He was in the process of growing out his buzz-cut hair to make Sofia happy, but it was taking a while. By now, Dana was head over heels for Sofia if he hadn't been before. He wanted to pay half of the rent, but Sofia didn't think that was fair since he didn't even have a good bed nor his own room. Slowly but surely the room was becoming a nursery as it filled up with baby things, crowding his narrow bed. So she said he could only contribute a quarter of the rent. Not happy about that, Dana did as many of the chores for her as he could; including mowing the lawn, taking out the trash, washing the floors when needed, repairing plumbing and electric problems and running Sofia here and there since she had no car as yet. He was renovating a derelict car in his spare time at the garage where he worked, and it was intended for Sofia. He wanted to surprise her.
Sofia had changed beauty shops to hide her trail and planned on working until the baby came. After that, time would tell.
*************************************
Perry's parents were coming from Pres's house to stay at Perry's apartment for a couple days and Perry went looking for a little gift for his mom. He tried the new Westbrook Candle & gift shop in Bluewater Village. The proprietor, Sheena Buckley, helped him out and he finally chose a tasteful ceramic bowl. Simple and expensive.
Rhonda was from a small town outside Frankfort, Kentucky and to this day she had a bit of that soft Kentucky drawl. Philip was born in Grosse Pointe, Michigan, a haven for the rich and beautiful people in the Detroit area, nestled along the shores of Lake St. Clair.
"The moment I saw those big blue eyes and all that blond hair I was intrigued, then she wiggled her perfect butt and I became fascinated, but when she opened her beautiful mouth and out rolled that sexy southern accent well, I was a goner," Philip grinned.
"I thought he was a playboy, too rich and definitely too conceited--"
"I was."
"But he was such a hunk, and could he dance--a regular John Travolta in Saturday Night Fever. Women were lining up to be his partner. So, when he asked me to dance and then asked me out, I agreed against my better judgment. I thought he would take me out to dinner at a nice restaurant and maybe we'd go for a walk along the lakefront. Something romantic. To my great surprise he drove to Edgewater Amusement Park where we rode the Wild Mouse ride, the Scrambler and even the Wild Beast Roller Coaster. The 'dinner' consisted of coney island hot dogs and Cokes. Here I was wearing a beautiful white cotton sundress and a lightweight sweater and had to crawl into the seats on these rides. Thank goodness the dress had a full skirt that came down below my knees. It was a lot of fun, but still I was beginning to despair of any romance. But then, he took me on the double ferris wheel and when it stopped at the top he kissed me and my heart just went pitter-pat. It was all over but the shouting.
"Three weeks later we were floating around on a boat in the Bahamas, on a two week honeymoon," Philip added, leering at Rhonda, "After that..."
Rhonda and Philip in 1977
"It was nine months later I had you, Perry," she smile at him fondly, "And, of course, Princeton and Prescott, one right after the other practically. When Parker showed up Perry you were 14, Princeton was 12 and Prescott was 10--Parker was our little surprise and our bonus. Shouldn't have been surprised; your father was just so--"
"Please, Mom--as your son I can tell you if you explain any more it will be TMI," Prince laughed nervously.
Philip harumphed,
"What--you think we got the four of you boys by UPS?"
"No, I think we definitely figured out how we came along some time ago," Perry shrugged with a grin, "But it seems to fluster my brothers--or the three stooges as I refer to them at times--so they don't like to get any mental images. Immature. I myself have no problem acknowledging you obviously have a great marriage and an active sex life. More power to you."
"Arghhh!" Prince sounded strangled. Hearing these stories about his parents in love was killing him.
"Really, Princeton, do you have to make nasty, coarse noises like that? I thought you'd outgrown that sometime during college, dear," Rhonda remonstrated gently, "You're so handsome that these vulgar sounds are especially distracting."
She rose to her feet and went over to him, reaching to cup his cheek,
"You still have the most adorable face, honey," she smiled indulgently and took her hand from his face but then pinched his cheek gently, "The same as when you were five years old and stealing a cookie from the cookie jar."
Prince looked over at Perry and scowled darkly when he saw him laugh,
"Yeah, what an angel," Perry remarked, "I remember the time he dug up your prize tulips to sell on the sidewalk like lemonade, Mom, and he used to imprison honeybees when he shut them up in the snapdragons. Remember when he and Pres used to stuff peas up their nose and then shoot them out at the dinner table? Priceless behavior, but as I recall you didn't consider him angelic at the time."
"Well," she had to giggle, "Boys will be boys."
Prince was groaning and Philip chuckled,
"Ronnie, you're embarrassing Prince."
"Oh, no! He loves attention," Perry protested as Prince continued to glare at him.
Rhonda moved over to Perry,
"And my oldest boy, so responsible and strong--a true leader--you used to look out for the boys and protect them against any mean kids--do you remember that?"
"When he wasn't beating the heck out of us at home," Prince grumbled.
"You forgot to tell him how good-looking he is," Philip spoke, hiding laughter.
"Well, of course he is," she kissed Perry on the cheek, "I can still see him at 10 years old with that sweet smile on his ace, his fists up; ready to take on the neighborhood bullies."
"A sweet smile," Prince rolled his eyes, "Yeah, sure; he'd smile as he had me or Pres in a headlock, but he always did it with a smile. He only left Parker alone because he was the baby."
"I wasn't smiling, I was sneering," Prince observed in his usual deadpan delivery, "Besides I was usually knocking you around because you were either picking on Pres or trying to sneak out of the house at night. I was only rough on Pres when he kept following you into those messes."
After a couple hours Prince left for home. His parents would not be staying with him at his house--there really was no room in that glass-walled house. In fact, Perry told him they would be going on to Lalique's to meet her and stay a few days. Prince had been relieved to hear that, not only did he not have room, but he had plans for the next couple evenings and they did not include parents.
But Perry had the next day off so he and his parents talked and played cards until the wee hours He wanted to enjoy them while they were here. He did not give his parents or Prince his important news--he planned to say something once Rhonda and Philip were at Lalique's.
Next blog update: The Brian Ottomas Family Ch. 22 We Are Family II
