Chapter 31

One afternoon at the end of February , David snuck out and headed into town.  He was craving some of his sweets from the little bakery in town and he would have them; yes, he would have them.  He had the little paper sack tucked under his jacket as he tried to sneak into the house without being caught by anyone.  He peaked around the door at the foyer and living room and found that there was no one around.  He bolted for the stairs and ran up them straight to his office.  Once he was on the other side of his office door, he shut and locked the door.  As he turned around, he got a surprise.  “So, did you plan on sharing, love?” the sweet voice of his wife floated through the air.

He turned to see her sitting in his office chair behind his desk.  “DAMN IT!” he sighed with feeling.  “How did you know?”

“Well, I’d shouted up here to see if you could run into town and get something for me and I got no response.  Then, I called your cell to ask the same question and you didn’t answer.  I have you figured out, David Michael.”

He walked over to the desk and set the sweets that he’d snuck out to get on his desk.  “I’m too obvious sometimes.”

She smiled at him and laughed.  “You think?”

He sat on the edge on the desk as he laughed.  “So, what do I have to do to get you to leave me to the sweets I have in that bag?”

“Oh, you’re sadly mistaken if you think I’m going to just leave you to your treats.  You can either share them with me or I’m going to send our grandchildren in here to harass you for your sweets.  Take your pick.”

“They’ll clean me out.  I won’t get any of my snacks if you send the grandkids in here.”

“And you know I won’t eat that many because I can’t eat a lot of sweets.  So, which is the lesser of the two evils?”

He reached behind in and grabbed the paper sack of sweets from his favorite bakery in town.  “Take your pick, I suppose”, he said with mock disappointment.

She snatched the bag from his hand and ripped it open down the side to see exactly what all he had in there.  She folded her arms over her chest, just under her breasts, and gave him a look that clearly said, ‘you’ve been caught red handed, mister’.  “They’re all jelly filled doughnuts, David.  You went to the Jewish bakery on Main street, didn’t you?”

“Guilty”, he said with red cheeks.

“David, I make these during Hanukkah.  You can’t wait a year in between fixes?”

“Nope.”

She laughed so hard she couldn’t breathe.  “You’re too much.”  When she caught her breath, he shook her head.  “Ok, you do know that all you have to do is ask me to make them, right?  It’s the same principle as with challah.  Just ask and ye shall receive.”

“You’d make sufganiyot when it’s not Hanukkah because I have a sweet tooth?”

“I make latkes for the kids all the time even though it’s not Hanukkah.  Why wouldn’t I make sufganiyot for you?”

He shrugged as he picked up one of the small jelly-filled confections and popped it into his mouth, then licked the powdered sugar off of his fingertips.  “So, are we ready to go back to Israel tomorrow?” he asked once he was done chewing.

She nodded.  “Of course I’m ready to go back to Israel.  I’m ready for us to finally move out there.”

“You only have to wait another year, baby.  The guys and I are going to do that one final concert in Chicago and then we’re officially retired and you and I can move out of the United States to the Holy Land to live out the rest of our lives.  How does that sound?”

She laughed.  “You make it sound so easy like that.  But, you’re forgetting that we have to have Abe draw up the papers to sell this place to Jake, Jeremiah and Jona’s wedding, Jay and Kimmy are supposed to make things official soon.  If they don’t, I’m breaking my foot off in James’ ass.”

“Ok, you’re right.  A guy can dream can’t he?”

“I suppose”, she said with a smile.  “But the next time I start dreaming, don’t burst me bubble if you don’t want yours burst.”

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As they moved through their bedroom packing their things for their trip, Jake knocked on his parents’ opened bedroom door.  “Can I ask you two something real fast?” he asked.

“I don’t see why not, Jake”, Brie said as she folded a pair of slacks and put them in her suitcase.

“Come on in, Jake”, David said after putting a pair of his dress slacks into his suitcase.

Jake came in and sat on the chaise lounge that was about three feet from the foot of his parents’ bed.  “Do you two really have to leave again?” he asked.

“Do you want this place to yourself anytime soon, Jacob Micah?” David asked his first born son.

“I do, but I’m not sure I can handle having everyone around while you two are gone.”

“Then tell those who don’t live here to scram”, Brie said as if it were terribly obvious.

“It’s not Jordan, Maddie, and Malachai that pester me.  It’s just having everyone crammed into the house.”

“Who is it specifically that’s bothering you, Jacob?” David asked.

“Specifically, it’s Jay and Kimmy.  She picks far too many fights and she tends to try to fight with Jay in front of the kids.  I know you’ve talked to her about it, Mom, but she still does it.”

“What does James do?” David asked.

“He just walks away and tells that when she can talk to him like he’s an adult and not a child, they can continue the conversation.”

They both sighed.  “What are we going to do about this, David?  I can’t leave the house in discord before we leave”, Brie asked.

“Maybe I need to talk to Kimberly, give her an idea of what James’ is going through trying to step in as Hunter’s Daddy; and let her know that it’s not an easy task that Jay’s undertaken.”

“If that’s that you feel needs to be done, love, then it needs to be done.”

“All I ask is that it be done soon.  I know that this house will be total chaos the entire time you’re gone if this problem doesn’t get solved before you two leave in the morning.  Oh, who’s taking you to the airport?”

“Maddie and Colton”, Brie said.

“And who’s picking you up when you come home?”

“We’ll leave that up to you to decide, Jake”, David said.  “It’s good practice for you seeing as you’re taking over as head of the family after your mother and I move.”

“That soon?”

“You’ll only be the head of the family while your mother and I are away.  When we’re here, I’m the boss.”

Brie laughed.  “Or so you think.”

“True.  I’m not the one that keeps shit running flawlessly around here.  That’s you.”  He leaned in to give his beautiful wife a kiss.

Jake waited to see sadness in his father’s face as he spoke, and it never came.  Instead of sadness and regret that he missed things and couldn’t always be around, there was pride that he’d found such a wonderful and understanding woman to keep things going when he couldn’t be around.  Jake was happy to see that his father was finally letting go of the guilt he carried from not always being able to be around after the War.  “Well, I’ll let you two get back to what you were doing.  Dad, as soon as you can have your chat with Kimmy, please do.” 

Jake headed for the door and started to shut it behind him. “Leave it open, Jake”, Brie called.  He walked away with a smile on his face, having left his parents’ bedroom door open in case one of his siblings needed to talk to their Mom and Dad before they left.

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David knocked softly on James’ bedroom door, hoping that Kimberly would be the one to answer the door.  He was right.  “I’m not speaking to you right now, James.  Keep dreaming.”

“I’m not James”, David said plainly.  “Open this door before I kick it in.”

“If you’re here to lecture me, Mr. Draiman, I’m not interested.”

“Then here’s what you can do.  You can pack your shit and yours alone and get the hell out of my house.  Leave Hunter here.  My wife and I will make sure he’s taken care of.”

The door swung open.  “Are you serious?” she practically screeched.

“Is there anything on my face or in my tone that suggests that I’m kidding?”  He was perfectly calm.  “I think you need to take a little times away and learn a few things.  I came up here politely to talk to you and you’re going to get rude?  I think not.  If you’re going to act like that then you can leave.  I don’t tolerate that out of my children, my daughters in law, my son in law, or my grandchildren.  I’m certainly not going to tolerate it from you.”

She stared at him like he’d grown a second head.  “You wouldn’t put a girl who has nothing out on the street.”

He nodded.  “You’re right.”  He pulled his wallet out of his back pocket and handed her a couple hundred buck.  “Use it wisely, but leave.  You’re not to come back to my property until you can show me that you can treat my son, my house, and myself with respect.”

She took the money, her face frozen in shock.  “You’re not kidding are you?”

“No, I’m not.  I think you need to take a little bit of time to separate yourself from not only James, but Hunter as well.  You just need to be away from everything that goes on here.  Figure out what’s going on with you, then come back so that you can be a mother to your son and a girlfriend to mine.”

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David went down the stairs and called to the two of his sons sitting in the living room.  “Jacob, James, conference; NOW”, he said as he headed toward the kitchen.  The two young men jumped and followed their father.  “Why don’t you two take the kids into town to get some ice cream or something like that?” David said as he handed them a wad of twenties.  “Make it Grampa’s treat.”

“Dad, what’s going on?” James asked.

“Kim’s leaving the house for a few days.”  James was on the verge of panic before David could continue.  “Calm down, James Matthew.  Hunter’s staying here and I’m not going to toss her out on the streets with no money and no way to get a hotel room.  I’m not heartless.  Now, Hunter doesn’t need to see his mother leaving, so take him with Miri, Ira, and Levi to go get some ice cream.  I’ll explain where his Mommy is to him when you get back.”

“Dad, ice cream doesn’t cost $120”, Jake joked.

“Just take the money and bring my back the change, Jacob Micah.”

“Yes, sir.”  He grabbed his younger brother’s arm.  “Come on, Jay.”  James followed his brother to the living room.  “Who wants ice cream?” Jake asked the kids.  As they all jumped up and down, Jake spoke again.   “Well, let’s all get some shoes on and we’ll go.”

After everyone was gone, David grabbed Brie and they took Kimberly into town to get her a hotel room. 
“We’re not sure how long she’s going to need the room, but until she checks out, charge the room alone to this card”, Brie said to the desk clerk when she checked Kim into the hotel room.  She handed the young woman her bank card.

“Yes, Ma’am.” 

The clerk checked put Kim in a room on the second floor.  Once she was in, Brie looked at her gently.  “Kimmy, this is for the best.  Once you figure out what’s going on with you, then you can really be there for Hunter and James.”

“I’m scared, Mrs. D.  Hunter’s never been without me.”

“And I highly doubt that he’ll realize you’re gone.  Trust me, you’ll feel better about taking care of him and being with Jay after you do this.”

“Did you do something like this when you first got with David?”

“I was forced into two months away from my son, Malachai.  It’s a really long story that I’ll have to sit you down and tell you sometime, but now is not the time.”

She nodded, tears filling her eyes.  “I’ll get my shit sorted out while I’m away.  When I’m ready to come back, what do I do?  You and your husband will be out of the country.”

“When you have your head sorted out and on straight, go back to the house and have Jake call David and me.  From there, we’ll decided whether or not you’re ready to come back to the house.”

“Ok, Mrs. Draiman.  That sounds like a plan.  Have a safe trip.”

“We will, Kimmy.  Take care of yourself.”