Chapter Eleven
***
It had been three days. Three days of chaotic errands. Things were going to slow down a bit for the next few hours. Jonathan was coming home. Martha had left for the hospital at eight, while Lois had cleaned up breakfast dishes. Clark had finished painting the barn and feeding the chickens.
Now it was lunchtime and Lois had just finished making two sandwiches when Clark stepped inside the back door.
“Any news,” he asked as he washed his hands at the kitchen sink.
“No, I figured it would have taken a while, but not this long,” Lois responded handing a plate to Clark.
The two of them sat at the kitchen table together. Neither of them said anything for a few minutes, just enjoying their lunch of a black peppered turkey with lettuce, tomato, and mayonnaise sandwich.
“How are the wedding plans,” Clark asked a few minutes later as he stood up taking both plates to the kitchen sink.
“The cake is ordered, the dress was altered, and your mom and I went around town yesterday to make the invitations. Tomorrow we were going to go hand them out. Is there anyone special you want to invite,” Lois explained while grabbing the notepad from the middle of the table, “or someone you want to make sure WE don’t invite?”
“Lois,” Clark pleaded as he pulled her against his chest. “There is only one woman for me and she needs to know that.”
“What woman would that be,” she asked seductively wrapping her arms around his neck.
“The woman I’m kissing,” he sighed before his lips touched hers.
They were in a much better place than they were a week ago. There were still things to talk about, but right now they were happy they would be getting married in a few days. The kiss intensified between them as she put her hands through his hair and he leaned her against the counter. He lifted her up slightly grabbing her small perfect derriere and putting her on the counter. She wrapped her legs around him and moved her neck slightly so he could get better access to her neck. Her hands began to pull at the front of his shirt. She wanted to feel his skin under the shirt.
“Umm,” someone from the doorway said. “Are we interrupting something?”
Clark didn’t hear the truck pull up in the driveway, nor did he hear the screen door open. Now his parents stood in front of Lois and Clark who were just caught making out on the kitchen counter. They pulled apart and straightened their shirts.
“Jonathan, I’m so glad you are home,” Lois said sweeping a piece of hair behind her ear.
“I hear we are planning a wedding,” Jonathan replied taking a seat at the table.
Clark stood back without engaging his parents or Lois. His mouth became dry and he was unable to stand still.
“Clark, I hear you were able to get a lot done the past couple of weeks,” Jonathan stated looking up at his son. Jonathan tried to stand up, but Clark stepped forward.
“Dad, I should have done some of these things long ago,” Clark admitted slipping his hand into his pockets. “I’m sorry it has taken me so long.”
“Son, your place is Metropolis. It has never been this farm or Smallville. I might have been scared of people finding out your secret and dissecting you like a frog, but that has changed. A big reason that has changed is this wonderful lady you have by your side,” Jonathan explained in a steady confident voice. “The problems here at the farm have nothing to do with you.”
“What are you talking about? It has everything to do with me,” Clark stated with anger. “When I was just learning about my powers, you had to take a loan out to rebuild half of the barn when I caught it on fire. When I went away to college you took out another loan to help me pay for my freshmen year. You always sent me money when I traveled around if I couldn’t find work fast enough. You had to do with the weather, bad crops, and a son that decided to help you out on the farm wasn’t enough for him.”
“Clark Jerome Kent, that’s enough,” Martha shouted, pounding her hand on the table.
“Mom, I should have been here,” Clark sighed, his shoulders slumping.
Lois tried to take his hand, instead, he marched out of the room.
“I’ll go talk to him,” Lois suggested as she watched Jonathan and Martha hold each other’s hands.
“Let me talk to him,” Martha interrupted, letting go of her husband’s hand.
Lois pulled a chair out and sat across from Jonathan. She didn’t understand Clark. She thought she had gotten through him before. Now he was taking his frustration out on his dad. Jonathan and Martha gave up so much to take care of this orphan from a dying planet. Clark didn’t understand that his parents would do it again and again.
“I didn’t know he started a fire in the barn,” Lois said as she put her hands together and held them together on the table.
“He was a handful at times when he would get new powers. The heat vision I thought was the worst especially when he couldn’t control it. He would probably say it was the x-ray vision since he learned about that one in high school,” Jonathan explained with a chuckle.
Lois moved her head slightly to one side and wanted to know more. Then it dawned on her what Jonathan was likely saying.
“Did he do something like x-ray the girls’ locker room,” Lois smiled, hoping that was not the case.
Jonathan looked over at Lois, tilted his head, and smiled. Lois couldn’t believe it. The most innocent man she had ever met and x-rayed the girls’ locker room.
“He came home so embarrassed by it. He knew what he did was wrong, but Martha and I couldn’t help to laugh at his hysterics about it. We knew Clark wouldn’t do something like that on purpose, but he couldn’t look at Lana for days without turning red.”
“Oh dear, ole, Lana,” Lois snarled shaking her head in disgust.
“I heard you had a run-in with her. She is all talk and no bite. I knew long ago that he was destined for more than just staying in Smallville and raising babies with her. As it was, she wasn’t going to stay in Smallville all her life. I mean they were close when they were a lot younger, but there were three of them. Pete, Lana, and Clark were inseparable when they were in elementary school. Then junior high Lana started hanging out with the more popular kids leaving Pete and Clark in the dust. It wasn’t until Clark started playing football that Lana came back around.”
“How did he control his powers when he was playing football,” Lois asked, realizing that with his strength and speed he could overpower all of the other players.
“At first I was against it. I didn’t want him to hurt someone or someone from the government to take notice,” Jonathan explained as he looked beyond as if he was remembering those days. “He would practice in the fields until late at night. He would try to throw the ball into some old tires. Clark would find ways to show me that he could be careful. A couple of times I saw him use Wayne’s cows as make-shift players. He even tried to run around the cows without scaring them. His powers weren’t at full strength yet. Yet he was still pretty fast. I asked him to wait until his sophomore year to play and that’s what he did.”
“It helped when he was ready to go to college, right,” Lois questioned knowing how well he played.
“He knew one of the only ways to afford college would be getting a scholarship. He was one of the best players on the team by the time his senior year came along. But he also held back a lot, I could tell. He did end up getting a football scholarship, of course, but it didn’t cover all of college. He worked two jobs in college, kept up with his studies, and played football for Mid-Western,” Jonathan smiled with pride.
“But you helped also,” Lois stated, knowing that Jonathan and Martha helped with what they could.
“I don't know if Clark ever realized the checks we were sending to school weren't always ones we could afford,” Jonathan admitted, looking down at his aging hands. Those hands of his had seen lots of things in their fifty-something years. His hands showed wrinkles, age spots, and dryness from the cold air through the winters. “We didn’t want him to worry about us here. He would come home almost every weekend even if it was just to eat a homecooked meal.”
Lois stood up from the table and walked over to the bookcase that was right inside the living room. There was a picture of Clark and his parents at his high school graduation. The smile on all three of their faces said it all. Lois could see how proud Jonathan and Martha were of their boy.
“How did no one ever question where Clark came from,” Lois wondered, looking through the photos of family moments.
“At first, we had some people question it. But with Martha’s family history, it was semi-easy to make up a story about one of her family members giving us a baby,” Jonathan explained turning to Lois.
He tried to stand, but after a moment, he sat back in the chair and thought better of it. He remembered those early days when Martha and he were protesting the war. They had made so many friends and enemies. Some were anti-government and others were anti-everything. Jonathan and Martha just wanted to stand up for what they believed in. Through the years, they had taught Clark to do the same thing. The past couple of years Clark stood for much more than they ever could. Clark gave the world hope. Right now, though Clark had forgotten what he was put on this earth to do.
“Did you and Martha ever get arrested for protesting,” Lois wondered as turned to Jonathan? The times were different in the 1960s. Fundamental civil rights were still an uncommon thing during that time. What Jonathan and Martha fought for was very interesting to Lois.
“Once or twice, but charges were always dropped. When it came time to file paperwork for Clark, we knew who to call. His birth certificate is as authentic as you can get. It’s not like it’s forged. Back then, unwed mothers gave up their infants all the time, and sometimes they hid it very well. We went to Wichita and filed the paperwork and soon he was officially ours. Sometimes, my family would ask us early on who gave birth to Clark. But we always told them the same answer. He was sent to us by two parents who couldn’t keep him,” Jonathan explained his eyes brightening at the memories he recalled.
“Do you ever think he would move back to Smallville?” Lois asked walking back into the kitchen and sitting down.
“No,” he said instantly, “I know the farm life isn’t for him. Would I like to see him take it over after we move on? No. When I was younger, I didn’t want to stay, but it’s tradition. Before I met Martha, I didn’t know what I wanted to do with my life, but I was the oldest. I have two younger brothers, Benjamin and Andrew. As soon as they graduated high school they moved far away from Smallville. At a young age, my dad taught me everything about farming. He was strict making sure I knew my place and that was on the farm. My brothers were able to play sports and other after-school activities once they reached high school. Each of them got married and had children.”
“When was the last time they visited,” Lois questioned, realizing now that it had always just been Jonathan, Martha, and Clark.
“Andrew, his wife, Colleen, and their two daughters came by for a visit about five years ago on their way to Wichita. Benny died of lung cancer about six years ago. But he had visited with his family two years before his death. His wife, June, and their two boys, Calvin and Thomas, and their daughter, April live in Colorado. Of course, by now, my nieces and nephews are married with children of their own, I believe except April. April became a flight attendant and travels so much, I don’t think she will ever settle down.”
“I’m sorry about your brother. Did any of them know about Clark,” Lois questioned, realizing this is more than she ever knew about the Kent family. “Why didn’t they visit more?”
“Lois, come on, you know what it’s like here. Everyone knows everything in your life. Not everyone is made for country living, and Benny and Andrew sure weren’t. They hated getting up before dawn growing up and starting their day. Their wives hated coming out here,” Jonathan answered, shifting in his chair.
Lois noticed Jonathan starting to move a bit. They had been talking now for at least twenty minutes, and neither Clark nor Martha had come back in. She was wondering if Jonathan might want to move to a more comfortable spot.
“Do you want me to help you move to the couch? It’s probably more comfortable,” Lois wondered as she stood up from the chair.
Jonathan put one hand on the table, turned slightly, and used his other hand to pull himself up using the back of the chair. It took him a few extra seconds to move, but he had done it. He moved slower than usual, yet he wasn’t going to give up without a fight.
“Can you just help me down into the recliner, please? I think that might be a bit more comfortable for me,” he requested, using the furniture to help guide him along the way.
Lois helped him down into the recliner then she stood near the kitchen. She kept looking toward the back door and tapping her foot.
In the barn, Martha watched as Clark baled hay. She went to milk a couple of cows and let Clark fume a bit more. He had to know that they just wanted the best for him.
“You know Perry won’t hold your job forever,” Martha whispered, knowing full-well her son could hear her on the other side of the barn. “What about Lois? Do you think she wants to move to Smallville and be a reporter for the Smallville Gazette?”
“Mom, I know what you are doing,” Clark stated as he walked over to the cows. “He almost didn’t make it.”
Martha watched as Clark’s head looked down to the ground. She knew he blamed himself for what happened to Jonathan. But no matter what she said, he would always feel the weight of the world on his shoulders.
“You know Grandpa Hiriam died of a heart attack,” Martha mentioned, remembering her stubborn father-in-law. “Heart problems run on the Kent side. It wasn’t just him skipping his doctor’s appointments, which I know you heard about.”
“Then what about the financial problems, mom,” Clark expressed, rubbing the back of his neck. “Why didn’t you say something?”
“Because there is nothing to worry about. Your dad and I had this happen before. We have had bad crops and equipment break down,” Martha replied as she tried to stand up, yet at the last minute sat back down. “Our finances are none of your worry. Anyway, we could always sell the rest of the land and just live off a couple of acres.”
“Why? I mean I could help. This land has been in our family for generations,” he voiced waving his hands. “All you had to do was ask me to come fix the fence, paint the barn, or build a new chicken coop. I would have done it.”
“And what about those people that need Superman? Clark, you can’t stop saving peoples’ lives because the barn needs repainted. Did you hear about the mudslide in California? Or the hurricane in the Gulf of Mexico? They needed your help. You didn’t need to be here fixing a tractor that has been broken since the Regan administration,” Martha explained with a huff.
“But you and dad need my help too,” Clark sighed running his hand through his hair.
“First, most of the stuff that needed to be fixed, you already did. Lois bought us a new tractor that will work for the next twenty years. And we have always made it through, it’s what you always gave us,” Martha emphasized, standing up and walking over to her son. “You came into our lives when we had no more hope. The moment I held you in my arms, my hope for a child to raise was found. You always gave your dad and me that. Now you give it to the world. Don’t you see no matter how hard it gets here, you give us hope that things will get better.”
“Mom,” Clark exhaled grabbing his mother into a hug. “I don’t have that much power, but thank you.”
“We don’t care if we live in a shack as long as you are happy,” Martha replied. “Anyway your dad and I have been talking about when you and Lois have children, we might want to move closer to Metropolis.”
“Mom,” Clark sighed, his ears turning red. “We haven’t even gotten married yet. And we don’t even know if I can even have children.”
“Hope, my boy. If I know anything about you and Lois is that the two of you can make anything happen,” Martha stated matter of factly and with a smile. “Now let’s go inside and talk to your dad. He missed you. Lois and I need to get moving to meet Rachel and Maisie on wedding plans.”
Clark and Martha walked next to each other to the house. As they came closer they noticed Lois standing in the doorway, her hands on her hips, and an intent focus on her eyes. She was worried and impatient. Martha and Clark looked at each other, then at Lois and suddenly each other smiled. Maybe they would all be alright?
