The next day was full of boring bass auditions. None of the fourteen players that auditioned that day were any good. Malachai and Jordan both rolled their eyes every time another player was told, We’ll let you know if you got the spot in the next week. If you don’t hear from us, you didn’t get it. Malachai and Jordan went home that night disappointed. “Dad, do you know when Uncle John’s going to be here with Logan. None of the guys we listened to today were any good. We took Mom’s suggestion and tried them out by having them improv a bass line for the song I wrote, but they all sucked balls!” Malachai said when he and Jordan walked into the Kitchen where their parents were making dinner.
“They’ll be here tonight, ‘Chai. I just talked to John. They were about to board the plane from Austin when he called.”
“REALLY?” Jordan said. “Is Uncle John bringing Jonathan?”
“Sorry to burst your bubble, sweetheart, but not this trip. He’s just bringing Logan up. If Logan gets the bassist spot, then he’ll be moving Logan up here.”
Jordan groaned in disappointment. “Damn it!”
“Well, at least we’ll get to see Uncle John tonight”, Malachai said.
--------------
Jacob walked into the room. “Dad, was there any mail for me today?”
David pointed with the end of the spoon he was using at the table. “There’s something from Loyola for you. Are you ALREADY applying for colleges, Jake?”
“Kinda. There’s a kind of summer camp at your Alma Mater in their pre- med program that I applied for at the urging of my A&P teacher. I asked Mom if it was ok that I applied. I guess I forgot to talk to you about it. Sorry.”
David set the spoon down on the counter top and went over to the Kitchen table where the mail sat. “Well, Jacob Micah, seeing as you neglected to ask me if you could apply for this program, I feel it’s only fitting that I get to open it and give you the news.”
Jacob’s eyes doubled in size. “SHIT”, he cursed under his breath as his father picked up the envelope.
David opened the letter addressed to his son and pulled the letter out. He read over it silently and a frown crossed his face as he shook his head. “Not good”, he said under his breath. “I’m so sorry, Jake.”
Jake crossed the room in a flash and took the piece of paper from his father’s hand. He’d been accepted. “You’re mean, Dad”, he said.
David laughed. “I was just joking with you, Jake. Calm down.”
“Sorry, but that program means a LOT to me. Can I go?”
“Let me discuss it with your mother and see what it’s going to cost, and what all the program entails and we’ll get back to you.”
“Dad, money’s not an object. We have more money than GOD.”
“Actually, WE don’t have a damn thing. I have more money than God. And that money takes care of you and your brothers and sisters. It pays the bills, and puts food in the house, clothes on your back, and pays your tuition for that expensive ass school you attend.”
“You’re right. I know.”
“Now, go get washed up for dinner. Your Uncle John will be here soon with your cousin Logan.”
“Why are Uncle John and Logan coming up?”
“Logan’s auditioning for my band”, Malachai said.
“OUR band, dip shit”, Jordan corrected.
“Oh, yeah. Sorry sis.”
“Great! More distractions.”
“You’re gonna know a distraction when I kick your ass, Jake”, Malachai said.
“You and what Army, Malachai?”
“ENOUGH!” David’s voice boomed through the kitchen. “Both of you stop your bull shit before I get involved and beat both of your asses.”
“Yes, sir”, they said in unison.
--------------
As the kids cleaned up for dinner, David and Brie sat at the Kitchen table and talked for a few moments. “David, I have a question, love”, she said.
“What might that be, baby?”
“What the hell did we do to deserve such hooligans as children?” she said with a laugh.
He chuckled. “It’s penance of some sort, I think. Probably for being hooligans ourselves when we were their ages.”
“I was not as bad a Jordan can get sometimes with her little diva- tude.”
“Yeah, she can get a bit conceded.” He looked at his wife. “Are you telling me that you didn’t think you were a sexy bitch when you were 13?”
She laughed. “I didn’t THINK it, I KNEW it. Hell, I’m still a sexy bitch.”
He looked her up and down. “You can say THAT again. DAMN! I’m married to YOU? You should have been a fucking model.”
She shook her head. “Nah, I’m too short”, she laughed.
“I don’t think so. You’re the PERFECT height if you ask me.”
“Oh? You don’t say”, she leaned in the pressed her lips against his.
The kids walked in. “Ewww, Mama, Daddy, get a room!” Jeremiah said.
“Yeah, that’s gross!” Makayla shouted.
Their parents broke their kiss and laughed to each other. “And just how do you think you all got here?” Brie asked with a laugh.
“Well, I can’t speak for my older siblings or the younger two, but Makayla, Meagan, James, and I came out of Miss Natalie’s tummy”, Jeremiah said.
“And Jessi and Marc came from Miss Karyn’s tummy, but if Mom and Dad didn’t love each other, you guys wouldn’t be here”, Malachai said.
“How do you know, Malachai?” Jessykah asked
“I’m the big brother, Jessi. It’s my job to know that kind of stuff. Now, everyone to the table. I don’t know about all of you, but I’m hungry and the dinner Mom and Dad made smells really good.” He lightly kicked Marc in the rear end to get him moving so that everyone else could get to the table.
--------------
Right after dinner as Meagan and Makayla cleaned the Kitchen, John and Logan arrived. John knocked on the door. David opened the door. “Hey brother”, he said. He and John hugged.
“What’s going on, brother?” John asked.
David released him from the brief hug. “Not much. Malachai just graduated High School, Jake wants to attend a summer camp at Loyola, Jordan just join Malachai’s band as the front woman and now they need a bass player. Doesn’t it all sound like so fucking much FUN?”
John laughed. “I don’t’ envy you, David. Ten kids has got to be a lot to manage.”
David laughed. “You have NO idea.” He stepped back and let John pass.
John walked into the house and set his suitcase on the floor. “Brie, aren’t you going to come over here and give me a fucking hug?” he said.
“Hell to the no. You can bring your lazy ass over here and give me a hug if you want one”, she joked as she stood and walked across the room. She wrapped her arms around John’s neck. “How have you been, John?”
He gave her a gentle squeeze. “I’ve been good, sis. Kristen’s upset that she couldn’t be here. She’s been dying to see you.”
“And let me guess, she’s jealous that because you’re up here, you’re going to get a massage?”
“Yeah. More like mad as hell that I’m going to get a massage while I’m up here if you’ll give me one that is.”
“When have I ever told you that you couldn’t have a massage, John?”
“Never unless David wanted one.”
“He’s my husband of fourteen years, John. He comes first.”
“And you never hear me argue with you on that. It was always Mike that argued.”
“Still does, to tell you the truth.”
“Why am I not surprised?”
--------------
Malachai and Jordan took Logan up to Malachai’s room and talked music. They sang the song that Malachai wrote for Logan and he decided to break out his bass to toy with a few riffs. “Malachai, how does this sound?” he asked and started playing a bass riff that Malachai thought that his Uncle John should have put in “Asylum”.
“Whoa, Logan, that’s really bad ass.”
Logan shrugged. “I know. Look at who my Dad is.”
“Yeah, that makes you really special”, Jordan said.
“Like you being the oldest daughter of David Draiman is any more special”, Logan retorted.
She laughed. “You know I’m fucking with you, Logan.”
He smiled. “I know, and I was fucking with you.”
“Once you two are done fucking with each other, I’ll see if we can get a hold of Caleb so that Logan can try to play his bass line for him. I’ll even see if we can meet with him so that he can meet Logan and hear it in person”, Malachai said nonchalantly.
“You’ll have to convince Mom and Dad to let me out after curfew”, Jordan said.
“I’m almost positive that as long as you’re with me, they’ll be ok with it.” He looked at Logan. “What would your Dad say?”
“’You’re 18, just be safe and have fun.’” Logan laughed. “I love being a legal adult now.”
“I hate that you guys are older than I am and that I have to have permission for everything.”
“You’ve got about four more years there, Jord, before you can do whatever the hell you want to without asking Mom and Dad if they’re ok with it.”
“I know. It sucks. Good news that I’ll be graduating a year early, so will Jake. If Mom and Dad approve it, we’ll be skipping a grade and going straight into High School. Freshman year.”
“You sound so excited about that, Jord”, Logan pointed out.
“Well, I should be. That means that I have one less year to wait until I can start applying to colleges.”
“From what I understand, Jake’s already got an acceptance to the same school your Dad went to”, Logan commented.
“It’s for a pre- med summer camp type thing”, Malachai clarified. “He’s being a bit of a prick over it too.”
“What did your Dad say?”
“That if he and I didn’t stop arguing, he was going to step in and beat both of our asses.”
Logan laughed. “Sounds like the Uncle David I remember.”
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