The Witness
Chapter 25
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"Nope. Everything's going fine here. You missed a hell of a party and Cole got his Learner's Permit this afternoon. I'll tell him. How about you? You sure you don't need anything?" Bosco asked Katy on the phone.
"Okay, I'll talk to you in the morning then," he said, finally hanging up.
Cole was sitting in the chair across from him with a big smile on this face as he turned the card over and over in his hand. Bosco smiled and stood up. "Katy says congratulations on passing your test."
"Whoa! Look at this place! You'd think they'd at least clean up before they left," Bosco joked. They didn't know about the party ahead of time and Bosco felt kind of bad about telling Faith that he'd promised Cole he'd take him for his test. Everyone was very understanding and wished him luck as Bosco drove him down to the DMV.
Cole stood up and said, "That's okay. I'll clean it up."
"No, WE'LL clean it up. You look tired. You okay?" he asked him.
"Yeah, I'm fine. I am a little tired though. I think as soon as we get done cleaning up I'm gonna turn in," Cole said, looking around the room to see where he might have to sleep.
Bosco suddenly realized that because of all the people and rushing out for the test, he'd never really given Cole the tour of the place - not that it was that big of a place. "Sorry. I forgot to show you around and where your room is," Bosco said.
"My room?" Cole asked, surprised.
"Of course. You don't think I'm gonna make you sleep on the couch, do you? Well, this is the living room and that's the kitchen. I think I stocked it okay so feel free to eat whatever you want and if there's something you like that you want me to include with the groceries, just let me know," he said and Cole nodded.
"Okay, down here is the bathroom - towels are in this closet right here. My room's at the end of the hall and your room's right here next to the bathroom. It's kind of small. I was thinking of looking for a bigger place, but everything happened kind of fast," he said, looking over at Cole.
"It's fine. Really. Thanks," he said.
"Alright. Well, you have an early doctor's appointment to get those stitches out of your head so you might want to hit the rack. I'll take care of cleaning up cause you don't know where everything goes yet," Bosco said, scratching his head as he looked at the mess. "And I'm not sure either. I didn't know I had all this stuff," he said, looking around at the empty plates and bowls and glasses.
"You sure you don't want any help?" Cole asked and Bosco told him he'd take care of it.
"Okay. Well, g'night then," Cole said, shaking Bosco's hand awkwardly.
"If the traffic isn't too bad, maybe I'll let you drive in the morning. I scheduled your rehab program for the afternoon/evening session. I figured that way we'd get you enrolled in the school down the street and you'd be able to have your sessions after, while I'm working. My Ma said she'd pick you up and bring you here after your session and stay until I get home from work - usually around 11:30, unless I get tied up on something," Bosco explained.
"Your Mom?" Cole said.
"Oh yeah. You'll meet her tomorrow. She's a little eccentric, but she's okay. She won't give you any hassles - she's cool," he reassured Cole. "And Faith's daughter, Emily, will be going to the same school as you so you can meet her ahead of time too," Bosco remembered.
"Great. Well, I guess I'll turn in," he said awkwardly again.
"Okay. Oh, you're medicine is over on the table in that bag. Don't forget to take it before you turn in. Let me know if you need anything else," he said.
"Yeah, okay," Cole said, walking over to get the medicine that was supposed to help him with his cravings. Bosco began cleaning up and watching out of the corner of his eye to make sure that Cole took his pill and if he needed anything else. He listened as Cole went into the bathroom and used the new toothbrush that Bosco had put in there. He always kept spares in case a "friend" ended up staying over. "Only one friend had been staying over as of late," he thought to himself with a smile.
He was throwing the trash away and turned around to see Cole standing in the hallway, looking as though he needed something.
"What's up?" Bosco asked lightly.
"Um. Can I borrow something to sleep in. I don't have any clothes besides these," he said, a little ashamed.
"Oh, sorry Cole. Sure. I'll give you a pair of my sweats if that's okay. They might be a little big. That's something else we'll take care of tomorrow - getting you outfitted," he said leading Cole into his room and grabbing a pair of sweats out of his bottom drawer for him. "Why don't you give me your clothes and I'll go down and put them in the laundry so you'll have something to wear in the morning," Bosco suggested.
"Okay. Thanks again," he said and Bosco noticed the awkwardness.
Bosco sat on the edge of his bed and looked up at Cole. "Why don't you sit here for a minute. I want to talk to you."
Cole sat down stiffly, wondering what the problem was. "Maybe he's decided that it won't work after all," he thought to himself.
"Cole, first let me say that I'm glad you're here. I want you to feel like this is your home, because it is. Your welcome to anything I have and if you need something I want you to tell me. It doesn't mean I'm gonna get it for you, but I'll be fair," Bosco said with a smile. "I know I'm not your father, and I'm not pretending to be. This is new for me too and I'm gonna make mistakes. But, it's my intention to make sure that from this point on you have everything you need to be happy and healthy," he finished looking over at Cole. "It's gonna be hard work at first, but as you advance in your rehab program, you'll have more time for friends and stuff. But, you'll get there."
"Thanks, Bosco. I really appreciate everything you've done for me. And, I'll try hard to make it worth your time," Cole said.
"Don't try for me. I want you to do it for you, Cole. You deserve some happiness and good memories, okay?"
"Yeah," he said, looking down at his lap.
"Okay, lights out. I'll see you in the morning," Bosco said, lightly slapping Cole on the back and standing up. He watched as Cole went into his room and waited out in the hall for him to hand out his dirty clothes.
"I'm just going to the basement to put this stuff in the washer. I'll be right back," he told him.
"Okay. See you in the morning, Bos," Cole said.
Bosco grabbed his keys and the detergent and walked out of the apartment and headed to the basement.
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^
He headed down the hallway, with a good feeling. A feeling that everything was finally going to work out.
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^
Cole turned the light out in his new room after turning on the portable radio that Bosco had put in there. He laid on his back, looking up at the ceiling and wondering if he was going to be able to do this.
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TBC...
Chapter 25
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"Nope. Everything's going fine here. You missed a hell of a party and Cole got his Learner's Permit this afternoon. I'll tell him. How about you? You sure you don't need anything?" Bosco asked Katy on the phone.
"Okay, I'll talk to you in the morning then," he said, finally hanging up.
Cole was sitting in the chair across from him with a big smile on this face as he turned the card over and over in his hand. Bosco smiled and stood up. "Katy says congratulations on passing your test."
"Whoa! Look at this place! You'd think they'd at least clean up before they left," Bosco joked. They didn't know about the party ahead of time and Bosco felt kind of bad about telling Faith that he'd promised Cole he'd take him for his test. Everyone was very understanding and wished him luck as Bosco drove him down to the DMV.
Cole stood up and said, "That's okay. I'll clean it up."
"No, WE'LL clean it up. You look tired. You okay?" he asked him.
"Yeah, I'm fine. I am a little tired though. I think as soon as we get done cleaning up I'm gonna turn in," Cole said, looking around the room to see where he might have to sleep.
Bosco suddenly realized that because of all the people and rushing out for the test, he'd never really given Cole the tour of the place - not that it was that big of a place. "Sorry. I forgot to show you around and where your room is," Bosco said.
"My room?" Cole asked, surprised.
"Of course. You don't think I'm gonna make you sleep on the couch, do you? Well, this is the living room and that's the kitchen. I think I stocked it okay so feel free to eat whatever you want and if there's something you like that you want me to include with the groceries, just let me know," he said and Cole nodded.
"Okay, down here is the bathroom - towels are in this closet right here. My room's at the end of the hall and your room's right here next to the bathroom. It's kind of small. I was thinking of looking for a bigger place, but everything happened kind of fast," he said, looking over at Cole.
"It's fine. Really. Thanks," he said.
"Alright. Well, you have an early doctor's appointment to get those stitches out of your head so you might want to hit the rack. I'll take care of cleaning up cause you don't know where everything goes yet," Bosco said, scratching his head as he looked at the mess. "And I'm not sure either. I didn't know I had all this stuff," he said, looking around at the empty plates and bowls and glasses.
"You sure you don't want any help?" Cole asked and Bosco told him he'd take care of it.
"Okay. Well, g'night then," Cole said, shaking Bosco's hand awkwardly.
"If the traffic isn't too bad, maybe I'll let you drive in the morning. I scheduled your rehab program for the afternoon/evening session. I figured that way we'd get you enrolled in the school down the street and you'd be able to have your sessions after, while I'm working. My Ma said she'd pick you up and bring you here after your session and stay until I get home from work - usually around 11:30, unless I get tied up on something," Bosco explained.
"Your Mom?" Cole said.
"Oh yeah. You'll meet her tomorrow. She's a little eccentric, but she's okay. She won't give you any hassles - she's cool," he reassured Cole. "And Faith's daughter, Emily, will be going to the same school as you so you can meet her ahead of time too," Bosco remembered.
"Great. Well, I guess I'll turn in," he said awkwardly again.
"Okay. Oh, you're medicine is over on the table in that bag. Don't forget to take it before you turn in. Let me know if you need anything else," he said.
"Yeah, okay," Cole said, walking over to get the medicine that was supposed to help him with his cravings. Bosco began cleaning up and watching out of the corner of his eye to make sure that Cole took his pill and if he needed anything else. He listened as Cole went into the bathroom and used the new toothbrush that Bosco had put in there. He always kept spares in case a "friend" ended up staying over. "Only one friend had been staying over as of late," he thought to himself with a smile.
He was throwing the trash away and turned around to see Cole standing in the hallway, looking as though he needed something.
"What's up?" Bosco asked lightly.
"Um. Can I borrow something to sleep in. I don't have any clothes besides these," he said, a little ashamed.
"Oh, sorry Cole. Sure. I'll give you a pair of my sweats if that's okay. They might be a little big. That's something else we'll take care of tomorrow - getting you outfitted," he said leading Cole into his room and grabbing a pair of sweats out of his bottom drawer for him. "Why don't you give me your clothes and I'll go down and put them in the laundry so you'll have something to wear in the morning," Bosco suggested.
"Okay. Thanks again," he said and Bosco noticed the awkwardness.
Bosco sat on the edge of his bed and looked up at Cole. "Why don't you sit here for a minute. I want to talk to you."
Cole sat down stiffly, wondering what the problem was. "Maybe he's decided that it won't work after all," he thought to himself.
"Cole, first let me say that I'm glad you're here. I want you to feel like this is your home, because it is. Your welcome to anything I have and if you need something I want you to tell me. It doesn't mean I'm gonna get it for you, but I'll be fair," Bosco said with a smile. "I know I'm not your father, and I'm not pretending to be. This is new for me too and I'm gonna make mistakes. But, it's my intention to make sure that from this point on you have everything you need to be happy and healthy," he finished looking over at Cole. "It's gonna be hard work at first, but as you advance in your rehab program, you'll have more time for friends and stuff. But, you'll get there."
"Thanks, Bosco. I really appreciate everything you've done for me. And, I'll try hard to make it worth your time," Cole said.
"Don't try for me. I want you to do it for you, Cole. You deserve some happiness and good memories, okay?"
"Yeah," he said, looking down at his lap.
"Okay, lights out. I'll see you in the morning," Bosco said, lightly slapping Cole on the back and standing up. He watched as Cole went into his room and waited out in the hall for him to hand out his dirty clothes.
"I'm just going to the basement to put this stuff in the washer. I'll be right back," he told him.
"Okay. See you in the morning, Bos," Cole said.
Bosco grabbed his keys and the detergent and walked out of the apartment and headed to the basement.
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^
He headed down the hallway, with a good feeling. A feeling that everything was finally going to work out.
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^
Cole turned the light out in his new room after turning on the portable radio that Bosco had put in there. He laid on his back, looking up at the ceiling and wondering if he was going to be able to do this.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
TBC...