The Peter Charles - 17. Chapter 17

Monday morning back on routine. I think the boys told Paul what to expect. He appeared as if it was normal. After showering from fishing, I guess he should have expected anything.

“Are we taking the boys back today?”

“Yes, until we figure out how we’re going to adopt them. I don’t want to upset Sister Ann. I think she’s a disciplinarian.

Walking into my office building, “Marge, here's your fish. How was the your friend?”

“He was delighted with his package from the sea. He said his cook has fallen in love with the fish.”

“I’m glad because I have a favor to ask of him hopefully in a couple of weeks.”

“Kevin, that young man is waiting for you.”

“Hello, I’m Kevin Jaxson, Marge said you wanted to see me.”

“Yes, Mr. Donaldson has offered me an internship for the rest of the summer. He said I was to report to you.”

“And your name?”

“I’m sorry, Terrance Horne, my friends call me Terry.”

“Okay Terry, this is my partner Glen. What say you get a cup of coffee and we head upstairs. I’ll see you later, Glen, there will be three for lunch.”

Marge handed Terry his coffee and we headed upstairs. “This being Monday, I usually don’t take a lunch break, Glen always brings me lunch. Today he’ll bring lunch for both of us.”

Arriving at the office, I introduced Terry to Bess, “Kev, Mr. Donaldson would like to see you.”

“Okay, could you please show Terry the office and I’ll be right back. I’m sure he wants to tell me about Terry.”

“You wanted to see me sir?”

“Yes, Kevin, how was the fishing trip? My wife said that there was a small issue.” I must have looked confused. “Travis’s mother and my wife are good friends.” Now I knew the connection.

“There was a small misunderstanding, but it was resolved. You and your golfing buddies should think about joining me some week-end. I think you’d like it. I met a young man who said he’s an intern?”

“Yes, that was the other thing, he comes highly recommended. I’d be interested in your evaluation.”

“I should know how he’ll do by the end of today. This is my long day since I need to post Friday and the week-end.”

“I’m sorry about Travis’s father. I never understood how he ended up marrying Diana. I guess there was something, but I’m glad Travis had a good time. My wife and I like the boy.”

“I agree, Travis is a good boy and fits right in with my crew. I think it’ll be hard for him to return home after this summer.” I swear I saw a twinkle in Donaldson’s eye.

Returning to my office, Bess had Terry sitting at my desk in front of my computer. “Have you finished all of the reports already?” I was smiling as I said that, he knew I was kidding. “We start the day by visiting Bess’s husband on the second floor. Bess, order a computer set up and ask them to add his finger prints to the security system. Let’s go, Terry.”

Leaving the elevator, “On this floor, we post the requests of our clients. Lou heads this department, he’s Bess’s husband.” I punched in my security code, opened the door and there were the four day investors busy on their computers.

“We pick up the transaction forms from their desks. Good morning Lou, this is Terry who’ll be working my job for the next few weeks.” After saying hello and shaking hands, “Terry, we pick up the slips from these trays, every time they make a transaction a slip is produced.” We went to the other three desks and picked up their slips. Then saying good bye we headed for my office.

I pulled up a chair next to mine, “What we do is input the data from these sheets into the computer and client accounts. First we need to log in, it’s simple except when you need to input your password. I’ll show you my password which is only good while the computer is on and changes each day.”

I turned on my computer, my name came up, then it asked for my password. I typed in my password and we were in. “My password is based on the first three letters of my last name, the number for the month and the number for the day, not the calendar day but the number of days from 1000 days ago. For example today is the 6th month but the calendar day is 903. Tomorrow it will be 904.” I hit enter and my work screen came up.

“Now all we need to do is to follow the prompts, the client’s number is at the top of his transaction slip. This will bring up his file, which you then update according to the transaction slip we picked up from the second floor. All of the information you’ll need is on the transaction sheet. When you’re finished, there are two buttons to push, one is review and the other is finish. Be sure to review before closing. You need to review the slips, there will be times when a client buys and sells on one transaction.”

I went and did an entry. “Now, when you close out, a slip is printed which we file in that room. I’ll show you at the end of the day.” I let him watch me for several inputs and then switched seats with him.

He was fast, “What are you studying, you’re quite competent on the computer.”

“I think every college student is computer literate today. I’m studying mathematics and business administration, I want to teach at the University level, well that’s my goal.”

“I’d say with the right encouragement, you’ll succeed.”

“I have the motivation but not the monetary support.”

“I wouldn’t worry about that, I have a feeling you’ll have the monetary support when you need it. Do well these three weeks while I’m gone, next year I’m taking the summer off, so you can work all summer.”

The smile said it all. I let him do some and then he’d take a break and I’d do some. The tech people showed up, “You need a new computer set up?”

“Yes, we have an intern who needs a set up. He also needs security clearance, you can check with Mr. Donaldson for approval.”

“We already have, we’ll have you set up shortly.”

Terry and I went back to work until they needed us to stop so they could interconnect the computers. That would let me monitor Terry. When they were all connected Terry went and initiated his entry info into his computer. I watched to be sure he was doing it right, and he was. Now I needed him tied into the printer, so I set that up for him.

“We’ll be back tomorrow to give him his clearance on entry to the second floor and the security room next to your office.” That was okay by me, I knew we’d be done early today with both of us doing the entry. We had our nose to the grind stone when I heard ‘ahem’. Looking up there was Glen, holding up a lunch bag.

“Terry, lunch time.” Bess heard me and brought us three coffees, but I knew why she came. Glen set the sandwiches in front of us, I took half of mine and offered it to Bess, Glen offered her his half, when Terry was going to offer his half, “No, wait.”

Bess came with a bag of rolls. One of Stella’s sandwiches made two over stuffed sandwiches. While we ate, we chatted about Terry and of course fishing.

“Did you hear anything about the fishing trip?”

“Yes, Donaldson mentioned it. Diana is a good friend of his wife, they talk. From what I could read in Donaldson, Harry won’t be playing golf anymore. I got the impression that Diana asked his wife to put the pressure on Donaldson to include him. Now she’ll put the pressure on him to exclude him.”

With Terry helping, we finished at five instead of six. I told Terry I’d see him in the morning. I was waiting by the car when Glen showed up. “I went to your office and you were gone. I figured you would finish early since you had help. How did he do?”

“I think we’ll have to go back to school.The guy is twice as fast as I am and I always thought I was fast. These young kids are growing up with this technology as we grew up with arcade games.”

Driving home is always interesting, we can discuss things that we can’t among the kids. “How did it go at the orphanage?”

“Actually a lot better. Do you think they know that we’re going to try and adopt all of them?”

“I don’t know. I asked Grace to work on it but I haven’t talked to her or received any reports. Maybe the girls had a lot more fun without the boys.”

“Maybe the shrimp helped.”

“I talked to the boys at the car dealer, I have worked out a plan for Jamie. Bob said he thought he could scrape together four thousand for a junker. I talked to Alex he has a deep green car that just came in. I’m going to tell Bob it’s damaged and will cost about four thousand to put it in new condition. I know it isn’t the truth but Jamie is a good kid and Nicky’s closest friend. It wouldn’t be right, and it isn’t like we can’t afford it.”

“I’m not sure who’ll be more surprised, Nicky or Jamie.”

“I’m glad you and I agree on doing these thing for the boys.”

“I forgot to tell you the cooks want to know when can they have more shrimp. The girls really like them.”

“Maybe that’s why Sister Ann was so calm.”

“Who’s cooking tonight.”

“I don’t know but I’ll bet it’ll be good. We really are lucky.”

“We are, but I’ll bet the boys will miss the kids from the orphanage.”

“I’ll miss them as well, Daddy.”

“I wonder where he got the name Pappy for you. He started to call you that right from the start.”

“I think it’s cool. He’s really cute.”

Pulling into the drive way, “I can’t identify that smell, but it smells good.”

Walking into the kitchen, “Get changed, dinner is ready.”

“I wonder what dinner will be?” running up stairs.

Dinner was a delight, salad, soup and roast rabbit with the trimmings. “I guess we can thank Travis for providing the rabbit.”

“This is really good, who came up with the recipe?”

“Scott did on internet.”

“Great, Peter, be carefully or you’ll be hoping around.”

“Where’s Nicky?”

“He went home and said he’d be back tomorrow.”

“Boys, Nicky has a birthday coming up in a couple of weeks. Pop will take you to town to buy him a present.”

“Good, can I stop and get more painting supplies?”

“Sure, Travis you can get more as well.”

“Dad, can we get more books?”

“Yes, why don’t you make out a list.”

That occupied the boys the rest of the night.

“Glen, let’s take a walk and check out my office.”

Waling into the office, “Kev, you need to provide space here, like a reception area. You really don’t need all of this room.”

“I didn’t think of that. I wanted to order my furniture tonight.”

“Why don’t you come with us tomorrow at lunch time and we can order from an office supply store in town.”

“I could help the boys as well.”

We sat with the boys in the rec room for a little time.

“Dad”

“Yes, Peter”

“Are the other boys coming fishing with us again?”

“I hope so. You seem to like Adam. I think he likes you also.”

Peter just smiled as he headed to Gus’s tank. I checked the time, Glen said he was going to bed, he soon had to give someone a piggy back ride upstairs. By the time Glen and I slipped in bed, the house was quiet. I knew that not all of the boys were asleep, but they were quiet. With a good night kiss, we drifted off to sleep.