ARROW - 214. Chapter 214

It was late when I got home. Walking into the living room I smiled, wall-to-wall sleeping bags. I tiptoed toward my bedroom when I heard, “Dad’

It was Pierre. “It’s late. You should be asleep.”

“You weren’t home.”

Picking him up, I noticed a few tears. “I was at the Home. A new boy arrived and I had to help.”

I held him until he fell asleep. Placing him in his sleeping bag. He had a tear on his cheek which I wiped.

Walking into my bedroom, I was surprised Colin was still awake. “Do you always lay here in the dark?”

“You weren’t home so I waited for you. What happened?”

“A new boy arrived. I was asked to help. You’ll meet him the next time you are at the Home.”

As I got in bed, he snuggled and was asleep. Silas was on my mind. “GG look after him.” I knew she heard me, I heard the rocking chair and then everything got quiet.

Morning seemed to come early. I didn’t want to get out of bed. I heard Peter and Ronnie coming for the boys. I took a cold shower to wake me. That reminded me that we need a larger hot water tank.

Dressed for the day. I headed for the kitchen. Didn’t make it. Geno gabbed me, “Angela made breakfast. Sit here.”

So I sat down but it didn’t take long for Pierre to spot me. I had to give him a hug, I really did.

So the day began. Pat sat across from me. We hadn’t talked since our Italian family arrived.

“I talked to Tommy this morning. He said you helped with a new boy last night.”

“Yes, Doc and the nurse helped. He’s in Les’s room. They seemed to get along when I left.”

I knew that Pat missed the Home. That was her life and I think Tommy will also miss the home when he retires.

As I was thinking about Pat and the Home, Angela set a plate of eggs in front of me with toast. “Angela, no fried polenta.”

Walking past Geno, she hit him on the head. “You told him.”

She came back with a piece of fried polenta on a plate. I smiled this was part of my breakfast when her mother was alive.

I took my fried eggs and placed them on the polenta. Breaking the yolks, the egg ran over the polenta. “Armand, why the tears?”

“Your mother made this for me for breakfast when I stayed in the village. I miss her.”

“We all do.”

I heard the rocking chair and knew I would have a visitor tonight.

“Dad” I looked it was Pierre. I put my arm out like to hold him. “Dad, we need to go to the farm.” “Why?” “I’m out of peanuts.”

It has been a few weeks since we visited the farm. Normally the boy’s peanuts last about 3 or 4 days.”

Then I started to laugh, I hugged him and whispered okay. I had forgotten he rationed his peanuts to no more than three a day.

“What are you eating?”

I took a small piece of polenta that had the egg yolk on it, “Open your mouth.” He did and I placed the polenta egg yolk piece in his mouth.

“Dad, can I have more?”

Sitting on my lap he finished my breakfast. “You never had this in France?”

“No” “Never had Cornmeal Porridge?” “Yes, once but it wasn’t like this.”

“Maybe if you ask Aunt Angela she will make some for breakfast tomorrow.” I knew Angela had heard me.

“I have a few errands I need to do. Pat, do you want me to drop you off at the Home?” What a silly question to ask.

I walked outside and there was Pepe in an empty bus. “Tommy thought maybe my brothers and sisters would like to go the Home.”

They did, and in a half hour everyone was on the bus except Geno and Pierre. I went to get my van, I had two bodyguards.

Locking up, the first stop was the farm. Ivan was coming in on his tractor pulling a cart loaded with bushels of apples. Then I saw James pulling in behind me.

Between Ivan, Geno, and James we transferred the bushels to James’s truck. James picked out an apple, polishing he gave it to Pierre. Ivan went and got a knife. He cut the apple into 6 sections. The four of us each had one section, and Lil Ivan had a section. The last section went into the house. “Can’t forget the boss.” We all laughed but I knew anything Elsie wanted Ivan would see that she got it.

Then I heard, “Dad” It was Pierre, his peanuts.

“Ivan, how are your peanuts doing?”

“Ivan, that reminds me I need more peanuts,” James said that to Ivan while looking at Pierre.

So we went to check on the peanuts. As we got closer, you could smell the peanuts roasting. Someone had a big smile. With his apple cart empty, he placed 6 bags of peanuts in the cart. James seemed to disappear. As Ivan started the tractor, James appeared with an arm full of plums. So wiping the plums on our shirts, we had a plum. I watched Geno and I knew I would have questions.

“Ivan, these are ready to pick. They are firm but will soften up in a week. Let me know when you have at least four bushels.”

I was glad for Ivan. Between the Home and James, he never had to worry about selling his produce.

Geno went with James, he said he would help him unload his truck. That left only Pierre and I.

I had some shopping to do, I needed to buy corn meal so Angela could make polenta. I also needed eggs. Ivan’s chicken laid enough eggs for his family and the chickens at the Home supplied the kitchen. If Ivan had any excess, it went to the Home. There was a farm outlet about 10 miles down the road from Ivan’s farm. That was where I was heading.

Walking into the building, I saw one of the guys who Ivan deals with. I told him I wanted 6 dozen of eggs, While he got a large cardboard box to hold the eggs, I asked him about grinding corn. He showed me where they were grinding dry corn for chicken feed. “How fine can you grind that corn?”

“That depends, this corn is for chicken feed, We can grind this chicken feed which gives us a finer grind for peeps.”

“And if you grind it again.”

“It would be closer to flour.”

“How much could you put in a sack.”

“It’s not how much but the weight of the sack. What did you have in mind.?”

“I need a grind equivalent to the corn meal you buy in the store.”

Pierre had a big smile on his face, he knew he was going to have polenta with eggs for breakfast.

Now I need to find Charles.

I called his home, and his wife answered, I told her I needed to talk to Charles and to have him call me.

I wanted to stop at the Home and check on Silas. Pulling up to the gate, we waited until someone came out to open the gate.

“Pierre, if you want any peanuts you better hide what you have.”

“I’ll pour half a bag in my jacket for me and I’ll take the rest in to share.”

“I got a better idea. Take the whole bag in and we will stop later and ask Ivan for another bag. What do you think?”

Before he could answer two boys opened the gate, and we pulled in. Locking the gate after us, the door came open, and the word peanuts was said at the same time.

Pierre started to laugh as he handed the bag to the boys. He was a hero, they marched him to the kitchen door. The boys had their arms around his shoulder and marched him to the door, He was carrying the peanuts. At the kitchen door he took out some, I’d bet he had three, Gave the bag to the boys as they led him into the kitchen. I was right behind them. The cooks looked, you could smell the peanuts. They went to take the bag, I started to laugh. The boys scooted around the cooks and headed to the game room.

“Armand, only one bag?”

“Yes, sorry ladies James was there and took most of the peanuts that were roasted.”

“Well, those rascals better hope they get some. Those kids downstairs will have that bag emptied in minutes.”

“I’m going to check on the kids. I’ll be back for a cup of coffee.”

Walking down to the game room, it was quiet. Too quiet, I opened the door and they had a movie on, The boys were sitting on the floor with the peanut bag between them. I think everyone had a peanut, except Pierre. I chuckled to myself he had three in his pocket. That started me to think. Why would a child his age ration his peanuts? Something didn’t feel right. I needed to understand more about this child.

I sat on the floor with the rest of the kids. Two of the boys came and sat beside me. At first, walking from a lighted room into a dark room it takes a few seconds for your eyes to adjust. I looked at the two boys, it was Les and Silas. I whispered in Silas’s ear.” How are you feeling today.”

“I feel a lot better than last night. We had pancakes for breakfast that is what Les called them.”

“Was it good?” Aloud yes which caused him to get shhhed.

Now that my eyes adjusted to the lower light, I could see the kids eating peanuts. That also meant the kids could see me. My dining partners saw me and soon were perched on my lap. Les told them that were sitting here first. One of the girls said he’s our dad also. I started to laugh and fell backward. Now I had four kids on me. They thought that was funny, but I didn’t get up. So I watched the rest of the movie lying down with four kids sitting on me.

When the movie was over, one of the old kids turned on the light, and now they all saw me lying down with four kids sitting on me. I told the kids I had to go and get my coffee. “Dad, you will come back, right? We don’t want to give up our warm seats.”

I went to grab them, but they escaped. Getting up off the floor, I heard Pepe.

“Dad, Charlie is looking for you.”

“Pepe, tell him to meet me in the kitchen.” I was ready for my coffee.

By the time I hugged the kids, Charlie was in the kitchen waiting with a cup of coffee.

“Mom said you called Dad.”

“Yes, I have a special project for you. Take your coffee and follow me.”

I stopped at the office and asked Tommy if he had the architect's drawings for the first floor. He looked at me as to say why are you asking. “Get them and follow me,”

Behind the offices, there were rooms with cribs. They had them in the original home and hardly used them. When we designed the Home we provided rooms for the cribs.

Charlie, I like to create an apartment here. This sunroom will be a part of the apartment. I was thinking of an apartment similar to the ones on the second floor for staff. Tommy looked at me, I saw the smile beginning. “Dad, that’s brilliant. She will be so happy.”

“We could do that.”

“Can you start next week? I can start tomorrow, the longest delay will be setting up the kitchenette.”

“Tommy you in.”

“You bet Dad. I may get to go fishing yet.”

“Charlie, if your dad has any questions have him call me.” I felt better. Someone will be very pleased.

I have to go, I’m having corn being grind for polenta. Angela promised a certain young man polenta for breakfast.”

“What time is breakfast?”

I started to laugh. “If the corn is ground enough, I’ll have her teach the cooks. I thought Nonna had taught them.”

I thought to myself if not for breakfast she could make it for lunch or dinner.

I walked back to the office, Charlie stayed to take some measurements ,

“Dad, I should have thought of that and had it done.”

“No, Tommy, you have your hands full here. That young man who arrived last night, there was no way you could have handled that even with Paepe helping. I was glad I could help. We shared peanuts while watching the movie earlier. I have to round up my sidekick. I need to buy eggs and get my corn meal for polenta.,”

“What time is breakfast?”

“I’ll save you some.”

Back in the game room, now there were playing board games. I whispered to Pierre, “We need to go.”

So we quietly left, one of the boys offered half of his stash of peanuts. Pierre whispered something to him and he started to laugh.

Walking to the van, “Do you think you could unlock and lock the gate.?”

“I could try.”

I turned the van around, and he went and unlocked the gate, I pulled through and waited. He locked himself in. I turned off the engine, and got out of the van, by now he had reopened the gate and locked it again. This time he was on the fright side. I hustled back to the van and pretended I was checking out something on the van. He got in, “Any problems?”

“I locked myself in so I had to open the gate again and lock it from this side.”

I laughed, As I rubbed his head.

“We’ll stop at Ivan’s and get your peanuts, then we will go and get our eggs and ground corn. How does that sound?”

He smiled as he took a peanut from his pocket, I laughed thinking, he would share as long as he had his three nuts for the day, It made me wonder why a child his age would ration his food, in this case, his nuts. There is a lot about Pierre I didn’t know. But, I knew who would give me the answers.

Stopping at Ivan’s is always interesting. As soon as I walked into the house, Lil Ivan would get excited. I picked him up, and told Elsie I was taking him with me and I’d bring him back. The three of us headed to find Ivan.

I found him looking at the farm next to his. “Ivan, you okay?”

“Hi, Dad. Someone run out of peanuts?”

“We stopped at the Home. I had a project for Charles. Now I’m going to stop at the farm outlet, and pick up some eggs and corn meal. Stop over for breakfast tomorrow, I promise you a treat. We stopped to see if you would sell us a bag of peanuts.”

I watched Ivan, he winked at me, “I don’t have any roasted. I gave you the last of the roasted peanuts. I’ll tell you what, if you help me roast the peanuts I think we may have enough for a bag. What do you say?”

“Dad, I’m going to stay and help Ivan roast peanuts.”

“Okay, I’ll go and get the eggs and cornmeal while you help Ivan roast some peanuts.”

I was almost out of the driveway when I realized I still had Lil Ivan. I stopped and strapped him in and then we went to the outlet.

They had my eggs in a crate, the young man helped me to load it in the van. He recognized Lil Ivan. “Isn’t that Elsie and Ivan’s little boy?”

The eyes tell a lot. I could see his concern, like who are you and why do you have their son?

I went and unstrapped him, picking him up. “This is my grandson. I’m Ivan’s father.”

His dad came over, “Get the corn meal. I’m sorry about that. Ivan brings him here and shows him the ducks.”

Now I had an idea. Speaking to Lil Ivan, “Want to go and see the ducks?” Now I could see he was excited. So we went to see the ducks. I put Lil Ivan down. The owner brought over a small pan of cracked corn. Lil Ivan knew what to do. I watched while he threw the corn at the ducks. It was more like dropping it into the closure. Then I had a crazy idea. I bought two of the ducks, Ivan will have ducks as well as chickens.

Van loaded, Lil Ivan wanted to take the ducks out of the box, but he couldn’t open the box. Five minutes later we pulled into Ivan’s driveway. There was Elsie and she wasn’t happy. I took her child and didn’t tell her.

I started apologizing as soon as I opened the van’s door. Before she could get Lil Ivan, I gave her the box with the ducks. Then I unstrapped Lil Ivan.

I felt I was just about toget it again when Ivan and Pierre showed up.

Then I had to hear how I took the baby and didn’t tell her. Irresponsible I was.

Lil Ivan saved me. I gave him the box, he showed it to Ivan. I told Pierre to get in the van. He had a half sack of peanuts, I put it in the van. The last I heard from Elsie was, irresponsible.

When she was gone, Ivan laughed opening the box. “Dad, you didn’t.” “He asked for them.” Now that wasn’t true, Lil Ivan’s vocabulary was limited to one word ’no’.

Elsie had taken Lil Ivan into the house, then I heard crying.

She came back out with the child, he wanted what was in that box. Ivan showed her, she looked at me. I thought I better get out of there.

I headed for the car except Pierre, he was petting one of the ducks.

I started the van, which got Pierre's attention, I said goodbye and thanked Ivan, and he got into the Van. We headed home.