Consent of the Governed Ch. 04

Part 23 - Birthday Party

Dawn, Sunday, October 25th. The next day was my 37th birthday, so we were having my birthday party at The Cabin today. I was sitting on the back deck, looking out over my Town & County in the valley below as I sipped coffee and the dogs went to do their business.

I heard the door open, and a moment later my firstborn child Carole appeared next to me. "Good morning, Daddy." she said. "Do you want your birthday present from me now?"

"Oh, we can wait until the party this afternoon." I said. "What would be a great birthday present now is for you to sit here beside me."

"I sit out here with you all the time, Daddy." Carole said, which did not impede her from climbing up into the metal mesh seat with me.

"And I treat it like a birthday present every time." I replied.

"Meeeeeeee, too!" Carole said, making me chuckle. Then she said "Daddy, will you teach me how to play chess?"

"Sure." I said. "I learned how to play when I was in the third grade, so if you want to learn I'll teach you. But what brought up chess?"

Carole said "Marie and I were at the Veeeeesley Com-uuu-nity Cen-ter yesterday with her dad, and Timmy Austin was playing against several old guys at the same time. He's very good at chess. He beat all of them. Is chess hard to learn?"

"Chess is easy to learn and to play." I said. "But it's hard to play as well as Timmy plays."

"Okay." Carole said. As I took another sip of my coffee, she said "Daddy, why are there so many noooze (news) people here?"

"Uh, what do you mean?" I asked, sensing that I was hearing something important.

"I saw four nooze vans go to the Fairgrounds when we were coming out of the Veeeesly Center." my daughter replied. "And when we were driving up here, I saw the guy on the ABC national nooze show that Mommy watches talking to somebody in the Stadium parking lot."

"Maybe he's here to talk about the Wildcats-Bulldogs game next Saturday." I said. "There will be a lot of Sports reporters here for that."

"This guy doesn't tell us Sports on TV, Daddy." Carole said. "He tells the national news, like about the buildings set on fire in Port-land, Orrregun and Wil-ming-ton, Del-a-ware, and black people marching in the street and shouting things."

"Hmmm." I replied, keeping my voice as nonchalant as possible. "Anyway, it's good that you recognized him when you saw him."

Just then, two outstanding dogs ran up to us, having realized that Carole was on deck with me. "I'll take the dogs back in, Daddy." Carole said, as she hopped off the seat and petted both canines. They scurried back inside as a group.

Hmmmm, reporters coming here en masse? I thought to myself. And national news anchors? I let my mind consider that as I looked out and saw a train coming out of the western horizon towards the River...

* * * * * * * * * * * * * *

There was an NFL game in England in the morning, but Jim, Ross, and Ian weren't watching it. Instead, they were working on a huge skyscraper for New Lego City. One neat thing was that the train tracks went right through part of it, making it a train station, too.

When I asked why they weren't interested in the football game, like at least Jim usually was, Jim said "It's the Atlanta Falcons, Dad. The Falcons suck." I couldn't argue; the hapless Detroit Lions got what would be their only win of the season by coming back from 20 points down to humiliate the Falcons, 21-20.

I once again felt sorry for the city of Atlanta, Georgia. I'm sure they were hoping the Falcons would just stay in England. Maybe the Braves could win something for them in baseball...

Guests for my party began arriving around 11:30am. Molly, Paulina, and their kids were already on location, as were Marie and Our Sheriff. Edward and Stephanie Steele came over, as did Todd and Teresa and their boys, Cindy and Callie with Betsy and my birthday cake, Tanya and Jack Muscone with Pete (Tiffany and Jennifer had a school club function to attend).

And then came a big surprise. Carole had been hostessing, answering the doorbell, and I heard her say "Grandma!" I looked over and saw that it indeed was my mom Phyllis, arriving with Chief Moynahan.

"Mom!" I said as I came up to her. "I didn't know you were coming."

"I was hoping I would be able to surprise you, son." my mom said as she hugged me warmly. Carole led her grandmother into the greatroom as I shook hands with the Chief.

Some minutes later, as she chatted with me and Todd, my mom said: "Things are good in Apple Grove, if a bit peaceful and slow."

"In other words, borrrring." Carole said as she came up to us.

"Certainly not as exciting as when I'm with you, Carole." my mom said, hugging Carole for at least the fourth time. "And at my age, 'boring' is just fine."

"You're not that old, Grandma." Carole said, earning another grandmotherly hug...

* * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Lunch was like a Thanksgiving dinner, with turkey and dressing and all the sides. I'd wanted to eat a good Sunday lunch, and since it was my birthday we were celebrating, I got my wish.

After lunch, the boys watched football and the girls alternated between trying to get the cats to make themselves available for petting, and succeeding, and playing with dolls inside. The adult males talked about the upcoming elections, and God only knows what the women talked about(!). A lot of it was getting my mom Phyllis caught up on everything.

A couple of hours later Laura convened everyone in the greatroom for the opening of gifts. "Betsy needs to go first." Cindy said. I took the thin square gift and unwrapped the paper.

It was a first-grade level book, a picture book of Bugs Bunny and friends. My attention was directed to a couple of pages near the middle. In one, Bugs Bunny was in the kitchen of a house, having come across a just-baked cake. I turned the page, and the next picture was of Bugs leaving that house with a very healthy slice of that cake on a plate that he'd taken for himself. It was a basic white cake with chocolate frosting.

"It's a Bugs Bunny cake!" Betsy said with a grin and then a giggle, obviously very amused by that. And then Cindy brought out the cake they'd brought and put it on the dining room table. It was a basic white cake with chocolate frosting.

I was told the book was mine to keep. I said "Thank you Betsy! And I'm going to have Bugs Bunny cake for my birthday every year from now on!" Betsy was very happy. I hugged her and kissed her on her forehead, and she hugged me back as much as a 34-month-old toddler could.

And so was born a new tradition, which I would indeed continue to my last birthday on this earth...

* * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Betsy and Callie also gave me a framed photo of me, Betsy, Bowser, and Buddy that had been taken a few months before. Then Cindy gave me another framed photo of me... on the Bulldogs sidelines a couple of years before, petting their mascot white English bulldog Chief IV, who looked happy to be receiving the attention.

"I like this." I said. "Except for Laura and Stephanie, Chief IV is the best thing about the University." Everyone chuckled.

Jim gave me a framed item, also. The background was cloth in the green of the Military Police Corps. On the right side were, from top to bottom, Airborne Wings pinned onto an oval patch; Captain's bars; crossed musket pistols, the insignia of the Military Police; and the unit patch I'd worn on my left shoulder. But it was what was on the left that surprised me: it was my formal military photo from when I was in the Army Reserve!

"Hey, you were a Captain once." said Teresa... a play on the fact that I'd never been a TCPD Captain, going straight from Lieutenant to Commander.

"This is amazing, Jim!" I said. "Where'd you get the photo?"

"Mom got it for me." Jim said.

"It was Jim's idea, though, and it turned out very well." Laura said. I agreed enthusiastically, and passed it around for everyone to look at.

Ross and Ian went next, and they handed me an envelope. There was a card inside it. And inside the card was no cash, but something even better: four club-level tickets to the next weekend's Wildcats-Bulldogs game!

"You have to take us, though." said Ross. "And we asked Mom to go, but she said you should ask Grandpa Grizz to come with us. He could stay with us if you have to go do Police things."

"Well, Sheriff," I said, "you wanna see what all our banter is about, and go to the game with us?"

"Wouldn't miss it for the world." growled Griswold, his mustaches twitching merrily. I found out later that Molly had already arranged it with him.

Tasha gave me a framed photo of me and her on the back deck, with me kneeling and putting down a plate of cat food for the Feral Felines. Tiger Mom and Gracie were rubbing our legs, and the other kittens were watching warily through the deck rails. "Aw, this is so nice, Tasha!" I said. "I don't remember anyone taking this picture, though."

"Carole took it." Tasha said. "She said she snuck up on you, and you never knew she was there."

"No, I didn't. It's a good picture, too. Thank you!" I said, and I made a mental to be more aware of my surroundings. I also knew at that moment that Carole had inherited her grandmother's and Aunt Elizabeth's powers of not being seen if she didn't want to be seen...

"I'll go next." said Sheriff Griswold. His gift was not a framed photo, but a box. Inside were four Glen Cairn glasses for tasting whiskeys. Etched into each of the glasses was the six-petaled icon of Clan Crowbar.

"And now you have something to drink this out of." Teresa said, handing me a larger box. Inside was a bottle of Kilchoman Sanaig, an Islay Scotch whisky. It was one of the best tasting Scotches that Teresa and I had found, and the good news was that it was not too expensive despite the delicious sherry-cask-infused sweetness that merged well with the peat smokiness.

Tanya said "Jack and I also have something for you to pour into those glasses." I opened the square box, which contained a bottle of Jack Daniels Single Barrel Barrel Proof Rye, a special and limited release, which was absolutely delicious. Jack Daniels had recently come out with rye whiskeys, their first new mash bill in a century and a half. Your Iron Crowbar likes Jack Daniels ryes very much.

"And you can sip this from those glasses, too." said Laura. It was obviously a gift-wrapped cylinder of an adult beverage. I opened it and found that it was not just any adult beverage, and it was not 'not expensive'. It was Pappy Van Winkle's Family Reserve, aged 15 years!

"Wow, how do you keep coming up with this stuff?" I asked. "Lessee, it's year... whaa?" I looked up at her in amazement.

"That's right." Laura said. "That year has not been released to the Public yet." I didn't even bother asking any further...

* * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Molly said "Paulina, Laura, Phyllis, and I conspired to get you this." She brought in a large box. It was heavy, too. I opened the box, which revealed a banjo case. When I opened the case, I was stunned. Inside was a Stelling Master's Cross banjo!

"Oh my goodness." I whispered. The woods of the banjo were exquisite. In the center of the black walnut back, the resonator, was inlaid a Celtic Cross. On the peghead at the end of the neck was inlaid a Cross, above which Mr. Stelling would not put his name, as he did on his other models.

I also knew that Stelling banjos cost more that Pappy Van Winkle Reserve on the secondary market.

"Do you play the banjo?" Cindy asked.

"When Don was young," my mother Phyllis said, "he received an old Gibson banjo from Old Man Spruance, and he learned the basics. Drove his father crazy practicing with it, so Don didn't do much with it. When Don went to college, his father sold off the banjo as well as Don's golf clubs."

"That made me mad." I said. "Those were good golf clubs."

Phyllis continued: "So when Carole suggested that her dad might like learning to play the banjo again, I asked around and got recommendations that Stelling banjos are the very best."

"Carole," Laura said, her voice slightly acidic, "why do you think your dad wants to learn the banjo again?"

"I'm not sure." Carole said. "I just knew it's the right birthday present you moms could get him. And y'all should get Marie a violin, too." Marie nodded vigorously in agreement. Laura shook her head skeptically.

And indeed, Marie was interested in the banjo, but somewhat to my surprise, little Pete Feeley took a huge interest in it. The banjo was tuned, so I did a pick-and-roll. "What's that song?" Pete asked.

"That's called a pick and roll." I said. "It's the basis of how a banjo is played. Unfortunately, I never got really good with it, but I learned a few keys."

"What's G?" Pete asked, meaning the key of G. I strummed the banjo without touching the neck.

"The banjo is tuned to the key of G." I said. I then showed Pete where to press along the frets for C and D.

"I wanna try!" Pete said. I had him sit next to me and passed the banjo over to him. "It's heavy!" he said. "Not like a guitar."

"The wood is thicker, and it has a lot of metal parts." I said. Pete began doing a pick and roll... faster and better than I had.

"Uh oh." Tanya said with a grin. "I know what you can get me for Christmas: ear plugs!" We all laughed, and Pete went on picking and rolling. Marie and Carole watched with great interest. Bowser and Buddy, not so much. They took their canine ears elsewhere...

* * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Marie (and her parents) gave me another framed item. It was a drawing of me and Bowser in the backyard of the Mountain Nest. I was on my knees, and Bowser was in front of me, facing me, sitting down, pure love in his canine eyes. "This is nice." I said. "If Bowser comes back in the room, I'll ask him how he likes it."

And then came the most highly anticipated gift of the day. No amount of money could buy what this gift was worth. It was Carole and Marie's story book.

"Daddy and Thomas Jefferson." I said, reading the title on the front of the booklet, bound by those plastic binders a lot of workplaces have. On the front was drawn me in my Police uniform, standing next to the statue of President Jefferson in Courthouse Square.

"Thomas Jefferson wrote the Declaration of Independence." I read aloud. "Daddy wrote the new County Charter, with Liberty and Justice for all." Everyone chuckled as I turned the booklet so everyone could see the drawings of the Declaration of Independence and the Charter that were below the words.

"Thomas Jefferson lived in a house called Monticello." I read, pronouncing the 'c' correctly as 'ch'. "Daddy lives in a house called the Mountain Nest." Excellent drawings of Monticello and the Mountain Nest were on the page... so excellent that it showed Monticello's windows correctly.

"Ladies," I asked Carole and Marie, "now many floors does Monticello have?"

"It has a basement, where the cannonballs that make the clock work drop into." Carole said. "So I guess the basement and main floor are two floors."

"Here's the trick, though." I said. "See how tall the front windows seem to be? Well, Thomas Jefferson built the house so that the second floor windows touched the floor, and from the outside it looked like the same windows as the bottom floor. So there is an upstairs."

"Why did he do that?" Ian asked.

"The American Colonies were part of England at that time. It was before the Declaration of Independence." I said. "The British Government taxed houses based on how many floors they had. So Thomas Jefferson was trying to avoid paying more taxes than he had to." Everyone nodded.

I started reading again: "Thomas Jefferson started the University of Virginia. Daddy helps Mommy and Marie's mommy keep our University out of trouble." That drew laughter.

"We give and we give." Laura said, again somewhat acerbically. Stephanie Steele nodded vigorously in agreement.

I showed everyone that the depiction of the Schools were the Virginia Cavaliers sports logo, and the University's "U" logo.

"Thomas Jefferson was President of the United States." I read. "Daddy is the Iron Crowbar. That's better than being President." Everyone burst out laughing at that, too... except Carole. I fist-bumped her to placate her.

"This is very very good." I said. I passed the book to Sheriff Griswold, then I gave Carole and Marie hugs.

"Time for dessert!" Jim said. So 37 candles were lit on the Bugs Bunny cake and I blew them out with a little help from the kids. There was also a caramel cake (Carole's favorite) and a red velvet cake, my real favorite.

There was also ice cream. Tubs of ice cream. Little Jack Burke ate a lot of ice cream. Little Betsy Ross gave him a serious run for his money...

* * * * * * * * * * * * * *

"Grandma," Carole said as things were wrapping up late that afternoon, "where are you staying?"

"Why, at my apartment in the basement of the Mountain Nest, like I always do." said my mother. Carole shook her head vigorously in disagreement.

"You shouldn't stay there, Grandma." Carole said. "You should stay up here. Daddy, we all should stay here."

"That's a good idea, Carole." I said. "And Mom, I agree that you should stay up here, too." Laura practically dragged me into the kitchen for a private conversation.

"Do you think we'd be in danger at the Mountain Nest?" Laura asked. "We can get Police and Campus Police protection, you know."

"Yes, I know." I said. "But I think Carole is feeling what I'm thinking... that may not be enough against Carmela's army of agitators..."

Part 24 - Cops and Doughnuts

6:00am, Monday, October 26th. My 37th birthday. I drove through Town on my way to Police Headquarters. I drove by University Memorial Stadium, which would be very busy this coming Saturday. In the parking lot across the street, to the north of the Stadium and east of the State Crime Lab building. there normally would be RVs parked as the week went along. But not today.

Today there were National News vans parked in that lot. And, as Carole had most very astutely observed and deduced, they were not Sports news vans, but regular news vans.

I drove through Town along Jefferson Avenue, then north on Riverside Drive. There were some news vans from various State and regional networks parked on the southern end of the Fairgrounds.

As I came into Police Headquarters via the Employees entrance, the Duty Desk Officer there handed me a plastic key card. "This is a temporary access card to Vice and MCD, sir, until the keycodes are put in, sir. They installed the security doors over the weekend."

"Good." I said. I asked the Patrolman if he'd had a good weekend and was told he did, then I went up to the Duty Desk at the front lobby and received the report that nothing was amiss... yet.

"Sir," said the Duty Desk Sergeant, "I'm expecting to get calls about news vans parked in a lot of places they shouldn't be."

"Lots of tickets for us to write, then." I said. "The Town Council will be happy about that."

I went and checked out the newly installed security doors on the entrances to MCD and Vice. The doors opened into the hallway, and could (and mostly would) be left open against the hall walls. They were metal sheets on the outside with something like kevlar filling in the middle. An 8" x 8" window with diagonal wires running through it was in each door, and a thin pulldown metal sheet could block the view through the window if needed.

"Good morning, sir!" said Detective Joanne Warner brightly.

"Good morning, Joanne." I said. "Good morning, Jerome." I said to Lt. Jerome Davis, who was making 'Navy' coffee at the coffeemakers at the far end, next to the door that went to the back hallway. "The doors look good. And I like the one that secures the hallway to the Intel Center and Classroom 'E'."