ARROW - 136. Chapter 136

As I spent time among the children, I was truly happy. I played cards and lost, I colored pictures, I tasted cookies, the boys showed me models of planes and cars. I wondered where these models came from. Looking at Pat and holding a model of a plane, smiling she mouthed ‘Charles.’ I was confused. “Pat, you didn’t buy these, Charles bought them?”

“When we moved in, I opened the cabinet in the game room. There were boxes of model plane and cars. There were small baking ovens, doll babies, there is a train set which I hadn’t opened. When I asked where they came from, Charles said the men donated them and what they didn’t, he did. There are gifts not even open. I say a prayer every night for those men. The best thing that ever happen was when the city forced us to move. No that isn’t right, the best thing was getting to know you and Colin. I thank my angels every night for you and Colin.”

I had a little boy on my lap, he looked at me and smiled. Smiling, "What is your name?”

“He’s one of the new boys. His name is Toby.”

“Is your name Toby?” He was laughing as I was tickling him a little. “I’d like to look at the records of the new children. I understand you have 4 new children.”

“Not 4, 5 of which one is a girl, she is the sister of one of the new boys.”

I went to put Toby down, didn’t happen. He wrapped his arms around my neck. I picked him up, he held on tight. “It’s okay Pat. Can we take a look at your rosters. Colin will review your funds to make sure you have enough money. Oh one thing, I’ll need an idea of new clothes for here and school.”

“That would be a good project for Lois and one of the older girls.”

That evening lying in bed with Colin. “I looked over the roster and Pat is going to take an inventory of clothes. They have five new children of which two are brother and sister. I asked her to do a clothing check. I want to make sure they have enough warm clothing for school.”

“We need to send a thank-you note to Charles and his crew for the games, toys and coloring books. I was with one of the boys who was showing me a model airplane. Pat said that Charles and his men donated the toys, coloring books, crayons, and small baking ovens for the girls.”

“’I want to take our boys and their friends tomorrow to a book store. I promised them books when they were in the museum in Paris. I’ll also buy some English-Italian books for their friends. They need to start to learn English if they are going to spend anytime here.”

Colin leaned over and kissed me, “Save some of this for tomorrow. I need to start working tomorrow.”

I laughed, I kissed him back, and that led to something else which did put me to sleep.

In the morning. Peter made coffee for us. He used the milk with maple syrup in it for the coffee the boys and Alissia drank. Dry cereal was the choice along with hot rolls. As soon as Marcel and James gets back, I’ll have them train him on a preparing a proper breakfast.

I knew that Richie’s family had a full time housekeeper who also did some cooking. She was a live in but where did she stay.

At breakfast, after the boys left to investigate the grounds and the swimming pool, that was still being developed, “Martie, where did the housekeeper stay?”

“She had rooms behind the kitchen.”

“Rooms?”

“Yes, a bedroom with a sitting room. Come. I’ll show you.”

I picked up my coffee cup and followed her. The door I thought went to the basement went to a small foyer with two doors, One did go to the basement, the other went to the housekeeper’s apartment. The apartment wasn’t large. There was a single bed. A small bathroom and a wardrobe. There was a half partition that created a small room that had a chair, a small table with a TV and a stand next to the chair. It was a place to sleep and relax, that was it.

I thanked Marie and then I went to check out the basement. There was a laundry, washer, dryer and a place to iron clothes,. There was a freezer, a hot water tank and a furnace to provide heat. I hadn’t seen any registers in the rooms for a hot air heating system. I need to show the housekeepers room to Colin and ask him about heating the house in the winter.

The few weeks before Marcel and James returned, we registered our boys in the school they were going to attend. I promise to take them shopping for school clothes the week before school was scheduled to start. I also needed to go with Pat and registered the boys and girls in their new school. Then with the help of Mary, my mom and the girls, a shopping trip would be needed. Making a list, I realized we needed to start now as school was just a few weeks away.

I spoke to Pat, she said she would organize the registration of the children, I offered Marie to help.

I took our boys and their friends shopping. “Dad, we need a new suit. Our suits are getting a little tight.” The pants were short, they were growing taller. School supplies, pencils, tablets and book bags opened the door to other books, I ordered a set of encyclopedias and several historical books as well as books from their interest in the museum tours in Paris and Barcelona. That reminded me of the trip to the Museum in New York City, I needed to be put it on the agenda.

Clothes that were too small for our boys, was given to their Italian friends, if they fit. They smiled, I made sure I bought them new clothes as well. As a special gift, I bought them Italian to English books. Now they would have classes, taught by our boys.

The big event of the coming week was the arrival of Marcel and James. The boys were excited, they wanted to have a welcome home party. Colin was in favor and involved the Board. He decided to open the club one week after their arrival. He still needed to find a band for the club.

I had the feeling that everything was falling in place when Colin got a phone call from Barcelona. Alesander needed some forms signed. I knew Colin didn’t want to fly over just for a signature and so soon after coming home. I listened as he told Alesander how to have them overnighted to him.

“Colin, I suggest you overnight him what you just told him. Ask him to keep the directions so he can do it again if needed.”

He did that by calling his office and have his secretary do it. “”When are you going to start working again?”

“Working again? I have been working for you ever since we came home.” That got him a thank-your kiss and a slap on his bottom.

“I need to get the Club’s books caught up to date, we need a board meeting and then we need to decide about the apartments.”

“I don’t think we can rent the apartments.”

“Why not?”

“If we rented them, we would have to lock the doors to the club. The paintings would need to be insured. In fact the floors over the club will need to be insured. A fire there could ruin the paintings. We could fix them up and maybe my mom and dad could live there.”

“Maybe Bill could live there now that he’s married. He could open the club like you did.”

“Let’s think about it. James will continue to live there so someone will be there all the time.”

Over the next two weeks time seemed to fly. There was always something demanding our attention. The boys entertaining their friends and getting ready for school. The children at the Home, would be getting new clothes and preparing for a new school. James getting ready for the school year, he would need to make two trips with lunches, one to the boys in the city and one to the children in the county. Marcel was getting ready for the club opening.

Colin was busy with the club, checking on Barcelona and going back to work. I started Arnaud’s son’s painting.

The first week of school was hectic. Their friends, under Marie’s tutelage, worked in their books that I had bought. In the evening we were a family, going to the club for dinner, and Jimmy’s deserts. Tuesday and Wednesday when the club was closed, we spent our time looking for a fishing boat.

The first boats we saw where like Grandfather’s boat in Barcelona. They were fine for our family if we excluded the boys from the Home. We saw one that was in dry dock for salvage. Colin and our Dad’s went to check it out.

The boat looked like a boat used to haul containers. Colin made a bid for it, the company accepted and when he told them why he wanted it. They gave him the boat. He agreed to have the name of the boat reflect the company’s name.

I knew GG had her hand in this and when Colin told me not only had the company gave him the boat, they are going to make all repairs, add a modern helm including a small kitchen, and holds for the fish with nets. Above the helm was a flag pole with the name of the boat. The boys couldn’t wait until it was finished. Unfortunately for them, it wouldn’t be done until some time after the first of the year. Once a week, we would drive to the ship yard to look at it.

A press release was made when the company gave us the boat. I was sure a larger spread will be made when the boat was iready to float, I told Colin that Pat should break a bottle of champagne on the bow when we took her out for the first time.

When the boys at the Home, were told about the boat, they wanted to see it. Rather than taking them all at once, we took them by age groups. Now every time we went to the Home, the boys gathered around to hear, and see, if we had photographs of the boat.

We attended Ronny’s first football game. Colin rounded up the boys from the Home, loaded them in a bus along with our boys and their guests, took them to the game. We ended up with two busses, literally filling the stadium seats. When Ronny’s team came out on the field, our cheering section became active. One of the other spectators asked me who were all of the boys cheering. I told him we have a son playing and these are his brothers and friends. Our boys had to explain the game to their Italian friends. My neighbor sitting next to me, looked at them. I thought why not brag a little, “Our sons speak Spanish, French and Italian. My husband and I are very proud of them” The look on his face when I said husband, I knew I didn’t have to worry about him interrupting my enjoyment of watching the game.

Game over and Ronny’s team lost by one touchdown. I thought he played well, but being a freshman, he didn’t play much. Colin said the score wasn’t important. This game didn’t count. That I didn’t understand, evidently the earlier games were more of a practice game then the games that counts toward a record of some kind. I need a course on high school sports.

When Ronny came out from the locker room, you would have thought he was the hero of the game. He only played one quarter, but to all boys, he played in the game. They cheered him as if he was the best player, and in my mind he was. Colin said I was prejudiced.

According to the boys, we had to celebrate. So we went to an ice cream parlor, Ice cream cones for all. I think that ice cream parlor made their month’s sales quota that day. On the way back to the Home, the boys were talking about the game and Ronny was explaining the plays.

“You know we will have to do this every time he plays.”

“Yes, and we will probably have to buy two buses. The girls will want to go as well. I’ll bet the next game, the girls will go.”

“We need to evaluate our transportation. We have our cars and a van.”

“We have two vans, Dad has one.”

“If we get a bus. Where would we keep it?”

“At the Home. I’ll have Charles convert the barn into garages.”

“I thought we would use that as a changing area for the swimming pool.”

“We just need to have a place for robes and towels. They can change in their rooms before swimming.”

That evening we lived that game all over again.