Thunder and Lightening: Chapter 46Home « Thunder and Lightening Index « Previous

- Chapter 46

Posted: May 31, 2005 - 12:42:55 am



Little tendrils of fog were rising off the surface of the lake as the morning

sun climbed into the sky. Birds flitted from tree to tree pausing long enough to

sing a song announcing a boundary of their territory. Ripples, centered near the

cattails, were created when fish jumped out of the water after the bugs that

skimmed the surface.

Four cabins were lined up fifty feet from the shore of the lake. The log cabins

blended into their surroundings with an open area to the lake and trees on the

other side. Standing on the porch of one of the lakeside cabins, Jerry sipped

his coffee while enjoying the sights and sounds of nature. He'd been awake for

fifteen minutes, but it was already a good day. Looking at the fog rising off

the lake reminded him of a time when he had gone fishing with his father as a

kid.

Smiling, he thought about all of the trouble Jenny had gone through to rent the

cabins for his birthday. Henry, Sharon, and Abe were in the cabin next to

theirs. None of them were what he would call camping people, but the cabin was a

nice tradeoff providing the comforts of a hotel room while being in the middle

of nature.

He was looking forward to a day of fishing along the shore. He figured that

Henry and Abe would be awake soon and they could head down to the lake's edge

while the fish were still active. He thought to himself that if they caught

enough fish, they might be able to hold a fish fry that night. That would be

fun. He took another sip of coffee and wondered who was staying in the other two

cabins.

The sound of the door of the cabin next to his opening caught his attention.

Curious as to the identity of their neighbors, Jerry turned to watch. Shock

crossed his face when he saw the man step out. He shouted, "Dad?"

"Hello, son. It's a good morning for fishing, isn't it?"

"What are you doing here?" asked Jerry amazed at the co- incidence that his

father would just happen to rent the cabin next to his.

"If your mother and I remember correctly, it's your birthday today. Thought we'd

hold a little barbecue out here. Might make it a fish fry if we catch enough,"

replied the man with a grin.

A giggle from behind told Jerry that Jenny had arranged for his father to join

them on this trip. Turning to face her, a huge grin split his face as he took in

the sight she presented to his eyes. She was wearing a thick flannel nightgown

that was so far from sexy that it was sexy. Shaking his head at the idea that

she would put so much effort into making him happy, he said, "You little vixen.

You set this up, didn't you?"

"It's your birthday. I figured that we'd have a little party here for you,"

replied Jenny with a smile.

Jerry picked her up in a bear hug and kissed her to convey his appreciation for

everything she had done for him. Jenny squealed in delight. Setting her down, he

looked at her and said, "I love you so much."

"I love you too my big teddy bear," answered Jenny.

The difference between being called a big teddy bear and a gorilla nearly

brought a tear to his eyes. It went beyond the difference between the names to

the manner in which they were delivered. Jenny could call him a gorilla and make

it sound sexy. There were times when he couldn't believe how happy he was with

his life. Never in his life would he have imagined that a woman would go to all

of this trouble just to celebrate his birthday. It touched him deeply.

Jerry's dad stepped over to the cabin. Patting his son on the back, Carl said,

"Happy birthday."

"Thanks Dad. I'm glad you came," said Jerry. The past few months had seen a

tremendous improvement in the relationship between the two men. Three

generations of Smith's went fishing together once a month on a borrowed boat.

They didn't always catch something, but they did return home happier men.

Bill particularly enjoyed the fact that he had a grandfather. Quite a few

Saturdays were now spent with the three men in the garage restoring Bill's car.

It was basically done except for the paint job. The greatest surprise had been

Jenny's involvement in the restoration. She had purchased a heavy-duty sewing

machine and had taken charge of replacing the seat covers. Jerry was so proud of

her that he couldn't put it into words.

The sound of a boat motor slowly grew in volume. Jenny smiled and stepped back

towards the door. She knocked on the door. After a minute, Bill wearing a robe

and Melissa wearing a flannel nightgown stepped out onto the porch. Bill was

still rubbing the sleep out of his eyes. Smiling, Jerry said, "Good morning,

kids."

"Happy Birthday, Dad," chimed the pair together.

"Thanks," said Jerry with a grin. Gesturing to the surroundings, he added, "It

sure is a glorious day, isn't it?"

Ignoring the rhetorical question, Carl said, "My that sure is a big boat."

Jerry turned to look at the lake to see what his father was talking about. He

was in time to catch sight of the largest houseboat that Jerry had ever seen

entering the inlet. While the fact that it was entering the inlet was odd, the

size of the boat chased all other thoughts from his mind. He commented, "I bet

Jenny's father, Henry, and I could all stand on one side of that monster without

tipping it over!"

Standing behind Jerry so that he couldn't see the expression on her face, Jenny

said, "I bet you're right."

The boat headed straight for the dock in front of the cabin. Jerry stepped

forward trying to make out who was piloting the boat. For a moment, he wondered

if he was having a problem with his eyes. The man at the wheel was proportioned

to the size of the boat. Either the boat wasn't as big as he thought or the man

at the wheel was huge. It took a moment, but he realized who was piloting the

houseboat. He exclaimed, "That's your Dad!"

"Happy Birthday, honey," said Jenny pleased at the success of her surprise.

She'd known that Jerry was getting tired of borrowing a boat to go fishing. She

also knew that the big men in her life didn't feel very comfortable in a regular

sized boat. Boats tended to be a little unstable when three large men shifted

around in them. When her father had found the houseboat, she couldn't resist

buying it for Jerry.

"That's mine?" asked Jerry open mouthed. He turned to look at Jenny unable to

believe what he had heard.

"Yes, it is dear," said Jenny fully expecting to get picked up and kissed. Her

expectations were immediately met as Jerry picked her up, spun her around, and

kissed her. His excitement and pleasure was obvious to everyone there. Her

reaction to his pleasure was just as obvious.

The kids watched their father with smiles plastered on their faces. They were

pleased to see their father so happy. Bill had helped repair the engines, making

trips to the lake with his grandfather while his father was at work. Melissa had

restored the interior of the cabin with some help from Henry.

When Jerry finally put Jenny down, she said, "Bill fixed up the boat and Melissa

restored the cabin. Your father stocked it with fishing gear."

Jerry picked up both kids, one in each arm, and hugged them. Barely able to talk

from the emotions he was feeling, he said, "Thanks, kids. This is amazing. I

can't believe it. I don't know what to say. I mean..."

Laughing at how his father was babbling his happiness, Bill said, "We got the

idea, Dad."

Tears rolled down Melissa's cheeks. She couldn't remember being this happy in

her entire life. She hugged her father back with all her strength. She looked up

at her father and saw that there were tears in his eyes. An emotional dam burst

loose within her and she started crying uncontrollably.

Jerry set Bill down, but continued to hold Melissa. Jenny hugged Bill and

watched with wet eyes as father and daughter came to peace. Jerry's father put

an arm around Jenny and whispered, "He's so happy."

Happy was an understatement as far as Jenny was concerned. His reaction was

exactly what she had hoped for when she purchased the boat. Someone had once

told her that the perfect gift was an item that a person wanted but would never

buy. She knew that he wanted a boat, but would never buy one for himself.

After a few minutes, Melissa regained her control over her emotions. She

whispered, "Let's go see the boat."

Jerry set her down, straightened up, and wiped his eyes. It took him a minute to

get his emotions under control. Sniffing, he turned to everyone else and said,

"You heard her. Let's go check out the boat."

Leading the way to where Tom had docked the boat, Jerry looked over the monster.

It was twelve feet wide and twenty-five feet long. The cabin, set in the middle

of the boat was eight feet wide and ten feet long. The controls for piloting the

houseboat were visible above the cabin, which rose six feet from the deck. He

whistled and asked, "How did you ever get it here?"

"The guy who used to own it, built it here on the lake. It's too big for any of

the roads, so it's stuck here," answered Tom as he climbed down the ladder on

the front of the cabin. Turning around to look at his son-in-law, he added,

"It's a real beauty inside."

The front of the boat hung out four feet in front of the pontoons and came up to

the shore. There weren't any railings around the edge, so boarding was a simple

matter of stepping from the dock to the boat. Jerry stepped onto the boat

expecting it to react to his added weight, but the boat was solid and didn't

rock or dip. The broad flat area in the front of the boat was perfect for sun

bathing and fishing.

Jerry walked over to the front door of the cabin and opened it up. Stepping

inside, he looked around at the cabin in amazement. Somehow, in that little

space there was enough room for a small galley, bathroom, storage pantry,

kitchen table, and bed. Curtains covered the side windows. The galley was filled

with new appliances. The counters, cabinets, and linoleum on the floor all

looked to be new as well. He opened a couple of the cabinets and saw that the

pots, pans, plates, and cups within them were all new. It looked very luxurious.

Turning to Melissa, he asked, "You picked all this out?"

"Yes, Jenny gave me carte blanche to decorate," answered Melissa. She'd even

spent her own money on fixing up the interior of the cabin. She pointed to the

table and said, "The top comes off the pedestal. When you remove the pedestal,

the tabletop fits on the ledge below to form another bed. That up there folds

down to form a third bed."

"Nice," said Jerry looking at the table.

"You're supposed to be able to sleep six in here, but with you and Henry I'd

lower that down to four. If granddad joins in, I'd lower it down to three but

I'd hate to be the one that sleeps on the lower bunk."

Her comment caused a burst of laughter from everyone gathered there. The low

rumbling laugh of Henry was the first indication to Jerry that his friend had

made his way onto the boat. Jerry called out, "Hey Henry. Check this out."

"I've already seen it, Jerry," replied the big man still chuckling over

Melissa's observation.

"He did a lot of the wood work inside the cabin," said Melissa. She smiled over

at Henry and said, "He was a miracle worker. You wouldn't believe what condition

this was in when we got it."

Jerry moved to Henry in order to thank him, but stopped when Henry pulled Abe

towards him by the neck. In his low rumbling voice, the big man said, "Brought

you a present. This is an anchor. Just tie a rope around his neck and throw him

overboard."

Looking up at Henry, Abe objected, "Won't work, I can swim."

"If he climbs out, just break his legs and throw him back," added the big black

man with a grin. Jerry laughed at the suggestion and Abe's reaction to it. Henry

hugged the young man close to him. Abe didn't fight it, but basked in the

attention from the big man. He'd come to enjoy having a father even if it meant

he had to behave a little better.

Bill had gone around the cabin and entered through the back door. Winking at

Melissa, he said, "Come on Dad, you have to see the rest of it."

"You did a great job in here, Melissa," said Jerry hugging his daughter.

"Thanks, Dad. I'm glad you like it," answered Melissa. She glowed in reaction to

his praise.

Jerry followed Bill out to the back of the houseboat. The back of the houseboat

was set up as a porch with lawn chairs, small tables, and a railing that went

around the edge. A cloth cover provided protection from the elements. Sherry was

seated in one of the chairs drinking a cup of coffee in a foam cup from a donut

chain. She waved to her surroundings and asked, "Isn't this great?"

"It sure is," answered Jerry looking around. There was enough room for a dozen

lawn-chairs and a couple of small tables.

Jenny said, "My parents bought the patio furniture for the houseboat."

"I don't know how to thank you and Tom," said Jerry.

As Jerry turned around to take it all in, Bill and Melissa took seats next to

Sherry. There was a box of donuts and after a gesture from Sherry, Bill reached

in and grabbed one. Within a half a minute, Abe was grabbing a donut as well.

Sherry grinned and said, "I bought lots of them, boys. Don't be shy."

"No one ever accused me of being shy," said Abe before taking a bite out of his

donut.

"I find that hard to believe," replied Sherry with a grin. The irony was not

lost on Abe and he winked back at her. She had met Abe for the first time at the

wedding and found she enjoyed talking with the young man.

Two very large outboard motors hung on the back of the boat. Jerry leaned over

and looked at them. The motors were slaved together by a complex mechanism. From

the fresh welds, he could tell that Bill had rebuilt the mechanism. He tried to

trace the wires that controlled the motors, but they disappeared under the boat.

Noticing what his father was doing, Bill said, "It took me forever to repair the

mechanism for turning the engines. The wheel is up on the cabin and the guide

wires run through the front wall of the cabin."

"It looks good," commented Jerry. He ran a hand over the welds and said, "Very

nice work indeed."

"Thanks," replied Bill sitting up straighter in his chair.

Jerry turned around and found that his mother had joined them on the boat. She

was drinking a cup of coffee and raised the cup in a toast. She said, "Happy

Birthday, Jerry."

"Thanks, Mom."

Sharon stepped out of the cabin and said, "Hey Birthday Boy. This is some row

boat, isn't it?"

"It sure is," replied Jerry.

Looking at the three people dressed in their robes and nightgowns, Tom said,

"Why don't you guys get dressed and come back. We'll take her out on the lake."

There was a sudden rush of activity as Bill, Melissa, and Jenny ran off to

change into more appropriate clothing. Sherry said, "Come on over here and get a

cup of coffee and a donut."

Jerry went over and found that there was a holder with a half dozen Styrofoam

cups of coffee next to a large box of donuts. He grabbed one of the cups

wondering when he had set down the cup of coffee he had been drinking earlier.

Shaking his head at his inability to remember, he took a seat before taking a

sip of coffee. The hot liquid felt good in his mouth.

Henry and Sharon sat down together and held hands. Tom settled into the chair

next to Sherry with a grin. Tom said, "My little girl did a great job in buying

this boat and fixing it up."

"She sure did," said Jerry as he stared at the plastic top of the cup. Looking

up at Tom, he said, "I really don't know what I did to deserve her. She's an

angel."

Sherry smiled and said, "Well, she feels the same about you."

"I wish I knew what I could do to make her as happy as I am," said Jerry.

Sharon shook her head at his comment. She said, "That's the happiest woman I've

ever met. I thought she was gonna bust with happiness when you turned down that

promotion. For a while there, I thought she had won the lottery."

Jerry took a sip of his coffee as the conversation flowed around him. Although

the houseboat was a present for him, he knew that everyone would enjoy it. Bill

and he would go fishing. It was large enough to bring everyone that he knew. He

knew that Bill would want to invite his friends from school for a day out on the

lake. While they were fishing, Melissa and Jenny could relax in the sun working

on their tans, reading, and talking. Melissa could even bring that boy she was

seeing out for the day.

His father interrupted his thoughts when he said, "I imagine the whole family

will enjoy this boat."

Nodding his head in agreement, Jerry replied, "Yes. It'll be very nice not to

have to borrow a boat to go fishing. In fact, I was worried about that. With

Mike and Karen moving out in a couple of weeks, I was wondering where we'd

borrow a boat."

"Why wouldn't you buy one?" asked Tom.

"I don't feel right about spending that kind of money on myself. I'd feel guilty

for cheating my family by spending the kind of money required to buy a boat,"

answered Jerry. Looking around at the boat, he knew she spent far more on this

than his wildest dreams could conceive.

Henry laughed and said, "Now you don't have to worry about that. The only

question you've got to answer is what you're going to get her for her birthday."

Jerry laughed and was about to reply when he heard his family boarding the boat.

Instead, he said, "I guess it is about time to take this out for a little spin

around the lake."

Smiling, Abe said, "Should I put on the water skis?"

Everyone looked at Abe for a minute unable to believe that he could even make

that suggestion as a joke. Henry said, "He's a natural born boat anchor."

"And you wonder why I tell people that I found him abandoned by his real mother

on my doorstep one day," commented Sharon with a grin. Abe stuck his tongue out

at his mother.

Jerry laughed while he followed Tom through the cabin and to the ladder to the

roof. Before climbing up the ladder, he paused to examine it. Tom said, "Don't

worry. It is plenty strong enough to support our weight. So is the roof."

Jerry climbed up the ladder and stepped onto the roof of the cabin. A small

pedestal rose close to the front of the roof. Built into the pedestal were the

steering wheel and a control panel. Jerry looked over it for a moment and then

turned the key to the engines. He pressed the button for the starter and

listened as the motors turned over. After a few seconds, he heard the motors

catch and released the button.

After hours of boating around the lake, Jerry was seated on a lawn chair

situated between Henry and his father on the port side of the houseboat. He was

relaxing in the sun by drinking a soft drink and watching his bobber float on

the surface of the lake. Behind him, Abe and Bill were arguing about who would

catch the biggest fish. Considering the amount of noise they were making, Jerry

didn't give either one of the boys a chance of ever catching a fish.

Henry sat beside him with his line in the water. Listening to a titter of

laughter from the back of the boat, he said, "I can't believe your father-in-law

chose sitting back there over fishing. I guess he's having fun. It's clear the

women are having fun teasing him."

"Jenny said he's back there checking out Sharon in her white skimpy bathing

suit," said Jerry with a wink. Henry laughed at the idea of Tom even trying to

make eyes at Sharon in front of Sherry.

Carl said, "I sure like Jenny. She's a great lady."

"I've got to say this, but meeting and marrying Jenny is the best thing that's

ever happened to me," said Jerry without the slightest hesitation or doubt. If

asked, he would have said that getting to know his children was the best thing

that ever happened to him. There were a lot of things in his life that fell into

that same 'best' category and he would have been honest about each and every one

of them.

"You've got a good future ahead of you. You're married to a great lady. You've

gathered your family around you and, for some strange reason that no one

understands, they actually like you. You turned down a hell of a promotion and

got a hell of a promotion in return. Two houses, a part-time business, and now

this boat. If I didn't like you so much, I'd be envious," said Henry with a

chuckle. Of course, he wasn't going to mention that his life had improved

significantly as well.

"Yeah, it is pretty good, but don't forget having some great friends even if one

of them is a boat anchor," said Jerry provoking a bark of laughter from his

friend.

Jerry considered what Henry had said. He had never dreamed that life could be

this good. In truth, it was better than good, it was great. There were lots of

things in his life for which he should be thankful and he knew it.

His thoughts went back to a day when he had driven his Camaro home from work and

hit a bumper. He could still see the lightning strike that had nearly killed

him. He could still hear the thunder that knocked him on his ass. He tried to

pin down the moment when his life had changed. Was it when he walked out on his

wife? Was it when he bought the old truck? Was it the day he wandered into the

Crimson Rose? Was it the day he was shot and the rage died? He couldn't pin it

down. So many events had brought him to where he was at that moment.

He'd been given a wake up call by the thunder. Ever since then, he'd been

sloughing off the bad things that made him miserable. He thought about the typo

on the name of his Camaro, Lightening. With a quiet sigh, he said, "Thunder and

Lightening."

"What is that?" asked his father not understanding the reference.

"That's the story of my life," answered Jerry secure in the knowledge that his

friend understood the reference. A real sense of contentment filled him as he

repeated, "Thunder and Lightening."

"So where are you in the story now?" asked Henry curious what his friend would

answer.

"In a fairy tale, this is about the time when they'd say that they lived happily

ever after," said Jerry. He looked down at the water in time to see the bobber

disappear from view. He yanked on his fishing rod to set the hook as he prepared

to have the only kind of fight he was willing to accept. The fish put up a

magnificent fight.

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Posted: 2004-11-12

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