Date: Thu, 27 May 2010 19:28:00 -0600
From: dnrock@rock.com
Subject: Chinook 11

Chinook
by:  dnrock(dnrock@rock.com)


11:  Dad Is Learning To Be, Dad.

Royce's attention was suddenly wrenched from his work.  Two quick, loud
cracks, followed almost immediately by booming claps of thunder, latterly
shaking him.  Rom came storming down the stairs and landed in his lap,
almost as if his he was flying.  Tumbler was right behind him taking refuge
under Royce's desk.  Just then Cliff, Spencer and Leo burst thought the
studio's outside door, they pored in, as if all three simultaneously fitted
through the opening.  They were drenched, the rain was now pelting down.
The boys look scared and jumped as another crack and immediate thunder clap
shook the house.  Just as Royce snapped a photograph of the three, wet
Musketeers, a forth and strange face peaked between Cliff and Leo.  Water
dripping from his wet head on the floor.

"Come in and close the door boys."

"D ... Da ... Dad, this is Simon," Cliff finally managed to get out, as he
and Leo parted sufficiently to expose their much shorter friend.  Simon was
not much taller then Rom, with dark brown hair, dark eyes that were wider
then Loonies.

(A Loony is the nick name for a Canadian one dollar coin, which is light
bronze in color and has a Loon on the tales side.  The coin is about the
same size as the old US fifth cent piece, or four bits if you are really
old.  Two bits is a more common expression, I remember my father and
uncles, in the 50's, using the terms four and six bits quite frequently as
well.  In my youth, in Chicago and now and then today, two bits is often
used to describe something cheep or not very well done.  An example is, the
two bit whore.  This is not to be confused with a Toonie, the Canadian
slang for our two dollar, a two toned coin, which has a Polar Bear on the
tails side.  Now I guess that must be 16 bits, or 14 bits US, and this
computer processor is 64 bits.  Enough already!)

"Hold it right there you four, strip before you get water all over my hard
work.  Rom, please get some towels for the boys."

Rom and Tumbler streaked up the stairs, while the boys shed their dripping
wet clothing.  The rain pelting down and the sound of thunder continued,
although lessening in volume as the storm cell moved east.  Spencer was the
first naked, taking a dry towel from Rom.  Tumbler was most interested in
the new boy, Simon, pressing his nose into his crotch for a good smell.
Simon laughed with the most musical alto voice Royce had ever heard, as the
dog's nose pressed against his scrotum.  He had the nicest little body,
like Rom's, in that it was so perfectly proportioned.

Simon's towel had been draped over his shoulders and during the
interactions with the dog it dropped to the floor.  Royce just about lost
it at that point.  Simon's back had 4 bruises just below the shoulder
blades.  Large oval blotches.  Royce realized there was only one way to get
bruises like that, in the distribution he was observing.  Simon quickly
pulled the towel back over his shoulders.

Royce sent the boys upstairs for dry clothing as he collected the wet thing
and headed for the laundry room.  He wondered about Simon's bruise and what
he should or even could do about it.  Perhaps if he learned a bit more
about Cliff's new friend he would figure it out.

The boys told him about the lightning striking the basketball hoop at the
playground, across the street and how neat and frightening it was.  While
the electrical part of the storm had moved on the rain was still falling
hard and fast.  Royce figured it was best to just keep the boys here for
the night, since the cold front that produced the thunder storms had a
thick and extensive cloud deck behind it.

Ok boys, call your homes, tell them you are safe and dry.  Ask permission
to stay the night.

"Mr. Evers, no one is home at my house. "

"Is there an answering machine, Simon?'

"Yes sir."

"Give me the number and I'll leave a message."  Royce left a detailed
message and his phone number.

While Royce got dinner ready, frozen pizzas with his special added
toppings, the boys gathered in living room.  Rom began playing the piano
and the boys started singing.  Simon was giving his soprano version of an M
& M rap song.  It was funny but the kid could sing.  Rom was faking it.
Around the dinner table they all talked about making music, starting a
garage band.  Leo played the drums, Spencer the base, Cliff the sax, Rom
the piano and "What about you Simon?"

"I want to play the guitar but my parents won't let me have lessons, can't
afford them and I don't have a very nice one anyway."  Simon seemed a bit
embarrassed.

"Mrs. Mcleod next door has one for sale.  I'll bet she will trade it for
some yard work, lots of leaves to rake and still some grass to cut before
winter."  Rom offered.

"You really think so," Simon replied his face lighting up and then going
very dark.

"My dad wouldn't let me have it, he would call it charity," Simon offered.

"Well if you can make a deal with Mrs. Mcleod, you can store it here and
then tell your dad you purchased it from me, with the money you made doing
Mrs. Mcleod yard work.  That is only bending the truth a little.  Just come
over tomorrow after school and I'll introduce you to her."  Royce figured
he would make a deal with Page.

At any rate Simon's face brightened up at the prospect.  Royce got the boys
working on their homework, organized their now dry and laundered clothing,
read them all another chapter of Huck Finn and managed to get everyone
pried from the TV and Play Station and headed for bed, at a reasonable
hour.  It was when he came in to say goodnight that he got another chance
to see Simon's bruise.

"Harvey, its Royce, sorry to call so late, it is my turn to ask a favor."

.........................

"Tumbler what the hell are you doing?"  Royce was asking the dog as he
jumped on his bed licking his face.  Tumbler lay down and wined quietly.
Royce could hear the incoherent mumbling from one of the boy's rooms.  He
patted Tumbler on the head.  "That's a good dog, you go guard you boys."
Royce listened in the hall again to get a sense of which room the sounds
were coming from.

He entered Rom's room.  Simon was in the top bunk and was having a real
dream.  He was babbling and trying to move but being in a true dream state
could not.  Royce stood by the bed and gently stroked the lad's head.
Simon snapped awake with the look of absolute terror on his face.

"It's OK Simon, I'm here, we are all here."

"Oh, uh, Mr. Evers I was having a real bad dream, I'm sorry.  Um did I wake
you up, I'm sorry."

"No, Simon you didn't wake me, you have nothing to be sorry about, it was
Tumbler, he came in to alert me something was wrong."

The dog was sitting by Royce, and his master.  Rom was sound asleep.  The
dog's tail wagged with every mention of his name or kind.

Royce lifted the rail out of the way and held his arms out engulfing Simon
and lifting the small boy into his embrace.  He carried Simon into his room
and sat down on the bed.  Simon did not seem to be comforted by this,
however.  Royce was a bit puzzled.

"Simon I wont hurt you and I am not angry with you.  Would you feel better
if we went into the living room?"  Simon nodded.  Royce set him down.

Sitting on the sofa Royce asked.  "Simon your dream, was it about some
adult hurting you?"  The boy nodded in agreement.

"Did some adult hurt you in the past few days?"  He hesitated to answer.
"Simon, you must trust me, otherwise I won't be able to help you."

"Yes, he forced me to kneel on my bed and..."

"Is that how you got the bruises on your back?"

"Yes, he said no one would believe me and if I told anyone he would kill me
and hurt my dad too."

"Did he rape you Simon, is that what your dream was about?"  Simon was now
crying and just nodded yes.  Royce opened his arms offering the boy a hug.
"As long as you are in this house you are under my protection.  No one and
I mean no one, will hurt you, or make fun of you and you will be believed.
I believe you."

Simon hesitantly embraced his new friend.  Royce gently wrapped his arms
around the lad and held him.  "I know you can't control your dreams and you
are right to be suspicious and even fearful of adult men.  The person who
did this was someone you knew and trusted wasn't he?"

"Yes," he whispered.

"The feeling of betrayal hurts even more then the bruises on your back or
in your bottom, right?"

"Yes, how do you know?"

"I know what it is to have your trust betrayed.  I have never been raped
but dreams stem more from emotions then from the physical."

"Do you want to sleep with one of the other boys, you could share with Rom
and Tumbler?"

"Yes, if Rom wouldn't mind.  Your not mad at me are you?"

"No, Simon I am not mad at you and I understand better then you may realize
how difficult it is to trust any adult.  I also know my son and he will not
mind in the least.  In fact, if he ever found out you had a bad dream and
didn't seek his company and comfort I think he would feel hurt.  He would
feel bad only because he didn't have the opportunity to help."

"What if he tells the others?"

"He won't, just ask him not to.  Sometimes I find him and or Cliff in my
bed when I wake up."  Just them Tumbler and Rom showed up.

The kid was still mostly asleep but he was sharp enough to just come over
take Simon's hand and lead him back to bed.  Royce relieved his bladder and
toured the house again checking on Cliff's room.  All was okay, with three
boys snuggled in his double bed.  When he checked back on Rom and Simon,
they were both asleep in Rom's bunk with Tumbler taking up all the unused
space at the foot.  Tumbler's tail thumped on against the footboard as
Royce kissed them both and patted the dog's head.

Royce on the other hand found it hard to get back to sleep.  His
suppositions were now confirmed and he was mad.  He did not quite know who
he was mad at.  Not the boy's father, a long distance trucker who was on
the road for several days now.  Someone else, someone Simon not only knew
but had trusted.  How could any adult do that to a child.  How could any
man even call himself a man or have any self respect when he rapes a child?

Royce was up early in the morning.  Not that he didn't like sleeping in as
long as possible.  A summer at the ranch had rekindled old habits.  He let
Tumbler out, relieved himself, shaved, putting his own shower on hold, fed
Tumbler and started the coffee.  Royce rounded up a pile to bath towels,
started breakfast and sent Tumbler in to get Rom and Simon.

"Good morning sunshine, I trust you slept well."  Simon appeared in the
kitchen dressed in one of Rom's large T shirts and white briefs that were
just a bit to small.  To Royce this was human eye candy, the lad's well
proportioned body, long light brown hair that needed to be combed and
bright smile.

"Yes, I slept well," he said, looking at the floor.  Royce handed him an
electric tooth brush head with a large "S" on the shaft.

"Why don't you do the shower and teeth bit first."

While Simon was in the bathroom Mrs. Anitoli called.  She thanked Royce for
looking after him an for leaving her such a detailed message.  Mrs. Anitoli
has a moderately thick Russian accent.  Royce assured her Simon was no
trouble and that he was always welcome.  He let her know that Leo and
Spencer had also stayed and all five boys behaved well and even completed
their homework.  "Oh here he is now.  Simon your mother," Royce handed the
phone to Simon as he entered the kitchen.

Simon spoke in Russian to his mother, a language Royce had little
acquaintanceship with.  About all he knew was da and niet (yes and no) but
that was more then enough.  He could hear Simon saying "da Matb" frequently
and "niet Matb" to some of her questions.  Simon was an animated telephone
talker nodding or shaking his head as he listened and respond.

"Simon in a few minutes, one of my oldest and dearest friends Mr. Fanto
will be stopping by.  Mr. Fanto is a case worker with Children's Services.
I ask him to visit with us before school, after I saw the bruises on your
back and before we had our little late night talk."  Simon was visibly
shaken and obviously afraid.  "You can trust Mr. Fanto.  You can ask Cliff
about him."

"You knew didn't you?  But he said he would hurt my dad if I told anyone."

"No but I suspected, and said he would hurt you too?"

"He said he would kill me if I told anyone."

"Simon, no one is going to hurt you or your parents.  Mr. Fanto and I will
make sure of that.  We also want to make sure we put this bastard away so
he can't hurt any other children.  All you need to do is answer all
Mr. Fanto's questions to the best of your ability."

"He helped my parents immigrate from Russia and..."

"Simon any loyalty you or your parents had toward this person was destroyed
when he raped you.  What do you think your dad would do if he found out?"

"I think he would try and kill him, I know my mother will.  He has a gun,
I've seen it."

"That is just what I mean, help Mr. Fanto and the police get him out of
circulation before someone else get hurt or in trouble, trying to seek
revenge.  Who knows, maybe he will try and use that gun and the police will
just have to shoot him."

Simon rubbed his butt.  Royce figured it must still hurt a lot.

"I want to do that, to shoot him."

"So do I little man but perhaps it is best for everyone if he rots in jail
instead.  Death is perhaps just a bit to kind, don't you think."

Simon giggled a bit as Cliff, Leo, Spencer and Rom lead by Tumbler spilled
into the kitchen.  No sooner had everyone sat down than in came Harvey and
a rather tall and very muscular female RCMP officer.

"Uncle Harvey!" Rom was climbing up his friend's body trying to get a kiss.
Harvey kissed his forehead, hugged Rom and set him back in his chair.

"I'm Harvey Fanto," he said shaking hands with each of the boys.  "This is
Constable Brooksbank," she shook everyone's hand even Tumbler's paw as he
presented it.

"Join us for some pancakes," Royce said?

"No thank you, we just finished but coffee would be nice."  Harvey was
already helping himself.

"You should have seen the lightning, it struck the basketball hoop at the
playground.  I was so sacred I ran down to dad's studio and Tumbler hid
under his desk."  Rom informed everyone.

Simon had already put his plate in the dishwasher and collected his gear.

"Simon why don't you, Harvey and Constable Brooksbank take up residence in
the living room until the others get themselves organized."  Royce ruffed
his hair and smiled, Simon returned the smile and lead the way into the
living room.

"Now I don't want you boys to bug Simon about his interview with Mr. Fanto
and the Constable.  If he wants to tell you about it he will, if not, just
pretend it never happened."

"Is Simon in some kind of trouble?"  Spencer asked.

"No not at all, I think Children's Services are looking for information and
perhaps evidence and they think Simon may know something that can help
them.  Right now Simon is being very brave and he needs your support."

"Is he working under cover," Rom asked?

"No, they don't let kids do stuff like that."  Leo replied.  Everyone
looking at Royce for an explanation.

"Both correct, they don't let kids work undercover but for now his
interview should be treated as if he were."

"Did something bad happen to him," Spencer asked?

"I can't say, obviously something happened, if Simon wants to share that
with you he will.  If he chooses not to, he won't.  You boys just need to
stand by your friend and give him all the support and help you can, in the
spirit of true unconditional friendship, no questions asked, no
explanations required.  Got it?"

"Ya, like the Three Musketeers, there were four of them just like us,"
Spencer blurted out.  Royce gave them the thumbs up sign.

Constable Brooksbank came in and sat down.  "Mr. Fanto and I are taking
Simon home, to my office and to see a doctor.  Do any of you share classes
with him?"

"Yes we share all our classes with each other," Cliff replied.

"Good, please get his assignments and if any one asks where he is: say sick
you guess, went to see a doctor, can you do that for him?"  They all gave
her the thumbs up signal.  "If all goes as planned we should have him back
here for lunch."

Cliff got up and went into the living room.  Put his arm around Simon and
told him.  "One night when our mom was real sick, Mr. Fanto called his
friend and ask him to help us.  He told me that his friend would be as good
as he was, maybe better, where we were concerned.  That friend is now our
dad.  Mr. Fanto did right by us, Rom and I, he will do right by you Simon."

"Thanks pal, I'll see you later okay."

"Ya, okay."

........................

Later that morning Royce was concentrating on his new painting.  Royce was
totally lost in his work.  He had pushed Simon out of his mind.  He had
pushed Harvey out of his mind.  He could not push the persistent knocking
at his door out of his mind.  Tumbler was barking too.  That made it even
more difficult.  Royce sighed deeply set his brushes down and slowly moved
to answer this call.  It was Kathy from next door.  She was bright eyed and
smiling.

"I hope I'm not disturbing your work," she babbled proceeding into the
studio and taking a seat.

"I just got off work and saw you through the window."

"Yes, well I am usually chained to my easel most of the morning.  Just a
moment please."  Royce needed to wrap his brushes and cover his pallet to
keep the paint from drying.  "Can I offer you some coffee or tea."

"Oh no, thank you, I need to get some sleep, I'm on nights this week."
Kathy worked nights at the Rockyview in emergency, Royce wondered if they
had taken Simon there?"

"That was sure some storm yesterday afternoon, I almost never wake up but
that one got me going."

"Okay, she was woken up by the thunder and just happened to look out the
window, my ass, Royce thought."

"Yes it was quite something, Rom and the boys said lightning had struck the
basketball hoop in the school playground.  He and Tumbler came bounding in
here like the devil himself was right behind them."

 With the mention of his name Tumbler thumped his tail against the wall,
got up and waked over to Kathy for a pet.  She obliged him by patting his
head and scratching behind his ears.

"I saw a small pack of boys running in here, Cliff and his friends must
have been caught in the rain.  One of them didn't look like he was from
this neighborhood?"

"Yes they were very wet.  I made them disrobe right there," Royce pointed
at the doorway, "before they could even enter."  Kathy laughed.

"The short one, what was his name?"

"Oh you must mean Simon."

"Yes, Simon seems like a nice kid."

"Yes, he does doesn't he."  Royce sipped his coffee which was now cold.  "I
guess you encountered my friend Harvey Fanto this morning?"

"Ah ... yes, he brought a patient in."

"Yes I know, but just like you I can not talk about it.  Simon and the
other three, Spencer, Leo and Cliff want to start a garage band.  I think
they are planning on inviting Rom to play keyboards."

Kathy looked puzzled as Royce talked on about the plans the boys have.

"Simon is the designated guitar player, although I don't think he has been
playing long.  He told me he did not have a very nice guitar.  Which lead
me to think."

Kathy now got the message, her attention was sure perked.

"I know Page has an old Fender for sale and I was wondering if we might
make a deal?"

"I'm sure mother would be glad to get rid of the thing, it was my father's
but he almost never played it."

"I know Mr. and Mrs. Anitoli are not well off, they work very hard and are
very proud people.  I thought Simon could work for Page, shovel snow, rake
leaves, mow the lawn and the like to earn the money that would pay me for
it, in the interim he would have access to it.  Does that sound like the
kind of deal Page would go for?"

"Royce, that is such a kind and generous offer, do you know how much she is
selling it for?."

"I don't know about that, it just seems like the right thing to do.  I
would guess a fair bit but I can afford it.  The most difficult part for
both Page and I will be putting up with the noise until they gain some
proficiency.  I think Simon has a strong suspicion of all adult males,
having been betrayed by someone he trusted.  I want to change that."