Published: 23 Nov 2023

From The Previous Chapter:

It took longer than normal for the traffic jam to unravel in front of the Main Gate that evening. That was, of course, because of the twenty or so, new faces who’d come to The Cove that day and the parents wanting to thank the owner of The Cove.

But before long, the Covers had regrouped, when all their guests were gone, and they were soon heading out the Main Gate themselves to go to dinner. The Four Corners Diner would be their eating place for that evening, where they would also talk about the day’s events and how well it did or didn’t go.

After the Covers arrived at the Four Corners Diner, Phillip stopped Mr. Ken, before they walked inside, as he wanted to say something to the man.

“Ah, Mr. Ken, I ahh … I want to apologize to you for … for what I called you earlier today,” began the young Cover. “It just … it just slipped out, and I’m … I’m sorry,” finished Phillip.

“And what was that you said?” asked the foster dad, full knowing that the youngster had called him, ‘dad’ out at the Main Gate, in front of his friends.

“Well,” began a somewhat embarrassed Phillip, “you know, when I … when I called you … ‘dad’. I never called you that before, and it just … it just came out. I’m sorry,” the young foster boy said as he apologized again

“Phillip … you’ve been with me for what … six weeks now, and you’ve heard three of the boys call me ‘dad’, and I think … that it was just a matter of time that you would pick it up. So, for me, there is no apology necessary. So, please … don’t feel embarrassed about calling me ‘dad’, and there is no apology necessary. OK, young man?” offered a smiling ‘dad’ Ken.

Phillip stood there thinking that he would be yelled at, but here was his foster dad telling him that it was OK for him to call him ‘dad’, if he wanted to. The young foster boy felt relieved at what he just heard, and he grabbed for the man and hugged him.

“Thank you, Mr. Ken … ahh ‘dad’. I … I was afraid that you’d be mad at me for, you know, calling you that. Ahh, ‘dad’, ahhh, I also wanted to ask you if it would be OK if I invited Ty over again tomorrow. It was great having someone new playing with us, and he plays very well. I think you heard us, so what do you think?” now asked the young Cover.

“Well, now … are you asking me to tell you how well I thought you played, or … are you asking me if you can invite Ty back over tomorrow,” teased Mr. Ken, with a smile.

Phillip saw the smile, so he knew the man was giving him a difficult time because of the way he worded his question. So, Phillip decided to tease his foster dad back by telling him that he knew they played well, but he still wanted to know if Ty could come back tomorrow. Phillip now had a smile on his face.

“You scamp, you,” called out ‘dad’ Ken, as he grabbed for the boy and began to tickle him. “For that you can call Ty, and tell him he can come back tomorrow.”

Phillip squirmed and laughed, as he was tickled, and when he heard that he could invite Ty back tomorrow, he said “Thanks, Mr. err ‘dad’.” Mr. Ken then let up on the tickle attack and the two joined the rest of the Covers in the Diner.

“Dad,” began Robert, “is everything OK?”

“Why do you ask, son?” returned the teen’s dad.

“Well, you two were outside for quite some time, talking, and … well, it usually doesn’t take that long to tell us, ‘No’,” teased, the teenager.

“Yes, everything is OK, son. Phillip … he had a question, or two, he wanted answered. So, he decided to ask them out there instead of waiting until we got back home, because it might be too late, then,” replied the teen’s dad.

“But then why didn’t he ask them inside here, so, you know, so that we all could know what he asked,” persisted Robert.

‘Dad’ Ken was going to answer his son, but Phillip spoke up. The young Cover told his ‘brothers’, and Mr. Wayne, that he almost made a big mistake at the Main Gate by asking him a question, in front of his friends. The youngest Cover told them that he was apologizing to his foster dad for almost doing that. Phillip then added he also asked ‘dad’ Ken if he could invite Ty back, so he could play with the band tomorrow.

The fact that Phillip said ‘dad’ Ken went straight over the other boy’s heads, but it didn’t escape Mr. Wayne’s attentive ears. The Estate Master smiled at the young Cover’s use of the term ‘Dad’ Ken’, and figured that he would soon begin to hear the youngster call Mr. Ken, ‘dad’.

After the Cover’s ordered their dinner, ‘dad’ Ken asked each of the boys to tell him how they saw that the day went. The boys looked around at one another before Billy decided to go first.

“Mr. Ken … the day was just like the other days, when we invited other classmates to The Cove. The only difference that I could see was that some of the boys … I think they paid more attention to a few of the girls, Molly in particular, if I remember her name right, that they may not have otherwise,” now chuckled the older Cover teenager.

Robert went next and he told his dad that he thought the day went well. He said it was nice having friends over who’d never been to The Cove, and he got to explain about their home and what they got to do on a regular basis. He also added that a few of the boys did spend more time with some of the girls than usual, but nothing nefarious happened that he could tell. The teen then laughed. Billy laughed right along with him.

Charles went next and he told his dad that Erin was very happy her dad let her come to The Cove. He said she couldn’t say enough about the Pavilion, the Cove Skate Park, and especially about his ‘brothers’ band, and how well they played for being so young.

The Cover teenager added that the two girls who’d been there before helped with filling Erin and Kiera in about The Cove, and all the things they get to do there. Charles said he showed the two girls the cove and they said they wished they could come back during the summer and try the water toys out.

Matthew said that he was embarrassed for Molly, and the way she was allowing all the boys to help her learn to skateboard better. The pre-teen said he never saw a girl be so outward with boys, and that maybe he was just not observant and that this was what people call a ‘wake-up’ for him. Matthew continued and said other than that, he thought his friends had a good time and that even Bailey commented that having the cheese and bacon for the burgers was the best thing ever.

The boys then looked at Phillip. The youngest Cover told everyone that with Ty playing his guitar and joining in with his friends the band sounded awesome. He told everyone that his four friends were impressed with everything he had to do there, and he knew they all wished they could come back. He then told his ‘brothers’ that Mr. Ken told him he could invite Ty back again tomorrow, and that he would, as soon as he could either call, or text, him. Phillip then said he hoped that he could invite the other three back over, when they return from their trip.

As the Covers ate, ‘dad’ Ken told the boys that he thought the day went well. He told them that the parents he showed around were impressed with what they saw, and especially with what they saw out in the cove. He added that he too felt that they hoped that their boy or girl could come back again one day. He told the boys they would have to talk about that once they return from their trip.

Being it was a Saturday night, the boys wanted to drive the Go-Karts. ‘Dad’ Ken relented, but told them that it would be one race, and not two, and late into the night, as he allowed them one other time.

When the Covers walked over to the track, they could see that there had been quite a bit of progress on the infrastructure for the amusement park their ‘dad’ was building between the Go-Kart Track and the Miniature Golf course. Of course, the boys asked when it would be finished, and all ‘dad’ Ken would tell them was, “It will be done, when it is done.” He then laughed.

While the boys waited in line, Robert told Phillip he wasn’t going to let him beat him again. Phillip told him not to be preoccupied with holding off an opponent, and forgetting there were other drivers out there. The three other boys all laughed at what the youngest Cover said in return.

When it was time to get into their karts, the Covers found themselves in the last five go-karts because of how they were in line. Robert and Phillip were across from one another as Billy was in front of them, as the odd man in the lane of two, with Charles and Matthew seated in the last two karts.

Being at the back of the pack meant the Covers would have to drive without mistakes and hope that the people in front of them would make a ton of them, if they ever had a chance to win. Phillip wasn’t concerned about winning. All the youngest Cover cared about was finishing in front of Robert.

Mr. Ken and Mr. Wayne watched from outside the fence, as the five boys drove around the track. Both men were rooting for Phillip; hoping for him to finish in front of the other four boys. They could see that the boy was driving hard and that Robert was giving him a rough time out on the track, trying to have him make a mistake.

Charles and Matthew were also giving their two ‘brothers’ a hard time, as they tried to pass them. They didn’t bother Phillip, too much, as he had only one goal, which was to finish ahead of Robert. But Robert didn’t like being passed and, besides fighting off Phillip, he found himself fighting off Charles and Matthew and that was his undoing.

And just as what happened the last time Robert raced, he over drove his go-kart and Phillip took advantage and raced ahead of his teen ‘brother’, when Robert tried to block Charles. It was when Phillip got ahead of him that Robert realized he’d made a grave mistake, and that it probably cost him, again.

In the end, the Cover’s finished Billy, Phillip, Charles, Robert and then Matthew. Robert was pissed, but not at Phillip, but at himself, as he was only to blame, as he took his mind off his youngest ‘brother’, in order to keep his other brother from passing him, thus allowing Phillip to race ahead of him and finish before him.

“Phillip … you did it again. You raced a fine race tonight, and I have to say you are getting better the more you drive,” offered Robert, as he shook his youngest ‘brother’s’ hand.

Phillip smiled as he received his older ‘brothers’ praise. His other ‘brothers’ also came up to him and shook his hand and told him he is now a driver to be reckoned with out on the track and they will give him no mercy. Then they all laughed.

‘Dad’ Ken heard what was said, and he was thankful he had a great group of boys living with him. He then called out to the group of Covers and told them to get in the van as they were headed home.

Phillip asked if they were stopping for some ice cream. When Mr. Ken asked him why they should stop, the young Cover said to celebrate his beating Robert, again. Everyone laughed, including ‘dad’ Ken. Billy, driving at night to get his night time driving hours in, stopped so they all could get their ice cream.

When the Covers returned to The Cove, sans ice Cream for Chief, they quickly headed to the Study where ‘dad’ Ken reviewed what would happen in the following week. The man mentioned that only Phillip and Matthew had appointments with Doctor Doug that week, and that their older ‘brother’ Collin was due to arrive sometime that Thursday and that he would be with them throughout most of the weekend. The boys all had smiles on their faces when they heard that.

Mr. Ken then reminded the boys that before they headed out on their trip, he was going to take them all out shopping for new summer clothes. He added that it would probably be early in the week after the Holiday weekend, so they could get them all washed and ready for the trip. He then told them to start setting aside any clothes that are getting too small for them, are worn or torn. He asked the boys to see if they fit any of their ‘brothers’ to use for after-school play, but if not then to gather them all up and he’d have Mr. Chris donate them to a worthy charity.

When the boys didn’t have any questions about what they were supposed to do about their old worn-out clothes, Mr. Ken then brought out something that the boys had never seen before. It was the color paint fan decks, which Mr. Dennis had picked up last week, and represented more than 2000 of each of the available colors that two of the major independent paint stores had available.

“Boys … remember me asking you if you wanted to have your rooms painted, while we were on our trip? Well, Mr. Dennis … he went out and got these two-color paint fan decks, along with a number of paint chip cards, of the colors that Mr. Wayne told him to look for.

“What I want you all to do is look through them and select the color that you’d like to have your room painted, while we’re gone. Now, there will be no exotic colors like black, red, dark green et cetera. You can choose a light to medium color, but I will obviously have to approve of your color selection. The hallway and bathrooms will also be painted, while we’re gone, so the entire area looks clean when we return. I’m also going to have the carpets steam cleaned.

“Now, before I go any further … do any of you know of anything in your rooms that needs to be fixed or tightened up? If you’re not sure, check and let me, or Mr. Wayne, know, so that way Mr. Chris can have it fixed before the painters and carpet cleaners are here.

“I also wanted to remind you that Chief … that she has been seeing another Golden Retriever named Sully, while you’ve been at school. And, if everything goes right, she is probably going to have a litter of puppies sometime around the end of July.

“When that happens … there is going to be a lot of activity around here surrounding the new born puppies, and all of you … you will be asked to help with taking care of the pups. I’ll tell you more about that when the time comes. In the meantime, you probably won’t begin to see any changes in Chief right away. But my guess is that when we get back from our trip you will notice a slight change in our resident pet.

“I want you to be aware that Chief …that she will not be able to do all the playful things she does now with you. She will be laying around a lot and resting more than normal, as her body is developing the new pups inside of her. She will also be eating more, and we’ll have a new food for her that will give her better nutrition, so she can hopefully birth healthy pups.

“Now, we do not know how many puppies she will have. There is a chance she could have anywhere from five to ten puppies in her litter. That is why you will be asked to help with the taking care of them, as Chief will be very busy, if she has a large litter. Again, more about that as we get closer to her due date.

“Tomorrow, Bill, I believe, had planned to clean the restrooms up at the Pavilion before the end of the day, so they are fresh and clean for our Memorial Day Picnic next Saturday. Also, let’s make sure both soda machines are fully stocked, and I’ll have Mr. Wayne and Mr. Dennis go out and buy additional drinks, next week, so that you can refill the machines during the day of the Picnic, so we don’t run out.

“Boys this was a long meeting, but necessary as this will be a busy next two weeks and then afterwards when Chief has her litter of pups. Now, do any of you have anything for me?” finished ‘dad’ Ken.

It was Phillip who asked if anyone thought if the dinner bell, or triangle, was the best way to call people to the barbeque. Charles spoke up and said that they only used each of them once, and he felt they need to use them a few times to get a feel for how they both sound, and then they can pick the one they felt works best. Billy and Robert agreed with Charles, so ‘dad’ Ken said that they’d wait until the first of July to decide, since they will be gone for two weeks. The boys all agreed.

When the meeting was over, Billy and Robert each took one of the paint color fan decks and headed up to their rooms. The other three boys took the color paint chips and headed to their rooms, to see if those were what they wanted.

Mr. Ken asked Wayne what he thought about letting the boys pick the color of their rooms. The Estate Master reasoned that the boys needed to start making decisions and then he, and Mr. Ken, needed to talk to them about their decision, and if it was a good choice or not. Wayne added that the boys are well mannered and adjusted, and that they all had a good head on their shoulders, and this would give them a chance to be responsible young men.

When the two men went upstairs to say goodnight to the boys, they heard them all talking in Bill’s room about what color they should pick for their rooms. They had to laugh when they heard Charles tell Robert he should pick pink.

“So, we’re still choosing colors are we,” teased ‘dad’ Ken.

“Yea, Charles wants Robert to pick hot pink,” spoke up a laughing Phillip.

“Hot pink, huh? I’d have to change the drapes and probably the carpet if he picked that color. So, what do you say son? You gonna go with the Hot Pink?” teased the teen’s dad.

“Daaad,” replied Robert, “it’s not Hot Pink! It’s a warm pink … with subtle hints of fuchsia blended in,” added the smiling teenager.

“So, tell me son … what’s the difference,” asked the teen’s dad.

“Well, dad, if you must know,” responded the still smiling teen, “fuchsia appears to have more of a … a purple shade to it, while a hot pink … it has more of the red color in it, and it is lighter and … and it is brighter than fuchsia.”

“OK, great, thanks for the clarification. But you can’t have any of those colors in your room,” announced the teen’s dad, with a big smile. “So, continue looking towards the pastels, or the off-whites, with a hint of the base color you want to shine through. And you don’t have to pick out the color tonight. You have up until that Wednesday, or Thursday, before we leave for our trip to let me or Mr. Wayne know.

“And you know what? If you want, I can have Ms. Mary, Mary Taylor, the woman who designed the interior of this house, and the new office building to stop by and help you out. That is if you want me to ask her. And take your time, but remember … NO loud colors. Now, go to your rooms, so we can say goodnight to you. Chop, chop,” commanded ‘dad’ Ken with a smile.

The men said their goodnights to all of the boys and then Mr. Wayne headed over to his apartment. Mr. Ken went and settled into his own retreat, and after getting ready for bed he practically fell right to sleep after his head hit his pillow, he was that tired.

Ken Thomas awoke with a start. For some reason when he woke up that morning, he felt like he was late for something. But when he checked the time and date on his phone, he realized it was only 8:15 and it was Sunday morning. He had slept right through the night after going to bed. He told himself that he needed to get bed sooner more and not let the problems from the office rule him at home.

The owner of The Cove proceeded to take care of his morning ablutions, then he dressed in his usual nylon shorts, t-shirt and Crocs, and he went outside to retrieve his Sunday morning newspaper.

When the man entered the kitchen Nook, he placed the newspaper on the table at his regular seat, took out his favorite coffee cup and filled it with hot coffee, added the right amount of milk and sugar, and then he sat down and began to separate the newspaper as he always did.

Mr. Ken was well into reading the different sections of the Sunday paper when Phillip came into the Nook.

“Mr. Ken, ahh ‘dad’, …is it too early to call Ty to ask him if he can come over today?” Phillip wanted to know.

‘Dad’ Ken thought about it for a few moments and then told the young Cover, “Well, Phillip, you don’t know if he and his family goes to church, or not, so … it might be best if you texted him first. And, then, if you don’t hear back from him, let’s say by … 10:30, then you could call him. Does that sound OK to you?” now asked ‘dad’ Ken.

“I guess so. I’ve never had friends like I have here, and … and I just don’t know what I’m supposed to do. We got so busy with the meeting in the Study, and then … and then we all started looking at the color paint fan thing, that I totally forgot to call him last night. That’s why I asked you,” replied the youngest Cover.

“Well, then, text him first, Phillip. He might be at church. Then, if you don’t get a reply; then call him. That’s what I would do,” counseled the boy’s foster dad.

Phillip took out his cell phone and texted Ty and told him that he could come over at twelve noon, if he wanted, and to either call him or text him if he was coming, or not. Phillip then went and took care of Chief’s water and kibble bowls, before searching for his own breakfast.

It was while Phillip was eating his cereal that Charles hurried into the Kitchen Nook and asked his dad if he would take them out for breakfast. The teen’s dad looked at the time and told his teenaged son that it was already going on 9:30 and he felt it was way too late to get everyone ready and then eat, and be back in time to meet their friends.

Charles was disappointed and then asked his dad to do that next Sunday. But the teen’s dad said that they would have company that weekend with his ‘brother’ Collin, and Mr. Nathan and Mr. Owen and their boys. The teen quickly recovered and then asked his dad if he’d take them out for breakfast on Monday.

The teen’s dad laughed at the persistence of his son. He knew Charles loved to go out to eat breakfast, so he told the teenager that he should remind him later in the week, and he promised he would take them all out for breakfast on Monday. Charles told his dad he would hold him to that promise. The teen then went over and hugged his dad, who returned the hug.

By then the other three boys had arrived in the Nook to have breakfast, and they heard the tail end of the conversation. As they either heated up Momma’s breakfast tacos, or poured cereal into a bowl and added some fruit, they talked to Charles about what he and his dad talked about.

It was while the boys were eating that Phillip’s cell phone sounded that he had a text. The boy quickly grabbed it off the table to see if it was Ty responding to his earlier text. His four other ‘brothers’ didn’t know about Phillip’s earlier text to Ty, so they were curious as to why their ‘brother’ would be getting a text that early in the day.

“‘Dad’, he said he could come over,” beamed the eleven-year-old. “And his dad wants to talk to you about the electric guitar you got for me, when they get here.”

“OK, Phillip, tell him that we’ll meet them at the Main Gate at twelve noon,” spoke up ‘dad’ Ken.

When Phillip used the term ‘dad’, the other four boys took notice, and when the exchange between their youngest ‘brother’ and ‘dad’ Ken was over, they asked him when did he start calling his foster dad, ‘dad’?

“Boys … leave it be. He’s heard you three call me ‘dad’ for six weeks now, and it just came out naturally. So, I told him it was OK for him to call me that,” quickly spoke up ‘dad’ Ken, to stop any potential misunderstandings, or making the boy feel bad for calling him ‘dad’.

Phillip then spoke up and told his ‘brothers’, “I … I never had someone that I could call … dad. Yea, I have a father, but … but he’s never around. And just like Mr. Ken said, it just came out naturally and it kinda feels … if feels good to have someone I can call ‘dad’, even if he isn’t my real dad,” finished the young Cover, who had tears sliding down his cheeks.

Mr. Ken saw the tears, so he went over to the boy and pulled him out of his seat and hugged him. Billy knew that his ‘brother’ needed to feel ‘loved’ right then, so he got up from his chair and joined in the hug. Charles did the same and before long Matthew and Robert were in the group hug.

When the hug broke up, Phillip thanked his foster dad for doing that. Then the boy thanked his ‘brothers’ for coming to hug him, too, as he told them he could feel that they loved him and it made him feel something he hadn’t felt in a long time. Billy patted him on his back and Phillip smiled at his big ‘brother’.

“Boys … have you given any more thought to the color you want to paint your room?” asked ‘dad’ Ken.

“I like the tan colors, but there are so many of them,” started Phillip, “so, I think I’ll need a few more days to decide. I just wish I had more paint chips to hang on the walls, so I could see what they would look like,” finished the young Cover.

“Well, maybe after dinner tonight we can stop at the big home fix-it stores and see what they have there, and get a few more of those paint chips for you. Boys … would any of you want some, too?” finished ‘dad’ Ken.

Matthew said he agreed with Phillip that having some bigger paint samples would be nice. The pre-teen added that posting them on the wall for a few days would give him a chance to study the colors to see which of the ones he liked best. Charles agreed with Matthew, so Mr. Ken told the boys that after dinner they’d stop at the bigger hardware stores and look at the paint colors and grab some of the paint chips off their color selection charts.

The boys then headed upstairs to get cleaned up for the day. On the way up the stairs, Matthew asked Phillip if any of his other friends from yesterday were also coming over. Phillip told him he only asked if Ty could come back, as he wanted to play with the band and none of the other boys played an instrument.

Matthew then asked him if he thought he might be making enemies out of the other three. Phillip thought about the question for a few moments, and then answered that he hoped that they would understand. Phillip then added that he was going to ask their ‘dad’ if he could have them all come back after they returned from their trip. Matthew told his ‘brother’ to make sure he tells them that tomorrow at school.

Phillip anxiously waited for Ty to show that Sunday. By adding the third guitarist, the band’s sound increased exponentially, and he felt that Ty was a good fit to their group.

When Preston and Bryson saw Ty arrive, they were totally surprised. Then they saw Ty and his dad go over and talk to Mr. Ken. The two boys quickly asked Phillip how it was that Ty was there again, today. Phillip told them that he felt that Ty added a lot to the band, and he wanted to see if Weston and Jeffrey felt the same way.

Phillip’s two friends then asked if he knew why they were talking to Mr. Ken. The Cover told them that Ty’s dad wanted to talk to his ‘dad’ about his new electric guitar.

“Did you just call Mr. Ken, your … your dad?” asked Preston.

“Yea, all my ‘brothers’, well, all of them except Billy … they call him ‘dad’, and I just … well, I asked him if I could call him that, too. And he said I could. I never had someone to call, ‘dad’, and it feels … well, good to me to say it,” revealed Phillip, with a smile.

Just then Weston and Jeffrey arrived and Phillip had to explain all over, to them, why Ty was there again, today. Both boys agreed that adding the third guitar added so much more to the band, and they were all for adding Ty to their group.

As the five were talking, Ty came over to them and cheerfully told them that his dad was going to buy him the same electric guitar Phillip had. The boy said that his dad was always against buying him one because he thought they were so expensive. But Ty continued and explained that when his dad heard what Mr. Ken paid and from where he got it, he decided it would be a good beginning step for me, just as Mr. Ken decided for Phillip.

The five boys were happy for Ty and then Weston asked how soon he would get his new guitar. Ty said Mr. Ken told his dad that it might take five to seven days depending on when he ordered it and with the Holiday coming up it, that could also delay it to the full seven days.

Phillip reminded Ty that as soon as school was over the following Friday, he and his ‘brothers’ would be gone for at least ten and maybe up to twelve days, depending on how long they stay at his ‘dad’s’ new amusement park.

Upon hearing Phillip call Mr. Ken, ‘dad’, Ty had to ask the question. The Cover knew it was coming, so he gave him the same explanation he’d given the other boys. Ty said he totally understood and he was happy for his friend.

Ty then asked if Kurt, Tony and Travis were also coming over. Phillip told him, and thus the other boys, that he only invited him, since he could play an instrument, and he added so much to the band. The Cover added that once he returned from their trip, he plans to ask his ‘dad’ if he could invite the others back over and he plans to tell them that at school tomorrow. All the boys were happy to hear that.

The six boys then hurried over to the Pavilion, so they could jam some.

The rest of the Covers’ friends were also arriving and heading over to the Pavilion. Eric and Robert quickly headed down to the shed to get out the zero-turn mower and trimmer/edger to begin cutting the field for next Saturday. Mr. Wayne was also there waiting for Billy, as he had a proposition for the oldest Cover teenager and possibly one of his friends.

“Hey Bill, can I talk with you for a few minutes?” called out the Estate Master. “I have a proposition I want to run by you that you might be interested in,” added a smiling Mr. Wayne.

Billy walked over to the man and the two of them walked away from the rest of the teen’s friends, so the two of them could talk about what the Estate Master had in mind.

“Bill … I know you asked if you could get a job this summer, but I don’t think with all that goes on here at The Cove, that it will not be in the cards. But … what I can do for you is give you an opportunity for you to make some money. You interested?” began Mr. Wayne.

Billy didn’t know what to say, so he asked the Estate Master to tell him more about what it was that he would have to do, and how much would he be making an hour.

“Well, Bill … let’s first talk about what the job entails. Over time, I’ve noticed that The Cove’s estate perimeter walls … that they were getting dingy with mold and with splashed-up dirt from the rains before the grasses began to grow. And now that we have two pressure washers, what would you say to being hired to tackle the job of cleaning those walls, on both sides, that you can get to, as well as the whole Main Gate guard shack and the entire driveway?” asked Mr. Wayne.

Billy stood there stunned at the job he was asked to do. So, he asked if he was going to do that job all by himself. Mr. Wayne told the Cover teen that he could do the job by himself all summer long, if he chose to, or he could ask one of his friends to help him along the way.

Billy thought about that for a few moments, and then he asked how much he would be paid. Mr. Wayne said he would be paid $12.50 an hour. Bill then asked how much his friend would be paid, if he asked one to help him. The Estate Master told the teen that his friend would also be paid the same amount.

“When would we start?” finally asked Billy

“You could start today, albeit slowly, to get a handle on how you want to attack the problem. But we would expect you to work at a steady pace, once you get the process down,” replied Mr. Wayne.

After thinking about the job for a few moments more, Billy decided to accept the job. The Estate Master then asked Billy who he’d like to have work with him. The teen Cover suggested Lonnie. Mr. Wayne called Lonnie over to talk to him about the job he just offered Billy, and that his friend had suggested him to help with the job. The teen immediately said yes.

Mr. Wayne then asked Lonnie to call his parents to make sure it would be OK with them. Lonnie asked him why, and the Estate Master told him that he would need to get his parent’s permission before he could start, as he would have to establish work hours and that seeing school was almost over and the teens could only work Saturdays and Sundays until then and Monday through Saturday afterwards, until the job was done. Lonnie quickly called his parents, Claire and Luis Crosshairs, and got their approval.

Billy’s other friends, who were now sixteen themselves, were talking about looking for jobs, too, so they were surprised that Billy and Lonnie would at least be making some money that summer. Mr. Wayne heard the teenagers talking about where they were planning to submit their applications, and he suggested they also watch for the announcement for openings at Mr. Ken’s new amusement park at Four Corners.

The boys wanted to hear more, so Mr. Wayne told them that all the construction between the Go-Kart Track and the Miniature Golf Course was the infrastructure for new rides that Mr. Ken would be installing, hopefully, before the first of July. The boys began asking where they should send their applications. The Estate Master told them he would hopefully know more by next weekend, and for them to ask him then.

The Estate Master had Billy and Lonnie get out one of the pressure washers and a rotating surface cleaner and take it up to the Main Gate where he would show them how he wanted them to clean the perimeter walls.

When the teens had the pressure washer all hooked up, and ready to go, Mr. Wayne wanted to show them what he envisioned them doing, before they actually did it. As the man picked up the rotating surface cleaner, he found that the large device was heavier than he thought it was and he was having a difficult time holding it against the wall.

“Boys … you get the idea, but I think these rotating surface cleaners are going to be far too heavy for you to hold against the wall. You can try it, but I’m going to have to buy you something smaller that should also be lighter,” announced the Estate Master.

Both Lonnie and Billy picked up the surface cleaner before turning the pressure washer on and they both felt the weight of it and decided that Mr. Wayne was right. The teens then took everything back to the Pavilion, as they would use the pressure washer before the end of the day to clean both restrooms, so they would be clean for the Memorial Day Picnic next weekend.

Phillip and his friends jammed practically all day. They only stopped to eat and then they went back to playing. They were having fun and learning about playing together.

Robert and Charles’ friends were dismayed that they weren’t old enough to work when they heard that Billy and Lonnie were going to be working at The Cove to clean the perimeter walls. They were even more dismayed that they couldn’t even work at Mr. Ken’s new amusement park at Four Corner’s when it opened around the first of July.

After the barbeque was over and everything was put away and the soda machines were filled for next weekend’s picnic, it was decided it was time to clean the restrooms. Billy had Phillip and Matthew take out the paper products, so they wouldn’t be ruined. Then he and Lonnie each used one of the pressure washers to clean one of the restrooms. They even used the siphonhose dipped in a cleaning solution to add a level of cleaning which also added a clean smell to the entire restroom.

When the cleaning was over, the boys squeegeed the floors and then wiped down the mirrors, sinks, stall walls and porcelain toilets and urinals in order for them to dry quicker. Matthew and Phillip then returned the paper products back in their holders to compete the project.

Since it was a Sunday, all of the Cover’s friends had to leave by five o’clock. When all of the boys were gone, Mr. Ken gathered up his ‘boys’ and when they were all cleaned up, they went out for dinner. When dinner was over, Mr. Ken took them out to the hardware stores, so the boys could get better examples of the color paint chip colors they wanted to paint their rooms. The man had Billy drive to get more of his night time driving hours in.

A few of the boys really wanted to drive the Go-Karts first, but Mr. Ken nixed that, as he wanted them to first have the color paint chips. He knew the hardware stores closed earlier on Sunday’s, and he wasn’t sure they would be finished driving the karts, and then if they would have enough time to get to the stores. They did stop at Mr. Ken’s Kreamy Kone for some ice cream before returning home.

When the boys returned home, Mr. Ken held a quick meeting in the Study. He reviewed which boy had Doctor Doug appointments, and he reminded them that he would take them out to get new summer clothes either that week or next.

When the meeting was over, the boys hurried up to their rooms to put the color paint chip cards on their walls to see what they looked like. Wayne asked Mr. Ken if that was a good idea to allow the boys to place the color paint chip cards on the walls.

Mr. Ken reasoned that if the walls were going to be painted it shouldn’t hurt. Wayne just shrugged his shoulders. He then told his boss that he was going to have to buy smaller and lighter surface cleaners to use to clean the perimeter walls, as the floor ones were way too heavy for the boys to hold against the perimeter walls.

After the two men discussed the paint chips and perimeter wall cleaning, the two men went upstairs to say goodnight to the boys. They were surprised that each of the boys had multiple color paint chips pasted to their walls. Mr. Ken asked them why they did that and they all said they wanted to see what the different colors looked like and, from that, they felt they could better choose the color as they saw them every day.

‘Dad’ Ken told them that as long as they selected a color by the middle of next week, that wasn’t loud and one that he could approve of, he was OK with it.

When ‘dad’ Ken got to Phillip’s room, the boy thanked him for allowing Ty to come over that day. The boy also told his ‘dad’ that with the added guitar he felt they sounded much better, as a band. The young Cover also said that they talked and they all agreed they needed to start practicing the same songs, and that after he came back from his trip, they would start doing that.

‘Dad’ Ken told his foster son that it sounded like a great plan, and he looked forward to hearing them as the summer progressed. The two hugged and then Mr. Ken headed down to his own personal retreat to get ready for bed himself.

It had been a busy weekend for the owner of The Cove, and he was looking forward to a good night’s sleep. The Cove was quiet the whole night through.

The saga of Three Finger Cove continues. Let Chowhound know you are reading his story: Chowhnd at Gmail dot Com

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