Cabin Boys - 1. Chapter 1

“Jeff, I think that wraps it up. I’m sorry the hunting wasn’t good this weekend. Maybe next week it’ll be better.”

“That’s okay Jim, I came here with you more for the relaxation than the hunting.”

“I’ve always loved this cabin. When Uncle Harry was still alive, I’d spend my summer vacations here. I think the quiet and the smell of the forests had a calming effect on me, it still does. Are you ready to go?”

“Yes,”

I closed up the cabin. Got everything packed in the car, and headed home. I wasn’t looking forward to the three-hour drive but that was the price I paid for having the cabin, which I enjoyed.

“Did you turn off the electric?”

“No, I thought you did.”

“It’s a good thing we aren’t far. I’ll stop and get gas then we can go back.”

I stopped at Randy’s Gas, filled up my tank, and then headed back to the cabin. Arriving at the cabin, I saw the door open. I knew I closed the door and I thought I had locked it.

“Jeff, someone is in the cabin.”

“Jim stop the car here, we can walk to the cabin and catch whoever it is.”

Walking toward the cabin, we looked around to see if there was a car, there wasn’t anything that would indicate how someone would have arrived at the cabin. A put my fingers to my lips indicating to Jeff to be very quiet, We tip-toed on the porch, I looked in and saw two kids sitting at the table eating.

“Joey, he left enough food that we can come back tomorrow.”

“Yes, Pete, Maybe we can take some back with us, just in case someone checks on the cabin.” “Oh, I don’t think that’s necessary.”

When I spoke the kids jumped and looked like they were going to run, only there was no place to go, we blocked the door. It was obvious the boys were scared.

“Okay, you boys sit down and tell me what you’re doing here.”

“We’re sorry mister, we were hungry and saw you leave. We’ll go away and not come back.” “No, I want to talk to your parents.”

One of the boys started to cry, he appeared to be the youngest. The older of the two, “Joey don’t cry, it was my idea mister. Please let Joey go.”

Jeff looked at me, “Why is he crying? We haven’t touched them and we didn’t mention the police. I think there’s a story here.” “

I think you’re right Jeff. Don’t cry Joey, we aren’t going to hurt you. I just want to know why you have to steal food. Don’t your parents feed you?”

“Mister, we don’t have any parents. We’re alone.”

Now I was puzzled and the look on Jeff’s face when he heard what the boy said indicated he was puzzled also. “Suppose you tell us why you’re alone.”

Jeff went and brought the car to the cabin. I fixed us a pot of coffee, I had a feeling this would be a long story. Jeff brought in the cooler I had in the trunk, I had packed some sandwiches to eat on the way home. Jeff set the sandwiches on the table, I told the boys to take one. At first, they hesitated, Jeff went and got plates, placed a sandwich on each plate, and set the plates in front of the boys. The older boy hesitated but Joey dug right in.

Over the next two hours, the boys told their story. The oldest was Pete, he was thirteen, and Joey, the youngest was eleven. They were living with their grandparents.

“Grandfather died leaving us with grandmother. It was hard work on the farm. I couldn’t go to school, Joey went. I had to help my grandmother with the farm. We had a small garden and a few chickens. When grandmother died, a man came and said we had to leave. I told him we had no place to go, he said the county would take care of us. Joey started to cry, the man told him to shut up. I told Joey we had to leave. So we went to our bedroom, packed some clothes, I knew where grandmother kept a few dollars, I took that. The man started yelling at us, I told Joey we were going to run away. We climb out the window and ran to the barn. I saw the man on the porch looking around. He yelled for us, then he locked the doors and left. I went back, climbed in the window, and took all of the food I could carry. When grandfather was still alive, he helped us to build a shack in the woods. He told us if we ever needed to hide, this was a perfect place. I took the food and we went to the shack. I’d go back to the farm, get eggs from the chickens, and anything else we needed. I’d climb a tree close to the property and spy on the farm. At night, I’d go and get things we needed.”

“Can you show me this shack?”

I could see the fear in Pete’s eyes. He didn’t want to show us, he was afraid we’d tell. I guess if I was in his shoes, I would’ve felt the same. We were strangers and based on his story, strangers meant trouble. “Pete, Jeff, and I aren’t going to hurt you. We want to help you. Please show us your shack, maybe we can help you make it better. Winter is coming and it gets cold up here.”

Pete looked at Joey, he still had tears in his eyes. “Mister, if I show you, you’ll not hurt us?” “Pete, I’d never hurt you or Joey. If I was going to hurt you, would you be eating my food? If I was mean, I’d have hurt you already.”

I watched Pete as he thought about what I said. “Hurry up and eat Joey, we have to go home.” “Joey, here take this sandwich with you.”

We followed the boys into the woods that surrounded my cabin. We seemed to walk for miles. I looked at Jeff, he looked like I felt, this was some walk. When we came to a section of the woods where the lumber hadn’t been harvested, Pete pointed at the shack. You couldn’t tell it was a shack. There were a lot of dense trees and foliage around it. Pete moved some branches, and there was a shack made out of tree limbs.

I looked at Pete, “Your grandfather helped you to make this?”

“Yes, he said no one would ever find it.”

I looked at Jeff, he smiled. “Your grandfather was a smart man. I’d never have found it. But will it keep you warm this winter? I don’t think it would be wise to build a fire. People will see the smoke and think the woods are on fire. They will come and find your shack.”

I saw the fear in Pete’s eyes, he realized what I said was true. “You can’t stay here in the winter. Do you have any relatives where you can stay?”

“No, when our grandparents died, they were the only relative we had.”

“I don’t think you can stay here. As soon as hunting season is over, all of the cabins will be empty. If you break in one and get caught, you’ll go to jail.”

“Jim, you could take them home. You have that big house. I’m sure there would be room for them.”

Jeff was right, I lived by myself. Jeff was married and had one son, two years old. I looked at the boys, “Pete, as I see it you have two choices, one, you can stay here and take your chances this winter, or two, you can come and live with me. Before you make up your mind, there are conditions, you’ll need to go to school, you’ll have chores to do and you must be honest with me at all times. If you need time to think about it, I’ll be back next week to winterize the cabin.

Jeff and I headed back to my cabin and car. “What do you think they will do?”

“I’m not sure. I’d forced them but Pete would’ve balked and probably run away. This way it’s his decision and I think Joey will go along with it.” “

If they stay with you, you’ll need papers.”

“I’ll get Lenny to work on that, I pay him enough.”

I started to close up the cabin and this time I did turn off the electricity. As we were driving down the road from the cabin, Jeff started to laugh. “Jim, I think you’re going to have more than two boys, look.”

Standing along the side of the road were the boys with two chickens, two suitcases, and a blanket. I started to laugh, “I guess I’m going to need a chicken coop.”

I stopped the car, Jeff got out and opened the trunk, I open the door so the boys could get in, with the chickens. When Jeff got in he smiled.

After the three-hour drive, the boys were asleep and the car smells like chicken shit. I dropped Jeff off, then went home. Pulling Into the garage, Pete woke up. “Were home boys. Pete, let’s leave the chickens in the garage, I’ll have a small chicken coop built in the back yard.” Pete was okay with that.

I took their suitcases and blanket, told them to follow me. I stopped at the laundry room, dropped off their suitcases and blanket. “Tomorrow I’ll show you how to wash clothes, Pete. Then you’ll be able to wash Joey’s and your clothes until we have enough to only wash once a week. Are you hungry?”

Joey said no, they were tired. I made them a cup of hot chocolate, I knew if they were tired, this will put them to sleep. When they finished drinking the cocoa, I took them upstairs to show them their bedroom. “Pete, do you want your own bedroom or would you rather share?”

He opted for sharing. I knew that would be his choice but I wanted him to know he had the right to choose. I showed him the bedroom and the bathroom. He asked if he could take a shower, he said the creek water was too cold. I showed him where the towels were, gave him and Joey a toothbrush. “Pete, Joey, put your clothes in this hamper, I’ll get you robes to wear until we wash your clothes.” I had several short robes I wore when I worked out. I laid two of them on the bed. “Pete, my bedroom is at the end of the hall. If you need anything, you can come and knock on my door.”

I left the boys. Now I needed a cup of tea. I went to my office and started to make a list of things I needed to do. Shopping was at the top. I needed to contact Lenny, and I needed to make a list of clothes the boys will need. At the bottom of my list, was a chicken coop.