Chapter 16 - Shockwave - part 2

at #4 Heritage Trail - home of Lester Genester (continued from chapter 13) same time period as Chapter 14 & 15

Spring's romance with Bordeau Pander had ended when she told him she was pregnant and he disappeared from her life. Her pregnancy had seemed endless to her and was marked by long periods of depression when she would indulge in hours of weeping. When her brother Laser got her to try meditation her spirits began to lift and her last few weeks went smoothly, much to her family's relief. Finally, one morning after Lester had gone to work and Laser to school, her labor began. It was short and easy and she soon held a beautiful baby boy in her arms.


As she looked at him and saw how much he looked like his father, her tears began to flow again. She stood cradling him and crying for long moments, again mourning for the loss of Bordeau yet feeling love swelling within her for this tiny person.

Finally she turned to the task of naming. She chose the name Leith, which means "wide, slow river" both for the river of tears she had shed and the deep river of love she now felt for her son.

Lester and Laser were suitably enthusiatic on return home and life settled down into a new routine centered around this new life in their midst. A few weeks later Spring received a surprise phone call. From Alvin Futa. She had not seen or heard from Alvin in over a year. And suddenly here he was wanting to see her. She hesitantly agreed and he came over. He seemed a lot different now, not nearly so shy, more sure of himself. A confident man rather than the backward boy he had seemed before. It wasn't long before he made it plain to her that he wanted to take up where they had left off before. He even seemed to totally accept little Leith, showing no signs of jealousy or resentment. Spring was wary though. She had thought she loved Alvin before she met Bordeau and perhaps still did, but after what Bordeau did she was afraid to trust again. Alvin seemed to understand without being told and didn't push her toward any intimacies. Nothing stronger than friendly hugs now and then. Until one evening when several family members had come for dinner. After dinner as everyone gathered in the living room, Alvin dropped to his knees and pulled a box from his pocket. Right there in front of everyone he proposed to Spring.

He said his vows to her right then, promising to be faithful, to cherish her all his life and to do everything in his power to make her happy. And to raise her son as his own. Weeping tears of joy, Spring could do nothing else than say yes. She could barely believe that fortune had favored her with this second chance. Wanting to make sure of her, Alvin suggested they formalize the union immediately. With Lester's assistance, he had gotten a special license before even asking her. (Yes, he had asked for Lester's permission and help ahead of time.)

The kiss he gave her at the end of the ceremony was a gentle one. So gentle that she wondered if she would ever again experience the ardency that she had with Bordeau.

But she didn't need to worry. When they retired to their room, all the passion that Alvin had restrained in the past weeks of courting her was unleashed in full and Bordeau was completely wiped from Spring's mind. They fell asleep in each other's arms both fully content and happy.

A few days later Lester went over to his mother's after work. She was having her 84th birthday and he wanted to celebrate with her. When he returned hours later with his eyes swollen and face still tear-streaked, Spring was alarmed. "What's wrong, Dad, what happened?," she shrilled. He told her as calmly and gently as he could of Hester's death. Spring shrieked, stormed and cried, becoming more and more hysterical. She had grown so close to her grandmother during the months of her pregnancy. Hester had come to take the place of her absent mother in her life. She couldn't bear to think of never seeing her again. Finally, exhausted, she collapsed on the floor.

Seeing the condition she was in Alvin called for emergency care. A doctor came and administered therapy, then gave her a sedative and sent her to bed. Then baby Leith began to cry. It dawned on Alvin then that it was time for Leith to have his first transition. They had no party planned and no cake for him. So Alvin did the best he could. He went to Leith, cleaned him, fed him, cuddled him, then tossed him in the air.

Leith came back to his arms shrilling with laughter.

Then Leith nestled close to Alvin, gurgling something that sounded to Alvin very much like "My Daddy". Alvin's heart filled with wonder and love. This WAS his son.

A few months later it was time for Laser's next transition. He elected for a change to have no party. Grandmother Hester had always attended his previous parties and he still didn't have the heart to have a party without her. The only non-family member in the house was the maid, Lucy Hanby. But she was not on duty. Laser had become good friends with the young woman over the past months and on this particular day he had asked her to hang around after she finished work. So that evening, with Lucy and his family gathered around, he made the transition.

Then it was time for Lucy to go home. No dramatic pronouncement of love or anything like that. Laser was still more interested in having friends than anything else. And that was solely how he saw Lucy. A friend. Well, maybe his best friend. He still had not determined what he wanted to do with his life. In many ways, despite the man's body, he was still a boy.

#2 Vintage Road - the Londons (former Ivy Copur)
Next son, Fester Copur, had a much rougher life than Laser. He didn't particularly like his new step-father but Randy pretty much ignored him so it wasn't too bad. He was much closer to his mom's cousin, Joe Carr, who had lived with them all his life. And Joe had an adopted daughter who was just a couple of years younger than Fester. Her name was Jody and she had been Fester's best friend when they were little. He still felt very close to her even though she was still a child. When Joe married Trista Shaw, Fester got to be the "usher" even though it was a home wedding. His job was to seat his mother and Jody.

It was the first real wedding Fester had seen and he was impressed.

But after the wedding, the Carrs moved to a home of their own and even though Fester was able to visit them he felt that he had lost two good friends. It just wasn't the same as when they lived with him.
He did have new friends though. The visits with his father Lester had introduced him to his two brothers who also lived in Trash Town and they also were becoming friends. Especially Dexter, the older of the two.

By this time Fester's mother, Ivy, was expecting a baby.

In due time a baby boy was born, who was named Dolf.

So now Fester had another brother. But way too young to ever be a companion.

Although Fester was four years younger than Laser, in many ways he was much more experienced in the ways of the world. Living in Trash Town he was exposed to a lot more of the seamy side of life. Like living right next door to the Hooker house and seeing the men coming and going all hours of the day and night. He knew it cost money to go in there so he saved his up until he thought he had enough and ventured in one night after dark. He got quite an education. And the first thing he learned was that he needed more money. So he got a part time job as a street hawker. Before long he had enough to dance with the girls and got his first kiss. More saving finally got him entrance to one of the back rooms with a pretty blond named Willow. `


Now THAT *WAS* an education. And an experience that he repeated whenever he had the money.

#6 Vintage Road - the Stompels (former Marsha Bruenig)
Dexter Bruenig got along well with all his siblings, on both his father's and his mother's sides. He was three years younger than Fester but considered Fester his best bud. Although they hadn't reached that status until Dexter himself had become a teen.

Dexter had been of an artistic temperament since a small child and was very creative in his approach to everything. So his mother, Marsha, had gone all out to get him a really artistic outfit. And he loved it.

Dexter was the one who designed the landscaping for the house.


A year later his little sister Christiona transitioned to childhood

And Marsha was expecting again, despite being 48. And she was happy about it, going around her housework singing or whistling all the time.