The Future Awaits
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Chapter 1
Our houseboat seems absolutely empty without Mike around. I can tell Tor feels it too, from the way he looks at the chair where Mike always sat for meals. I've even caught myself fixing three plates at times. It's too soon for us to think about, much less enjoy the freedom the return of privacy gives us.
"Wonder if Mike's found a girl yet?" he asks one evening.
Like most any high school kid, Mike had a few casual dates before he left home, but he's just sixteen. He never brought any of his girls home to meet us, not that he's ashamed of Tor and me, nor of our houseboat, but simply because the girls were mostly 'groupies' interested in any of the boys on the soccer team who might favor them with a bit of attention. Nothing serious there. Besides, we don't have all that much room and he'd have no privacy, unless Tor and I happened to be working in our labs.
"It's only been two weeks since we took him up there. He's probably still trying to adjust to school."
"I wish this place was big enough for him to bring a friend home with him on weekends." Tor looks reflective. "Guess we've put him in the same boat as I was with Vince. I'd sure like to do better by Mike."
"I would, too, but much as I hate to think about it, how much longer is he going to be wanting to come home?" I grab his hand and squeeze it. "I guess this is the first break in our family. Just you and me again. God, I miss him."
"Me, too."
About noon the next Friday Tor can't stand it any longer. "I need to do a little research. Want to go up to the U with me?"
From the way he says it, I know he's got little if any work planned. "Try and leave me here. Let's spend the night and take Mike out to dinner."
"Okay!"
We take advantage of our faculty permit to park in a restricted lot just a short walk from Mike's dorm. The campus is alive with kids, so we're swept along with them.
I knock on the door of Mike's room.
"Yeah?" A voice calls.
I open the door. Mike's roommate is a lanky kid with thick black hair and a light bronze suntan I envy. His dark eyes look over Tor and me suspiciously. "What you want?"
"Know where Mike is?"
"Torrence? Probably down there." He jerks his head toward the window.
I walk over and look down to see several guys kicking a soccer ball around on the green. I recognize Mike among them. "Thanks."
Tor and I walk back down the stairs, around the building to the green, and stand watching them for a few minutes. When there's a lull in the play, Mike spots us.
"Dad! Tor!" He yells and runs over to grab us in a hug. "What you guys doing here?"
"I need a little library time, so we thought we'd take you to dinner tonight, and spend some time with you." Tor says.
"Great! Come on up to the room while I grab a shower."
"How's it going?" I ask.
"Not bad. I got a good schedule, and my roomie's okay."
"Just okay?"
"We get along, but he's not very neat."
"Neat!" Tor howls. "That room is a disgrace. It wasn't your stuff, either."
"I got less space here than I did at home, so I gotta keep it picked up." Mike opens the door to his room. "Hey, Tommy, I want you to meet my dads."
The kid's mouth drops open and he points to Tor. "He's your dad?"
"Yeah. He's Tor and this is my dad Drew. This is Tommy Parks."
Tommy looks at me, then scowls at Mike. "Cut the crap, Torrence. No way he's your dad."
"The hell he's not!"
"He's too young. So's the other guy."
I see Tor's face begin to turn pink. "Young man, Drew and I are Michael's parents."
Mike knows Tor's temper, so he quickly adds, "I'm adopted. These really are my dads."
"Oh."
Mike strips, ties a towel around his waist and grabs his toilet kit. He looks at me and nods toward the door, so I follow him out into the hall.
"Will you ask Tommy to go to dinner with us?"
"If you want me to. He doesn't seem very friendly, though."
Mike gives me a grin. "I'll tell you about it later. You'd better get back in there before Tor wipes up the floor with him."
When I get back in the room Tommy's face is red, but he's busy policing up his stuff. Tor gives me a smirk, so I know he's read the poor kid the riot act in that quiet icy voice he uses on students. It works far better than yelling, but I have a feeling Tommy can use a good word about now.
"Parks, we're taking Mike out to dinner tonight. We'll be glad to have you join us."
He looks up surprised, and I quickly give Tor a look that says 'keep your mouth shut'.
"I ugh I guess I could. Thanks."
After Tommy pulls his shirt off and leaves to wash up, Tor says, "Have you lost your mind?"
"No. Mike asked if it would be okay."
"Oh. Well, if Mike wants him along ." He shrugs.
Mike is back from his shower and quickly dresses. "Let's go. I told Tommy we'd wait for him outside."
We walk down to a bench set up on the edge of the green and sit down.
"What's with that kid?" Tor asks.
"He's shy. He won't undress in front of anybody, 'cept me. It took a week for me to get that far with him."
I just shake my head. "If he's that shy, how did he ever get through high school? I would hope he showered after PE."
"He didn't take PE. Please don't let him know I told you, cause he'd kill me, but Tommy hasn't got any feet. He doesn't want anybody to know."
"You're kidding!" Tor says.
"He said he was born without them."
"So? That's nothing to be ashamed of."
"He's an Indian. It hurts his pride like you wouldn't believe. He waits until there's no chance anybody will come in before he takes his showers. One day when he was out I saw a picture he has. He had two little leather things on the ends of his legs and crutches. Guess that's how he got around. He told me later the tribe helped him get his feet when he won a scholarship here."
"Poor kid. I'd think he'd be even more careful about keeping his stuff cleaned up, then."
We stand when Tommy comes walking up, wearing clean jeans and a cheap knit shirt. Tor would say he's cleaned up nicely. I would like to see him smile, though. His expression when he looks at Tor is wary.
Tor smiles at him. "Ready? The car's over there."
A look of something like distress crosses Tommy's face when we stop for Tor to put the top down on the car. "This is a faculty lot. You're lucky you didn't get a ticket."
Mike points to the permit on the windscreen. "Dad and Tor can park most anywhere on campus. They're professors."
The kid's face turns red, and I hear him mutter, "Oh, shit," under his breath, as he starts to turn away.
"Where you going?" Mike asks him.
"I don't guess I can go."
"Why not?"
"I ."
Tor instantly grasps the situation. He walks over to Tommy and puts his arm around the boy's shoulders. "Look, Tommy, if anyone's embarrassed it's me. I had no right to say you lived like a pig. That was insulting and I'm sorry." He holds out his hand.
After a moment's hesitation Tommy shakes Tor's hand. "I guess I am kind of sloppy, sir." He looks at Mike. "I'm sorry, Mike. I never lived with nobody else before. Your dad was right to tell me."
"Forget it, Tommy," Tor says. "Drew and I just want you and Mike to get along."
"Mike's a good guy, sir."
I know Tor is headed for the steak house we like, so I settle back and let him worry about the traffic, which has begun to pick up. He starts swearing at other drivers as usual, which always makes Mike grin.
Tor had made reservations earlier on, so we're shown immediately to our table. Tommy takes the menu and opens it. His eyes widen as he looks at the prices, then he lays it down. Tor and I haven't even bothered to look. He wants his usual filet and I'm taking the beef kebobs which are always great. They serve it with broiled green peppers, mushrooms, and cherry tomatoes on a bed of wild rice.
"Mike?" Tor asks.
"I'm trying to decide. Dad's kebobs are good, but the sixteen-ounce sirloin looks good, too. Think I'll try that."
"Tommy?"
"They got hamburger?"
I see Mike reach around to nudge him in the ribs. "No burgers in a places like this. Take a sirloin like me. For sure we aren't gonna eat this good again until dad and Tor bring us back here."
"Well ."
Tor orders a bottle of rosι as a compromise. He won't drink white wine and I don't like red. Mike likes wine, too, so we'll let him have one glass with his dinner. The light's so dim the candle on the table makes Mike look older, and he's smart enough to leave his glass upside down. The waiter doesn't remove the glass from Mike's place, so as soon as he's gone, I pass my filled glass to Mike and take his, filling it for myself. I look at Tommy and note that he hasn't turned his glass up.
"Tommy?"
"Sir?"
"Wine?"
"No, sir. Could I have some coffee?"
"Of course." I signal the waiter.
We've just begun to eat our salads when I hear someone say, "Tor? Drew? What are you doing up this way?" It's Dr. Langford and his wife.
"A little research," Tor says.
I smile. "On Mike, mostly. He's a freshman." Langford already knows Mike, so I introduce him to Mrs. Langford and then Tommy to both of them.
Langford gives his wife a grin. "I can see it's time I start thinking about retirement, dear."
"Why? You're not that old."
"When the sons of men I've taught start showing up at the university it's time."
Tor laughs. "If you remember, Drew and I both started here when we were sixteen. That's what Mike is, so you've got a long time to go yet."
"Remember what old Professor Barnes said when you were appeared before the committee, Drew?"
"What was that, Tom?" Mrs. Langford asks.
"He said, 'Am I getting older, or are these kids getting younger?' That's the way I feel right now, so it's good to know you're so young, Mike. If I can help you with anything, I want you to come by my office. Nah. Just come by once in a while for a chat. It'll be good to see you."
I can tell Mike's blushing. "Thank you, sir."
I invite them to join us, but they refuse, going to their own table.
Tommy looks a little overwhelmed at the steak the waiter sets before him, but quickly cuts a piece, then smiles. "Oh, man, this is good."
Tor and I refuse dessert, having coffee while Mike and Tommy happily work their way through large chocolate eclairs.
Tommy solemnly thanks Tor and me when we drop them off at their dorm. I tell them we'll be by to take them to breakfast, then Tor and I go to our motel. Tor spends about an hour organizing his notes for the little bit of research he used as an excuse to come up here.
To be continued...
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