A BRIGHT FUTURE... busy but happy (Part 68l)

Jay was not happy when I told him. Even the total amount of money involved didn't change his mind. He had to draw up a completely new set of plans and had to order more wood. It took almost all the next day for Jay to calm down enough to talk to me. We decided, weather permitting, to do it that Saturday. The address was in a new waterfront development. When we drove in I had a feeling the house we were looking for was going to be the biggest. I knew we were in the right place when I saw the white Jaguar. The three car garage was detached with a breezeway connecting the two buildings. Costas came out and showed us where he wanted it built and then drove off. A funny thing about houses built on the water... the “front” faces the water. That means the “back” of the house faces the street. He wanted it built right next to the garage so that it could be seen from the kitchen. It didn’t matter to Jay so we unloaded all the materials and started in. We used cement blocks for the footing and while we were digging them in this little girl came running up. I hadn’t had much experience with other peoples kids so I wasn’t prepared for her. To call her a brat would be kind. In a matter of minutes she had both of us frazzled. I could see Jay was about ready to pick his tools up and leave so I headed for the house. This old woman answered the door. I asked if the mother of the girl was available. In thinking about it now it was pretty funny because the woman didn’t speak English. Once I realized it I was trying to get her to understand that I needed to see the mother. After a few unsuccessful tries I called to the girl who was still harassing Jay. When she finally came I had her go get her mother.

I wasn’t prepared for what I saw. Costas was easily 50+ years old. This woman looked to be about Elle’s age and she was gorgeous. Jet black hair, olive skin, big dark eyes and what appeared to be quite a body. I was almost as nervous as I was that night I met Costas. I explained that it was dangerous for her daughter to be running around while we were building the playhouse. She said that she’d take care of her for us. I remember telling Jay that he had to find an excuse to go to house to see her but he just rolled his eyes.

Being on the water there was a breeze but it was around 50 degrees so we were comfortable as we progressed. About mid morning I saw a teen aged girl leave the house and then I saw another car drive away. Costas hadn’t mentioned another child but with the age of his wife it seemed to me that she would’ve had to been a teen herself when the other girl was born. That gave the thought that she might be his second wife. Soon after that the old woman came out with a wash basket. The wash line was right next to the garage and between it and where we were working. I got my hopes up as I watched her start hanging clothes. But they were all male items... white shirts, boxers, T shirts and socks.

We’d gotten good enough at building the regular sized playhouses that by lunch time we would usually have all the sides up. This was taking a lot longer and we were both frustrated. Elle had made sandwiches for us and we were eating them while seated against the side of the garage and out of the wind. All of a sudden the old woman appeared again. While we were sitting there my prayers were answered. She hung up a few pairs of panties that I assumed might’ve belonged to the teen and then some that obviously belonged to the bratty kid . Then she hung up something that it took a few seconds for me to realize exactly what they were.

The first bikini bathing suit I’d ever seen was in the Summer of 1959. I’d not seen too many more in the two Summers since. Most of the women at the sailing club wore one piece suits if they wore a bathing suit at all. A few wore two piece suits and the panties portion looked almost like regular panties only with a multi color pattern on them. What I saw go up on the line was a pair of light green panties with most of the upper half missing. The crotch was still there but from the crotch line to the waist elastic there was probably no more than two inches of material. I looked at Jay and caught him watching the old woman as well. She pulled out a few more and they were also in pastel colors. It was the very first peek at bikini panties that either of us had seen. By the time the lady finished hanging that load of wash I even got to see my first colored bra.

In all the time I’d worked with Jay we hardly ever talked about women let alone what they wore. I was surprised when Jay mentioned the “skimpy panties”. I don’t remember exactly what he said or how he said it but it was something about how his wife would (or could) never wear anything like that. I remember him sort of laughing saying they’d never stay up on her. It was one of the few times he ever mentioned her. I agreed with him about Elle and the panties as well. I don’t know why I went on about Elle but mentioned that she had a “problem” and that they wouldn’t be too practical in her situation. He didn’t say anything so we let the subject drop.

It was almost dark when we finished up and were just putting the tools in Jay’s truck when Costas showed up. He walked up and the first words out of his mouth were to ask why it wasn’t painted. Jay, who was really tired as he had done most of the hard work, sort of spit back at him that it was because we weren’t painters. He stood there and even though I couldn’t see him all that well I could tell he was mad. I tried to temper the situation by reminding him that all I’d agreed to was to build the playhouse... period end of sentence. Costas stood there for a minute and then stormed off and I heard him say that it better be painted by the end of the next day.

It poured all day Sunday. I was sure I’d hear from him him on Monday since I knew he had my work number. But I didn’t. When Friday came to and end and I still hadn’t heard from him I decided that the matter was closed. That Sunday when I took my grandfather to the hospital and was at his house I saw the front page of the local newspaper. There was a picture of a car wreck and I thought I recognized the light colored car in the picture. I read the caption but the female name didn’t mean anything to me so I let it pass.

Early that Summer I found out that the wrecked car in the picture belonged to Costas and his wife had been severely injured. I also found out that he was involved in some illegal dealings having to do with shipping goods to and from Greece. The one thing that I knew was that the money I’d received from him, tainted or not, spent just like any other that I’d ever received.

To be continued...