Date: Thu, 5 Dec 2002 16:23:42 +1300 From: arthur Subject: turning the tide part 3 adult/ youth TURNING THE TIDE Part Three By Arthur Authors note: I must appologies for the long delay in this episode but due to a breakin of my home and the theft of my computer system I have just now been able to replace it and have a lot of catching up with both stories and emails so I ask you for your patience and hope that soon everything will be back to normal. I watched from my chair as Moeaki made his unsteady way into the lounge where I sat with my fourth coffee of the day, he still looked a mess with his right eye closed and turning purple, his lip was split and the bruise on his jaw was definately going to be tough on his chewing action, his black wavey hair was all tousled and hung down over his ears, it had been cut close to the skin on the sides like all of the younger kids do today but the top was still about four inches long, he moved with a slowness that showed he still had a lot of pain from the rib damage and his left leg was a little stiff as well. "Come sit down Moeaki, you want another tea or coffee?" "Can I have a coffee?" "Sure, sit down and I'll get it for you." As he sat in another chair with a groan I left to make a coffee for him, deep inside I felt really bad for him, he looked a mess and also looked as though he'd lost his last friend, the utter dejection on his face pulled at my soft spot and I knew then that I had to be here for him, I finished with the coffee and returned to the lounge handing it to him. "Here you go Moeaki." "You can call me Moe if you like, all my friends do, well if I have any left." "Ok Moe, what do you mean by that anyway?" "Well it was my friends that got me last night." "Nice friends you got Moe." "Mmmm, it was a power thing." "You want to tell me, Moe?" "Suppose so, you don't mind?" "Go for it, I told you last night I would never judge you Moe." "Sorry, last nights a bit fuzzy." "Ok, tell what you want to and I won't judge you,Moe." "You promise you won't tell the cops?" "Promise Moe, whatever you tell me stays here." "Well it's like this, I sort of had a gang and we'd do jobs, you know, like houses and shops, things like that, so we could get enough money for tinnies or some spots, or maybe buy some booze to party, anyway my best mate, Stefi, wanted to run the gang and the others sort of sided with him, they knew I'd fight them for it and I could beat all of them in a straight out fight, but last night they sat back and got me drunk them all of them got onto me at the same time, so I guesse that Stefi wins the gang and I'm out, but I'll get them one at a time for pay back later." "But why a gang Moe, you don't seem stupid to me, you could be anything you wanted to be." "I guesse I'm pretty dumb when it comes to school stuff." "How so?" "Well all the time I was at school all I got was the cane or strap, they said I was a dumb ass and would never learn anything, in the end I just stopped going, I think they wanted me too." "Well Moe, everbody is extra good at something, so what are you good at?" "I like computers but I don't know anything about them and I draw really good, did some paintings and wall things for the community centre up town, they paid me real good and said it was great stuff so I suppose I'm good at that as well." "Where are your parents then, they must see that you could do something like that for a living instead of getting in trouble with the law all the time." "Don't have any parents here, I stay with an Aunty but I'm always in trouble with her cause I don't want to go to church all the time like she does." "What about the Dept of Social Services, they help people to re-educate and get proper jobs with the things they like?" "Don't know nothing about them." "Ok, so what do you want to do today, you want to go back home or would you like to stay here for a bit till you feel better?" "I could stay here, you don't mind?" "Moe, everybody needs some one to help sometime in the lives, I've been in the dumps at times so I know how you feel, if you want a hand then I'll give you one but it's up to you?" "Nobody ever did that for me, you could really help then?" "Well I could try but the end result would be up to you." "I'd like to try, but what about staying here, you only got one bed?" "Yeah that's right and you can guesse who gets that, haha, the sofa is big enough, you'll be ok on it for a while and if you're happy here then I'll get a small bed for you, now first before you say anything I've got to tell you that I do have rules, not a lot but some, ok by you?" "Yeah, what are they." "I know that you've had it pretty rough but one thing I wont stand for is a thief or a liar, if you want something just ask me, I'm not going to boss you around or anything like that but I'll do my nut if you steal or lie to me, and you dont want to see me get a shitty on with you believe me." "Sounds fair." "I do mean it Moeaki, no lies, no stealing, thats all the rules I have, if you're hungry then help your self, you're welcome, same if you're thirsty but you leave the booze cabinet alone unless you ask me first, deal?" "Deal, what about smoking?" "As you see I smoke so you can as well if you want to in the house but no joints or spotting in here, if you want to do that then go somewhere else where I don't see it, I'm not worried about it if you enjoy a joint or spot it's your business but not in this house, sound fair to you?" "Yeah sounds fair, what If I come home stoned?" "You behave yourself and I have nothing to say about it, ok, I'm not going to interfere in your life style as long as you don't bring it in here, this is my home too so all I ask is a bit of respect for it, ok?" "Yeah, thats cool, you're a nice guy for an older person." "Sure Moe, I was young once too, you know." Moeaki gave a giggle and then winced as the action caused his ribs to remind him of his position, he grabbed his chest and took a deep breath then relaxed. "Jeez that hurt." "Just breathe slowly for a day or two and it'll come right, you want another coffee?" "No thanks,....can I sort of ask you something now,....you know about the other thing?" "Sure whatever you want to talk about is fine and goes no further." "Can I ask how old you are?" "45, why?" "Well you know what we talked about before, see it's not young guys I like to look at, it's always older guys, I don't know why but they seem nicer somehow." "What way nicer, Moe?" "Well they seem more sort of knowing, like they have seen everything and are happy with it all." "Yeah I see what you mean, but it's not always true, there's as many screwed up older guys as younger ones Moe." "Is it ok if I call you Fred?" "Sure, thats my name might as well use it." "But you don't think its, well like disrespectful or nothing." "Not at all, I use your name so what's the difference?" "Yeah I see what you mean." We sat there and lapsed into silence as he thought about this latest turn for him, I was not such a fool as to think that all was rosey in the garden after all he was a Tongan and he'd lived off stealing and god knew what else so the road ahead was not going to be plain sailing and I was aware that there would be some rough spots in it, I also felt that he had something inside him just waiting for a spark to set him going, I've always been a sucker for the underdog and this was one good looking underdog. "Fred?" "Yes Moe?" "Do you want me to do stuff with you?" "What sort of 'stuff' Moe?" "You know, sex stuff." "Moe, I didn't ask you to stay just to get you into bed with me, although I would enjoy it and I think it would be neat but you say what you do, not me, if you thought you wanted to do something thats your decision, I'm not going to force you to do anything, I'll help you as much as I can with getting a life started but you dont have to sleep with me or have any sex if you don't feel it's what you really and truly want, I will never force you to do anything like that, it's your life and it's for you to live with the decisions you make." "You really mean that don't you?" "Yes Moe, I told you I don't like liars or thieves, I'll stick to my word." "What if sometime I wanted to try something?" "Then it's your decision as I said, I'll tell you now, I would never refuse you but it's up to you when or if, fair enough?" "Yeah thats pretty cool." "Well you feel up to a little late lunch?" "Yeah, I'm starved." "Thought you might be, tube steaks ok with you?" "Tube steaks?" "Beef sausages." "Haha, yeah I see what you mean, yeah that's great." "Eggs and chips?" "Yeaah, sounds good." "Ok you settle back and I'll get it on the stove." I left my invalid in the lounge and went to the kitchen to start our late lunch and to do a little thinking, finacially I was not to bad, changing my habit of living alone was going to be a bit harder and any stress relief I did would have to be with the bedroom door closed, he would need some decent clothes and I could ask Social Services to sort out something for his training, I didn't think he was eighteen yet so he'd not be able to get any benefit payments until he was older or was doing some acceptable courses, the computer and art might be able to get him to study for graphic art work, it would cover both of the things he liked to do, must look into it on Monday until then I'd have to try to get him healed up a bit then see what can be done. To Be Continued: