49 - Little Helper

*This is Damien and he’ll be supervising today. Watch your language and behave. – Darkness*
Within days, the rental contract for the little bungalow was signed and Darkness started making plans to work on the house. Schedules were adjusted and supplies were ordered. A construction dumpster and a rented bathroom with outdoor sink were placed in the driveway. Permits were applied for, and inspections were scheduled.
They finished up on the bed and breakfast suites. All three suites that were damaged by the fire and water and the fourth one that they decided needed to be updated were already booked out past Mardi Gras in February. Bonuses were paid out for minimizing the amount of time that they were closed.
Zydeco had tested the little bungalow for mold after discovering peeling paint on the walls. A test hole showed not only mold, but other issues. Mainly water damage and the aftereffects of it.
It might not have been the most cost-effective method. But it was certainly the most efficient and easiest. All the sheetrock had been stripped off the walls and subfloor pulled up. Inside it was nothing but bare bones.
As the project foreman, Zydeco decided it was the best option since some of the studs needed to be repaired. Water damage from a slow pipe leak caused the nearby wooden studs and floor joists to rot. There were also several studs that had holes for electrical wires and plumbing.
Darkness had not heard the man swear in so many languages before. But he did that day. He wasn’t certain, but there was a distinct possibility that along with the Creole, French, English and Spanish there were a few curse words in Klingon.
He was not the only one that had this suspicion as Santa held up his hand in the Vulcan salute and declared, “May the force be with you.”
Shaking his head, Darkness walked away from the impending fight that was coming between the older man and a freshly patched Wookie. If bets were going to be placed, Darkness would put his money on the gray-haired man. With age comes wisdom, especially following two ranking placements in World Strong Man competitions.
Thankfully, the house did not need to be leveled. Not for the first time, Darkness and Zydeco agreed that the pier and beam foundation on pilings was the were the best way to go. But when they tore up the subfloor, a few of the floor joists needed to be replaced. Mainly near the water leak between the kitchen and bathroom.
Now, it was only two days before Darkness and Camille flew out for Christmas. They finally had the rotten studs, damaged floor joists and entire subfloor replaced and were ready to spray the insulation.
As the guys got the machine set up, Darkness went three doors down and collected Damien from his aunt who tried to flirt. He carried the excited little boy back down to his little bungalow cottage.
After quick introductions, the guys put the little boy into a protective suit and helped him hold the nozzle. He squealed in excitement as he sprayed the expanding insulation.
There were some areas that would definitely need to be sprayed again. And others that would need to be cut down. But the guys were having fun watching the happy little boy. And those who knew Darkness were glad to see that he was no longer getting lost in his own darkness.
Zydeco was happy seeing his adoptive son like this. It had been a long time since he was this relaxed. The dark side of him had only grown after multiple deployments overseas. But now, sitting on bare subfloor helping his landlord’s son spray insulation, Zydeco saw the boy he knew before his parents died.
The little boy who had been carefree and happy. Innocent and full of light. Easy to laugh. That was all before…
Before his young mother shoved him into a cabinet below the cash register in the restaurant that she worked at.
Before the six-year-old was the only survivor of a custody dispute.
Before Shadow had tried to calm the man down, while trying to protect his wife and son.
Before the man killed his pregnant girlfriend.
Before the man shot everyone else that he saw.
Before he then turned the gun on himself.
Before Amos had seen it all.
Darkness had surrounded the boy ever since and followed him into adulthood. His older brother had been at a friend’s house. Jasper never understood the trauma that his brother had experienced. As they grew older, the darkness and lack of understanding drove them farther apart.
The way that Jasper and his family treated Camille did not help. But hopefully they will work through this.
At this point, there might not be a way back for them. But Zydeco had trusted Momma Dee when she said that yes, they would resolve their differences. Her unseeing eyes bore into Zydeco in a way that always scared him and creeped him out. She then spoke of dark shadows surrounding the older brother.
Shaking off the unnatural chill that settled over him, Zydeco took a picture of the two and sent it to Camille. ‘Neighbor kid wanted to help.’
A moment later, she responded with a heart eyed smiley face. ‘That’s my Darkness.’
Smirking, he put his phone away. Only to pull it back out as it started ringing. He spoke with the panicked man for a few minutes before agreeing to send someone over. Tapping Darkness on the shoulder, he made the motion to Santa for the machine to be turned off.
“Got a house that is flooding. Sending you the address.”
“I’ll take over so the boss man can keep working.” One of the brothers offered.
Darkness nodded. “I got to go, little man. But you can keep working with Sully here.”
The men traded places, and his phone chimed with the address as Darkness walked out. He took the work truck and went to fix a busted water tank.
At the end of the day, Zydeco walked the little boy back to his own house where he told his mother all about working with the men. She listened, giving her very animated son her undivided attention. Right up until his attention was pulled to the animated show playing on the big screen TV.
“I really don’t know how to thank you,” Jenna told him.
“Trust me, we were all just as thrilled as he was. I miss my boys being that little. Although, Darkness was six when I adopted them. I did not get much time with them being this little. Hoping to get grandbabies.”
They talked for a few more minutes ad Zydeco wondered why he was suddenly telling this woman his life history. He knew that there was someone who could answer these questions and tell him more than what he wanted to know. And tell him absolutely nothing at the same time.
He rolled through Darla’s Daquiri Drive-Thru and got a strawberry daquiri, Momma Dee’s fruit smoothie. Rosie was at the nurse’s station and rolled her eyes at the Styrofoam cup in his hand. He shrugged his shoulders and headed down the hall.
“You bring me a fruit smoothie?” the old woman asked as she counted her stitches on the long knitting needles.
“Yes, ma’am,” he chuckled, wondering how she could do that without seeing her project.
“By feel,” she cackled an answer to his unasked question.
“You scare me, woman,” he admitted as he sat her smoothie on her nearby table and kissed her upturned cheek.
“Yet, you keep coming back,” she laughed at him as she grabbed at her daquiri.
“I do,” he sat on the bed with the new comforter featuring a creepy looking skeleton guy and a rag doll on it. “I like this better than the fall plaid.”
“I’m sure that Jasper’s woman will bring me a Christmas plaid any day now.” She took a drink of her smoothie and gave a soft sigh. “What’s on your mind, boy?”
“I’m worried about my boys.”
“That’s called parenthood.”
“They’re fighting.”
She chuckled. “That’s what brother’s do.”
“Not like this,” he said with a sigh.
“Tell that older boy of yours to come see me this weekend,” she smiled and sucked another drink through the straw. “I’ll even have them put the plaid back on.”
“You’d do that for her?”
“I’ll do that to keep my new blanket,” she motioned to the TV. “Tell Rosie to put my movie on. You should watch it sometime. Your granddaughter likes it.”
“Promise, I will.” He said standing up knowing that he was being dismissed. He kissed her cheek and then headed for the door.
“Are you going to miss me?”
He paused in the doorway. “Are you going somewhere?”
She smiled with a knowing smile. “Tell Darkness to bring his woman to meet me after they get back.”
“You are very little help,” he sighed, and she laughed.