Lucky Mr. Peters
Chapter 69
As soon as the secretary saw us, she picked up her phone and made a call. Within a matter of minutes, Paolo and Julio were whisked away, presumably to a classroom where they would be taking their tests. As always, I made my way to the cafeteria where I sat down at one of the free tables. Almost immediately, Mrs. Cantor came over with two cups of coffee and sat down with me.
“Bernardo told me you have two new boys living with you,” she smiled warmly.
“Yes, my flock can be quite insistent when it comes to helping boys that are somehow in trouble,” I replied almost apologetically.
“I don’t know how you do it. I only have Bernardo and his sister, Elena, and they’re more than a handful,” Mrs. Cantor laughed.
“Believe me, I couldn’t do it if it wasn’t for Pietro and Mauricio, my two housekeepers,” I said.
“Your housekeepers? Bernardo said they were your cooks,” Mrs. Cantor questioned.
“Well, I hired them to be the housekeepers. They took over cooking for the boys when I was in the hospital for a few days last fall. They’ve kept it up ever since, and quite successfully I have to say,” I explained.
“Oh dear, I hope it wasn’t anything serious,” Mrs. Cantor exclaimed.
Not wanting to upset Mrs. Cantor, I downplayed the reason for having been in the hospital, which put her more at ease. We chatted for a while as the cafeteria wasn’t very busy and Mrs. Cantor’s colleague easily dealt with the few students that were there. She regularly mentioned how happy Bernardo had been upon his return on Thursday morning and how grateful she was for that. After we’d finished our coffees, she brought me another one, then excused herself as she had to get back to work.
It was a little past 10 when the twins and Roque and Jordan arrived and joined me at the table after getting their drinks. I knew it was likely to get busy soon as the mid-morning break was nearly upon us. It still surprised me to see how quickly the cafeteria filled up after the bell rang at 10:10. My boys all converged around my table, and even Abelardo joined our group.
With all the talking going on, it was quite hard for me to focus on any one conversation. The cacophony of sounds produced by all the students in the cafeteria was close to deafening and I wondered how anyone could understand a thing someone else said. I was glad that the break only lasted 10 minutes and then the crowd disappeared again almost as fast as it had materialized. I could only enjoy the silence for a few minutes as Paolo and Julio were being escorted in, both looking pale. They’d only just sat down with me when Mrs. Cantor came over with three cups of coffee for us, knowing the two boys could definitely use a caffeine boost.
“Don’t worry, you two. I’m sure you both did well and I’ll be seeing you again quite soon,” Mrs. Cantor addressed Paolo and Julio, sounding motherly.
The boys had the decency to blush as she pinched their cheeks before going back to her station.
We’d just finished our drinks, when we were called back to the office. As usual, the boys had to wait in the hall as I was called into the office of Mr. Gutiérrez, the principal.
“Mr. Peters, it’s always a pleasure to meet you again in person,” he smiled broadly, extending his hand.
“Mr. Gutiérrez, I hope you have some good news for me and two very nervous boys,” I said as we shook hands.
“Indeed I do. I think we can put Julio in the class with Felipe, Juanito and Roque and Paolo in the class with Rafael, Fernando and Hugo,” Mr. Gutiérrez said. “We think that putting them in those classes will make it easier for them to integrate.”
“That sounds good to me. I know that Julio and Paolo have already begun familiarizing themselves with the schoolbooks,” I commented.
“Now, there is one more thing that I would like to address,” Mr. Gutiérrez mentioned, catching my attention as I thought it would be about the problems we’d had after Hugo had returned to school.
Instead, he rather elaborately announced that, after the summer holidays, they would be offering elementary school classes too. Almost like making a sales pitch, he said that the classes would be small, so a limited number of students would be able to join. The curriculum would prepare students for a seamless transfer to the current high school classes, Mr. Gutiérrez proudly ended his little talk.
“Well, Mr. Gutiérrez, that sounds very interesting. I’m sure you are aware of the fact that I have two boys that are still in elementary school?” I asked.
“I am, which is why I’m telling you this now. We’ll go public with this information by the end of this month and we are pretty sure that the classes will fill up fast, once we do, but I thought, since all your other boys come here, I’d give you a heads up and get your two youngest enrolled first, if you and the boys are interested.” Mr. Gutiérrez replied. “We’ve already purchased the building across the street, so we’ll have enough classrooms.”
“It certainly would be a great opportunity, both for Damarion and Carlos. However, changing schools is a big thing and I’d have to discuss it with the two of them first. Would it be okay if I got back to you on this?” I questioned.
“Absolutely, Mr. Peters. But I would appreciate it if you don’t tell anyone about these plans. We’re really not ready yet to receive huge numbers of applications,” Mr. Gutiérrez laughed.
I gave him my promise that I wouldn’t tell a soul outside the family, knowing there was no way to keep secrets in our family, and would get back to him about Damarion and Carlos soon. We then shook hands again and left Mr. Gutiérrez’s office together to give the two waiting boys the good news. I could tell that Julio and Paolo were both relieved, and happy at the opportunity to start school again. They were quite excited when I told them which classes they would be in as we made our way to the storeroom to collect their books.
When I checked the time upon our return to the car, it was already getting close to 11:30. I suggested to the boys to postpone our shopping until after lunch, so we wouldn’t have to be in a hurry. I guess my suggestion made sense to them, though the mention of food may have also played a substantial role in their agreement.
As soon as we got home, the boys carried the boxes with their books up to their rooms, while I made for the kitchen. While I poured myself a cup of coffee, Pietro asked how the two boys had done. When I gave him the results, he enquired why I wasn’t out with them, buying their uniforms and such. He smiled when I gave him the reason and agreed that food would always be a good incentive for growing boys.
Walking into the living room, I was a bit surprised to find both Julio and Paolo already there, obviously waiting for me. Almost at the same time, they asked me how they were going to get to school the next day.
“I take it that you can ride a bicycle and that you’re familiar with riding a scooter,” I said, addressing first Julio and then Paolo.
After both boys confirmed, I told them we’d get the necessary modes of transport for each of them that afternoon. They high-fived each other, before squeezing me into a three-way hug. I said they still had a chance to get a game or two in before Allejandro and John would get home and watched them go off to the game room. Finally, I had some peace and quiet to properly think about what Mr. Gutiérrez had told me.
I liked the idea of all the boys going to the same school and I was sure it wouldn’t be a problem for Damarion. Carlos would be a whole other matter, though. As far as I knew, he’d been at his school from the start and had never had any problems with it. I wasn’t quite certain if changing schools with only one or two more years to go would be in his best interest. The International School would unequivocally provide them with a higher standard of education, but Carlos’ needs had to take priority. I was still contemplating things, when my cell phone rang and the caller-id told me it was Rafael.
“Did they pass, papi? What classes will they be in?” Rafael asked, as soon as I had identified myself.
I told him about the principal’s decision and could hear a loud cheer in the background as he passed along the information.
“We have to go eat now, papi. Bye,” I heard him say, and then the line went dead.
I couldn’t help but smile. There had been enough curiosity to call me, but once satisfied, the regular priorities kicked in. I then remembered the intercom system I’d ordered and went into the kitchen to ask Pietro if the package had arrived yet. He told me it hadn’t, so I made for the study to check on the status of my order. On the website I found that my order had been sent and should arrive sometime in the afternoon. I got back into the living room just as Allejandro and John walked in.
“We know Paolo and Julio got in, Rafael already texted us,” Allejandro greeted me, before I got my hug and kisses from him.
John followed suit and then they both hurried up the stairs to change out of their school uniforms. I walked over to the stairwell leading down and called out to the two boys there to finish up their game and come up for lunch.
Some five minutes later we were at the dinner table and I could tell that Julio and Paolo were still excited. I asked Allejandro and John if they were going to join us shopping for the school stuff, but both haltingly declined. I only had to take another good look at their faces to realize exactly what would happen as soon as the two other boys and I had left the house. Well, I wasn’t going to keep them from having some fun, so I didn’t push the matter and changed subjects.
During lunch we established our itinerary. We’d go to the clothes shop first to get the boys their uniforms, then the electronics store for cell phones and tablets. Next up would be the general store for notebooks and such, then the bike store and finally the scooter shop. As Paolo and Julio ran out of the room to get ready, Allejandro took me aside for a minute.
“I think you’d better also go to the special clothes shop for another white suit if Paolo is to stay with us. I can check his stuff and call ahead with the approximate sizes,” he suggested.
“Damn, I should have thought of that. You go ahead and do what you suggested. It’s not too far from the electronics store, so we should be able to be there in about an hour,” I said, giving him a quick kiss.
Just a few minutes later I was driving off with Julio and Paolo in the back seat, on our way to get them their school uniforms. While at the first clothes shop, I asked them if they needed anything else and we ended up with a few more bags of clothes. Walking into the electronics store with the two boys was like taking a puppy to a park; they wanted to check out everything. I let them roam the store as I took care of what we were actually there for. It wasn’t easy to drag the boys away from the game displays. I opted for the easy way out and had each of them select a single game to buy and take home.
Julio immediately recognized the clothes shop that was our next stop. It took Paolo a bit by surprise, when I explained what it was for, I could tell Paolo got slightly emotional, realizing he was now truly part of the gang, but thanks to the store clerk and Allejandro’s preparatory work, he was rapidly outfitted with everything that was needed.. Luckily, at the general store, things went fairly quickly and we were out of there in no time.
Getting Julio his bicycle and helmet went a lot faster than I had anticipated. He didn’t really care about the model, as long as it had two wheels, pedals and he was able to get his feet on the ground. We put the bicycle on the roof rack and then we were off to our last stop. As soon as we entered, the store owner started to laugh.
“Mr. Peters, if you keep this up, I’ll die a rich and happy man,” he quipped.
“Yes, and I’ll be the one ending up in the poorhouse,” I retorted, remembering his comment about Rafael when I first met him.
Paolo turned out to be a bit pickier about his choice than Julio had been. The store owner quickly caught on that Paolo knew his scooters and managed to steer him to a model that was similar to the ones that the other boys also had. Julio and I stood back as the two of them discussed things that I couldn’t make heads or tails of. Finally, Paolo agreed on the scooter that had actually been shown to him in the first place. It took a little more time to get him his helmet and to get the insurance in place, so he could ride his scooter home.
With Julio now in the passenger seat, I drove home at a more sedate pace, so Paolo could keep up with us. I’d only just parked and removed Julio’s bicycle from the roof rack when the car gate opened again and Carlos and Damarion rode in. I told Paolo and Julio to take their things into the house and waited at the door for the two youngest to park their bicycles. I got my hugs and kisses from them and told them that I wanted to talk to them after they had changed out of their school clothes. They gave me a funny look and asked if they’d done anything wrong, but I said I’d tell them once they were back down.
As they disappeared up the stairs, I walked into the living room to find Allejandro and John on the couch, watching TV. I went into the kitchen to get myself a cup of tea and when I returned, John had made himself scarce. Asking Allejandro where he’d gone, he told me that it had been the lure of two new games that had caused him to join Julio and Paolo down to the game room.
“I have to have a talk with Damarion and Carlos when they come down,” I said.
“Care to tell me what it’s about?” Allejandro asked.
I told him I would, after I’d had the talk, as at that moment our two youngest walked into the room. I had them follow me into the study and closed the door behind us.
“Now, did we do anything wrong?” Carlos asked testily after we’d all sat down.
“No, you didn’t, so hold your horses,” I said. “I need to talk to you about something that Mr. Gutiérrez, the International School principal, told me this morning.”
“Why? We’re not old enough yet to go there,” Carlos commented.
“That’s true for now, but Mr. Gutiérrez informed me that they will be offering elementary classes next year,” I replied.
“Really? Are we going to go to the International School next year?” Carlos questioned.
“Well, that’s what I want to talk to you about. You can if you want to, but it has to be your choice,” I answered.
“We could go to the same school as Roque and the others?” Damarion enthused.
“Yes, but it means getting new teachers and you’ll probably miss the friends that you have now,” I said, trying to temper his excitement.
“If I’d still been friends with Pedro, it would’ve been different, but I think I don’t mind changing school now,” Carlos remarked.
“You’d finish this year at your current school and then go to the International School after the summer holidays. You don’t have to decide right away, you can think about it for a few days,” I clarified.
“No, papi, we don’t have to think about it. We’ll like going to the same school as the older boys,” Carlos countered.
“Yes, it’ll be fun going to the same school as Roque,” Damarion added.
We discussed things a bit further, but it looked like the boys were in total agreement about their decision. I promised them I’d give the principal a call the next morning to make sure they’d be able to get in. I then gave a single swat on both their sweet little asses and sent them out to go down to the game room. I followed them out of the study and went to sit down next to Allejandro who was almost bursting from curiosity. I gave him a quick rundown on the talk I’d had and he immediately began laughing.
“I could have told you they were going to go for it, though I’m not sure how Roque will feel about having his little brother around constantly,” he snickered.
“Don’t forget that, by that time, I’ll have adopted them and I’ll have married you. Technically, that will make you their father too,” I grinned.
“I know, and I’m sure there will be plenty of boys around to remind me of that fact,” Allejandro said in a mock panicky voice.
He then told me that the other boys had already come home and had gone down to the game room. He also informed me that the intercom system had arrived shortly after I’d left with Julio and Paolo. With help from Pietro and Mauricio, he and John had already installed and tested it. He also wanted to know why I’d bought Paolo and Julio each a game and I explained that it was the only way I could get them out of the electronics store quickly. He laughed at my explanation, nodding his head at the same time.
It was already well past 4 o’clock, and I wasn’t too surprised when Allejandro suggested he get us each a glass of wine. Once he had returned, I had to ask if he and John had had fun during my absence. He circumnavigated going into details, but his smile told me more than a thousand words could.
“So, did the two new boys get into the school?” were the first words out of Aidan’s mouth after he’d walked in.
I quickly brought him up to date, including the news about the future school change for Carlos and Damarion. Aidan told us that he had expected a move like that from the school, since it had been a trend at private schools all around the country. Curious, I asked Aidan how he knew about that trend.
“I may not be rich, but some of my colleagues definitely are. They’ve got children at private schools and like to boast and talk about it,” he elaborated.
We laughed at his explanation, which in a way did make sense. I did ask Aidan to not tell his colleagues our tidbit of news, since I’d promised the principal to keep it under wraps for the time being. He agreed and told me not to worry, he didn’t like the associates in question any way.
We chatted until Mauricio told us that dinner was ready. I looked on as Allejandro, who was familiar with the system, use the intercom to inform the boys down in the game room. I was happy to note that it actually worked like I had imagined and could clearly hear Rafael confirming that they were coming up.
During dinner it became obvious that the other boys knew about Carlos and Damarion’s transfer after the summer holidays. I took the opportunity to stress to them that they shouldn’t mention it to any of their classmates. I explained the reason behind it and I think they took that at face value and realized how important it was to keep the secret for now.
When dinner was over, it was time for the boys to do their homework. I was happy to see that the twins took Julio in tow, while Rafael and Hugo did the same with Paolo. Aidan stayed behind with me, while Jordan made for the guesthouse to get his homework done also.
As it was just the two of us, Aidan seized the moment to update me on how he planned to proceed after I’d passed the proficiency exam. I thought it was all a bit premature, but Aidan was adamant that it was best to be prepared. Julia would start maternity leave right after Easter and they wanted to make the court applications before that time. It would still take two to three weeks before a hearing would be scheduled, but in general, that would be a mere formality.
He then wanted to know the name and address of the store where we’d gotten the clothes for our wedding from. He told me that he wanted to make sure that he and Jordan would be dressed appropriately for the big day. Laughing, I gave him the requested information and advised him that he just needed to ask the store clerk about our dress code. His question did remind me that I should call Jorge one of these days, to let him know that we had purchased our outfits.
By the time we’d finished our wine, the boys had started trickling down and Jordan had also returned, immediately making for the game room. Allejandro had only joined us for a short while, when Aidan announced that he had some work to do and left for his own quarters. Asking Allejandro if we should go down to watch a movie, he said that the boys would probably be too busy with their new games. As a result, we spent a quiet evening watching TV and lazily lounging.
Wednesday morning, Paolo and Julio seemed only slightly nervous for their first day at the International School. They looked very smart in their new uniforms. Paolo joined the first group to depart, while Julio went down to the game room with the twins and Roque as they had their first period off.
It was just a little past 8:30 when I made my call to Mr. Gutiérrez to tell him about Carlos and Damarion’s decision. At his request, I gave him the information about their current school and classes as well as permission to contact the school. He assured me that he wouldn’t contact the school until after they’d gone public about adding elementary school classes, which was fine with me.
After the last four boys had left for school, I decided to call Jorge. He seemed genuinely happy when I told him about our progress and immediately suggested he’d come over on Saturday morning. He wanted to get a feel of how we’d all look together, so he could plan for any settings accordingly. I thought it was all a bit exaggerated, but unwilling to argue the point I went along with his idea. We agreed that he’d come over around 10 o’clock and he’d bring some pictures of examples that he’d thought of, based on what we’d talked about thus far.
After having taken care of business, I relaxed and spent the rest of the morning reading. As usual, time sped by and I was actually quite surprised when Carlos and Damarion came in and I realized it was already past 12 o’clock. After the boys had changed and we’d had our lunch, the two of them lingered and I knew they were up to something. It was Carlos who took the initiative and suggested that the three of us should go upstairs. Of course, the two rascals were well aware that I wouldn’t be able to resist the sly smiles and puppy dog eyes they were giving me.
As we entered their bedroom, it was clear that they’d already made up their minds as to what was going to happen. It almost felt like I was merely one of their toys, except for the fact that I was a bit more interactive. I won’t say I didn’t enjoy myself, because I definitely took pleasure in fucking young Damarion, but it did feel like there was something missing.
After all three of us had gotten dressed again, I expected the two of them to go down to the game room, but instead they went with me into the living room.
“Papi, we’ve got an idea for a present that we’d like for our birthdays,” Carlos began his plea.
“And what would that be?” I asked, curious about what they’d come up with.
“Uhm, well, uhm, do you remember that machine that we once talked about?” he questioned haltingly.
TBC