2 ½ Minutes: Book 3: Kids of Celebrities Trilogy

By Leah R. Bergstrom

Active twin boys become an unbelievable challenge for two celebrities after raising a compliant adopted daughter. The boys are astounded many times by the trouble they find themselves in, sometimes caused by themselves, but other times things happened that were totally beyond their control. How can this celebrity father correct his boys when his own youthful behavior and misdeeds surface? Only as the father becomes totally honest and real with his own struggles on the concert circuit and with life in general do his twins discover a true mentor who is able to understand them. The boys struggle with pranks, inappropriate language, breakage, illness, greed, drugs, manners gone wrong, and horribly embarrassing moments. Fortunately, humor is enjoyed in this family even amidst the many problems. The parents are forced to change their parenting styles, but not their faith. Danni, who no longer lives with the family, continues to have incredible influence on what happens in book 3 of the Kids of Celebrities Trilogy.

Be sure to also read: Book 1: 24 Hours Changed Me Book 2: 5 Minutes Could Change It All

• Language: English
• Publisher: WestBow Press
• Release date: Jul 25, 2014
• ISBN: 9781490842219

Leah R. Bergstrom

Leah R. Bergstrom is a retired United Methodist pastor and former teacher from the Shaler Area School District. She is originally from western Pennsylvania, has resided in Florida, and now lives in Arizona. She has two degrees in English from Indiana University of Pennsylvania and a divinity degree from the Pittsburgh Theological Seminary. Leah and her husband Bob have six grown children and eleven sweet grandchildren.

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Copyright © 2014 Leah R. Bergstrom.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the publisher except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

WestBow Press

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Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Thinkstock are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

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ISBN: 978-1-4908-4218-9 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4908-4219-6 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-4908-4221-9 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2014911245

WestBow Press rev. date: 7/23/2014

Contents

Dedication

Chapter 1 Blame

Chapter 2 Disrespect

Chapter 3 Beginnings

Chapter 4 Future

Chapter 5 Planning

Chapter 6 Dread

Chapter 7 Pain

Chapter 8 Eavesdropping

Chapter 9 Sentry

Chapter 10 Tights

Chapter 11 Hole

Chapter 12 Undercover

Chapter 13 Inappropriate

Chapter 14 Bare

Chapter 15 Craftsmen

Chapter 16 Festivities

Chapter 17 Manners

Chapter 18 Showers

Chapter 19 Understanding

Chapter 20 Rooftop

Chapter 21 Blueberries

Chapter 22 Recordings

Chapter 23 Veto

Chapter 24 Handcuffs

Chapter 25 Concert

Chapter 26 Home

About the Author

Dedication

Many of the antics of Ronnie and Benny were inspired by our sons and grandsons.

This book is humorously dedicated to

Wes, Shawn and Tim

Troy, Gunnar,

Dominic

and Max

Friend George, twins Michael and Matthew, and kids from

the St. Paul’s, Hopespring and New Hope United Methodist Congregations also found their way into this trilogy of books.

Appreciation

Thanks to my family and to all those who have gone on before who helped me to develop faith. Thanks also to all those who have made me laugh and have shown a sense of humor even in the difficult times of life.

Chapter 1

Blame

Gentlemen, unscheduled, now!

That’s all our dad had to say. My twin brother and I knew exactly what our dad meant by those three words, and believe you me, it wasn’t going to be good for either one of us.

Benny and I slid down a wood post from the hayloft. About three to four feet from the bottom, we jumped off as usual. As we left the barn and headed toward the farmhouse, I saw my dad shake his head, as if he couldn’t believe that we were for real.

He was used to raising one girl who was thirteen years older than us. From everything he told us about her, she was such an easy child to raise. She was adopted and wanted a family so much that she would have done anything to please our parents.

To tell you the truth, Danni was the best sister we could ever have. She cared for us like a second mother. She showered love on us and gave us whatever our parents wouldn’t. Unfortunately, she had moved out a few months ago at age twenty-five to try to live on her own.

She had attended a local college and graduate school so she could live at home. I think she would have stayed in our house forever if my parents hadn’t talked her into trying life on her own.

I missed her because, in my twelve-year-old opinion, she was about as perfect as anyone could get. But she made it a heck of a problem for Benny and me to follow in her goody-goody footsteps.

My brother and I knew the drill exactly. We would sit in the music room on hard, straight-back chairs waiting for our dad to enter. When we were little, the two of us would sit together in a fairly comfortable leather chair while we had our serious talk with our dad.

When we turned six, he realized we were fooling around together too much in that chair. The leather chair had worked beautifully for our Danni when she had those talks with Dad. She still used it when she came to visit and needed our dad’s advice, but it was off-limits for Benny and me. We had to sit on the hard chairs. It didn’t sound real fair, but I guess a boy—and especially two boys—is different than a girl.

You know, Ronnie, it was more your fault than mine that we were up in the hayloft in the barn, my younger brother said to me. I told you that Dad told us we couldn’t go up there anymore. You talked me into it, didn’t you? And now I’m busted because I listened to you again.

Come on, Benny, you know you look up to me because I’m the older one by 2 ½ minutes. You always follow me. You would lead such a dull life if it weren’t for me.

Then, dear big brother of 2 ½ minutes, are you going to take all the blame this time? It would really be nice for once if I could walk away scot-free from one of these encounters with Dad.

I don’t think so, Benny. Remember our pact that we’re in everything together. It’s better that way. It’s our way of protecting each other better, I said. Remember how well it works in school.

Yeah, but in school, they can’t tell us apart. Dad knows us even from the back, Benny protested.

Just then Lenny Daily, well-known country singer and our dad, walked into the room. Benny and I got real quiet. We knew better than to play the blame game or mess around in this room when he was present, especially when he had called for an unscheduled serious talk.

All right boys, I hope you have a good explanation for being up at the top of the barn when I specifically told you that you weren’t allowed to be up there anymore.

Playing was the only word Benny said.

We didn’t quite understand, sir, that you meant all of the time, I offered. I guess we thought that was a short-term idea.

My dad scowled. He knew when I was trying to schmooze him. He also had told me I wasn’t supposed to do that any longer." He just sat there and waited.

Benny and I hated it when he did that. We couldn’t tell what was going through his head, and we couldn’t figure out what we were supposed to do next. It certainly made our brains go in forward motion to figure out what would be the next best step for us.

Sir, Benny said in a repentent manner, we shouldn’t have disobeyed you. What should we do next?

Even though Benny was a follower, he knew exactly how to get us out of trouble with our dad. My expertise was getting into trouble.

Benny was the pro of getting us out.

My dad asked, Why, boys, do you think I told you not to go up there?

You just wanted to lay down a law like when you say you’re the sheriff, I said.

Benny realized I was digging us into more trouble. Could it have been for our own good? he questioned.

Yes, guys, it definitely was for your own good. That’s usually why your mom and I come up with rules for you. Let me tell you a story and maybe you will understand why I asked you to stay out of the hayloft.

The summer before you were born, I was out in the barn when one of the beams fell onto a table and pinned my leg. If it hadn’t been for Danni coming to check on me and getting me the emergency help I needed, I would have lost my leg and possibly my life. After that accident, I had the barn rafters, beams and posts checked, but that was thirteen years ago.

When I saw you up there a few weeks ago, I knew that it was time to have them checked again. I told you not to go up there so that you would be safe until the barn was deemed safe. I haven’t had time to do it with my concert schedule. I do have a call into a fellow to come and give the all clear, but we haven’t set up the date yet.

That’s the reason why I told you to stay out of there. It was for your own safety, but you seemed to think that you know better than I do. You chose to disobey me. That goes over like a lead balloon with me and you know it. So how are you guys going to clean up this mess?

We’re sorry, Dad, that we didn’t listen to you. We didn’t know there was danger involved or we probably would have done what you asked, I offered.

I guess that wasn’t the right thing to tell him because I saw that look on my dad’s face that said this kid doesn’t get it at all.

Ronnie, you don’t choose when you listen to me and when you don’t unless there is a terrible emergency that calls for a quick decision on your part. When a parent tells you to listen, what are you supposed to do?

I’m supposed to obey, sir, I said knowing that was a better reply than before.

I still haven’t heard what you two are going to do since you chose not to listen to me. Our dad was starting to sound more stern than usual. This meant that we needed to come up with a plan pronto.

We certainly should not go up there again until you allow us to do that, sir, good-old Benny said. Maybe we should clean up the hay that we were throwing around on the floor level. Maybe we could help Mr. Joe clean up the messes the animals made. You know how we hate to do that, sir.

Now, in my opinion, Benny’s plan went too far. I didn’t want to clean up any animal messes.

My dad glanced over at me when Benny said that, and I’m sure he saw me wince and give Benny a dirty look.

Benny, those are all good ideas for a start. Ronnie, what do you have to offer to the plan?

I had nothing to offer, but I somehow needed to avoid cleaning up the animal messes. Sir, I think our efforts would be better utilized if we helped our mother more. I think we could help her carry groceries into the house. I think we could empty the wastebaskets in our rooms. Don’t you think those are good ideas?

"Ronnie, those are things you already should be doing. If I ever find out that you haven’t done those things to help your mother,