A Child's Haven - 85. Chapter 85

The year passes, and soon it was summer break. I had Abe enclosed the swimming pool so we could use it in the winter. We weren’t using it much in the summer. “Suitcases packed?” I think the wall echoed with the yeses. Mom had gotten new suitcases for the new kids and new clothes to go along with the suitcases. They were excited since the other kids kept telling them about the island and the ship. Mario, Marie, and Janet flew out earlier to make sure we had enough summer provisions. Captain Rockford took the responsibility to stock the ship. When I walked into the dining hall the morning we were to leave, I wondered what the summer held for us. That large Marlin mounted over the serving grills was a reminder of New Years’. I asked the kids who were going who would catch the biggest fish this time. They all yelled, me.

We had a quick breakfast, mostly cereal and fruit. The security personnel were on the premises and would be staying all summer. Andy would still be around to answer any questions. He was determined to get his master’s degree as fast as possible.

The buses pulled up to the front of the building, loaded the kids, and drove them to the ship. We had to make two trips since we only had three drivers. The Murrays and O’Shea’s flew to the island to make sure security was in place. The older kids got the new ones situated in their cabins, and again, they posted a piece of paper on the doors. I made a note to get laminated name tags to post on the doors. Jeff was home from college, so I let him stay in one of the guest cabins. Adam would join us in two weeks when his semester finished. For these guys, it was like coming home.

I watched the new kids as we boarded the ship and then as we departed from the dock. I saw a lot of smiles and two little girls sitting on my lap as Captain blew the whistle, indicating we were leaving the port.

The kids fished on the way to the Panama Canal and then started to fish again on the way to the island.

When we reached the island, the Captain anchored the boat as close as possible and ferried the kids to the island. There were two fishing boats that Tony hired that helped in getting the kids to the island.

It was good to see the kids play in the sand and water without a care in the world. They were safe, and they felt safe. Fishing from the dock was my favorite thing to do, and I was never alone. In the evening, when it was a little cooler, we’d take a walk around the island. There were shells that needed to be picked up as souvenirs. As I watched the kids play, I began to realize that soon we’d be losing the older kids to colleges or technical schools. I wonder if we’d see a new crop of kids, or would Sanctuary become a thing of the past. Tony kept saying there’ll always be kids that need to be saved from the streets. It’s sad to think that that would be true, but I was glad that Sanctuary would be there for them.