Junior Year Box Set

He knew he’d been bad and slunk into his crate and lay down. Kyle and Mac were seated on the floor as they attacked their ice cream. I held Nate and shared mine with him. He decided I wasn’t feeding it to him fast enough and shoved his hand into the bowl. I about dropped him when Mac tipped her bowl up to get the melted ice cream, and it ran down her neck.

Poor Duke couldn’t take it anymore and bolted out of his crate. He began to lick Mac from head to toe, and she went into a giggle fit.

“No, no,” she laughed as she tried to push Duke away.

Kyle was next.

“I guess you won’t have to give them a bath tonight,” I suggested.

“Gross. They’re covered in dog slobber.”

Angie collected all the bowls and put them in the sink for me. She found a dishtowel and wet it so she could clean up the little ones. Once they were cleaned, she took them downstairs and back into the house. I suspect Mom wanted to get Angie and me together alone in the same room to show us that we could do it without anything unpleasant being said.

I had some homework and reading to get done. In a way, I was glad Pam wasn’t here to distract me. Of course, that wasn’t really true. She did distract me in the best way.

◊◊◊

My cell phone buzzed. The caller ID said it was Yuri.

I didn’t want to answer it, because I needed to finish my reading. I also knew I’d better.

“What’s up, Yuri?”

“David, can you come over? Jan and your uncle came by. We were having a good talk, but my grandma insisted on being there, and then she insisted we all go over and meet Jan’s mom. It was educational,” he said.

Oh, brother, I thought. Yuri’s grandma scared me. She was like a force of nature, unstoppable once she got going.

“And everyone’s still alive and has all their body parts functioning?” I asked.

Yuri chuckled a bit, but it seemed like a relieved one.

“Yes. It was tense at first, but everything calmed down after a while. We even managed to get Jan’s dad on the phone. It looks like it all might work out okay, but now my grandma wants to talk with you personally.”

I shuddered. It was now a no-brainer that this was more of a mess than I wanted to be part of. It would’ve been worth it if I could bow out before getting in too deep, but with my Uncle John involved, it probably was too late for that. Frankly, with Yuri’s grandma involved, I was sure she’d track me down if I didn’t show.

“Any way I can get out of this?” I asked with a plaintive whine.

Yuri chuckled, but it sounded like a nervous one.

“Nope.”

I sighed in resignation. My hope had been this wouldn’t be necessary, but apparently, it was.

“I’ll be right over.”

I grabbed my keys and phone, jumped in the Charger, and drove over to Yuri’s place. They lived in an older Victorian house on the edge of town that his mom had bought when his grandma moved in with them. When I knocked on the door, Yuri answered. He looked a bit sheepish.

“Sorry, David, but my grandma insisted on talking with you if Jan and I are to happen.”

I just nodded.

“It’s okay, bro,” I said.

He led me inside to the living room, where his mom and grandma sat in deep, comfortable armchairs. Uncle John was seated on a window seat.

I glanced around. It was a cozy, comfortable room. Jan was perched on the arm of Grandma’s chair, and the two of them held hands. Or rather, Grandma seemed to have a hold on Jan’s. Jan looked like she was absolutely ready to bolt. I recognized Jan’s cheerleader travel bag at her feet. I looked at my uncle, but before I could ask him anything, Yuri got my attention.

“David, my grandma wants to …” Yuri began.

“Yuri, I talk David, you no need,” his grandma said, to interrupt him.

Then she turned towards me and looked at me intently. I tried not to blanch and met her gaze directly.

“David, Yuri bring this girl home, next day her, your uncle come, they talk. I stick nose in. They tell me you say she should be Yuri’s girl, she need order around, punish if needed.”

She looked at Jan, then back at me.

“We go with Yuri and your uncle, visit her home, talk to her mama. Talk to her papa on phone. Her mama, ah, I learn new word today. Resentful. Her mama resentful cow.”

Jan bit her lip and looked down. Her body trembled, and she looked like she was going to cry. Grandma looked up at her, then reached up with her free hand and patted Jan’s.

“Is okay,” she said gently to Jan. “Life not always what we want. Life always what it is.”

I looked at my uncle, and he wore the classic Dawson blank face. He seemed content to let Grandma run the show.

She turned back to me.

“Her house grand, her family rich, but her mama not act like mama at all. Act like roommate who hate her. Always watch TV or on computer. Her dad long way away, long time. Can’t come home. Can’t be papa.

“Yuri tell me you say Jan need ordered around, need boss, need punish if good for her. Need no drugs, no booze. Need be useful. She pretty girl, good for Yuri that way, need learn other ways be useful. Is work for her, work for us. Maybe good things come later, maybe not,” she said.

She looked at Yuri, then back at me.