Benji in Control
by: E Walk
(© 2009-2010 by the Author)
 

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Chapter 12 

Meet Black Pete

When Cole and I were dressed to go running, we went downstairs and Karen was on the phone.  She was writing, she looked at up and when she saw me, she motioned for us to wait a minute.  She hung up and shook her head, “Dr. Christiansen, it’s a good thing that the ringer on the phones were turned off last night because you had a large number of calls.  I can’t imagine what it’s going to be like when we get to the office today.  Go run and I’ll finish taking the messages and give them to you at the office.”

Cole and I were running with Dan and David, and I turned back early because I remembered that I was going to have a busy day.  I had a quick breakfast and departed for the college.  When I arrived, there was almost no one there so I went to the office and unlocked the door and turned on the light.  My eyes were drawn to a sleeping body on the sofa in the reception area.”

I approached the body and saw that it was a young man.  I guessed that he was about ten from what I could see.  I touched him and he bolted up, “Please mister, I didn’t steal nothing.  I just needed a place to sleep.”

He started to stand, “Mister, I promise I didn’t touch nothing.  Mister, I need to go to the bathroom, bad.”

I grabbed the intruder’s arm and took him into my office and directed him to the bathroom door, “The toilet is in there and don’t miss it or you’re going to be cleaning up your mess.”

While the young man was going to the bathroom, I locked the door and made sure the windows were secure.  When he came out of the bathroom, he announced, “I’m going to leave now.”

I looked up from desk, “Unless you can walk through locked doors and windows or walls, you’re not going to go anywhere until I say so.  Now sit your butt in that chair until I can decide what to do.  I should call the police and have them arrest you for breaking and entering.”

The intruder came to the front of my desk, “Please, mister, I didn’t really do anything wrong.”

I pointed to the chair, “I thought I told you to sit in that chair. I want your name and address.”

The young man was defiant, “Mister, I ain’t telling you nothing.”

When I saw Greg and Karen arrive, I picked up the intercom, and Greg answered, “Mr. Patterson, I have a breaking and entering suspect in here.  Would you come and help me guard him until I can get Sheriff  Weaver here to apprehend him?”

The intruder plopped into the chair, “Okay mister, I’m sitting.  Please don’t call the Sheriff.”

I made the call to Cole, “Sheriff Weaver, I am holding a criminal here in my office.  I want you to arrest him for breaking and entering.  How soon can you be here?”

Cole questioned, “Doug, have been hitting the bottle already?  I take it you a young person in your office.  How old is the person?”

I looked at the intruder, “Boy, the Sheriff wants to know how old you are?”

The young man tried to stand but Greg pushed him back in the chair.  The young man looked up and saw how big Greg was and responded, “Stop calling me boy; I’m ten years old and I’m not going to tell you nothing else.”

I winked at Greg, “Sheriff, he says he’s ten years old, but I think he might not be telling the truth.  He has shifty eyes.”

Cole chuckled, “I’ll be there in twenty minutes.”

I looked at Greg, “Mr. Patterson, Sheriff Weaver will be here in about twenty minutes.  Do you think you can keep the robber under control for that long?  Here, I’ll give you my belt and you can tie him to a chair to make sure he doesn’t try to escape.”

The young boy started to cry, “Sirs, please don’t tie me to a chair.  That sounds like something my step dad would do.  I promise I won’t try to run away, if you don’t arrest me.  Can I at least have something to eat?”

 

Greg pointed at the boy, “I’ll see what I can find, but don’t you move.”

Greg returned with carton of orange juice and a pastry and a paper sack,  “Here's a sweet roll and some juice.  If you’re still hungry, you can have my lunch.”

The boy looked at Greg, “You mean you would really give me your lunch.  What would you eat if I eat it?”

“I’d make Dr. Christiansen buy me lunch.”

The boy started to stand up from the table where he was eating, “Is that mean man really a doctor?  I don’t like doctors.  They give shots and stuff.”

Greg laughed, “Whatever your name is, I agree with you that man is mean, but he’s not that kind of doctor.  He’s the kind of doctor who teaches kids and spanks them if they don’t behave.”

I was laughing, “Don’t believe the Biggest Giant, whatever your name is, I would never spank you, but I might tie you in your chair if you don’t sit down and eat.”

The captive sat down, “Please stop calling me, whatever your name is.  My name is Pete.”

I clapped my hands, “Finally, we’re making some progress.”

Cole opened the door, “Good morning, Biggest Giant, where is the criminal.”

“Good morning, Mr. Weaver.  The criminal’s name is Pete and he‘s getting ready to eat my lunch.”

Pete looked at Cole, “Are you really a sheriff?  Why aren’t you wearing a uniform?”

Cole looked at me, “Dr. Christiansen, we need to talk in private about this criminal.  You’re right, he does have shifty eyes.”

Cole and I went into the reception area and I explained to Cole how I had found Pete and that I didn’t have a good feeling about why he was sleeping on the sofa in our reception area.  “Take him and see if you can crack his shell.  Buy him some lunch and he’s going to need some clothes, because I have the feeling he is going to be with us at least through the weekend.”

Cole nodded, “I’ll see what I can get out of him and call you this afternoon.  It’s too bad Benji isn’t here, so he could get the young man to open up.  I agree, we don’t know if the young man ran away from home or what.  Why don’t you call the law enforcement agencies and see if they have any repots of missing children that match Pete’s description?”

I nodded, “Cole, did Mr. Block give you any indication as to what time he might be arriving?  Shouldn’t you be here while he’s here?”

“Why? He’s coming to talk about Harwood Junior College not about football.  I talked to him yesterday so there is no need for me to be here.”

I called the Harwood police and the county sheriff’s offices, and neither of them had any reports of missing children that matched Pete’s description.  I informed them that we would advise them when and if we were finally able to get anymore information.

I looked at my watch and it was almost ten o’clock.  I thought to myself, ‘So much for getting anything done this morning.  I may have to spend the entire weekend taking care of college business.’

Karen announced, “Dr. Christiansen, Governor Perdue and Senator Baumgartner are here to see you.”

“Thank you, Karen.  Please show them in.”

After I greeted the two visitors and invited them to sit down, I looked at them.  “Governor Perdue, I presume that this isn’t a social visit.  Why did you ask to visit the college?”

“Doug, I’m concerned as to why the television people were there yesterday.  They are creating havoc with this story.”

I put up my hand, “Governor Perdue, if you recall, when I talked to you last Tuesday, you said I could invite anyone I wanted to, as long as everybody paid their own tab.  Senator Baumgartner had provided me a head’s up about the conversation she had overheard between Senator Leggett and Senator Hodges.  I decided to ask my acquaintance Mister Caster to be there and I’m glad I did.  The good old boys need to be put in their places or better yet be kicked out of office.”

“Having said that, what is it you would like to know about the Harwood Community Junior College?”

Senator Baumgartner stepped in, “Dr. Christiansen, you’re being a bit unfair to the Governor.”

 

“Ma’am, I’m not being unfair at all.  First he tells me I could invite whomever I wanted, and now he’s chastising me for inviting the television people.  It wasn’t me who asked for the meeting.  I have better things to do than sit here and pamper two public officials. I’m being paid to do a job, and I intend to do it the best I can.”

Governor Perdue stood, “Doug, I apologize.  I didn’t intend for this visit to be threatening.   I really wanted to observe first hand what was happening here in Harwood to see why the Junior College system is so lacking.”

I stood, “Governor Perdue, I have this to say and it is the last thing about politics that I will say.  It’s obvious to me that the politicians from those areas have somehow connived to get the Junior Colleges into the State system.  Subsequently the local communities have lost their sense of ownership and  enthusiasm for sustaining those institutions and the course offerings are inferior at best.”

“Let me walk you around the facility so you can better understand why I’m being so protective.  It is because of people close to me that we are even able to take on this major endeavor.”

“Before, we walk around the construction site, let me show you a model of what the finished facility is envisioned to look like.”

I was explaining the model when Mr. Block walked in, “Hi, Doug, you have some high powered visitors here, I see.”

I looked at Mr. Block, “Sir, I take it you know these people?”

“Doug, I do.  Why are they here?  If they’re thinking about taking control of Harwood, then I’ll withdraw my pledge of support and there won’t be Block Field House.  They can’t adequately support institutions they already have in the system.  This seems to me to be a ploy by the state to get their hands on the funds that you and your sons have generated.”

Governor Perdue bristled, “Art, you have nothing to judge that charge on.”

“Sam, you’re wrong.  The state has been trying for years to worm their way into getting the money that the professional sports teams generate.  You have no idea how demanding some of the legislators are when it comes to getting tickets to games.  Last season, Senator Leggett called and demanded that he be given forty seats on the fifty yard line for free when the defending Super Bowl champions were playing against the Falcons.  Needless to say, I told the creep to shove it.  You politicians are out of control.”

I could feel the tenseness and decided to diffuse if I could, “Senator Baumgartner and gentlemen, let’s go look at what’s going on at the construction site and I can better explain what the new campus will look like.”

We were met at the construction site by Jordan, “Ma’am and gentlemen, you will need to wear hard hats if you’re going to visit the facility.  I’ll go get you some hard hats.”

He handed me mine that had my name on it and the other three visitors received ones that were in plastic wrap.  I took them to the center of the first block where the library was to be located and the work was moving along nicely.  “This is going to be the Information and Technology Center.  It will be known as the McBride Research Center.”

Governor Perdue asked, “Why is it to be the named that?”

“Because my oldest son’s great grandmother is funding the facility.  It is to be named as she requested.  There will walkways leading to the  four classrooms and office facilities so that everyone can access the facility.  Let’s move to the next block.”

I was surprised at how much progress the construction team had made in a week. “The centerpiece of this block will be the Benjamin Miller Student Center.   To the left will be the dorms of Nixon Village and to the right will be Block Field House.”

Governor Perdue was shaking his head in disbelief.  “Doug, how can you support having these facilities without state aid?”

“For starters, Governor, the construction of the student center is being funded by my oldest son’s grandparents, and Mr. Block has offered to fund the new field house.  The funds to construct the dorms in Nixon Village are going to be donated by the family of Robert Nixon the Second.  I want to reiterate what Mr. Block said earlier.  If the state tries to become involved, I’ll advise all of the people of what is happening and recommend that they withdraw their offer to fund the facilities and that includes my sons.”

Governor Perdue had a funny look, “How can your sons be involved with finances of this magnitude?”

Mr. Block responded, “Sam, if it hadn’t been for Dr. Christiansen’s sons, none of this would have happened.  Doug, I think it would be good if you were to tell the Governor and Senator Baumgartner what happened to make all of this possible.  They obviously don’t know about you punching that man on the nose because he tried to take the coins from your sons.”

I shrugged my shoulders, “I promised these people a free lunch.  Let’s go eat and I can explain over lunch why I’m so adamant about why the state has to stay out of the Harwood Community Junior College affairs.”

I explained how the boys had found the coins on the college campus after the tornado, and decided they should spend the money they got, to build the Autumn Christiansen Arts and Science building with financial help from my parents and Autumn’s parents.

When I explained that not only did the funds that were derived from the sale of the coins turn out to be more than adequate to not only cover the cost of building and the furnishing of the building as well as part of the McBride Research Center, Governor Perdue interrupted, “Doug, I don’t understand why you’re so adamant about the state not becoming a part of the college.”

 

Senator Baumgartner pointed her finger at Governor Perdue, “Governor, both Mr. Block and Dr. Christiansen have very clearly stated that they will withdraw all funds if the state interferes.  I’m beginning to get the feeling that all you see is dollar signs to cover the state’s short falls which you have allowed to happen.  Doug, if there is any legal action to try to gain access to the private funds, I’ll make sure there is such a public outcry from this district that the state will find themselves in federal court.”

Talk about tense.  A knife couldn’t even have cut through the air.  However, we were saved by Mayor Langdon, “Doug, the guys are really excited about the basketball team.  When Chad called last  night, he told us about the practice.  I hope that Mr. Carpenter is going to be the coach, since he was a professional basketball player.  I’ve been thinking about a name for the sports teams.  I think you should call them the Harwood Hellions.  The logo could be a young man and woman with horns and a halo.”

 

Mayor Langdon stopped when she realized that she didn’t know everyone, “Hi Natalie, it’s an odd time for you to be here.  I thought the legislature was in session.”

I stood, “Everyone, this is our illustrious mayor, Andrea Langdon.  Andrea, the gentleman on my right is Governor Perdue and the other gentleman is Mr. Art Block.”

Mayor Langdon laughed, “So, your significant other’s boss is here to check on him.  Where is Cole anyway?”

The damage was done, “Mayor Langdon, he’s at Summerhill, trying to crack a hard nut.  When I arrived at the office this morning, I found a young boy sleeping in the office.  All we’ve been able to determine is that he’s ten years old and that his name is Pete.  The authorities have no reports of any missing children who match his description.”

Mayor Langdon grinned, “I’m sure Benji will be able to solve the problem when he gets home.  He’s due home tomorrow, isn’t he?”

“The gang from Florida is due home this afternoon.  Mayor Langdon, I’m sure you’re right.  Benji will have the new arrival whipped into shape faster than Sherman marched through Georgia.”

Governor Perdue commented, “Everyone keeps talking about Summerhill.  What is Summerhill and who is this Cole person?”

Mr. Block answered, “Cole is going to be the starting quarterback for the Falcons this year.  He and Dr. Christiansen and their sons live at Summerhill.  Doug, why don’t we take the Governor and Senator Baumgartner to see the place, so they will understand that you aren’t without some cash.”

Senator Baumgartner grinned, “Mr. Block, I know that Summerhill is not a sharecropping operation, but I did not know that Dr. Christiansen’s significant other was a male.”

 

Mr. Block took a deep breath, “Doug, I assumed that these people had knowledge of your relationship with Cole.”

“Sir, it’s inconsequential if they knew or not.  I don’t work for them.  The Harwood Community Junior College board of trustees knows and the are the people who hired me.”

I paid the bill out of my own funds and looked at the group, “Mayor Langdon, I am going to take these guests to Summerhill.  Would you like to join us?”

“I believe I would.  I'm not sure how much faith I have in our state officials anymore.”

As I was climbing into my car, I was thinking, ‘Why did I even mention taking these people to Summerhill?’

To be continued...

Editor's Notes: After the way those two senators acted at the meeting, I don't blame Doug one bit for not trusting the state, when it comes to money.

I do believe that if anyone can crack Pete's resolve not to give any information, it will be Benji.  I have a feeling that Pete will come around pretty quickly, once Benji has a chance to soften him up.  I am guessing that we will find out a bit more in the next chapter, which I hope will be coming along soon.

Darryl AKA The Radio Rancher

Posted: 03/12/10