Chapter 33 Book 2

Chapter 33

A Day At The Lake

I had spent an extra hour and a half practicing the piano that Thursday before my teacher arrived and was glad I did. The fact that I had memorized both pieces made her proud of me. All that would be left until my performance was to make them perfect. I wanted that prize; I could almost taste it, and most of all, I wanted to make both my mothers proud, but it wouldn't be if I didn't work for it.

I kept my promise to Aaron even though it was Dad who extended the invitation concerning feeding my animal friends. It was my responsibility when I was home to do it. I simply took my brother's hand and invited my mother to come along. Unlike us, she wasn't used to running around barefoot outdoors. Aaron and I both had chosen to leave our shoes at home. I guess if I really needed them; I had another pair sitting in my closet, and Aaron could easily borrow a pair of Jared's, but I have and like my Rothwell brothers had seldom needed them.

Mom once again took several pictures of Aaron and I and my animal friends. She declined the invitation to pet or hold any of them, and that included a live rooster or a chicken. When we got back, both my mother's made us wash our hands really good. I never saw the reason why when you were just going to get them dirty again, but I knew better than to disobey. My foster Mom packed us each a sack lunch since we were going trail riding to our favorite lake and wouldn't be back until almost time for practice.

My mother made us wear our jean shorts. Everything else was optional, applying sunscreen to Aaron's skin. Considering his skin wasn't used to being outdoors compared to mine and the Rothwells. The fact we were going skinny dipping didn't faze her in the least. In fact, she for once highly approved of the idea and told us to have a great time.

Dad and Shane had already inspected all the saddles and were even closer after yesterday. Today Aaron would be riding his own horse, or the better word would be pony or cult.

Mom warned us to be careful and had taken several pictures of me and Aaron. Dad was the only one of us that was fully dressed today, but packed a pair of shorts so he could swim with us once we reached our destination. He also packed a First Aid Kit and several extra straps in case anything happened, as well as marked the route on a map. So if there was a problem, everyone would know where to find us. Shane slid his sneakers and socks inside the saddle bag with his sack lunch instead of putting them on, just in case he needed them.

We each had two canteens of water, a flashlight, and waterproof matches. Dad added two fishing poles and several towels in each of our saddles. We would spend all day around a small lake that fed into the Provo River that came down from the nearby canyons. Normally the water would be still cold from the ice melting, but the lake would be perfect for swimming. Practice wasn't until four thirty and we would be back by three or three thirty at the latest. In time for me and Aaron to grab a quick shower or bath.

It also gave my mother time to get to know my sister Jody and my foster Mom while we were gone. I quickly gave her a hug and a kiss and told them both I loved them before climbing on my horse. Dad had instructed Jody after the boys were done running laps. He wanted them to be locked in their rooms until they got back from running errands, like grocery shopping, and dropping off and picking up my homework for the weekend. It would be a good time for the woman folk to have some fun on their own.

Even though Jared was grounded for not telling Dad what the three troublemakers and their friends had done. He allowed Jared to come with us and his brother Jason, his punishment wasn't severe enough not to be included. Personally, I think Dad did it to rub it in, like salt into a wound.

That being good was a hell of a lot better than being bad when it came to spending quality time with Dad. It also, in some ways, made them hate us for it when they watched us leave, placing Jason in the saddle with him and Jared next to Shane. They knew they were missing the opportunity to have a day of fun at the lake. Dad had taken the entire family on more than one occasion and their friends borrowed enough horses for all.

I doubted Aaron's smile could have gotten any bigger riding his own horse. Dad and I had spent the entire year breaking him in and were thinking about giving him to Jared for his birthday or after he had been ordained as a deacon. At first, he was planning on selling him, but instead found that he liked spending quality time with his sons. Like this as we rode up to the street at a nice even pace before we turned off a familiar cow trail and made our way up to the lake. Even though the land was private property, we were given permission to use the land being as if it was mine and Shane's employer. You got to admit having benefits like this makes it worthwhile when spending quality time with your Dad and your brothers.

It was almost eleven thirty when we had arrived at our destination. We had been here on several occasions and had made it our special spot. Dad had hung a rope and tire swing over the lake, and a fairly good fire pit. Our horses had plenty of fresh grass and water here. For us it was like a boy's paradise. Even though Dad had us pack our swim shorts in case we weren't alone up here, even though it was private land and far out of the way and hard to get here without horses. Like us, our employer allows the same rights to his other employees to use the lake and the surrounding land. There wasn't or had been I sign of anyone else up here, having to unlock the gate ourselves and place indicated flag that said Rothwell in bold black letters. The place was ours for the entire afternoon.

Dad wasted no time stripping off all his clothes, racing Shane and me to the rope swing. After having gathered enough firewood for a nice fire to dry us off and if he had a chance to catch us some fish for lunch. If not, we simply eat our sack lunch, placing our sodas in a stream of cold water that trickled down to the lake.

I can guarantee my father would be appalled by the idea of skinny dipping. I had yet to see him dressed in a bathing suit or work outside without a shirt like my best friend's fathers or my adult friends like Bishop Lanwall and Brother Niles and on a few occasions Brother Sakes, when it evolved into a father and son outing, all the boys and their fathers enjoyed the luxury of skinny dipping.

Yet when it came to the entire Rothwell family spending and well-deserved afternoon or occasionally camp-out here. Dad wore a bathing suit so as not to embarrass his daughters, but if it was just Mom and us then it didn't apply. Like I have said before Pa and my Downing brothers were cut from the same cloth when it came to outdoor activities like this, and even the Fry's when Dad had taken me and Jeff on outings like this.

Personally, I don't know what my father was so embarrassed about, considering all boys and men had the same parts and there was nothing wrong with what we were doing. God made us all alike and I am almost positive that Christ had skinny-dipped a time or two even though it was never mentioned in the scriptures. I do not doubt that the same rules applied back then as they are today when came to spending time with their fathers and brothers.

Aaron took the idea like a duck to water, watching his sunburned body jump from the tire swing having the time of his life. I could just imagine the look on my sister's and father's faces when he parades his tanning body in front of them when he gets home. I also know from personal experiences. That he is going to need a rubdown of Calamine Lotion to help take the sting out of the sunburn and will spend less time in clothes because of it. All I can say to them is get used to it once you get a taste of it. You never go back to the way it was and like I have said before, they don't know anything about me. For the moment, Mom knows more about me than they will ever know, and I am good with that.

Like all good things, I hated the fact that we had to end our day at the lake, even gladder that Dad or Shane didn't catch any fish. For the simple reason, Aaron and I hate the taste of it and the smell. Dad was never cruel when it came to a bad sunburn and was prepared to rub Aaron down with the lotion. In some ways, it was his first real sunburn, more so on his lower parts that never seen the sun often enough to get a well-developed tan.

I remember my first one, I couldn't get my clothes off fast enough afterward. The way any clothing rubbed against it and trapped in the heat made it unbearable. It was nearly a week before I didn't need the lotion or several cold baths to take the heat out of my skin. I had my doubts that Aaron too would suffer for it, but afterward, once it healed, being in the sun would be just as enjoyable if not more.

My mother simply sighed with relief, seeing us all come back unharmed. Aaron was almost as red as a cooked lobster, but he had the best time of his life. We all reeked of the lake and campfire smoke. Aaron and I were given the tub first since we had to leave before practice. That way, Dad could take a shower and everyone else would have just had to wait their turn.

Mom (Rothwell) had decided that after boxing practice, the entire family could use some family time at the pool. Dad knew better than to argue with her when it came to family time. My mother didn't like the idea of the bad boys being given such a privilege, but it wasn't her house, and it wasn't her rules. Dad had promised her that in no way was he going to let them off the hook anytime soon. Telling her they would run laps twice a day and would be grounded and would be doing hard labor inside and outside of the home. My mother knew the condition of how they would be doing those laps and hard labor. However, she also knew even though he didn't include the hothouse or other prison-style punishments, the statement was implied.

Right before we left. Dad wanted to have a family prayer since he wouldn't see me again. To have one with the whole family until I came home late Sunday afternoon. I knew my mother wasn't comfortable about it, but neither did she complain about it. Taking mine and Aaron's hand and knelt with the rest of the family in the living room. It was a long prayer mostly praying for my safety and my mothers, Dad asking God to watch over us and his and my mother's house.

When he was done, I knew it was going to hurt saying goodbye to everyone, even more so to my foster parents, and the ones that mattered most to me. Unlike my two sisters Susan, Becky, and my father. Shawn, Danny, and Arthur wanted no part of me and stood off to the side, growling and giving me hateful glares.

Dad had allowed them to dress in their boxers during family prayer so it wouldn't distract the spirit from the rest of us. There was a very dark presence that shadowed over them, compared to the rest of the family. It made my skin crawl feeling it as I looked at them. It wasn't warm, but ice cold as if someone had dipped me into a freezing lake. Like my father, I knew we were going to come to blows, and I prayed that it wouldn't be soon.

Mom had rubbed down every red inch of Aaron's body with Calamine lotion which was all the proof she needed, knowing that we had gone skinny dipping and spent the entire day in the sun. She cursed us lovingly when she applied it and only made him wear his swim trunks. She wasn't sure what was allowed and what wasn't, considering Aaron wouldn't be participating during my boxing practice today, so to keep him mostly decent she borrowed one of my light shirts to drape over his shoulders, leaving it unbuttoned.

My foster mother said he would have been fine either way, considering most boys during practice wear just as much clothing as they do during gymnastics or a swim meet. But if the sunburn or the violence of the fights got too bad, he was more than welcome to join the rest of them in the pool. Stating she didn't like to watch me fight and that sometimes a bout in the ring can become quite bloody and violent when it comes to older teens.

I had warned her previously that she wouldn't enjoy it. That most of the time, Dad and Shane would be my only audience unless it was a meet for points and a trophy, even those Mom and my sisters spent most the time with their eyes closed and were always there checking me over from head to toe for any lasting injuries afterward. I also wasn't sure how she would react after seeing what I could do when it came to fighting, even more so when it came to me defending myself from her and my father. Aaron too, I was concerned about.

I had Shane promised me that if it got too bad, that he would take my brother or my mother down to the pool without me. I could see Mom was going to have a hard time seeing her cringe after the first to practice matches with the other boys on my team. I had asked her if she really wanted to stay. If she didn't, I would understand. Instead, she quietly took her seat while she watched me warm up doing quick exercises from jump roping to bag punches with my legs, feet, and hands. When it was my turn, she did her best to keep a straight face, but Aaron wasn't with her as I watched Shane take my very badly sunburned brother down to the pool after a very violent display in the ring. Mom simply folded his shirt in her lap and watched me get inside the ring.

By the end of the first bell, she too was quickly making a quick exit. I had gotten distracted by watching her leave, which gave my opponent the opportunity to sweep my legs from underneath me and have him come down hard with a body slam across my chest, winning the round. I knew better than to let that happen, but lessons like that are necessary when came to fighting. I quickly went back to my corner and ready myself for the next fight. We would each take turns disabling our teammates until we got it right. Earning several new bruises even with protected gear it still hurt. Unlike real adult fighting where you fought bare knuckles, we were gloved and wore headgear, but even with that kickboxing could be a deadly sport.

Dad was the only one left in my cheering section by the time practice was over. So me and I walked down to the pool with his arm over my shoulder. I knew he was proud of me as he gave me a soft, playful jab to the chin. I knew he loved me as one of his sons, but it never hurt to tell me out loud that he was proud or the fact he loved me. It always made me feel all warm and fuzzy inside and made my heartbeat, beat against my chest.

In some ways, it was a more personal goodbye reminding me to call him each night to let them know that I was ok and unharmed. Giving me one last hug alone and leaned down and kissed me on the head and both my cheeks. It used to bother me when he did it because always reminded me of all my foster Dads. Yet at the same time, it let me know that he truly loved me, leaving the monster in its cage and treating me as his son. Something my father would never do or ever be.

My mother was already in the pool, playing tag with Aaron and my Rothwell brothers and sister. The bad boys weren't among them and had chosen to stay on the other end of the pool. Dad growled angrily walked over to them and forced them to join the family. Warning them they are on very thin ice. I knew Dad was trying hard to keep the monster inside. I wasn't sure if being pulled by your ear counted as abusive behavior, but I knew a threat when I saw one when Dad brought Shawn and Danny close to his face. That he wasn't going to tolerate their attitude any longer.

Prodding them to the locker room, which indicated that Dad and they were done having family time and punishment had just gone up a notch. Arthur had chosen to stay behind, knowing perfectly well that Dad wasn't through with him, but Mom and Dad also knew if it wasn't for Danny and Shawn always coaxing him into trouble, he could be very well-mannered. That sometimes a good spanking was all that was needed until the next time. And trust me, there is always a next time.