A New Day, A New You part 7

Stuart: Christmas week in Texas

I’ve had a month to digest it and I’ve heard every way it was looked at but I still have trouble coping with the simple fact that I helped kill a man. It wasn’t my plan, it wasn’t my hands but I helped put the prescriptions through showing them back logged for months. I helped find a bartender that was willing to help out with the drugging but we killed a man. I don’t know what scares me more, that we did it, that we got away with it or the fact that among the group I’m the only one that seems to have a problem with it as we did the post operation talk.

“Listen I know I signed on but what we did was murder,” I told them through the microphone on my new computer.

“It was that yes but it was accidental,” Guy said but was cut off by Isaac.

“Fuck accident, I wanted that fat bastard to die. Watching him try to pick up on the woman at the table was a crime against humanity,” Isaac replied and Ben nodded in agreement.

“Think on this for yourself Stuart, this man would have ruined a good family and a good marriage for what? His own ego? Maybe he thought the future child would be a match so he could get a replacement kidney? Stuart some people are nothing but parasites and while I didn’t want him dead per se I’m pretty sure there isn’t a long list of actual mourning his passing,” Guy explained with scary logic.

That was weeks ago in my room at college, now I’m in my Uncle Morgan’s condo and I can see just a bit of the influence being thrown around. We’re on the fifth floor of eight with the eights being an indoor pool for residents and their guests. Morgan is the same man I remember driving me through the country when I was growing up, 5’9” and built like a barrel. One of his major changes is I don’t see the coveralls and jeans with flannel shirts with a ball cap on his head. Now he has his hair cut and wears khaki pants with button up dress shirts.

“I have a big responsibility working for Mr. Amdahl as he has me doing half the logistic work while he takes care of the bigger business people. Honestly I was worried about retiring in a few years and now I can keep working,” Morgan informs me as we do the tour of his place.

Our Christmases have never been big thing but this year it’s more of a relaxed and welcomed deal as we have a place and no major expectations. Uncle Morgan has to work this week and next while I’m visiting but I was informed that I’d be meeting someone soon that would change my perspective. I’ve only been here for a day and I’m alone in the condo when a knock at the door has me wondering what happened to the buzzer. I pull it open to see a well built Japanese man in hacker fare clothing and a backpack on his shoulder.

“Hey Stuart grab your coat we got places to get to,” the Japanese guy tells me walking into the condo and looks around,” I gotta tell them to make sure these things are set up better.”

“Who the fuck are you,” I ask and watch as he takes off his sunglasses.

“Dude it’s me, Jun? That mythical voice of the internet,” He tells me and I do a double take.

“You’re dressed like you’re younger than I am,” I tell him and he laughs.

“Yeah well when my people see me like this they know I’m serious,” Jun informs me and I grab my jacket.

We get outside and down to street level where Jun has a big SUV with a couple kids sitting in the back of it. I start to wonder about him leaving children, hopefully his, in the car alone when one of them starts talking.

“Daddy I need something faster,” the boy says holding up a tablet,” I’m streaming slow and it is buffering.”

“Complain again about the wireless signal and I’ll make you use the old dial up for a week Kenichi,” He tells his son before starting the vehicle.

As we drive I learn that I’m meeting one of the most powerful people in Guy’s business and I start to wonder who the mystery person is as we pull up to a nice ranch style house in a neighborhood similar to the one Guy lives in. I get in the door and that’s when I see the difference between Jun and Guy. Guy’s home is very home like in the way that you don’t see a whole lot of excess around and feel like people might actually live there. Jun’s house is full of hardware and I pass parts on the way to his office that I recognize from building computers when I see a door that reminds me of old spy movies. I watch his son head off to his room as a nanny carries a little girl to him and he turns towards me to speak.

“Behind this door is my life’s work, not only that it’s Guy and everyone else in the business that you met lively hood. You are one of us Stuart but you may be the only one who fully understands what you are about to see,” Jun tells me and I nod as he puts his hand on a panel.

He has a palm scanner on a door in his house and when I hear the lock release and I step inside a very comfortable office with a single new molded plastic and metal desk with a chair that has a roller ball mouse built into the arm rest. The wall of computer towers that are to the left and the right of the desk don’t get my attention as much as the nine flat screen monitors, 32” each one and they are set up 3×3 on the desk. I watch Jun sit down and exhale before addressing me.

“Welcome to the hub, Guy built his business on two things. You’ve seen him work and know that that is sixty five percent of it. This is the other thirty five,” He tells me pulling up screens of data,” he runs the field but I keep him informed. I make sure everyone is online and taken care of and that is what you were helping me do with the Senator job.”

“Yeah I’m still unsure about the whole accidental murder thing,” I tell him and he shakes his head.

“Your GPU is causing the system to crash, what do you do,” He asks me a simple question.

“Replace it depending on the age of the computer,” I tell him and he smiles.

“Guy sees the whole world like that. Everything in it can be altered, replaced or destroyed as he sees it,” Jun tells me and I feel a little nervous.

“Everything,” I ask and he turns to address me.

“Everything, he did it for me. Devin, Masha, Desmond and Wilma. His wives. His parents. Not to mention a few groups of people that you might just meet one of these days. He doesn’t do it because he can and it’s fun. He sees the problem and becomes Occam’s Razor,” Jun states pulling up more data and I ponder the thought he’s given me.

Guy cuts out the problem and leaves it better than when he left and he chooses his clients. He didn’t take the job for the money with the Senator and he didn’t take it for the fun of a Viagra based heart attack. He did it because the situation needed fixing. I was a fat fucking waste and I’m fixed. Fuck me he’s scary.

Guy: Christmas morning

If anyone ever asks me what is the most difficult thing in the world is I will tell them to live with nine other people and keep a secret. That’s what I’ve been doing for the past two weeks and now I’m up and alert setting up the finishing touches on Christmas. I got all the kids something special and they don’t get a lot of gifts every year, just a few really amazing ones. I’m down stairs drinking a cup of hot cocoa in a blue pajama set that I got our first Christmas with the boys, it’s a tradition to wear pajamas on Christmas Eve according to Rachael and I don’t argue too much with the ladies about little things. I can hear my wives stirring as they would normally but this morning we’re enjoying the quiet and peace before the storm and I’m the only one that knows how loud it’s about to get.

“Merry Christmas,” I greet my wives and watch them get a cup of cocoa for themselves as we sit in the quiet.

“You were up early,” Korinna informs me and I nod,” Are we plotting something or should we relax?”

“I think we’ll have happy children this year,” I tell them and smile as Kori sits on my lap.

Her lips are so fucking soft it’s almost unnatural but after all these years she can kiss me and curl my toes. I’m taking turns with a different wife on my lap and I am giving Mathilda some attention when I hear some thumping and my boys come down the stairs at break neck speed.

“Slow down,” their mother admonishes them before noting what they are wearing.

My sons enter the living room with fighting pads on their hands, head protection and shin guards. Kori is giving me a pretty good evil eye but I simply smile at her. I watch Murphy raise his fist to hit Connor and I interject.

“Boys,” and the world stops for my sons who step towards me quietly,” You think you have those so you can fight each other?”

“No Dad,” both answer at the same time.

“Why do we have protective gear,” I ask them and they look a little defeated.

“Because we need to learn before we can fight like you Dad,” they both inform me again.

“Now you two go see your mother and let her tell you the rules for that,” I tell the twins with a smile.

Kori is handling the control issue with our sons when Esmeralda pokes me in the arm as I’m sitting and I turn to see my current youngest holding a key confused. I point her to her mother and it takes a bit for Imelda to recognize the key and I watch mother and daughter head out to the garage with me in tow. Our garage has plenty of things but the one thing that Esme has been asking for from her mother is her own tools. I took a drawer in my chest and turned it into Esmeralda’s tool drawer and filled it with the basics for working on her bicycle. Mommy and daughter are having a gear head moment and I get a hug from my baby before heading back to the rest of the family. We’re all sitting around unwrapping a few gifts when I hear crying coming down the stairs and now everyone is quiet. Christy is bawling her eyes out and I have no clue how this happened.

“Baby what is wrong,” I ask her and get babbling and more tears in response.

I let Rachael take Christy up to her room and wait a few minutes as we all hear the crying stop and I hope my little ginger is calmed down when Rachael comes down stairs and grabbing me by the arm drags me out of my chair and into the kitchen.

“What the hell were you thinking,” She growls quietly.

“I was thinking she’s a good girl and really wanted one for Christmas or any other holiday honestly,” I whisper back.

“She thinks Santa brought it for her and that you’re going to take it away,” Rachael tells me and I get marching orders to go see Christy in her room.

I get upstairs and as soon as my baby girl sees me in the doorway she’s bawling harder while holding a brand new golden retriever puppy. I catch a few words in the crying like Santa, Daddy, please, and love. I sit down in front of my daughter and watch as she clutches onto her new puppy like I’ll take him away right now and she’ll never see him again. I hold my hands out for the puppy and she slowly lets me take the dog which I hold up to my face and look at it for a moment.

“You don’t like the dog,” I ask Christy confused.

“I don’t want you to take Wiggles,” she tells me quietly.

“I didn’t plan on taking your dog Christy, Santa and I talked about this last night and he said you were ready and I’m not arguing with Santa so he let me put him in your bed so you could wake up together,” I inform my little ginger who tackles me onto my back with hugs.

I am barraged with ‘thank you daddy’ and ‘I love you’ before the puppy, now Wiggles, is removed from my hands and carried down stairs by a happier Christy. Not a single child feels like they were left out and my wives and I attempt to relax the day away as the children take over the house minus anything productive like meals and cleaning. I am ordered to take the new little one out with my daughter for a walk to get the puppy some fresh air and for once I’m grateful it didn’t snow. Our walk is a good one and if you ever want to see a girl take her new responsibility very seriously it’s when you have to hand her a plastic bag to pick up puppy poop. All in all we’re looking at a Christmas that is pretty calm and happy, next year I will remember no puppy. Especially if this one lives, god I hope this one lives.

Stuart: New Year’s Eve

After a good time with Uncle Morgan and meeting Jun and Lilly for the first time during the holidays I’m actually ready for school. I’m still getting my head around the absolute finality of the job Jun had me assisting on and the repercussions but I wasn’t there and it’s not like we’re going to go to jail, at least I hope we won’t. Good thing is I’m back in time for a new year’s party, one problem, I can’t find one. I went looking for a flyer or a post on the college forum online and there is nothing. I don’t want to spend another new year in my room and to make matters worse no Soledad or Caitlin. Neither one are back from visiting their families. I settle for trying to find a club near the college and after paying a ten dollar cover I am in. I never did clubs before but now I can see why people would avoid them, loud, dark and people are yelling to talk. I get to the bar and settle on a beer while I crowd watch. I’m dressed nicely for the new me with slacks and one of the Katy selected shirts but there are people here dressed better and with an hour till the New Year. I get on the dance floor a couple times and don’t completely embarrass myself when a black guy, about my height and maybe one seventy gets my attention.

“Follow my lead,” he yells at me and I’m confused.

I watch him as he does some fairly simple moves and I mimic him as best I can which basically has me looking a little better on the dance floor. I continue to follow his lead and realize we got about ten of us doing the same movements and once the song ends there is some cheering and get pulled by the dancer to a booth on the side.

“Thanks for the help,” I tell him a little embarrassed.

“Hey man I gotta help when you’re out there trying,” He tells me as we sit.

“Yeah well it’s not my strongest skill,” I tell him and he laughs.

“Hey at least you try, look out there and you can tell who is brave and who isn’t,” He says pointing to the crowd.

He introduces himself as Jamal and after names are exchanged I find out he’s not in college, he’s working on his career. He says something about being the total package entertainer and I ask if he’s a stripper which gets a laugh. I watch him dance with more than a few ladies and find myself on the dance floor with a nice brunette as the countdown ends. I get a kiss on the cheek and that’s where the good times stop when I hear someone yelling at Jamal and not in the friendliest tone.

“Hey Asshole get your hands off my girlfriend,” the possibly Mexican boyfriend yells at him.

“Hey she wanted to dance man, I didn’t do anything she didn’t ask for,” Jamal tells him which doesn’t go over well.

I don’t mind letting Jamal fight it out if he has to but when one Mexican brings three more to the table I’m not really good with those numbers and I part the crowd a little bit but not many notice that I’m building a line for me to ring leader.

“Hey shit head,” I tell the leader who looks to me a second too late.

I got pretty quick with all the running and training Guy had me doing and it takes a couple seconds to cover about five feet and bring my right fist around hard connecting with the ring leaders face. He goes down hard and fast, I think his feet were above his head at one point, when I turn to the next buddy and bring my left around right into his nose. There is blood on the dance floor as number two falls holding his face and I turn my attention to the last two when one takes the first shot at me and hits. I can actually feel myself get angry at the level of weak in the punch as my face barely moves; I whip my head back and let out a loud scream in his face. He tries to back pedal but I grab him by the throat and lift him up with both hands before slamming him down onto the dance floor full strength. I am almost to my feet when what I can only guess is number four wraps his arms around my neck while hopping on my back. I can only fathom he wants to choke me out and now I’m mad, reaching up with both hands I grab hid little head under the jaw and pull my body forward bending down and straighten my arms slamming him on top of his friend I just planted a moment earlier. I’m breathing hard more out of anger than exhaustion and I start stomping towards the exit and once outside I realize that Jamal is still in there and almost turn when a four door car pulls up quickly with Jamal driving.

“Get in man we gotta go,” he tells me and I realize I could go to jail.

I’m in the passenger side of the car and once the door is closed he heads out of the parking lot and down the road leaving the club and my first fight of the New Year behind us. We’re about ten minutes out when he starts laughing.

“Did you see what you did to those guys,” Jamal starts in laughing,” I mean you fucking destroyed them.”

“That is one of my strong skills,” I tell him and he laughs again.

“No shit man, I gotta keep you around cause women keep forgetting to tell me about their boyfriends when we’re dancing,” Jamal says and I have to correct him.

“Dude you kissed her,” I state and he counters.

“No she kissed me, I can’t help that man but I was keeping my distance as the saying goes,” my new friend says as we finally get to my dorm.

We part ways after exchanging information and I figure it’s good to have friends other than Richard. I settle down and rub my knuckles as I’m seated on my bed, I don’t know why I jumped the gun and just started swinging but I think I need to talk to someone about it. First day of the New Year and I end up sending off an email to Mrs. Rachael and Mrs. Kori about what happened and ask for some advice. I won’t hear back from them soon but it never hurts to ask.

I’m at the gym a couple days later when Robin shows up back from her break looking worse for the wear. When she doesn’t approach me to talk I figure I’ll let her be and since there aren’t a lot of people I can give her some space. Robin used to be a little chubby for her 5’6” frame but now she’s up a few pounds from the holidays and down a few notches in happy exterior. I almost finish with my set and she marches up to me a little mad.

“Why aren’t you talking to me,” Robin asks mad but quiet.

“You looked a little down and I figured you wanted some space,” I tell her and she pauses,” How was break?”

“Fucking assholes, all you men are just manipulating shit heads. I do everything to fix my flaws and it’s never enough and then you haul off and tell me that I’m the one that wants space,” Robin snaps and I stand up.

“Check that load of shit right now Robin. I was being nice and giving you some space, I didn’t say shit about your flaws if you have them save for this attitude,” I counter her hot and she’s firing back.

“Well if I don’t have any flaws why haven’t you tried to fuck me yet? I mean everyone else has tried and you just sit around being a gym monkey,” Robin hauls off and I stop in my tracks.

“No, not doing this shit right now,” I tell her and start walking away when I hear crying.

There she is crying not really in control of what is going on with her and I figure Mrs. Kori would want me to help. I turn around and wait as she walks up to me slowly and grabbing my shirt pulls her against me.

“Greg was back for the holidays too and we talked. It was like we were together again and we had sex then he said I was still his chubby little Korean girl and showed me pictures of the girl he’s been dating in Georgia,” Robin tells me not sobbing but a little shaken,” I thought we were going to try to put it back together but he wanted a holiday booty call.”

I hug her, she’s had it rough and after her ex gave her the bad brush off I figure I’ll try to be the good friend. I let her get a little bit of it out of her system before we get to working out the bad and trying to help her feel better. I offer to take her to lunch and get told that she needs to shower after sweating to the blues. We head off separate directions but agree to meet back in thirty minutes for lunch. I shower and dress quickly before heading back with a few minutes to spare and casually wait when Robin shows up and for the first time I get to see her in non gym clothing. A pink zip up hoodie and jeans with sneakers are her choices and for once I’m not oddly dressed with a sweater and jeans myself. We laugh a little to each other about clothing choice and walk off campus to find somewhere to eat. Both of us agree to settle on somewhere decent but where she is worried about prices I’m wondering about conditions, we settle on a mom and pop diner and once we order she settles in telling me about Greg.

“We dated for two years and he was the first guy I was with… physically,” I smile as she blushes a little,” I just thought it was as important to me as it was to him. Evidently not.”

“Some guys are like that, great while you’re here then when you’re gone they look for what’s new,” I tell her and she locks onto me.

“What about the girls I’ve been hearing about with you,” She asks blunt and to the point.

“Well girls is correct but there are only two I’m having fun with and they are all about the friends with benefits which is nice. We spend time together, we relax and talk, we have sex but there isn’t a commitment,” I tell her and she nods but there is more on her mind.

“Why don’t you try to settle with them,” She asks but it’s a loaded question.

“Honestly I thought a relationship would fix me last year, I needed it considering how bad off I was. Now I want someone who will appreciate me like my boss and his family does,” I tell her and she is intrigued.

“His family, you met his family? What kind of internship are you doing,” she asks and I smile.

“One that pays well and helped make me feel better about me inside and out,” I reply and we stop talking to eat.

Lunch is good, we continue to talk and she explains how she wants her art history degree to be something more than a useless piece of paper while I go over a bit of what I’m working for in my degree. She doesn’t fully get it but doesn’t ask a million questions about it either when I get a guest.

“My brother from another mother Stu, how goes it my man,” Jamal says pulling a chair up to our booth.

“Good Jamal, I’d like you to meet my friend Robin,” I do the introductions,” What brings you in here?”

“Saw you from the window and figured I’d come by and say hi,” Jamal tells us turning to Robin,” You looking to put hooks into my boy here?”

“Hooks what,” She asks confused.

“Are you looking to make him the new man in your life,” He asks again and she’s confused,” Boyfriend?”

“No, no no we’re friends.