Security - 2. Chapter 2

Friday I went home and packed my suitcase, drove to a private airport, yes I have my own small corporate jet. I bought it from a company that wanted to buy a larger jet. It was ten years old and could fly a maximum of six people. That was big enough for me. I hired a pilot and co-pilot to fly it on a need basis.

Landing at the airport I took a taxi to my cottage. I had bought the cottage with the first money I made off the patent. Mom and dad used it for vacations and eventually relocated there when they retired. I took over the condo in the city. Now the cottage is empty, dad died three years ago followed by mom two years later.

The cottage wasn’t big, it was three rooms, two bedrooms and a general room that served as kitchen, dining room, and living room, big enough for them and me. I had a swimming pool installed, dad said it helped his backaches. Then I decided to build a master bedroom suite off the pool, converting one of the small bedrooms into an office. I still drove dad’s old Ford, no need for a flashy car.

When I stayed here I had a routine, in the morning after my run, I’d walk to a coffee shop that served breakfast. I generally sat outside, read my paper, just enjoying the morning. This morning was no different. I had just finished my breakfast and headed inside for another cup of coffee when Dave entered.

“Surprise seeing you here”

“I woke early and Kate wanted a coffee. So I was sent out on an errand. The hotel told me about this place when I asked if there was a Starbucks close by.”

“I think the coffee here is just as good as Starbucks and a little cheaper.”

“Are you coming by this afternoon?”

“Yes, I thought we could have lunch together and I could check out the room for our visitor and presentation. How about one for lunch?”

“Sounds good to me, I’ll tell the rest.”

Taking my refill, I went back to reading the paper outside. It was shaping up to be a beautiful day. If it wasn’t for the meeting, I’d be at the beach.

Finishing my breakfast, I took a walk around the small village. Except for the occasional visitor, the town supports boat enthusiasts and a small amount of fishing. I think the primary business is tourism. My walks had confirmed that boat rentals, fishing boats going out, and two industries, boat repairs, and boat sales.

As usual, on a weekend, I met some of my neighbors. We stopped, exchanged pleasantries. I got caught up on the village gossip, including young unmarried girls. If I’d allow it, I’d be invited to a dinner every night I was in town. Of course, there would be a marriageable young lady present.

I stopped at the local grocery store, or gossip center, as I entered the cashier nodded knowing I was in already. The butcher had my usual meat all ready packed for me. I chuckle whenever this happens. My tastes are so well known even the butcher repacks my meat for me. He’s never wrong, my family and I have shopped here the for last ten years. When I finished shopping, the store’s owner had his son Bobby helped me carrying everything home.

“Chaz, are you going to be here this weekend?”

Now, this might sound like an odd question but it’s what I expected. “Yes, Bobby, I’ll be home this weekend. Have a party planned?”

“Not till now. Is it okay?”

“Same rules.”

The same rules meant swimming with suits on, no hard liquor, beer only, and no more than three bottles per person, clean up after. Food is limited to chips, hot dogs, and hamburgers. They could use my grill. I have applied these rules to the boys since Bobby was twelve, now that he’s eighteen it could if I allowed it, get out of hand. My place does provide some privacy and I suspect that’s what attracts the boys and girls.

Walking home with Bobby allowed me to get caught up on all of the news. “So that’s the gossip, what is happening in your life?”

“I’m saving for a car, Dad said he’d helped me pay for it, I’m working in his store.”

“Have you thought about college?”

“Yes, I would like to be a marine biologist but money is tight. I do odd jobs around town and save all I can. It’ll take me at least two years to get enough money pulled together for the first year. At that rate, it’ll take me forever.”

“How are your grades?”

“They are good, I graduated with a 3.9.”

“That should have met some scholarship money. Have you applied for scholarships?”

“Yes, but I didn’t receive any. Most of the responses indicated that they had already granted their scholarships. I don’t understand that, Billy Jenkins applied after I did and his QPA is lower than mine.”

“I’ll look into it for you. If I’m able to get you a scholarship would you be ready to start this fall?”

“If you can get me a scholarship, I’m ready now.”

“Well, don’t get too excited, but I’ll see what I can do.”

Bobby is a good kid, when Mom and Dad lived here, he and Dad would go fishing. He was always helping out around the cottage he called them Gram and Gramps. I’m sure there’s a scholarship available for him, growing up next to the sea, he’d be interested in marine biology. For Bobby, it would be a natural. Dad once said he knew all of the fish they would catch and was constantly showing him pictures of sea life. In Dad’s opinion, he was already a marine biologist.

That evening Bobby came by with a couple of his friends. They had a keg of beer with them.

“No kegs”

“I told you Kent.”

Kent wasn’t happy and I knew he’d be the one to cause a problem. Some people always push the edge of the envelope.

“Chaz, we can still have our party?”

“Yes Bobby, but the rules are there for your good, and no hard liquor, I’ll be checking particularly your friend Kent.”

Bobby came over as soon as his dad closed the store. He had the food and soft drinks. “Bobby, put the meat and sodas in the fridge by the pool, you can put the buns and chips in the cupboard. The grill is ready to light when you’re ready to eat.”

The area around my pool is fairly discreet. The back yard abuts against a natural stone wall so there are no neighbors to the north, the south is blocked by the cottage and I have high walls on one side and my extension on the other side.

I was sitting in the living room reading when I heard, “No Kent. If he finds you brought that he’ll ask us to leave. He doesn’t fool around. Take it and get rid of it.”

“You’re a wimp Bobby. He’ll never know we even have it.”

“Have what? Kent if you have a bottle with you, the party is over.”

All the kids stopped what they were doing. Kent’s girlfriend looked at him, “You didn’t”

“Only a half-pint.”

“Bobby, your party is over. Please clean up before you leave.” I didn’t need to say anything to Kent, the rest of the party did. I’m the only one with a pool on my street that allows the kids to use it.

“Chaz, I’m sorry. I told them all of the rules, they thought they were fair. I hope this doesn’t change your mind about allowing us to party here.”

“We’ll see.” I felt bad for Bobby, the kids here are generally well behaved. What is that saying about one rotten apple in a barrel? I guess Kent is it.