— Chapter Fifteen —

 Tarzan the Terrible

A

fter Jack Tate’s funeral, Felix, Tommy, and their parents came home and walked in together through the front door. All four, dressed in black, were in a somber mood on that late Thursday morning.

“Does anyone want some lemonade?” asked Gretchen.

All three men shook their heads’ no.’

“Well, I guess I should remove myself from these drab clothes,” Gretchen said. She turned and walked up the stairs to her bedroom.

“I’m going to do the same,” said Tommy as he followed his mother up the stairs.

Frank turned and walked to his study as Felix stood in the home’s foyer. For a couple of minutes, he thought about his friend Jack and everything that had happened in one week. Felix pulled off his tie and walked to his father’s study. He found his father sitting on one of the side leather chairs, reviewing some sales reports.

“Father?”

“Yes, Felix. Come on in —have a seat,” said Frank.

Felix walked up to his desk and laid a tie down on it, saying.

“Mother gave me one of your ties for today. Apparently, I do not own a tie in a color appropriate for a funeral. —Let’s say all mine are a bit loud.”

“I see. —Well, I’m glad I was some help,” said Frank.

Felix did as his father asked and had a seat in the other leather chairs.

“I wanted to tell you again how sorry I am for your loss, Son,” said Frank. “And how proud I was of how you solved who killed Jack. How are you handling things right now?”

“I’m still in shock —I guess? All this seems surreal,” said Felix.

“Sure, I can understand what you are saying,” said Frank.

“One moment, Jack and I were out having a good time. The next, he’s dead. It’s hard to get my mind around it, that I won’t talk to him again,” said Felix.

“Moments like this change a person,” said Frank.

“I suppose,” said Felix.

“No, it does,” said Frank. “In a month from now, you’ll forget Jack is dead. One day, something will happen, and you can’t wait to tell him, and that is when you realize you never will. Twenty or forty years from now —God willing. You’ll think about him. You’ll ask yourself, ‘what would Jack be doing today if he were still alive?’ —Something like this will change you,” he said.

“Well, now I have to live with it, I guess?” said Felix.

“So I would say this: why do YOU have to live with it?” asked Frank.

“I don’t know what you mean?” said Felix.

“Your brother, Theo, has lived with IT since he returned from the war,” said Frank. “Where I made a mistake was by not helping Theo realize there are people, family, and friends here to help him. Life is hard, Felix. And sometimes life is God-awful tough. You won’t gain much in life by suffering through it yourself. What I’m trying to say is if you want to talk about Jack or anything for that matter, I’m here for you,” he said.

“Thank you —I will,” said Felix.

Tommy was lying on his bed reading a book late Saturday morning when Felix came walking right in.

“Well, brother of mine, you’ll be glad to know that I took FIFTH place,” said Felix. “At the First Annual Food Modeling Exhibit at Lincoln Park this morning.”

“Wow, that was today? —Why didn’t you take me?” asked Tommy.

“Because you were sleeping,” answered Felix.

“Well, it is the weekend, and I no longer can sleep in on weekdays,” said Tommy.

“So you’re telling me that you wouldn’t have gone?” asked Felix.

“Why, yes. You’re correct. —But, it’s clear you did need me at the event for moral support,” said Tommy. “You took fifth place!”

“Yes, I did!” said Felix, with a big smile on his face.

“Well, good show there, my dear man, you deserve it, said Tommy. “By the way, how many places were they handing out?” he asked.

“Six,” answered Felix.

“Wow, that’s not too bad, then? Do you have a feel for how many artists submitted their work?” asked Tommy.

“Yes, I do. —Five,” answered Felix.

“FIVE? Well, then, allow me to retract anything I may have said that may have sounded favorable to your accomplishment just now,” said Tommy.

“AH. Well, I got a ribbon out of it! SEE?” said Felix as he pulled it out of his pocket. “And I’ll be hanging this lovely next to my Northwestern Bachelor of Arts degree!” he said as he held it out in front of him to admire.

“Well, hang it will pride my dear brother,” said Tommy. —”Now, if you don’t mind, I need to get back to Jane Porter, who is in peril within the jungles of Africa,” he said.

“I would have thought you were a little too old for Tarzan books?” said Felix.

“I like Tarzan books. Besides, the author, Edgar Rice Burroughs, will be coming out with his new book here soon, and I haven’t finished this one,” said Tommy.

Felix pushed the book towards Tommy’s face to read the title better and said, “Tarzan the Terrible? Well, you can read more tonight,” said Felix. “I came up here to invite you to a game of golf this afternoon,” he said.

“GOLF. Well, why didn’t you say so? Do you have a tee time?” asked Tommy.

“But of course,” said Felix.

“What time?” asked Tommy.

“Noon,” said Felix.

“NOON. Well, damn, Felix. That means we need to get going!” said Tommy.

“I already have your clubs in the automobile! All you need to do is change and meet us downstairs. I have the family automobile out front,” said Felix with excitement in his voice.

“Us?” asked Tommy.

“Yeah, Father is going to play today,” answered Felix.

“Are you kidding me? He hasn’t played with us in years?” said Tommy.

“I know! So are you coming?” asked Felix.

“I’ll be down in two shakes!” said Tommy.

Within minutes after talking to Felix, Tommy was in front of the family’s Cadillac Type 59 sedan. He beat both Felix and his father to the vehicle. Tommy looked inside the sedan and saw his golf bag. He rummages in his golf case while standing on the running board of the car. To ensure that all the clubs he wanted were included. Moments later, both Felix and their father walked out towards him. Tommy looked back to see something that he thought he would never see.

“FATHER? Are you wearing plus-fours?” asked Tommy.

“No. I’m wearing knickerbocker golf trousers,” answered Frank. “I had them extend them a few inches below the knee.”

“That IS what we call a plus-four, Father,” said Felix with a smile as he patted him on his shoulder.

“Oh, it is? Well, I don’t always understand these terminologies, you young men speak,” said Frank.

“Well, gentlemen —shall we?” asked Felix as he opened the front passenger door.

“Tommy, you can sit in the front,” said Frank. “I’ll have you boys chauffeur me to the club while I sit back and smoke my pipe as we ride. I have been looking forward to this new tobacco brand. I want to try it this afternoon,” Frank said as he lit his pipe.

All three Kendell men climbed into the sedan and pulled out of their home driveway. They headed off for a day on the golf greens. —Upon a beautiful Saturday afternoon.

— The End —