ARROW - 135. Chapter 135

The boys put their clothes away in their room, back on the van we headed to the club.

Arriving, parking in the back, I noticed a stairwell next to the loading dock. “When was the stairwell added?”

“Right after we left. Charles had some company do it.”

“Why? You said there was one but you filled it in.”

“Yes, I did say that then James mentioned if he could get into the basement where it was cold, he could buy his fruit and vegetables in quantity. He said there wasn’t room in the refrigerators. So since I did this for him, I decided to install a system to offer beer on tap. Come, I’ll show you.”

Walking into the kitchen, there was Bill and Peter. “You guys have been here all of the time Marcel and James have been away?”

“Yes, Marcel gave me a list of jobs. Mostly cleaning equipment.”

“Peter, didn’t you go home?”

“Yes, but it didn’t work out so I came back.”

“Where are you staying?”

“In my old room at Marcel’s.

“So, Marcel doesn’t know you are back?”

“No, do you think he will be mad.”

“No, I think he missed you.” By the look on his face that was a surprise.

“We came to get some clothes and the boys things. Whispering, “Do you know how to make James’s cookies?”

“I think so.”

“Do you have the ingredients?”

“I’ll check.”

“If you do make some for the orphanage. I’ll be going over later today and I can take them.”

“Dad, we have all of our books.”

“Put them in the van. Load the van with you clothes as well. Your friends can stay here while we take your things over to the house.” To the house, seems strange to say that.

Colin came to show me the draft system. He poured a little beer, “Here taste.”

I’m not a beer drinker but I tasted it. “It’s very cold.”

Now the boys wanted a taste. I took my glass, and said to take a sip. They did, “I like James’s drinks better.” I smiled.

Two trips with the van and we had everything over to the house for the boys. I still had my art supplies . Colin said he would help with that.

On the next to last trip, Marie stayed at the house with the boys. On the last trip to the club, it was just Colin and I. I loaded my paint supplies and a few canvasses .

I would need to make a new one for Arnaud’s painting.

Over a cup of coffee in the kitchen, Peter told us his story.

“When I went home, I had just turned twenty-one. I was legal and there was nothing my dad could do to me. The reason I ran away, he would come home drunk and beat me. I think he wanted to beat my mom but she came from a big family and he was afraid of her brothers. Me, he would hide his beatings until he broke my arm. My mom took me to the hospital, she told them I fell out of a tree. Once the arm was healed, I made up my mind to leave. I hitched to New York where I met Marcel. He had a restaurant and I asked for a job. He told me if I kept the kitchen clean, he would feed me and I could sleep there. Then when he came here, he brought me with him.”

“Were your parents glad to see you?”

“My mother was, not my dad. He was angry as usual. Mom told me I should leave or he will try and kill me. I rented a room in town and got a job at a diner in the kitchen. Somehow dad found out, he came after me with a gun and I had to leave. So I came back here.”

“Have you spoken with your mom since you came here?”

“Yes, I called her brother and he called me back when Mom was there.”

“I asked mom to leave dad and come here and live with me. She said no, he would go after her family. I think she was afraid for herself.”

Sitting in the club’s office with Colin, “Are you going to move this office to the one at home?” Home, it sounded strange to say it but that is what it was now.

“I’d like to but I’m not sure how Richie would react. I can’t and I don’t want to give him the idea I’m replacing his father. If he asked me if I wanted to use his dad’s office, I’d accept. But the offer needs to be made first.

“Any problems?”

“No, the cleaning invoice is less this year than last year. I’m going to need a new band, our old one quit, they are going on tour.

“What about our piano player?”

“He will be back. At least I don’t have a notice that he has resigned.”

“I wonder if he knows someone?”

“I can asked him the next time I see him.”

“What about our guards?”

“They will be back.”

“With us not living here anymore, you will need a system for managing the club.”

“I was thinking of opening at 5 instead 3:30. And close at 1 except on Friday and Saturday, close at 2.”

“Closing at 1 for Friday is okay, but 2 on Saturday is late if we are going to offer Sunday lunch.”

“Lunch doesn’t start until 12:30. There should be enough time between Saturday closing at 2 and opening at 12:30.”

“That doesn’t give the staff time to get some sleep before opening early on Sunday.”

“You might be right. Okay, we will close on Saturday at 1.”

“Where’s my car?”

“In your garage, why.”

“Give me a few minutes and I’ll tell you why.”

Looking for Peter, I found him in the basement gathering peanuts.

“Peter”

He jumped. “You scared me.”

“I’m sorry Peter. I didn’t mean to scare you. Do you have a driving license.”

“Yes, before I left home this last time, I passed my test. I gave my uncle’s address but he hasn’t called to tell me he has received it. He will mail it to me here.”

“When you receive it, let me know. I may have a job for you.”

“Why and what job.”

"Let me know when you get your license”

I left Peter to go back getting his peanuts and followed Colin to the kitchen.

“I’d let him use my car and he could come over in the morning and make breakfast for us.”

“Hmmm. A private chef trained by Marcel. Need to be careful that James doesn’t get hurt.”

“I’d take James but Marcel needs him.”

“Before you talk to Peter, talk to Marcel.”

That was good advice. “Let’s go home and then check at Uncles. The boys might be getting hungry.”

Pulling up to the house, we were met with a group of boys. “Dad, Pop, we’re hungry.”

“Get in the van.” It didn’t take them long, I locked the door, boarding the van “Go to that hotdog guy up the street.”

Arriving, “I’m glad to see you.”

“We came for hotdogs.” The boys went though the store, “Tommy, you can get what you want, bring it to the front before opening anything ,”

While he fired up his grill, and began to grill hot dogs, I saw bags of chips, bananas, oranges, snack packs, and bottles of sodas.

Between watching the hotdogs, he began to ring up the other items. He had a bag for each boy. I watched as he put a drink in each bag followed by a banana, an orange and a snack pack and chips. I wasn’t sure if they were that hungry or the novelty of the food.

Hot dogs done, I paid for everything.

“Nice to see you.”

“Nice to see you also.”

Sitting in the van, the boys did justice to their bags. By the time we got to the Uncles, they had finished their lunch. I knew Colin would drive slowly and I also knew he drove past Uncles. We had gone past the Home about 10 miles when Colin pointed out the school. It was still a few miles away.

“The children will need to ride to that school. What is the status of them attending?”

“The last I heard they will be accepted but there are some changes that need to be made. Ask Pat about it and see if we can get a peek before school starts.”

“How about we take an unofficial peek now.” I smiled.

Driving up to the school, I wonder if there will be a problem in the winter. The buses will need chains. I was itching to go inside but I needed to go to Uncle’s.

“Dad, why do you call the new orphanage Uncle’s?”

‘“That’s the name, Uncle’s House.”

“Why?”

“Iif a friend of yours is asked where does he live, he use to say the orphanage, now he can say he stays at Uncle’s House.”

Richie caught on fast. In French he explained it to the boys. The faces on our boys as they understood the significance was something I hope never to see again. The realization that being from an orphanage was thought to be something bad was new to them. “Dad”

“It’s okay Tommy. They are ignorant, I hope they never have to experience the loss of their parents.”

Colin turned the bus around and we headed to Uncle’s. I knew we would discuss this more.

Arriving, we parked in front of the barn.

Before walking inside, I walked around to the back. Looking over the land, a swimming pool on the left hand side would be close to the main building and it would be easy to build locker rooms. It can be addressed without going through the back fenced-in area. Might be able to utilize the barn in some way.

“Where were you?”

“Checking out the area for a swimming pool.”

“And?”

“Behind the barn.”

Walking into the building, I was swamped with children. “Uncle, come and see what I did.”

I had to go to each room and see what they did. Those who could draw, had drawings on their walls, those that could color had pages of a coloring book on their wall. I made a fuss over each one. One of the older girls, I think she was 10, made cookies and I had to taste them. “These are delicious. How much do you charge?” She giggled, I gave her a quarter. She knew it was money but she didn’t know where to keep it. Now I knew what to get them for Christmas.

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