The Blueberry Brothers and Their Unique Relationships
When the Pineapples settled in the beach community in the 1990s, Peter’s grandfather, Prescott, stressed the importance of protecting the sand dunes and the nearby sea life. Of course, that made a great deal of sense for a marine biologist. The community leaders noted those and all of the other vital decisions Prescott made, and they unanimously elected him mayor of the community. In fact, they were so impressed with his accomplishments that they renamed the street where the family lived Pineapple Lane.
One of Prescott’s close college friends, Benjamin Blueberry, Sr. visited Prescott soon after he became mayor of Fruitland.
“What a lovely community, Prescott. Are there any homes for sale? I’d like to take a look around the community. You know that I own many acres in the Santa Monica Mountains, but my home in Santa Monica is very far from the beach. I’d love to own a home near the ocean.”
“Benjamin, a new development is being planned on Ocean Lane. Let’s take a short walk to see how it’s progressing.”
As the old friends rounded the corner to Ocean Lane, Benjamin Blueberry, Sr. joyfully spoke. “Prescott, these homes are gorgeous! Two stories, close to the beach, two car garages. I wonder about the number of bedrooms. My boys, Bert and Brandon, they get along so well. They can easily share a bedroom. Sadly, Barry, well, I guess because he was sickly his mother spoiled him from birth. Right now, he needs to have his own room. Otherwise, he’ll fight with his brothers.”
“Oh! Ben, look, here’s a brochure. Let’s see. 333 Ocean Lane has four bedrooms, three bathrooms upstairs, a half bath on the main level, a two-car garage, large kitchen, living, and dining areas as well as a spacious backyard. Here, friend! The realtor’s name and number are right here.”
“Do you mind if I call now? This home looks perfect. I’ll have to see if I can set up an appointment for this Saturday. My wife, Bella, needs to okay this decision, of course.”
“Thanks for asking, Benjamin. Please call the realtor now.”
After Benjamin’s brief call with the relator, the old friends walked back to Prescott’s home. “This is exciting, Prescott. I’d love to live close to you again. Remember how much fun we had in college!”
“I often laugh when I think about how we used to dream about being successful. We sure did a lot of dreaming!”
“Glad the dorm proctor sat us down that October morning! Prescott, we wasted so much time. That conversation definitely saved us! Just 17 and away from home for the first time. What was that proctor’s name? Do you remember? I can’t recall it. I wish I had kept in touch with him. He changed my life.”
As the two old friends continued to reminisce, Benjamin received a call from Bella. The Saturday plans had been confirmed.
When Benjamin and Bella Blueberry toured 333 Ocean Lane, they instantly loved it. Concerned that another family would also bid on the newly built home, they put down a large deposit. Although they owned a property in Santa Monica, moving their young family to the growing community of Fruitland seemed like an excellent decision. In fact, Bella and Benjamin knew they could easily rent their Santa Monica home.
Although Prescott and Benjamin planned to meet once a month as soon as the Blueberry family settled in, their meetings ended up being yearly. Both friends had young children to attend to and businesses to run. Such busy schedules!
Life at 333 Ocean Lane was mostly joyful, except for Barry’s monthly rants about not getting enough attention. Brandon, the oldest, always awakened happy and ready for the day ahead. Next in line, Bert’s smile always lit up the room, actually wherever he went. Saying that he didn’t get enough attention truly made no sense for Barry, the youngest. His older siblings never complained, never asked for favors or gifts. Barry constantly demanded to be taken to special events, requested extra money for his allowance. It seemed to Benjamin that Barry received more attention than any of his siblings. Sadly, Bella continued to take Barry’s side.
“Benjamin, you know that Barry doesn’t feel well sometimes. His allergies bother him a lot.”
“Bella, we all have allergies, but Barry is the only one who whines about it. Please explain why he says that he doesn’t get enough attention. It seems like he gets all of it!”
“Benjamin gets all of my attention, but he wants more of yours.”
“I guess because he grumbles so much, I find it annoying to spend extra time with him. Thanks, sweetie! I’ll talk with him.”
Many years later, the three young men went away to college. They all became successful businessmen, but the rift between Barry and his brothers still lingered. When their dad purchased many acres in the Santa Monica Mountains, he and his wife moved back to their home in Santa Monica. Brandon, an architect, had recently designed a home in Malibu, not far from Santa Monica. Also, Bert purchased a home for his family near Brandon’s. Recently married, Barry still lived in an apartment, so the logical decision was to let Barry and his wife Belinda move into 333 Ocean Lane. Never really forgiving his dad for his supposed neglect, Barry and Belinda reluctantly moved into 333 Ocean Lane.
That’s where they raised their two sons: Barry, Jr, and Benny. Sadly, Barry, Jr. got all of the attention, and Benny felt slighted. Since Barry, Belinda, and Barry Jr, traveled often, Mr. Barry Blueberry, Sr. basically ignored Benny, who spent time with his cranky nanny. Thankfully, his uncles took a deep interest in Benny and his future. Whenever their brother went out of town, Brandon and Bert contacted Benny often. From them, he received deep love and encouragement.
