The Peter Charles - 20. Chapter 20

Dropping off Glen, we continued to walk to the office. “Terry, we tease sometimes and lately we’ve been teasing you a lot. Amy’s a very good person, she’s smart, and very good looking. You’re a very lucky young man to find her, and if you haven't guessed by now, she likes you as well. Her mom and dad have been trying to get her to go to the university here, with you that’s succeeding. So they owe you a debt of gratitude for helping them keep Amy home. You have no idea how much you have relieved the worry about her going East to school.”

“Yes, she is pretty and smart also. I know my mom and dad would like her as well.”

“It might be too early to jump the gun but I’d say at the end of summer would be a good time for Amy to meet them. I agree that your mom and dad will like her as well.”

“Here let’s pick these up and get started on tomorrow. I leave early tomorrow because of my fishing. One of these week-ends you’ll need to come with us.”

By noon we were finished. I walked to Dad’s and Terry went for a cup of coffee, guess where. “You’re early, finished or just decided to quit?”

“No, we’re finished, Terry is good and fast. Actually we booked this mornings investments as well. Tomorrow work load is half finish. I really don’t have to come to work but I want Terry to do the whole day without me doing anything. On Monday, he’ll be doing it all alone.”

“Okay, give me a minute.”

Dad came out to say hello, “Dad, did you get the rings for Wednesday?”

“Yes, would you like to see them.”

“I would, but if Glen walked in and saw it, it wouldn’t be a surprise.” Just as I said that Glen walked in.

“Let’s go. Bye Dad”

“I think Dad is hoping Nicky will study business and take over the shop, I don’t think you will.”

“I would if he was ill or something, but Mom is a good back up. She’s home alone and I’m hoping next summer she’ll get back in the groove. Dad would be very happy.”

“We could take the boys shopping for birthday presents this coming Monday, that way I could drop in and see how Terry is doing.”

“We’d need to take the truck and car.” “We’d be taking the truck anyway, we’ll have fish to deliver.”

Pulling into our driveway, “I wonder who’s cooking tonight?” Opening the garage door, I saw the wagon with the chests still on it.

“Either the boys are back or they haven’t left. Let’s check the chests, that’ll tell us.” The chests were empty of crabs but had water in them.

“They are back and I’ll bet we have something with crab for dinner.” We did, the boys made crab bisque. But it wasn’t just crab, the boys had seasoned shrimp in it as well.

“Glen, since the boys have been cooking we need to step up our workouts. Otherwise we’ll need new clothes.”

Friday was a half day for me, Terry had everything under control. I decided we’d have lunch and then I’d go home. I did call Pete at the car dealership and told him what my plan was for Jamie’s car. Lunch with Glen and Terry was amusing to me, Glen playing match maker, I think the match has already been made. That’s all Terry talks about, the dinners and the times he spends with Amy.

On the way home, “I feel restless. I can’t wait to get out on the sea and fish. Have you ever had something sit in the back of your mind and it just sits there and spins but isn’t clear enough to allow you to do something about it?”

“No, but I think I know what you mean. It’s like there was something you meant to do but can’t remember.”

“Yes, something like that.”

“With you it could be more, like a warning or premonition of something going to happen.”

“Well, it’ll come to me sooner or later. Let’s get the boys and go fishing.”

“We need to check with Mary to see how much more shrimp and lobster she’ll need for Wednesday.”

“Oh that’s what spinning in my mind. I almost forgot we’re getting married in a few days.” I laughed, that wasn’t it.

“I’ll bet you forgot, you have been after me to marry you for several months and now you forget, no way.”

Arriving home, “Where are the kids?”

“Probably crabbing, let’s get dressed and we can drive the truck down with the chests.”

As we neared the dock, we could see the kids lined up on our dock and Jim’s dock crabbing, only Jim’s dock didn’t have as many crabs, according to the Crab Master, because he doesn’t feed them. When the boys saw us, they waited till the truck stopped and then ran to us.

“Are you ready to go fishing?” The boys weren’t dressed for fishing. It didn’t take them long to put the crabbing gear away, then climb on the truck for Glen to drive them back to the house to change.

I walked over to the Wharf to check on supplies. “Hi Mary, I thought that since this will be the last trip out till the big day, I want to make sure you have enough fish, shrimp and lobster.”

“I have enough shrimp unless you have more guests than you have on the list that you gave me. Why don’t you plan on giving me another chest of shrimp and lobster just in case. I can always use them. Fish, I have plenty, so I don’t need more. The boys have given me plenty of crab and I suspect I’ll get more today.”

“Is Harry coming with Diana?”

“I don’t know, she called and wanted to know if she could stay here but didn’t say he was coming. Andy’s parents will be here for two weeks.”

“Good, I’ll get his dad out fishing with us.” I went to chat with the captains and Barney when the boys brought the chests filled with crabs in for Mary.

“Take the chests to the boat and then come with me. We need to go to Chicken Shack for dinner tonight.”

“Why don’t we get pizza for dinner tonight and have chicken tomorrow night?”

“Okay let’s do that.” I knew it would take longer to get the pizza but we had time. I called and ordered sixteen pizzas and asked that they be delivered to the boat. Then we walked to Chicken Shack.

Walking back to the boat we must have looked silly, we were eating a chicken leg while balancing the rest of the order. “Did you kids have lunch?” That explains all of the kids rushing us. “Hands washed?”

“No”

“Go wash them and then we can have lunch on the boat.” I laughed as Adam tried to keep up with Peter. I gave my packages to Scott and I ran and picked up Adam. He started to giggle as we ran past the boys to the boat.

Hands washed, Scott and Nicky started to set the table for lunch. We were eating and chatting when Bob showed up. “Kevin, can I talk to you and Glen for a minute?"

“Sure, let’s go to the bridge.”

“Last night, well, really early this morning, we picked up four kids selling themselves on the street. I have them in the car with Ben. I have a feeling that these kids are being made to sell themselves. I need your help.”

“What would you like for me to do?”

“I want you to talk to them and find out the truth.”

“Okay, I’ll talk to them. The boys are cleaning up, give me a few minutes and then you can bring them on the boat. I want you and Ben on the boat with them.”

I told Glen what Bob wanted and I said I would interview them. Then I thought, why did Bob want me to interview them, he could have done it as well. “Glen, why does he want me to interview them, he could have done it.”

I knew why, Kev has a knack for getting at the truth, and this crazy psycho ability that he has, is what Bob wants him to use on these boys. There must be more to it than just curfew pick-up. “Maybe he hopes with all of our boys you might be able to use that knowledge.”

Bob brought the kids on the boat. There were three barely dressed and what they did have on was threadbare. One of the kids was dressed very nicely. He said he was looking out of them because it’s risky at night and what they were doing. He said they were doing what they had to in order to survive.

I asked the first boy to sit down. I looked at him, my guess he was thirteen maybe fourteen. “Frankie, how old are you? I’d say you are fourteen. You have been beaten, is that from your dad or were you in a fight? No, your dad beats you if you don’t have enough money for him to buy his booze.”

Franky looked at me, his eyes were opened, staring at me. “How do you know that? Yes, it’s true, my dad beats me if I don’t bring home enough money. Look what he did last night before he told me to get back out there.” Lifting the back of his shirt, you could see the whip marks. I looked at Bob, he was very mad.

The next boy sat down, “Stevie, you live alone. Do you have a place to crash or just where ever you can find a dry and warm spot?”

“I roam, sometimes it’s in the park or an abandon building. Once in a while a john will take me home.”

“Your fifteen, how long have you been on the street? No, you have been on the street since you were thirteen because your parents threw you out. You’re gay aren’t you?”

Stevie looked at Kev with very wide eyes. He glanced back at Bob and Ben. Then he started to cry. I watched Kev pull him into his arms, he whispered something and Stevie nodded yes. “Glen, can you get these boys something to eat and drink while I talk to Robby?”

Robby sat down, he looked scared. “Relax Robby, I’m not going to hurt you. You live with your mother, she works hard to support you. She loves you so that is why you do what you do to help with the money. If I offered you a better way to make money, would you take it?”

“Yes, sir, I hate what I do but mom works cleaning offices, she comes home tired and if I can bring a little extra home it helps.”

“You’re only twelve years old, that’s a big responsibility for a boy your age. How much do you pay Luke?”

Luke starts toward the door, Bob stops him, Ben puts handcuffs on him. “He takes half of what we make.”

“Are there others beside you three that he takes money from?”

“No just us three”

“Luke, you do more that look out for these boys, you pimp them. You come from a wealthy family but I guess your need for drugs out weigh your humanity. Bob, he has drugs on him, check the cuffs of his pants.”

Bob did and found a plastic package with tablets in one cuff and weed in the other. Ben took him to the car. “Bob, Franky needs to be seen by a doctor. Take him to the hospital emergency room and tell them I’ll pay. Ask Don to look at him. Get pictures and you know what you have to do. Stevie and Robby are going fishing.”

Glen smiled, “I’ll get them outfits.”

“Frankie, you’re going to miss out on fishing this week-end but next week-end your life is about to change.” Looking at the other two boys, “Your life is going to change right now.”

“Bob we need to contact Robby’s mother so she’ll know he has gone fishing.”

Nicky came down from the bridge. “Nicky, two more new hands. Glen went to get them outfits, they need a tour and an explanation what’s in store for them. Have them take a shower, they can wrap a towel around themselves till Glen gets back.”

“My name is Nicky and I’m the First Mate on this boat. You’re going to love this week-end, it’ll change your life. The best thing that has happened to you, is when Officer Bob picked you up. Follow me.” By the time, they had showered, Glen was back with their clothes.

Dressed they sat at the table, and ate pizza. If they listened they would hear Nicky, “Anchors up, bow line, stern line” Nicky didn’t have to name names. Everyone who knew how to do these jobs, did them. Then the boat started to move.

Robby and Stevie looked at me and smiled, “Fishing”

Later that day as we sailed to where we’d start fishing, Glen and I were sitting on the bow with Peter and Adam. “Do you remember asking why Bob wanted you to talk to those boys?”

“Yes, I still don’t know why.”

“Kev, how did you know the names of those boys and that the one boy was a pimp?”

“I don’t know, they told me their names.”

“No, they didn’t. You called them by their name as soon as they sat down. You may not realize it but you have this uncanny thing you do, its like you go into a trance or something and then you make these statements. It’s scary, but you seem to have a connection to someone or thing that provides you with this information. In the Old Testament you’d be called a prophet.”

“I’m not a prophet by any stretch of the imagination. Sometimes I seem to just know, how I know, I don’t know.”

“I also know that this knowledge appears when children are involved but not adults. It’s almost like your parents are feeding you information from beyond the grave.”

“Now you’re spooking me”

“Spooking you or not, I love you.”

It was Adam who spotted our friends. “Pappy, look mermaids.” It was the dolphins.

Just then Nicky sounded the horn, listening you heard, “Anchors aweigh” then “Port net in, Starboard net in.” From the stern, “Where is my bait?” then “nets in”

I just sat there and smiled at Glen. “What a crew we have and what a boat we have.”

“Let’s fix dinner, I’d like a cup of coffee.”

Scott was ahead of us as he and Travis began to lay out dinner. I didn’t realize we order so much chicken but it’ll be eaten by the time we go home.

Everyone fixed their plates, sitting at the table. David started the prayer, with the final Amen, we began to eat our dinner and conversations began to flow among the boys. Table conversations, books that were being read, which paintings Travis’s mom was going to take, should I go or not (Scott), are we going to get more ships to build, we need a place to put them, and so on but no one asked about the new boys, they accept them as they have accepted others in the past.