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

The author retains all rights. No reproductions are allowed without the author's consent. Comments are appreciated at...

Chapter 33  

Down For the Count

When I woke up on Friday morning, I took a quick shower and figured I wouldn’t bother anyone, so I went to start the coffee.  When I arrived in the kitchen, Benji and Alex were already sitting there eating English muffins and some melon.

Benji looked at me, “Good morning, Daddy.  Me and Alex are going to go skinny dipping as soon as we eat.  We’re going to take one of the golf carts, since Alex is afraid of horses.  That’s okay, isn’t it?”

I grinned, “So much for being ugly, Alex.  You need to tell your parents where you’re going to be.  Benji, make sure you don’t let Alex drown.  Alex, I want to see you and Alexis in my office at twelve o’clock.  Benji, you make sure they’re there.”

Alex had a funny look on his face, “Benji, now I understand why you talk like you do?  Did you understand what your Dad just dictated?”

“Come on, I’ll explain the Dr. talk on the way to the lake.”

I watched as the two guys walked to the shed where the golf carts were stored.

As I was going into the kitchen from the deck, Walt asked, “What’s happening that was so interesting?”

“I was watching Benji and Alex head toward the lake so they could go skinny dipping, before the others got up.”

“Say what?”

“Walt, we had a knock down session with Alex last night, and Benji made Alex understand that it was only his mind that was telling him he was ugly.  In fact, when they departed in the golf cart, neither of the guys was wearing their shirts.”

Walt threw up his hands, “We’ve been trying for three years to make Alex and Alexis understand that what happened to them wasn’t their fault, but their father’s fault.  He would use them sexually and then whip them because he claimed they seduced him.  We finally had the man committed, but my sister was completely devastated and broken and that’s how Margi and I wound up with the two teenagers.  I hope that you people can also help Alexis understand that it was not her who caused the problem.”

“Where is Alex and Alexis' mother, now?”

She had a stroke and is in a nursing home.  Alexis and Alex haven’t seen her for over a year, because she doesn’t even recognize them.  We stopped taking them to see her, because she was exacerbating their problem.  Am I going with you or when do you want me to be at your office?

Why don’t you come to the office about nine forty five.  Whatever you do, don’t acknowledge that you know anything about the relics that were found on the construction site.  Be prepared to see some fireworks, today.”

“One other thing, I told Alex and Benji to make sure that Alexis and Alex were in my office at noon today.”

“What for?  I haven’t been offered a job, yet...”

“You need a lot of training on how to read the evil minds of us Georgians.  I’ll see you later.”

When I arrived at the office, Greg was arriving, with pastries, juice and fresh half and half.  He looked at me; I figured if we fed the trustees, they wouldn’t be too unhappy.”

I was collecting my materials for the two meetings when Walt arrived.  Greg knocked. “Dr. Baldwin is here.”

I walked to meet him and was directing him to the conference room when Ms Esterbrook and a gentleman came into the office.  The man was very brusque, “We have a ten o’clock appointment with President Christiansen.  We’re from the Smithsonian in Washington, D. C.”

I turned around and pointed, “Listen Mr. Stoner and Ms Esterbrook, I am not a federal employee, so you have no authority over me and you have no right to tell me when I am to be available to talk to you.  We have a business to run, and we had appointments scheduled for this morning before we received your dictum yesterday, so sit down and wait until I’m free to talk to you.  Come on, Dr. Baldwin, your inquisitors are waiting.”

When Walt and I walked into the conference room, I introduced him to the assembled people.  Walt looked around, “Where’s Bill?  I expected him to be here.”

I chuckled, “He was invited, but he chose to exempt himself for fear of causing you not to be hired.  He said he knew some things that you wanted to have kept under the rugs.”

It soon became obvious that Walt was just what we needed on the staff.  The people who had not previously met him were wowed by his credentials.  Someone suggested that we hire his wife part time so she would be in place when the McBride Library opened, and the equipment and supplies could be in place when it opened.”

We were just breaking up when the Trustees started to arrive.  We were socializing until it was time to begin the formal meeting.  The Board approved the hiring of Walt and I was about to introduce Bill when Mr. Spencer and Ms Esterbrook burst into the room.  Mr. Spencer yelled, “Christiansen, we’re not going to be put off any longer.  We want the relic and we want it now.  We need to get back to D. C.”

Uncle Howie went into his lawyer mode, “Excuse me, sir, you do not go barging into a private meeting, regardless how urgent you think your mission might be.  If you are who you claim to be, I would like to see some identification.”

Mr. Spencer pulled out his wallet, “I’m a GS-18.  You have no cause to treat us like this.”

Greg stuck his head in the door, “Mr. Willingham, The President is on the line wanting to talk to you.”

Uncle Howie pushed the speaker so everyone could hear.  “Good morning, Mr. President.  Thanks for returning my call.”

“Howie, I had my people check and they assure me that the only employees at the Smithsonian by the name of Stoner and Esterbrook are merely clerks in the mail room.  I suggest that you detain them and have them charged with impersonating federal officials.  Is Doug, there?”

“I’m here, Mr. President.”

My wife and I were talking, over dinner last night, about how unique your wedding was with everyone riding horses and how you included Benji in the service.  How are the boys doing?”

“They’re growing like bad weeds, and Benji is In Control of almost all aspects of our lives.”

“Howie and Doug, I’ll talk to you later.  The President of France just arrived for a luncheon meeting.”

Mr. Stoner started for the door, “We’ll be leaving now.”

The door was immediately blocked by Clark, Derek and Austin.  Clark said, “You aren’t going anywhere, until the police get here.” 

There was a knock on the door, Greg’s voice announced, “The police are here to arrest Mr. Stoner and Ms Esterbrook.”

Mayor Langdon laughed, “We’re going to have to charge admission to these Trustees meetings if they’re going to be like this.  What relics were those two babbling about?”

“After Mr. Oliver explains the state of the college’s finances, I’ll explain what this fiasco was all about.  The Trustees were impressed with the college’s financial status.  I stood, “In addition to the assets that Mr. Oliver has described, we also have in our possession six relics which we have been told were worth approximately a million dollars each.  I would like to keep them out of the public record, so that the bureaucrats don’t try to get their hands on them.  They are presently at a safe location so that they would not be found should someone arrive with a search warrant.”

Callie’s Dad stood, “Dr. Christiansen, we’ll leave it up to you and your staff to manage what’s going to happen.  To say the least, I am personally pleased by the way you have managed to keep your home life and professional life separate.  I never cease to be amazed at the stories, my two grandsons tell me about what happens at Summerhill.  Someday, would you invite us to one of your nude swim parties?”

Mayor Langdon laughed, “I’ve heard about those swim parties and I don’t think my heart could withstand the sights.”

Rob Nixon pounded his gavel, “I declare this meeting to be adjourned.  You people are out of control.”

No one seemed to be in a hurry to leave and people were standing around talking to the staff, and Walt in particular.  Greg tapped me on my shoulder, “Benji is here with Alex and Alexis Smith.  Do you know who they are?”

“Yep they’re Dr. Baldwin’s niece and nephew.  Why don’t you plan to go lunch with us?  Let me get Dr. Baldwin.”

As we were walking to Reese’s Deli, Benji and Greg were explaining what was happening on the campus.  When we found a seat, Mr. Reese came to wait on us, “What can I get you people?”

Benji pointed to the menu board, “I’ll have the special with a cup of homemade chicken rice soup, a half of a club sandwich, a piece of the banana cream pie and a glass of milk.” 

I looked around the table, “Mr. Reese, we’ll all have the same thing but I would like iced tea instead of milk.  You’ll need to check what the others want to drink.”

As we were eating, Alex asked, “How did you know what you wanted to eat so fast, Benji?”

“I learned the first time that I came here that I couldn’t eat all of a club sandwich, plus it saves money.  Daddy, when we finish, can someone take me home since we have two parties scheduled this afternoon?”

Walt nodded, “Benji, I’ll take you home.  I want to bring Mrs. Baldwin to town to see if we can find a suitable place to live, now that I’m probably going to be working for your Dad.”

Benji and Walt departed after lunch and Greg and I took Alex and Alexis back to the office.  “Greg, take Alex and Alexis to Dr. Summers and Dr. Mitchell’s office and see how fast you can get them enrolled and then bring them to my office.”

When I walked in to my office, Karen was laughing, “Boss, you sure showed those weasels that they belonged in a cage.”

“Karen, did you have lunch?  Greg is escorting Dr. Baldwin’s niece and nephew around trying to get them enrolled.  I have a suggestion.  Why don’t we hire them to be your assistants on a work study program?  We would make sure that one of them had their classes in the morning and the other in the afternoon.”

“Boss, this isn’t like you to do something on a whim.”

“Karen, Benji and I got to know Alex rather well last night and know what happened to him and his sister.  It’s not a pretty story.  I think they would serve us well.  It’s going to be hard to replace Greg, but he is ready to move on to bigger things.  We’re not going to turn him out into the cold, but he is going to be a busy young man when basketball season starts.”

It was almost four o’clock when Greg returned with Alex and Alexis, “Dr. C., we got them enrolled by the skin of their teeth.  I had to help them with the tests.”

Alex frowned, “Greg is as mean as Benji said.  He stood over us with a whip to make sure we didn’t cheat on the tests.  If we passed the tests, why are we back here again?”

Greg threw up his hands, “I just do as I’m told to do.”

I grinned, “Greg, cover the reception area while Karen and I speaketh with our visitors.”

Greg started to laugh, “Oh no, the Dr. is on overload. I’d better call an ambulance.  Never fear, boss, I’ll make sure that no one sneaks into your office like Rocky did.”

When we were settled in my office, I looked at the two young people who definitely were displaying that they were not at ease.  “Alex and Alexis, you should know by now that we aren’t about to do anything wrong to you.  We have a proposition for you.  We would like to offer you work study programs.”

Alex looked skeptical, “Dr. C., what exactly are you saying?”

“We’re offering you each a job as part time assistant to Karen.  As such you would need to arrange your academic schedule so that she has an assistant on duty at all times.   It would be preferable if you could arrange to be on duty for at least four straight hours.”

Alexis frowned, “Are you saying that we are going to be working to pay for our education?”

I was thinking this is one sharp cookie, “Karen, is that what I said?”

Karen threw up her hands, “Beats me, you lost me a half hour ago.”

“Alex and Alexis, since your guardian is going to be working for the college that means you will only have to pay twenty five per cent of the normal fees.  You should have a few bucks to live the lifestyle of the rich and famous.”

Alex was laughing, “Dr. C., is Miss Karen going to be running us into the ground with her demands?”

I pointed to Karen, “Over to you, Madame Secretary.”

“I promise, I won’t run you into the ground, but I might chase you up a tree if you aren’t doing your job.”

As we were leaving for Summerhill, I asked, “Greg, are the giants going to be at Summerhill.  If so, tell them to bring their swim suits since we have ladies visiting at Summerhill.”

Alexis asked, “Why would you have to tell them to bring their swim suits?”

Alex laughed, “Benji and I went swimming this morning without wearing suits.”

Alexis started to giggle, “No wonder, you were all wet when you returned to Summerhill.”

As we were riding home, I asked, “Alex and Alexis, have you had an opportunity to talk about what happened last night.”

Alexis was riding in the backseat, “Dr. C., Alex told me what happened.  It’s pretty hard to erase the memories of what that man did to us for over a year.  We have a load of emotional garbage that we need to get rid of.”

“Here in Harwood would be the place to do that, since you are going to be starting a whole life, now that you’re going to be going to college and making new friends.  I assume that perhaps you’re twins.  How old are you anyway?”

Alex nodded, “We are twins.  We’re nineteen. The reason we graduated from high school so late is that we had two pretty rough years before the monster was arrested.  If it hadn’t been for Uncle Walt and Aunt Margi, we would probably be on the streets looking to make a fast buck to survive.”

To be continued...

Editor's Notes:  Well, it looks as if the twins are at least beginning to open up.  They are becoming a bit more comfortable talking about their earlier situation.

They both seem like good kids.  They also seem to be pretty bright. I think that with Benji's and the rest of the family's help; they are going to fit in pretty well, very soon.

I had a feeling that those two scum bags who wanted the artifacts were imposters.  They were just too eager to get the artifact and get their butts out of there.

What is going to happen when everyone gets back to Summerhill?  I suppose we will just have to wait for the next chapter, to find out more.

Darryl AKA The Radio Rancher

Posted: 08/27/10