ARROW - 98. Chapter 98

Sitting outside with the boys, my mind drifted. Could we raise a baby, no we are guys, we would need a nanny, no, she would have to live with us, where would she stay. I got hit with a football.

“Dad, I’m sorry.”

I grabbed Ronnie, hugging him, I whispered in his ear, “Next time let me know.” Now I started something. He took the ball and went back to his game. Soon I heard, “Dad” as a football was coming towards me. I managed to catch it. This happened a few more times, then I realized this was a game for them. It broke my chain of thought, now I had to catch the ball or it would hit me. Looking at the boys, I decided to play touch football. I’m not a sports person, never played any sports but in college I had attended several college games.

Ronny made up the teams, it was Ronny, Tommy and Richie on my team with the orphanage boys on the opposing team. I knew what would happened, as soon as I had the ball I was on the ground. I think my boys were just as guilty as the other team. What started as touch football became lets get Dad. The funny thing, I enjoyed it as well. The smiles from the boys seemed to be the tonic I needed to snap me out of my black mood.

Mum came out, she wanted to know what all the yelling was about. When she saw me laughing, she went back in and then Colin came out along with Pat.

“Colin, come and help me.”

Laughing, “No way.”

We stopped when Pat told them to take a break and get ready for supper. I think the only thing that would stop them would have been food.

“You enjoyed that didn’t you?”

“Yes, I needed that and the boys had fun.”

Pat showed me where I could wash up. My costume was ruined, so I threw it away.

Walking into the dining room, the pumpkins were lit, and the smells from the kitchen hit me as soon as I stepped in the door.

Colin followed me, “Carmella?” I nodded yes. Spaghetti was on the menu.

We stood at the door as the children came in. My boys had a big smile, standing next to Colin and I, they were smiling and rubbing their stomachs.

After everyone sat down, the cooks brought out the trolleys with plates of pasta. I knew that they have had spaghetti before, I also knew this would taste much different from what they had before.

The older children leaned over their plates, inhaling the aroma. I wonder what they would think once they tasted it. They waited until Pat took the first fork full. When she smiled, they all began to eat. Looking around the table, it was silent except for the sound of eating.

As plates became empty, the cooks wheeled out a cart with a large bowl of pasta. The younger kids, had enough but as the ages increase to the oldest, I watched and then I laughed. The cook had to go back to the kitchen for a refill.

We sat there until James brought out pumpkin cookies and glasses of milk.

We stayed until everyone was finished. A few of the younger kids headed for the blankets in the common room. By the time we were ready to leave, some of the older kids headed to their rooms.

Saying good bye, “Pat, we’ll be back for Thanksgiving. Don’t order any special food, our cooks will bring it.”

Arriving home, we had a party to get ready. The boys headed to Uncle Jimmy, he had a special halloween drink for them. I handle the member’s book at the entrance. At 7:30 I took the boys upstairs to get ready for bed. They had school tomorrow. Colin joined me at 9:30 when he closed the club.