Chapter 76

After lunch, the band went back to the studio.  Jordan finished laying down the vocals for the album.  Then came the arguing over what songs were going in the album.  Caleb thought that “Matt’s Song” didn’t really need to be on the album.  “I really don’t see the point, Jordan.”

“Look, fucker, he was my Uncle.  He kept my family- as well as Uncle Danny’s, Uncle Mikey’s and Logan’s- alive on several occasion.  I don’t care if you don’t understand that or see the point in having the song on the record.  I want it on there.”

Dan decided it was time mediate.  “Ok, hold on here, everyone.  Caleb, why don’t you want ‘Matt’s Song’ to be on the record?”

“Well, for one, it throws off the entire vibe of the record.  For two, it throws off the mood.  And for Three, I just flat out don’t see the point.”

Dan nodded.  “Ok.  Jordan, why do you want it on the record?”

“Because Matt was my Uncle.  My mother’s brother.  He was a hero, not only for the families but the country.  He deserves to have his story told.  That’s why ‘Unholy’ and ‘Matt’s Song’ were written.  They tell people about the man that not only kept us all alive during the Utopian Conflict, but he helped to reestablish a Democracy instead of the Utopian Dictatorship.”

“And you feel that people need to know what he did for them, and not just you.”

“That’s right.”

Dan looked at Malachai and Logan.  “What do you two think about it?”

“I say they both need to stay.  Jordan’s right”, Logan said.

“I agree with my little sister”, Malachai responded.

Dan looked back at Caleb.  “Guess you’re out numbered, Caleb.  It doesn’t need to be unanimous, just a majority vote.  ‘Matt’s Song’ stays.”

“We need to decide on the covers and not pick apart the original material”, Malachai said.

“I say ‘Nightmare’”, Logan said.  “Jordan did that one better than any of the other ones.  She killed on all of them, but ‘Nightmare’ just shook me for some reason.”

“I agree with you, Logan”, Jordan said.  “I was just feeling ‘Nightmare’ for some reason.  I can’t explain it.”

“Why don’t I play them back and we’ll decide after that”, Dan said.  The band agreed.  Dan queued up each of the cover songs in turn and they voted in the end.  “Ok, then, ‘Nightmare’ wins.  We have your debut record.  I’ll get in touch with Lauren soon to talk release date.”

“The sooner the better, Uncle Danny”, Malachai said.

“You got it, Godson.”

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Finally, they went home.  Malachai walked into the living room to see his father changing a diaper for his little Miri.  “I can’t believe you didn’t like that, Miranda.  Those lyrics were pure gold”, David laughed.

“She found a stanza that she didn’t like?” Malachai said.

“Apparently.  Isaiah likes them, but Miranda is being a little pain.”  He picked his granddaughter up off of the leather couch and rubbed her back.  “You feeling better now, baby girl?” he asked.  The little girl cooed in his ear.  “Good.  You want to give those lyrics one more try?”  She cooed again.  David sang the lyrics that he’d previously tested on his granddaughter to her again and she cried again.  “Well, fine then.  I’ll change them.  Any suggestions?”  She just cooed.  “Ok, I’ll give that some thought and get back to you on that.  Is that okay?”

Malachai looked at his father.  “You sound just as crazy now as you did when you did that with my younger brothers and sisters, Dad.”

“And I wrote many a masterpiece using this method.”

“You’re full of shit, too.”

David laughed.  “You’re right.  And I’m not changing the lyrics just because Miss Miranda here doesn’t like them.”  David slipped into the floor and played with her.   He tickled her and lifted her into the air like she was flying.

Isaiah woke up and Malachai went to check on his son.  “What’s wrong, son?” he asked the baby boy.  He gave the air around the crib a sniff.  “Ooh, you stink, Isaiah.”  He lifted his son from his bassinet.  “Come on; let’s get you in a clean diaper.”

David looked at Malachai as he changed the baby boy’s diaper.  “So, how do you like fatherhood?”

“I love it.  I love spending time with them.  They’re the most precious things I’ve ever laid eyes on.”

“And you’ll think that until the next one comes along.”

“Did you think like that?”

David shook his head.  “No, actually.  I thought each of my children were precious when they were born.”

“Did you ever consider me precious?”

“You’re my son, Malachai.  All of my children are precious to me, whether you carry my genes or not.  You ALL carry my last name, so what the fuck do genetics matter?”

Malachai laughed.  “I guess they don’t.”

“That’s right.  Jason Iverson isn’t here.  You’ve met that bastard ONCE- MAYBE TWICE- in your life.”

“Dad, to paraphrase what I said the day Maddie was born, fuck that ass munch.”

“You do realize that you pretty much just changed it, right?”

“Yeah, do I care?” he asked as he slid off the leather arm chair and into the floor with Isaiah to play.

“Apparently not.”

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When Mandy came back into the house, she immediately went into a panic attack over Isaiah.  “Malachai, what they hell are you doing?” she yelled when she saw the child’s father lift him into the air.  She ran over.

Isaiah and Miri both started crying.  “I was playing with our son, but now I’m settling both the children back down”, he said as he laid Isaiah in his bassinet.

“You can’t play with him like that, Malachai.  You could hurt him.”

“Mandy, sweetie, keep in mind that I do know what I’m doing when it comes to babies.  I have nine younger siblings, seven of which I helped out with.  I can change a diaper, make a bottle, feed them baby food and NOT get the shirt messy even without a bib; I know what I’m doing with babies”, he said calmly.

She started sobbing.  “I’m sorry, Malachai.  I know all this, but seeing him flying into the air like that scared me.”

Malachai leaned over to his fiancée and laid a kiss against her cheek.  “Honey, I’m not treating them like footballs and pitching them across the room with Jake or anything like that.  That’s not going to happen until they’re at least six months old because my brother and I live dangerously.  But, Amanda, sweetie, you have to know in your heart that I would never hurt these children, just like I would never hurt you.”

She laid her head on his shoulder and cried.  She knew that he could never hurt her or their children, but there was just something in the back of her mind that wouldn’t let that placate her.  Her hormones were still totally out of whack and she had no idea why.

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David had joined his wife upstairs in their bedroom and helped her put away the laundry.  “Mandy’s freaking out again”, he said when he heard the young woman scream.

“I hear that.  She either wants nothing to do with those children or she freaks out over nothing”, his wife responded.

“At least Malachai’s doing like we taught him and choosing his battle wisely.  Instead of yelling back, he’s staying calm and collected about it.”

“Good thing he’s being the voice of reason down there and not acting like a hot headed Jew like his father does.”  She looked at her husband with a knowing look.  The look said, “You wouldn’t be able to do that, would you?”

He laughed.  “Yeah, about that…”

“Don’t even pretend, David, I know you like a book.”

He looked insulted.  “I can be the voice of reason when I have to be.”

“David.  Let’s put ourselves in Malachai and Mandy’s shoes.  If I were to come in to the room you’re in screaming at you, what would you do?”

“Ok, you’re right.  I probably wouldn’t react very well.”

“My point exactly.  Thankfully, you’re not as bad as you used to be.”

“Are you saying that old age has made me soft?”

“No, I’m saying that with age comes wisdom.”