Date: Thu, 1 Apr 2010 16:49:31 -0600
From: dnrock@rock.com
Subject: Chinook 3

Chinook
by:  dnrock(dnrock@rock.com)


3:  Organization Is a Twelve Letter Word...

Royce set his alarm for 7:30, he was not sure how long it would take to get
the boys off to school, no experience.  He was surprised to wake up alone.
He pulled on his briefs and went into the boy's room.  Cliff was on the top
bunk snuggled under the blankets.  Rom was in his flannel pajamas, holding
his teddy tight to his chest, having kicked off the quilt.  Royce reached
out and touched Cliff's face.  The boy's eyes flashed open and a broad
smile spread across his small, thin face.

"Good morning."

"Good morning," he replied leaning over the and looking down at his little
brother.

"I trust you slept well?"

"Awesome.  Um, dad, um, can I kiss you?"

"Sure, you can, I like kisses, especially from my new sons."  Royce leaned
in and Cliff kissed his right cheek.  It was a bit hesitant but a kiss
never the less.  Royce smiled with satisfaction.

"Can I kiss you?"

"Sure, I think kisses from my new dad would be a good thing."  Royce kissed
his right cheek but not with any hesitation.

"Up and at them, kid."  He said with a thumb up gesture.  Cliff jumped to
the floor.  Royce was a bit surprised but you can't expect an 11 year old
to use the ladder now can you. "It is just for show, right," Royce thought.
He also hoped the apartment below them didn't mind the thumping.

Rom was beginning to stir with the activity in the room.  Royce sat on the
edge of the bunk and stroked his cheek with the back of his fingers.  Rom
opened his eyes and giggled.  "That tickles"

"Hum, if that tackles what will this do" Royce quipped, as he gently poked
the index fingers of both hand into the lads ribs?  Rom squirmed laughing
and giggling.  In an instant the bear was discarded and Rom was in his arms
pressing his face into his shoulder.

"I love you dad."

"I love you too son."  Royce kissed his cheek and forehead.  "Time to get
ready for school."  All three crowded into the bathroom as Royce shaved.
The boys were naked and Royce was wearing only his briefest of briefs.  He
could see the boys studying his crotch.  That's normal he thought,
especially if they have not had much contact with older males in their
lives.  Cliff's small 7.5 cm (3") or so penis, stood straight out from his
small round looking testicles.  Rom's boyhood was proportionally smaller
and his sack much less developed.

Royce had no experience with growing boys, since he was one and those
memories tend to fade fast.  The image of the two naked butts, before this
very sink, flashed into his mind again.  Cliff's butt was high and firm
with deep hollows on each side.  Roms was rounder and slightly fuller but
still Royce thought very small.  He remembered watching his dad shave as a
child but he must have been a lot younger.  But then if they had never had
a man around much, he guessed this must be a novelty.  It probably was for
them, not for Royce, he hated shaving but he hated the feeling of stubble
even more.

"Can we wear the new outfits grandpa bought for us?"  Cliff asked.

"Yes but not the boots, wear your runners."  They reported to the kitchen a
few minutes later in western shirts and tight jeans.

"Got all your stuff? Inventory!"

"Jacket, bike lock and keys, books, notes for teachers," Cliff replied.

"Are you going to ride with us?"  Rom asked, as Royce pulled on his jacket.

"Yes, unless you don't want me to."

"We want you too but don't you need to work?"  Cliff asked.

"Yes I do, I need my exercise too.  Let's go before your late."  Royce
hated being late for anything.  He hated being kept waiting by others not
being on time.

The school is about 8 blocks south of their apartment building and mostly
up hill.  Royce was glad they had mountain bikes with lots of gears.  He
was not in shape for this.  Since the boys did not have bikes of their own
before, they too would need to get legs into peddling shape.  The grade
school is Earl Grey Elementary.

Royce dropped the boys off and instructed them to wait by the bike rack
until he showed up at noon.  Once back home he cleaned up the dishes, set
his alarm clock for 11:45 and began work.  In no time at all he completed
his current project and preparing for his next effort.  Now that he had
responsibilities he had to produce but first he had a project from the
heart that needed his attention.

He was back up the hill at 3:30, well a few minutes early.  There were a
number of parents standing outside by the main door, he and his bike joined
this group.  Mostly women and few older men he took as grand parents.  He
figure they were waiting for kindergarten or first graders.  One of the
ladies recognized him, when he took off his helmet.  A Mrs. Hunt, who he
had met at one of his show openings.  He knew she wanted all the gossip
about why this young, single, wild assed artist, was at the school but
thought a little mystery never hurt.

The buzzer sounded and in seconds children were pouring from the doors,
with all the attendant high pitched babble that accompanies such events.
Most of the girls walking and most of the boy on the dead run.  Bright
happy faces, laugh and smiling, glad to be released from this educational
prison.

Rom was at his side in seconds.  Cliff was a bit slower and Royce had to
send him back inside for his helmet, by taping his finger on his own head.
Which solicited the usual Awh and the knowing looks from any surrounding
adults.  Several of Rom's class mates including one of Mrs. Hunts
daughters, stopped to talk to Rom and meet his new dad.

Before they went down the hill, Royce took the boys into the park for some
digital photo shots.  He was building an inventory for his boy series;
Norman Rockwell move over, Royce Evers is on the creative move.  After the
time in the park and a quick ride down the hill he had to get supper
started.  The boys wanted to go out and play, better outside then sitting
at a play station or TV but ...  Royce wanted them to have that
opportunity, he also wanted them to spend time with mom, they wanted to
spend time with mom.

He inquired about homework, of which Cliff had more then just a bit.  Under
mild protest he got that started while Royce prepared Elk steaks, potatoes
and mixed vegetables in a cheese sauce.  If nothing else his sons would be
well fed.  His sons, he thought, "I like the sound of that."  Royce had
always been a good student.  School came easy to him.  Rom seamed to be
doing well but Cliff was struggling a little.  He did not spell to well,
but lots of people have trouble with that.  Royce wondered if he had
difficulty reading.  He watched him closely and decided he should have the
boy's eyes tested.

Royce was good at prioritizing and organizing things, always was, it just
came natural to him.  In fact, it is more learned behavior then anything
else.  It is a bit easier for males than females but males and females seem
to have different agendas.  Royce's sister, the Veterinarian, never seamed
to be able to tell the difference between minor and major issues on the non
science side.  In her practice, that was not a problem, priorities were,
Royce figured, obvious, but in her life, her interactions with mundane
difficulties ...  Mary-Jo could not cook without a detailed receipt, whose
instructions must be followed to the letter.  Royce just kind of knew in
what order stuff had to be done or if the order was unimportant.

"Dad I'll never get this stuff."

"What stuff Cliff?"

"This social studies stuff, we got to learn the major rivers in Alberta and
Saskatchewan.  I can't remember them let alone spell "Ath-ie-baske" and
Saskatchewan is not to easy either."

"Well let me see," Royce was working over the stove and he needed to change
his mental gears.  "First of all it is Athabaska, it is pronounced Ath - a
- bask -a.  The A's are long."  Cliff repeated it several times until he
had it pronounced correctly.

"Now remembering the list, lets see if we can make some kind of mnemonic.
Write down the first letter of each River."

"A for Athabaska, B for Bow, RD for Red Deer, NS for North Saskatchewan, SS
for South Saskatchewan, M for Milk, OM for Old Man."  That gives us A, B,
RD, NS, SS and M and OM, just for Alberta."

"Lets see ARD makes ARD now add a B, BARD to make bard and MOMNSSS to make
BARDMOMNSSS, which I would pronounce "bard- MOM -ness" but pull out the "S"
sound.  Ok now write it and say it when you write it.  Get all three senses
working together."  Cliff worked on the BARDMOMNESS part until he got it.
Then he broke the word apart and put the other letters of the name in.

"Now take your map and a piece of tracing paper and trace the important
features of Alberta, the outline, rivers and major cities."  Cliff had
reasonable motor skills and neat grade six writhing and printing.  His
tracing was not perfect but it didn't need to be.

"Now copy your tracing in the fax/copier, make several copies and set the
original aside.  Take a copy and label all the parts using the master map."

Cliff worked at Royce's desk and was so engrossed he had to be called twice
to the table.  After dinner and the dishes were in the washer, Royce looked
at the boy's work.  It was good, not perfect but for an 11 year old good.
He praised him and called Rom over to see how well Cliff had done.  "I
still need to memorize it."

"No, I don't think so, I for one don't like memorizing stuff, I found it is
better to learn it.  To understand the material and interrelationships.
Lets leave it for a bit, go and see your mom and review when we get back."
......................  "Mrs. Packer, I'm Royce Evers, Cliff's guardian."

"It is so nice to meet you and thank you for your note, it helps when we
know about problems in the children's home situations."

"Wasn't the school aware of Mrs. Rundel's condition?"

"No, I don't think so, just that she was sickly and the family was
receiving social assistance.  Up until the past week, Cliff never talked
about home much but he sure thinks you walk on water."

"Oh."

"Why yes, he is was so proud of your art work and proud of himself too.
Didn't he tell you he passed his last two social studies tests with 100%,
that's a first for him and his attitude has changed so dramatically.  Since
grade 5 he has been so sullen and serious, as if the weight of world was on
his shoulders."

"Mrs. Packer, he thought it was."

"I don't know what you did to change that but my complements to you.  That
young man is a different person.  Its not just me that noticed it, several
of his classmates have also mentioned it to me."

Cliff was not a discipline problem or anything like that.  Mrs. Packer
reviewed his academic weaknesses and Royce got some advice on what he might
be able to do at home to improve his performance.

In Rom's class Mrs. Handfiled was even more positive.  "Rom told me you
were intending to adopt him."

"That is my intention, it will depend on what he and Cliff want of course,
but nothing will happen while their mother is still alive.  The knowledge
that the boys are being properly nurtured is comforting but I think hope is
important for her too.  Her illness is terminal but I think termination
needs to be postponed as long as possible."

"Rom has been telling me that you are his dad now and that his grandpa is
giving him a pony."

"OK ... he was given permission to call me dad by his mother and I know my
dad expects both boys to spend most of the summer on his ranch.  I am sure
he will give both the boys as many animals as they are capable of looking
after.  My brother, sister and me all got our own ponies at 9 and since my
brother's children live in Edmonton... that old devil ... I overheard him
promising Rom a puppy from a recent litter but..."

"I thought he was just making most of it up."

"No, he is being quite truthful.  The Evers family holds about 10 sections
of land just north west of Nanton.  We raise horses mostly, have since 1889
and my sister is an Equine Vet." (a section is 640 acres or 1 square mile,
that's 259 hectors or 2.58 square Km's)

"Are you the R. R. Evers that paints those wonderful pictures displayed in
the gallery on 17th. Ave?"

"Yes, that's me."

"You went to ACA with my sister Jenny Jaffy."

"Oh, yes I remember her, is she still in Calgary, specialized in jewelry as
I recall?"  He recalled a lot more about Jenny, like how hard he tried to
get into her pants and how completely he was kept out.

"No, moved to Vancouver about 4 years ago, has a shop on Robson Street."
This conversation went on for a bit until the next parent showed up.

"Dad did you promise the boys their own horses?"

"Yes, and I took delivery of a Welsh Section A phalli for Rom just a few
hours ago.  It is a lovely Rhone with white mussel and white stockings.
Still on a hackamore, just a two year old.  Rom and the pony, name is
Blueberry, can learn to ride together.  Isn't that exciting son?"  Royce
just gave up.  There was no use in trying to reason with his father.  In
fact the old man sounded more excited then he had seen him in years.  It
was his 4H project colt that got him through that first six months after
mom died, that he remembered.

"And for Cliff?"  One from 01's spring crop.  A lovely chestnut Quarter
gelding, about 15 hands.  The boys are getting him saddle broke as we
speak.  We named him Zephyr, Royce this is one of the fastest, smoothest
and gentlest Quarters we have ever produced.  Took to the bit in about an
hour and never even grumbled when we put your old saddle on him.  Your
Mustang stallion Thor is looking forward to your arrival too, he needs to
be ridden."

"I suppose you told him I was coming."  Harland talks to his horses just
like they were people.

"Didn't have to, he knew as soon as I walked into the barn.  Mary-Jo will
be here too, she wants to check out the new stock anyway.  I figured it was
best if she showed the boys how to care for their animals.  Wouldn't mind a
few grandchildren from her you know.  Are my boys with you?"

"His boys, no their my boys but I am generous, I'll share, but these are my
sons," he thought.

"Yes, playing on the monkey bars in the school yard.  You can talk to them
but please don't tell them about the animals.  Keep it as a surprise
grandpa."

Royce was advancing on the playground.

"Oh I almost forgot, stop at the Sony store on 4th Street SW and pick up a
package for me please."

"I will, here is Cliff.  It's grandpa, Cliff."  He handed his cell phone to
Cliff and while they talked rounded up Rom.  .................

Royce was engrossed in his work and did not even notice the boys come in.

"Hay that's us!"  Cliff blurted out.

"It is?"

"Sure but how did you get our faces on the paper?"  Rom asked.  Royce
reached out and touched his face and then Cliff's.

"No, your faces are still part of your bodies."  They both giggled.  "I
have just a bit more to finish before my paint dries."  Royce was using
acrylic medium on stretched canvas, which dries rather quickly.  He turned
the easel so they could see what he was doing and touched up a few folds in
the clothing and signed his name, R. R. Evers `04.

"That's almost as good as a photograph, how do you do that, I mean get
everything so exact?"

"Ah, raw talent, years of practice and education.  I have to take this and
get it framed, want to come along?"  While they walked toward the gallery
on 17th, Royce told them he painted their portrait for mom and they could
give it to her tonight, if the framing was finished.  When they got to the
shop Ron immediately noticed Royce's painting was gone from the window and
a different one was in its place.  It was another Evers.  When they entered
the store the director told Royce, that one and another had sold in the
last two days.  He would need more soon at this rate.

The boys looked around the gallery which had lots of local art, mostly
landscapes, cowboy stuff, and some oil field related painting and bronzes
like pump jacks, pottery, paintings of moose and bears, flowers and things
like that.  Most of Royce's material was landscapes, foothills and prairie
with mountains in the background, some had horses in them grazing or just
being horses.  Over along one wall, an older gentleman with a rather dower,
perhaps even stern looking face, was inspecting different pieces, some of
them Royce's.  Rom studied the man for a bit and without much hesitation
approached him.  Now Rom being only 1.2 m (4 feet) and a bit tall and the
man having his attention elsewhere did not notice his approach.

The gallery director noticed and got Royce to come into the back room
doorway. "That's Charles Black, head of Black Oil, probably one of the
grumpiest customers I have ever had."  Royce was about to say something to
Rom when the director held up his hand.  "No, let the boy alone, if Black
doesn't like kids he can buy elsewhere."  Royce was not all that sure of
this, his pieces were among several being considered.

Rom stood next to the man, looked at him, looked at the paintings, looked
back at Mr. Black.  He reached up and touched the man's hand.  Mr. Black
glowered down at him.

"Hi, my dad painted that one," Rom pointed at the center painting.  "My
grandpa said dad is the best, you should buy that one."

Black was completely disarmed by the lads forthrightness, offhanded
friendly attitude and killer smile.  He was not intimidated by either his
sower expression or self exalted position.  After a long second, a smile
broke across his face.

"Us grandpa's are always right you know."  Mr. Black knelt down on one
knee.  "My name is Charley."  He extended his hand.  Rom shook it.

"My name is Romer, my friends call me Rom."

"I know your dad is Royce, what is your grandpa's name?"

"Harland Evers Senior, sir, um Charley."

"Well I'll be a sump rat, I want to university with Harland Evers."  He
rose and taking Rom's hand went over to the counter, having spotted the
director and Royce standing in the doorway.  (The kind of sump Charley is
referring to, is the drilling mud sump used on oil and gas well drill rigs.
A sump rat in this case, is the lowest paid of the rig hands, the guy who
shovels it out.)

"You must be Royce Evers." he said extending his hand across the counter.
I can tell since you look just like your dad when he and I were students at
the U of A and 30 years younger.  Rom here thinks I should choose that
landscape of yours for my office."  He held up his hand to stop Royce's
response.  "Tell Harland when you see him that you ran into me please and
get him to tell you a few Charley Black stories."  He, winked at Royce and
turned to Rom.  "I think your grandpa is right about your dad.  He is the
best.  Richard, send that one over to my office please and you better put
this boy on staff to charm us grumpy old men."

Just then the framer came in with the portrait.  In the frame, it was even
better then before.  Cliff was blown away, he had no idea a frame would
make such a difference.  He had just joined the others at the counter.
"Wow dad, that's just, wow."  All agreed it was "just wow", the rendering
of the models was nearly perfect.  "Dad painted that for our mom, she is in
the hospital, he wants to cheer her up," Cliff volunteered.

"Well if anything can cheer up your mom, a portrait of her sons will do it,
best medicine I can think of, my name is Charley and you are?"  Cliff
introduced himself and they conversed a little longer.  The director was
blown away by Charley's attitude change, in fact he was so overwhelmed he
sent a display easel for Jewely's hospital room along with the portrait, so
Royce didn't need to cary it.  He was so overwhelmed he completely forgot
to find out how and when his star artist had hooked up with these boys.
......................  Chapter end notes:

The grade school is Earl Grey Elementary.  It is named for Albert Henry
George Grey (1851-1917).  He grew up at Windsor Castle and was private
secretary to Prince Albert and Queen Victoria.  In 1894, he succeeded his
uncle as the fourth Earl Grey.  He was a politician and diplomat who served
as Governor General of Canada from 1904 to 1911, at the time when Alberta
and Saskatchewan became provinces (1905).  He was very popular with
Canadians and was one of the few governors general at that time to complete
a full term.  In 1909, he donated the Grey Cup, the trophy which is now
awarded annually to the Canadian Football League Champion.

Calgary's team is the Stampeders who have won it at few times in recent
years.  The original Earl Grey School was built in 1911 and a gymnasium was
added in 1953.  The original three-story sandstone school was demolished
and a new school built in 1968.  Royce has seen black and whites of the old
building.  "To bad it is not still around now," he thought.  The school is
located next to a very nice city park, in one of the most expensive areas
of the city.  Royce is just full of what he calls useless knowledge.  Which
he began importing to the boys once the grade lessened near the top of the
hill.  For kids they seamed to pay a lot of attention to his little stories
and tidbits of knowledge.  He began to wonder if adults besides mom ever
talked much to them.  He should start reading to them before bed he
thought.  He must have a copy of Tom Sawyer or some of W. O. Mitchel's
stories.