ARROW - 218. Chapter 218

Sunday morning, the boys were up bright and early. I had the coffee on, the griddle warming up, eggs in a bowl when Charles walked in. “Good morning.”

“Morning Dad. I came to help.”

“You can get the orange juice and then you can help with the crepes.”

“Dad, did you put a few quarters in Pierre’s bank?”

“No, I had some loose change, dimes, pickles pennies, why?”

“He thinks you are going to move him to the Home. He said that is why you go there so often with him and then the bank.”

“Did you show him your bank?”

“Dad, I don’t have a bank.”

I was surprised. Colin was supposed to have his bank weeks ago. “Let me check something. You can whip the eggs or start making the crepes. I’ll be right back.”

Walking into the bedroom, Colin was taking a shower. “Colin, did you get a bank for Charles?”

The shower was turned off. “Why?”

“Since Charles doesn’t have a bank and the kids at the Home have one, Pierre thinks the reason he has a bank is because he is going to live at the Home like the other kids.’

“But that isn’t true.”

“It might not be true, but to someone who thinks he may have found a permanent home, and then receive something only the kids at the Home have told him he is headed to the Home.”

“I never thought of that.”

“I’m going to tell him that we are going to adopt him and today at the club I’ll get a confirmed date.”

“I’m sorry, I just didn’t think.”

I looked for Pierre in the living room. He wasn’t there. I checked his room, he was in his bed and it looked like he was crying.

I sat on the floor and pulled him to my lap. “Dad, are you….”

That was all he got out when, “Pierre, you aren’t going anywhere except right here. Today at the club, I’m going to talk to Uncle Henry, he’s a judge and will give me a date when you and Charles will be adopted by Pop and I.”

“You can’t adopt me, I’m French.”

“So is Charles. I looked through your papers, Your grandfather was your guardian. When he died he wanted Christian to become your guardian but you came to America with me. So rather than be without a guardian, Pop and I will be your father. You will be our son just like the other boys who live here,”

“But the bank”.

“Pop had one left over. If you ask the other boys, they will show you their bank. And Charles will get one soon. Go and wash your face, I’m hungry.”

I waited until he washed his face, and with my hand on his shoulder we walked to the dining room. Colin looked at me, I smiled so he knew everything was okay.

Charles came out of the kitchen, “I NEED HELP”

Laughing I went to help. He had crepes in the oven and he was keeping up until a group of boys showed up at the dining room table, I took over the eggs, he set up glasses of orange juice, and I started to fill the crepes while making more eggs.,

Soon the noise in the dining room seemed to be lower. People eating don’t make much noise.

“Everyone has a crepe except you and me.”

“Here, this is yours. I’ll fix mine as soon as this crepe is finished.” I refilled my coffee cup, I flipped the crepe, and a few minutes later, my breakfast was finished.

Walking into the dining room, Gerry made room for me on his bench. Sitting down I gave him a shoulder squeeze.

“Where are Angela, Geno, and the kids.”

“They took Pat to the Home. Angela was going to talk to the cooks, I Don’t think the kids will get cereal today. She asked if they have a crepe machine.”

“Did she take the eggs?”

“I don’t know. I think there will be a change in that kitchen.”

“Why? What is she going to do?”

“She said if we mind the kids and Geno, she will be in that kitchen for breakfast, lunch, and dinner while she is here.”

“What did Pat say?”

“Nothing, she just smiled.”

I looked at Colin. He just smiled back.

“You're not going to the Home?”

“I need to talk to Tommy.”

“Pat will handle that.”

The rest of the morning I waited for the phone to ring it didn’t. Carl and I took the finished painting to the Gallery. Mary came down and opened the doors, she had to turn off the alarms. We hung the painting in the Arrow section. We stood there, my arm around Carl’s shoulder. There were bluebirds along the side in the vines. He signed it with a heart and the letters C and C in the heart.

Returning home. I waited until I knew someone would be awake at Grandmere’s then I called. Roger answered, I told him to tell Jean the painting was finished. I heard him tell Jean. “I have to hang up. Someone needs to make plane reservations. I’ll call you later.”

That painting took a little over five weeks. The Italians had been here for a week and we were making the frame when they arrived. I put the last coat of lacquer on the painting the day they arrived. Since this painting will be inside, I didn’t need as many coats of lacquer.

I was getting the kids ready to go to the club for lunch. Being Sunday, I knew Henry and Ann would be there. As the boys got into Colin’s and my van, the phone rang. It was Roger.

“We will be landing at JFK at 2:30 in the morning. That’s 2:30 AM. Got to go. See you in the morning.”

I started to laugh. Colin wanted to know what I was laughing at, I told him.

“Those are your friends.”

That meant I had to go and pick them up.

I took Pierre’s papers with me. I wanted to be sure I could legally adopt him without problems in France.

Arriving at the club, I dropped the kids off in front as I parked my van in the lot across the street. Colin parked his van in the back along with Ronnie’s. Richie dropped Maria and Anne Marie off in front and then parked next to my van.

Walking to the club, “Richie, I brought Pierre’s papers. I like to get your opinion and Henry’s. According to what I read, he has no guardians, Arnaud was his guardian until he died.”

“No mom or dad?”

“I don’t know about the dad, His mother had the child out of wedlock but when Arnaud found out he had the father marry the girl, and from what I can tell he’s no longer in the picture.”

Richie knew about GG. She visited him when he was younger. If she still did, it was between her and Ritchie, Once the kids were married, I never asked.

We were stopped by our two favorite police guards. “What’s the chefs preparing today? Paella?”

“No, baked fish.”

“You always have Paella after your fishing trip.”

“But, if you want Paella, 6 pm at the Home.”

“Can we bring our wives?”

“Yes, and your children as well.”

“We don’t have any children yet.”

“I have never been past the front door. Can we get a tour?”

Richie was laughing, “Yes, I personally will give you both a tour.”

“Now we can go in.”

“ I don’t how Pop got them but they are two great guys.” I nodded in agreement.

I knew Carl had been inside but didn’t realize David had never been inside.

The first stop was the roof. David wanted to know what was on the second and third floors. I told him apartments and the club’s chefs lived in them. Walking back down to the first floor, David asked about the mural on the wall. I explained about the Italian steps and the church at the top. I heard Carl telling David they need to save up some money and visit Europe.

The next stop was the dining room. We had the regulars, they smiled and waved at Carl and David. As the servers moved from the kitchen to the dining room , odors from the kitchen escaped into the dining room. Looking at David he had a big smile on his face. I watched as they looked around. “Do you serve alcohol?”

“Not hard alcohol, only beer and wine.”

Then David saw the mural. I watched Carl, who had seen it a few times, explain it to him. “Does Arrow own this place? I saw along the stairs his name and now this. You know he’s a famous artist .”

“I knew that. When I first saw this painting, I asked Armand who painted it. He said a painter who goes by the name Arrow.”

I listened and then told them they had to get back to work. Ann and Henry just entered the dining room. As they were leaving, Jimmy brought them a cup of coffee with his special whipped cream. Now I knew what his dessert would be for us.

Smiling the guards left, and I escorted Henry and Ann into the kitchen.