CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
Molly and Asia laughed as the kids finished their art projects for the holiday party. They’d taken the silliest themes and colors and made it their own for the holidays. In their world, there was no right or wrong, only creativity.
The walls were lined with paper chains, construction paper trees, and everything seemed to be covered in glitter, including themselves.
“Molly? Asia? How are you?” smiled Whiskey walking toward them with the others.
“Whiskey!” They rushed to hug him and the other men. Pork, Akin, Chipper, Garrett, Tango, and Skull.
“We’ve missed you guys,” said Asia. “Where’ve y’all been?”
“Busy, girl. Just like you,” laughed Skull. “Looks like we made it in time for the party.”
“It’s a lot of kids, Molly,” frowned Tango. “Are all of them street kids?”
“Not all,” she frowned. “Some are just from homes where the parents are rarely there. A few actually come from good homes, not great but good, but love coming here and hanging out. We had to add a dozen beds upstairs though if that tells you anything.”
“It tells me more than I need to know,” said Tango.
The laughter and happy screams of children enjoying holiday activities filled the entire building. The team brought bags and bags of groceries, gifts, warm blankets, and more.
As much fun as the kids were having, the men were enjoying it just as much. But when Skull noticed a little boy seated away from the rest, he knew something was wrong.
“What’s his story, Molly?” he asked.
“I’m not sure. You know we don’t push the kids. They’re welcome no matter what. I will not turn them away for any reason other than possession of drugs or weapons.
“I don’t even know his name. He won’t talk to me. He comes in every day, sits in that chair far away from the other kids. I give him a plate of food, he eats it but doesn’t ask for anything else.” Skull nodded, slowly walking toward the boy, afraid that he might scare him.
“Hi, there,” he smiled. “My name is Skull.”
The boy looked up at him with a puzzled expression. Skull couldn’t help but laugh at him.
“I know, that’s a weird name. But I used to be with the Coast Guard and I’m so big that I would crack my head on the doorways. So, I got this crazy nickname. What’s your name?”
The boy didn’t say anything, only looking away. He knew that he could hear him because he understood his name. Language wasn’t the issue, or hearing.
“You know, it’s okay to be afraid. Molly said you’ve been coming here for a while. You know that no one here will hurt you and you can always have a meal if you need one. You can also sleep here if you need to. We’d just like to know your name. If you need help, we can help you.”
The boy just stared at his worn shoes and Skull sat on the floor beside him. He wasn’t going to push the kid. He’d sit here quietly for as long as it took. They watched the other kids playing games, laughing, and having fun. But the boy never cracked a smile.
Skull just watched the party, watching the children enjoying themselves. Then, he felt something touch his face. The boy. His finger touched the long scar on his face and traced it from one end to the other. He let him touch it, not moving.
“Did it hurt?” he whispered.
“It did. A bad man did that to me a very long time ago when I was on a ship for the Coast Guard.”
“Did you hurt him?” asked the boy.
“I did. I made sure he would never hurt anyone again. Did a bad man hurt you?” asked Skull.
“No. I mean, not really.”
“What do you mean, not really?” asked Skull.
“I mean, I live with my granny and pappy and this man said they owed a lot of texes.”
“Texes? Oh, you mean taxes,” smiled Skull. The boy nodded.
“Yeah. He said they owed a lot of that on their house and they took their house.”
“Where are your grandparents now?” asked Skull.
“We live in a tent under the road,” said the boy. “That’s why I can’t stay. They know I come for food but I’m afraid to take food for them, too. I’m scared. You won’t tell anyone will you?”
“Son, no one will care about that. We, me and my friends, could help them.”
“The man said they would still have to pay and that they were going to take me away because they didn’t have a house.”
“No one is going to take you away. It would really help me if you gave me your name.”
“Shaquille. Like the basketball player. My dad liked him. He’s gone now. So is my mom.”
“I’m awful sorry about that,” said Skull. “What’s your grandparents names?”
“You won’t take them will you?”
“I swear to you, we will not take them.”
“Harriet and Otto Morgan. We stay under the bridge by the river,” said the boy.
Skull’s concern rose, knowing that the river was in fact rising as well. The homeless beneath the bridge would die if they didn’t leave or if the cold didn’t get to them first.
“Skull? We heard it all. We’re sending a team.”
“I have some friends that are going to help your granny and pappy,” said Skull. “We’re going to find you a new house.”
“Really?” asked the boy with a surprised expression.
“Really, Shaquille. Come on,” he said standing to his full height. “What do you say we get something else to eat, then play some games. My friends will bring your granny and pappy here after they fix some of their problems for them.”
The boy stood, slipping his hand into the massive bear paw of the man. Just as he’d promised, they ate, played games, and ate again. Before he knew it, it was dark outside.
“I have to go. My granny will be worried,” he said.
“Shaquille!” called his granny.
“Granny!” he ran to the old woman, hugging her. “Granny I was coming, I promise.”
“It’s okay, baby. It’s all okay,” she said kissing his face.
“Granny, this is my friend, Skull.”
“Our hero,” said the woman. Shaquille stared at his grandmother, then back at the big man.
“Your friend called for some help for us, Shaquille. Pappy and me, all of us, we have a new home. A fine new home near your school. They helped us with the tax man and we’re gonna have a fine Christmas. A fine one!”
“Really?” whispered the boy. He looked up at Skull, raising his arms as the big man lifted him in the air. “I knew you were an angel. I just knew it. No one could live through what that bad man did to you, giving you that scar and not be an angel.”
Skull could only laugh as the others watched and smiled.
“I’ll give you folks a lift back home. Your new home,” said Chipper. The boy waved at Skull, taking his grandparents hands and following Chipper out of the building.
“You did good, brother,” smiled Whiskey. “You saved that whole family.”
“Anyone know what happened to the parents?” he asked the team.
“Parents are divorced and they don’t really know where the mother went. The father left to find work and no one has heard from him in over a year. We’ll keep trying to find them but I’m not sure the grandparents really care. Their whole world is that little boy,” said Garrett.
“What about the others under the bridge?” he asked.
“We got ‘em all,” said Akin. “They’re in temporary housing for now, but we’re going to help them all. It was bitterly cold under that damn bridge.”
“I’m sure it was,” nodded Skull.
They waved at Molly and Asia, as the women guided the kids that were permanent residents to the upstairs dormitory. On the way out, the men secured the door and headed back to Belle Fleur.
“It was a good day,” smiled Rory. Skull laughed.
“Yeah. It was a very good day.”