F is for Finding the Answers
There were some questions that Charlie needed to ask Don regarding a bully in their school some 23 years ago. Charlie was not sure that Don would give him the answers.
Charlie was a guest speaker in a Math Forum held in Nebraska. He was given first class flight, first class accommodation in a six star hotel and a limousine to ferry him all over.
He dined with the guest speakers, and they had intellectual conversations and it was a very enjoyable for the first two days.
By the third day, he was wishing that the day would end so that he could go home.
Being on first class, he could easily change the day or the time he was flying home. He changed it to one day earlier.
He gave the Organizer his apologies that he could not attend the dinner the next day. He said he had some home problems.
He left just after the forum ended. He had packed the night before, so he had to put in the clothes he just used. He slept early for he had to get up early for the first available flight home.
He only had to return his hotel room keys as he left the hotel in the morning. Everything else was done by the Organizers.
When he accepted these types of invitations, he could set his own rules that he wasn't bothered with accommodations and transportation. Meals, if not provided, he could take care of himself, but he just couldn't be bothered with those other things.
Usually more than that would be readily available for he was well known in the academic field. His presence and acceptance to take part or to be guest speaker in any of these functions was welcomed with open arms. Down to the point of almost 'kowtowing' to him, sometimes it was embarrassing.
Charlie would have stayed for another day if not for some niggling questions that made him want to get home as quickly as possible.
In the Forum, they talked about finding solutions to the great Mathematical Problems and Equations that needed a different approach. All this involved great discussions. It was a lively Forum which he enjoyed very much. He wished that Larry or Amita were with him but both were unable to take leave or get people to take their classes. Charlie was able to get away for he had Amita and Larry to cover some of his classes.
In the night while trying to sleep, he thought that they could easily find the solutions to those great mathematical problems, but this simple question or questions of what happened some twenty three years ago had him stumped.
He decided that he will look for the answers with or without Don's help. He needed to find out what happened between Bart and Don. He wanted to know if Bart really did bash up Don.
This was all about his brother, and since they had gotten close, he found out that there were many things he did not know about.
He knew that Don knew all about him for their parents had brought Don up to date on his activities, especially his achievements.
He had time to think back and realized that he knew nothing more than the surface about Don's days in Quantico and Albuquerque. How did he spend his days? What else did he do besides training and catching crooks?
He was surprised that now he wanted to know all about Don, maybe because they had gotten closer these past years.
But now his object was to go back all these years when they were in school. He wanted to know; Why did Bart pick on Don? What did Don do to make him so mad at him that he lied about Don to his father, Don's Geography teacher Botany? Why did Bart got someone to beat him up?
And how come they didn't know about it?
He did not see Don with bruises, for they usually went home together, well most of the time.
The only bruises he had were from playing baseball during practices. Well to him at that time it was only during his practices that he had some bumps here and there.
Now to think of it, he became suspicious. What if Don was ambushed or something? Or that Bart and his friends were waiting for him after his practice.
But then surely Don would have been beaten worse than a mere bump here and there. Nah.. it couldn't be. Charlie was convinced then that it didn't happen at all.
Now, there's the question of telling Don what happened to the ten dollars that he owed him. He wondered if the pact he made with Hog was still standing.
Whatever happened didn't matter anymore. It was over 23 years ago. Don said that he can't keep a secret.
Well, he'd be surprised. Charlie smiled to himself in the dark, and already, he was planning what to do the first thing he got home.
He mentally list down the 'thing' he need to do, first look up Hog's real name and if not try to locate Bart. And then…. he felt asleep.
tbc