To everyone's surprise on June 12, a week after Kate had taken leave, Stephen Zubor an eleven years old and a ward of Milwaukee County was delivered to the group home. It seemed that Kate had forgotten to mention that she had agreed to hold the boy in Jefferson County because Linda Burg had creditable evidence that his school principal had molested the boy. Linda did not want the boy in Milwaukee County where the defense could have easy access to him. So as not to further upset an obviously distressed child, Henry, after consultation with his counterpart in Milwaukee County, agreed to the arrangement.
After not having seen Marty on the weekend, Henry cleared the docket for Wednesday, Thursday and Friday and took Marty to Chicago. Wednesday was to be the Museum of Science and Industry and the Planetarium and a Cubs and Phillies game in the evening. Thursday was to be the Field Natural History Museum, the Shedd Aquarium and a White Sox and Indians game. Friday would be a leisurely trip home.
They stayed at the Blackstone on Michigan Avenue. Marty was getting somewhat accustomed to opulence. This room was only two reallys neat. They were at Science and Industry when it opened. When you're nine and haven't seen much in your life but Dort Street, the first step in the door of a place like the Museum of Science and Industry creates a new kind of Marty Moment. Dumbfounded comes the closest. You just stand there with your mouth open. There was so much stuff to see - stuff he didn't even know existed.
They did the coal mine, the submarine, saw the electric trains - everything. Marty would have spent all morning looking at the electric trains. There were about six going at one time and they went over bridges and through tunnels and they never ran into each other. Uncle Henry had to pull him away so he could become fascinated by other things. They left at two because the next seating at the Planetarium was at three. On the way up to the Planetarium Marty declared the Science and Industry really, really, really, really neat but the farm part was dumb. If people wanted to see a farm, they should come to Jefferson and see Grünfelder. The part about the human body was neat but that man's body that had been cut in slices was uuk!
Marty actually slept through part of the Planetarium show. It was kind of fun but he didn't see much sense in it. Why did they make a building with pretend stars? All you had to do was look at the sky at night if you wanted to see stars.
But the Cubs and the Phillies, now, that made a lot of sense to Marty. He had heard about Wrigley Filled and Waveland Avenue. He had gone to Kmart and watched that old guy sing "Take Me Out To the Ball Game" and had seen Ryne Sandberg hit a ball over left field all the way onto Waveland Avenue. Marty was too interested in the game to have a performance type Marty Moment but he was excited and happy and he surprised Henry with his knowledge of the game. Once when first and third were occupied, Marty said to Uncle Henry, "They ought to bunt that guy to second. They'd have two guys in scoring position and Billy Williams is coming up." The boy knew more about baseball strategy than Henry. Henry was into football.
When asked about his baseball knowledge, Marty told Henry that Mr. Franks, the gym teacher, got him into the Jefferson High School games free. "He seen me in gym class and he seen I was good at baseball so he let me sit by him and he told me stuff. John Franks plays first base and pitches. He's really, really, really good. Mr. Franks is his daddy."
It was just understood that when Marty was with Henry that the boy would go to sleep in the man's lap. The feeling never changed. Henry had loved doing things that made Annie happy but when you're making a nine-year-old boy happy, it's a whole different thing. It was hard for Henry to explain. Annie always showed her appreciation for Henry's love and thoughtfulness but the things he did for her, she could have done for herself. The things he was doing for Marty wouldn't get done if someone like Henry, an adult, didn't do them. Marty was totally dependent on Henry and this happiness and excitement he saw in the boy affected him differently. He was doing things for the child that would not get done if someone didn't do it for him and the fact that it was Henry doing it for Marty made it - well - a blessing. If there was another word for it, Henry couldn't think what it was. He again had tinges of regret that he and Annie could not have shared that blessing.
Why did they put that brontosaurus skeleton in the main hall of the Field Museum? Henry doubted that Marty remembered another thing in that museum. He looked at things but once he'd seen the brontosaurus, that's all he thought about or talked about. After every hall, Marty spent at least ten minutes walking slowly around the skeleton. During one of Marty's circuits, one of the attendants chatted with Henry. Henry had told the man that Marty just couldn't seem to get enough of that dinosaur and the guy had said, "I don't know what it is with kids. They all go through their dinosaur phase.
Marty liked the fish but he had baseball on his mind. All of those unusual and beautiful fish and all Marty wanted to talk about was who did Uncle Henry think was best, the White Sox or the Indians.
You'd think a nine-year-old kid would get bored with a baseball game about the fourth inning. It's usually the second inning when they start wheedling for popcorn, hot dogs - whatever. Marty, however, intently watched the game and made frequent surprisingly sage observations. By the middle of the fifth inning, Henry had to insist that he take Marty to the restroom. The boy had been dancing around for half an hour and was now squeezing the front of his pants. "But what if something happens while we're gone?"
"If we don't go, something will happen."
Nothing of momentous consequence occurred during their respite. In the seventh inning Marty almost caught a foul ball. Actually, it wasn't that close. A guy three rows behind them caught it but Marty was as excited as if he had caught it himself. He would tell anyone who'd listen how he almost got a foul ball for weeks. After they got home Friday evening and he had told everyone in the barn he described that momentous occasion in great detail to Ferdinand and Fritz.
He had gotten a Cubs cap at Wrigley and he got a White Sox cap at Comiskey. They were really neat but if he could get a Brewers cap, that would be really, really, really neat. Henry told him that the Yankees would be in Milwaukee next weekend but Marty pronounced the Yankees "dumb" and anyway, he wanted to stay home next weekend so it would be just Uncle Henry and him. He didn't even want to go to the cabin. He wanted to stay "home". There's no way to respond to that but to give the little dickens a strong hug and a long kiss.
The next weekend brought a rather pensive, almost morose Marty. There were constant subtle references to the fact that Larry now lived on Grünfelder and, although the question wasn't asked directly, the constant inference was, why couldn't he? Henry wasn't sure how best to deal with that question now so he decided that unless Marty asked directly, he would not address it. Instead he changed the subject.
"How is the new boy getting along? Do you like him?"
"He's OK, I guess. He don't talk much. He acts scared and he always playing with his thing - uh - his Venus - that ain't right - his penis, right?"
"That's the right word. Sometimes when boys are very nervous, they do that."
"But he does it all the time. If we're watching TV and even when we're eating supper, you can tell he's playing with it."
"Well, he'll probably get over it."
Marty and Larry spent most of Saturday afternoon playing catch and generally doing boy things. There were about fifty acres of woods on Henry's land and there are endless adventures boys can have in woods - even almost "adult" thirteen-year-olds. They had dragged fallen branches together and built a "fort". They climbed trees. They played in the creek. Larry had so much fun with Fritz that he said that he was going to ask his "dad" if he could get a dog. They had fun. They felt almost like brothers.
Larry made a point of being back in time for evening chores. A somber Marty climbed into Henry's lap. "Larry's got a dad. Why can't you be my dad?"
"We've been over this, Little Bird. Please don't make this hard for both of us. I can't change the laws."
Marty was now angry. "Yes you can! Timmy at Uncle Jerry's said that you're the boss of the whole world. You could put the sheriff in jail if you wanted to. You could make me live here if you wanted to. You don't love me and I hate you!"
Henry pulled the boy into a hug. Marty didn't resist but it was obvious he was not a happy boy and somewhat confused. When Henry released the hug Marty asked, "What did you do that for?"
"Because you love me enough to be angry with me?"
"Eh?"
"You don't hate me. You love me enough to trust me and be angry with me and to show it. You know that I will still love you. You trust me and that makes me happy and I love you for it.
"Now, you go to your room. No TV and no Atari. I'm glad you love me enough to trust me but I'm not at all happy with that outburst. Stay in your room until I call you."
Marty took a while to get over his anger. When he could think somewhat clearly again he was surprised at his behavior. He had felt anger many times, of course, but he could never remember having thrown a "tantrum". He wasn't worried about what he had done. He knew that Uncle Henry was right. Uncle Henry loved him and although he knew he had been "bad" and felt a little badly about that, it felt kind of good not to have to wonder if what you did was going to get you hit or yelled at. It was kind of like being "took" care of. He liked it and it was probably how things should be for a little kid.
Henry called him down and put the boy on his lap. "I'm not sure what Timmy told you but I am not the boss of the world. I'm a Circuit Court Judge and that is a very powerful job. And, yes, I'm the only person in Jefferson County who has more power than the sheriff. I could arrest him if he did something against the law. The law, Marty - it's my job to see that the law works. I can't do things that the law won't let me. We've talked about this. I'm as sad as you are that the law won't let us live together and I understand your anger. It's all right to be angry. It's not all right to act the way you did. Do you think you understand me?"
Henry was never sure how well he had explained something to Marty. He never knew if the boy understood but he never doubted that Marty was satisfied with the explanation. He always got a long, hard kiss from the boy.
The unfairness of Larry getting to live at Grünfelder was frequently mentioned but Marty never threw another tantrum over the subject.
It was a sullen Marty whom Henry picked up the next Friday. The boy said nothing on the ride home. As soon as they were in the house, Marty gave indication that he wanted to be in Uncle Henry's lap. "What's the matter, Little Bird?"
"I know I ain't 'sposed to hate anybody but I hate Stevie."
"We need to start working on your grammar."
"Grammar? I ain't got no grammar."
"Now listen close. I didn't say Grandma. I said grammar. That's about words too but it's about using the correct words. Ain't is not a correct word."
"Is it a bad word?"
"No, it's just a wrong word. You should have said I'm not supposed to hate anybody. You're not, Little Bird. Why do you think you hate Stevie?"
"He always saying bad words. He called Aunt Myrt a fuckin' bitch and he gets really, really, really mad. He don't hit no one but he throws things and if we're playing with Lincoln Logs or somethin' he comes and kicks apart what we made. It ain't no fun livin' at Aunt Myrt's no more. I gotta live here! I gotta!"
Henry called Ces. Ces, Henry was coming to believe, was much smarter than his uneducated deportment suggested. "The boy do get some mad and he say some awful things but he jus' need time to get set in. He had a hard, hard life and I ain't wantin' to turn him out like he say he been turned out too much. I counted up the other day when he was tellin' and if he was tellin' right he been in seventeen different foster homes and then he go back to his mama 'tween that. Lord knows how much that child have to move. Ain't right. He's some bothersome but we'll make do. I'll keep a closer eye on him to see he don't mess with them other kids."
"You're a good man, Ces. Do you mind if I keep Marty here with me this week?"
"That be fine but Thursday, Miss Monroe takin' them kids to a picture show and do some other stuff in Madison. Don't you reckon Marty want to go to that? They be leavin' real early so do he want to go, he best sleep here all night."
"I suppose he will. I'll ask him and if he does, I'll bring him back Wednesday night."
"Ain't no chance we can keep Miss Monroe, air there? She be a fine one."
"We have to let Miss Burtch get better and see how she does. If she can do her work, we have to give her her job back."
"Reckon that fair but that Miss Monroe sure a fine lady."
Larry came down and wanted to play in the woods. Marty didn't want to go. He told Larry that he had to stay by his Uncle Henry.
"Aren't you gonna' come to the barn and feed Ferdinand?"
"You feed him for me today."
"Marty, how are you supposed to ask Larry to do you a favor?"
"Oh, ya. Please feed him for me."
Marty needed Uncle Henry today almost more than he did that first night. What was going on at Aunt Myrt's made him feel like he was the old Marty - that he stinked and that kids were calling him a stealer. When he was by Uncle Henry he knew he was the new Marty. Yes, today he needed Uncle Henry."
Marty, after he found out that he could stay until Wednesday became his old self. On Sunday, he did go to the woods with Larry. They played in their fort. Fighting Indians was almost as much fun as hunting lions. Fritz got along just fine with Larry's new puppy.
Marty spent the days at Aunt Betje's. He helped Larry with all his chores and they went to the woods. If Uncle Henry had to work late and Marty had to stay a while after supper he got to see how much Larry got to love his mom and dad. Larry was thirteen but when they were watching TV, Larry would sit in Uncle Reind's lap. Larry really loved his dad. He loved his mom too and she loved him but he really, really, really, really loved his dad.
It wasn't really that Larry loved Reind more than Betje. It was that he loved them differently. Reind had waited so long for a son that his sense of fulfillment radiated and Larry was drawn to it. Betje was no less thrilled but Larry had unconsciously fallen into the normal child love pattern. He loved his mother no less but, as do many children, he took it almost for granted. A mother's love was as natural as air. It was there. A father's love was - well a father's love - different somehow and for Larry, more noticeable. He had grown up in a world of women, some who loved him, most who didn't. There was no doubt about Betje's love for him and he loved her tenderness and her caress. But his dad loved him and was proud of him and he was a man. Larry didn't know that men could love like that. It was different and new and the boy reveled in it.
Marty would sit in Aunt Betje's lap and it was OK but it wasn't Uncle Henry's lap. He did, however, get to go to sleep in Uncle Henry's lap.
The day in Madison was to have been a full one and the children would get home late so Henry agreed to pick Marty up on Friday evening as usual. It was obvious that Marty was in deep distress. As soon as he got in the car, he snuggled up to Henry's side and began sobbing.
"He's gonna' fuck me, Uncle Henry. Stevie said that he's gonna' fuck me."
"He's probably just trying to scare you, Little Bird. I don't think he'll try it."
"Yes, he will. Freddy said that when I wasn't here, he fucked him every night. He said it hurt too but he didn't have to go to the hospital. He didn't tell Uncle Ces. He's scared to.
"Stevie said Freddy's a wimp. He said some guy started fucking him when he was seven."
"Little Bird, fuck in not a nice word. If you have to talk about that, please say having sex."
"You mad at me?"
"No, but I'm concerned about Freddy and even Stevie. I'll call Uncle Ces...."
"Don't tell Uncle Ces. Stevie will beat me up."
"Little Bird, you are not going back there until we get this cleared up. If Stevie is doing those things he needs some help. Stevie may have to go to a hospital."
Marty relaxed somewhat but he still needed Henry's lap when they got home. He lay with his head on Henry's chest, occasionally having his hair kissed and again began to feel that he was back in his new world.
He was silent for about fifteen minutes and then asked, "How come they call it a blow job when Stevie was sucking Freddy's thing - - penis? He wasn't blowing."
"It's semantics again, Marty. Are you OK now? I have to make some phone calls."
Henry first tried to reach Jill Monroe. She didn't answer her phone. He then placed a call to Sarah Collins expecting to have to leave a call back. She was, however available. Henry gave her a sanitized version of what Marty had told him and asked her advice.
The boy needs to be hospitalized now! I'll make the arrangements. Don't leave him alone with other children another night. The children in the home need protection and this poor child needs radical treatment now. Bring him to the University Children's Hospital on Highland Street. I'll leave check-in instructions at the desk. You'll need to grant custody to me and they'll want someone to guarantee payment."
"You'll get custody and I'll guarantee payment. The boy will be there in two hours."
Marty was in no shape to be left with the Friesemas so Henry took the boy with him to his chambers where he completed the needed forms and other paperwork. He then called Jerry Dissler, filled him in and asked that he pick-up Stevie and take him to Madison. Taking a court ward child into custody was properly done by the police.