Archive for March, 2009

“My, oh my Otis, That sure is a large envelope you got in your hands there. Did my Pa-paw leave you that out in the shed, some where’s?” cried out Agnes Hodge as she chugged her way down the back porch.

Being as she was a rather large woman of ill health she huffed all the way to the pond and reached out for my letter as I tucked it down the front of my jeans.

With a look of frustration, she turned back to the house and cried for her sisters to join her out by the pond. Within moments I was surrounded on three sides, and my back was to the pond.

Agnes glared at me from the center, with her flabby arms akimbo, she peered down at me through her dime store reading glasses that were held safe by a beaded chain she had around her neck.

“Pa-Paw, left him a letter,” Said Agnes with all the anger she could muster without screaming,” and that little… that litt…”

“It’s alright Aggie, we get the point, go on,” Whispered Ella, who stood passively on Agnes’ left.

“Well, he wouldn’t even let me see what he had in his hands before he shoved it right down the front of his pants.”

“Aw Hell,” shrugged Sheila, who happened to be the most muscular girl I’d ever seen,” I used to babysit this kid back when he could barely walk. I seen all of his water works before, I’ll go after it.”

Sheila stepped forward with a sneer and was just about to grab me when Ella grabbed Sheila around her legs with both arms and cried out,” Sheila, you can’t touch him. The lawyers are already involved… remember Santa Fe, Sheila… remember Santa Fe.”

Sheila shrugged Ella off her, and though Ella was still apart of holding me against my will, I reached down to help her out of the dirt.

As I lifted her up I whispered in her ear,” What happened in Santa Fe?”

She only glared at me, dusted herself off and stormed back into the house leaving me alone with Agnes and Sheila.

“Otis,” Agnes calmly began,” I know all of this is overwhelming, First Pa-paw dies, and I know you two were real close.”

Sheila nodded in agreement with her sister as she chimed in,” Pa-paw always talked about how it was nice having you visit and helping him take care of his fishies.”

“That’s so true, Sheila, Why the last time I talked to Pa-Paw, he said you’d been by that day and helped him with some kind of problem with the fish pond.”

“We removed an overgrowth of blooming lily pads,” I muttered.

“Yes, that was it exactly. Why Pa-paw was ever so thankful you were there to help him out, and so were we.”

“Especially Ella,” Whispered Sheila, who knew I’d always been kind of soft on Ella.

What boy in the neighborhood hadn’t?

I tried not to give in, but too many daydreams of running away with Ella made me give up my resolve to easily.

“Really, She… I mean you guys appreciated my helping Mr. Hodge?”

“Well of course,” declared Agnes,” Anyone that would help our Pa-Paw deserves our thanks.”

Sheila continued to nod, and I couldn’t help but try to steal glimpse past them back towards the house in hopes of catching a glimpse of Ella through the screen door that lead into the kitchen.

I heard the water churning behind me.

“They’re hungry,” I said,” Mind if I continue feeding them?”

“They are always hungry,” said Agnes,” Go about your business Otis, I’m sure Eddie explained that while we are trying to clear up this silly problem we are more than happy to let you tend to Pa-Paw’s fishies. Even Sheila’s councilor thought it was a great idea.”

“Dr. Neusbaum said that you probably were dealing with some abandonment issues right now. What with Pa-Paw’s death and tending to Pa-paw’s fishies would be just the thing to help you with… Ummm… with…”

“Closure,” Agnes said with an encouraging nod while staring into Sheila’s eyes.”

“That’s right, Closure.”

I dipped my hand back into the jar of Lucky Golden Carp Pellets and threw another small handful in while Agnes continued.

“I’m real sorry about all of this, Otis, I know learning that our Pa-paw left you his fishies and at the same time learning that we (his rightful heirs) have determined that his will must be brought into line with what we believe would have been his rightful wishes.”

“Well if he wanted me to have them, he must have had a good reason,” I said plainly while continuing to feed the three happy fish who swam so quickly in the center of the pond where I had thrown the food they created a small whirlpool that was strong enough to tug slightly at the lily pads that dotted the pond.

“I’m sure he did,” spoke Sheila,” but as you know our Pa-paw wasn’t in the best of health these past few years. All of his doctors agree that there is a good chance that his brain may have become slightly addled before he changed his will.”

Agnes stepped in closer to me and peered right into my eyes,” Before he changed his will we were supposed to get them. Pa-Paw and I talked about it many times. He said plainly that Ella was to get the Koi that resembled a Zebra… mostly white with a few blue and black stripes”

She meant Whimsy, the smallest of the three sisters, and also the fastest swimmer.

“I was to receive the yellow one; he has orange fins and a red beauty mark atop his forehead.”

That could only be Fire, or as I had known her for the past four years, Un-mellow yellow. She was a big girl, the biggest of them all, and she glistened as if she had been crafted of gold.

“Sheila was supposed to get the blue one.”

That only left Ice, who was the blue of deepest indigo and she had fins the color of turquoise.

“Imagine our surprise when pa-paw finally died on us, and we discovered that he had taken our inheritance and given it to someone else.”

They tsked in unison as their heads gave a shameful shake, and they both ended it on a sigh.

“I was overwhelmed with grief,” cried Agnes softly,” I had even made a pond in my backyard back in Connecticut for my fishy, knowing that one day I’d have to take care of it.”

“We all made ponds,” Spoke Sheila solemnly.

“Yes,” Agnes agreed emphatically,” We all had ponds dug for our fishies, because we knew the day would come when we’d have to take care of Pa-paw’s fishies… and now what are we to do? We’ve got the ponds… I even hired an aquarium guy to help me get it set up proper once I got my fishy home, and now… AND NOW” she ended on a sob and Sheila pulled out a red bandana she had in her back pocket and let her whale of a sister soak it
with her tears.

“And now pa-paw does this to us,” Spoke Sheila as Agnes cried even louder into the almost dripping do-rag.

“Look, I don’t get it any more than you… Honest.”

“Well,” said Agnes between the last crying jag and the one to follow,” Maybe Pa-paw said something about it in his letter.”

“Otis, can we have a look at that letter?” asked Sheila as she patted Agnes on the back between her deep sobs.

I was just about to reach down into my pants to pull out the letter when the phone inside the house could be heard, Ella answered but none of us could make out what was being said.

Within moments Ella was on the back porch.

“Otis, you better get on home right now, your mama just called and thinks you’ve been taking care of the Koi long enough.”

I ran the Koi food back into the shed and closed it up tight, and when I turned around there they were, all three of them had me backed up against the shed this time.

“Before you leave though, how about you let us take a look at that letter?” Asked Ella, as sweetly as honey running off of a piece of hot toast.

“If my mom called you to get me to home, then I better not waste any time. How about next time?” I stated as I dodged past them and over the fence to my waiting bike.

Not to be deterred, they loaded up into Sheila’s pickup, and followed behind me at a low speed.

As I pedaled my way home, I could hear them shouting after me to stop along the side of the road and let them have a look at the letter. It bulged up my crotch and dug into the sides of my legs, and part of me wanted to rip it from out of my pants, throw it in the street and let them have at it.
If they wanted this letter so bad there had to be a reason and Mr. Hodge was the only one that knew that reason. In the case of the Koi as well as the letter they had both been addressed to me, so maybe Mr. Hodge had his reasons, and accordingly maybe he had determined that only I needed to know his reasoning.

Like hungry dogs chasing down a rabbit, they pleaded and begged for me to give them the letter as I went down one street after another, and when I was half a block away from my house they relented and turned the truck around and headed back the way they had come.

Instead of slowing down my furious pace, I kept on pedaling until I got home and I found my mother sitting on the swing that took up most of the front porch.

“That Eddie Pearl is a piece of work, Otis,” my mother moaned,” If your father had been here he would have thrown him out on his ear as soon as he said Mr. Hodge’s will was being contested.”

“Probably so mom,” I didn’t have the heart to bring up the fact that my father hadn’t been around much the past few years. She didn’t need to be reminded of the pain, and neither did I.

“So how were the Imperial Koi?” she asked with a grin.

“Hungry, as always”

“Well that’s good, a hungry fish is a healthy fish… or so I hear.”

My mother scooted me inside.

“Otis, did you know they were Imperial Koi?”

“I didn’t even know there was such a thing.”

“Neither did I, Otis. But I will say this; Mr. Hodge was a very sweet man. A right honest Angel, if you ask me. Those Koi are worth millions, Otis. MILLIONS” she chattered with glee.

“That’s the only reason his girls want anything to do with them.” She gabbed,” Poor Eric never got along with any of his daughters. Such a pity, it’s a Good thing we’ll never have that problem Otis.”

She ruffled my hair with a grin… I always hated it when she ruffled my hair.

“His daughter’s never had time for him, none of them even wanted to come to his funeral, that is until their mother had told them about his Imperial Koi.”

“I’m not selling them Mom.”

The cake platter she was holding fell to the ground with a crash.

“Otis,” she stated through the gritted teeth of shock,” I’m not sure you heard me right… those little fish are worth millions.”

“Oh, I get it mom… but I just can’t sell them, Mr. Hodge trusted me with their well being, with their care… I’m sure he never wanted me to sell them. AND, they aren’t that little.”

Even Whimsy, the smallest among them weighed a good 15 pounds.

“Well how would you know what he wanted, the man’s dead and he left them to us. What good does a flock…”

“A School, mom” I interrupted.

“A school then,” she said as her voice rose into a slightly shrieking tone,” What good does a SCHOOL of Koi do for a poor family like us. Absolutely nothing, that’s what. I got to look over the monthly budget that Eddie had with him that detailed the amount of money it will cost to care for those finned freeloaders once those 5 years are over, and Otis I can’t rightly be spending that kind of money on fish when I can barely keep the roof over our heads.”

Without another word I left her standing in the living room, while I shuffled myself into my bedroom and locked the door behind me. Mom followed me down the hall, and even tried to open the door after I had gone in with a shake of the door handle.

“Go away mom,” I said as I fished my letter out of my pants,” It’s been a long day.”

“It’s about to get easier Otis,” she said through the door,” Mr. Pearl is already drawing up papers and we’re going to sign them in the morning.”

With a sigh, I opened the packet, sat on the edge of my bed, and began to read.