JC: Ed Biggers Part 5: Stasis Chapter 14 By Lazlo Zalezac Copyright (C) Lazlo Zalezac, 2004 Sitting naked on the sofa, Ed watched an old movie from the late thirties and laughed at the action on the screen. The kids surrounded him on the couch, enjoying the movie with just as much enthusiasm. Kelly entered the room and glanced at the screen. She asked, "What are you watching?" "Sherlock Holmes with Basil Rathbone," answered Ed without taking his eyes off the television. "It's my favorite." Shaking her head, Kelly wondered if Ed had ever seen a movie made after 1960. Watching him and the children, she decided that it was time for her to introduce them to some of the new films. There was the newest Nora Turner movie that she could get. It was rated R because of nudity, but she didn't have a problem with the children seeing naked bodies. After what they had seen in the first year dining room, she could rent an X rated movie and they would have been bored by the lack of plot. She corrected that thought; they would have been bothered by the lack of actual caring between the participants. Moving down the couch to make room for Kelly, Little John said, "Sit down and watch with us." She joined them on the couch, sitting between Little John and Beth. Looking over, she noticed that Beth was holding Ed's hand. Ed had an arm around William, who was close to falling asleep. Turning her attention to the film, she watched the action on the television with amusement. Basil Rathbone's character reminded her of John Carter when he was hot on the trail of a monster. She wondered if Ed saw himself as Dr. Watson, the trusty reliable sidekick of Sherlock Holmes. The film ended and Ed demonstrated his appreciation by clapping. The kids clapped along with him, having enjoyed the film as much as he. Ed asked, "Who's up for a swim?" All of the kids shouted, "Me!" In a flurry of activity, the living room was cleared and splashes emerged from the poolroom as bodies hit the water at a run. Kelly stood at the edge watching as Ed and the children rose out of the water shaking their heads to clear the water from their hair. She laughed as the children immediately turned to splash their father. Moving to one of the chairs, she sat down and watched them play. The pool chemicals gave the air a slightly acrid smell that was stronger than normal. Looking around, she noticed Walt standing across the room holding some air filters. They had interrupted him in his work. Shaking his head, he leaned them against the wall and left the room giving Kelly a quick wave. She knew that he would return when everyone had cleared the room. William got out of the pool and walked over to Kelly. Sitting down in the chair, water dripping from his wet body, he said, "Dad is so happy here." "Yes, he is," replied Kelly as she watched his wide grin and the ease with which laughter rolled from deep within his chest. The changes that had come over her husband in the past month were amazing. It was as though years had dropped off him. Swinging his legs, William watched his brother and sister playing in the pool. He commented, "I think they are happy to be away from school." "Yes, they are. How about you?" William was silent as he thought about the question, giving it the kind of serious consideration that was typical of him. He answered, "I feel at home here although I haven't been here before. I like the desert much more than the woods. I miss the library though." The news about the library no longer surprised her. She asked, "Would you like to order some books for our library here?" "Yes, I would like that very much," replied William. He smiled as he watched Beth and Little John try to dunk their father. Ed stood straight and roared like a bear while the two children climbed over him. "He's so happy here." Nora, dressed in jeans and a shirt, entered the room and watched the action in the pool from the door. They had returned from the remainder of their rock hunt the previous night and she was going to leave that evening. Kelly noticed her and said, "Come on over, Nora." Smiling at Ed's wife, Nora went over to the cluster of chairs and sat down next to Kelly. The casual nudity around the children was surprising, but not shocking. She had been exposed to that aspect of the Carter lifestyle previously. Nora said, "It looks like Ed and the kids are having fun." Smiling, William said, "Daddy Ed is just a big kid." The unexpected source of the comment made Nora laugh. She asked, "Have you been hunting rocks with him yet?" "Yes, we did a little of that in North Carolina." "I like the way that his face lights up when he finds a new sample. It is pure and simple joy," remarked Nora. She had observed Ed with an open mind after returning from the interrogation and seen the joy with which he hunted rocks. It amazed her that she hadn't noticed that on earlier trips. A laugh burst forth from her when she saw the kids splash him in the face. The look on his face was priceless. Kelly asked, "Would you like to join them in the pool?" "No. I'd rather just watch them play." The answer was given without thought. Smiling, Kelly could see the signs of love exhibited by Nora. She asked, "So how was the rock hunting trip?" Nora was about to answer that it was heavenly when she realized that William was sitting there listening to the conversation. "It was great. We got a lot of samples out there. On the way back, we stopped at his mine. It is quite an impressive operation." "He is proud of that mine. It is a great example of how an environmentally friendly mine can be operated in a very profitable manner. The whole family is curious how he is going to use the profits." Getting bored of the conversation, William returned to the pool choosing to make his entrance in a cannon ball that would splash his father. Kelly turned to Nora and said, "As smart as the kids are, it is easy to forget that they are kids. It's great to see them playing like this. At the college, they spent almost all their free time in the library reading. They only played when one of their dads was available." Taking her eyes off Ed, she examined the kids. Physically they were well developed for children their age. They weren't suffering from weight problems like many children their age, but she suspected that it was because of the care that the mothers gave their diets. She said, "They are really great children." A naked streak flashed past as Shirley's son John ran into the room and jumped in the pool. His sudden appearance surprised everyone. The splash as he entered the water caught Ed completely unprepared. Standing, he sputtered as the kids laughed. Beth swam over to John and hugged him, happy to see her friend from town. Little John looked at John and shouted, "Chicken war!" As William climbed on the shoulders of Little John and Beth climbed on the shoulders of John, Ed moved over to the side of the pool watching the kids with a grin. In less than thirty seconds, the battle was on. Little John and William were definitely outmatched, but they weren't going to give an inch. Nora went over to the bench and removed her clothes, deciding that no one would mind if she were naked around the children. Once she was undressed, she returned to her chair and watched the children in the pool. Ed climbed out of the pool and went over to the towels. Grabbing one, he dried himself off noticing that Nora had stripped. He was glad to see that she was making an effort to fit in with the rest of the family. While he was there, Shirley came in the room carrying an armload of clothes and said, "Did anyone see a naked boy running through here?" Ed pointed at the pool and said, "He's over there." Putting the clothes on a bench, Shirley laughed and said, "He was so excited about coming over here that I think he reached the front door before I had reached the street to your house." She looked around and stripped out of her clothes, adding them next to the stack on the bench. Looking over Ed, she said, "You're looking good." "You are beautiful as always." Ed stepped back and examined her body with a wink. "Yes, beautiful as always. So when are you going to run away with me?" Grinning, she answered, "When I'm too old to keep from getting caught by you." "Oh, I'm wounded." Laughing at the overacting by Ed, Shirley went over to the pool and entered the water by climbing down the steps. Once in the water, she kept her distance from the kids knowing that they would splash her the moment they were done playing chicken. The splashing in the pool was sending water in the direction of the chairs. Ed joined his wife and Nora, taking the wet chair that William had been in. Glancing down at the chair with a frown, he looked over at the pair of women and said, "It's great being home." Looking over at her husband, Kelly replied, "really? I can't tell." Turning to Nora, he asked, "So what have you been doing all morning? We missed you at breakfast." Nora sighed and said, "I slept late this morning. I couldn't believe how tired I was. I guess the events of the past week took more out of me than I realized." Knowing that the past week included the interrogation of a prisoner, Kelly asked, "So you watched Ed interrogate a prisoner?" "I'd rather not talk about that," replied Nora as her attention turned inward. Placing a hand on Nora's arm, Kelly said, "I understand. Seeing such evil close up is very traumatic." Nora turned to look at Kelly fully aware that the other woman didn't know that the evil she had seen was the evil within her own self. Frowning, she said, "Yes. That is true, particularly when you see it in yourself." Puzzled by the remark, Kelly looked over at Ed for explanation. He didn't answer, but just shook his head as though it was not a subject for discussion. Kelly said, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to bring up a touchy subject." A shiver when through Nora and she changed the subject. "I talked to my agent today and canceled the negotiations for my next film. I'm retiring from the movie business." The news took Ed by surprise, but he was pleased to hear her say that. She needed to get out of Hollywood and work on her degree fulltime. He said, "You might take small parts in the future." She smiled and said, "Yes, I might. I'm going back to California to sell my house and get rid of all my cars. I think I'll buy a small place in Pennsylvania to live in while I go to school. It's long past time that I followed my interests." Listening to Nora, Kelly realized that she had undergone a major change over the past week. Smiling, she said, "I think you are going to be so happy." "Well, I don't know about that. I will be a nicer person, I think," replied Nora. She envied Kelly that she had a man like Ed in her life and wondered if she would ever find a man who was that good. She turned to Kelly and said, "You are the luckiest woman in the world." Not knowing what provoked that comment, Kelly replied, "I'm one of the luckiest women in the world." In the pool, the children had turned on Shirley and were splashing her with an almost continuous blitz. She was laughing and threatening, "Wait until the tables are turned!" Laughing, Ed shouted, "Sorry, the cavalry is busy watering the horses. No rescue at the last minute." Kelly laughed at the comment and asked, "What, you aren't going to rescue a damsel in distress? I'm shocked." Launching himself out his chair, Ed jumped in the water and started splashing the kids. An all out battle ensued, one that tired the children while delighting them. After five minutes, everyone left the pool. Ed passed out towels to the kids as Shirley dried herself off. She had not wanted to get her hair wet, but that desire had been ruined from the first splash. The kids, once they were dried off, went into the living room to watch television. Ed watched them through the connecting door as they took their seats. Beth and John snuggled together as William selected a program on space exploration. Little John shrugged at the choice and sat back to watch. Ed returned to the chairs and sat down next to Kelly. Turning to Shirley, he asked, "Who's watching the bar?" "Linda." "How's her baby?" asked Ed interested in catching up on the local gossip. The last time he had spent any time here, she was pregnant. "Harry is a beautiful child." "Harry? She named him after her first husband?" asked Ed surprised to learn that. "It was Richard's idea. He felt that by naming the child Harry, they could eliminate the guilt Linda felt about her treatment of Harry by raising the child right." "Nice." Ed knew that Richard and Linda would work through their issues together. "Sammy is doing great. He enjoys his teaching job and was voted best teacher of the year at his school." "I'm glad to hear that," answered Ed pleased to know that things were progressing nicely in his hometown. He wondered if there was anything that he could do to give more credit to teachers that were doing great jobs in molding the future of the country. He asked, "What do you think of a grant for use by teachers to improve their ability to teach a broader audience? It could be targeted at those that have been recognized by their peers as good teachers." Shaking her head, Kelly said, "I would rather concentrate on poorer teachers by sending them to teaching camps. They are the ones that need help and drag down the educational standards of the country." The principle behind her idea was correct, but targeting bad teachers could really cause problems. There had to be a better solution than that. Shrugging, he said, "I'll think about it." "What kind of degeneracy is this?" boomed a voice from the door of the poolroom. Nora, seeing the clothes worn by the man, tried to cover herself, ashamed at being naked in front of a priest. Shirley blushed, but didn't move to cover herself. Ed turned and saw Father Donnelley standing at the door with a grin on his face. He shouted back, "Just your normal debauchery." The Father entered the poolroom and checked the chairs to find one that was dry. Seating himself, he looked over at Ed and said, "I heard you were back in town." "I'm sure that you were disappointed," replied Ed with a grin. The priest looked good and took the comment with the humor that was intended. The priest noticed that Nora was still trying to cover herself and said, "Don't bother. I've seen more than that around this town the past few years. Half the time that I visit one of my parishioners, they answer the door naked. I've even gotten to the point that I've eaten dinner with everyone else naked." Laughing, Ed shook his head at further proof that the town was changing for the better. He asked, "So when are you going to start holding services nude?" The question flustered the priest for a moment before he realized that Ed was kidding. He replied, "I'm afraid that I, the church, and the congregation are not ready for the sight of this old naked body at the pulpit." Kelly laughed and said, "I'm curious and would attend to see that." Nora couldn't believe that Ed and Kelly would talk like that with a priest. Ed asked, "How's my town doing?" "Things are going well here. We haven't had a divorce in ages, the Sheriff hasn't had to arrest anyone in years, and attendance at my services are up." "That's good," replied Ed. "Love is alive and well." "Lunch will be served soon," remarked Kelly as she glanced over at the clock on the wall. "Are you interested in staying for some of Marguerite's cooking?" "I would love that," answered the priest with a smile. Shaking his head, Ed said, "You are much braver than I am to risk Marguerite's cooking." His remark was greeted with laughter, as everyone knew how Ed felt about her cooking. On that note, everyone stood to get dressed for lunch. Nora didn't relax until she was completely dressed. Attuned to people, the priest said, "Nora, you are such a lovely young lady, much more pleasing to the eye than that old reprobate over there. You have nothing to be ashamed of." The aroma of fresh baked bread and simmering tomato sauce wafted from the kitchen to fill the dining room. Mouths watered on entering the room. Ed's stomach growled, announcing his hunger loud enough that he wouldn't be able to deny it. Shauna came out of the kitchen carrying a pair of plates with veal parmesan and spaghetti. Setting the plate down, she smiled up at Ed and said, "Marguerite bought some of the canned sauce that you like so much." The look of disappointment on his face as he looked over the plates forced a laugh from her. She couldn't maintain the serious expression any longer. Realizing that she was kidding, Ed relaxed and took his place at the table. Father Donnelley turned to Shauna and said, "If he wasn't the victim, I would almost say that what you said was a sin. As it was him, you have my blessing." Laughing, Ed turned to Nora and said, "Protect me from these people." The children giggled at the teasing. Shirley smiled as she rubbed her son's wet hair when he slipped an arm around Beth. The two kids were almost inseparable. Little John didn't notice, but William watched Beth and John with a sad expression on his face. He sighed and sat down at the table beside his brother allowing them to sit together. Marguerite came out with more plates, setting them in front of the people around the table. It didn't take long before everyone had a plate. The plates in front of the children only had spaghetti. Smelling his food with evident pleasure, Ed cut off a small bite and tasted it. He didn't say anything for a long time as he chewed the food. Everyone watched, wondering what he would say. Finally, he said, "Ah, another culinary disaster." Amidst giggles, everyone else began to eat. The lunch was spectacular and the noises of appreciation filled the room. Marguerite watched them from the door, happy to have the family home again. The past year had been too quiet and she had missed the good natured teasing that existed between her and Ed. While he had declared the meal a disaster, he really meant that it was a masterpiece. Shauna bumped hips with Marguerite and gave her a wink. Father Donnelley ate with great appreciation. It was a nice change from the Mexican food that he had most of the time. With so many Hispanics in his congregation, it was hard to avoid Mexican food. He couldn't remember the last time that he ate Italian food. Sighing with pleasure, he said, "This is outstanding." Ed elbowed him and said in a stage whisper, "Don't say that so loud. You'll give her a swelled head." "Swelled head? Did he say swelled head? I'll swell something on that cowboy!" Marguerite yelled from the kitchen as the sound of pots and pans getting bumped together provided a background noise. Her outburst was followed by giggles from the kitchen. Shauna had suggested something that would swell up real nice and Marguerite couldn't help but respond. "Welcome home, Ed," replied Kelly with a grin at the looks around the table. She leaned over to Nora and said, "Don't worry, that is just part of their mating ritual. They'll dance around like that for a while and then come together in a loud orgasmic bang." Smiling, Ed looked down the table at the kids and said, "Kids, guess what came today." Looking up at his father, Little John asked, "What?" "The telescope," he answered. "Oh wow," cried Shirley's John. He was fascinated by space and had been studying astronomy on his own. "I'm going to set it up tonight so that we can look at the planets," said Ed. Turning to his mother, a very excited John asked, "Can I come over?" Seeing the anticipation on Beth's face, Kelly said, "You can stay all day. If your mother says that it is okay, you can even spend the night." The afternoon was spent with Ed and Father Donnelley talking about the town. The discussion was pleasant as the two men shared the same views as to what was good for the town. All Ed wanted was for people to love each other. Father Donnelly's service to his God was to promote love. Nora and Kelly had retired to Kelly's room for a private talk after Shirley returned to the bar. There was much that Nora wanted to understand before she returned home and she felt that the only one that would listen to her was Kelly. Ed was almost too perfect for her to share her feelings of insecurity with him. Little John went off to read a book while William returned to his room to take a nap. Beth and John went into the library to have a quiet talk. While it appeared that the children were left alone, George was watching their every move in the security room and Sarah kept an eye on them as she cleaned rooms. In the middle of the afternoon everyone returned to the swimming pool. Marguerite had put out some snacks for everyone to munch on. With the permission of Kelly, she had brought in a pitcher of iced tea for Ed and the Father Donnelley. The children had fruit juices in little boxes while Nora and Kelly drank Smoothies. Ed looked up smelling the air while holding up a hand to get attention. As everyone turned to look at him, he said, "Marguerite is bringing some chocolate chip cookies." By the time he had finished his announcement, everyone could smell the delectable aroma of fresh baked cookies. Little John and Beth had not had one of her homemade cookies since they had moved to the college. William was puzzled by the excitement on his father's face. He had chocolate chip cookies back at the college and, while they were good, it wasn't something that justified such a reaction on his part. Marguerite entered the room and asked, "Who's been a good girl or boy?" Ed raised his hand and shouted, "Me! Me!" Marguerite went over to the children and gave them cookies, as she said, "Ed, you could never be a good boy. No cookies for you." After everyone except Ed had a cookie, Marguerite carried the plate over to him and, with a sweet smile, said, "Beg for one." Ed turned to Father Donnelley and said, "The only reason she's doing this is because she didn't have a chance to poison one for me." Nora and Father Donnelley laughed at the comment and watched as Ed struggled to keep from asking for one. Bob, watching from the doorway, chuckled at the pair. He hadn't seen Marguerite so happy in ages. Looking around Marguerite towards the pool, Ed asked, "What's a duck doing in the pool?" As lame as the question was, there was no way for Marguerite to know if there was a duck in the swimming pool or not. Ed would put one in there just to make a joke. She looked at him wondering if he was serious. Unable to stop herself, she turned to look in the pool. Taking advantage of her distracted state, he reached out and grabbed a cookie. When she turned back, she saw that he was holding a cookie and smiling at her. She set the plate down on the snack table and stomped off growling. Bob called out from the door, "Ed, you better watch out now. She's gonna get you good." "Hey Bob, how are you doing?" "I'm doing fine, Ed," answered Bob. Looking over his shoulder at the figure of Marguerite as she headed towards the kitchen, he added, "Thanks. After that, she's going to be an animal in bed tonight." "Glad to be of service," replied Ed with a smile. Shaking his head, Bob went off in search of Marguerite while wondering how long the two were going to dance around like this. Father Donnelley put a hand on Ed's shoulder as he stood. Facing Ed, he said, "I better be going. You're a hopeless cause and there are sinners out there that I can save." "See you later, Father," said Ed. He watched the priest leave, happy that the two of them had a chance to talk. Ed turned to see Nora studying him with an intense look on her face. When she noticed him looking at her, she stood up and said, "I have to go now. Hollywood awaits." "Have fun," said Kelly. Ed got up to drive her to the airport, but she shook her head. "Walt said that he would take me to the airport. You stay here and play with your kids." "Okay, I will." From the roof of the house, the sky seemed so close that Ed felt he could reach out and touch the stars. The past three hours had been spent assembling the telescope with the help of the kids. Now it was complete and aimed at the sky. John spent a few minutes and focused on Mars. Engaging the drive that would track that planet, he stepped back and let Beth look at the Red Planet. The last to look through it was Ed and he experienced the wonder of a child at the sight. The polar ice caps were visible through this telescope, as were the canals. It was easy to see how early astronomers could believe that Martians had built the canals. A very excited John set the telescope to examine first one planet and then another. The kids took turns looking through the telescope while Ed sat in his chair watching them and enjoying the pleasure they took in the stars. He shook his glass, listening to the ice cubes rattle, before refilling it with iced tea. Taking a sip, he enjoyed the flavor of fresh brewed tea. Shauna brought up a tray with milkshakes for the four kids. They took a break to enjoy the treat. John, after taking a sip of his drink, turned to Ed and said, "Mr. Biggers, thanks for letting me come over tonight. That's a great telescope." "You're quite welcome. I'll be glad to have you over any night your mother says it is okay," answered Ed. The children, seated on the roof, returned to drinking their milkshakes. Ed stood and walked over to the edge of the building. The wall came up to his waist with places for the water to run off every three feet. He looked over the town, noticing lights going off as families went to bed. Dogs barked, trying to chase away the dark and all imagined dangers. A desert owl sounded from somewhere. The sound of a fusion powered car traveling along a dirt road made the characteristic motor whine and noise of tire against dirt. The night sounds of town hadn't changed with the exceptions of engines and broken mufflers. It was the sound of home. It was getting late when Kelly came over to join him. She put an arm around him and rested her head against his arm. She broke the silence. "Nora made the news tonight. She announced that she was putting her film career on hold." "Good for her," replied Ed. He watched as the lights went out at Maria's Cantina, signaling that they were closing down for the night. That meant it was ten o'clock. In twenty minutes, Rosa would be headed home to settle into bed with Maria and Carlos. In two hours, Shirley would close up the bar. Although she hadn't said that she would come by to check up on John, Ed knew to expect her. Behind him, the children returned to the telescope and made noises of awe when they saw a galaxy through the eyepiece. Their excitement was contagious and he went over to check out the sight himself. Looking through the eyepiece he could just make out a fuzzy blob. John explained, "There are better ones to look at, but I wanted to see if the telescope could see this one." "It's a perfectly great galaxy, John." Beth moved closer to John and hugged him. Little John shook his head while William turned away. The scene was broken up when Kelly came over and said, "It's time to get to bed kids." One by one, the kids came over and hugged Ed goodnight. He told each child that he loved it and then watched as Kelly herded them down the stairs and to the bedrooms. Voices rose from the stairwell as they acted like kids everywhere at bedtime, begging to be allowed to stay up another thirty minutes. Ed sat back in his chair and picked up his iced tea. Taking a sip, he relaxed and watched the stars. He smiled when he heard the door close down the street as Rosa arrived home. His little part of the universe was alive and well.