Adam Blake - 127. Chapter 127

My activities returned to normal. I had to get James an assistant to handle all of the correspondence. We hired one of the students from his secretarial school on a part-time basis.

The president's office was completed, James and I moved there. The old office was used for the part-time secretary. I had my first staff meeting in the new conference room and used the opportunity to explain the kiosks.

I still went for my coffee in the morning after my run, James had a coffee machine installed in the new office but my first cup of the day was always in the Dining Hall. Breakfast, dinner, and supper I still enjoyed with my Knights and I knew I’d always enjoy spending time with them.

By the end of the year, the college was complete, the staff had moved in. Lawrence and his crew had tested the Dungeon and found it acceptable, so he said. One of the other boys said it was splendid.

Enrollment in the college was at 225, I was surprised when James and Jane told me that some of the students were graduates of the Academy who transferred from other colleges.

The two wings on the Academy were finished and staff had moved into them. Coach came and thank me profusely, they sold their house and now his wife could join him.

The students moved into the new dorms, the building of new classrooms where the old dorms were, was underway. Staff expanded to provide teachers for the increased enrollment. From 51 students when I started to 110, was quite a significant vote of confidence.

For the boys, the most exciting construction was the pub. I hired a couple from England to run the Pub. Like most pubs in England, they have rooms to rent. I wasn’t going to rent any rooms but they would be guest rooms. Want to guess which one of my Board insisted on having his room there? “Now, we definitely have a little of England in this country.”

Pub fare consisted of beer (actually it was root beer). Snacks could be obtained but under a new name. Yogurt became ‘Goat Pie’ it was served in a thin piecrust. Salads were called Garden of Eden and milk was called cow’s juice, brown cow for chocolate milk. The boys had to pay for these snacks with their earned coins.

The one thing I didn’t expect, but it surprised me, the boys began to sing ditties, as they called them. Little songs with a wry bit of humor. When I first heard them I had to laugh, they were essentially jokes set to music. Want to guess what a lot of the jokes were about? If you said the previous administration, you would be right. I didn’t realize how perceptive these boys were until I heard their songs.

Returning from Liechtenstein, I began to focus on the remaining year and the Christmas break. Thanksgiving was coming and I knew that was the start of the holiday season. Since a lot of the boys didn’t celebrate Thanksgiving, I talked to Mom and Marie, we decided that we would celebrate Thanksgiving at the cabin. Our Chefs would cook, the teaching staff would have the time off.

At supper, I explained to the boys that this coming Thursday was a national holiday here in the States and we’d celebrate it at the cabin. I don’t know which was more exciting the holiday or going to the cabin.

Wednesday morning, after breakfast the boys were told to get their backpacks and meet me at the buses. I had spoken to the chefs, they had loaded up Han’s car, as soon as they were done, they left for the cabin.

As the boys came down with their backpacks, they went directly to the buses. When a headcount was made, everyone was on board, we left. The ride over was always interesting, in comparison to schools rides I had taken as a student, this was a quiet ride. There was some small talk but nothing rowdy as it was in my day.

Arriving we were met by Mom, Dad, and Marie. I got my kiss, and then I laughed. The four boys who called her mother were in a line waiting for their hug and kiss. At the end of the line was Evan.

I knew I was right when I married Marie, she gave each boy as they got off the bus a hug and a kiss on the cheek. The older boys just smiled, looking at me. Marie was a beautiful woman, at least I and 110 boys thought so.

The boys took their backpacks and headed to their chalet. Evelyn met her sons and they got two kisses, one from Marie and one from their mother.

“How did my boys do?”

“They did very well, you should be proud of them.” The boys were standing behind their mother and heard what I said. They hugged their mother, she kissed them on their cheeks. Then Gerry, who must have heard and watched, came up and put his hand on my chest, “Yes, warm”

I grabbed him, gave him a hug, a kiss on his forehead, put my hand on his heart, “Yes, warm also.”

We had Thanksgiving dinner under the heated shelters. As we ate, we chatted. They wanted to know the significance of the holiday. I explained about the pilgrims and the first thanksgiving. This led to discussions about national holidays in their country. Now I was being educated.

When everyone was finished eating, the chefs came out to start a line of boys taking their plates and silverware to the kitchen. The tub, we used for the fish, was set up on the porch. Silverware was dropped in the tub. The plates were stacked on the table in the cabin.

Then a surprise for the chefs, they were told to go and sit down as the boys took over, they took turns washing dishes, drying dishes, and stacking them. I looked at Mom, she was directing the whole thing, making sure all of the boys had a chance to participate.

I looked at Marie, “A penny for your thoughts?”

I smiled, “These boys continue to surprise me and make me proud. There are kings among those boys, ambassadors, scions of wealthy families and they are doing dishes. I hope I’m alive when they come into their own.”

Dishes all done, I began to laugh. The boys wanted to know what I was laughing at. “We haven’t had any dessert. We’re going to do this again.”

What is their response, “What’s for dessert?”

“First we need to go for a walk to make room.” I started toward the area where the apple trees and berry bushes could be found. There were a few rotten apples on the ground and no berries on the bushes. I gathered the boys, “Be very quiet but look over there.”

They did, there was a deer with her fawn. The fawn was eating but the mother would every once in a while look at us. I knew one move and they would be gone. The boys just watched and after a few minutes, I think the mother deer got a little restless and walked into the trees. We saw rabbits and squirrels, watching us as we watched them.

We walked around the lake as far as Marie’s house and then walked back. Marie had a large glass of milk for them, I knew there was something else in the milk, I was right, she had made milkshakes. We had coffee, one of the older boys asked if he could have coffee, Marie poured him a cup and then some asked for tea, Mom took charge of that, I remember when I started to drink coffee and tea, I was about the age of some of these boys particularly those who would be high school age.