ARROW - 97. Chapter 97

That night I didn’t sleep well. I dreamt that I went around the city picking up abandon children. I woke up, at first I wasn’t sure where I was. Then I became aware I was home in my bed. I went to the third floor and started to paint. Colin found me there in the morning.

“I felt for you this morning, the bed was empty. Were you painting all night?”

He looked at the painting, it wasn’t finished. “Come and get some sleep. You need your sleep. You can continue to paint tomorrow. Remember we have a Halloween party today.”

I looked at him, he but his arm around me and led me back to our apartment. “Try and get a few hours of sleep. I’ll awake you before we need to go to the orphanage.”

I fell back into a deep sleep. I had a dream, I was walking down a street when a young girl approached me. She was crying, her clothes were literally rags. I heard a baby crying, as she approached me, she handed me the baby. “Please help me, I can not take care of him.” Saying that she handed me the baby and collapsed on the street. I screamed for help. Colin rushed into the room and shook me awake.

“You were dreaming.”

“Hold me”

Carmella, James, Marcel said they were heading to the orphanage. Colin said he would join them as soon as I was ready.

“Colin, I can’t get what Pat told me out of my head. People abandon a baby, what kind of person would leave a baby to die.”

“Armand, I’m sure that those people feel that there is no other alternative. They are hoping that someone will take care of their baby. I don’t think they want their baby to die.”

“But, why did they have a baby if they couldn’t take care of him. I just don’t understand.”

“I don’t have an answer for you. But I do know there is something you can do. Finish the painting you started last night. Go and take a shower, get dressed, you’ll feel better. We need to help those boys and girls at the orphanage to celebrate Halloween.”

Colin was right, I did take a shower and I felt better. Before leaving for the orphanage I did go and look at the painting I started. Colin came and got me. “Speak through your painting.”

I thought GG must have talked to him. Her favorite comment was, paint it.

When we arrived at the orphanage, Mom was there with a few of her girls. They were dressing the kids in their customs. I had to laugh, the youngest had animal costumes. I also noticed no face masks but they were painting their faces. I wonder if the paint they were using would wash off.

As soon as they were dressed in their costumes, they approached us. We gave them a hug after pretending we were afraid, they laughed.

Pat came out of her office, she was dressed as the good fairy. I took the package Mom had given me and went to change, it was a clown costume. I felt like a kid again. “Mom, go get Colin so he can change.”

Now when the kids saw me, they wanted to play. I was suppose to have tricks, and I didn’t. Then Colin came out in his animal costume. He got down on all fours, the little kids were scared until those who were in school started to ride on Colin’s back. Then he had to give them a ride. He would start off and then collapse, roll over and grab the kids and give them a hug. I’m not sure if it was the ride or the hugs they liked.

James came out of the kitchen with his cookies for them. He had paper bags for them. He gave the cookies to Colin and me. He whispered something to them, and then they came to us yelling, trick or treat. We were to put the cookies into their bags. How long do you think it would take the kids to get the idea and once they had their cookies they started to eat them.

Pat decided maybe we should have an early lunch. She was concerned about the kids eating the cookies. James showed her the cookies, they were about half the size of the cookies he made for their lunch. Pat laughed and said they could wait until noon.

Now I wondered what they would have for lunch. Normally it was the sandwiches that James made for their school lunch. But not today.

They had grilled hot dogs and hamburgers. I laughed, the buns had a pumpkin on them. They had orange French fries, I found out they were sweet potato fries. The smiles on their faces, was all the payment I needed. Desert was pumpkin cookies and a glass of milk.

Seeing lunch, I wondered what their dinner would be like.

After lunch we had a quiet period. Colin brought several bedrolls, laid them out on the floor. He had a light blankets with teddy bears on them. I didn’t know he had these and so it was a surprise for me.

Pat said it wasn’t necessary for them to sleep but they needed to rest. I assumed this was normal for them. When Mum saw this, she ducked out to return with a cardboard box filled with small teddy bears. I watched as she handed each of them a teddy bear. The little ones, took the bear and tucked it under their blanket. The older ones, just set it beside them. I watched for a while then I had to leave. I went out back, the older boys including my sons were tossing a football. I asked whose football it was, they pointed to Ronnie.

I sat there and watched, they seemed to be having fun. Tommy saw me and soon he was sitting next to me.

“Don’t you want to play?”

“No, I’m too short. That’s Ronny’s game. I’ll bet he’ll be on the school team.”

I thought prophetic words. Watching them, I decided I would paint Ronny in a football outfit for Christmas. Making that decision I was aware I would need to paint the other three boys in some future profession.

I was sitting there for about 30 minutes when Mom came and told me Pat was looking for me. Walking into the room where the kids were resting, Pat had the child I held yesterday.

“Armand, she won’t take her bottle. Can you help?”

I sat down, she handed me the child and her bottle. Looking at the child, I place the bottle to her lips. Her eyes seemed to smile as she began to drink her bottle. I knew this was GG’s doings. I held her bottle with one hand, she grabbed my little finger. My nightmare came back to me. I guess I must have started to silently cry. Colin saw me, he pulled up a chair, sitting next to me, he started to play with the baby’s toes. The child stopped drinking, and held her arms out to Colin. I stood up and handed her to Colin along with her bottle. I watched Colin feed her. He smiled when he looked at me.

“You are falling in love with her.”

“Maybe we should think about adopting a baby.”

I looked at him. Where did that thought come from?

“We don’t have a room for a baby. We would need to hire someone to take care of a baby. You work, I need to paint. A baby requires a lot of care.”

He looked at the baby and smiled. I went back outside with the older boys.