Date: Wed, 18 Jul 2007 09:35:15 -0700 (PDT)
From: crispin emrys <crispinemrys@yahoo.com>
Subject: Crispin-and-Zephyr/Part-1-Crispin/Chapter-14
Finally, Chapter 14. The Prologue and Chapters 1-13 appeared on Nifty
this winter. They have been extensively revised (especially Prologue and
Chapter 13) and Chapter 13 has been completed. You might enjoy reading
or rereading them.
These stories are the product of my imagination. However, nothing happens
in a vacuum. Like most fiction, it is based on real people I have met,
places and events I have seen.
It may be against the law to read this where you are because of its
content or your age. Or you may feel uncomfortable reading it because of
the belief systems you have accepted. Follow the dictates of your
heart. If you do read this series, I sincerely hope you enjoy it.
When this five part story is completed, it will have told the tale of one
boy and one man and how their intimate relationship and love for each
other led to the creation of a modern day legion of boy knights. These
knights errant became young champions of human and social rights and
defenders of the weak and the downtrodden. These Boy Knights of the
Green Republic reveal the true meaning, purpose and power of boyhood.
You may be aware of the etymology of the word knight, that it is derived
from the Old English cniht, meaning page boy, or servant, or simply boy.
Knighthood, as in the Old English cnihthad, had the meaning of
adolescence, that most intriguing period between childhood and manhood.
In this sense every boy is a knight, and in my estimation a potential
knight errant.
Copyright 2007 Crispin Emrys. All Rights Reserved.
This series may be displayed on any website so long as no money is
charged for access and attribution is retained. Just ask permission
first. Thanks.
This project is dedicated
to Guy Davenport, gentle genius and unsurpassed writer of short
stories
to every Crispin and Zephyr in this or any other world,
and to you the reader that you may be encouraged by it.
I am Crispin Emrys at crispinemrys@yahoo.com. Please feel free to
contact me. I always enjoy hearing from readers.
What has happened so far: Index for Part I -- Crispin
February 1999
Chap 1 -- Robbie and Tanner
Chap 2 -- Alex and Misha
Chap 3 -- Dr. Gwen Powell-Jones's job offer
Chap 4 -- Robbie and Cris
March 1999
Chap 5 -- Plane Boy -- Cody Clarke
Chap 6 -- Cris and Gwen
Chap 7 -- Cris and Cody bond
Chap 8 -- Cris and Cody: mountain adventure
Chap 9 -- Cody stays with Cris
Chap 10 -- Cris finds a new home
April-May 1999
Chap 11 -- Cris closes his affairs in San Francisco
Chap 12 -- Adventures with Robbie and Cris
May 1999
Chap 13 -- Colorado or bust; Cody and Robbie
Because of the large cast of characters, I thought it would be helpful to
the reader to have a list. Ages are for March, 1999.
Crispin Emrys Wydham
Chipper Sutherland
Anna (Annie) Rothko
Aleksey Rothko (Alex, Alyosha, Alyoshka) -- 13
Mikhail/Michael Rothko (Misha, Mishka) [1983-1996]
Robbie -- 15
Summer -- Robbie's mother -- 32
Tanner [1984-1998]
Adam -- Tanner's brother -- 10
Gwendolyn Powell-Jones
Cullen "Cully" Powell -- 23
Major Theresa (Terri) Clarke -- 35
Jonathan Cody Clarke -- 11
Uncle Billy Clarke -- 33
Paul - Uncle Billy's partner -- 22
Rick Van Horn -- 43
Lizzie Van Horn -- 41
Ricky Van Horn -- 11
Ramie Van Horn -- 10
Jordie Van Horn -- 8
Benji Van Horn -- 7
Brian Logan -- 35
Dane Logan -- 36
Jamie Logan -- 10
Stevie Logan -- 8
Crispin and Zephyr
Part 1 - Crispin
Chapter 14
May 1999
Boulder
It had been several days since Robbie had flown back to San
Francisco. He and Crispin continued to communicate almost daily, either
by phone or email. Robbie was really excited about the summer high
school enrichment program he was invited to attend at UC Berkeley and was
happy to be back in the groove of swimming practice, which occupied his
time and his mind, though he sometimes complained about how boring it
could be doing nothing but repetitive laps. That they missed each other
was abundantly clear, but that they had to move on with their lives was
also essential. So, as Robbie became involved in his San Francisco life,
Cris did the same with his new life in Boulder.
He began by finishing up his apartment, hanging the last of the
photographs and drawings, purchasing a few odds and ends to make living
more comfortable, and getting his extensive book and media library in
order. By the weekend, Cris was running out of things to do around the
old homestead. He managed to spend Saturday morning tinkering with
things in the kitchen and moving some of the furniture into more
harmonious arrangements. As he sat at his desk sipping a mid morning cup
of coffee, looking at the picture of Misha sitting next to his computer
the idea popped into his mind to call Alex a call and see if he could
come for a visit sometime that month. When he phoned Annie answered.
Cris had first met Annie and Daniel Rothko at a party that Chipper
gave for some of her artist friends. Annie and she had been friends for
a couple of years, almost from the time Annie had moved to San Francisco
from Leningrad. As the Cold War wound down and the old Iron Curtain
rusted away, Daniel had been recruited by Standard Oil in California and
with their support had no trouble arranging for temporary residency in
the US. It was not so easy for the rest of the family still in Russia.
She and the boys were finally able to obtain residency permits and visas
to enter the United States after two years of waiting. A few months
later Chipper and Annie met through Chipper's support of chamber music in
the area. Annie was a very talented cellist and played for the San
Francisco Symphony, and had formed a string quartet with some of her
fellow musicians. Their combination of classically baroque and
contemporary performances had been very well received by critics.
Daniel was the son of a civil engineer who had been forced to
relocate from the family's native Estonia after the Soviet takeover in
1940. While most Baltic Jews were simply sent into Siberia or Central
Asia, Daniel's parents were moved to Leningrad so her dad could work for
the Soviet Army building fortifications designed to protect the exposed
invasion routes to the city. Once the Germans invaded and surrounded the
city, they lived under the devastating German siege as well as the
continuing Stalinist repression. But by the mid 1950s, with the death of
Stalin and the removal of his more powerful cronies, things had begun to
improve to a the point where they were able to enjoy the more privileged
lifestyle of a high level Soviet aparatchik. It was into this more
affluent existence that Daniel was born. He attended the prestigious
Leningrad State University, studied chemical engineering for which he had
a flare, and proved to be a brilliant student. It was while in school
that he met Anna Ulanova at a party hosted by some dissident student
friends. They immediately embarked on an very intense romantic
relationship and married within the year. Upon receiving his doctorate
Daniel went to work for the Soviet petroleum bureaucracy, which was a
plush job at the time. That same year, Misha was born.
Anna, a year younger than Daniel, was also born in Leningrad. She
had so many of the strong Tartar facial characteristics that Cris loved
in Misha, the almond eyes, the high cheekbones and forehead, and very
straight hair. Her parents were lifelong members of the Communist Party,
and her grandparents on her mother's side had participated in the
Bolshevik Revolution as teenagers. However they were purged by the Party
during the show trials in 1937, lucky to get away with Siberian exile
when so many others were simply shot. After the German invasion, when
the Soviets rallied the nation behind the idea of defending Mother
Russia, they were given the option of returning in exchange for their
service in the military. Both of them had been successful officers in
the Red Army during the Civil War of the 20s. During the so-called
Patriotic War against the Nazis they served in the Soviet Army with
distinction, especially during the siege of Leningrad, finally
participating in the Battle for Berlin in 1945. They both left the
military as full colonels. Due to their outstanding military
contribution they were allowed to return to Leningrad after the war,
where Anna was born.
Anna showed an early penchant for music and was soon taking lessons.
She was accepted into the Leningrad Conservatory, concentrating on cello
and composition, although she was also able to take a few conducting
classes. While still a student at the conservatory she met Daniel and
after a whirlwind romance, they married. Upon graduation she landed a
job with the Leningrad Symphony Orchestra, through a combination of
obvious talent, family connections and plain luck. Misha was born the
next year, and Aleksey three years later. When Daniel emigrated to the
United States, she maintained the family in their Leningrad apartment
until they were able to join him two years later, in 1991. Because of
Daniel's move and the resulting separation and the intense cultural shock
of arriving in America, the marriage drifted off kilter. After her
divorce and Daniel's move to Canada, she raised the boys as a single
parent, though Daniel was generous financially. Because of his
relationship with Misha, Cris was very involved in these family doings,
and served as a source of support for each of them. It was soon after
the divorce that Misha came to live with Cris. He was twelve at the time
and had the complete blessing of his mother and the acceptance of his
dad. Misha leaving home on top of the divorce were hard on Aleksey who
was devoted to his older brother, but Misha and Cris were diligent to
include him on most of their outings together. After Misha's death, he
literally adopted Aleksey.
Annie and Cris had a long and unhurried conversation, catching each
other up on what the other had been doing. Annie remarked how good he
sounded, and Cris voiced the same about her. She sounded happy and
contented living in Vermont, so much better than she had during her time
in New York, which is sometimes an unforgiving place to live with a young
boy. Cris explained his reason for calling, that he wanted to treat Alex
to a visit sometime this month if that could be worked out. This really
pleased Annie. Alyosha needed to spend some time together with Cris, she
told him. He missed Cris terribly, and although she and Aleksey had
grown very close, she could not fill the role Cris had in his life. So,
although Alex was not at home when Cris called, she knew what his answer
would be. Annie said that he could come any time, that the closest
airport was over the Green Mountains in Rutland, and left it to Cris to
book the flight and then let them know day and time. After he hung up
the phone Cris picked up the photo of Misha. It was one of his
favorites. Soon he was recalling some of the times they had spent
together, some challenging, most wonderful. This only served to remind
him how much his heart still ached not having Misha around. He needed to
stop brooding, and decided to go for a walk, maybe do some exploring of
his new neighborhood as he looked for some local hangout to get lunch.
Cris's apartment was located in an older, more upscale neighborhood
that covered the area from the Flatirons in the southwest down toward the
university which was just across Broadway. Cris's immediate part of the
neighborhood contained older, single family residences, but as one got
closer to the university, many of the older homes were occupied by
fraternities or had been subdivided into little apartments for students.
There was a vibrant retail node for several blocks on the south side of
Broadway. This district that was several blocks deep and contained many
eateries, retail clothing stores and book and media focused specialty
shops, and computer related outlets that catered to the CU students.
Since parking was not a practical option and the day was sunny and warm,
Cris decided to walk, although it was a healthy distance away. As he
meandered along he was totally immersed in at the variety of house
designs and yard landscaping when he came to a blind corner in which a
very large hedge literally blocked any view of the oncoming sidewalk.
Distracted by the novelty of everything he was seeing, and given that the
sidewalks were clear of pedestrians, even the streets pretty free of
moving cars, he did not slow down as the headed toward the corner curb.
That's when it hit him.
As Crispin came to the spot where the sidewalk he was on met the
sidewalk of the street that ran perpendicular, he ran head on into a
skateboarder, who also had not slowed at the intersection. Cris was
knocked backwards as a result of the impact, stumbled against the hedge
but did not completely lose his footing. The skateboarder was not so
lucky. He was thrown off his board and into the gutter, his skateboard
somewhere in the street. Cris, slightly shaken but not at all hurt,
immediately ran over the see if the skater was OK. He saw a young boy,
on his back, laying in the street, probably hurt, at least judging from
his facial grimace. Cris quickly got one knee next to the boy in the
street and asked him if he was alright and if not where he thought he was
hurt.
The boy was softly moaning and did not answer for what seemed to be
forever. Cris became anxious that his back might have been injured after
being thrown against the cement curb. He rapidly took in the scene with
a heightened awareness that is not uncommon after being involved in a
traumatic event. He saw before him a very nicely built ten or eleven
year old with longish blond hair poking out from his helmet. He was
dressed in not overly baggy cutoff jeans, a ratty tee shirt, and black
Airwalks which he wore sockless. The boy's eyes were tightly closed, but
Cris noted his very long lashes. He appeared to be cute, but his pain
induced screwed up expression made the determination only tentative.
Slowly the boy's moaning slowed and his face relaxed somewhat. Cris
again asked him where he was hurt and how badly. In response the kid
opened first one eye, blinked a few times, then opened the other. They
were very blue and this was a very good looking kid. Cris was moved by
his plight and at this point remained very concerned. He asked again
softly, "Are you OK?"
"I think I'm OK, just shaken up," the boy responded slowly in a
quiet voice, as one not really sure if what he was saying was completely
true.
"Maybe you should just stay put and I will get some help? Is your
back OK? Do you think anything is broken?" Cris asked in a tone that he
hoped expressed both sympathy and concern.
The boy first moved his arms, then his legs, saying they seemed to be
fine. "Can you help me sit up, mister?"
"Sure. Take my arm and I'll reach around with the other and guide
you as you try to sit."
Slowly, with Cris's assistance, the boy was able to move to a sitting
position on the curb. Cris saw that there were tears in his eyes. The
plucky kid was favoring one leg and kept it fully extended. He remained
very concerned that there was something badly damaged. Saying that he
was going to check his head for injury, Cris carefully took off the boy's
helmet. "I'm sure glad you were wearing a helmet."
"Yeah, me too. It's an agreement I have with my dad. He lets me
street skate and I always wear a helmet."
"Everything is fine up top. Are you sure nothing seems broken?"
"I'm OK," he answered in a more confident voice. The boy half
smiled and said, "Actually, I've had worse falls on my board."
"I am so sorry I knocked you over. Let me look you over to make
sure you're OK." With that Cris carefully began to check the boys
appendages. He commented on what he saw as the examined first his arms
and then his legs. He had a nasty scrape on one knee and another on his
left arm just above the elbow, but neither would require serious medical
attention. Cris spent a little more time examining the knee just to be
sure it had not been damaged, which it had not aside from the abrasion.
"I'm going to gently pull up your shirt to check your back, OK?"
The boy nodded. Cris slowly and gingerly raised the shirt in the back
and saw some small areas of abrasion, nothing major. The boy's shirt had
taken the full impact of the curb and he been torn by the cement along
one side. Cris became concerned that there might be some rib damage, so
he let the boy know that he was going to carefully feel along that side.
The kid flinched and grimaced but made it clear that he did not feel
anything out of the ordinary, aside from having been whacked hard by the
cement.
"Do you live close by?"
"No, I live on the other side of the Pearl Street Mall."
"Look, I live just a couple of blocks away. Let me take you there,
give you some first aid, then I can run you home."
The boy thought for several seconds, then nodded and said, "OK,
thanks."
"Well, its the least I can do after running you down like that."
The boy looked over to Cris with his lovely blue eyes and said, "It
was as much my fault as yours, maybe even more mine cause I was traveling
so much faster. I should have been more careful, but I didn't know it
was a blind corner."
"Let's get your board and head over to my place. Try to stand to
see if you can you walk? I can carry you if need be." Cris helped the
boy to stand. When he put full weight on his hurt leg, he grimaced and
immediately switched his weight to the other leg.
Cris looked at the boy and announced, "I'm going to carry you.
You're not that heavy and I live very close. Let me get your board. You
can carry it." And without waiting for an answer Cris retrieved the
board from the street, then he strapped the boy's helmet to one of his
belt loops.
"OK, take the board," Cris ordered as he handed the board to the
boy. "I'm going to carry you in my arms with your hurt leg and arm
facing away from me," which meant that the boy's head would rest in
Cris's right arm. The boy's face seemed to express some reticence,
whether that he would be embarrassed being carried like a small child or
that Cris was too wimpy for the job was unclear. But seeing no other
options submitted as Cris reached around and very gingerly lifted him
into his arms. He was a solid and compact kid, maybe seventy-five pounds
max, but not too heavy for Cris to manage at least a couple of blocks.
The boy immediately just relaxed in Cris's arms, which made carrying him
much easier.
"I feel funny being carried," the boy admitted.
"You've been wounded in training, my young friend. Anybody would
treat a young warrior the same way. Look at the Greeks who were strong
and brave warriors, but who never hesitated to receive help from their
comrades when wounded," Cris said as they began moving down the
sidewalk. The boy responded with a sweet smile. At this point Cris had
to stay focused and concentrated on the task at hand rather than further
conversation.
By the time they had covered the block and a half to the apartment,
Cris was pretty winded. At the foot of the wooden stairs leading up to
the deck, he carefully set the boy down. "That was a workout, my young
friend," Cris said between pants. "I'll help you up the stairs, but it
would be too dangerous to try and carry you."
"I think I can do it," said the boy with pluck and using the
banister to help support his hurt side, slowly made his way up the
stairs. Cris followed, skateboard in hand, which he left on the deck.
Cris unlocked the door and let the boy lean on him as he hobbled into the
apartment. Cris directed him to one of his leather easy chairs that
faced the French doors and deck, while he went into the bathroom to
gather first aid supplies.
The boy hobbled over to one of the easy chairs.
"By the way, my name is Cris," Cris said as he returned.
"Hi. I'm Jamie. Thanks for taking care of me," he said with the
most delightful smile.
"Oh, sweetheart, it's the least I can do," Cris said, noting that
the boy seemed not to mind what some would consider a term of affection,
though in California a pretty common term. Cris meant it both ways.
"OK. lets take a look," Cris said as he examined first the knee,
then the arm. He also felt once again all around the boy's head to make
absolutely sure he had not been hit there. Then he proceeded to clean
both wounds with peroxide, which, he noted aloud as he worked, were not
likely to be fatal. The boy giggled. After consultation with the
patient, Cris suggested that not covering them with bandages might be
better while the wounds clotted and scabbed. Then he had the boy move to
an ottoman so that he could minister to his back. He carefully pulled
off his tee shirt and attended to the scrapes along the right side of his
rib cage, which were not as bad as the leg, although likely to be sore
for longer if his ribs were bruised.
"Lets let things air a bit. I have an old tee you can wear, cause
this one is pretty shot now. I'll get it. But don't put it on just
yet." Cris returned momentarily with an old Clash tee, a band the boy
was familiar with, but wondered whether it was too good to be ruined if
he should get blood on it. Cris said that they would cover the wounds
before Jamie went home and even if he did get it bloody, it was old and
OK.
"Jamie, I was headed out to lunch when I literally ran into you, my
new friend. I guess we were meant to meet. So, if you don't mind, lets
do lunch on me. I'll order pizza if that's alright with you. I know of
a very good shop that delivers. And I have Pepsi in the fridge, if that
will work."
The boy responded with dancing eyes and a huge grin. "That would be
too cool. Thanks."
As they waited for the pizza to arrive, Cris poured Pepsi over ice,
handing one to Jamie. He took a longer look at this boy. He was indeed
very good looking, with piercing lively blue eyes that were nicely framed
by his darker eyelashes. He had a proportionally correct classic
Hellenistic nose, but one that was less aquiline, having smaller, less
pronounced bridge. Like his nose, Jamie's mouth fit the overall symmetry
and balance of his cute face. His smile was quick and very bright and he
came across as very friendly and open. And after conversing with him
just a short while, it was clear to Cris that he was intelligent, poised,
and very self-assured. Cris could not help but like him from the get go.
Over pizza they talked at length, sharing mostly about themselves.
Cris explained that he had just moved here from California and was going
to be working for the Boulder middle schools. This elicited some
excitement in Jamie, as he was just entering 6th grade. A further
connection was made when Cris told Jamie that his office was going to be
located at the old Mapleton Elementary School building, which no longer
was used as a school. Jamie explained that was very close to his own
home and expressed the hope that they might be able to get together
sometimes. Cris was pleased with this possibility and said so and gave
him one of his cards, which had his San Francisco address but on which he
wrote his new home and cell numbers. As he hungrily worked on the pizza,
Jamie listened very intently to Cris. When he seemed to achieve his
fill, he let out a deep sigh.
At this point Cris asked him to tell him something about himself,
which he very willingly did. He lived with his mom and dad in the
Mapleton Historic District in the same place he had lived nearly all of
his life. His dad taught at the law school and his mom did something
relating to helping kids gain rights and skate parks. He had a younger
brother, Stevie, who he very evidently loved a great deal but respected,
too. It seems that Stevie was something of a genius, but without being
precocious. Jamie was concerned that Stevie would be perceived in the
right way and appeared to be very protective. Jamie was very athletic,
and especially enjoyed soccer, snowboarding, and, of course, skating. He
was a good student, keeping his grades in the B range, but most of all
loved the social interactions school encouraged. From what Cris could
determine, based on the relationships he described, Jamie was a natural
leader, having many friends who looked to him for guidance. Jamie said
all this without pretentiousness or any air of self importance. Cris
just saw him, not so much as humble, as honest about the way things were,
and just comfortable being who he was.
When things seemed to reach a natural pause, Cris inquired if anyone
was home. Jamie said that yes, his mom was during the summer vacation,
which was just around the corner. Cris suggested that Jamie call home to
let his his mom know what happened, but that he was alright, and that
Cris would be driving him back. Once this was accomplished, Cris
carefully applied some large bandages to Jamie's wounds and helped him
put on the tee shirt. After hobbling down the stairs and into the
pickup, they headed across town to Jamie's house. It was located on
Highland Avenue just below Centennial Park in a very old residential area
that was now an historic district, meaning that it would likely stay the
way it was. The house was huge, quite stunning, made of cut brown stone
with lots of exposed wood, and appeared to be a combination of a turn of
the century bungalow and Wright's prairie style.
They parked on the tree lined street and Cris proceeded to help Jamie
out of the truck, reaching into the bed to retrieve his board and helmet
on the way. Leaning on Cris's shoulder, and with Cris's arm around his
waist propping him up, they made it up the front stairs and to the front
door. Mom, with a bit of a worried expression, was there to greet them
and they went in. Cris guided Jamie onto the couch and he introduced
himself and explained the circumstances and the extent of the injuries.
Mom, who asked Cris to call her Dane, seemed relieved. They talked a bit
about boys and skateboards, and some of the more injurious events Jamie
had had, much to Jamie's chagrin. Dane was effusive in thanking Cris for
being such a good Samaritan, to which Cris responded nonchalantly. After
a few minutes, Cris announced he had to be off, and said goodbye first to
Dane and then to Jamie. He shook his hand and offered that he would heal
quickly. Cris said he should call him any time, that he'd love to give
him a tour of the offices currently under reconstruction, then headed
back to the apartment.
During the next few days, Cris kept busy acclimatizing himself to
living a mile above sea level. He spent Sunday hiking below the
Flatirons in Chautauqua Park, which was pretty strenuous for him because
the trails required quite a bit of elevation gain. On Monday he biked
along the Boulder Creek hike and bike trail. The ride home, which was
uphill, convinced Cris that he would hit the sack early. The next day he
went over to see how things were progressing on his office space at
Mapleton Elementary. The middle school project office was going to be a
suite of six rooms. Things were coming along and the contractor on the
scene thought they would be finished by the end of June. That meant Cris
might be able to begin moving things sometime around the 4th of July
holiday. After this he had a lengthy afternoon meeting with Gwen to plan
in greater detail the intervention program they were developing. Gwen
wanted him to begin looking for a secretary to answer the phone and take
care of the office, as Cris would be in the field most of the time. Gwen
could find her a desk at central until the offices were completed. While
at the district office he also looked in on Rick and thanked him for such
warm hospitality. Rick said that all the kids were still talking about
the good time they had and they all wanted Cris to make a return visit,
bringing Cody if possible. Cris said he would look forward to it and
that maybe one of these weekends when Cody was visiting. He said he
would call.
That evening, just after he had finished talking with Cody about
staying with him for the weekend, Cris received a call from Jamie's mom.
Dane wanted to invite him over for dinner the next evening if he was
free, and apologized for it being such short notice. She wanted to thank
Cris for taking care of her son after their collision. Cris said he was
free and would be delighted to come. He offered to bring some wine,
which was accepted. He was glad that he would have more opportunity to
get to know Jamie and his family. The next day Cris spent the morning
working on the middle school project, working out some of the details of
staffing, office configuration, and plans to meet with the nine middle
school principals in order to introduce them to the program. While the
school board had mandated a few guidelines, it was up to Cris and Gwen to
fill in the details. After a quick bite, Cris decided to take a break,
spent about an hour doing some slow Tai Chi and then took a leisurely
walk over toward the Flatirons, as he lived less than a mile from
Chautauqua Park and the trailheads. When he returned it was time to get
ready for his dinner with the Logans, so he showered, changed and headed
out, stopping to pick up a couple of fiascos of pretty good Italian
chianti to go along with the Italian food Dane was preparing and was soon
knocking at the front door.
When the door opened Cris was totally stunned. Before him stood
absolutely the most beautiful child he had ever seen, bar none, and he
had spent most of his adult life investigating boy beauty. In fact Cris
was struck dumb momentarily.
"Hi," came the lovely treble voice. "You must be Dr. Wyndham. I
am pleased to meet you," he said as he extended his hand. "I'm Stevie,
Jamie's brother."
Cris took the boy's proffered hand and shook it. Having regained his
composure, he said, "Hello, Stevie. Please call me Cris," he went on
as he released Stevie's small hand.
Stevie stepped aside so that Cris could enter the entry hall. "Is
that Cris," came another boy's voice from around the corner, and with
that Jamie came bounding into the foyer sporting a huge grin. "I'm glad
you could come. You met Stevie," he said as the stood proudly next to
his younger brother.
"Yep, just now."
"Come on," ordered Jamie as he headed through the doorway pulling
Cris by the hand. Cris followed at a quick pace, turning his head and
giving Stevie a look of what else can I do. Stevie smiled warmly in
return.
Cris was led into the kitchen. Dane looked up from what she was
preparing at the island and quickly wiped her hands on the apron she was
wearing, extending a hand of friendship. "We're so glad you could come,
Cris. What can I get you something to drink? Dinner will be in about
forty-five minutes."
Cris proffered the two bottle he had brought and said he would have
whatever she was, which was something called a Moscow Mule, a concoction,
she explained that mixed lime juice, strong Jamaican ginger beer and
vodka. This Cris readily accepted and from a large crystal pitcher Dane
poured a large iced glass with the mixture. Cris sampled it and
commented favorably on its bracing flavor. She smiled.
With both boys seated on bar stools at the large island that occupied
the center of this huge kitchen, they carried on small talk. Cris said
something about his moving to Boulder and how things were going as a new
resident in town. Dane explained a bit about her career which actually
dovetailed with his quite nicely. It seems that she was something of an
expert on matters relating to urban youth, especially ways in which local
governments could behave more proactively to address their needs. She
went on to say that while she taught part time as well as wrote, her
primary occupation was consulting with large cities that were trying to
address the needs of their sometimes uncooperative adolescents. Cris was
very interested, asked a number of questions and found out that she
worked for such entities as Staten Island, Seattle and Pittsburgh. She
emphasized youth empowerment and that currently meant her focus was
helping local governments to build accessible urban skate parks that were
designed with the kids in mind. This translated into becoming a
spokesperson and advocate for skaters in the design process. She was
very involved with the plans for the Denver Skate Park and, coincidently
worked with Nederland as they developed their plans for one.
Soon the kitchen was abuzz with friendly conversation, and as Stevie
quietly left, Jamie gave Cris his rundown of the better skate parks in
the Denver area. Most charged admission and were heavily patrolled by
rule enforcers, which took a lot of the enjoyment from skating. This,
according to Jamie, was all about: freedom, risk taking and just a chance
to express yourself as a person. Dane was very supportive of his views,
of course. Cris certainly had to hand it to the boy. He had put a great
deal of thought into this and had arrived at some very reasonable and
convincing conclusions, which he was able to share articulately. Cris
complemented him in all three areas. Jamie beamed in response.
At that point Brian, Jamie's dad, arrived on the scene. Jamie ran
over and gave him a very sweet hug. Brian and Cris introduced themselves
to each other then Brian proceeded to thank Cris once again for lending a
hand with Jamie. He admitted he worried some about his skating around
town, but it was almost impossible to deny him the opportunity. So they
had at least agreed on Jamie always wearing a helmet. Cris nodded and
smiled that he understood the predicament and thought they had resolved
it in a realistic compromise.
Dane updated Brian with some of the things Cris had shared about
himself and his plans for working with Boulder middle schoolers, thereby
saving Cris from having to describe himself a second time, which he
appreciated. Brian was very interested and asked Cris a number of
questions. Soon they were involved in an easy flowing conversation.
Cris in turn asked him in turn what kind of law he taught at the law
school. Brian explained that he, too, was very interested in
adolescence, especially as it impacted the family. So in the end at Yale
he concentrated on juvenile issues within the larger field of family
law. He said he was extremely fortunate to get a job offer right out of
law school, and enjoyed his work very much, especially the pro bono
opportunities that came his way.
Just then Stevie ran into the room. He ran up to Cris and said, "It
was really nice to meet you and I hope we can again. I'm off to choir
practice. Each Wednesday evening I'm afraid."
"Have fun, then. I really hope we can talk sometime. I would enjoy
that," said Cris in reply. Stevie smiled.
"Bye, Mom. Bye Dad. Bye, Jamie," Stevie called out as he headed
out the door.
Dane smiled and looked over at Cris, who may have looked a bit
confused by it all, though a keen disappointment of not getting a chance
to know Stevie better this evening was closer to the mark. She
explained. "He sings with the children's choir that meets at the
Methodist church over on Mapleton, and loves it. He's actually quite
good, and they are, too, for that matter. He has a good ear and well
developed breath control, from swimming I guess. His voice is especially
sweet, though I may be regarded as somewhat prejudicial." Everyone
laughed.
And with that she announced that dinner would be served and assigned
items for each one to take into the dining room. They had a sumptuous
meal of very comforting Italian food, antipasto, spaghetti with huge
meatballs in a delicious sauce, lots of hot garlic bread, and large
glasses of chianti. Over dinner they discussed a wide range of subjects,
making sure that everyone had an opportunity to have their say. Gelato
was served for dessert. And after a cup of espresso, Jamie asked Cris if
he could show him his room. Cris was delighted to be asked.
Jamie led Cris to the rear of the first floor and to his room which
was on a hallway just beyond the warmly furnished family room that housed
the television and assorted media peripherals. Jamie's room was pretty
typical of a ten year old boy who was into sports, with posters covering
most of the wall space and various kinds of outdoor and sporting
equipment on shelves and book cases. There were several soccer balls as
well as some piles of clothing scattered about the carpeted floor. The
closet door was open and several pairs of shoes as well as some without
mates were on display about the doorway. The full sized bed was made in
a hurried fashion, with blankets carelessly thrown diagonally across it,
but not quite far enough to cover the pillow at the top.
"Sorry, the room's a bit of a mess, I guess," Jamie said in a quiet
voice.
"Doesn't bother me at all, Jamie. Looks lived in is all."
Cris went on to comment positively about some of the posters, which
clearly pleased Jamie judging from his smile. He walked over the the
larger book case to see what Jamie read, or at least housed on the
shelves. There was an extensive collection of both contemporary boy
adventure books, science fiction and classics. Several shelves had
stacks of soccer, snowboarding and skateboarding magazines. A separate
shelf contained nothing but comic books.
"Feel free to take anything you find interesting," came the voice
from behind Cris.
Cris looked over at Jamie who was sitting on his bed. "You know,
you can tell a lot about a person from the books the own."
"Really?" Jamie said. "What does it say about me, Cris?"
Cris turned toward him and smiled, then walked over and sat on the
opposite side of the bed so he could face Jamie. "Well, it tells me
that you are pretty well rounded as a person. You like several different
genres, but have not neglected the classics. You are keep up with the
latest in the sports you enjoy, showing you are not a poser. I can see
from some of the books, you have probably read them more than once. You
obviously enjoy reading a great deal and are quite good at it. Some of
the science fiction seems to say you like to think outside of the box,
and that you are a person not afraid to try something new, in fact you
really like it. I guess they tell me you are smart and interesting, and
I would sure enjoy getting to know you as a friend. And," Cris said
with a grin, "you have a very nice comic book collection. Mind if I
borrow a couple?"
"Wow, Cris. Of course you can. Take anything you want."
Soon they were both stretched out on their backs on the bed right
next to each other with their hands behind their heads talking about all
kinds of things. They thoroughly delighted in their time together, but
Cris sensed that he had best think about heading home. So, after he
leafed through one of the comic stacks and selected four comic books,
they went back into the kitchen and were just in time for carrot cake and
milk. Who could say no to that.
Cris was sharing about his adventures in Ned. He told them about
Rick and his family. Jamie perked up when Cris mentioned that all four
Logan kids loved to skate. Dane laughed and said that this was an
amazing coincidence. She knew two of the Van Hook boys from their
involvement in the skate park task force. The older one was very
articulate and quite involved. She explained that she had been hired by
the town of Nederland to help to bring the various factions together on a
design, which, by the way, was proving to be quite a challenge.
"Ricky is one of the only positive forces on that task force, in
spite of his age. I think he's ten or eleven." She turned to Cris for
clarification, and he held up ten fingers.
Dane shook her head and continued, "He's so amazing. Like he has a
reservoir of charisma, but at the same time is so down to earth and
practical, his ideas very often win the day. Frankly, I don't think I
would be very successful without him."
Cris said that pretty much described Ricky. He said that he was
returning in a few weekends and wondered if Jamie might be interested in
coming along when he made the trip. Jamie was quick to voice his vote in
favor. Brian and Dane said is sounded like fun and good healthy
exercise, so it was set. Cris said he would call to finalize
arrangements. With that it was time for Cris to leave. He hugged Dane
and Brian in turn, already feeling they were good friends. When he
headed toward the door he had Jamie in tow. Or more accurately, hand in
hand. Jamie walked Cris to his truck and thanked him so much for coming,
saying he really enjoyed the evening. Cris hugged him warmly and kissed
him on forehead, climbed into the pickup. He looked over at Jamie said
he was really glad he came and got to spend some time with Jamie, and
asked him to call so they could get together some more. Then, waving
goodbye, headed back to the apartment.
It had been a very rich evening, Cris concluded, as he poured himself
a night cap, then headed into the office to check his messages and
email. Robbie had called and Cody had sent an email. So, Cris first
called Robbie and they talked and talked. Robbie was feeling lonely and
a bit down and needing some cheering up. Cris just listened at first,
then began interjecting some comments and finally just shared some things
from his heart. Robbie responded by doing a bit of self analysis and
soon was feeling pretty upbeat again. Cris told Robbie about running
into Jamie and the fact the Dane, his mom, knew and spoke very highly of
Ricky Logan. Robbie expressed no surprise at this. He really liked
Ricky and they had quickly become close. It was clear that Robbie missed
seeing them.
Cris suggested that maybe Robbie could come for another visit before
school in the fall, maybe toward the end of July, just before Cris began
the new school year. Robbie responded in his typical hyper excited
fifteen year old boy manner. Cris could not keep from laughing. Robbie
said that by the middle of July he was finished both the UC Berkeley
enrichment program and league swim meets, and he could miss two weeks of
practice in exchange for camping in the Rockies. So it was set, with
Robbie taking the responsibility of asking Summer if this was OK. They
chatted a bit more, said how much they missed each other and said
goodbye.
Next Cris opened the email from Cody. In answer to Cris's email he
said that he could come to Boulder the weekend after next, but that this
coming weekend he had a soccer tournament. And he was wondering if Cris
could come and watch him play. Turns out his mom had duty on the base
that Saturday, but that he could catch a ride with the coach if Cris was
not able to make it. Cris emailed back that he would love to take Cody
to the tournament and then they could dinner afterwards. He asked Cody
for the details. He also said that the following weekend would be a good
time for a return visit to Ned, and told Cody how much the Logans had
enjoyed his visit and specifically asked that he come again soon. After
he hit send, he leaned back and just savored the intense joy of getting
to know this neat boy and smiled at the thought that there were going to
be many more times together to look forward to.
At this point Cris decided to call it a night, poured himself some
more scotch, grabbed a collection of Zen poetry and headed off to bed.