The Peter Charles - 46. Chapter 46

The next morning, the boys in their kilts, danced as we left the marina heading for the Marina Vallarta. It only took us a few hours to reach the marina, pulling into our assigned dock, we were between two large yachts. The boys looked at them, “Would you rather we had a boat like that?”

“No, we couldn’t fish with a boat like that.” I waved to the people on the yachts as we left The Peter Charles, to do a little sight seeing. Tomorrow a bus would take us into Mexico City and the ruins known as Tenochtitlan. I thought we should engage a guide who could answer the boys questions. As it turned out, that was a good idea.

The boys were hungry so we had tacos from a vender. As the boys wandered back on the boat, they had small bags of tacos and bags of ‘churros’ which were flavored with chilis and lime. The younger boys sat in the bow eating, the older boys were in the galley. I watched one of the men on the yacht on our left, when the boys went and got their beers. He looked, turned and said something to someone behind him, it was a young man, probably his son. “Hey, you kids shouldn’t be drinking beer. Where are your parents?”

The boys broke out in a laugh. Peter held up his bottle so the man could see it was root beer. He started to laugh, this started a conversation between the boys in the bow and the young man who was standing next to the older man.

He asked where the boys came from, they answered. He asked what they were doing here since they had a fishing boat, the boys told them they are on an extended vacation, fishing as they go. “We have mostly shrimp and lobster now, we have sold all of our fish.” The boy got off the yacht and asked if he could come aboard. Peter again, “Come on board.”

He came on board and introduced himself, “Thanks, my name is Bruce.”

Peter proceeded to introduce all of the boys on the bow to him, “My brothers are in the galley with my dads. Do you want to meet them as well?” Bruce nodded yes, Peter told him to follow him, he led him into the galley.

“Dad, Pop, this is Bruce. He’s from that yacht on our left.”

“Hello Bruce, would you like a beer?”

“Thank you” Peter went down and brought up a beer. He looked at the bottle and smiled. “You know from a distance this looks like a real beer bottle. My dad was yelling about your sons drinking beer.”

“We don’t drink alcohol, there is none here and there isn’t any in our home.”

The boys then took over, Charles had to show him his holds. We still had shrimp and lobster in them. He wanted to know if Charles would sell him some lobsters. Charles asked how many would he need, he said three. Charles picked out three, gave them to him. When Bruce asked him how much, Charles said they are free. Bruce smiled and thanked Charles. He took the lobster back on his yacht. His mother came over to thank us, “This is the young man who you need to thank.”

Charles smiled, she thanked him. She said they’re going to leave in the morning but she is glad she had a chance to meet Charles. Now by this time all of the boys had gathered in the galley. She looked at the number of boys, “You all sleep on the boat?”

Nicky answered, “Yes we can sleep twenty-four comfortably and thirty-eight, if we share bunks.”

I was sitting at the table when Adam came to me, “Pappy, can I sit on your lap?”

I picked him up, “This is my Pappy and that’s my Daddy.” I think that is when she realized that Glen and I were partners. I saw her face get red, I don’t know why she would be embarrassed, but she was.

After she left, “Dad, her faced turned red, why?”

“I think she realized that Glen and I were married. You know that there are people who don’t approve of two men being married.”

“I don’t understand why people would think that. I have had more love from you and Pop than I did from my own mom and dad.” I gave him a hug, I remembered his story and he was right.

The next morning the yacht on our left was gone. Sometime during the night, they left. Scott and Steve prepared breakfast, finished and cleaned up, we waited for the bus and our guide to show up. Charles in the bridge saw them first, “Dad, Pop, bus is here.”

The boys lined up and as soon as the bus stopped, they boarded. We spent all morning touring not only the temple but also Mexico City. Scott had a chance to use his Spanish, he was happy, in fact all of the boys were happy.

We split the boys into two groups, I took one group and Glen took one group. Pictures were taken, so many that I had to buy a second camera.Travis and Scott began to sketch what they saw. There would be no question, the boys would remember this trip. We spent the day in Mexico City, on the way back to the boat, the boys fell asleep. It was going to be an early night for them.

“Should we stay another day or head back home?”

“I think we should head back home, we can fish and hit the same canneries we did on the way down. Maybe we can spend a little time in Alaska.”

At breakfast the next morning I told the boys we were going to head toward home, “We’ll fish as we go.” All of a sudden the boys left only to return in their kilts. As Nicky started the boat. Jamie pulled the anchor, and brought the lines on board, we headed out of the marina to the tune of the pipes and the boys doing their dance. Did we draw attention, yes we did and the yacht that was on the right of us, looked and started to do the jig as well?

Once we cleared the marina, the boys, after changing, dropped the bow nets. We stopped at all of the canneries as we headed north, the cannery in Alaska got a show of boys dancing to the pipes. When we were ready to leave, the cannery asked the boys to perform for their cannery workers. They did, as Glen and I watched, the cannery owner came over to thank us. He invited us back, as long as we had the dancing boys. One of the older ladies went and asked Sammy if it was true, he looked perplexed, she whispered in his ear, he laughed and said yes. She took her hand and put it under his kilt, he jumped. The boys laughed as she announced to her workers, “It’s true”

We left on that note, dancing on the stern as we went to sea. “Dad, that was fun.”

Yes, it was fun and what a way to end a planned three week vacation that turned into four weeks. We fished at our usual spot before going home. One hour, out the horn blew announcing our return and to let the cannery know we were coming in.

Docking had become routine for the boys, I loved to hear the instructions being yelled from the bridge, anchor down, lines on, I was home. The captains from the Wharf as well as Mary and Barney welcomed us back. Behind this crowd, Travis spotted his mom and Andy spotted his mom and dad. This really turned out to be a home coming.

With the boat unloaded, the boys were excited to be home. We had fish to deliver, Andy and Travis, talked to their parents, Glen and Nicky brought the truck and van for the chests. Andy came over with the pans for shrimp and lobster. I smiled, everything had returned to normal. I told Mary we’d be back for dinner tonight but we had to get clean and deliver our fish.

In a sense our life became routine, showers, dressed in sweats, t-shirts with the picture of The Peter Charles on them and flip flops. Gram was pleased to see the boys, as they were to see her. Charles got two kisses, he said they made up for the ones he missed. Mom and Dad had chicken on the grill, I wondered if they could hear our horn when we came into port.

As we dropped the boys off, their parents were glad to see them. There was no way they would return with us, they had a family to listen to their trip. Gus’s mother actually had tears in her eyes as she hugged him. Rusty’s dad gave him a hug followed by his mother.

I could just imagined the conversations around those tables. Peter had to check on Gus. He said Gus was glad to see him.

The boys dressed in their kilts and they walked to the Wharf, Shawn and Callum piped them as they walked. It looked like a parade, the boys were smiling and laughing, that left me with a good feeling. They had to dance when we were in the Wharf. That was the first time Travis’s mom and Andy’s parents seen the boys in their kilts. I saw Andy’s dad whisper to Andy, he laughed and took his dad’s hand. That answered the question I supposed he was asked.

It’s amazing how something like this turned the Wharf into a party venue. I bought drinks for everyone, including the locals who were eating there. It was a happy time, a fitting end to our vacation.

That night, the boys turned in as soon as we got home. Glen and I made the rounds, I punish myself that we didn’t start this sooner. I’m not sure who enjoyed these moments more, Glen and I or the boys. It really didn’t matter, the point is, we’re doing it and the boys are appreciating it.

Monday morning, Glen took the fish for distribution, I stayed home, I was still on vacation. Tuesday afternoon, I got a call from a realtor who said he may have found what I was looking for. I agreed to meet him Wednesday morning. I rode in with Glen, stopped at the office, spoke to Terry offered to buy his lunch at Stella’s, went to see Jim at the sports store, picked up some additional t-shirts and sweats, I dropped my packages off at Dad’s, told Glen I’d be back in time for lunch.

I went and met the realtor at the address he gave me, it was one block from the University. “Mr. Jaxson, I’m David Boltsen, we spoke on the phone.”

“Yes, I’m anxious to see what you have found for me.”

“You’re standing in front of it. This building use to have a grocery store on the first floor, and apartments on the top three floors.”

“What happened to the grocery store?”

“It was a late night store for those last things you have forgotten, like bread and milk. The owner of the store also owned the building, when he died, his wife closed up everything and as leases came due, she wouldn’t renew.”

“Is she willing to sell the building?"

“Yes, I think it has too many memories.”

“How much is she asking?”

“She wants two hundred and fifty thousand for the building, as is.”

The ‘as is’ part meant that there would be a lot of work, “Can I inspect the building?”

“Sure, the apartments are all the same, there are two per floor.”

We went up the stairs to the first apartment, I was right, they would need a lot of renovation. The kitchen was of adequate size but the refrigerator and cooking range would need to be replaced. The cabinets would need either replaced or refurbished. The living room, had a worn linoleum floor which would need replacing, the bathroom was 1800’s style. Definitely needed to be upgrade, and the two bedrooms would need painting and new carpets. I didn’t go in the basement, but I knew the plumbing would need to be replaced as well as the heating system.

“There’s a lot of work to be done to have these apartments ready for occupancy. I would think the city would’ve condemn this building if they inspected it. No one could live here under these conditions. The kitchens and bathrooms will need major work and I’m assuming that the plumbing and heating will also need major work. How long has this building been idle?”

“The last tenant left eight years ago.”

“I’d like my builder to take a look at it, he’ll give me an estimate of how to bring it to code, and then we can talk. The location is right and I’m definitely interested.”

“When can you have your builder here?”

“Just give me a minute.” I called John Adams. “John, I have a potential project for you. Can you meet me tomorrow at nine in the morning?”

“He’ll meet us tomorrow at nine, my guess is he’ll bring his dad with him.” We said our goodbyes, I went to Stella’s to wait for Glen and Terry. I told Glen about the apartment building and having John Adams looking at it.

“How much are they asking?”

“He said she wanted two hundred fifty thousand but I think it’ll take another two hundred thousand to make it habitable. There are two apartments per floor and three floors above what use to be a grocery store on the first floor. Each apartment has two bedrooms, a bathroom, a kitchen and a small living room.”

“Are you doing this for college students?”

“Yes, this fall we have two boys entering the University and next year we have two more. So it will be good to have them all in one place.”

“Do you know what you’ll rent them for?”

“Terry, are you perhaps interested?”

“Yes, I don’t like the dorms, they are too noisy, and the place I’m living now is one room.”

“A lot of it’ll depend on what John Adams says, how much work will be needed to bring it to code and what the final selling price will be. One thing I like is the possibility of turning the grocery store into an art gallery for the boy’s paintings as well as any other art student.” When we finished lunch, we walked back to Dad’s store, Terry continued to my office.

I sat in the back and unpacked some boxes while Glen sat there and watched me. I smiled, “You know you could help me.”

“No, I can’t. Dad told you to do that, he didn’t say I should help you.”

Now I knew that Glen was ticklish, “Are you sure you won’t help?” He started to back away, but his back hit the wall and there was no where to go. He started to laugh, I hadn’t even touched him yet. “Are you sure?” He was laughing, he just shook his head, that was when my hand touched has waist. I pressed my body against him to keep him from moving as I tickled him.

It didn’t take long, “Okay, Okay I’ll help.” I was very close, so I took advantage and gave him a very loving kiss. I could feel his reaction to my kiss, the problem was he could feel my reaction as well. That was when Dad came in and wanted to know what was happening.

We just looked at each other and laughed some more. Dad just looked at us with an expression that questioned our sanity. “Those boxes need to be emptied and the stock needs to be put away.”

As we were driving home, “I don’t think Dad will let you help anymore.”

“Why not it was fun and I’ll show you why tonight.”