Page 12 of Beau
Beau loved the advertising that Calhoun had done for them in terms of getting more people to come to the area with jobs.They’d had great responses to the little bit that they’d put out there before, but nothing like this.The advertising not only told that they were looking for new businesses to come to town, but also the perks that would come with them deciding to stay and build around here.
There were tax incentives that would make anyone want to put a new business in town.The construction companies that could work with them, should they wish to build.Even the state of the economy was there for them to see that they had plenty of people willing and able to work for them.
“I’m going to print you smaller flyers that you can send out in envelopes when you’re addressing new people.”Beau thanked him.“It’s my pleasure.Business is booming right now for me.I never thought that I’d have so much work right away that I’d need to hire people to get it done.I’ve only been open three weeks so far.”
“I know of a couple of graphic designers that you could interview.They’re good women, both of them are, but struggling to find a job in their area.One of them is married to a jag like us.”He asked what he meant.“Nothing wrong.But she’s married to a light colored jaguar like we are.I don’t know why I thought that might be important to you.”
“It is in knowing that she’s a shifter.I like to hire from the leap, too.The people that I’ve met so far have been super nice and supportive.”Beau told him that he’d thought that everyone was, but for a few of the elders.“They don’t like change.I could have guessed that.When we belonged to the other leap, the elders were forever gripping around change.Like, it isn’t going to be helpful for the leap to get modernized.I believe that it’s the only way to keep up with the times, and we all need to do that at some point.”
“I agree.We had classes set up for the elderly to learn how to order their groceries online.It didn’t go over all that well.In fact, after the first class, it was shut down.They didn’t want to learn how to do it because it was something too new for them.Some of them even stated that they have grandkids for that to go to the store for them.”He asked how long they thought that was going to work.“Not long.For a time there, we had the highest age of people in a leap around.Now that Weston has taken over, we’ve gotten some newer shifters in the place, but he’s still working on it.Sometimes it’s an uphill battle.”
“I would imagine.”Calhoun smiled, and it looked sort of sly, like he knew something that he didn’t.“I’ve been teaching my neighbor how to use the computer.I think I have her convinced that it’s the only way to go if you want to keep up with things.She told me that she can’t even make her remote work without one of her grandkids helping her.”
“Maybe that’s what we should have started out with instead of groceries.The remote control.More people might have enjoyed that.”They both laughed, and he thought it was especially funny how all grown-ups needed help with their television controllers to make things work for them.“I’m going to bring that up to Weston and see what he has to say about it.He might well be on board with it rather than the other.”
After Calhoun left him, still laughing about the classes, he looked over the advertisement again.It was bright and glossy, and he loved it.Now, if only they could get it in the hands of someone who really was looking for a place to build and bring jobs to the area, it would be worth it.As it was now, they were using them in the welcome center that saw a great deal of business when it was warmer weather.
The welcome center was a holdover from when the baskets were a big hit.They still were, but not on the scale that they once were when the founder had been alive.There used to be tour buses linedup along the street, as many as ten a day.Now they were lucky if they saw one once a week.It was sad, really, that it had run its course.
Their little town had benefited greatly from the tours.There were still shops along the main street in town, but they did more online business than with people coming to town to do the tours.He wondered what the town would look like if it were still going on like it had before.It would be great to see that, he thought.And instead of advertising for new jobs, he might be booking tours to have the basket people come into town to have a good time.Oh, what days those had been.
It took him most of the afternoon to get the new flyers that Calhoun dropped off folded.He was still working on getting all the equipment that he needed to run a successful business, so folding them was one of the things that he didn’t mind doing.Besides, he loved the way they looked when they were stacked all folded up like they were.The first hundred he was going to drop off at Weston’s office so that they could get them mailed out to go to prospective businesses.
He and Danielle were loving their new home.It had been finished up, thankfully, but the faeries and they were having a good time filling out the spaces that were there with little things that they’d picked up here and there.They’d been putting pictures in a pile on his new desk that they wanted to frame, and last night they started on them.He’d not realized what a few family pictures could do to a room once they were hung.It looked like someone cared enough to have family around them at all times.
He paused in going out the door of the office he’d been working on when he saw a stranger across the street.Beau had lived in this town for his entire life and felt assured that he knew everyone around, so when this woman looked like she was trying to find an address, he decided to wait until she asked him before he volunteered any information.He knew all about Rogen’s non-mother.
Going out the door with his back toward her, he locked up before he heard someone behind him say ‘Excuse me’.He was willing to ignore it for a while, but it wasn’t in him to be rude.Turning with a smile, he asked what he could do for her.
“I’m looking for my children.I’ve not seen them in a while, and I was trying to surprise them with me showing up.”He asked how old her children were, knowing full well it was adults she was talking about rather than children.“Oh, they’re about your age.Maybe a little older.It’s been a while since…well, they just moved to this area and I just arrived.”
“I don’t know any strangers in town if they just moved here.”She looked frustrated with him, and he was all right with that.“What are their names, and perhaps I can find them for you.Or at least point you in the right direction as to where they might be.”
“Watson is their last name.I have four boys and two daughters.My daughters are construction workers of all things.”He nodded, not giving anything away.But he did reach out to Rogen and let her know what was going on.“Their names are Rogen and Sandy.The boys are Calhoun, Benson, Tommy, and Edward.Tommy and Edward are farmers.I don’t remember what kind they are.”
“What does she want?”He told Rogen that she was looking for her children.“Do me a favor and tell her to fuck off.Not really.I’ll do that on my own.Is there anything about her that you think I should know?”
“She’s human.”Rogen didn’t say anything while Marsha was going on about her kids and what she thought they did for a living.“Also, you should know that she’s unaware that Benson is dead.She named him as one of her children who should be around here.”
“I guess that sort of seals the deal on her being our mother.I was…never mind.I’ll be there soon.If she gets away from you, no matter, I’ll find her.”He told her not to do anything stupid.“I already did that when I sort of hoped she might be our mother.”
“Do you know my family?”Now that Rogen was coming, he thought that he should just tell her the truth.So he told her that he did know them all.“Oh, good.I was hoping to find them around here.I feel like I’ve been looking forever.Can you point me in the right direction?”
“Sure, but if you wait right here, Rogen is coming.She was supposed to meet me here.”A small lie, but it was better than the truth right now.He saw the other woman coming toward him with all her family.It was going to be a showdown, it looked like.Even the mister was with them.He did wonderhow she’d gotten them gathered up so quickly and realized they were probably at her home, still talking about her.Beau decided to stick around in the event they might need a cooler head.“It looks like your search is over.”
Beau thought that she said something like ‘oh fuck’, but couldn’t be sure since Rogen started speaking to her from a distance of about ten feet.The others formed a circle around their ‘mother’, and it didn’t look all that good for Marsha or whatever her name was.
“You don’t look a thing like our mother, just so you know.Your hair is all wrong.”Rogen’s hair was the same dark shade as a jaguar’s in that it had the small blueish spots in it.“It’s about as wrong as your face is.”
“I don’t know what you mean by my hair being the wrong color.”She said she didn’t say color, but that was it too.“It’s been ten years, how can you be so sure?It looks the same as yours, but for a little lighter.”
“Benson is dead.You might well have not known that since you’re not our mother.”She asked Belinda what had happened to him.“He was murdered along with my two children for money.Is that why you’re here?Money?Well, you’re not going to get anything from us.”
“You’re very hostile towards someone you’ve not seen in ten years.”Calhoun said that it was the first truthful thing that she’d said all morning, as they had never met her before today.“I’m your mother.I even have the tat that is a paw print.”
“Let’s see it.”She bared her left shoulder, and Rogen was shaking her head.“It’s not a sigil but a real tattoo.Not to mention it’s on the wrong shoulder.It should be on the right like it is for our dad.”
“No, it’s the left.I remember that.”She told her that she remembered incorrectly.“I know what I know.And this isn’t getting us anywhere.I’ve come all this far to see my children, and they’re acting like I’ve committed some sort of crime.I think that we should regroup and meet up later.Perhaps in a better setting, like one of your homes.You all do have homes, don’t you?”
