It Ain't Tiffany's

Section 6

"H-h-hello?" I say when I answer the phone. I know its 3:17 because I glanced when I answered it.

"Mr Jones I'm ready."
It takes me a second to realize what is going on. I'm not too quick when I'm asleep to wake up and know what the hell is going on.

"Where are you?"
"I'm at the house."
"I will be there in a few minutes. I have to get the boys over to Dee's house. I will be there in fifteen."
"Kay." She says sounding scared and worried.

I hang up the phone and first things first I got to piss. I not worried about waking the boys climb out of bed. Because they got to get up for a few minutes anyway. I go and pee and come back and turn on the lamp beside the bed.

"Mr Jones damn we sleeping." Jamal says covering his eyes with his forearm.

"Get up and get some clothes on. You boys got to go to Dee's for a while. I got something important that wont wait to take care of."
I quickly slip on some jeans and a t-shirt. I slip on my sneakers without socks. Something I usually hate but, its 3 am and I don't care right now. I grab my phone and call Dee.

She answers and I give her a brief.

"Hey I need the boys to sleep there until morning. I have an emergency." Her asking if everything is good. I tell her great and the boys are sleepily dressing and pulling on shoes. I am rushing them out the door and to Dee's before they are really even awake.

I pass them off to Dee at her front door and she looks at me with a question in her eyes.

"I will tell you when I get back. I don't know how long I will be. But, I will be back as fast as possible." I tell her an run to the truck and climb up in the big thing and the engine roars to life when I turn the key. I get to her house in actually 15 minutes and I race to the door. She opens it and I see she is in bad shape.

"What happened?"
"I had a John he wasn't so nice to me." She says to me.

I see her eyes are both swollen. Her arm is I would guess broken. It looks pretty bad. I'm betting her nose is broken too.

"Oh Camille lets gt you straightened up so Jamal can have his mother back." I say to her.

She and I walk to the truck and I help her in. We go to the clinic and walk in.

"I tell you Mr Jones I'm scared as shit. I ain't been clean in I don't know how long."
"Its going to be good. You wait and see. You are going to get your life back that you should have had all along."
"Is my baby OK?"
"He is doing really great. He is excited to be going back to school next week. We got him and Tremay all new clothes at Kohl's. I wanted the boys to look really nice this year. Tremay had told me they had been picked on for their clothes last year. Well, I guess every year. I didn't want that anymore. So…"
"You a good man Mr Jones." She says tears slipping from her eyes.

"Maybe?" I say thinking would I have done it if I didn't want to fuck them and have been. I decide yeah I probably would. I love them and its not because they allow me to enjoy their bodies and they enjoy mine. I just love them. They are good boys and deserve nice things. The sex is wonderful don't get me wrong. But, if they said no more for me. I would be good with it. I may be like poor Camille here though going through withdraws. But, I love them none the less. We get her into the clinic and signed in. It takes us about six hours all together. She did indeed break her arm and they got her in a cast now. She looks scared as all get out when I am about to leave.

"Is it OK if I tell Jamal your in rehab?"
She gives a weak and very tired smile as she lays back onto the pillow in her new room.

"Yeah I guess that be OK." Then she is asleep.

I go and talk to the nurse on duty and find out we cant call or visit for 10 days. But, if she does well then we can after that. I go to my truck and I am fucking tired. The boys and I were up until nearly midnight messing about and then awakened a measly 3 hours later. But, I head home. Its nearly ten in the morning when I get there. I see Shay and Sharne are there as the car is in the driveway. The children are all playing on the swing set and having fun. Jamal and Tremay rush over to greet me as I'm getting out of the truck.

"Mr Jones whats going on?" Jamal asks.

"Why don't you come in with me for a little while. I want to talk to you."
"Did I do something wrong?" He asks a little scared.

"No your a great boy." I say smiling and put my hand on his head.

We walk in with Tremay following closely behind.

We all go to the kitchen and I sit them at the table. Shay and Sharne look at me and don't say anything. I grab myself a Coke and one for each of the boys. I don't give them a lot of sodas too much sugar and they enjoy them when I do. Instead of taking them for granted.

"So Mr Jones whats going on?" Jamal asks after he takes a drink of his Coke.

"That was your mom last night that called?"
"Is she OK?" He asks quickly and scared.

"She is going to be. I have been talking with your mom for a while now. She has decided to go into rehab to get off the drugs."

Jamal looks at me hopeful. He doesn't say anything. He takes another sip of his soda.

"You don't look too excited."
"She done it twice now. She gets better then a few weeks later shes back on it."
"I think this time will be different. I think she really wants to put that shit behind her."
Jamal looks at me.

"I hope so. But, I ain't counting on nuthin." He says unconvinced.
Tremay gets up and sees his friend needs a hug and he puts his arms over his shoulders.

"Why don't you two go and play for a while. I need to help the ladies get lunch ready for all you guys."
They both get up and take their sodas and head back outside.

"Jamal." I say as he is half out the door. He looks back at me.

"Even if it doesn't take. You still got me."
He smiles at me and goes to play and think.

I sit there a minute Shay and Sharne haven't said a word. They just keep working at making lunch. I sit for a minute and think about everything that has happened since last night. My eyes are heavy and im tired. But, the children need to eat. I can sleep after. I get up and start to help the ladies.

"So Camille finally gonna get her shit together." Shay says.

"I hope so. She has a great son and she knows she is totally fucking everything up. I think she is going to make it." I say. Not sure I believe it myself. I mean help is readily available. But, will it take. Can she beat the demons in her head? I guess only time will tell. The rest of the day is uneventful. For that matter the next week is nothing but, more of the same. We make lunch for the babies and the seniors and are gearing down our lunches since the children are heading back to school. We are just going to have them on the weekends since the need wont be there. They will get their lunches at school now. The night before school starts was interesting though.

Jamal and Tremay went through all their clothes putting everything on in every combination possible to see what is the best for their first day back to school. It really didn't matter because they looked great in all of it. What they decided on though was jeans and a polo with their new Nike tennis shoes. They are both so proud of their shoes. Neither even thought about taking them out of the box before school to play in. Shoes are serious business in the hood. I get them off to school and Kenny and Jenny have breakfast with us and I watch as nearly the entire bus fills up from the corner. It seems that all the children wanted to come over this morning to thank me for lunches and being able to play and have fun all summer. It was sweet really. I know I will see them all the time. But, it will be a little lonely during the days now. Shay and Sharne aren't going to be here until Saturday and Sunday so for the first time in ages I am completely alone in my house. I am at a complete loss as what to do. I sit on the porch for a while and drink iced tea. I look around at the block from what I can see. It looks pretty good. After I found out some of the boys were doing projects to help some of the neighbors the other boys and girls wanted to help people too. So we started a clean up crew. We first asked the seniors that came for lunch if they needed anything done around their houses. We got lots of yard work from them. I look and see the painted fence a few houses down the the children painted. Its nearly eleven so I head to the kitchen and make a dozen sandwiches and put them on trays I found at Costco. I add some chips and some potato salad. I get the dozen containers ready and put them in a box and carry them to the truck. I drive around to the seniors houses and deliver them. Just because the children are back in school doesn't mean the seniors still don't need a lunch. I actually got in touch with the local meals on wheels. I got it set up so that they all get dinner brought to them too. I tried to volunteer. Because of my past they refused to allow me. It kind of made me mad. I mean here I am trying to do good yet no one will let me. But, the children they like me no matter what. They see me for what I am. Someone that is worried about them and wants to make sure they are OK. Hardly seems fair I cant even adopt a damn dog. I tried and because I'm a sex offender they wouldn't let me. Its not like a fucked a dog or anything. Life is frustrating a lot of the time. But, its still so much better now. I get home and sit at the table waiting for the boys to return from school to tell me about their day. I have to be honest. I'm fucking bored shitless. I think about working some so I try. Its just not in me today. I look at code as it is on my screen and it just blurs. After a while I give up and go watch some TV. As it nears time for the boys to get home and I am of course watching Kenny and Jenny for Dee until she gets home from work. I get things out to make them something to eat when they get home. Because something about school lunch is it is good. But, when you are growing after school you are just starving. I go and sit on the porch and wait for them to get home. I see the bus down the street. I tell you I'm so excited I feel like a child before Christmas. I just cant wait to see them and see how their days were. I wanted to just race over to the corner to get them. But, I sat and waited for them to get over here. I am greeted and given hugs from all of them. They all put their back packs on the porch.

"First order of business is homework guys." I say. "While you are doing that I will get you some snacks."
"Mr Jones we just got outta school. Cant we have a break first?" Kenny asks.

"Nope. Homework then playing. Work comes first always. Now get to it." I say and swat his tight little butt.

They get their bags and all sit around the coffee table and get started. As its the first day they really didn't have much to do. So it was done pretty quickly.

"See Kenny its already over." I say as I am sitting plates by them.

"Yeah I know. You always make us do that. It just sucks is all."
"I think homework sucks. Seems to me they can teach you all you need to know in the time they have you. When I was a boy we never had homework until we got to middle school. Sure spelling words and things like that. But, not much else."
So time continues dragging by. After Camille has been in treatment for 15 days we can go see her. Jamal is excited but, worried. She has been having a really hard time getting off crack. But, she is doing better and has put on some weight and doesn't look like a skeleton anymore. Her hair is done up nicely and we sit and talk about her plans when she gets out of treatment. I told her that a few people got together and paid her rent. I didn't want to tell her it was all me. I cant afford to do it for long though. I mean I make decent money but, I spend a lot of it too on things for the boys and the other children that need things. So we have visited her twice now. We are thinking every few days is good to start. She is going to be in treatment for at least 60 days and maybe 90. We will see what is best for her. Jamal is getting excited he is going to get his mom back. At least he is hopeful. He is also kind of worried what if she wants him to live with her again. He is happy with me. I tell him we will see what happens when it happens.

The children have been back in school for three weeks now and I am just going nuts not knowing what to do. I mean shit I just cleaned the upstairs bathroom for the second time today. I decided the towels didn't smell fresh enough so I washed them again. I am making shit up to do I am so bored without the boys. I make up lunches for the seniors and as I'm getting them ready I hear someone knocking on the door. I wonder who it could be but, at this point any visitor sounds good. I get to the door and grin ear to ear.

"Well, Shay and Sharne. I'm so glad to see you two ladies. I am bored to fucking death here."
"We was just saying this same shit. You fixing to take the seniors their meals?"
"Yes."
"Cool we give you a ride and go with for something to do."
"I know they will like that. A lot of them have been asking about the sweet girls that helped me out."
"Oh go on then."
"No really."
So they help me finish up and pack the lunches in their car and we go off and I tell them where we need to go. Once we are done the ladies had visited with the seniors as well. It really seemed to put a smile on their faces. As we were leaving the last drop off Shay says to me.

"Mr Jones we want to show you something. You got time?"
"I got until the bus gets to my house. So like forever." I say chuckling.

So they drive a few blocks over from my house and pull up into a parking lot of an old building with big windows in the front and a big glass door in the center. It has tiles around the front of the building below the windows. Shay produces a key and we go in.

I'm looking around at the empty place.

"So what you think?"
"About?" I ask."
"This place. We rented it. Well we are going to rent it. But, we need your help first though."
"Sure anything for you two. Name it."
"We need you to run it."
"Honey you need to be a bit more specific. What is it?"
"Its Mr Jones Place. A mix of soul food and country cooking. But, since we cant cook for shit. And well you can. We know you would be perfect."
"I don't know. I mean I know I said I would do anything. But, this is a major project here. I mean I need to be there for the boys. If I ran this place I would be home late a lot. I don't know."
"No see we thought of that. See we not gonna stay open real late. Maybe 8 at the latest maybe 7. See when the bus comes they drop the children here. They do their homework and stuff. By that time its 5 or so. You get stuff ready for us if its something we might need. Then around then you guys have dinner at the diner and then head home. We close up and its all good."
"Yeah cuz we aint coming in at 7am like you we will come in at like 10 or so. We gonna have to hire a waitress though."
"I still cant. What about the weekends when the boys and girls need their lunches?"
"Now see we figured you would say that too. We got that all figured out. Around about 11 we block off half the dining room and the children come in and eat there."
"What if people have to wait?"
"Then they wait. People understand children needs to eat."
"OK. So now comes the real problem. Where we gonna get the money? I don't think Mitchell is interested in a restaurant.
"Dont want him in it anyway. We got a silent partner."
"Who?"
As I asked this Dee comes walking in juggling her purse. Trying not to drop it. She gets it and looks up.

"So you convince him yet?" Dee asks.

"Not yet. We still working on it. We haven't gotten to the part where he says we don't know what we are doing and we will fail. Then we tell him that me and Shay done enrolled at community college and are taking classes. But, he aint got there yet." Sharne says.

"OK so we really don't know what we are doing. I mean how do we get suppliers? What about dishes I mean is there a wholesale place around here? What about the equipment do we buy it or rent it? There is so much involved. It sounds all romantic until you realize exactly how much work is involved in it."
"Thats why we got you and why we are going to school."
"Dee what are you doing here? You in on this crazy plan too?"
"Shes the silent partner."
Dee smiles.

"Yeah I figure I need to invest the money Mr Green left me. I figure your a good investment. Because you see the positive in nearly everything. Not to mention you cook like a mother fucker." She says laughing.

"Yeah he do. We gone be rich."
"Dee just how much did he leave you? I figure what a couple thousand. Thats not nearly enough."
"He left me almost two hundred thousand dollars. I'm willing to invest fifty to make this work."
"Dee what if it fails then you lost all that money. I cant take that on my shoulders. Its too much pressure. I would always be scared I would fuck it up and you lose everything."
"OK we see what your saying. How about we all put in some."
"I got 5." Shay says.

Sharne says she has 5.

"Well I got 15 saved for the boys college. Its still a ways off yet. But, I hate to gamble with it."
"Mr Jones they 6 years and 8 years from college. You made that over the summer. I think you will be OK." Dee says.

I walk around and look at it. What a fucking mess it is.

"Its gonna be a lot of work. You know this right?" I say looking at them.

"We know." They say.

I look around at the mess and see it has potential. It is a good location. Has a nice parking lot. Few holes have to throw some gravel in.

"It doesn't even have tables."
"We know. We can get some."
I look around again. I can see it now the children eating. Others coming in and out all day. Happy families enjoying time together having a nice bit of food. It seems so perfect in my head. The ladies racing around getting orders and serving food. Me in the kitchen working my butt off with a smile on my face. My boys sitting doing homework nibbling on some fries and sipping some Sprite.

"Fine. It may be the dumbest thing Ive ever done or the smartest. I guess time will tell."
"YESSSS!!!!!" They all cry out. Then rush me into a group hug. They are all bouncing up and down and I am just trying not to fall over.

"Wait a minute. We have a lot to discuss and I need to get all the numbers you got so far. Like how much is rent and things like that."
"Alright we all meet at your house say 7 tonight?" Dee says.

"I suppose that's good."

We all head back out and I ride back with Dee and the ladies head to wherever they are going.

When I get back I go and get something ready for the children for when they get off the bus. Dee is sitting and watching.

"So what are you thinking?" She asks me.

"I'm thinking we must be crazy."
"Yeah but Mr Jones Place does have a nice ring to it."
I look at her and smile.

"It sure does." I say and hear the brakes on the bus squeel.

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I went through and corrected some issues and put it in html format. Its just easier to read. I wish you

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Eric

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