Author's Note: Though I try to do my best to make sure proper grammar is used. Tommy and Davy do not use it right now as they were not encouraged proper usage. Their grammar for now will not be correct. Until they learn otherwise.
We were back on the road before the 30 minute break time had elapsed. I got the boys interested in a new game. You pick one to three colors and you count the semi cab colors or you pick a rare vehicle color and you count those. It works best of course if the highway you are on is well traveled, otherwise you don't see many. I also taught the boys when you are playing this game that you try and sneak in colors close to the one you picked or half numbers for a smaller delivery truck like ones for moving, this was a joke and was to keep the other players on their toes.1 They enjoyed the game and played it for as long as it took to get to Montgomery, Alabama which was four hours and twenty-one minutes from Mitchellville, Tennessee.
Once again I rolled into a TA Center and parked my rig into one of the spots. I went around to the passenger side of the rid and helped Tommy and Davy down. I went to the check-in booth and called my rig number, TA Center ID and space number. The boys were doing the "I have to pee dance." They were pleased when I got off the check-in phone. We made a quick walk to the restroom.
Once done we went to the restaurant.
"I hope they have a buffet like they did at the last TA." Davy said.
"Well, when we go get our booth we will see what it's like."
"WOW oh wow they do, they do have one it's even bigger!" Davy exclaimed while jumping all about.
I told the boys to go for the buffet and that Tommy was to help Davy first and then he could go back to get his. I reminded them they needed to have some salad and veggies. I had decided to go for one of Country Prides' Double Take items2 rather then the buffet.
I ordered our drinks when the waitress came by with my sirloin strip steak meal and then my cell rang. I recognized the area code as one from Minnesota but didn't recognize the rest of the number.
"Hello?"
"Hello Scott, this is Renee Enselatta. Your brother Alex called me and emailed me the details and the recording of Tommy Boxer and Davy Boxer. I have good news and bad news for you. Here is the good news; I believe the boys should not be in their mother's care, presuming they are telling the truth. The bad news is they would have to be turned over to "Illinois Department of Children and Families Services." Renee explained.
"I know they are telling the truth. I called their mother and she was very glad they were gone. She told me that her current boy friend was going to marry her now that the boys were no longer around. She also called the boys dumb, stupid, nothing but trouble and lied to them."
"Scott, that is all here say and it's your word against hers." Renee reminded me.
"That would be true, however I have her recorded saying all those things I told you."
"That is good news for the boys it helps out their situation of telling the truth. There is one way you could get them without going through Illinois DCFS. Anna Boxer could sign papers giving you guardianship and custody of the boys, then you'd need to fill out the guardianship petition with the Illinois family court and wait for your court date. I know you would have no problem doing it that way. There are some other details but those can wait until you get her to sign and then file the petition. Do you think that is something you'd want to do?" Renee asked.
"Yes, Renee it is. I know I would have to make changes in my life, no more long hauls. The company I contract with offered me a new position that would allow me to be home around 5pm if I take it. These boys are so nice and deserve a chance to be boys and grow up to be productive adults."
"Alright Scott, I have known you and your family for a long time. I believe you to do what is best for these boys. I have a favor I can call in with a family law attorney and get those papers ready for you and have them emailed or faxed to you. They should be ready for you by the time you are back in Illinois." Renee said.
I gave Renee my email address, thanked him and ended the call as the boys returned with plates of food. They were Davy's plates. Tommy went to get his own after dropping Davy's off.
Tommy returned with his plates of food. Later both boys made two more trips.
It was fascinating to see what they picked from the buffet. Not too many sweet foods but mostly meat, Davy loved the fried chicken. Tommy liked the Salisbury steak.
"Davy, if you eat more chicken you will be come one."
Putting down his half gnawed on chicken leg.
"Wha' I'm not posed to eat it. I thought it was all I can eat?" Davy asked.
Wow, I sure have a lot to learn about abused boys. What I thought was just fun ribbing that I did with my nieces and nephews was a negative comment that these fragile boys didn't understand. Tommy had stopped eating and now both boys were staring at me.
"Davy, Tommy, I am sorry. You can certainly eat all you want. I have a lot to learn about taking care of you too. You see, I was joking with you, Davy. I was saying you were eating so much chicken that if you ate more of it you'd be one. I didn't mean anything more then that. You won't really become a chicken or Salisbury steak. Can you both forgive me?"
Tommy and Davy whispered to each other. They were quiet enough I couldn't hear what they were saying.
"Yeah, we forgive you." Tommy said.
They were smiling at me now.
"Thank you; now please eat all you want."
After the boys made two more trips their appetites were finally sated.
After we finished our meals and the waitress took the plates away, I took out a map to show the boys where we were going. I pointed out we were going to Terrell, Texas and we would stop for the night.
"Wa...wa...wa..was th...th...that a c..c..c.. call 'bout us?" Tommy asked.
"Yes it was, it was a friend of my older brother, his name is Renee Enselatta. He works for Child Protection of Ramsey County in Minnesota. He is going to help us with your Mom so you don't have to go back to live with her."
"Ok...k...kay. W..w...w.. would we have t...t..ta go b...b...b..back?" Tommy asked.
"Boys, I am not going to lie to you. You won't likely go back to live with your Mom, but right now I don't know where you are going to live once we get this sorted out."
"You mean we won't live get tah live with you?" Davy asked.
"I don't know yet. I would like you both to live with me but just because I want that doesn't mean you want that or what other people or the court wants that. It is all what the court decides what is the best for you."
Once again the boys whispered to each other. I suspect this often happened so the adults in their life did not hear them.
"We want to live with you. You are nice to us you don't try and do sex stuff with us after you buy us things." Tommy said.
I smiled at them.
"Great boys, I will try my best to make that happen. Now let's get back to the rig and hit the road."
Once again I brought the rig under the gas canopy, it was one thing I definitely never wanted to do was run out of diesel fuel and filled up the tanks. After paying up I got in the rig and started it up.
"Hey don't for get to put in your numbers so it counts." Davy reminded me.
I did so and we were off to Terrell, Texas.
Tommy and Davy were having fun playing the color game with the vehicles. I would point things out here and there showing them the sights I know they never saw based on what little I knew of them
I didn't really want to discuss what might happen to the boys if I didn't get to keep them. Even if I did not I had come do the decision I would take the trucking company I worked for on the offer to train their future drivers. I'd been on the road for 20 years now and what did I have to show for it, nothing at all. Sure I did not have to make payments for the things I owned but I was 38 years old. I had no family of my own. Yes I enjoyed when my brothers, sister, nieces and nephews were around but at the end of a long haul delivery there was nothing to come home to, just a big empty house.
I got lucky when I got the house. In 2008 when the real estate market crashed here in the U.S. so did the dreams of many people. It was nearly finished when it was foreclosed on by the bank. I was searching on the internet and found this house. Because it was considered "unfinished" I got it for nearly 25% of its finished value. I paid the paltry sum of $70,000. If it had been finished it would have been $280,000. The years of driving I had that sum saved and more.
I was brought back from my thoughts with a question.
"Can we have some popcorn?" Davy asked.
"Sure you can, just open the plastic wrap around the popcorn bag, unfold it, put it in the microwave, put the fancy side down and press the "popcorn" button."
"Kay," Davy said.
"Why don't you two watch a movie?"
I heard the microwave operating. Suddenly a small arm appeared with a DVD in it through the curtain.
"How 'bout this one?" Davy asked.
It was one of my favorites, "Short Circuit".3
"Sure that is a nice one you'll both like it."
"Tommy come watch with me," Davy called from behind the curtain.
Tommy crawled back into the bunk. A few minutes later I heard the microwave beep.
"Now wait a few seconds, then take it out and shake it, why don't you put the DVD in first, then take out the pop corn."
Soon I heard them shaking the popcorn bag.
"Hey, how long do we have ta shake it?" Davy asked.
"That should be enough now. Get some paper towels so you can wipe your hands on it, the popcorn will be oily."
Soon I heard the DVD begin and the loud munching of popcorn.
"Hey, this is better then the stuff mom made for supper," Tommy commented.
It wasn't a comment for me but to Davy and needed no response. Now I can't say I haven't just had popcorn as a meal when I felt too lazy to get something to eat when I was home. But for two growing boys popcorn as a meal wasn't they needed more then that.
3"Here Beasley, Beasley where are you?" Stephanie from the Short Circuit DVD said.
"Hey where are you going with Beasley?" Stephanie asked of her soon to be ex-boyfriend.
Stephanie confronting her boy friend about trying to take her dog Beasley to the animal research center in the crate he had.
"Well howdy pardner!" In his best John Wayne voice the robot said.
Stephanie's now ex-boyfriend turned around with his revolver and tried to shoot the robot that blocked the shot with a brake rotor from his now disassembled Pontiac Firebird.
Soon the DVD ended and I told the boys to look for "Short Circuit 2".3
"Found it!" Tommy said.
It was good to hear Tommy's voice. I was wondering if he was becoming mute. I know he has issues with speaking and stuttered when he was afraid, self conscious but seemed alright if he felt safe. That is what I hoped to do, make him and his brothers feel safe.
They boys were enjoying the movie when a call came in.
"Barb, answer the call," I told the trip computer.
"Hello?"
"Hello Scott, Renee here, everything is going well. I just need some details from you, I could have asked Alex but felt it was better to ask you for them. I hope I am not interrupting anything?" Renee inquired.
"No, not at all we're just on our way to Terrell, Texas. So I am on the road. Tommy and Davy are watching Short Circuit 23."
"That's good. I've done some checking on Ann Fox. It seems there were several investigations on her but they were closed so quickly there is question if they were ever investigated at all. They were just closed no comments on them being substantiated or unsubstantiated." Renee informed me.
"I am not surprised that someone might have put in a complaint on her just that nothing was done about them is a bit of a surprise."
"Well don't be too hard on Illinois D.C.F.S., they have a lot on their plates and things like this get swept under the rug all the time. I am not saying its right but it happens. It's when people like you get involved that these state agencies are shown the error of their ways. So if you can give me your address and everything else I'd appreciate it. Oh, and where will you be stopping in Terrell, Texas? I will be faxing the papers rather than emailing them, the time and date mark will be on the papers that way." Renee said.
I gave Renee the information he requested and he let me know that the papers I needed would be at the TA Center in Terrell, Texas by the time we got there.
To be continued.............
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1 This is an actual game my mother and I came up with in 1996 when teal was a somewhat popular color. Yes, we came up with when I was an adult. We started doing this to pass the time while driving around as I had been in a major auto accident and she spent a lot of time taking me to various doctors' appointments for me. It was and still is fun. The trick is to pick an uncommon color but popular enough you will see some. Last year (2012) we picked yellow. Sometimes we select one vehicle type only other time times it's any vehicle with a motor that is of the selected color.
2 T A Center restaurants have what they call "Double Take" where a patron may select to have a 2nd helping of the meal they ordered. This replaced the "all you can eat" version.
3 Short Circuit & Short Circuit 2 are (c) 1986 & 1988 Tristar Pictures all rights reserved used for realism only.