All Alone - 34. Alo Chapter 34

“Yes, I will leave as soon as I am off the phone, thank you” Davis replied, and as soon as the call ended, we started making plans.

The boys could use my room, as it has two double beds in it, and I quickly packed up my things, said goodbye to Davis and Alistair, and caught a taxi to another hotel, and with their hotel located near the botanical gardens at the south end of the CBD, I called ahead and booked a room at a hotel at the north end of the CBD. Near the Roma Street Parklands.

Once settled into the new hotel, I called the visitor centre to speak to Matt, to see how things were going on the cattle station, and I was pleased to hear that all was going well, and that I didn’t need to worry. After the call, I went down to the restaurant for some dinner, and didn’t eat much, before returning to my room, and I spend a few hours watching a movie, before retiring for the night.

I woke the next morning, to the sound of my phone beeping with a message, and it was from the barrister. “Just checking that you are awake and getting ready for court, you need to be there by 9.45am at the latest”.

When I looked at the clock, and saw that it read 8.45am, I jumped out of bed and raced into the bathroom to shower and change, and I decided that I didn’t have time to get any breakfast.

As I climbed into a taxi, and asked to be taken to the Family law courts, and asked how far it is. I was told that it was just on the other side of the Railway lines on Roma Street, less than 5 minutes away, which I was pleased to hear.

When I arrived, I went and grabbed a bit to eat at the small café, and I spotted Davis walking past, with 4 boys in tow, and it was the first time that I had seen my sons in real life, and Sarah was right about them looking so much like me, as I sent a quick text to Davis.

“You just passed me, but keep going, I will see you inside, Lloyd”, and I watched as I saw Davis stop, and the four boys walked straight into the back of him like a comedy act, and I couldn’t help but laugh at the sight, as Davis checked on the boys, before looking around to see if he could find me, but I decided to bend down and tie my shoe as he did.

“Great comedy act you did just now” I text to Davis, “LOL, very funny, and it was all your fault too” Davis text back, as he and the boys continued. Once I had finished my late breakfast, I checked my watch, and I had 5 minutes to go, before I needed to be upstairs, and I took my time getting there, and when I arrived, the court officer was calling our case, and Davis and the boys were already making their way inside.

When I saw the Barrister, he smiled and motioned for me to sit directly behind him, and I saw that Davis and the boys were sitting a few rows back, while a man and lady dressed in very expensive clothes, who I presumed to be the Carrington’s were sitting on the other side of the courtroom, with a Barrister sitting next to them.

Once all the formalities had been done, we sat down, and Sergeant Hill dressed in uniform stood up. “Your honour, if it may please the court, Sergeant Robert Hill, Southport Police” he said, “Yes Sergeant, I haven’t seen you in this court in a while” the Magistrate replied, “Yes sir, I am mostly stuck behind the desk these days” Sergeant Hill responded and the Magistrate smiled and nodded his head.

“Your honour, I know that this hearing is in regards to an application by Mr Lloyd Templeton, to gain custody of his two sons, Toby and Isaac, but unfortunately things changed quite dramatically yesterday morning, after the summons to appear, was delivered to Mr Tim and Mrs Gloria Carrington, the current family who have custody of the two boys” the Sergeant said, and the magistrate indicated for him to continue.

“Mr Davis Carter, the oldest nephew of Mr and Mrs Carrington, who travelled from Western Australia with Mr Templeton, in support of the application, is the older brother of the late Sarah Templeton, nee Carter, Mr Templeton’s late wife and mother of the two boys, and brother in law of Mr Templeton” the Sergeant explained.

“This sounds like a miniseries could be made of this, go on” the magistrate commented, and the sergeant looked across to my barrister, who indicated for him to continue, as they smiled at the Magistrates comment. “That could be true, your honour, and with the permission of the barrister for Mr Templeton, I would like to continue” the Sergeant said. “He has my permission, your honour” the barrister said, standing briefly, then sitting again.

“Your honour, Mr Davis was worried that his uncle and aunt just might try to run as they have the financial means to do so, after being informed that a summons to appear had been delivered to Mr and Mrs Carrington, and with that concern, he travelled down to Southport to visit them, to persuade them not to flee.

With his own son with him, Mr Carter went to the home of his uncle and aunt, where he was refused entry, but he did see packed suitcases in the hallway. After a very brief discussion, they left, and came to Southport Police station, where I was informed of the situation, and a little time later, a highway patrol car stopped the car of Mr and Mrs Carrington, speeding Southbound down the Gold Coast Highway, just 5 ½ kilometres from the New South Wales border.

During an interview yesterday, Mr & Mrs Carrington said that they had not seen or received any summons, and that they were going on a family holiday to their holiday home in Byron Bay. Discussions with the two Carrington boys, after intercepting a telephone call that they had made to Mr Carter, I learnt from the Carrington boys, that they were concerned about Toby and Isaac, as their parents had been unfairly mistreating them for the past few years.

The two boys in question, who are here today, were taken to the Children’s Hospital yesterday, and stayed their overnight, and I present to your honour a medical report, on tests that were done since yesterday” the Sergeant said, as he handed a folder to the Court Clerk, and another one to the opposing Barrister.

“Mr Kingston, have you seen this report” the Magistrate asked my barrister.

”Only about half an hour ago, your honour” the barrister responded, once again standing briefly, then siting down again, and we waited until the Magistrate had finished reading the report, then my Barrister stood up.

“Your honour, I do not wish to take up too much more of your time on this matter, I ask that this matter be dealt with swiftly, as Mr Templeton and Mr Carter and his son, have to return to Western Australia, as soon as possible, due to business commitments” my barrister said.

“What is it that you do, Mr Templeton?” the Magistrate asked me, and my Barrister indicated for me to stand.

“Your honour, I am a Pastoralist in the Gascoyne region and a Farmer in the Mid-West region of Western Australia” I replied, and I remained standing, “And you Mr Carter, what do you do?” the Magistrate asked, and Davis nervously stood up.

“Your honour, until recently, I was an unemployed truck driver, but now I am an employee of Mr Templeton, my brother in law, working on his farm” Davis replied before sitting down again.

“I see, well that is very generous of you Mr Templeton, so I presume you have the finances to support your two sons, from the documents that I have before me, I can clearly see that they are your sons” the Magistrate said to me, and Mr Carrington stood up and began to say that it was a pack of lies, and that the boys were his sons.

The Magistrate warned Mr Carrington to sit down and stay quiet, as he was in enough trouble as it is, “Yes sir, and although I am a widower, I have the support of my brother in law and all my staff to assist me” I responded.

“Good to hear, now before I make a custody ruling, I want to deal with another matter first.

Mr Tim and Mrs Gloria Carrington, I have before me false birth certificates of the two boys in question, and you have tried to flee the state, to avoid this court hearing today, and as such attempted to illegally transport two minors across the state border.

I also have here a detailed medical report, from the Brisbane Children’s Hospital, that states that both boys have many old injuries, including many old scars and burns, and that no medical treatment had been received, so I will be asking the police to investigate two charges of Child endangerment as well. I hear by order the seizure of your passports, and that you be detained, without the possibility of bail, until this matter is brought before the District Court of Queensland, at a date to be set.

Now with that being said, I believe there are two teenage sons, who are also under age. Mr Davis are you prepared to take custody of your… cousins, until such time as their parents are deemed suitable to care for them or until they reach the age of 18” the Magistrate stated, and both Tim and Marcus stood up, as did Davis.

“Your honour, these are my two cousins, and they have already spent one night in an adjoining room at the hotel, that I am staying at, and have stated to me, that it is their wish to stay with me, instead of foster care” Davis said.

“Are you boys prepared to move to Western Australia, to live with your cousin?” the Magistrate asked Tim and Marcus.

“Yes sir” the boys chorused.

“Very well, I hereby order, that Tim and Marcus Carrington be placed in immediate care of their cousin, Davis Carter, until such time as they turn 18.

I here-by order, that Mr Lloyd Templeton, be awarded permanent custody of his two sons, Toby and Isaac Templeton, case closed” the Magistrate said as he slammed the gavel down, which made me jump in fright.

Toby and Isaac stood up and literally ran the few steps to the two where I was seated and rushed into my arms. “Hello boys, it is good to finally meet you both” I said to them quietly, and I saw the Magistrate smile, before he turned and headed into his chambers, moments later Tim and Marcus approached us, with Davis close behind.

“Hello, I am Tim, this is Marcus” the older of the two said and I shook their hands.

“Nice to meet you boys, now we have a lot of things to discuss and do, so let’s get out of here, and do you boys have keys to your home?” I replied.

“Yes, we do” Tim replied.

“But they are only to take their personal belongings, and that is all, as the house has been searched, and may need to be again” the Sergeant said to us.

“That is all we need sir, we have no desire to be there any longer than required” Tim said to Sergeant Hill.

“Very well, just leave the keys on the kitchen counter when you leave” Sergeant his said with a slight smile.

Once outside the courthouse, we headed back to the hotel where I was staying, where I packed again, and checked out, before heading back to the hotel where Davis and the boys are staying, and I was able to get a family suite on the same floor as Davis, so Toby and Isaac would be close to me.

We gathered in my suite, so we could have some discussions about the future. “Boys where do you all go to school?” I asked, “The Southport School, it is a boy’s private school, and we all go there” Tim replied.

“I see, now you may see that I am taking the lead here, that is because I am your cousin’s employer, so I have to make some decisions that will be of benefit to you all” I said, and I saw Davis smiling and nodding his head in agreement.

“Not that long ago, I was unemployed, broke and homeless, and Alistair and I have been living in a tent during that time. When things started getting desperate, we headed north in search of my brother in law, hoping that he will help us until I get back on my feet, which he has done so, after a very disastrous meeting” Davis said, and Alistair burst out laughing.

“That’s an understatement Dad, and you know it” Alistair said, bloody cheeky teenager” Davis grumbled, and I just smiled, at the playful teasing.

“Dad got us bogged on the beach, and the tide was all the way up to the doors, when Uncle Lloyd turned up” Alistair said to his cousins and my boys, who listened intently.

“You call him Uncle?” Tim enquired, “Yes well, technically, Alistair is my nephew by marriage, as my late wife and Davis were brother and sister” I added. “So that would make us cousin’s by marriage?” Marcus asked, and I chuckled at his thinking.

“Your Mother and my later father were brother and sister, so that makes us first cousins, and Alistair is your 1st cousin once removed, so really you are no relation to Lloyd or his boys at all, except for being foster brothers with Toby and Isaac, until the court case ended that” Davis explained.

“Well, I don’t care, I’m going to call you Uncle Lloyd, if that is ok with you?” Tim said to me, and I smiled, as I saw Marcus nod his head in agreement.

“I see no problem with that, now let’s get down to business, as we have a lot to discuss. As you heard in court, I own a cattle station, and I’m currently buying a second one.

The farm that I grew up on, is where Davis and Alistair, have just moved to, as it is too hot for them up on the station, and they live in the main family home, which has 4 bedrooms and two bathrooms, so there is enough room for all four of you there, and there is a District Highschool in the nearby town of Northampton, which is 16 kms to the south” I began.

“Sorry to interrupt for a moment. Boys, do you know if your grandparent’s education trust is still financing your education?” Davis asked.

“I have no idea, why do you ask?’ Tim replied, “Because your mum, my dad and even I had all our private education expenses covered by the education trust. We will have to check that with the school, when we let them know that you four boys are changing schools” Davis replied.

“Ok, that is one more thing that needs doing, at the moment, I am residing on the cattle station, which is 200 kms from the nearest main town, but I will have to make some changes, now that I have Toby and Isaac with me” I said.

“Wow, that must be in the middle of nowhere” Marcus stated.

“Yes, well in a way it is, as the major towns north and south are about the same distance from the station, but the station is on the coast, andthere is a small tourist community, called Coral Bay located 62 kms to the north, with basic supplies for the tourists” I replied.