ARROW - 94. Chapter 94

James was back to normal. The boys said he slows down when he approaches a side road. “Dad, is Uncle James okay?”

“Why do you ask?”

“When he had his old car, he didn’t drive like he does now.”

“What do you mean?”

“You know that cross road where we stopped sometimes for a hot dog.” I nodded yes. “With the old car, he would stop, check the traffic and then go. Now he stops and waits a few minutes before he goes.”

“That is where he had the accident. I’m glad he stops and waits.” With the look on Tommy’s face, I knew he was thinking about the accident and what I said about being cautious. After a few seconds, a smile and he was headed to the club to see Uncle Jimmy.

That night on the roof with Colin, “I have an errand for you. On the inside of the shirts that Marie brought, were tags with this address. I’d like you to check this address, it may have been Richie’s home.”

Looking at the address, “This city is a little over an hour from here. If you handle the Sunday crowd, I’ll drive up then.”

If it wasn’t for Marie bringing Richie’s clothes, we would never had known who Marie was and what I hoped was his address.

For the next few days, life resumed our pattern, boys to school, I painted and Colin continued working with his father and taking care of the club. Sunday Colin took off to check out the address I gave him.

“Hello”

“Armand, I have found Marie. The address was spot on. She will be coming back with me. Don’t tell Richie, let’s surprise him. I also have pictures of his home. Monday I’m going to check out his bank accounts. Marie said he has a savings account. I also have the name of his family ’s attorneys.”

We chatted about what was happening here, “Drive carefully.”

Tuesday Colin arrived with Marie in time for a late lunch. I was busy painting and as usual I lost track of time. Colin came up to the third floor, he knew I would be there painting. He had Marie with him.

He introduced me to her, knowing she spoke French, I welcomed her to our home in French.

She smiled, “I’m anxious to see Richard.”

“Richard doesn’t know you are here. You will be a surprise for him. He’s at school now and will be here in a little over an hour.”

I showed Marie a bedroom on the third floor, explaining our brother had the other bedroom. Colin set her luggage in her bedroom. We then went down to the club’s kitchen.

I introduced her to Marcel and James. Marcel spoke to her in French, it seemed that Marcel knew where she was from in France. Marcel set at the kitchen table, I got them coffee and James set a platter of peanut cookies on the table.

Colin took a cookie, bit into it, smiled, got up and gave James a hug. I laughed when Colin does that. James’s face goes red. I’m sure Colin does it just to see James get embarrassed. I did note he does it more when there are people around.

I mentioned that once to Colin. He said James has missed out on a lot of hugs, he was going to make sure he was caught up.

We sat around the kitchen table. The club was closed today so the only activity in the kitchen was lunch for the boys. I knew later when James returned, he and Marcel would be working on menu’s for the rest of the week.

James loaded his jeep, then he was off delivering lunches. Returning, he handed me a bill from the store where we bought milk and fresh fruit. I’d give him money to pay the bill before he goes to pick up the boys.

Marie was sitting in the club when the boys arrived. They headed up stairs to change their clothes. Coming down to the kitchen they sounded like a herd of elephants. Running into the kitchen, they stopped when they saw a woman sitting at the table with Colin, Marcel and me. It was Richie, who spotted Marie. He shouted ‘Marie’ and rushed to her arms. I watched as Marie had tears running down her cheeks. Richie was crying, “Marie, I thought I’d never see you again.” That just made Marie cry more. She held Richie, muttering to him in French.

Colin got up and left the kitchen, James placed more peanut cookies on the plate, Colin returned with what looked like a milkshake for the boys.

When Marie and Ritchie stopped crying, Richie introduced his brothers. I was wondering what Marie was going to do. She got up, kissed Richie on his cheek, then she went to each of the boys, hugged them and gave them a kiss on their cheek. In French, she told them to call her Aunt Marie. I watched Richie as she said that, he was all smiles.

From that moment on, I heard ’Tante Marie’. Even James began calling her that.

Marie stayed with us for a week. She wanted to go home, she said she was going to move back to France. “I know Richard will be okay. I only stayed here to make sure he would be taken care of. I didn’t know what happened to him, I was worried about what happened when his father’s lawyers told me he was adopted by a young couple. I didn’t know the couple were two men, but I don’t think he could have found a better family. Now that I have met you and his brothers, I need to go home. Maybe I’ll see you this summer when you visit France.”

I watched the boys as she talked to them. I particularly noticed Richie. I expected some reaction, but it was the boys that surprised me. Three boys, rushed her and the next thing I knew, she had her arms around them all.

We thought she would wait until the boys had gone to school.but she didn’t. Colin took her luggage to the car. I was puzzled, she only had one suitcase when she came but now there were two. I said goodbye while hugging her, when I looked for the boys, they were in the back seat. “Colin?” “Don’t worry it’s okay.”

The boys returned with Colin, three days later. “Colin, the boys missed school. Did you know they were going with you?”

“Yes, they wanted to say goodbye. For Richie, she was the only tie he had to his mother. Now she would be gone. I couldn’t deny him his chance to spend three days with her.”

“But Ronny and Tommy should have stayed here and gone to school.”

“Richie wanted them along. Our boys have developed a strong bond.”