“I’ll come,” I say. Although Walter hasn’t been in my life for nearly a decade, he’s a good guy. Family helps family. While I’m here, I want to build better relationships. Also, maybe my uncle will know something about the man offering to buy this house.
16
I’m dressed and ready and in the truck in less than half an hour. Daryl is driving, Dwayne is up front, and Donovan is in the back with me. I wasn’t sure what to wear but thought Uncle Walter might want me to be smart so I decided on the black shift dress that I brought with me in case I might need to attend to something formal. It’s figure hugging with a high neck and it hangs to just below the knee.
Donovan gazes at me appreciatively. “You look like you should be working in some CEO’s office, not riding around in the back of this old truck.” he says.
“Not that I should be a CEO?” I raise my eyebrows and Donovan laughs.
“Now, that I’d like to see,” he says.
“There’s nothing sexier than a powerful woman,” Daryl agrees.
“Powerful. You want someone to stamp on your balls with stiletto heels,” Dwayne says, shaking his head at his brothers.
“Powerful doesn’t have to mean dominant, bro,” Donovan says. “Just someone who knows what they want and is prepared to go after it.”
“I thought guys like women who know their place?”
“I like a woman who wants to spend a lot of time in the bedroom,” Daryl says.
“I’d love a woman to make me a sandwich once in a while,” Dwayne says. “It’s been a long time since any of us had a woman to do more than…” He pauses as though he’s just remembered he’s talking to me rather than just shooting the shit with his brothers. If I didn’t know about their history, I’d find that comment really misogynistic, but instead, Dwayne’s desire for a woman to care for him is just sad. It’s the way I feel about the man-sized gap in my life. I wish I knew more about their individual situations. Do these guys remember their mom? Was she a good mom or a bad mom? Did she care for them or neglect them? I know there’s a folder back at the house that will tell me everything but I’m not sure that looking at their personal documents is fair. Maybe they’ll tell me in time.
“Are you saying my sandwiches aren’t good enough for you?” Donovan says.
“Nah, your sandwiches are decent enough.”
“That doesn’t sound much like praise,” I laugh.
“He’s always searching for compliments,” Dwayne grumbles.
As I gaze out of the window, taking in the treelined streets and wide-spaced houses, I can’t help but compare it to home. There’s so much more land here, which makes it feel less urban and less pressured. Our house is crammed in on both sides and our yards are like postage stamps. The walls are thin, and we can sometimes hear our neighbor rip one in the middle of the night. It’s why Mom was so angry at Cathy for shouting because she knew everyone in the surrounding houses would have heard every word of her criticism. Here, you could probably shoot your family, and no one would be any the wiser.
“We can’t stay the whole day,” Donovan tells me. “We’ve gotta head to the practice fields this afternoon. You can come watch or you can stay with your uncle. We’ll come pick you up if you decide to stay.”
“I guess I’ll play it by ear,” I say. “See what Walter needs. Is that okay?”
“Sure.” Donovan turns up the volume, blaring the music. It’s not a track I’m familiar with but the words seem to click with the boys because they all start singing along. It’s about the grind; working hard to achieve your dreams.
“See, this is what it’s all about,” Dwayne says.
“We’ve just got to keep on trying,” Daryl says.
“Make Dad proud,” Donovan adds, glancing at me.
“What’s going to make Dad proud?” I ask.
Donovan nods, rubbing his hand over his stubbly chin, eyes glowing with whatever he’s thinking about. “He wanted at least one of us to make it the NFL,” he says. “It’s what we’ve all been working toward because with all of us playing, it’s motivation and competition. That’s what Dad said anyway. If we all keep pushing in the same direction, at least one of us is going to reach the top.”
“And when we do, we look after all of us. It’s a team dream,” Dwayne says, turning his head to talk to me directly.
“So who’s closest to the top?” I ask.
“Logan,” Dwayne says. “And Daryl.”
“Shit, I’m not higher than you,” Daryl says as though the idea that he might be separated from his brothers is too much for him to handle.
“It’s okay,” Donovan says. “We just keep on pushing. It’s in the hands of the higher power.”