Date: Wed, 24 Oct 2018 07:14:46 +0200 (CEST) From: jacoblion@tutanota.com Subject: A Neglected Boy Chapter 17 Please support Nifty to keep these stories coming. http://donate.nifty.org/donate.html This is my first story at Nifty. Thanks Nifty staff for all your help. Your comments are always welcomed and appreciated at jacoblion@tutanota.com Please remember this is fiction and all the characters names are simply fabricated. **Note of interest** All locations are accurate including mileage, & descriptions of Yale, restaurants, and our meals. Thank you for your thoughts. I hope you will continue to enjoy the story. Chapter 17 Kori and Jake A Story of Love jacoblion@tutanota.com . . . . At the end of Chapter 16 . . . I stayed in the master bathroom and Kori went to his bathroom. A few minutes later we went to bed. I wrapped my arms around him and we slept soundly till morning. . . . . Chapter 17 . . . There was no alarm this morning. Kori and I awoke looking at each other and we both were smiling. I looked at the clock and it was panic time. The clock said 8:50 and Neil would be here at 9 sharp. I told Kori . . . "Geeez Kori we over slept. Neil will be here in 10 minutes, hurry go dress we need to start breakfast." Kori ran to his room and was giggling all the way. I jumped in so work clothes and was in the kitchen just as Neil reached the door. I opened the door and Neil looked at me and said . . . "Oh just got up?" I replied yea we over slept, Kori and I put together some of the furniture last night and I was just exhausted. I started to make the coffee and Neil went to see what Kori and I had started in his room. Kori had finished in the bathroom and was dressed when Neil walked in his room. Neil looked around messed Kori's hair and said . . . "Looks good sport" and then they both came to the kitchen. I could hear Kori thanking Neil for putting in the new bathroom door. Neil and Kori were becoming good friends and Neil really liked Kori. Coffee was made and Kori had set the table. It was French toast this morning with bacon and lots of it. I sat talking to Neil about the day while Kori was making the French toast. Neil looked at me and said . . . "Wow Jake I'm impressed you have your own cook now, you think he could come over to my place and make my breakfast sometimes? Or you know if you have to go to one of those teachers CE (continued education) conferences he can stay with me" Kori turned and looked at Neil and said . . . "Hey you two I'm not the maid just the stud muffin." We all laughed he was just so cute. We finished breakfast and Kori and I did the dishes and Neil went to Kori's bathroom to pee. When he came back he said . . . "Hey Kori you made a great breakfast thank you and I like how you made your bed it doesn't even look like anyone slept in it Good Job kid!" The guest bedroom door is always open and Neil had seen the bed. Kori looked at me and was bright RED. Neil had figured things out. We all went to the barn to take care of Finley and ten minutes later Finley was out and we were heading to Kori's trailer house. It was 10:15 and we had made a plan how to cut and clean. Neil and I started at the porch cutting the trees back so it let in lots of sunlight. Kori dragged the cut branches to my truck and Neil's truck and put them neatly in the truck beds so we could take them to the dump and empty quickly. We cleared the brush and in just two and a half hours there was a huge difference in how the yard looked. We were able to pick up the rest of the trash and a few broken toys and loaded that in the trucks as well. At 1 pm Myrna came out and sat in a chair on the porch. She looked pale and drawn. While Kori and Neil picked up tools I went to see Myrna. When I got to the porch I sat next to her and she said . . . "Jake you boys worked so hard, thank you so much." . . . I told Myrna . . . "You're welcome but you look so tired and you're a little pale Myrna. Will you be Ok if Kori goes to help put the furniture together or would you like him to stay with you?" Myrna took my hand and answered . . . "Jake I will be fine and now I know Kori will be happy with you. I don't think it will be long now; I know he loves you and it gives me peace. You boys go now I'll be fine." I knew then that Myrna probably would not make it to summer never mind September. I gave her a gentle hug and we left. We drove directly to the dump and in five minutes we were unloaded and on the way back to my house. We decided to pick up some KFC and eat back at the house. It was best to just get the large family bucket. In the kitchen Kori got all the plates out and we had some good laughs talking about Kori's room. Kori chose a paint scheme of 2 walls white; 2 walls sky blue and white . . . but, the blue has to be in like a wave with the blue on the bottom and white on top. Fussy! But not difficult. To the bedroom we go. While Neil is with us I think it is best to build the bed, the thing is huge. We have tools on the floor and we're opening a number of boxes and placing the parts and checking the list. We won't have to worry about paint as the bed / desk/ twin bed is going against the two white walls. Kori is bringing all the parts to either me or Neil as we need them. What is the best part of building this huge structure? All the hugs Neil and I get from Kori. Finely it is together and I will try to describe it. It is L shaped with the full sized bed on top and a twin bed on the bottom creating the L and opposite the twin on the bottom is the desk. Kori selected it and all the furniture in his room is cherry. Neil and I stood back and watched as Kori climbed up into his new bed. Then the unexpectedly; Kori came down and ran and jumped into Neil's arms and hugged him tight the way he does with me. Then it was my turn he jumped wrapping himself around me like a little monkey but the shocker was when he kissed me in front of Neil. I turned red and Neil just smiled. Now it was snacks and the entertainment center. We got the basics together but Neil had to go. Neil and I walked out to his truck while Kori sorted out the rest of the pieces. Neil looked at me and said . . . "Jake you have an amazing boy there take good care of him. I noticed Myrna today and she looked poorly do you think it may be time to have the talk with Kori?" Neil was right Myrna was not good today. I told Neil . . . "Neil when I went to talk to Myrna I saw in her eyes that she knows the end is near. She took my hand and said to me . . . "Jake I will be fine and now I know Kori will be happy with you. I don't think it will be long now; I know he loves you and it gives me peace." Standing looking at Neil the tears ran down my face. I had been so hard in my thoughts about a woman I didn't know, and now I find that she was a loving woman living a hard life. Why do we find it so easy to judge a person we don't even know? Neil left and I went in the house and Kori and I finished building the entertainment center. It was almost seven neither Kori nor I were hungry. So I said . . . "Kori lets go up and see how you mom is, you know she was looking tired when we left this afternoon." Kori agreed but wanted know if he would stay with me tonight. I told Kori well that was the plan but let's go see your mom. We jumped in the truck and drove to Kori's and it looked so nice to drive in and see it all cleaned up. We went to the door and Kori walked in. Myrna was on the couch awake but looked poorly. She was so happy to see Kori and he went and sat with her. She just held his hand and told him how good he looked. I asked Myrna if she needed anything but she didn't. I told Kori . . . "Kori you know I think it is best if you stay with your mom tonight." Kori looked at me with a disappointed look but agreed. I was about to leave when Myrna said . . . "Jake I want you to take Kori with you tonight and finish putting the furniture together." I started to say no when Myrna interrupted and insisted that Kori go with me. Kori and I left and drove back to the house and parked at the barn. We did chores without speaking. I think Kori was afraid to ask. After chores we went in and had a snack. I was quiet and thinking about Myrna. I told Kori I was tired and we went to the living room and turned on the TV. Kori was watching some program and I just sat blindly looking at the TV. Kori is very smart and he looked at me and said . . . "Jake, I know something is wrong and I know it's my mom but I don't want to talk about it now. Is it Ok if I just snuggle up to you and can you put your arm around me?" Kori did and I just put my arm around him and we sat looking at something on TV but I don't know what it was. I snapped out of it. I pushed Kori down away from me and then pushed him on the floor. I nearly pounced on him and began to tickle him till I heard him cry . . . Uncle, Uncle stop, stop please I gotta Pee! I let him up and said we need to go do something like a run or I need to pick on you. He was going down the hall at a quick step. No he doesn't close the bathroom door. I may have to let him know that when we have company he may want to close the door. We were out the door in a jiffy. We went to the barn and I took and long lead and snapped on Finley's halter and we went to the road. Kori and I needed this and so did Finley. We jogged down the road to the old apple store with Finley trotting beside us. We laughed and sang "The Old Grey Mare" song as we went. All three of us were having a great time and for Kori and me it was about getting our minds happy again. Twenty minutes later Kori and I were tired but a young Morgan Horse well now that is another story. Finley was full of it now his blood was running and he was in high spirits. Kori and I had started this so it was with no choice we had to turn around and went back up the road to the barn. As we let Finley in the small paddock for a few minutes I told Kori that soon I would be riding Finley. He looked at me, and I said that will leave you just watching. His face was sad till I said . . . "So Kori I have decided to buy another Morgan a nice mare just for you." Oh Sh_ _ this kid has a voice as loud as can be and he did that thing I love so much . . . he ran and jumped in my arms with his legs tight around my waist and his arms around my neck. "Hey Kori get off me your starting to put on weight and you're as heavy as a sack of grain, and look like one too." Kori was laughing and dancing around. As much as I try to describe my feelings, my love for him I can't. Kori and I went in the house still not wanting a big dinner and just snacked on some fruit and crackers. We walked down to his bedroom and looked at our accomplishments. We needed to draw a wave or something like a wave, a big curve. Hmm . . . we thought then we had an idea. We started about half way up the wall and penciled a huge S kind of on its side and where it touched the corner we continued it onto the next wall. Yeah we had it. Kori ran to the basement and brought the sky blue paint and we started. I had the rollers ready and in less than an hour we had the bottom of the room on both walls painted. I must say it looked good. It was just past midnight and we were tired and I think we were both ready for bed. What happened next was a little of a surprise. Kori looked at me and said . . . "Jake thank you for everything. I love my room and I love you. I'm kinda tired and I need a shower, I smell and I rather smell good when we go to bed." Ok, so then he grabbed clean underwear from his dresser and went to his bathroom. Yes his bathroom. I heard his shower so I went to the kitchen to get a drink then to my shower. The warm water felt so good. I just stood beneath the spray and let it relax my body. My shower was over and I put my boxers on and went into the bedroom to find Kori already in bed. He watched me as I pulled back the covers and got in bed. I was waiting to see what would happen. Kori simply put his hand on my chest told me he loved me then turned over wanting for me to hug up to him and said "Goodnight Jake." I pulled Kori to me his head was on my right arm and my left arm was over him like so many nights now and to my surprise he had his underwear on. I closed my eyes and went to sleep. Chapter 18 Next Kori and Jake A Story of Love Please let me know if you are enjoying the story, A Neglected Boy jacoblion@tutanota.com