G is for Go for it.
(Go For - to make an attempt at; try for )
Charlie made up his mind to go for it, get it over, ask Don the questions to satisfy his curiousity.
The hotel reception gave him the morning call, and his driver was waiting to take him to the airport.
Charlie had made friends with Bill, who not only ferried him up and down, but also took him on a night city tour after the first day of the Forum.
He learned that Bill was an ex-marine. He was also single, not that he was gay or anything, he just liked it that way. Charlie also learned that Bill had a large number of siblings and thus a number of nieces and nephews who doted on him and vice versa. Bill enjoyed what he was doing and the luxurious Jaguar saloon was his own pride and joy. He couldn't think of a better way to earn some good money.
Bill charged for car rental, chauffeur service and security. He preferred individual protection because it is much easier. He was able to make friends with many of his ex-clients, and sometimes, they invited him to their place for holidays, too. And what better way to earn good money, doing something you like, work hard earn hard, so that you would be settled for life when you don't work anymore.
Bill said that he does not take just any client. He had the choice to take the job or not. He said, with a laugh, that he was so reliable that a lot of companies have his name, and sometimes he does the job non-stop for some months running. Whenever he felt like not working, he would take off for a holiday in the wilds to ride the rapids and climb the mountains.
Charlie said he envied him. He would like to do that, but he can't now. He had too many things to do.
Bill laughed and said that life is short and you should enjoy your own reapings. There is no sin in that. Charlie learned that Bill was a Protestant.
Bill practically told Charlie his whole life history, and Charlie told his in moderation. Bill did not pursue further.
Charlie told him it was good philosophy and that he planned to consult whenever he could. He hoped to retire a very wealthy man so that he can support his father and his brother if he needed to. He told Bill that his brother was FBI, and his job was sometimes dangerous. He had wished many times that his brother would resign from the FBI before anything happened or he really burned out since it was a very stressful job.
Bill advised him to 'Go for it Charlie. You can do it. You're so young and successful. Go earn your millions and retire a rich young man. Call me when you have time to vacation. We'll go and do some hiking."
Charlie told him he would keep that in mind. They talked about other things as well.
Earlier, Bill had got Charlie's autograph for two of his nieces when they heard that their uncle was the man in charge of his transport. They knew Charlie was coming since it was a Forum open to the students for a small entrance fee.
There was a small incident when somehow some young students learned that Professor Charles Eppes was leaving the next day after the Forum ended. They crowded the hotel lobby to hoping to get his autograph. Luckily, it was only about eight or nine of them at a glance.
Bill quickly got hold of Charlie to get him out, but Charlie told Bill that since it was not so many, he could entertain them.
Bill stood by while Charlie signed and had some words with the students, mostly girls. One of the young ladies even offered him a lemon pop tart.
"Goodness, I wouldn't mind one, it's my favorite,well actually it was my brother's favorite and it so became mine too. Umm thanks!"
Charlie was feeling a bit high with all the girls clamoring round him for autograph. He would have loved to talk longer about Math since one of them brought out a question, but he heard some 'um hms…', so he very nicely thanked them and went off with Bill.
Bill saw the real side of Dr. Charles Eppes, he was nice and friendly and even towards a bunch of students, he was very earnest in telling them about those math thingy. It was a pity for it was time up; he had a flight to catch, so he made some noise and pointed to his watch to let him know.
Charlie thanked Bill again and jokingly asked if he would fly to LA if he needed his service again. He was surprised when Bill replied, "No problem, Charlie. If you really require my help, just pay for my flight and lodgings."
"No joke?"
"No joke, upfront real thing."
Charlie laughed, shook his hands and thanked him. His flight back was pleasant and very comfortable.
He had a lot to think about, and he knew that he had to get all his questions answered because he felt very uneasy since this had cropped up. He blamed Don for telling him that he did not pay him the ten dollars.
Everything came up at once, the unpleasantness in school with Bart, Hog and some of the boys that hung out with Bart.
Charlie had his questions ready, and when he got home from his Math Forum in Nebraska, he was pleased to find Don at home.
In fact, he found him sleeping in his old bedroom. His father was not around for him to ask, and when he went inside Don's bedroom, he found him deeply asleep. He came back downstairs.
He heard his father's car coming into the drive, and he stood at the door to wait for him.
"Charlie, you're back early," Alan said happy that both of his boys were home. He was pleased that Charlie was back early. They all can have some family time together even though Don was not feeling well.
"Yes, I didn't stay back for the farewell dinner the committee was going to give. Not really keen to discuss what we've been discussing for the past three nights. I just arrived, and I see Don's sleeping in his old bedroom."
"Ah, yes, how's he? Is he awake?"
"Well, he's still sleeping. I don't know. Don's sick, isn't he?"
The answer came when a series of sneezes came from Don's room.
"Oh yea, dear brother has a mother of a cold. That's why he came back.
"Are you cooking some of the comfort soup? With pasta? I'd love to have some too," Charlie said.
He really needed some good old home cooking instead of the rich food he was having. Nothing like dear old dad's rich veggie soup with chicken stock, the good old comfort soup.
Charlie could practically smell the soup, he was thinking of; chopped up veggies like celery, carrot, onions, broccoli, cauliflower, potatoes and tomatoes boiled until melted into soft mushiness and with pasta of course.
Don preferred bowties and he preferred those twisted ones. Well, actually any type of Pasta would be equally great.
Goodness, he wants that soup now and he can dip some bread to eat with it.
"Dad, I can smell the soup from here."
"Are you sure? Then you can have the invisible soup first, while I go and make the real thing."
Alan looked at Charlie and shook his head. "Alright you do something for me, you go and take a jug of lemonade I made to your brother. Am sure with those sneezes, he'll be awake by now. Yes, he's sick, and he asked for the soup with pasta. Right, comfort soup with pasta. Let's all have some comfort. For Don, he's sick, for you, because you like it and for me, especially a great comfort that both of you are home."
"No need," Came a slightly nasal gruffy voice.
"No need? You don't want the soup with pasta?" Alan turned at the sound and saw a bleary eyed Don in rumpled sweats and hair sticking all over the place.
"No, no, I say no need to come upstairs. I'm down, see?" Don answered his father.
"Hey Don, Are you alright?" Charlie asked, eyeing his brother. He didn't know whether to laugh or not at his appearance.
"Do I look alright to you? I'm having a mother of a cold which comes with a dozen sneezes each session, and my head's ready to pop."
"Oh so, you still think you can look after yourself," Alan questioned?
"Dad, I came back didn't I?"
"Yea, am sure it was your team's effort to get you to come back."
"Are you sure it was the team's effort to get me to come back..Awww dad, ye of little faith."
Alan gave a 'huh!' and walked back to the kitchen. Alan didn't want to let Don know that Megan called him while he was in the store. Megan told him that Don should be arriving soon. Alan thanked her and told her to thank the rest of their team for getting Don to come back. Megan laughed and said it was no problem since the whole department was ready to kick Don out of the office with all the germs he was kindly spreading around.
"Right now, I am in no mood to argue. Nice to see you back, Chuckie. How was the Forum? Any nice girls come up to you for your autograph?
I am going to lie down on the couch. Be a good bro, and go fetch me the lemonade, Chucky."
"Why… yes and how did you know? I had some nice girls who came up to me for my autograph." Charlie answered Don proudly.
"Are you sure Chucky, or you're just pulling my leg?" Don stopped short and turned to look at Charlie.
"No, I'm not pulling your leg, and do I have to remind you not to call me Chucky? Donald?" Charlie protested staring at Don's retreating back and then looked at his father.
"Go humor him. I'll make sure he does the same for you when you get his germs."
"Dad! I just came back. I don't want to get his germs and fall sick! I have lots to do. Oh, oh I think I'd better go back to CalSci."
"Charlie, I am joking! As long as you don't go too near when he sneezes, you won't get it." Alan quickly assured him just in case Charlie really wanted to go back to CalSci.
Charlie took the jug and an empty cup to Don. He poured it out for him and left it on the table. He sat on the chair across the couch. He might as well go for it, and ask the questions now.
"Don, I want to ask you a question."
"What?" came the mumble from the pillow Don had on his face.
"Do you remember Hog, the tall boy from school, one grade higher than you and a good friend of Bart, Barty?"
"Bart the tart? Yea I remember him. He was always hanging out with two boys bigger than him. His bodyguards I think. I think he paid them too. That's why we called him the tart."
"Paid them to do what? Guard him? Why the tart?" Charlie asked then he realized it."oh…he's not really the tart, is he?"
"Nah.. We just called him that to irritate him. He made trouble with a lot of other school kids. He was scared they would come after him."
"Oh I didn't know that. Did he make trouble for you?"
"Plenty. Do you think I stayed in detention for fun. Some of it was caused by him. Other times he wouldn't dare since I caught him cheating more than once. He stopped harassing me for a time. He didn't do something to you, did he? Hey, why are you suddenly talking about that tart?"
"No, I went out of his way. I went to the library if I wanted to read or study like you told me. He didn't disturb me there, and I was not talking about him. You were. All I asked was if you knew Hog."
"Hog? Eh.. not sure? Was he one of Tart's bodyguards?"
"Yes. You know the two bigger boys? They were in a different class from us weren't they? Do you know them?"
'Knew them, they ambushed me twice, sure I knew them.' "No. Charlie I want to sleep. No more questions."
"OK. Do you know where we keep our Yearbooks?"
"Should be in the attic. Why are you so interested in Hog, Charlie?"
"Er.. nothing , just curious?"
"Charlie….."
"Nothing, nothing, just go back to sleep. I'll wake you when the yum yum pasta soup is ready."
Charlie left Don and went into the kitchen.
"Dad, I'll be up in the attic. I want to look for our school's yearbooks."
"It's dusty, Charlie. Take a vacuum cleaner up there before you start shifting the boxes. You can see that your mother labeled them properly. Just take the one you want, but vacuum off the dust before you open it."
"Yes, yes Dad!"
"And Charlie."
"Yes dad, anything else?"
"No, but you don't touch the middle pile. That's all the house things. Nothing you'll be interested in."
"What's in the middle pile?"
"Nothing you'll be interested in, and don't touch it." Alan reminded him.
Charlie gave his father a look saying…OK I won't touch it, but I want to see what's inside.' "OK dad." and he ran up the stairs.
'Boy oh boy, he's going to be a curious busybody, just hope he vacuums the things before he touches them.' Alan muttered to himself and went back to his cooking.
Charlie went back to his room to change into a comfortable tee and shorts and went up to the attic.
tbc