While I was doing my laundry, Davy's and Tommy's I noticed that some of their clothing had seen better days, the wear on them was not new from running away. It was wear from being well used. Their underwear was nearly threadbare; socks had some holes in both sets. Sneakers, well they should have been tossed out at least two months ago. In one shoe which was obviously Tommy's was a zip bag, I could see it was money, so I counted it, $11.25. In a smaller shoe, Davy's was a similar zip bag it was $1.62.
Even if these boys were going to be in my care until the police arrived they would need something to at least be presentable and not be ashamed of what they were wearing.
I live comfortably; I don't spend money on hotels as my rig has a double bunk with a small microwave, televisions, Blu ray players and mini fridge in each bunk so I could have a driving partner. Which I did have on occasion; not because I needed them but the transportation company I contracted with always had their new drivers go on one to three runs with one of their current drivers before letting them go it alone. I got paid extra for doing that.
So I didn't care what money I spent on these two boys while they were in my care.
Something odd I've never understood about TA Travel Centers is for some reason they sell a small selection of boys underwear (socks, briefs and boxers1), so while the laundry was going I decided to buy a few things these boys desperately needed.
TA Travel Centers are part convenience store, part mini-department store. They vary in size from very small to fairly large, they all sell a good selection of products. They sell things for your rig to souvenirs for the travelers that pass on threw.
So I went in to the TA store and got a pack of underwear for the two boys, though several years apart they both seemed to ware the same size. Odd I thought at the time, but little did I know I would find out later why. On top of the underwear, I got them each a shirt, their shorts once clean would be in passable condition. It being summer they also had a few items that fit that season, I got them some sandals, I guessed on the sizes as I couldn't tell from their sneakers what size they had been. I also grabbed two rain ponchos. I brought the items to the counter.
"Hi, Mr. Winslow, will this be on your Travel Center Credit Card?" Suzie asked.
"No, Suzie, as much as I would like it to be a business expense I can't do that. And Suzie, you've see me enough to call me Scott by now, ok?" I replied.
For the last two years I made it through Seymour, Indiana at least once a month if not more. Suzie has been there each time I parked my rig there, she was a clerk then but now a manager.
"Well, you know Scott, I'm from down south. Some of us are still ladies and I was taught to call people Mr., Mrs. or Miss, until given permission to call them by their first name. Oh, and Scott, I know those boys aren't your nephews but I can see you care about them, they've been around here a few days but some how disappear when the sheriff or state patrol are around. The staff and I are often too busy to make a report of them with all you truckers and travelers that pass through here. That will be $43.21 after this purchase you will have 328,284 TA Center points." Suzie commented in her southern accent.
I handed my personal credit card and my TA Travel Center reward card to Suzie and signed the charge slip, as she bagged up the items. I made sure she gave me a few extra empty bags as well. I thanked Suzie and went back up to the laundry area.
All of it was dried. I folded mine and put the items for the boys in a separate bag so each would have their own. I also put their clothing they would never wear again along with their rinsed off sneakers in a bag.
I went to the shower door and I knocked. "Boys are you both wrapped in a towel?"
"Yes," both the boys chorused.
I have no desire to see boys or anyone under 18 naked; I also did not want anything to be taken the wrong way.
I punched in my code (#3#3#5#6#2) into the keypad and the door unlocked. What were standing before me were the two cutest boys I've seen in a long time. Each had golden blonde hair, while Tommy had deep ocean blue eyes, Davy's were emerald green. They both were 1,000 times cleaner then when I first met them. I handed each of them a bag.
"Boys, this is for you, you needed some new things, it's not much but I think you will be happier wearing these then what you had."
"Tha...tha...tha..Thank youuuu. Uncle Sca...Sca..Scott." Tommy finally struggled out to tell me.
I told the boys to get dressed and to come out to the game room when they were ready and leave everything in the shower room. I got $5 in quarters from the coin changer and waited for the boys to appear.
After about 10 minutes two smartly dressed boys appeared.
"Tommy, Davy, here is $5 in quarters; I want you to play these games until I am out of the shower, if anyone asks you tell them your Uncle Scott is in the shower and you can tell them which one I am in and that I will be out in a few minutes."
"Ok, Did..d..d.. you s...s..s...see a zip...p....p...bags with mah..mah...mah..money in it?" Tommy asked.
I thought I'd play a joke but I shouldn't have. "Yes, I did boys I used it to buy the clothing and for some of the quarters to play the games." I was grinning at them as those regretted words left my lips.
A crestfallen Tommy with no stammer just said, "Oh." 2
Suddenly I had a 40 pound boy leaping on me and pounding my stomach with his fists.
"You, You, You bastard you stole our money. It wasn't yours, you shoulduv asked, it was all we had." Davy cried at me.
I first grabbed Davy to stop him from pounding me with his fists, he flinched as much as he could, I knew this was a reaction to having been hit and abused before. I released him and ruffled his hair.
"Davy, stop, first let me say I am sorry, I was playing a joke on you, I did not use your money at all, I don't need it." I told them as I reached into my pocket and presented them each with a wallet which I had gotten out of the souvenir section in the store downstairs.
Both the boys took their perspective wallets, and they both counted the money contained in each.
Tommy was the first to speak, "There's more in here!"
"Yes, boys there is, I wanted you both to have some money, what you both had wasn't enough to do much with and if you needed more; neither of you are old enough to work." I smiled while I told them.
"Awesome sauce!" Davy squealed "Now, Tommy won't have to do stuff to guys any more." Davy pronounced proudly.
I could only imagine what acts that Tommy might have performed, I hoped that at least I gave them a respite from such filth with what I put in their wallets.
"Ok, Boys, I am going to go shower, use the quarters I gave you to play some games, remember what I told you to day."
I went to the shower room and took my shower as quickly as I could. I did not want to leave them out there alone for long. Once I was done I picked up the bags and then went out to them. They were both playing different games. Tommy was on a table top version of Pacman and Davy was playing Galaxian. It was cute Davy was concentrating hard and had his tongue sticking out the side of his mouth.
I told them both I was going to put the bags in my rig and then we were all going to go eat downstairs in the restaurant Country Pride.3
When returning to the truck stop, it had stopped raining so I didn't have to hurry. I saw two sets of eyes watching my every move. As soon as they saw me returning, I saw them run down the stairs where I met them.
"Ok, boys ready to eat?" Stupid question I know, my nephews were always hungry.
"YEAH!!!!" Both of them yelled.
The "Please Seat Yourself" sign was up so I picked a booth close to the buffet yet remote enough we wouldn't be heard. I wanted the boys' story if they would tell me.
I herded them to the booth and they sat together. The menus are kept at the table so I set one out for each boy and took one for myself.
"Wow," was all Davy said. Tommy remained quiet.
I knew from seeing the boys' chests when they were wrapped in the towels after their shower that they had not seen much food. Now I know skinny boys that are active and a high metabolism. Versus ones that didn't get enough to eat; Davy and Tommy were two of these boys.
The waitress showed up, chewing gum, popping it like Flo had on the old 70's television show "Alice" from Mel's Diner. Her name was Jackie.
"Hi ya Scott, what kin I get you and your two fine looking boys to eat and drink?" Jackie asked while smiling at the boys.
I could see the boys couldn't decide, while Davy was studying the menu, Tommy looked rather sadly at it.
"Ok, Jackie, how about we start off with two milks, 3 bottomless glasses of lemonade, 3 Buffets, strawberry malts split for the two boys." I rattled off to Jackie
"Pop-snap" went her gum as Jackie told us to proceed to the buffet. I waited until the drinks arrived.
"Boys, I need you both to understand something. I know what Tommy may have done it's because he had too so you both could survive. I am not here to take advantage of you in that way. I don't want you to perform something after our dinner back at my rig in return for the shower, washing your clothing, buying you new things or giving you money. I just want you to be happy. Ok?" I asked.
Tommy let out a big sigh and whispered something to Davy, I didn't hear what was said, but I saw the reaction.
"Yay!!!" Davy went, then proceeded to exit the booth and head to the buffet. Tommy and I followed.
I followed them, now the buffet at Country Pride depending on space can be both salad and soup only or that plus other entrees. This was one such buffet that had it all. Salads, navy bean soup, chicken noodle soup, ribs, fried chicken, chicken ala king, sausage n kraut, mixed veggies, spaghetti and marinara sauce.
I directed the boys to pick something of all that they wanted to try and if they liked it they could go back and get more as it was "all you can eat."
I helped Davy with his plate and followed Tommy back to our booth.
"Tommy, Davy, I'm going back up to the buffet and get some food for myself, I think you both should have some soup too, which would you like?"
"Navy bean." Piped Davy and "Chicken noodle." Said Tommy.
I went and got them each a bowl, then went back for my favorites. I was surprised when I returned that almost most everything they had taken was gone.
"Boys, slow down, enjoy, you don't have to hurry."
"But Tommy said we have too!" exclaimed Davy.
"Tommy, why did you tell Davy that?"
"Be c...c...c..cause laterrr you'll wantttt ssssex st..st..st..stuff afffter, Davy and I...I...I were g..g...g..gonna h...h..h..hide." Tommy struggled out and started to cry.
I reached out and took Tommy's hand, I wanted to hug him but the table was preventing that. After flinching Tommy looked up at me.
"Tommy, look at me, I am making you a promise. I do not want to have sex with you or your brother Davy. I know it's difficult to understand with what you've been through, but I honestly don't and will never want that from you or Davy. Do you believe me?"
Tommy looked at me for what I though was five minutes, but more likely 30 seconds. I never stopped holding his hand.
"Yes, I do," Tommy breathed out.
Jackie came by with the strawberry malt for the boys and I asked her if they had any blank sheets of paper and if she did if I could have one and a pen. Jackie came back in a few minutes with one. I folded it in half and creased it and tore it in half.
I took out my wallet and smart phone. Out of the wallet I retrieved my Driver's license and I got the boys attention.
"Ok, Tommy, I know you don't want to trust me so I am going to show you something and then I am going to write that down on both pieces of paper. I want you to read what you see out loud, then you check to make sure I wrote down what you read, then you and Davy are going to put that in your wallets."
"Scott Thomas Winslow, 22145 West Moreland Street, Cannon Falls, Minnesota 55009. 4 Z-3-4-1-2-8-9-5-2" 5 Tommy read out to me.
I wrote that on each piece of paper and showed them to Tommy. Then I took my smart phone and showed Tommy varies menus so he could follow what I was doing.
"Ok, you see that number? Read it off to me please, Tommy."
"9-5-3-5-5-5-1-2-3-4" 5 Tommy said as I wrote it out.
I copied that on to the other piece of paper and showed Tommy.
"Is that the number I showed you and my name, address and I.D. number on my license?"
"Yes," Tommy said.
"Ok, now both of you fold those up and put them in your wallets where it can't get lost easily."
Tommy helped Davy fold his up and put it away and he did the same with his. After they did, Tommy seemed to settle down and both the boys ate their food slower. They each went to the buffet two more times.
I am not sure where they put all that food they consumed. I watched them enjoy the food while I ate mine. When they were finally finished, I asked the boys how they came to be at the truck stop.
To be continued!
1This is actually true TA does sell boy's underwear as well as men's but not girl's or ladies.
2Stuttering seems to be brought on by stress and/or a lack of confidence. Not all that stutter will stutter all the time. In my own personal case I stutter when I get tired or when I can't get out the word I want, mine is from a brain injury I got from a serious auto accident in 1996. Mine can not be helped. Others might be able to get help. http://www.stutteringhelp.org/
3"Country Pride" is a real restaurant in many of the TA locations if not then it's called "Fork In The Road." They serve typical American breakfast faire all day and some "ethnic" inspired faire as well as American foods we've all come to love.
4Though this is a real city in Minnesota as is the zip code. The street and address do not really exist.
5Not a real number please do not use