ARROW - 76. Chapter 76

I got up, leaving Richie sleeping, showered and started the coffee. Colin came up with some bread, “Where did you get the rolls?”

“I asked Marcel to make some before he left last night.”

I put the rolls on the table, Colin helped to set the table. He went up the the third floor apartment to get an extra chair. There are five of us now.

I poured our coffee, Colin put butter and jam on the table. I had a box of cereal in case the boys wanted cereal instead of rolls with butter and jam.

Colin and I were sitting at the table with our coffee, “I want to take the boys shopping this morning. Ronnie and Richie need clothes if they are going to stay here. I’ll call Mrs. Anderson and see if she was given Richie’s clothes. Yesterday when he arrived at the orphanage the only clothes he had, he was wearing.”

“Are you planning on painting a portrait of his parents as you did for Tommy?”

“Yes, provided I have a photo.”

“Look who is coming.”

“Morning Tommy, are Ronny and Richie still sleeping?”

“Ronnie is but I don’t know where Richie is?”

“He’s in our bed.”

Crawling up on my lap, he took a sip of my coffee. “Dad, why don’t you add milk and sugar to your coffee like Grandmother?”

“I learned to drink it like this.” Now I heard someone in the bathroom. Soon, we could see Ronny walking to the kitchen. I got up to go and check on Richie.

Walking into our bedroom, he was still sleeping. I covered him with our sheet. I stood there watching him sleep, thoughts ran through my mind. How would I have reacted if I were in his shoes? Then I thought how would I feel today if I lost my parents in a car accident. Thinking these thoughts, my heart went out to Richie. It was Colin’s hand on my shoulder that broke my thoughts.

“A penny for your thoughts”

“I was thinking how I would feel if I was Richie. Then I wondered how many of the children at the orphanage had to go through what he is going through.”

“You need to take the kids shopping this morning.”

“Why don’t you join us. We can buy clothes for our trip to Italy as well.”

“What are you thinking? You can’t buy Tommy clothes for the trip in front of the others. No, don’t tell me.”

“Colin, we talked about Ronnie, so what’s one more.” I smiled as Colin got out his phone. I knew he would call the lawyer we used for the adoption of Tommy. I gave him a kiss for that.

Arriving at the clothing store that specialized in children’s clothes, Colin took a buggy and so did Tommy. I had a list, underwear, pants, shirts, socks, shoes. The list went on and on. Tommy needed one set of clothing, Ronny needed two sets and Richie needed four sets of clothing. As we went to the various sections, I let the boys pick out their clothes with one caveat, Colin or I had to approve. Surprisingly it went well with one exception, Richie. Tommy and Ronny handled that. Richie didn’t want to pick out any clothes, so Tommy and Ronny did it for him. Colin and I laughed.

When they came to shirts, Tommy and Ronny would pick the same style and colors, they then checked Richie’s size, and added the same shirts. Tommy said we are brothers and need the same clothes so people will know we are brothers. Tommy and Ronny used that approach throughout the shopping trip.

We took the boys to a different store to buy them suits for the trip to Italy. Now it was suits, white dress shirts, ties and dress shoes. Again, the boys wanted the same style and colors. “Armand, we should buy new suits as well.” I knew what he was going to do, and when he picked out the suits that matched the boys, I started to laugh. The boys thought that was great. I noticed a smile on Ritchie’s face.

Shopping all morning, we had to stop for lunch, so said Tommy. I thought we would be heading to a restaurant for hot dogs or hamburgers, until we walked past a pizza parlor.

Sitting at the table, the boys put their heads together. Colin and I laughed, I think they wanted everything on their pizza. The waiter looked at Colin and me, I nodded okay for their pizza, I wanted a salad and the special pasta dish. Colin told the waiter to make it two.

While we waited for the boy’s pizza, Colin and I had coffees and the boys had a milk shake.

During our morning shopping and sitting in the pizza parlor, I kept a watch on Richie. I was pleased that he was adjusting to his relationship with Tommy and Ronny. The young man who was crying so hard yesterday, who didn’t know what was happening and who just lost his family, has developed a friendship with the boys. The first step to acceptance. The knowledge that others have experienced the same lost and hurt, results in a bonding that unless you have travel their path, you wouldn’t understand.

“Colin, I want to check out a furniture store.” I wanted to put bunk beds in the boy’s room.

Walking into the furniture store, I told the boys what I wanted them to do. Then the fun began. We spent an hour checking out bunk beds. I saw one that I liked, it had drawers under the lower bed and at the end where wardrobes. Colin saw the same one, I watched as he headed toward that unit. Tommy saw him and went to walk with him. The other boys followed. Colin had a discussion with the boys, they opened the closet and pulled the drawer out. There was a huddle. They came back to me. “We have selected the one we want.”

I chuckled, “Now you need mattresses, sheets and blankets. Don’t forget pillow cases. Colin, go with them when they pick out the mattresses. Make sure they are good, supportive mattresses.”

I was hopping they would get the same make as ours.

I sat down in one of the demo chairs on the floor. From there, I could watch them. One thing was obvious to me, the boys had to agree before a decision was made. I looked at Colin, he was smiling. The boys reached a decision, Colin was satisfied. Now we had to go home to empty a bedroom.

“Did they say when they would delivery the beds?”

“Yes, tomorrow. They’ll call you before they come.”

Arriving home, “Colin, help the boys empty their room. The spare bed can be taken to the 3rd floor apartment.”

“Are you going to help?”

“I’ll come up as soon as I start the wash. These new clothes need to be washed before the boys can wear them.”

Going to the basement I loaded the washer, set the control to rinse. As I turned around to go and help Colin, I was startled. I thought I came down alone, evidently Richie followed me.

“You scared me. I didn’t know you came down with me.”

He smiled, I picked him up, tossed him over my shoulder like a sack of potatoes, and took him to our apartment. I had to hold his head down when leaving the basement. He was giggling when we got to the apartment, tickling help.

Colin had taken the boys’ bed to the third floor. “Dad, where are we going to sleep tonight?”

“On the floor.”

“Can we sleep on the roof?”

“Sure” Colin and I slept there so it wasn’t a big deal. I just hoped it wouldn’t rain.