Chapter 1 Leisure Time
Time passes. Jermel Sr. acknowledged an inspiring and unexpected visit from his older brother. After reminiscing through old times, they rest comfortably on the sofa watching tv. Anita and Tanesha finished preparing a gourmet dinner for the family. Tanesha who is now in the backyard is playing with her brother and the family’s two pets that they recently got back from the trainer. Anita, after putting the food in appliances that keep them warm cleans up the kitchen. Afterward, she looks over the meal to make sure that everything is in order. She then tiptoes into the living-room. After observing her husband and his brother resting, she tiptoes back into the kitchen. Opening the outlet to the backyard she looks around for Tanesha and Dramel. Spotting them, she calls them. After they approach her, she smiles saying,
“Hey kids, wanna give your father and uncle a little fun before dinner?”
Inspired, they look at one another and then at her simultaneously replying,
“Yeah—!”
Again, acknowledging their simultaneous reply she astonishingly moves her head back. Smiling, she then says,
“O.k. Call the dogs in.”
Dramel calls the dogs. As they approach them, Anita walks to the kitchen door. Dramel and Tanesha follow her. The dogs follow them. After they approach it, Dramel commands them to sit. As they’re sitting, Anita turns and looks at them. She puts her finger over her lips indicating silence. Again, she tiptoes into the living-room to observe her husband and brother. After observing that they’re still resting, she tiptoes back into the kitchen. Again, she puts her finger over her lips.
Bending down towards the kids she says,
“O.—k.—. When I say go, Dramel you run into the living-room and jump on the sofa near daddy. Tanesha, you run and jump on the sofa near uncle Dramel. Got it?”
“Got it!”
The kids simultaneously reply. She looks at the dogs. Looking back at the kids she says,
“Oh. Y’all make sure that y’all leave enough room on the sofa so that the dogs could jump on it and greet them. Got it?”
The kids look at each other. Smiling, they again look at her simultaneously replying,
“Got it!”
Again, the correlation of their response makes her astonishingly move her head back. Her response makes them look at one another and then her and laugh. Afterward, she opens the kitchen door whisperingly saying,
“O.k. Go.”
Dramel runs into the living-room yelling,
“Daddy!”
Tanesha runs into the living-room yelling,
“Uncle Dramel!”
Thinking about something that her husband’s brother said to her earlier she folds her arms. Humored, she thinks aloud,
“Hm—. Maybe they should’ve been twins.”
She waits for about five seconds. Smiling, she then looks at the two white German shepherds that they recently got back from the trainer saying,
“O.—k.—! Majellan, go say hi to daddy! Majella, go say hi to uncle Dramel!”
The two dogs run into the living-room barking. Majellan jumps on the sofa in-between the younger Dramel and Jermel.
Majella jumps up on the sofa in-between uncle Dramel and Tanesha. Anita sneaks into the living-room and peeps at their reaction. When she reaches it, she observes her husband responding to all the commotion.
“What up?”
He says to his son in a somewhat tired state. The younger Dramel who is now wearing a dark green shirt, a pair of black jeans, white socks and black sneakers inspiringly replies,
“What up dad!”
Jermel becomes wide awake as Majellan starts licking his face.
“Wow!”
He responds from the fluttering of love that he receives from the dog. He looks at his son and his brother as his son looks over at him saying,
“What up uncle Dramel?”
“What up?”
Uncle Dramel smiling replies.
“Just coolin!”
As Jermel again gets smothered with licks, he gives a kissing sound three times. Majellan hops off the sofa. He sits in front of him. Majella hops off the sofa, goes over to him and sits in front of him. He looks at them responding,
“Hi!”
The dogs’ barks twice.
He asks them,
“Have y’all been taking good care of the family?”
The dogs’ barks three times. Surprised, his brother looks on astonished as he bends forward and pets them responding,
“Good—!”
Jermel looks at his brother. He then looks at the dogs saying, “Majellan! Majella! Go say hi to uncle Dramel!”
The dogs run over to him barking. Startled, Tanesha looking at them quickly moves further down the sofa responding,
“Yip!”
Everybody laughs. In the process, the dogs jump on the sofa near uncle Dramel. Uncle Dramel laughing, a little startled, and being smother with licks from them makes Jermel and the kids laugh heartier. After a few seconds, he laughs. Again, it makes them laugh hearty. After the laughter and the dogs licking him simmers down uncle Dramel laughs as he pets them. As he continues to pet them, he looks at his brother saying,
“When did you get them back?”
“Oh—, about a week ago.”
He replies in a somewhat tiresome state. He opens the compartment to the section of the sofa that he’s sitting on. After raising the back portion of it a little, he closes it and with some pride says,
“Yeah—. It was expensive, but it looks like it was worth every cent that I put into them. They’re good family dogs, and guard dogs.”
Tanesha looking up at her uncle replies,
“E— yeap!”
As uncle Dramel looks at her, she says,
“And— they— are— ful—ly—trained—!”
She then turns her head to the side humorously saying,
“And I do mean ful—ly—!”
Uncle Dramel laughs. The younger Dramel cuts in saying,
“E— yeap! They’re the family’s jewels!”
Still laughing and acting surprised, uncle Dramel looks at them replying,
“They are—?”
“E— yeap!”
The kids happily reply.
“Well—! Aren’t y’all full of surprises!”
He humorously says. They laugh. Anita steps into view.
“Well. How are all of you doing?”
She asks. Uncle Dramel still laughing replies,
“Anita! We can’t help but to be doing fine with a beautiful hostess like you!”
Turning his head to the side and curiously looking up at her he smiles saying,
“But I sure— would like to have a bowl of my favorite salad and a glass of orange juice before dinner!”
Smiling, she looks at him. She then looks at her husband.
“You don’t mind the wait do you sweetheart?”
She asks.
“Huah? A— no!”
He replies surprised that she asked. Quickly thinking she then says,
“Besides, Jermel and Natasha called telling me they would be late because of their endeavors. This would give them more of an opportunity to get home. Then, practically the whole family will be together.”
Jermel thinks for a few seconds. He then says,
“You know sweetheart; there are some of the things I’ll al—ways love about you. You’re as sweet, caring and charming as they come.”
Humorously, she acts surprised saying,
“You mean after all these years you just found that out?”
He looks at her smiling and playfully saying,
“No—! It took all these years for me to tell you that for the tenth billionth time!”
His brother responds with that loud and bold laugh. It causes
everybody to laugh. She turns her head to the side and looks at her husband somewhat awkwardly. She notices that he’s
slightly feeling taunted. She goes over to him, sits on his lap, kisses him and then says,
“Oh—. I love you too sweetheart.”
She quick kisses him two more times. He looks at her mildly smiling and saying,
“Baby I know—!”
She laughs a little as she playfully hits him. She then looks over at his brother saying,
“It shouldn’t be long.”
She stands up. She then looks at the younger Dramel and Tanesha saying,
“O.k. muchkins. You two go into the backyard and play and let your father and uncle rest before dinner.”
Happily, the kids run to the backyard.
“No running!”
She inspiringly yells. Overwhelmed with joy, the kids continue to run. Anita looks at her husband and his brother. Turning her head to the side and holding out her arms, she humorously shrugs her shoulders saying,
“Oh— well—. Kids—.”
Jermel and Dramel look at one another. They then look at her and laugh. Anita laughs with them. Before exiting, she decides to show off some of the talents of the dogs. She walks a little in the direction of going towards the kitchen. She then turns and says,
“Dramel!”
He looks up at her. She claps her hands three times. The two dogs run over to her. Majellan sits by one side of her. Majella sits by the other. She claps her hands two more times. The dogs lay down. She smiles as Dramel looks on dumbfounded. Jermel looks at him smiling and saying,
“Dramel. Walk towards her.”
Skeptically, he looks at him replying,
“Huah?”
Again, smiling, he says,
“Walk towards her.”
After adjusting the portion of the sofa that he’s sitting on he gets up. He walks towards her. After getting somewhat close to her the dogs sit up. As he takes another step towards her, they start to growl. He stops. Laughing and holding out his hands he responds,
“Now wait a minute!”
Anita bends over laughing. As she laughs, he responds,
“I’ll think I’ll sit this one out!”
He turns around and walks back over to the sofa. After reaching it she responds,
“Dramel!”
He turns around and looks. Surprised, he notices the dogs lying down as if nothing occurred. He looks at Jermel astonishingly laughing and saying,
“I don’t believe it! I don’t believe it! I should have never given those dogs away!”
Jermel opens the compartment of the controls for the section of sofa that he’s sitting on. As he presses the button that tilts the back portion of it backward, he turns his head and looks at him humorously saying,
“Mm—hm—! Be— cool—! I know you loved us
baby—!”
Jermel and Anita laugh. Dramel can do nothing but laugh.
“Dinner will be served shortly, gentlemen?”
She inspiringly says. She claps twice. The dogs stand. They follow her. Dramel looks on amazed. After thinking, she stops yelling,
“Halt!”
The dogs stop. They then sit. Quickly, she walks over to her husband and sits on his lap. Cheerfully, she says,
“I’m sorry sweetheart. I forgot. Thank you—.”
She gives him a long kiss. It brings a zeal of pride to his face. Dramel looks on astonished. Loudly, he clears his throat. They continue to kiss. He then responds,
“I’m gonna invite you and Anita over to my house. Lauren and I are going to make y’all very envious of something that y’all have given us. And then me and her are going sit back on the sofa and tease y’all too—!”
His response causes them to laugh.
“O.k. Dramel! I get the message!”
She laughingly replies. She quick kisses her husband three more times, gets up and then walks back towards the kitchen. Dramel gets up and looks as she walks. As she passes the dogs, she claps twice. The dogs follow her into the kitchen. Dramel looks on totally amazed. As he sits back down, he laughs responding,
“Yeap! I should have never given those dogs away!”
Acting childishly, Jermel sticks his tongue out at him and then replies,
“Mm—. Hm—. Yes—.”
Dramel somewhat frustrated plays it up laughing as he replies,
“I think I’ll sleep this one out!”
Jermel laughs. Dramel lays back recuperating from what has been an enjoyable and yet somewhat envious experience.
“Rest easy, ol— der— bro— ther—!”
Jermel teasing responds.
“Mm— hm—.”
Dramel calmly replies. He then looks over at him saying,
“I loved you baby brother.”
Surprised, Jermel thinks about the fact that he did give them the dogs. He looks at him. With feelings of regret, he puts his head down. After shaking it from side to side, he thinks aloud,
“When he thinks like that, I just can’t beat him.”
Experiencing some remorse, he lies back angered. Dramel teasing responds,
“Rest easy, youn — ger—bro—ther—!”
“Yeah Dramel. Yeah.”
He remorsefully replies. Dramel calmly lays back, closes his eyes and laugh. Jermel looks at him. Feeling insulted and his whole family being cared for he lies back. Humorously, he responds,
“Ah— shut up—.”
Dramel laughs heartier. Jermel sits back feeling humiliated.
