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- 05/31/2023
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Note: While authors are asked to place warnings on their stories for some moderated content, everyone has different thresholds, and it is your responsibility as a reader to avoid stories or stop reading if something bothers you.
ARROW - 180. Chapter 180
Grandma returned to Paris, Roger went with her and they were met by Arnaud and Jean. Pat returned and had to visit the Home. I told her she would be staying with us until she decided what she wanted to do. I knew she would want to spend time at the Home. What I didn’t know was as soon as we picked her up from her flight home, she wanted to go to the Home right away. Walking into the Home was like returning home for her. The children were glad to see her, I noticed the tears in her eyes as they gave her hugs. Pat was home and everyone was glad.
At dinner that night, Pat sat at the center of the head table. I thought her mouth would be sore from all the smiling she was doing. This would be an opportunity to sit with Colin, didn’t happen. As soon as we walked into the dining room, the boys took Colin and the girls took me. Again we sat apart, Colin smiled as he pretended to be fishing. I was sure there would be a fishing trip this weekend.
Tommy moved from his apartment on the second floor to the fourth floor. He told Pat she could have the apartment if she wanted to stay at the Home. I have to give Pat credit, “Tommy, I appreciate your offer but I can’t accept it. You are now in charge and if I can stop by now and then, I’ll be happy.”
“Pat, Colin, and I have made arrangements for you to stay with us.”
She smiled, I think she was relieved. Staying with us she would be able to stay in touch with the Home and still not interfere with the operation.
Later that evening at our home, she updated us on her stay in Paris.
“There were a lot of kids on the streets begging for food or money. I thought that we could create another Home but I was wrong. These boys were too independent and the girls were already independent. Most of the girls who were in their teens had someone to provide for them. The older girls were prostitutes and if they were good looking they had someone who looked after them. We bought a house, had it furnished with beds and a kitchen. The boys came, slept and had breakfast, and then left. Some of them would return at night and some didn’t. There was no way we could get them to stay. Arnaud was very disappointed that his desire for a place like the Home couldn’t be established. He gave up, and staffed the house which now offers sleeping quarters and breakfast. So when the opportunity arose to come home, I did.”
“We are glad you are back and you can consider this as your home. Tomorrow at breakfast, I’ll introduce you to the children.” I showed her the small bedroom that was behind our room. It was the guest bedroom but now would be hers.
Ronnie and Julia picked out their home and Charles started building it. It was a two-story home with four bedrooms on the second floor. There was a two-car detached garage with an enclosed passageway from the house to the garages. There was a staircase leading to the roofs of the garages. There, Ronnie said he wanted a garden. Once Charles started the construction, Ronnie would visit after dinner returning and bringing us up to date on the construction.
Carlos and his family arrived in March for their annual visit. Little Carlos would be starting school this fall. One never realizes how time flies until something hits you on the back of your head making you realize you are getting older. Poor David, he no sooner learned some French and now he needed to learn Spanish. When in his presence, Carlos spoke English but if you wanted to know and participate, you needed to learn Spanish. The boys helped as did Mary Ann, Louise called him stupid. For some reason, Louise didn’t like David. I didn’t like that and even after punishing her, she didn’t stop. Colin said she was a spoiled brat. He was never close to her, if she resented this and that was the root cause of her agonistic attitude, I’m not sure. I did agree at her next annual physical to have her talk to someone at Children’s Hospital.
I finished the portrait of David’s mom and dad, thanks to GG. Moving my studio to the Home gave me a quiet place to paint. Pat would accompany me. There were times when I thought Pat felt she was a failure since she was ineffective in the Paris project. When she was at the Home, she really was home. The children started to call her Auntie which caused her to smile. She said it brightened her day. I showed Pat the portrait. “Did you provide a portrait to all of your adopted children?”
“Yes, the first was Tommy. Each child has a portrait but not all portraits are of both parents. Toby’s portrait is of his mother, not his father.”
“Where do they keep them?”
“In their rooms. At first, they had them on the wall next to their head and now some are on the wall over their desks.”
I knew they talked to the portraits as if they were there with them. If they felt the presence of a parent or parents, I left that up to GG. I do know when GG helps them, they tell me grandmother in the rocking chair visited them last night. I never ask them what did she tell them or who she brought to see them.
At dinner that night, I gave David his painting. He looked at the painting, then me, then Colin. He was crying as he looked at his mom and dad. Colin hugged him, then he was in my lap. “Dad, how did you know what they looked like? I have no photos.”
“You look a lot like your Dad. That helped a lot.” I wasn’t going to tell him about GG.
“Can I hang this in my room?”
“Yes, get Ronnie to help you.”
I don’t think David stopped smiling all night even when he had tears in his eyes.
GG was happy and said I did a good job.
That night in bed, “Did GG bring you his parents?”
“Yes, I asked for her help. They were good people and I was glad to paint them.”
“I think David was close to you before, he’ll be really close to you now.”
“I think when he catches up, he will shine. Every time I think about Ronnie’s rescue, I know someone is guiding us.”
I heard the creak of an old rocking chair as I fell asleep.
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Note: While authors are asked to place warnings on their stories for some moderated content, everyone has different thresholds, and it is your responsibility as a reader to avoid stories or stop reading if something bothers you.
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