If it's fate

Part 16: projects

We finish eating and I hang around in the backyard. I can feel the hot summer breeze. But the big tree shades where I stand.
(Gets Phone Call From Leo)
"Hey!" I say.
"Hey..." (says sadly)
"What's wrong? Are you sick?"
"I'm sick without your love."
I don't respond.
"I want to see you." He then says.
"Who would have known you be this cheesy. What's wrong with you. How do you change suddenly?" I ask.
"Haha, it's because of you."
"Thanks," I say.
"Hahaha, you're so cute, what are you doing?"
"I'm at my parent's house. I'll be staying here for today and tomorrow." I then say. "You?"
"I'm doing business."
"For"
" It's work-related."
"Oh, what type of work do you do? (People shouting IN the background) hello Leo?
"Hey, I have to get back to work, I'll call you later, bye." (Hangs up)
"Woah he hung up on me. What work does he do? Why were people shouting in the background?" I'm questioning my mind and pacing back and forth.

"Candy, is that you?" I hear from a distance, from behind me. I turn around to see who it is.
"Dad!" I say running to him.
"Hey, I thought you would never come to visit me." He says patting my head.
"Well I'm here now, I'll be here tomorrow also," I say.
"Well that's good, you can help me with my project." He says.
"Okay!"
"But let me go eat first, I haven't eaten my lunch yet. If I don't eat, your mother will scold me. For now, help me take these wood pieces to the workshop."
"Okay," I say.
He goes in to go eat. I can hear my mother nagging at him," you should've come home earlier. Why did you come home so late?"
Mark then comes out
"What are you doing?" He asks
"Come here, help me with these wood pieces, take them to dad's workshop."
We take wood pieces to my dad's workshop. And come back for the rest of it. When we come back, I'm drenched in sweat.
"You're tired?" Mark asks
"Yes Mark!, are you not?" I say.
"No, this is nothing, last time dad made me carry 5 tons of concrete."
"Okay, why are you boasting?" I say.
"Just saying, man, it's hot. Let's go get ice cream." He then suggested.
We walk inside and open the freezer. No ice cream in sight.
"Mom there's no more ice cream!?" Mark says.
"What do you mean... unless your father ate them all...." She then looks at my dad.
"You ate them all?" She asks.
"... yeah...here go buy more..." he says, giving me money.

We walk to the nearby deli. Which is 5 minutes away. When we get to the store Mark and I are drenched in sweat. I look like I got a shower and didn't even bother to change. The heat and we are not compatible. Lucky the store is cool. We grab the ice cream we want and pay for it. I tell Mark, we should rest for a while. We take our ice cream and sit in seats at the window. The window seats can be seen by an ongoing pedestrian and it faces Main Street. I take out a tissue that was there and wipe Marks sweat away. I then spot Mark's abs.
" Ooo, Mark, let me see your abs. I can't see them clearly with your shirt." I start to lift his shirt.
"Sis, are you sane, people are watching."
"Don't be shy," I say jokingly.
"I don't want people to see." He says.
"Aww, my brother is cute, such a good boy."

Mark looks around embarrassed.   
"The cashier is looking at us." He says quietly.
"So, does he think I'm molesting you?" I say laughing.
"Well, you're kind of," Mark says.
"Mark!" I say, slapping his arm.

We finished eating the ice creams and while we were eating many people passed by and looked at us.
"Let's go." He says getting up.
"Okay," I say grabbing his arm.
We get out of the store and it's hot again. I let go of his arm and we started heading home.

(we arrived home)
I go up to my room and I lay down on my bed. Nothing has been moved, but it is half empty. I get up and look around my old room. I then noticed a small box on top of my closet. I carry it to the bed and open it.
There are a lot of notes. It is kind of dusty. I read each one of the notes. They range in all shapes and sizes.
"I want to be an artist in the future."
"I hope that the twins will like me when they are born."
"I hope I find a boyfriend."
I stop reading the notes.
"Omg what was 14 years old me thinking," I say loudly.

(Mark comes in opening the door uninvited)
"Omg Mark, did you not learn to knock, should I show you?" I say.
"No I'm fine, thank you. Dad says to go help him with his project."
"Okay," I say putting away the box
We walk to the backyard and to the workshop.
I can hear the sawing of wood. We walk into the workshop.
There is a wide table with various projects on it. But one project looked superior to the others. It's a house but made very modern, a simple house, a little futuristic. It looks amazing.
"Woah dad, did you do this?" I ask.
"Yes, but Mark helped me," he says.
"Woah Mark! Your house is pretty good."
"Thanks, I know." Mark then says.

"Oh, what do you need help with dad?"  I then ask.
"Well, the house has no color, so can you paint it?" dad says.
"Yeah, of course, you trust me?" I ask.
"No," Mark says.
"Of course, you're perfect for this job." dad says.
"Hey dad, what theme do you want for the house, like what colors?"
"Colors that scream out modern."
"Okay," I say.
I grab a notebook and write down colors that scream out modern. "White, nude colors, light colors, black, light/dark browns, blues, pretty much every color of the rainbow...."
I finally decided on what color I think would be modern: I start to mix shades to get the shade that I want. Then I start to paint the walls of the house.
"Hey dad, shouldn't employees of the company do this type of work," I say mixing more colors to get the shade I desire.
"Yes, but I have time to help. I don't want to be sitting around doing paperwork all day," he says.
"Oh," I say.
"You guys should know that being head of a company doesn't mean you just do a little bit of work and use the employees to do your work, you have to contribute also. You have to show them what you can do, not only just speak but not show."
"You're a great person dad, no wonder your company is doing amazing," I say
"It's our company. When I'm not here, you guys have to take care of the company. You and Mark." Dad says getting teary.
"We know dad, why are you crying...No wonder Candy is such a cry baby," Mark states.
"Thanks, Mark for your compliment," I say.
"Okay get back to work," Dad says wiping his tears.

When I finish painting the house it's already past 9 and I started around 5. I can hear my mom coming towards the workshop. You know it's her because she likes to walk loudly and complain along the way, she can complain about literally anything. In the distance, you can hear her clearly. 
"Why does he let the kids do so much work, he also. It's already past 9, they haven't eaten dinner, what is going on in his head?"
She finally reaches the workshop. She looks around for a second.
"Mark, Candy, Where's your father?"
Mark pointed to behind her.
"Mark, I'm not your father, I'm your mom." She says.
"No, he's behind you," Mark says.
She looks behind and my dad is sleeping on the bench there. She walks over to him.
"Henry, why don't you take the kids to eat, did you forget you have to eat at a certain time also. Henry, you have to set a good role model for the children. Especially, Mark, he's still a kid.... blah blah...." she goes on.
Mark and I just look and listen. My dad finally awakens from all the commotion.
"Cathy, I know, I know. The kids are fine....okay, kids let's go eat." Dad says pointing his hand toward the house.
"Let's go, all of you." My mom says leading the way back to the house. "Why do you work so hard, you have plenty of time." She says while walking.

We ate dinner and I walked up to my room.
It's already past 10, and my back aches from all the bending. I think about Leo and his potential occupations. I lay down on my bed and suddenly was off to dreamland.