Adam Blake - 139. Chapter 139

“It was just after the new school term started when Little Adam entered this world. His name was Adam Gerald Raymond Amir Morgan Blake. I knew this was going to happen, but I didn’t care. Everyone wanted to share in our joy, but we all agreed he would be called Little Adam. I joked and said we’d write his name as Adam Gram Blake. Marie looked at me, and I explained that it would spell Gram if we took the first letter of each of his middle names.

Now I was content. I had my family, a girl and four boys plus one. Gerry was different because I couldn’t adopt him, but he was my son in my heart. I think if you asked him, he would say in his heart I was his father.

When you are busy, time seems to slip by, and then one day, you wake up, and there’s a new world that you didn’t recognize. The first hint of this new world was when I looked over the freshman class for Kings College, and there was Gerry and Raymond’s name. No, this is a mistake.

“James, is this right?”

“Yes, you have been asleep. Not only is that right look who is waiting to see you.”

There were my two-plus James’s twins and Caleb’s son. Where has the time gone? Gerry is 18; I have him three more years before he’ll leave to assume his duties in Liechtenstein?

I must have looked stunned. “Adam, are you okay?”

“Yes, it’s like I just woke up from a dream, and none of this should be. James, where did the time go? Did I miss anything? I don’t remember.”

I picked up Annie and sat her on my lap. “Hi sweetheart, have you had your dinner?”

“Yes, gramps, and it was good.” I looked at James and mouthed ‘gramps.’

“Yes, that’s what my father wanted to be called.”

I kissed her on the cheeks and put her down. “You have a delegation waiting to see you.”

My sons came in, Gerry sat on my lap, my head came to his shoulders. “Father, tomorrow we need to go to Grams and Gramps.”

“Yes, we’ll take the copter and be back after dinner at MOMA’s.” Gerry talked Moma in naming the restaurant MOMA’S. She did, and he rewarded her with another shipment. I think he sent her a shipment each Christmas.”

Marie came and brought our two. Gerry reached down and picked up Little Marie and sat her on his lap. Now I felt crushed. She kissed him, and he let her down. There was Raymond, who had to have a hug and kiss, followed by Morgan and Pierre. She said it was the right thing to do, I wasn’t going to stop her, and neither were the boys. “Marie, we need to make our annual trip tomorrow. Do you want to come?”

“No, but you may drop me off at the cabin. I need to check on the house and make sure uncle is okay. The kids will be glad to see him.”

“Okay, after breakfast, we’ll go. I need to pick up more rings for the new Knights.”

Brad came in with the books. He showed me the summary page, “Overall, the Academy’s bank account went up 12 percent, and the College went up 8 percent. The difference seems to be intuition; you have more boys in the Academy, which accounts for the increase.”

“Does that take into account the annual increases?”

“Yes”

“James, see if our architect is still working for us. I want to talk about expanding the College.”

“Do you have some ideas?”

“Yes, wings.”

James had scheduled the architect for the week after we came back from checking on Gerry’s ring and our ceremony.

The following day the copter showed up, the boys, Marie, and the children all were seated, we took off for the cabin and then to our special bank. “We’re going to stop at the cabin for Marie and the children. Do any of you want to stay? We’ll pick you up on the way back.”

“Are you going to stop at MOMA’S?”

“Yes”

They smiled, “We are coming with you.”

Dad met us at the airport and went with us to the bank. As soon as they saw us, the Director came, greeted us, and led the way to the safe deposit boxes. He opened the secret door, and we walked to the safe where we kept the ring.

Before we opened the safe, we said a prayer, thanking our Father for keeping us safe for another year. Gerry had some personal words for his father, and then we opened the safe. Gerry took the ring and tried it on. It almost fit. I knew by the time he was 21, it would fit. I pulled him into my arms, held him tight as we both said a prayer of thanks, and asking his father to keep helping him. Then I gave him a handkerchief, and he dried his eyes. We placed everything back in the safe, closed it, and left.

The next stop was at Sammy’s. He knew we were coming, so he had everything ready. The boys looked around his shop. Raymond kept looking at a coin. “Sir, how much is that coin.”

“That coin is 2500 dollars. It is pure gold.”

“I’d like to buy it.”

Sammy looked at me, and I nodded yes. He went and got a lined box, placed the coin in the box, and handed it to Raymond. I told him to include it in the cost with the rings.

Taking our purchases, we left Sammy’s and headed to MOMA’S.

As soon as we enter, Theresa came running to greet us. The boys got a big kiss. I was thinking of Evan.

I don’t think our butts had hit the chair when Mama came out to greet us. If you were looking, you would think we were relatives and close relatives at that.

Mama made a big fuss over the boys, and we didn’t need to order. She brought the food as if we were family and maybe in a way we were. At least Gerry thought she was the best chef, and he wasn’t going to let that go.

“Father, do you think if we flew Mama and Pap home, they could teach some of our staff how to prepare these dishes?”

“That’s a possibility, but in my experience, they’ll teach everything but one of two ingredients that sets their food apart. For a chef, their food is like a painting, you can copy, but it isn’t the same.”

“Unless it were Able, his would be the same or better.”

The boys were proud of Able, and he was starting to be recognized as Angelo’s protege.

With dinner over, Dad dropped us off at the airport, and we headed to the cabin. Mom was there. I knew she would be. She’d swim across the ocean if she knew she would have a chance to see Marie and Adam. “Is Dad with you?”

“No, he said he would be up tomorrow.”

The boys haven’t arrived?”

“No, they left after the last class, so they will be ready for bed when they get here. We’re going to see my girl, and we will be back in a few minutes.”

“Good, the boys can stay here.”

“No sweets”

I knew my mom would have cookies for the kids, and they would be loaded with sugar. Dad and I would take one, eat half of it, and then I would flush it down the toilet.

“Should we run or walk?”

We walked, too many carbs for dinner. Marie saw us coming; I think she looked when we landed and watched to see if we’d come over by running or walking. She saw us walking, so she had a glass of orange juice for the boys and coffee for me.

The boys caught her up on the day’s activity. Raymond had to show her his coin. She looked at it and smiled. Then Raymond.smiled back. I knew who Raymond was, but she didn’t. However, after looking at the coin, I think I’ll be questioned about it tonight.

We rowed back, and we saw a few fish jumping for bugs. One almost jumped in the boat. He landed on the forward seat and immediately flipped back into the water.

“Father, we’re going fishing tomorrow!”