bathroom leakage?” I grin.
“Your grandpa taught you well!” she laughs. “The tools are in the garage.” She adds before sauntering to the kitchen.
When I walk into the garage, the memories come back like a whiplash. Grandpa and I spent hours in this garage working on his car, or on a renovation project. I run my fingers on the table where we used to sit for hours. A clean and well-organized table, just like he liked it.
I have not come in here ever since we lost him, two years ago. But it seems that mom made sure to keep his favorite place in the house all tidied up. Not a surprise! Mom loved him as if he was her father. And Grandpa Jay considered her his daughter.
Grandpa was loyal to a tee… So loyal, that, the first-time dad cheated on my mother, Grandpa punched my father… his son, and sent him straight to the ER.
I was a baby at the time, but I heard the story when I was older. From both my grandpa and my dad. Of course, dad was bitching about Grandpa, and how he disowned him when he divorced mom. The audacity of my sperm donor!
I grab the toolbox and head upstairs. However, when I walk up the stairs and see all the picture frames on the wall, I am pulled into a trip down memory lane.
I was a teen when I noticed the sadness in my mother’s eyes in those photos. Not all of them… from when I was a baby until my eighth birthday photo. This is when I realized that my father made her miserable for years until she found the strength to kick his sorry ass to the curb.
Grandpa disowned my father and moved with mom and me into this house. He provided for us when my father was busy running after girls in their twenties. He taught me how to tie my shoelaces… how to do home repairs… how to change a flat tire… He taught me about loyalty and commitment… He always used to tell me “don’t ever be in a relationship if you are not 100% sure that you will commit to the other person.” Or “don’t go breaking girls’ hearts, Andrew. Always be honest.”
I heeded his advice. I lived by it! I refuse to be like my dad who promised mom the sun, the moon, and the stars… only to cheat on her over and over again.
I steered away from relationships and never regretted it! That is, until my best friends decided to fall in love. James and Ethan were my partners in crime; We were the Bachelor trio! We used to paint the town red every night… Now? Now they are lovestruck puppies following their girls wherever they want to go. But, although I enjoy teasing them about how whipped they are… Deep down, I envy them.
Who would have imagined that Ethan and James, two sworn bachelors would fall head over heels for their girls? Could it happen to me too?
I shake my head and focus on the task at hand.
Don’t go down that road, Andrew… You don’t know how to do relationships.
Thirty minutes later, I am sitting in the kitchen and eating chocolate orange cookies. Eating? Nope! I am stuffing my face.
“Those are the best cookies ever!” I moan.
“I haven’t lost my touch?” my mom teases me.
“That would never happen, mom!” I protest putting my forefingers together in a cross sign to ward off evil spirits.
She laughs and puts two other cookies on my plate.
“How is work, honey?”
“Good. I will start a new housing project soon. It is in the suburbs and half of the apartments will be affordable housing for low-income families, the elderly, and persons with disabilities.
“You are becoming a workaholic, son.” Mom says sadly.
My dad is a workaholic… he is addicted to work and cheating.
“I will never become like him, mom.” I reassure her.
“I know honey. I am just worried about you… especially when I know that you work hard, but you party harder.” She says, a frown adorning her face.
“I don’t know what you mean.”
“The media is calling you the Last Bachelor Standing.”
“I told you, do not read those trash magazines.”
“I don’t. But my book club gals do.” She winks.
“Mom!” I groan.
Nothing awkward with our mother discussing your s*x life with her book club partners!
“What? They are talking about you in the press! Of course, I am going to check that out!” she laughs.
“I am going to lose my appetite if we continue with this discussion.” I lament, earning a full belly laugh from my mom.
My phone rings and puts me out of my misery. Or so I thought.
“Andrew! What is the meaning of this?” Ethan yells.
“Good morning to you too.” I tease him.
“Andrew!” he growls.
“Why are you so tensed up, Ethan? It is your son’s fifteen’s birthday! Cheer up!”
“Cheer up? Cheer up!” he shrieks. “He is telling me to cheer up Sawyer. I have three huge trucks in my driveway, unloading sound materials because DJ Snack only uses his own turntables and mixers.”
“It is DJ Snake, not Snack.” I correct him but he does not stop his rant.
“I have people setting up three bars in my backyard, Andrew! With three bartenders! At a teen’s party.”
“They will be serving non-alcoholic drinks! Relax!” I dismiss his angry outburst.
“He is telling me to relax! RELAX!” he shouts.
I snicker, imagining the vein bursting in his forehead.
“I have a caterer setting a smoothy bar, a taco bar, and a mochi bar!”
“Oh good. They all made it on time.”
“Are you trying to one-up me, Andrew?” James growls.
“Why would I do that?” I reply grinning. I am so one-upping him. “It is Carl’s birthday. I am his godfather. So only fair for me to spoil him on this special occasion.
“You wait and see! Kota’s sweet sixteen will be epic!” James teases.
Ethan was lucky to adopt three kids... Otherwise, we would have fought to grab the godfather role!
I got to be Carl's Godfather, James is Dakota's godfather and Trevor is Calum's godfather. If you ask me, Carl is the lucky one! He got one awesome godfather. I can't wait to take him to a strip club for his eighteen's birthday! Sawyer will kill me afterward but it would be worth it!
“Stop it! both of you! Parties are about families and friends coming together! Not about those extravagant gifts.” Sawyer shouts.” We don’t want our kids to grow up without understanding the value of money.” She adds, her tone a whisper, yet a stern whisper!
“C’mon, Sawyer. Those kids will never be spoiled. You are raising them right. And they already know the value of money because they lived through s**t! They deserve to be spoiled!” I tell her.
“I…” she hesitates.
“Sawyer, Carl deserves this. He was a great kid. Let him celebrate in style. And I promise to make sure everything is cleaned up afterward.”
“Would you do that?”
“of course…” I am the Godfather.” I wink.
~Author's note~
A glimpse at Andrew's childhood.
The next chapter will be published on the 5th of November (deadlines at work)
You can check my other books meanwhile :-)
- Writer
