ARROW - 92. Chapter 92

James came home a little later than expected. “I followed Ivan as you requested.” James had tears in his eyes. “I followed him to a shack at the city dump. There was an old man, who met him as he arrived. I saw him hand the two extra lunches to the man. He went into the shack and came out about 20 minutes later dressed in what looked like rags. He and the old man, went and started going through the garbage.” By this time James was openly crying.

“It’s okay James, Colin and I will help this boy and the old man. Go and take a shower and get dressed for work.”

That evening when Colin came home I told him about the boy and what James found out. “Let’s go.”

“Where are we going?”

“For a ride.”

I told Marcel we had to go out for a minute and we will be right back. Getting into the car, I looked at Colin. He had a determine look on his face, something was going to happen. Either something bad or good, I wasn’t sure but I did know enough to keep my mouth shut.

He drove to the city dump.There was a sign pointing to a side road stating City Dump. “Colin, don’t scare them.”

“I’m not going to scare them I just want to make sure what James said was true. If it is then, I’ll do something.”

He parked the car where we could see the shack. We watched. About 30-40 minutes later we saw the old man and the lad return to the shack with a rusted metal chair. They sat it outside the shack, the old man sat in it, the boy went into the shack and brought out two paper bags. I recognized them as our lunch bags. The boy sat on the ground as they ate their dinner. I had tears in my eyes.

Colin started the car and drove away. He didn’t say anything, he was angry.

Three days passed. Colin wasn’t in a good mood and then as if the cloud passed, he was smiling my old Colin was back.

The boys said Ivan wasn’t in school for a few days but he came back. I wondered if this was just a coincidence or was this a result of some action Colin had taken. I was soon to find out but not from Colin but from James.

“Brother, I need to leave a little earlier with the boys tomorrow morning. I need to make and extra stop on my way to school.”

James had started to call us ‘Brother’. I inwardly chuckled but to him I just smiled.

“Colin, what did you do?”

“What do you mean? I didn’t do anything?”

I looked at him, “Okay, come with me?”

He drove to a trailer park. I didn’t even know there was a trailer park close to New Haven. “I didn’t think they would permit a trailer park within city limits.”

“They don’t, this park is just outside of the city limits.”

“It says under new management.”

“Let’s take a look.” He drove into the park, there was an old man who was picking up papers that was on the ground. Getting out of the car, I picked up one of the papers. It was a noticed to the owners of the trailers that the park was under new management.

When the man saw Colin, he came over. “Hello sir, the people in unit 79 wanted me to tell you they are moving out.”

I looked at Colin, it just hit me, he was the new owner.

“Ivan, this is my partner, Armand. He’s responsible for your grandson’s lunches.” Just then James dropped off Ivan. He had the boys with him. Forget everything else. The boys jumped me, “Dad, what are you doing here?”

“Pop wanted to show me where Ivan lives with his grandfather.”

Colin just sat back, watching the boys interacting with Ivan’s grandfather and Ivan. James had to get back to the club so he left.

I knew what was coming, it was Tommy who was the spoke person. “Dad, can Ivan spend the week-end with us?”

“If his Grandfather approves. He can come home with you when Uncle James picks you up.” I knew even before I finished telling this to Tommy, that we would have a week-end guest.

I told Colin the boys where having a week-end guests. Guess who planned a fishing trip. I smiled, now I needed something for the girls, that was my problem. Mom solved that problem.

That evening on the roof, “What made you buy a trailer park?”

“I couldn’t sleep after seeing them at the city dump. I started looking for something when our lawyer called my attention to the trailer park. The owner was a client of his who was facing financial problems. I made an offer, he snapped it up.”

“Now you own a club and trailer park.”

“No, we own a club and trailer park.”

“I don’t own anything, except the galleria and you are part owner of that.”

“As I am part owner of the galleria, you are part owner of the club and now the trailer park.”

Looking at him, he was smiling, “I need a car. I need to check on my share of our holdings.”

He started to laugh, and soon we both were laughing. He gave me the keys to his car. “It’s yours.”

The following week, he showed me his new car. It was a two seater foreign car. “I’ve always admire this car.”

I looked the car over and saw the milage. “This is a used car. Why didn’t you get a new car?”

“New cars have problems also. I had this car checked out, it’s in good shape and will last longer than a new car.”

I knew that wasn’t true, but it was a car that he admire. I just hugged him, “Do you have a name for him/her.”

“It’s a her and before you say anything, it is the only her I’ll ever own and I ride her perfectly.”

I started to laugh. “What’s so funny?”

“I was thinking that will be the only female you will ride.” Making eyes at him, he caught on what I was saying. We both were laughing when the boys arrived and wanted to know what was funny.

“Pop’s new car.” Now they wanted to see his new car.

The next morning after the boys left for school, I drove to the galleria. I had a new painting to hang. I was making a dent into my backlog.

Walking into the galleria, I had noticed a different car parked into the parking pavilion. I heard someone talking in the Mom’s office. I stopped and listened. From what I could tell, she was talking to a tenant or someone who wanted to rent an apartment.

I heard Mom, “There are only a staircases, and elevator would be more of a hazard then a staircase. If electric goes out, you can still leave your apartment, but with an elevator, you wouldn’t be able to use it. They are dependent on electrical service.”

I thought she must be talking to an older person. Walking into the office, turning and looking at me, “I’ll be with you in a moment. You can look around and I’ll come find you as soon as we are finished with our business.”

“Thank you” I could hardly keep a straight face.

I went to where my paintings were hanging, I didn’t realize how many had been sold. The walls seemed to beg for more paintings. I hung the painting I was carrying. I finished and was looking at the prices Mom had listed. I was glad that I had installed the security system.

“What do you think?”

I jumped, she scared me. We were laughing and didn’t hear an ‘ahem’. We turned and there was the tenant again.

“Are you the owner?”

“What gave you that idea.”

“She didn’t ask who you were, she knows you and I think I saw your photograph in the Yale’s news.”

“Okay, I’m one of the owners.”

“Why can’t I have an elevator?”

“Are you a tenant?”

“Yes”

“When you saw the apartment, was there an elevator?”

“No”

“So why do you want one now? If you want an elevator, I’ll install one, your rent will be 3500 per month and you will sign a binding contract for 12 months. That means if you leave anytime after signing that contract and before the year is finished, you will still owe 3500 per month for the remaining of your annual contract. Of course, you have the right to cancel your current contract under the conditions in the original contract.”

He left very angry. “Mom, pull his lease. I want Colin’s lawyer to look it over and see if we can cancel it. He sounds like a spoiled child instead of a Yale student.”

“Is this a new painting?”

“Yes, I think I better get busy and finish a few more. This wall is getting lonely.”

I watched Mom as she finished hanging the painting and adding a price. I looked at her, “Really?”

“Yes, ever since Roger’s friends were here, I get requests for photographs and then orders. Mostly from overseas.”

Thinking, I need to check my accounts. “I’ll concentrate on finishing off the paintings I had started. I may send them over with James. I can paint in the morning before the boys come home from school. The week-ends are lost for me. The boys need time with Colin and I.”

“Let me know and I’ll stop by and pick up any paintings you have finished.”

Saying goodbye, I left with a copy of the lease of my tenet.

Arriving home, I began to sort my incomplete paintings in order of degree of finishing. Those that where almost finished, would be next.

I painted as soon as the boys left for school. I stopped when they came home, my problem I would get so involved in my painting, I’d forget the time. A few times, I sent the boys to the club kitchen for an after school snack so I could finished what I had started.

A few weeks later, Richie and I were sitting on the roof. It was getting cooler, he snuggled against me. “Dad, what happened to my home?”

I wondered what made him ask that question. “I don’t know? Do you remember your address?”

“My Mother wrote my address inside my jacket. She said if I ever get lost, find a policeman and tell him you are lost and this is your address.”

“Your mother was a very smart person. She must have loved you very much.” In my mind, GG help him.

“Dad, if I find my address can we visit?”

“Yes”

He stood up, I hugged him. I knew he was going to find his home address.

I sat there thinking about winter coming and what we needed to do to protect the plants from the cold. I saw swimming pools under plastic bubbles, protecting them from the cold. Why not the roof?

I made a mental note to call my carpenter friend.

I was getting ready to go for a cup of coffee when Richie, entered the roof. “Dad, I think this is my address.”

I looked at the address he had copied. “I’ll ask Pop to check this out. He can verify if this is your address and if it is, I’ll take you there.” His hugs are worth every squeeze.

That evening when Colin came home, I asked him to check out this address. I told him Richie thinks it’s his home.

“Dad, said you have more money than the bank.”

“Why did he say that? I don’t have more money than a bank.”

“Mom told him that your paintings are selling at a high premium.”

“I was there today, the wall looks empty but I haven’t posted a new painting for quite some time.”

“Did you look at the prices?”

“No, Mom takes care of that. I do know if she sells a painting she raises the price of the paintings not sold.”

“Call your banker and check.”

“Tomorrow.” I needed to check on the boys trust funds.