This day sucks I don't want to move I really don't, Detroit has lots of problems it does. It also has the best heaven I've ever found besides in Los Angeles, jokes about cat's and fish aside I love a good hamburger. That is not the reason this day sucks, we are leaving Darryl, Anna, Steffi, and Melody I was the maid of honor in their marriage. I'm familiar with the reason for the marriage, two months pregnant was common when I was young.
Steffi was delighted, and now she is very sad, so is Melanie. Neither want us to move, Anna is not taking it well. I think the only person taking this move well is Marie, my cousin is moving with her. This is good, they are getting an apartment in the same building we are, won't need to drag Sally over or conscript a neighbor. Brandon our neighbor a patrol officer during the night is helping us get the last of our things into the car. Anna and Steffi are sitting on their porch probably freezing and crying as much as the chill will allow.
Melanie is downright balling in the back seat of the car as we get the last of the things in. I give Brandon a hug, remind him to keep Anna safe then go over to Anna and Steffi. I give them both a big hug, tears falling down my cheeks remind them again of our email address we had given Darryl and Melody a computer for their wedding presents. When I turn to get in the car Anna takes my hand and reminds me when the Angels play her Lions we are coming to Detroit. I promise her we will all sit in a great big luxury box and have a great time.
I get in the car and off we go, the movers had packed up and left perhaps half an hour ago. I curl up on Tony's lap and cry with Melanie as we head to the interstate my eyes falling on the Angels tag hanging off the rearview mirror. The name of our team was actually something of a fluke, the baseball team was rather happy with it, you can buy an Angels baseball cap and it works as an Angels football cap, we picked similar colors. It is a fluke simply because at the owners meeting nobody could agree on a name, I wanted brawlers, a few of the celebrities wanted stars or celebrities. Jack Nicholson wanted Lakers, he wasn't at the meeting had been saying it at Lakers games he is to big into basketball.
We had been tossing around names left and right, a few liked Jaguar I refused to go for that one. The coaches did as well, longshoremen was bandied about for a while, near the end of the meeting I was getting annoyed and mostly just muttering to myself said one would think in the city of angels a good idea would come. A number of the baseball players lived in Los Angeles and stood right up saying that is a great idea. I'm confused for a moment until it is passed around and everybody was chanting Angels.
With the whole room liking it I had no choice but to go with it, the rest of the world learned about the name with a commercial. It was mostly computer generated except for me, has me standing with my back to the screen tail twitching. The music comes on I turn fast claw the screen twice it falls down and you see Angels football. The sales on the stuff was almost unheard of, mugs, hats and emblems were selling off the shelves faster than they could be made.
There is going to be shirts as well, no player's yet not quite time for free agency, there will be through the summer two kinds of shirts, the inaugural season player jersey and a Jaguar jersey, with the open back so I can wear it and not be stuck scratching my back on a corner. I wouldn't have to wear it for long it was a silly petition to put me in a shirt by concerned parents. They didn't care I don't show nipples and I am more covered than someone in a bikini, they wanted me in a shirt on the football games. So just to spite them we designed a barely covering shirt called it a Jaguar jersey so it would be worn on the streets and are going to sell them in about two weeks.
To spite the concerned parents more, I will wear the jersey for a little while then take it off and toss it to the fans as part of the opening ceremonies. This of course is all announced, the concerned parents, an actual organization you would think concerned parents would simply make sure their own kids are not doing anything wrong, file a lawsuit as I plan to be indecent on national television. Even Nancy Grace can't stop laughing about this, she gets in her usual tirade about my lack of training I think she has it recorded then calls the concerned parents overbearing pricks.
I am taken out of my reverie of the emblem by Tony squeezing my breast. I sit up the first thing I notice is Melanie is not crying the second thing is we are pulling into a parking lot. I look around confused to realize we are in Chicago at our new apartment, Madison at my window looking excited trotting along next to the car. I roll the window down all the way letting in the freezing cold Madison slips in through the window then rolls it back up.
"You missed the building its impressive looking, white I think, hard to tell with all the snow. I'm surprised you have a floor in this car still with all the salt on the roads."
"They coated the bottom of the car before we moved to Washington and do it again every year. All of the brigade cars get coated because they are old cars, there is talk of running out new cars for us hybrids was the last I heard." I look at Tony wondering why he never said this to me, and why I care.
"I thought they were gearing up for only electric cars it's only a year to go before the law comes in."
"Madison did you only come in to say the building is white and impressive?" I can't help but ask that one as Tony finally pulls into a parking spot.
"No, I came in to say welcome home and Frank wants to talk to you, your phone you aren't answering and Tony's is off."
"My phone is in the mover's truck." I look at Tony.
"With you two balling I never would have heard the conversation. Come on let's see the apartment."
We get out of the car Marie comes over looking excited as we get Melanie out of the safety seat. We look around the outside of the building from the parking lot, the emergency stairs are facing an alley that looks and rather smells terrible. I give Tony a dirty look as we move to the entrance in the front there is a front desk with a very excited man. He jumps up and comes around the desk to shake our hands handing over four sets of keys. Marie looks at her key set, Madison's set then my set.
"Hey these are all for the same apartment." Tony and I look at our keys then theirs.
"Yes it seems there was confusion on that the top floor apartment is a three bedroom. When the company got the request for apartments for four adults and one child they said no problem, the problem is there was only the top floor available, there was assumed to be a vacancy coming, there was not. The mayor called the company then me I am to tell you that if you wish the city will put either couple into a hotel until suitable accommodations are available, might be a while, Chicago is doing better than Detroit. I think you should look at the apartment they are very spacious especially this one there should be no problems cohabitating. There will be documents in the kitchen on the counter when you get there I'll run over the important parts, leave the windows for the emergency stairs locked unless you are sitting there. I am Irvin your evening security officer and mail holder, your home phones will be hooked into the system pick it up and press star to get me for any emergency or problem. There is an alarm system built into the apartment, mostly for someone trying to break in through the emergency stairs it has happened very loud system. They run away when the alarm goes off and not for a while so it is perfectly safe."
"Are the elevators large? We have a big TV and bed on the way surprised the movers are not here yet." Tony says looking at Marie.
"Movers are here, they pulled in about fifteen minutes before you did there is a freight elevator on the other side to move in and out. A second one pulled in a minute or two after, I told the one for Samson to move in, I wasn't sure if you two will stay or take the hotel."
"We may as well put our stuff in, even if we take the hotel it's better to be here than rotting in a truck or a storage building." Marie says to me Madison nodding.
"Get the other truck unloaded their stuff at least will stay for the time being."
"Right away, the elevator for you is over here, you want the fourteenth floor." Irvin says in answer to Tony then heads out a side door.
We find the elevator and go up, Melanie laughing at a lack of button for thirteenth floor. Reaching the top we get out into a rather small anteroom with one door, Tony opens it. We go in with gasps it is a very large apartment, I head straight for the kitchen to find electric stove, a big side door refrigerator and enough shelves to store things for an army. Madison followed me, she bumps into me staring at everything, I look at her, she looks back then we are jumping up and down in excitement.
We get interrupted by Marie and Tony yelling at us to come look, we do to find the bedrooms are equally huge. Each one has a bathroom of sorts I have to groan at the lack of walls for the bathroom. Marie walks over to the wall grabs a handle and pulls out a sectional to cover it up.
"How is it in sounds? Tony pee's on his feet and the sound is horrible."
This gets a lot of yucks out of everyone except Tony he just grins. Marie pulls the section back starts the sink and shuts it again there is virtually no sound for me I smile at this.
"If anyone is going to a hotel it is my cousin I am not leaving this kitchen." Madison stands strong until I stomp on her foot.
