the Scuffy - 30. Chapter 30

I was brushing my teeth when Glen joined me. Our showers were always something special. Laying in bed, “Kev what do you think about what Andy was saying?”

“I think he’s confused, think about it, within three days he has relocated from his home to here. He has to be worried, for him it’s like no one cares and he's just being passed along. Our job is to show him we care and we love him for what he is.”

“Yes, and working the boat he’ll quickly learn that.”

“Plus the hugs we’ll give him.”

Cuddling, we fell asleep. I had a dream, someone from a haze was speaking. I didn’t understand what was being said but somehow I knew. Just as the cloud disappeared, I saw my mom and dad. I woke up in a sweat, Glen woke as well, “Are you okay?”

“Yes, I just had a weird dream.”

“Like someone speaking through a cloud?”

“You also saw the same thing.”

“Yes, but I didn’t wake up till you woke me.”

“When the cloud began to disappear, I saw my mom and dad.” Just as I said that the alarm went off. I looked at Glen, “Time to get up.”

We started out as we usually do, naked we head for the kitchen, juice poured, coffee on, we head to the workout room. When we went down to the rec room, Andy and Nicky were up. Nicky was use to seeing us naked, but Andy wasn’t. I think his eyes bugged out. “Ready to work out?” Heads nodded yes

Glen and Nicky started their workout, I show Andy the jogging machine and one of the weight machines. I watched him as I worked out, once I was satisfied he was doing okay, I showed him the machine to work his legs. Glen had finished his work out so I went and concentrated on finishing mine. When I checked Andy, Glen was showing him the machines to work his arms. I waited till he was finished, “Not bad, a couple more times and you can do all of that without us being around. Let’s shower.”

I watched as he took off his shorts and stood in front of the shower head. His body was proportional but lacked definition. I would guess that if he keeps up the workouts, he’ll add muscle where it will be noticed. All in all, Andy was a nice kid who will do okay.

We quickly fell into our routine. Having Andy around just added another dimension. We had a meeting with the judge concerning Scott’s adoption. That went very well, we now had to wait for a home study and a personal evaluation to determine if we are fit to be Scott’s parents. The home study was scheduled for the following Monday.

Thursday the boys, all seven decided to have a party to welcome Andy. Nicky called several of his friends that had attended his previous parties. Pizza was on the menu.

By seven thirty Nicky’s friends began to arrive, Andy was the center of attraction for a few of the girls. They kept asking him questions, are you moving here, will you be going to school here, do you have any one special back home and then the question Glen and I feared, why did you move here. We listened at the door for his answer. “I got in a fight and my parents thought it would be in my best interest to move here.”

Nicky saved the day when he asked if they wanted to see the new movie. That stopped the questioning, Scott and Peter made sure that no one sat next to Andy. Pizza’s arrived, Glen and I took them down to the kids.

“Have you kids tried the new beer?”

They hadn’t so I poured them a small glass of the birch beer. After tasting it, they decided the root beer was better, except Andy, he preferred the birch beer. I shook his hand, as I preferred that as well. The smile was all I needed to know Andy was going to be okay in this crowd.

Friday when we came home, the boys were dressed ready to go to the boat.

“Andy, ready to go fishing?”

“I guess, Nicky tells me the mermaids will go nuts when they see me.”

“Yep, they probably will.”

We walked to the docks, except Glen and Nicky who drove the truck with the chests. He had a big smile on his face. Peter wanted to fish for crabs, Charles helped him. The boys helped to unload the truck. I sent Nicky, Scott and Andy to the Chicken Shack, this was getting to be a Friday routine. Glen drove the truck back and then I laughed as I saw him jogging to the dock.

“I’m tired, I don’t think I can help you loading the chests onto the boat.”

We all laughed knowing he was just horsing around. Chests loaded, Peter and Charles with their bucket of crabs on the boat, we waited for Nicky, Scott and Andy.

I saw Nicky and Scott, “Where’s Andy?”

“He wanted to stop and say hi to his aunt.”

I watched as he left the Wharf and started to run for the boat.

“Johnny, pull the anchor.” Now pulling the anchor is not a silent job, at least not on our boat, it made a lot of noise and anyone in a few yards could hear it. Andy heard a noise coming from the boat, he stepped up his pace.

“Andy, slow down. We wouldn’t leave without you.”

I saw Barney come out of the Wharf and watched as Andy ran for the boat. Nicky came out grabbed him and pulled him on the boat. “Andy, look at your uncle.”

Andy looked and saw him wave, then Andy with a big smile, waved back, jumping up and down. While he did this, “Jamie, get the starboard line,” I got the stern line, indicated to Nicky to start the engines.

“Kev, there’s a problem, the engine won’t start.” I headed to the engine room and everything looked normal. Knowing what happened last time, I checked the oil reserve pan and it was dry. Now I knew for certain that someone came and drained all of the oil from the bearings and reserve pan. I refilled the reserve pan and opened the cock valve on the drive shaft of the motors. I poured oil in through the valve till it was full. Using the hand crank I turned the shaft a few times to be sure everything was well oiled. Closed all of the valves and started the engine from the engine room.

“Sabotage again?”

“Yes, all of the oil was drained, if Nicky continued to try and start the engine, we would’ve burned it up and there would be no fishing for a long time. I wouldn’t replace the engine, it would be a waste of money. While I was in the engine room, I looked around, this boat doesn’t have long to go. I was going to wait till September to pull the boat but I think I’ll have to do it sooner.”

Entering the cabin, Uncle looked at me, I nodded in the affirmative. “Nicky, have you taken Andy to meet the mermaids?”

“Come on Andy, let’s see if we can have some fun with them” Nicky is laughing as they head to the bow. “Andy, there are no mermaids, it’s a story that was made to explain why we were coming in with full loads and the other boats weren’t. So we lay like this, with our heads close to the water and I blow this horn. Now pretend there are mermaids here.”

Anyone looking at those two through a scope would swear they were talking to mermaids. Andy even put his face in the water, Nicky laughed and put his arm out like he was shaking hands underwater. These boys would qualify for an Oscar.

I had marked the map. Uncle called Jim and gave him the coordinates, the ones I had marked for him. Nicky entered the cabin, took over the helm and we started to move from the docks. The boys gathered on the stern, Andy was waving goodbye to his uncle. I’m not sure what the boys were talking about but there was a lot of loud laughter. As far as Glen and I were concerned, it was a sound we enjoyed.

 .