Part 6
Chris walked the boys into the house, pointing out the
different rooms as he led them up stairs to their rooms. He made sure that they knew that they were
Leading the way into the larger of the two rooms, Chris set the bags down on the bottom bunk. Turning to the two boys he said, “We have two rooms for you guys, but I wanted to get your opinion first. Vin, you can have the room next door by you self, or you can all be in here together.”
Vin didn’t hesitate at all before saying, “We’ll stay together,” and hugging JD close. When he saw Chris nod in agreement, he released a silent breath of relief.
Chris had expected that, and agreed readily. “We’ll move the other bed in here before Ezra is released. It’ll be a little tight maybe, but you should be pretty comfortable.” With that settle, all three fell to sorting out storage space and putting things away.
Chris marveled again at the differences and similarities in the two boys under his care. Both boys had picked out blue jeans and t-shirts. But while Vin had gone for plain shirts, or those with a slightly western look, JD had headed straight for the bright colors and cartoon characters, he seemed to have a decided bent for Blue’s Clues. A program about which Chris knew nothing. At least it wasn’t that damned annoy yellow sponge! He could take a blue dog long before he could stomach a talking sponge.
Both boys had been anxious when he had told them they could pick out what they wanted. It had taken a little convincing, but they had done it. Vin had even had the foresight to buy things a little bigger to give them growing room. He had confessed to Chris that he had just started his growth spurt. Chris frowned when he thought of the frightened expression that had been on the boys face as he told him. Apparently at some time in the past, Vin had been punished when he out grew his clothes. As if he had any control over it! Chris mentally snarled at the absent culprit.
Pulling himself out of the dour train of thought, Chris helped the boys fold clothes and stow them in the dresser drawers and stash the book bags in the bottom of the closet in preparation for the tests that were set to take place the beginning of the week, after Ezra was released. Chris was not really looking forward to that. According to the records he had seen, Vin was going to need a lot of help. He had been doing very poorly in school when he disappeared, and he had missed the last nineteen months of school to boot. JD wouldn’t be so bad as he should just be starting school at all. And he had no idea where Ezra stood. But if the way the boy spoke was any indication, he was a very bright boy, so he should be able to catch up anything that he was missing.
Just as he and Vin were finishing, Chris saw JD eyeing a set of painted wooden horses that were standing on the top of the dresser and smiled. “JD?” The small boy turned to look at him, he continued, “Go on and take a look, Vin and I can finish up.” JD smiled brilliantly and practically skipped over to investigate.
Hearing a chuckle from the young teen at his side he raised a questioning eyebrow. Vin just chuckled a little more before explaining, “JD has a short attention span, and more energy than I ever did. Even when I was that age!” Vin smile crookedly, “It’s nice to see him with something to look at and not have to check it out first to make sure it won’t hurt him.”
As he and Vin put away the last few things, Chris wonder
what it must have been like for Vin raising to small boys on his own, when he
was still a boy himself. Thinking again
though, he realized that Ezra was too
JD was very excited as he said, “Vin, this one’s like the one in Ezrwa’s storwies!”
A raised eyebrow at Chris got him a nod for him to go over and see what JD was talking about. Vin went over and looked, “Yeah, he is, JD.” Picking up the one JD was looking at, a black with a blazed face, “Looks just like Peso, don’t he, JD?”
Chris come over to look over their shoulders as they talk about the horse. He had made those for Adam, one before he was born, then one for each birthday after that. They had been a joint project between he and Sarah, he had carved them; then she painted them. Each horse was in a different pose. The one Vin had called Peso looked wild with his head thrown back in challenge, mane and tail flying. He watched as Vin carefully set the black down and picked up another from the back of the herd. This one was a smaller, playful looking bay.
“JD, don’t this sort of look like Bowler?” Vin asked, bring the five-year-old’s attention to it.
“Yeah,” JD cheered as he took the figure from his brother. JD delicately traced the figure with one finger before setting it beside the black they had already examine.
Vin looked sad for a moment, before saying, “JD, these horses weren’t made for Ezra’s stories. Just ‘cause there’s a couple that look like Peso and Bowler don’t mean there has to be one for Chaucer.”
“Oh,” JD sounded so disappointed Chris just had to ask.
“What are you boys talking about? Who are Bowler, Peso, and Chaucer?” Vin and JD jumped a little, since they had not been expecting the question, but they didn’t seem frightened, so he didn’t move away. He wanted them to get used to being around people again.
“Ezrwa makes up storwies. In the storwies, my horse is Bowlerw, ya
know like a bowlerw hat? He’s brown ‘n black and fr...frwisky! Ezrwa told me that means
playful. And Vin’s horse is Peso, he’s a
black musthang that the
Chris nodded his understanding, JD was concerned that Ezra would feel left out if his horse wasn’t in the group. While he had been thinking, Vin and JD had moved on and started to investigate other things in the room.
Clearing his throat, Chris said, “Vin, JD? I’m going to go down to the kitchen and start lunch. You can take the horses into the living room and play with them if you want.” Chris helped the boys carry the horses down stairs and set up on the floor, before leaving them to start the meal. It was a simple meal of sandwiches and soup, but he could see the additional groceries that Mz Nettie had delivered.
As he watched the boys eat a half hour later, he asked himself again what in the world he had gotten himself into.
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That evening after JD and Vin had gone to bed, Chris sat down heavily in his favorite chair in the living room. It had been a long day, and he wasn’t finished yet. He still had to wait for Buck to get home, and have a talk with him, then they would do evening chores. Thinking of feeding the horses, made Chris smile as he remembered JD’s reaction to the large animals.
The first thing that had come out of JD’s mouth when they entered the barn was, “There so big!” But even with his surprise at their size, he had shown absolutely no fear of them. Chris had to remind him twice not to try to enter the stalls with out someone else there to help him. Not the JD could open the stall doors by himself anyway. He had flitted from one stall to another oohing and aahing over each horse in turn, though Chris though he did seem to have a specific fondness for the bay colt that had been born a few months ago. He had to admit it was a handsome animal.
Chris was still smiling over the memory when he heard a small sound behind him and looked over his shoulder. At the base of stairs stood Vin, looking very uncomfortable and nervous. To help the boy make up his mind, Chris said, “Vin, do need something?” He had had a horrible time convincing Vin that he wouldn’t be punished if he asked for something.
Vin continued to stand at the foot of the stairs, and shifted his weight. “I’s need to talk ta ya’.”
Chris nodded and pointed to the end of the couch opposite him. “Why don’t you take a seat and get whatever it is off your chest.”
A ghost of a smile flitted over Vin’s face as he walked over and sat down. When Vin didn’t speak right away, Chris took the time to take a good look at him. The first major difference from the waif they had found thirty-six hours ago, was he was clean! That combined with clean clothes and good food for a full day had put a little color back in the boy’s face.
Finally, Vin heaved a big
Chris leaned forward slightly, not wanting to crowd Vin, but wanting to show his support. “Like what, Vin?”
Vin glanced up momentarily, before dropping his gaze to his hands, “Ezra don’t drink milk or eat cheese, it’ll make him sick if he does. You have to be real careful with his shoulder, cause it… dislocates easy.” Chris noted the way Vin carefully pronunciated the word. “He don’t like getting dirty, and he absolutely hates being locked up. He and I’s the same like that. He real smart, too.”
Chris nodded his understanding and encouraged Vin to continue.
Vin smiled slightly as he spoke, “JD’s different. He’s real smart like Ezra. Ezra’s been teaching him since we found him, but JD don’t sit still well. Ezra’d be happy just to sit and read for hours, JD wants to be up doin’ stuff. Ezra and me’ll try to keep him out of trouble, but sometimes he slips away from us,” Vin tried to reassure their new guardian.
Looking at Vin now, trying to explain his two adopted brothers to a complete stranger, Chris could easily have believed him to be sixteen to eighteen except for his size. It pained him that the boy had lost his childhood to the need to survive. “It’s all right, Vin. He’s a little boy, and boys get into trouble.” Chris watched the relief quickly fly across Vin’s face. When Vin didn’t say anything more, he asked, “What about you?” Suddenly the twelve-year-old across from him was made of steel, he was so tense.
“I’s just me. Nothing special. Ezra’s been helpin’ me with my schoolin’ since we met,” the way Vin looked away from Chris made him suspicious that there was more to it than that.
Very gently, Chris leaned forward and laid a hand on Vin’s arm. When he looked up at Chris, he said softly, “If there’s something you need me to know, like Ezra and the milk, just tell me. You won’t be punished for it.”
“I…” Vin seemed unable to continue, and Chris was about to
give up Vin finished, “I can’t read good.
Ezra figured out why and was helpin’ me, but
all the stuff was in the warehouse when they made us get out. We was hopin’ to be
able to sneak back in and get the rest of our stuff, but there weren’t
“Did Ezra ever tell you why you couldn’t read well?”
“Yeah, Ezra had something he called it, but I
“Dyslexia?” Chris asked. When Vin’s face lit with recognition, Chris sighed. For years this boy had endured the stigma of bad grades, because no one had taken the time to find out what the problem was. Vin had been slated to be moved into a “special education” class when he disappeared.
“Yeah, that’s it!” Vin was excited that Chris knew what he was talking about and seemed to believe him.
Curious about what Vin had said earlier, and wanting to get off a subject that was making his blood boil, Chris asked, “What all did you lose at the warehouse? Maybe I can find out it any of it was found and get it returned.”
A real smile of hope lit Vin face. “I still had my mother’s picture when I got off the bus, that was there. Ezra still had his Daddy’s watch and a deck of cards. And my coat and Ezra’s coat and shoes. Ezra had collected books people had thrown out, so we could all practice readin’. Blankets and stuff for keepin’ warm. Umm…some toys we salvaged for JD, a stuffed dog and couple small cars. And we had about ten dollars left from Ezra’s last game.” Vin suddenly shut up a look of fear filling his face.
Chris was instantly beside him, touching him and speaking softly, “What’s wrong, Vin?”
“You won’t punish him, will you? I know it was bad, but it was the only way!” Vin grabbed Chris’s wrist above where his hand rested on Vin’s arm and held on as he spoke.
Seeing the distress in Vin’s eyes, Chris spoke calmly, “Vin, you need to tell me exactly what you mean. I won’t punish Ezra for anything he’s done in the past,” Chris thought, It’s a miracle that they’ve survived, I’m not about to punish any of them for doing what was necessary to stay alive!
“Ezra’d play poker for money for food,” Vin confessed quietly, looking away from the kind man that had taken them in. When Chris remained silent, Vin rushed on, “It was the only way! I tried to get a real job, but no one’d hire me, cause I’s too young. One man tried to get me to…to…” Vin broke off shuddering in disgust at the memory. “But I couldn’t, not if there was any other way. Ezra wouldn’t of let me either, as long as he could win with the cards.”
Gambling, poker…Chris thought the boys might have turned to theft to stay alive, and Vin was confessing to Ezra playing poker like he expected to be thrown back onto the streets for it! And the rest of it! Chris swallowed the nausea that rose in his throat when Vin mentioned the man that had wanted Vin to work for him. It didn’t take much imagination to know what he would have wanted Vin to do. Vin was a beautiful child, and there would always be perverts that wanted to exploit that.
When Vin would down to a close, Chris reached out and lifted
Vin chin so that he could see his eyes.
The tears that had
“It’s all right, Vin. You did what was necessary to survive. Of course, I don’t want Ezra to gamble when he’s living here, but I definitely will not punish him for keeping you all alive.” Vin deflated immediately, and Chris pulled tired teen against his chest.
“He didn’t want to, but I couldn’t do it. It hurt him so much, but it was the only thing we could think of,” Vin mumbled, eyes just a little vacant as he remembered.
“What do you mean?” Chris asked puzzled.
“
Chris sat quietly holding the boy as he fell asleep, a comfort he thought had probably been a rare thing in his life. When he was sure he wouldn’t wake him up, Chris shifted his grip and stood, carrying the sleeping boy in his arms. Turning toward the stairs, he saw Buck stand just inside the front door. Neither of them had heard him come in. Jerking his head toward the couch, he indicated for Buck to wait for him, then started up stairs to put Vin to bed.
Chris carefully maneuvered into the boy’s room, trying to be very quiet so as not to wake JD, but to no avail. As soon as he stepped into the room, he heard a quiet voice whisper, “Vin?”
Just as quietly, he answered, “Nope, it’s Chris, JD. Vin fell asleep downstairs, so I brought him up.” He walked over, and seeing JD in the lower bunk, started to lay Vin in the top bunk.
“Mr. Chris?”
“Yes, JD,” Chris continued to maneuver Vin under the covers.
“Can…can Vin sleep down here with me?” asked that same small voice.
Chris smiled sadly, “Sure, JD.” They were so afraid of being separated, so afraid of adults period, he could barely believe Vin had trusted him the way he had downstairs.
Picking Vin up again, Chris let JD help him arrange him under the covers on the bottom bunk, then JD climbed in beside him and cuddled up. Chris couldn’t resisted stroking JD’s hair a couple of times before he turned and left the room. He thought about returning downs stairs directly, but decided to stop off to his room to retrieve a small box from the back of his closet first before rejoining Buck in the living room.
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He found Buck sitting on the couch where Vin had been earlier, looking equal parts shocked, appalled, and sorrowful. Chris could understand how he felt.
“How much of that did you hear?” Chris asked as he walked back over to his chair.
“When you asked him what they lost at the warehouse. God, Chris,” Buck rubbed his hand over his face.
Sitting down, he set the box he had brought down beside him on the floor. “Vin came down after JD was in bed to talk to me. Seems Ezra’s allergic to milk, or lactose intolerant, or what ever they call it. He wanted to warn me. And JD’s hyperactive, but I’d kind of figured that out this afternoon.” Chris grinned at Buck and received a matching grinning from his oldest friend who had had the same problem at that age. “One other big thing is that Vin may be dyslexic.”
Buck sat up straighter at that, frowning. “That wasn’t in his files.”
“No, apparently, Ezra recognized it and has been working with Vin on it. We’ll have to get it officially diagnosed, but Vin described it as the words not liking like everyone else sees them with the letters being out of order.” Chris raised his eyebrows at his friend as if asking what that sounded like to him.
Sighing, Buck nodded in agreement, “Sounds like dyslexia, alright. Damn, no one took the time to find out what was wrong before, did they?”
It wasn’t really a question, so Chris didn’t answer, instead he reached for the box on the floor. Placing it in his lap, he opened it and started pulling things from it.
Buck didn’t say a word as Chris started working on his project, just smiled and announced that he was going to go see to the horses. Chris grunted noncommittally and waved him on his way. He wanted to get this done before Ezra was released from the hospital.
