Date: Fri, 11 Mar 2005 13:59:02 -0800 (PST)
From: T Chase McPhee <survivalgame@yahoo.com>
Subject: Nature Walk 01

"Nature Walk" 01
wriTten by T. Chase McPhee

%

"C'mon Chad, let's shake it up!" Dad called out,
nudging the edge of the mattress with his knee, by
butting into the corner of the place of rest. Chad lay
still in the tail end of dreamland. "Oh daaaaaad," the
fifteen year old complained, just like every day since
mom passed on, two months ago. "C'mon Mark, Tom,
Philip?"

Taking on the reins of both parents had been a tough
job. Barry Barr had missed his wife, Melanie and her
motherly duties terribly in the two months that had
passed since her demise. Melanie, a beloved and
devoted mother to Barr children: Chad, Tom, Mark and
Philip had been involved in a drive by shooting, in
the line of duty as assistant DA. Her funeral helped
to heal a divided community. Many realized the plight
of Barry Barr, being left with four boys, to now take
up the helm. The community drew together as a team,
with an outpouring of monetary support and directed
the funds to home plate. With that phase of his life
behind him, Barry and his family were on the move,
almost cross country, to Washington, via air travel.
Folks weren't shocked that Barry chose to build a new
life for his family in less familiar surroundings.
Sitting next to his dad on the plane, ten year old
Philip had a bundle of questions for his father.

"Dad, is the house as nice as our old one?"

"Even more so, Philip. Each of you boys will have your
own room."

"What if I'm scared to have my own room?" The youngest
son asked.

Throwing his arms in a circular hug, Barry comforted
him, "Oh, that's most likely just the jitters of
moving to a new town. I'm sure any one of your
brothers would not mind you staying with them,
temporarily."

"How about I shake up with you, dad?"

"Shake? Oh, you mean shack, Philip and where did you
pick up a word like that?"

"From Chad. He said that he and his friend Bill were
thinking of shaking... shacking up, just before we
left. I didn't like what he said, because then I would
lose my best bud."

"Is that so? Hmm..." Now there's something that stuck
in Barry's mind for future thoughts. "Let's not worry
about that now, Philip, okay?"

"Sure dad. I just want you to be prepared."

Barry had to giggle at the way the ten year old
explained that emotional fact in such an adult manner.
As father and son approached the tailend of their
rounded out conversation, the flight attendant
announced the usual message when approaching for a
landing, wishing all on board a pleasant day. At the
West Richland Airport, the boys followed their dad to
the baggage depot. "Chad, grab the luggage, please."

"Sure, dad."

"Now don't you go wandering off, Tommy."

"It's Tom, dad, remember?"

"Uh, yeah sure." Barry had his hands full, making sure
Philip didn't wander off. At his age, he still had a
great curiosity about the world and especially their
new place of residency. Much of the sorrow following
their mother's untimely death, fell on all four boys,
as well as their dad. However, Chad, being the oldest,
seventeen, had taken it upon himself to be the 'young
dad', helping out his father wheverever he spied the
opportunity. "Hey squirt, grab this."

"Who me?" Philip replied, turning his attention
towards Chad.

"No, your brother Sam."

"We don't have a brother Sam," Philip giggled out the
reply.

Smiling down at his brother, the seventeen year old,
six foot giant passed a gearbag to Philip, resting the
strap over his shoulder. Like a sack of potatoes, it
made Philip lurch to one side. "Hee heee heee...
almost lost your balance, huh Squirt?"

"Yeah. Thanks. You made me a survivor, Chad."

Barry, as well as the other two boys, Tom and Mark,
chuckled at the way Philip put the 'saving of his
life', to Chad.

Tom asked, "Dad, when is all our stuff arriving?"

"Should be delivered over the next two or three days.
Why? You missing anything Tommy?"

"Dad, how many times do I have to tell you?"

"Oops! Sorry about that Tom." Another giggle escaped
Barry. In reality, all the Barr family had been
excited by the move, yet solemn, as they bid farewell
to their mother's grave. They all knew that their dad
loved their mother as dearly as the four and agreed
the move would be a welcomed, 'new' start for them
all.

"C'mon boys. Now stay close."

"Dad, there's hardly anybody here."

"I know Mark, but I just want our ratpack to stay
together. Remember that we are strangers to this town.
Just like me, neither of you boys know your way
around, if you should
happen to get lost." "That's right, dad," ten year old
Philip said in a cutesy manner, supporting his dad, as
if as mature an answer Chad would render. Exiting the
small terminal, the five found a van outside waiting.
On the side of the white elephant, the words,
'Bridge's Realty' had been affixed in green lettering.
A woman in her mid thirties greeted Barry. "Mr. Barr,
I presume?"

"That's me."

"Welcome to West Richland. I'm Bernice Bridges and my
associate, whom is also my son, Matt Bridges."Lifting
the gearbag from Philip's shoulder, Chad almost loaded
'squirt' in the back, with the bag, as his eyes were
glued to the 'dish' standing next to his mother.

"Hey, Chad!" Philip complained.

"Oh, sorry there little brother. You okay?" Chad
answered, trying to keep his mind divided between the
two guys. "Yeah, but you almost tore my jacket." His
attention went back to devoting it to 'Squirt'.
"Let's get that into the white elephant?"

"What elephant?" little brother asked.

"The belly of this 'big white van'."

Philip walked to the curb and eyed the 'white
elephant' from nose to rear. He walked back to where
Chad stood. "So, did you seen what I meant, Squirt?"
He questionably replied, "Yeah. Sort of." Chad always
acknowledged the manner in which Philip replied to a
descriptive question. Part educational, part cute, he
would often lead Squirt on. "What's sort of?"

"I don't see the elephant's trunk or tusks, but I can
see it looks big and fat."

"So?" Chad drew on, looking for some more stimulating,
imaginative thinking.

"It just looks strange with his behind open, I guess!"
Now that made Chad laugh out loudly. His mind had
diverted to another simulation of a wide open ass.

"Hi, I'm Matt Bridges."

Chad almost suffered a heart attack, as what he
thought had been Mark, ready to load another bag into
the back of the white elephant. "Chad here... Chad
Barr. Nice to, ah to meet you." At that moment, all
thoughts of loading turned to 'on hold'.

"The pleasure is mine. My mom and I live a couple of
houses down from where you're moving in."

"Cool."

"Yes, it does get chilly quite early here in the
fall."

Thinking briefly, Chad figured that this place must be
kinda behind the times. "Ah, yeah. Well, I better
finish loading."

"Here, let me help, um..."

"That's Tom and my other brother, over here, the
squirt, is Philip and over there, my other bro, Mark."

"Good to meet you. Oh, I'm sorry Chad."

"No problem. I've got another." Matt's concern turned
to a smile at Chad's joke, in reference to stepping on
his right foot.

"Here, Chad. Chad?"

"Oh yeah, sorry Mark." It wasn't the first time that
Mark and Tom noticed their oldest brother paying close
attention to another guy. They haven't let on to Chad
that they thought he had a closer attention span
geared towards guys, than girls. "I guess we're just
about loaded, Matt."

Squirt, Philip, blurts out, "The elephants behind is
stuffed!"

Chad looks at Matt, blushing. Matt diverts to, "Um
yeah, uh.. I'll check to see if my mom's ready to
leave." Chad gazed through the side window to watch
that cute ass report back to the front of the vehicle.
Aware that his brothers stood close by, he tried to
remain as discreet as possible. He disguised his
thoughts and actions, by moving the bags already
packed, around so that they would not fall over,
journeying to their new home.

"I see you have matters under control, Chad," Barry
confided, his hand on his oldest son's shoulder.
"Piece of cake, dad. Stand back." Closing up the
hutch, Chad sure hoped he'd get a piece of that
beefcake sometime. What a lucky break that Matt
Bridges didn't live crosstown.

They piled into the 'white elephant', with Barry
sitting in front with Bernice, the stick shift
occupying the space between. "And there's our post
office. The town hall is to my left. There's Donovan's
market and the trading post just beyond it. It's
really a hardware store."

"West Richland is quite a... town here." Barry really
had on his mind to shop Home Depot, plus a mega
supermarket, not pop's smalltown grocery store. It's
Chad whom, not in a real desperate need of a renewed
wardrobe, questioned Matt, "Do they have any shopping
malls around here?"
"Oh sure," Matt answered.  "Just up the road there's
the Northern Cascades Mall. Brand new. They have this
movie theater where you have a choice of seeing four
different movies that run at the same time."

"All the comforts of home," Chad replied, knowing that
back from where they came, a guy had a cinemaplex that
would make Matt's head spin. "Sounds cool. Maybe we
can take my brothers sometime."

Bernice offered, "Sure. Matty can take the van and
show the family around. Familiarize yourselves with
the area. Matty, be sure to take them by the family
center." Chad got ready for another hick remark. Next
treat would probably be the hula hoop championships!

"Do you play any sports, Chad?"

"All of us guys are more involved in the arts, like
our dad." He could see some spark quenched throughout
Matt's personality, so decided to refuel the fire.
"Why do you ask, Matt?"

"The town built a new clubhouse for young guys like
you and your brothers. A couple of towns around us
have baseball, but we're trying to start up a soccer
league."

"Soccer?" Tom asked, with interest.

"Yes. You see, there's this black and white ball and
they kick it and.." Matt explained away. "Back home we
have..." Chad's hand over the seat, squeezing Tom's
knee, stopped him from interrupting Matt's explanation
of the sport.

"What's that Tom?" Matt broke off his explanation,
politely giving Tom the go ahead to speak. Chad picked
up where Tom had been abruptly interrupted, "Back home
we don't have any of that stuff," he lied, getting
Chad's drift. The 'squirt' almost cut in to contradict
his big brother, but Tom passed on the 'shut up' in
his own way to Philip. Tom then restated his reply, "I
think it would be cool to go out for soccer."

"Chad, I think all of you better think about getting
some warm winter coats, if you and Tom are this cold.
Just you wait until that northern Canadian air tears
into here. Now 'that's' cold." This new found fact
would even press more the issue for the visit to the
new Northern Cascades Mall.

"Bernice, I'd like to thank you for all your help in
finding a home for us. The digital pictures were so
handy."

"Oh, it's my entire pleasure, Barry. I'm hoping that
my photography skills present the home to your
satisfaction. I know the tough times you were going
through and the inability to focus on a trip out west
here proved impossible."

After Barry had secured a full time position, teaching
science, he had been very fortunate to hook up, via
phone, with Bridges' Realty. She had been most helpful
in emailing tons of digital pictures, which Barry
claimed, captured every nook and cranny, inside and
out of the home which he finally decided on
purchasing. With help of the communitie's charity
bestowed on his family, after the death of Mrs. Barr,
they were able to purchase a home almost mortgage
free. He felt he owed Bernice Bridges more than a
simple 'thank you'. "If you will allow us, the family
and I, we would sure like to have you over for some
dinner, after we get settled." However, Bernice turned
the tables. "If your troops aren't too tired, why
don't you come over this evening for some viddles?"

"We're a big brood and they can pack it away, so I
think maybe you will need more time to prepare."

"Oh fiddlesticks, Barry. The freezer's full, but I can
send Matty out for some steaks and we can have a late
summer barbecue."

"Are you sure? My guys have a habit of eating a person
out of house and home."

Bernice picked up on the possibility that Barry might
have been trying to tell her in a simple, nice way
'no', so she backed off. "Well then perhaps another
time."

It's Chad that jumped in with, "Oh c'mon dad, get
real. Can't you see that Mrs. Bridges is trying to be
hospitable?" Barry gave his son a dirty look.
Fortunately Bernice's eyes were on the road.

However Matt noticed. "I get that death stare from my
mom when I say something like that, Chad." "Dad'll get
over it, but I know when to back off. He's cool." Chad
readied to hear another 'cold' response from Matt, but
cut him off at the pass, "I mean I know when I've gone
some place 'out of bounds'."

However, it's Bernice whom sided with Chad, in a
complete turn around. "I guess your boys don't have
the same opinions as their dad, huh Barry? Huh?"
Bernice's prodding of the issue and her elbow nudge to
Barry, over the stick shift, caused Barry to
automatically lighten up. "Yes, alright. You two win.
I suppose it must be the jetlag."

Matt then nudged Chad, who leaned over so that
something could be whispered in his ear. "My mom's got
the hots for your dad!" Chad offered a rebuttal play
on words, in return, "Hot? I thought you told me it
gets cold in these parts of the woods, Matt?" It's
then that Matt got the proper definition of the 'cool'
context. "Yeah. 'Cool', Chad." The two teens laughed
their asses off.

Chad Barr, seventeen, knew from way back when, that
his interest in girls had been next to nil. However,
he put down the thoughts, trying to even shed some
type of interest in the opposite sex. That would not
be easy. Especially as he entered high school and had
been forced to upgrade his feelings, as the lockerroom
scene stirred more than his mental capacities. Even
though he had this unique interest in the male nude,
Chad kept his secret locked deep within his inner
sanctum. "So, what else does one do for excitement
around here?" He asked Matt, while watching the
evergreens skim past, but catching the relection in
the massive window.

"As I mentioned, there's the recreation center, then
there's the environmental area." Mark cut off Matt in
mid sentence, "Do they have frogs and snakes and
stuff?" Before Matt could answer, 'squirt' piped up,
leaning over the seat, almost in Matt's face, "They
got any squirmy bugs?" Tom completed the
interrogations, "Can we hike around, Matty?" Matt
replied, shedding the responsibility, "Mom, looks like
you have some more recruits for the nature program!"

"Do you have an interest in science?" Barry
immediately took the helm. Matt interjected, "Mom is
the founder of the environmental center here in West
Richland," before leaving the conversation running,
like a faucet. "You don't say. My field is science,"
Barry informed Bernice.

"Oh yes, I know that," she replied.

Barry decided to grill Bernice and see what other
facts she has discovered. "Did you know that, I'm now
on the faculty of West Richland High School?" Without
thinking, she instantly said, "Yes. You're team
teaching with Steve Clark."

"Looks like you know more about my job than I do.
Who's Steve Clark?"

"Not only your partner in crime at the high school,
but also your next door neighbor."

"Neighbor?" Barry quizzed her.

"Why yes. I know those digital photos didn't give you
a picture of the outdoors very well. Between each of
our homes are tiers of evergreens. Did you know that
the northwestern part of the country, in particularly
the West Richland area, is indigenous to seven
different varieties of Pinus, Barry?" On almost the
edge of his seat, Barry sat, totally blown away by the
knowledge spitting out of Bernice's mouth. "Why no,
matter of factly. I knew that spruce and pine are
natural to the area," Barry spit out.

However, the second revelation of this women's
knowledge came right after his comments, as her son
points out, "You have to be mighty careful of how you
converse with mom. Mom, take it easy on Mr. Barr."
Bernice turned a bit red, at Matt's comment. She
wasn't by all means a person that spurted out
knowledge to impress. Seeing the embarrassment, Barry
tried a gentle recovery. "I'm amazed at your
knowledge, Bernice." A bit of fibbing followed. "I
just realized how laxed I am in my northern American
education on the environment."

The boys watched in awe, mainly with their dad. At
times they giggled, when their dad discovered an
acquaintance whom shared a vast knowledge of anything
scientific.
Again, Tom and Mark noticed the scientific approach
Chad had been taking, trying to keep his mind off of
the biological specimen sitting next to him, in the
belly of the white elephant. That presented some of
their own excitement, giggling as they chatted
together. 'Squirt', ten year old Philip, hung in the
wings, trying to put two and two together, as he eyed
up his older brother, Chad. Then again, taking in the
bits and pieces of information his brothers supplied.
He always wondered if Chad felt like himself, summing
up a guy's looks, but not in the least caring about a
girl's looks.

Philip liked to keep tally of which boys in his class
appeared to be the most handsome and the so-so ones.
Keeping a secret file on his computer, he detailed the
most significant ones. The girls fell by the wayside,
as he typed up the descriptions of the four best
looking guys, in his own opinion. His favorite,
Michael Swanson, sat at the top of the list. The other
three, alphabetical. Michael, the same age as Philip,
seemed to resemble Chad in many ways. Blonde hair,
brown eyes, even the smile, which reminded him of his
mother. As he pondered, his mind drew back to his
mother's passing. Suddenly, tears appeared.

"Hey, what's wrong Squirt?"

"I miss mom."

"Hey now. Come up here and sit with Matty and I."

Matt began getting a birds-eye view of the caring
person Chad's manner evoked. At first, when he
approached the rear of the van, a half hour ago, the
exterior finishes drew him in. Now, paternal attitude
started to make him realize that Chad is a very
special guy. Not like a lot of the guys he knew around
the West Richland region.  "Yeah, sit right here
between Chad and I," Matt offered. "Um, 'squirt'?"
Matt tried the nickname, for Philip, seeing how well
it would sit with the youngster. It didn't.

"My name is Philip. Only Chad calls me squirt!" Chad
bawled Philip out, but Matt just giggled. The other
two in the back followed Matt, joining him in the
coverup.

"It's alright if Matt calls you 'squirt', isn't it?"
Chad asked.

Right now Philip's mind had shifted from the nick to
eyeing up and down what he knew Chad kept his mind
geared on. He knew Matt had to be around Chad's age.
He had seen his brother often, barechested and noticed
the fine, short blonde hair covering his pectorals.
Out of the top of Matt's dressy shirt, the fringes of
dark hair emerged. He knew Matt couldn't be as old as
his dad, even though he knew his father to resemble a
teddy bear underneath his shirt. Not pugdy, but just
as hairy as a bear. He wondered if Matt's chest and
stomach were as hairy as his dad's. A couple of years
ago, when they went to the beach on summer's vacation,
Philip had the opportunity to be chest to chest with
his dad, as they froliced in the ocean. It fascinated
the youngster to conduct an experiment of how a man's
dry hair feels compared to the salty water saturation.
That went into Philip's journal of amazing male facts,
as well.

"How old are you, Matt?"

"Me?"

Picking up on Chad's saying, Philip says
sarcastically, "No, your brother Sam!"

Chad winked at Matt, who took the hint. "Now how did
you know I have a brother Sam?" Bernice smiled,
diverting to the rearview mirror, simultaneously
listening to Barry.

"No kidding, Matt? You really do have a brother Sam?"

"Sure. He's about a foot taller than me. 'S got this
big ugly face." Matt went into this scary description,
much like telling a campfire tale. "Can't even go to
school because he even scares the teachers."

"Yikes!" Philip exclaims, Chad smiling at Matt,
catching his eye, as if approving of the tale.
Fourteen year old Tom and sixteen year old Mark, seem
as gullible as Philip and lean in for the amazing
facts of Matt's brother, Sam.

"Yeah, the first day of school, he walks in to the
kindergarten class. The kids are sitting on the floor,
listening to the teacher in front of them. All of a
sudden!" Matt gets dramatic, lurching his body
upwards, to show the excited manner of the class'
actions. "The teacher fainted. Turning around, the
other kids scream, jump up and run out of the
classroom."

"Sam is 'that' scary looking?" Philip inquired.

By this time, Tom and Mark knew they'd been had, but
poor Philip is still taking in the bizarre story. Chad
often hugged his little brother, being more protected
of the young one. Sometimes 'Squirt' woke up scared in
the middle of the night. He'd always go to Chad for
comforting, since they shared the same room.

That's the way it had been, as the boys grew up. Tom
and Mark, the middle boys, shared a room, but Chad,
the oldest, had his own. So when Philip came along, he
at first shared his parent's room, doubling as a
nursery. As he grew, they needed to either shift Mark
to Chad's room or find some other arrangement. Being
more mature than guys his age, Chad didn't mind taking
on 'Squirt' as a roommate, even though there would be
seven years difference in their ages. Also, Tom and
Mark had grown to be best buddies and their parents
didn't want to break up that buddy-like camaraderie.

"Did any of the kids faint?" Philip asked.

"Nope. They just ran away."

"What happened to the teacher?"

"Sam got the janitor's bucket, filled it with cold
water and threw it in her face. She came out of it,
but by that time Sam had high tailed it out of there."

"Then they wouldn't let him come back to school?"

"Wouldn't matter. Sam knew he wouldn't fit in, so he
ran away. He lives in a cabin all by himself, up the
mountain."

Philip began putting Sam into the math categorizing.
Two and two made him breakdown crying even more than
before. Bernice then pulled over. At first it were a
joke to the others, but when she sensed that Philip's
mind had played back over the passing of his mother,
with Matt's tall tail, she pitied the youth. "Now look
what you went and did, Matty! Oh, Philip honey, Matty
doesn't even have a brother named Sam." Suddenly the
tears stopped. Philip pops up from the center of
Chad's chest. "I know. No kid could be that ugly!"

"Why you little squirt!" Matt said, going for Philip's
tickly spots. Chad joined in on punishing 'Squirt' for
his charade. "I'll hold him and you work him over,
Matty!"

Bernice put the van in drive, bawling Barry out as
well, in a kidding manner. "I wonder where he got
'that' from?" Barry defended himself, "Not from me, I
can assure you." Smiling, as she watched the road,
pulling ahead, she had caught Barry's reflection in
the window, grinning.

			      %

continued........

        Copyright 2005 T. Chase McPhee  All Rights Reserved.

dont strike a fault, unless you can admit you've slipped..T Chase McPhee