ARROW - 237. Chapter 237

Colin returned from Richies. “Is he still sleeping??”

“Yes, that shot Louis gave him must have been a knockout drug. I’ve checked a few times. But he seems okay.”

“I’m going to the club. Bill has been handling the books and I need to check them. What are you going to do?”

“I’ll stay here until Pierre wakes up and then maybe go to the Home. I’ll probably take him to see Ivan.”

“Plan on having dinner at the club.”

I smiled as he left. I would rather have dinner at the Home.

The house became quiet. You don’t think about the quiet when you are sitting there, but today waiting for Pierre to wake up, the quiet seemed to yell at me.

It was almost 3 o’clock when the apparition of Pierre showed up. I was sitting in the living room reading when I felt someone sitting next to me. Looking at him, “You need to take a shower. While you do that I’ll fix you something to eat.”

He looked at me, I hugged him. Wiping the tears from his eyes, “Go shower, you’ll feel better,”

He did go and soon I heard the shower. It is crazy but with no one home except me, it seems sounds were amplified.

I made a fresh pot of coffee, started heating the griddle, and made scrambled eggs. As I was finishing the crepe, I felt arms around me. Turning, “You look better, Sit at the table your breakfast is ready.”

“More like my lunch. Dad, about last night.”

“Eat, you can tell me after you have your breakfast. You’ll feel better after eating.” I went and got a peanut.

While he ate, I sat with him with a cup of coffee. I felt sorry for him. He trusted a lot of people too fast and I would bet something like that happened last night.

When he finished his breakfast I gave him the two tablets Louis wanted him to take after he had breakfast. “Here, take these with this orange juice.”

“What are these?”

“Louis sent them home. Ronnie said he told him for you to take them at breakfast.”

The phone rang, it was Louis who wanted to know if Pierre was okay after his sleep. I handed the phone to Pierre. “It’s Louis checking up on you.”

While they talked I cleaned the kitchen.

I waited until Louis and Pierre had finished their phone call.

“Pierre, what do you remember about last night.”

“Not too much. We finished our meeting, then we had dinner catered. I was getting ready to leave when one of the Directors invited me to an after-meeting party. I checked the time and told him I could only stay a few minutes. He said the party was at the Waldorf Astoria hotel so we walked over. We were joined by some of the other members of the Board. When we got there, I noticed several young women in brief costumes. I turned around ready to leave when this waiter handed me a glass of wine. That is all I remember until I was riding with Ronnie and Richie. We stopped at the hospital. They waited while Louis exam me, took a blood sample, and gave me some tablets to take. I don’t know how long we sat there, I drifted off. I woke when Ronnie carried me to the car. The next thing I remember is being put to bed. Dad, I feel like a fool. I heard bits and pieces of what happened from Ronnie and Richie discussing the party in the car.

“From what Ronnie and Richie told me when they brought you home, you were drugged. Two men took your money and you signed the cottage away. Ronnie said you signed Christian’s name on the cottage title. They also searched these two men and found all of your money. The two guys were arrested and I think Richie is going to the police to file more charges.”

“Dad, I feel like a fool.”

“You were taken advantage of. It could have happened to anyone. Let’s go and see Ivan.” That brought a smile.

Pulling into Ivan’s driveway, you could smell peanuts roasting. “You go and check on the peanuts, I am going to the outlet for cornmeal.”

I watched as he headed for the peanut roaster, beeped the horn, and headed to the farm outlet.

Arriving at the farm outlet they had my corn mill ready. I picked up a couple dozen eggs while I was there.

Returning to Ivan’s, I filled Elsie’s container with corn meal, sat, and talked while drinking a coffee. She had photos of her daughter, Elsie, and her family. She has two boys and they look like Ivan. I thought the genetics in Ivan’s family must be strong. Catching up with Elsie is always fun. She is better then newspaper. The two boys who worked for Ivan are expecting their second child. Elsie’s eye seemed to sparkle when she talked about her family and according to her those two boys are part of her family/

Finishing my coffee, I headed to the roaster. Ivan was sitting while Pierre was working the roaster. Ivan took a peanut and offered me half. Looking at him, I saw his grandfather.

“Are you going to stop at the Home?”

“Yes, I have some corn meal for them.”

“Do you have room for a few bags of peanuts? I think Junior has some butter and a few gallon cans of milk for them.”

“I can make a few trips. It would be a lot easier if you could have bought that farm.”

“I am working on it.”

I’ll take the eggs and milk with me now. Pierre can continue to roast peanuts and then I’ll come back for them.” Taking a handful of peanuts, I left to get Junior’s products for the Home.

It is uncanny how they knew I was arriving. As soon as they saw my van pulling in they were at the gate unlocking it. I pulled the van closer to the kitchen, listening to the boys yelling at me to stop.

“I need you to help unload the van. This way you don’t have to carry them so far.” After getting my hugs, I helped them take the cornmeal, eggs, butter, and milk into the kitchen.

“Are you staying for dinner?”

“I have Pierre with me so yes. I have to go back to Ivan’s to get a load of peanuts.”

“Granddad, can we go with you?”

“You need to check with Uncle Gerald.”

“Will you wait for us?”

“Yes, I’ll be here having a cup of coffee with Uncle James.”

“I want to discuss something with you.”

“The kitchen at the club needs another cook or chef. Do you remember Roberto, Maria’s brother? He has been working at the school over there, he could fit in. “

“I don’t think it will be a problem. Mary Ann is married now. But if he becomes a problem, he goes back.”

“I’ll tell Peter.”

And I will make sure Mary Ann knows if he comes.

The boys came back, “Uncle Pepe said we could go.”

The boys are smart, Gerry may have said no but with Pepe, it was a sure yes.

Loading the van, we were off to Ivans. We could have walked except carrying sacks of peanuts wouldn’t have been fun.

When we arrived at Ivans, there were still roasting peanuts. That was more than a few sacks.

I heard a horn, and there was Peter with the truck. Pierre pitched right in and started to load the truck with sacks of peanuts, Then Ivan Junior came with several dozens of eggs, butter, cream, and containers of milk. Not only was the bed of the truck loaded but also the cab was loaded with two bags of peanuts.

“Peter, who is going to help you unload all of this?”

“Bill and Charles will help. If I need more help, I’m sure I can get the waiters to help. Colin said you were coming to the club for dinner.”

“I’m going to have dinner with James at the Home. When you see Colin, tell him and invite him to join us.”

The boys that came with me wanted to show Pierre the shortcut. Each boy loaded their pockets with fresh roasted peanuts and taking Pierre by the hand they headed to the path at the back of the farms. With my van loaded with sacks of peanuts, I headed to the Home.