“At least with Cassidy around, she’d protect me,” I teased.
Mom turned serious.
“We can joke about your safety, but I’m worried about you thinking you can handle anything. I watched the video,” she said, referring to the fight with the ‘Baby Dick Gang.’
“I understand. Fritz has been a big help in making me aware of what can happen. I might be crazy, but I hope things at home will be different. Everyone knows me there.”
“Your dad and I talked after we spent time at the driving school being scared straight. I’m going to approach real estate differently. Anyone I take to show houses has to come to the office and have their driver’s license copied. We learned several things, but I think we’re naïve if we believe there aren’t additional risks. Something we’re going to do is fence the yard and put a gate across the driveway. We’ll get something temporary for now and then put in one that’s more decorative once the ground thaws.”
“Don’t forget Precious has to be able to visit Duke,” I said.
“I was thinking that would be one of the benefits of a fence.”
“Don’t let Duke hear you say that.”
“Something else we need to do is fix the lock on your apartment,” Mom said.
My head snapped up. I knew it! Girls walked in as if they owned the place, even when I changed the code.
“Tell me.”
“Fire and Rescue had to be able to get in. We set up an oh-nine-one-one code. I might have told Tami about it,” Mom hedged.
I just shook my head.
“Have you thought about what you plan to do after all this?” Mom asked, waving her hand around her head.
“What do you mean?” I asked.
“Is your plan to be a gentleman farmer and raise a bunch of kids, or to, oh, I don’t know, go into politics?”
“Why do you ask?”
“Because I know you have your life goals. John has spent some time with your dad and me working on ours. He showed us yours and Greg’s. You need to figure it out because it’ll influence your college plans.”
“I thought I might retire,” I teased.
“We both know you’d go crazy sitting around the house all day. I can just imagine you playing bingo at the Senior Center.”
I just nodded, because I could picture the gun I’d stick into my mouth to end that nightmare.
“My long-term goal might be politics, but I’m finding I need a better business understanding.”
“I’m glad you mentioned business. In my opinion, the biggest weakness many politicians have is they don’t understand how the real world works. I’m sure many of them have good intentions but don’t realize that if you do A, then B and C will happen. That was one of the reasons your grandma decided to help you start the farm. She wanted you to learn what it means to start and build a business and use your money to create and not just invest it. She wants you to have substance behind you, not become merely a mouthpiece for special interests. Frankly, I couldn’t imagine you letting that happen,” Mom said.
“So, I shouldn’t get a law degree?” I asked.
“No, that’s not what I meant. I would advise you to get a well-rounded business degree and focus on learning to write well. Then, if it feels right, get your law degree.”
“I’ll think about it. Something I learned recently is not to rush a decision if I don’t have to. I realize I need to make one soon, but I don’t see that it has to be today,” I said.
“No, you’re right about that. But if you’re considering it, I just want to be sure you think it through. I’d suggest you talk to some people and see if that’s what you really want to do. Your dad told me your grandpa hated the fundraising part of it. Davey said he had to start raising funds as soon as the last election was done. I understand it’s far worse the higher up you go. That was one of the main reasons he never ran for governor.”
As far as annual talks go, this one was much better than last year’s. Mom sent Dad a text to let him know he could come back. While we waited, she updated me on Greg and his family. She did relate a funny story about Christmas day.
“After we opened our presents, the little ones were going nuts with their new electric cars. Duke wanted no part of it when Kyle ran him over. I later found him taking a nap on my bed.”
“I bet he had no remorse about it, either,” I said.
“No. Duke even gave me some sass when I caught him and made him get off. He decided he’d take his nap with Little David instead.”
Peggy had moved in, and the word was Duke had a new master in her son.
“Where was I?” Mom asked. “Oh, yes. Mac stepped up to John and said, ‘Unca John has a penis.’”
“Oh, my.”
“You should have seen the look on his face. Better yet, you should have seen the look on your brother’s face. You can imagine how that little declaration quieted the room,” Mom said.
“I bet it did.”
“‘I wonder how she knows that,’ I said, and watched your uncle slowly twist under the scrutiny. Your brother must have feared the worst because his face turned red. I had to give him a stern look. Then I was handed a gift. ‘He showed us,’ Kyle said.”
“I’m assuming there was more to it, or I’d be attending my uncle’s funeral.”
