A Child's Haven - 15. Chapter 15

In the morning, Officer Murray and Officer O’Shea stopped by Sanctuary. “Good morning, Officers. Could I entice you to have a cup of coffee and some sweet rolls?”

Officer O’Shea was going to decline my offer, but Officer Murray accepted my offer before he could say anything. We sat down at one of the tables, and Ronnie brought over our coffee and a plate of sweet rolls. “Brad, I didn’t know the Judge was your father. I was surprised to see him. We were in his court last night for the arraignment of those two men. They had a slick lawyer, but he didn’t know Judge Williams was at the arrest. It was a beautiful case of proper judgment. Your dad took into the lawyer, asking him all kinds of questions concerning his qualifications. No one ever questioned this lawyer’s qualification. Found out he was disqualified and legally could not represent anyone in a court of law. According to your dad, it’s a felony to practice law without a license. He sentenced the lawyer to 5 years in jail for illegally practicing law. He started to yell at your father, and before he was handcuffed and led from the court, his sentence was increased to 6 years. Boy, you don’t mess with your dad. He then looked at the two guys, asked them how do they plea. They both said guilty. He made a statement about being held over for trial. One of them said he wanted to be sentenced now and that he was guilty as charged. Your dad asked the district attorney his position. He replied if he doesn’t want a public trial and wants sentencing now, then we agree. Your dad looked at him, “because of the seriousness of your crime; I am sentencing you to ten years of incarceration without bail. The other defendant is to be held for trial without bail.” I think the one who pleaded guilty was the smart one; the one going to trial will be dead before the trial starts. The big boys will get him before he squeals.”

“Wow, it seems like you had an exciting night.”

“We did, and now we have to get a move on. Thanks for the coffee and rolls. Come on O’Shea, let’s move.”

“Brad, I didn’t know what I should’ve done.”

“You did the right thing, Jeff. The next time I leave you in charge, I’ll give you a cell phone so that you can call me. I’m also going to put in a system that will allow us to identify anyone who comes here. I’m proud of you. Maybe I’ll make you second in command, or better yet, maybe I’ll unofficially adopt you.”

I hugged him and kissed the top of his head. He blushed and went to clean off the table. I had some great boys here, but again, where are the girls. I need to talk to Beth.

Grace called and said she was sending a Mrs. Chester over for me to interview as a superintendent of the school. While I waited for Mrs. Chester, I called a security company and asked for a representative to visit Sanctuary.

Mrs. Chester showed up right after lunch. She introduced herself and said Grace Ellsworth asked her to come by. “Thank you for coming, Mrs. Chester. Sanctuary is a safe haven for street kids. Many of them arrive here hungry, tired, and wearing rags. We feed them; offer clean clothes and a safe place to sleep. But what I can’t offer them until I get a staff, is an education. I’d show you the area I’ve set aside for classrooms, but we’d have to walk until the elevator is finished. We are talking four flights of stairs. If you feel up to it, we can do it, or I can show you the preliminary plans. What’s your pleasure?”

“Well, I agree I’m too old to climb four flights of stairs. But if you show me your plans and tell me a little about the position, I may be able to help.”

“Let’s talk about the position. I need to start a schooling system that’ll operate outside of the state programs, primarily because I cannot access these children’s school records without tipping off people who may or may not be hunting them. Now, if it was family who lost them, that’s one thing, but these kids were thrown out of their homes, forced to live on the street, which made them prey to the deviates of our society. When I’d walk the streets, I’d cry with what I saw. Boys would come up to me and offer me their body for dinner or a place to sleep. I quit college and found Sanctuary. Today I have almost 100 children here, and I can absorb another 100 easily. So I plan to offer a learning program for 4 hours each day, and if the classrooms get full, I’ll offer 4 hours in the morning and 4 hours in the afternoon. My plans include a gym for exercise, a place to relax, and a place for a library. They will have access to a computer in the classrooms as well as the library. The computers will be restricted, but teachers will be able to override the restriction.

Now the important question is, how would you fit into this program? Mrs. Ellsworth was charged to find a person who could take on the responsibility to bring this project to life. The person would need to review the age group, arrange for testing, design the classrooms, select the appropriate furniture, and last but most importantly, find the teachers. I was hoping we could find recently retired teachers who would only want to teach 4 hours a day and, depending on the schedule, maybe once every other day. The ultimate success will be for the student to pass their GED exams and be accepted to a college. I don’t want you to think this will be an easy job. Nothing is easy in creating this place, and only the people who help, including the kids, make it easy. Does this sound like something you’d like to be a part of?”

“You’re obviously into this Sanctuary. I’d say you are almost fanatical. These children must mean a lot to you.”

“Excuse me, Brad, a new kid just came in. You have to see this.”

“Excuse me, Mrs. Chester, when they come for me, it usually means trouble.”

I left my office and ran to the dining hall. There was a man, pulling a kid away while Jeff and Pat were pulling him the other way. “Stop, I yelled.” I went up to the man and took the kid’s arm from his hand. Jeff and Pat immediately took the kid away. “Beth, call the police.” The man started to run; I tackled him and slammed him into the floor. I must have dazed him a little, which gave me enough time to pull his arm behind his back. He started to struggle again, but I just pulled up on his arm until it almost broke. He began to rant that the kid stole his wallet, which I saw sticking out of his back pocket. I heard the police siren, and the man started to struggle harder. Good Ole Officers Murray and O’Shea came in. When they saw me, Officer Murray cuffed him, and it was all over.|

“What happened?”

“I was interviewing this lady when Beth called me to come here. When I arrived, this man was trying to pull the boy away from Jeff and Pat. I dislodged his hand from the boy, Jeff and Pat took the boy away, then this guy became belligerent, and it ended like you just saw.”

“That boy stole my wallet? He’s a thief.”

Officer Murray reached into his back pocket, “Is this your wallet.” The guy’s face turned red, “Now suppose you tell me just what’s going on.”

Jeff nodded his head in the direction of the kid, “He said he’s his sex slave and couldn’t take the abuse anymore. He ran here, but the guy saw him leave and followed him.”

“Officer Murray, I’d like to press charges against this guy for unlawful entry, abuse of a minor, and pedantry.” Whispering, “You need to get a search warrant for his home, and you know the judge who’ll give it to you.” Officer Murray smiled.

“Jeff, take the lad and get him showered. I’ll make an appointment to have him get an examination at the clinic.”

“Mr. Williams, it may be better to have him examined before being showered. In case there is any incriminating evidence.”

“Mrs. Chester, you just got yourself a job, if you want it.”

“Jeff, take the boy out the back and put him into my car. I’ll drive him to the clinic.”

“Mr. Williams, do you mind if I go with you. I have a few questions, and you may need a witness.”

“Sure, follow Jeff out the back door.”

“Beth, get some ice cream for the kids to quiet them down. If we don’t have enough in the kitchen, ask Mrs. Jenkins to order some for delivery.”

I ran to the car, and everyone was ready to go. I drove to the clinic and requested to see a doctor. Just as I was being given the spiel about no appointment, no insurance, etc.; Janine came and saw me. “Brad, what are you doing here?”

“Janine, I have a young kid that may have been raped. I’d like a rape kit done, and maybe the doc can give him a quick check-up. I’ll schedule a regular appointment for a thorough exam as soon as we get him clean.”

“The kid has been through a lot. Oh, excuse me, Mrs. Chester; this is Janine, who comes to Sanctuary for routine check-ups. Janine is a PA, and so we use her unless there is something serious than her husband gets involved. Son, go with this young lady she’s going to help us put that man in jail, ok?”

He nodded his head and followed her to the examination room. She came back about 20 minutes later, “He’s in with the doctor; I found semen in his colon. I’ll send it out for DNA testing.”

“Did you see anything else that on the surface may be a problem?”

“He has some bruising, but I think with care that’ll go away. The bruising in his mind might take longer. I’m sorry, Brad, I know it’s hard for you to hear this.”

“I’ll be ok. Excuse me for a minute, I’ll be back.”

“Does he always get upset over the kids?”

“Yes, he has devoted his whole life and his fortune to help these kids. And when he misses one, he’s afraid there are more he’s missing, and the agony of these kids he takes on his shoulders. There are some sad stories in that place. Brad makes them laugh and hopes they’ll forget. So a case like this hits him hard. The kid is eleven years old, too young to be scarred for life.

“What kind of life did Mr. Williams have that made him so sensitive?”

“He had a good life, a nice family, and they have supported him through this whole project. His dad is a judge, and his mother collects clothes for Sanctuary.”

“Hi Janine, did you see Brad?”

“I think he went to the men’s room”

After a few minutes, Jeff and Brad came back into the reception area. Brad’s eyes were red, and Jeff held back a few tears as well. “I’m sorry, Janine, Mrs. Chester. There are times when I feel so inadequate. No child should have to go through that. We caught one, but the real culprits are the people who put that kid on the street. Jeff, he’s your priority this month.”

Don brought the kid out to the reception area, “Brad, we need to make an appointment to do some scans. He may have some internal injuries. Just give him soft food to eat, avoid any rough exercise, and have him drink plenty of water. Let’s see when we can get him back in for the screening.”

Looking at his calendar, “It looks like we can see him tomorrow at 2. How does that sound?”

“That’s great, Don. We’ll see you tomorrow.”

“Jeff, do you know his name?”

“He said his name was Lyle.”

“Ok when we get home, take him for a shower and be gentle with him.” Jeff knew what I meant.

“Beth, where’s Mario?”

“I think he’s in the cook shack.”

“Hi Mrs. Jenkins, may I speak to Mario? Thanks. Mario, I need a soup at the dining hall in 20 minutes, it’s for someone who has a bruised stomach. Thanks.”

“Mario is our cook, and Mrs. Jenkins is our head cook. We have two boys working there as trainees, do you mind if we continue our discussion tomorrow? Maybe you can think a little about what I said, and you got the job. Actually, you had the job when Grace recommended you. I think she’s a great person, and I’d take her word any day.”

“Beth, will you please go and get a copy of 3A for Mrs. Chester.”

“Beth will give you a preliminary sketch of the floor for the classrooms. If you have time, look it over and let me know your thoughts. I’m sorry; I’m still upset over what happened earlier.”

“It’s ok, Mr. Williams.”

“Brad please, everyone calls me Brad.”

Just as Mario brought the soup into the dining hall, Jeff returned with the boy. I don’t know what Jeff saw or what the boy said, but Jeff was crying. “Here, son, sit down; there’s a good soup for you, and there’s more if you want it. Would you like milk, chocolate milk, or juice? You can also have water.”

“May I have some water? The doctor told me to drink a lot of water.” Jeff brought him a bottle of water from the vending machine.

I noticed as the boy was eating, he winced every once in a while. “Are those seats too hard for you?” He nodded his head; I picked him up and sat him on my lap. “Is this better?” again, a nod of his head.

Soon he was scraping the bowl, “Do you want some more?” In a very quiet voice, “Yes.”

Jeff got up and got him another bowl of soup. When he was finished with the second bowl of soup, he leaned back into me. “He’s gone to sleep.”

“Jeff, get a cocoon ready for him. I’ll carry him upstairs. Do you think you could stay with him while he slept? Just in case he wakes up and doesn’t realize where he is and becomes frightened.”

Jeff nodded yes and led the way upstairs. Jeff opened his cocoon, “He can sleep in here with me until we find out more from the doctor, and he get’s use to everything around here.”

“You’re a good guy, Jeff, kissing him on the head, I’ll see you later.”

I was no longer in the mood to look at blueprints. I now needed to think about the creation of a posse actually to go and hunt these kids. There are too many slipping through the cracks. And now, when the crack opens, the kids that come out are the most damaged.