Lugging it down to the living room, he waited and watched some more television as Janus finished up with his shower. Janus did not take long to dry off and get dressed, and less than thirty minutes later they were both in Derek’s car and on the road.
Including a brief stop for fuel, the entire journey took up just a little more than an hour in order to reach the lake house.
The lake house was definitely not as secluded as Derek had initially envisioned it, back on the first time that he had visited the place a couple years prior. It was not in the middle of the wilderness on an otherwise uninhabited lakeshore, a mistaken preconception that Derek had quickly come to realize that first time. The house was one of several comprising a substantial community.
The houses were placed on sizeable plots of land lining the shore of an extensive, thin-bodied lake. There were a variety of stores conveniently situated just a couple of minutes away. A number of roads ran near to the place, two of which crossed the water via high bridges that were a good distance apart. The lake and its attendant community were nestled within a region that primarily consisted of forested ground and cleared farmlands.
The lake was not always the idyllic scene of tranquility that one would have suspected, and often being far from serene. There was always a steady traffic of watercraft skimming along the surface of the lake. Motorized boats, jet skis, and wave runners largely ran unimpeded, for there was rarely much interest from those owning property by the lake to see any appropriate resolutions enforced. Throughout the summer, it seemed as if there was a constant party occurring around the lake, whose focal point simply shifted among the various houses.
Despite the frequent presence of rambunctious activity, a person could still find ample relaxation and repose at the lake. It was a place for those who wanted to get a sense of seclusion, without ever truly leaving the conveniences of the modern world.
Kent’s father, a fifty-six year old man named William McNeeley, was idly watching a soccer game on his satellite television when they arrived and entered the place. Derek was caught a little by surprise, as Kent had instructed Derek to just walk in the back door when they reached the lake house.
If a man could be the image of physical comfort, Derek found William McNeeley to be a likely candidate. Portly, and with a cherubic countenance to match, he greeted Derek and Janus warmly.
Mr. McNeeley was not far from taking an early retirement due to a rare arthritic condition. The condition had proven to be an arduous struggle for him during the summer, chaining him with frequent agony when the weather shifted to colder hues.
Derek had expected him to be away in the city, but the man seemed to have been anticipating them. Derek quickly surmised that Kent had explained the full situation to him. Mr. McNeeley also explained that Kent was running a little late from work, but would be arriving very shortly.
Derek knew that he did not have to convince Mr. McNeeley of Janus’ need for a change of locales, just as he had not had to say anything to convince his son. From what Derek knew of him, Kent’s father understood loss well enough. Just three years prior, he had lost his wife to cancer. She was his high-school sweetheart, and a woman that was inseparable from his own identity ever since they had married.
He had been by her side as she had wasted away and finally succumbed to the spreading, voracious cancer. It was not long after when he had purchased the lake house, selling his main house in the city and shifting over to an apartment for when he was in town for work.
After the initial greetings, Mr. McNeeley showed the two of them to guest bedrooms, located on the second level of the two-story structure.
He then informed them that he was going to travel back to town later that evening, to prepare early for the coming week, but that the three of them were welcome to stay for as long as they needed.
Derek recognized Mr. McNeeley’s unstated meaning, a sincere, generous expression of compassion for Janus. It was reflected in the look within the man’s tired eyes. It was humbling to witness, as Mr. McNeeley had not met Janus in person until that very day. Derek made a firm mental note to speak to Mr. McNeeley in private the next day, and thank him for the unconditional kindness.
William left shortly thereafter to go run some errands, leaving Derek and Janus to themselves with a full set of keys to the house. He had showed them where all of the fishing gear and other lake essentials were stored. He had also paused to show them that the refrigerator was fully stocked up with food, beer, and soft drinks, and stated that they were more than welcome to partake of whatever they wished.
About thirty minutes after William had departed, Kent arrived at last, still dressed in his work uniform. A younger, more athletic version of his father, he was about six feet in height. He had a slight paunch to his belly, but his squared shoulders and stout chest evidenced the presence of ample strength in him. With a round face and pug nose, he had an easy, charming smile. His dirty blonde hair was close cropped, and he had a trimmed goatee around his mouth.
With additional girth to his belly and a higher percentage of gray hairs, he could almost pass as a twin to his father. The sight of their physical similarities always amused Derek immensely, but from what he had learned about Kent’s father, being like William McNeeley in any way could not be a bad thing.
Kent quickly took leave to shed his uniform and change. He rejoined the others back out in the living room, now in shorts and a t-shirt.
“We are forgetting one thing,” he announced as he popped open a can of beer and sat down in a wide easy chair, setting two more unopened cans on the end table next to him. Without another word, he picked up a phone and proceeded to order three large pizzas, pausing only to get the others’ input on toppings.
“We had some earlier, but we can roll with it again, I guess,” Derek commented. “But I’m going to have to work out twice as hard tomorrow.”
“I plan on working out hard, as far as curling twelve ounce weights is concerned,” Kent said with a chuckle, grinning mischievously as he took a long draught of his beer for emphasis. He then said with a reassuring tone, “Don’t worry, I’ve got it all covered. Nobody is going without here. Got paid today!”
Tilting his head back, he slugged the can down in prodigious gulps, crumpling the empty can when he was finished and setting it on the end table. He then emitted a resounding belch of sheer contentment, immediately opening up a second can.
Noticing Derek’s bemused expression, he quipped, “Thirsty, you know.”
Kent’s loquacious, jovial mood provided a welcome levity that had been very absent in Derek’s life recently. Not always the most articulate of individuals, Kent’s good-hearted nature always tended to shine through brightly, and it was undeniably infectious.
Where Derek and Janus had to put some of their pizza back in the refrigerator, Kent ravenously finished his off completely. In the midst of downing the pizza, Kent was well into his third beer, accented by more sonorous belches. The latter were accompanied by dramatic facial expressions, as he tried to outdo each previous one in volume and resonance.
The speed of consumption continued to amaze Derek, and even Janus had a startled expression on his face.
“Hungry,” Kent said, noticing both of their expressions. “And didn’t I already mention thirsty?”
“Barbarian,” Derek chided him, chuckling.
“If I am a barbarian, then we should go on a river raid! Lots of lake houses that are soft and ripe for plundering!” Kent retorted with fervor, smiling broadly. “Think you can handle the navigation? I’ll take care of the raiding! Let me get my chain mail from the closet first!”
“Now there’s a suggestion,” Derek replied sarcastically, shaking his head as he chuckled. “But you might need me for tactics if the locals are prepared to resist.”