When Mr. Ken left the Kitchen Nook, Dan followed Chris to where he did his work leaving Charles in the Kitchen Nook by himself. The preteen finished his OJ and went to Momma Maria to give her a hug for cooking breakfast for him. Then, he told her he really meant what he said about breakfast while he was away that it did remind him how much he missed her and how she cooked for them. The woman smiled and when the lad walked away, tears came to her eyes.
Charles found himself up in Robert's bedroom. Robert was checking his things to make sure he didn't need toothpaste or deodorant. He didn't have to worry about shaving stuff just yet. Then he looked for some extra body wash and it was then he realized he did need at least that so he wrote the item down and continued to look through the clothes he had decided to pack to take with him on their trip.
Mr. Ken told him they'd be gone about seven days so he made sure he had at least eight days' worth of clothes in case they did get extended for any reason. Robert was really looking forward to this trip ever since 'dad' Ken promised he'd take him and Eric to visit his amusement parks. Robert knew it wasn't Charles fault that they hadn't gone yet. He realized who could ever have thought that Mr. Ken would have gotten another foster kid and then someone tried to kidnap him and might kill him. Robert didn't want to think about that.
"Robert … why is it that I can't go with you guys on this trip?" asked Charles.
"I think it has something to do with the length of time you are in the foster home. I had to wait 30 days like you did before I got to take my in-state trip to Houston. Then, I had to be with Mr. Ken for three months before he could take me out of the state and on that Disney Cruise. So, I suspect that is why you can't go on this trip. You've only been here for thirty days. It will be the end of September before you meet the 90 day criteria, I suppose," honestly answered Robert.
"'Dad' … he never explained that to me," replied Charles.
"And, I bet you didn't think to ask him," quickly said Robert. "Look, Charles, if 'dad' could take you I bet he would, but he has to live with the rules they give him," Robert explained more.
"Are these the Rules Eric's mom makes?" asked Charles.
"No, she only gets to enforce them, Charles. The legislature makes the Rules and she has to apply them. Just like the Rules they applied to me, they are applying them to you. I know it is difficult to deal with especially when you see me getting ready to go on a longer trip than you just took. I understand, Charles, but soon you'll be past the 90 day mark and you can go on other trips. And, Charles, please don't make this any more difficult for 'dad' than I know he is going through because he can't take you," finished Robert.
"Yeah, I guess you're right. He didn't make the Rules; he just has to follow them. But that doesn't mean I can't wish I was going," smiled Charles.
The two 'brothers' talked while Robert checked all his toiletries and how much underwear, socks, shirts, and shorts he was going to take. He laid them all out on the second bed in his room so that when it came time to pack all he had to do was place them in the luggage.
"Oh, is Eric spending the night?" asked Charles.
"Ohh, damn, I forgot to ask 'dad' if he could. Thanks for reminding me. Since I need a few things, I better get downstairs to meet up with 'dad'," exclaimed Robert, and he quickly ran out of his bedroom and down the hall to the stairs.
Charles was still feeling bad about not being able to go on the trip but he was beginning to accept that fact. Since Robert hurried down to meet 'dad', the preteen walked to his room and picked up his skateboard and headed down the stairs and out to the ramps.
It was only going on 11 AM so Charles had all the ramps to himself. He missed being on them but he told himself he'd never trade them for going on a trip like he just had. The lad was practicing his moves when he heard someone come up to the ramps.
"Hey, Charles was your trip worth it?" asked Camm.
"Camm, it was awesome, let me tell you! I'd never been on a trip before, so this was all new to me. Have you ever been to a major league baseball game?" replied Charles.
"No, never," answered Camm.
"I hadn't either, but we saw a game that went into extra innings and we also got to see a game winning home run that cleared the bases. It was awesome," answered Charles.
"What else did you get to do?" asked Camm.
"The day after the baseball game we went to Six Flags Over Texas. The hotel we stayed in was across the street from it so it was easy to get to," laughed Charles. "I suppose you want me to tell you everything we did there, huh?" teased Charles.
"Well, yeah," Camm smiled back.
"Would you mind if I wait to tell everyone? That way I won't have to repeat myself," snickered Charles.
"Well, yeah I mind. This way I can fill in what you forget to tell them," replied Cam as he laughed out loud. "And besides, most of the guys are off on their last summer trip and James is at football practice. He told me last night he might get to come over later in the day tomorrow as they only have one practice on Saturday, but it will be longer practice than usual."
"Oh," was all Charles said to that news. Then, he recovered and asked, "What did you guys do while all those people were gone?"
"Oh, Mr. Dan let the guys who had passed the Coast Guard PWC course drive the WaveRunners and then he used Mr. Ken's Jet Ski and towed us behind it. We had a good time out on the lake," explained Camm.
"So, who all will be here today? Do you know?" asked Charles of Camm.
Just as Camm was going to reply, Logan and Cody walked up. "Well, there's two of them," now laughed Camm. "And I think Brad and Gordon will be here and so will Ash and Mason. Wyatt and Dominic said they wouldn't be here since Sam and Terran are gone until Wednesday. So, that makes only you, me, Logan, Cody. Brad and Gordon, and Ash and Mason."
"Where's Josh?" asked Charles.
"He told us he was going to be away all of next week and he had to cut the grass and pack today. He told me he felt it would be asking too much of his parents to bring him over," responded Brad.
"So, Charles, with everyone here now … are you ready to tell us all about your trip?" asked a smiling Camm.
Charles decided he'd better tell the guys about his trip and get it over with. The preteen began with his explaining how the pilot let him fly the plane on both legs of the trip. The lad then told them about how he and Mr. Ken used the big pool at the hotel before Kurt picked them up and took them to the Rangers' stadium. Charles told them about walking along the one concourse and stopping in the many souvenir shops and his 'dad' buying him a hat and a miniature bat. The guys then asked why he wasn't wearing his new baseball cap. He told them he's not used to wearing a hat, so he just left it in his room.
Charles then told the guys about the game he saw between the Rangers and the Astros and how the game was tied and went into extra innings. He told them how the Astros got the go ahead run at the top of the 11th and how they fought to keep the Rangers from scoring during their at bat. The preteen finished his story by telling the guys how the inning ended and how the fans went bonkers and demanded the team take a bow.
Charles had his friends enthralled with his storytelling ability, so he continued and told the lads about his day at Six Flags. He explained how Mr. Ken had them going on ever increasing intensity rides. He told them of the early roller coasters he rode, the Runaway Mine Train and then the Judge Roy Scream and then how he then rode Batman and all about the twists and turns and inversions followed by Mr. Freeze which went backwards first and then returned along the same track forwards. Charles then told the guys about the Texas SkyScreamer and that is was over 400 feet high and they could see the whole park and lots more from the top.
Charles then told the guys about all the different flat rides they rode but he mostly focused his talk about the roller coasters. He continued to tell his friends about the larger coasters like the Texas Giant and its twists and turns, the Titan and the air-time he felt, the Pandemonium, and then he told them about the Runaway Mountain that was totally enclosed in a totally dark building. Charles then explained how the Shock Wave had back-to-back loops that were over before you knew it.
He continued to mesmerize them and talked about the Superman: Tower of Power that went 325 feet up into the air and how it shot them to the top and then did a freefall with them from the top. The guys couldn't believe Charles had ridden that one but Brad knew what it was like as he'd ridden the similar one at Six Flags Fiesta Texas.
Charles told the guys about the bobsled ride called El Sombrero, the Roaring Rapids, Yosemite Sam's Gold River Adventure and how it was so nice and cool in there for almost seven minutes. The guys laughed at him but when he told them how hot and humid it was up there they yielded in their criticism. The preteen tourist continued telling about the last water ride, the log flume. He said the name was Mexican and he couldn't remember the name but he did tell them that the log flume would be a good addition to the water park on the lake. The guys all laughed at his suggestion saying Mr. Ken would never agree to that.
Charles finished telling his Six Flags story by reviewing the rest of the rides he rode. He told his friends that he'd never been to anything like that amusement park before, and the experience, seeing the whole park and all the rides, souvenir shops and eateries that it will be some time before he forgets that part of his trip.
"So, what did you do on your last day there" asked Gordon.
"Mr. Ken let me sleep in that morning because we were up late the first night and we were real tired from our second day. We did get to eat breakfast the previous day but 'dad' told me not to eat too much. He said he didn't want me to get sick on any of the rides. On Thursday morning, I made Texas shaped waffles and I got to add any toppings I wanted, too. They were real good as I was very hungry.
"After our driver picked us up, I didn't know where we were going until we pulled up at the Dallas World Aquarium. That was the neatest place. I'd never been to an aquarium and this one not only had fish but birds and crocs and a Black Panther and loads of other animals. The best thing I'd say was when we got to watch them feed the sharks."
The guys then wanted Charles to tell them how the sharks ate and was there a eating frenzy and what did they feed them. Charles didn't know what was used to feed the shark but he told them the sharks sort of knew what was coming and they just took their turn. The lads were upset and disappointed here wasn't a lot of blood and guts floating in the water.
The Covers' friends thought that was all there was until Charles told them 'dad' Ken took them to a place called SpeedZone. The lads immediately wanted to know what that was like. Then Brad said he remembered Eric telling him about the time he went to something that was called that when Mr. Ken had taken him and Collin and Ryan out there to visit the California Boys.
The addition of Brad's information about Eric going out to California with Mr. Ken and possibly driving or riding in the same type of cars out there brought about a discussion between Gordon and Brad as they argued over what Eric did out there. Brad insisted Eric helped a kid come out of a coma and then he mentioned the California Boys coming out to The Cove for Collin's and Ryan's 16th Birthday party. That brought more questions from the gathered boys, so he told them how he and Eric were invited to the birthday party and they got to dance with a few of Collin's and Ryan's female friends.
Charles was okay with the change of direction in the story telling. He was interested in hearing what Brad had to say, as it gave him more information about The Cove and some of the things they'd done there over the years. The preteen wanted to know everything he could, and with Brad being Eric's best friend back then, he had direct and firsthand knowledge of a few of the parties. Charles heard Brad tell about the tour Mr. Ken set up for the California Boys and their parents down on the Riverwalk in San Antonio.
Brad also told the gathered lads about the Mexican dinner and then their personal cruise along the river. Then, Brad remembered they started at the top of the tower and then they took the 4D movie ride at the bottom of the tower. Brad spent close to twenty minutes telling everyone what he knew about the birthday party and what all the teens did while they visited The Cove.
When Brad was finished telling his story, Camm asked Charles if he would tell them what he did at the race track Mr. Ken took him to.
Charles told the guys that there was one race track called the Slick Trax that he and Mr. Ken did twice. He told then how they drove the kart around an oval but they had to slide the kart around the turns and that it was tricky until they got used to it and that was why they did it again because it was so different and lots of fun. Charles then told the gathered group that when they finished their second ride he told his 'dad' that he needed to add something like that to the Go-Kart Tracks at Four Corners.
Charles then told the group about the Top Eliminator Dragsters that he had to learn to shift so he could enjoy the ride. The lads laughed when Charles told them he lost the first two races and came in last. But when he told the boys that he finally got the hang of shifting by the third race, he told them he only finished second to last. Hearing that had them all laughed at his accomplishment. Charles took the well-natured ribbing in stride and laughed along with the guys because he knew it was funny as he was the one who had to learn to shift the stupid thing.
Charles told the guys about the ride called Thunder Road. He explained that it was similar to what they had at Four Corners but it also had some slickness to some of the turns that made it sort of tricky to drive. The lad told the group of friends about the Turbo Track where he said it was like a free-for-all race. He explained that the cars were faster than any of the other karts he drove and you had to plan ahead. He told the group how he and Mr. Ken raced to see how many other drivers they could pass figuring they would never get to the front to win.
To finish up his story he told the guys how he and Mr. Ken played a round of miniature golf that wasn't very competitive as compared to the one there at Four Corners. He told them they ate at Johnny Rockets before heading back to the business airport and their flight back home.
The guys asked a few questions about the rides as Charles was talking about them and they asked how he liked sleeping in the hotel and how it was for sleeping. They all then talked about their own individual experiences staying at hotels and visiting other amusement parks and aquariums.
The small group of friends became a bit closer that day as they shared something about themselves to one another, making it somewhat personal. But for Charles, the exchange between the friends made it feel even more special to him. He felt he was finally being accepted by them and this made him feel so good inside. He smiled at the feeling.
After the talk, the lads rode their skateboards. Charles was happy to be back but was very glad he was able to go on that trip. After a while, Mr. Ken's house guest, Dan Fischer, came out to the ramps and said, "Who wants to go out on the water craft with me?" Charles' hand went up fast.
"Is this all there is today?" asked Dan.
"Yes, Mr. Dan," called out Brad.
"Okay, guys, what say we get our suits on and I'll meet you down at the PWCs," announced Mr. Dan.
The lads quickly headed to the changing room located down at the indoor pool. Charles and Camm walked together while Brad and Gordon stayed together, leaving close friends Logan and Cody and Ash and Mason to follow along. They all changed in front of one another as that's what they've done for a long time, now. Being early August, the lake water wasn't cold so the guys just went with their swim suits.
Mr. Dan was already down at the PWC's when the lads reached the beach. Brad and Gordon were graduates of the Coast Guard training so they each took a WaveRunner and inspected it. They then went to the dock locker and got a life vest and waited for Mr. Dan to tell them what he was going to do.
"Guys, Charles hasn't been here for the past three days so he doesn't know what we've been doing with the PWCs. Charles, I've been taking the guys who are qualified to drive the WaveRunners out on the lake and I've also been taking one other person on the back of the Jet Ski. We usually drive for about 15 minutes and then come back and change off. After everyone has had a turn, I've then taken them out the water tube and we've run back and forth giving everybody a chance to get thrown off and come back for more," explained Mr. Dan.
"It looks like Brad and Gordon are the only ones who have the certificate to drive the Runners today, so they can stay on them unless Robert and Eric come out later. Guys, I'm going to have Charles go first with me and then I'll switch you off. Everyone okay with that?" asked Mr. Dan.
"Mr. Dan, since the Jet Ski can hold three people, well, can Camm ride along with me?" asked Charles.
"Sure, I don't see a problem there. That way Logan and Cody and then Ash and Mason can share when it is their turn. That is … if they want to," clarified Mr. Dan.
Brad and Gordon started their machines and before they took off Mr. Dan told them to stick near him. Officer Dan then checked his machine, including the gas and realized it hadn't been refueled and thus he knew he could run out of gas. It was then he wondered if Brad and Gordon checked their fuel level and wondered if they might run out of gas along the way.
He did tell the lads to stick near him, so they should be just outside the lagoon waiting for him. The man decided to jump on the Jet Ski and asked which lad was going to be in the middle. Camm decided to take that position. Ash, Mason, Logan and Cody decided to head over to the water toys seeing the life guards, Christy and Megan, were out there enjoying the sun.
Dan Fischer drove the Jet Ski out past the lagoon barrier and looked right and left for the other boys. He could faintly hear their machines; at least he hoped it was theirs, so he decided to go in the direction he thought they had gone. Mr. Dan didn't go as fast as he usually would as he tried to conserve the fuel he had. After ten minutes and not finding the lads, the man decided to go back to The Cove and refuel and go searching for the lads in case they did run out of gas.
When the people on the Jet Ski returned to The Cove, Todd was there. Dan asked the teen to help him refuel the Jet Ski so he could go out looking for the other lads. While Todd refueled the Jet Ski he told Mr. Dan that was why he was there, to refuel all three PWCs. Once the Jet Ski was ready to go, Mr. Dan got on and was going to start it up when Todd asked him a question.
"Mr. Dan … ahh, I'm not sure if you would want to do it this way, or not, but … well, we could take the Commander out and everyone could go along. That way … if they both have run out of gas we can tow them both, but if you go out with the Jet Ski you'll only be able to bring back one at a time. Plus, well, Mr. Ken did say you probably would want to drive the Commander a time or two while he was gone. … So … do you want to take the Commander?" finished Todd.
Dan Fischer smiled at the idea and said, "Yeah, why not. Guys, do any of you know how to ready the boat while I go get Logan, Cody, Ash and Mason?" asked Mr. Dan.
Todd said Ryan taught him how to keep the boat in 'quick ready' condition so it was ready to go at any time during the summer. He told the man all he needed to do was start the engines and get them warmed up and while they were warming up he would check for anything out of place.
Dan was happy with that response and as he started the Jet Ski to go over to the water toys to collect the four other lads. When the two teen lifeguards heard Dan Fischer was taking the Commander out they asked if they could go along, since there would be no kids to watch in the lagoon. Mr. Dan agreed to take them along and said he'd be right back to get them.
By the time Mr. Dan had retrieved everyone and they were situated on the boat, Todd told him the boat was ready. It was then Mr. Dan didn't know what to do. He felt embarrassed but he decided to ask Todd if he knew what he needed to do and Todd said Ryan had trained him and so he knew. Mr. Dan asked him if he'd take the boat out.
Todd said he'd be happy to take the boat out and he asked Charles and Camm to untie the boat and bring in the bumpers when asked. Charles and Camm smiled big when they heard they were asked to help and they quickly jumped off the boat onto the dock and released the ropes that tied up the Commander. They both then jumped onto the boat and stationed themselves at the bumpers.
Todd asked Mr. Dan to watch what he did and the older teen checked all around the dock and then out to the lake to make sure that no other craft were approaching. The teen then placed the drive in Reverse Neutral and the boat began a slow backing up motion. When he was clear of the dock he called for the bumpers to be brought in and Charles and Camm did what they were asked and then got to the open area in the back of the Commander.
It took the Commander about 45 seconds to slowly backup and out of The Cove's small marina. Once the Commander was out on the lake water proper, Todd asked Mr. Dan to take the wheel. When the man had done that, Todd asked the man to turn the wheel in the direction he wanted to go and then he asked him to place the lever into the Forward Neutral position. Mr. Dan did just that and once the boat was headed in the direction the man set, Todd told him he could then advance the throttle and pick up speed.
Dan Fischer was careful he didn't push the lever forward too fast because he didn't want to look foolish since there wasn't an emergency and this was actually his first time captaining the craft. Once the yacht was on its way and at a speed that was comfortable for the captain, the man asked Todd if he knew how to operate the electronics he had before him. Todd explained he knew basically how they worked and he then turned them on. The two watched the scopes in front of them but only Todd had a general idea of what the settings were and what the scopes were telling him.
Looking down at the lad and lasses on the back of the yacht, Captain Dan asked them all to take a side and look out for Brad and Gordon and to call out if they saw them. Dan then pushed the throttle a bit more to make the boat go faster.
They weren't out on the lake more than ten minutes when Asher yelled, "There … over to the left, I see something. It looks like people are having a hard time with something."
Dan looked over the way Asher called out and since he couldn't see anything he slowed the throttle and turned the craft in that direction. It was as he got closer with the Commander he could see that it was indeed the missing WaveRunners along with Brad and Gordon who were in the water. He could also make out they were trying to help someone who appeared to be struggling in the water.
"Todd, CALL the Rescue Headquarters," directed Mr. Dan.
"Everyone, it appears the guys are trying to help someone. Christy and Megan, I see you still have your life preserver floats. When I get as close as I dare … I want you to jump in and relieve the boys. They are probably as tired as can be. The rest of you, help your friends into the boat then keep an eye on the girls and let me know if they get in trouble," barked out Mr. Dan, now acting in his Deputy Sheriff's role.
When the man looked back to Todd, the teen told him the rescue boats were on their way and should be here within ten minutes. The two could hear a faint wail of the rescue boats sirens but they could not see them as of yet.
When Brad and Gordon got on the boat, they were tired and sore from trying to help the stranded man. It was Brad who explained that as they began to turn back to The Cove to catch back up with Mr. Dan, they heard someone yell out to them. Gordon then said they slowed down to try to hear the call again and when they did they saw the man was caught up in his lines and he was in the water.
Charles got some bottles of water for his friends and helped them out of their life vests. Camm followed up with some blankets to help warm them since they'd been in the water for a long time. It was then everyone could hear the sirens from the Rescue boats, but they were still a few minutes away.
By then a few other boaters had stopped by to see why the big yacht was stopped near the shore. Some recognized the Commander and remembering what Mr. Ken and the boys had done, not too long ago, began to video what was going on in the water. The boaters began to be a nuisance and Dan began to bark out orders using his Deputy Sheriff authority to tell them to back off and make room for the rescue boats.
Many of the boaters did as he asked but a few refused to budge and Mr. Dan took down their boat's registration numbers. He then got on the marine radio and called for the Texas Parks and Wildlife Game Wardens. When the Deputy Sheriff identified himself and told the Wardens what was happening they told the man they'd be right there.
When the two Lake Water Safety and Rescue Teams arrived, sirens blaring, the ignorant boaters remained in the way. They thought it was funny but unbeknownst to them the people capturing the scene on their phones also caught their ignorance.
As soon as the rescue boats were stopped, four divers jumped into the water to relieve the life guards and begin to untangle the man. Christy and Megan made their way back to the Commander and the boys helped them get back onboard. Charles offered them both bottles of water and Camm brought out two more blankets.
The Texas Game Wardens arrived and boarded the Commander and talked to Dan. The off-duty Deputy Sherriff didn't have to identify himself as both Wardens knew the man. With the boat registration numbers in hand, the two wardens boarded their own boat and made way to the offending boaters.
A second round of excitement then began to unfold as the Game Wardens began doing inspections of the offending boaters and began to issue citations for interfering with an officer of the Law, obstructing rescue personnel and they also issued a few DWI's to the chagrin of the boats' captains. All of it was caught on observer cell phones.
The entangled man, John Zappet, was quickly untangled by the divers and then checked out on the Rescue boats. The man told how he was trying to separate the different lines on his sailboat when he tripped and fell overboard. He told how he was lucky enough that his head remained above the water. He said he didn't think he'd ever be found since he was hidden behind the boat on the shore side. The man then explained how the lads had gone close by and he yelled out to them. He continued to explain that if the lads hadn't slowed down and heard him calling for help he'd still be there.
A few of the rescue men recognized Brad and Gordon from the special tour they got a few months back so they went over to the Commander to thank them for helping the man. They did mention to the teens that one of them should have gone for help, since the man wasn't in any danger of drowning. But, the rescue men said they did a great job comforting the man and trying to get the ropes off of him. The Rescue men then left while the Texas Game Wardens were still sorting out a few more DWI boaters.
Dan Fischer thanked the Game Wardens for stopping by and he then tied off the Wave Runners to the rear cleats. The captain checked for everyone being onboard and then started up the Commander and slowly made his way to the middle of lake and then headed for The Cove.
Ken Thomas, Robert, Eric and Mr. Chris were all waiting on the dock for the Commander to return home. They had heard about the rescue on the radio and didn't know the Commander was involved until the radio announcer mentioned that it was the second time that summer that Mr. Ken and his boys had come to the rescue of a hapless boater. The announcer explained the boater got caught up in his sailboat's lines and unluckily, tripped on the lines and was tossed into the water.
"Return the conquering heroes," announced Mr. Ken, as the Commander slowly approached the dock. Charles and Camm were ready to set the bumpers and jump to the dock to tie off the boat.
The owner of The Cove let Todd and Mr. Dan finish docking the yacht and making sure it was tied off properly before boarding to congratulate them for a 'job well done' and to get the real story. All the lads stayed onboard wanting to hear how Mr. Dan explained what had happened and how they just happen to be in the right place at the right time.
Dan wanted to tell his host the whole story, but he begged off saying he was thirsty and asked if he could have a beer and a hamburger as he told the story. Hearing the request for a hamburger, Charles and Camm and the rest of the lads ran off to get the grill ready and the food setup for cooking.
As the boys got the burgers and dogs cooked, Dan told Ken how it was they were out on the lake looking for Brad and Gordon. As Mr. Dan told his story, Brad and Gordon added their own parts to the story. They hoped what they did wouldn't get them in trouble.
The large group talked about the rescue over their burgers and dogs. It was then Eric asked Charles about his trip and with a few new listeners, Charles began to tell the highlights of the trip. He told about flying the plane, the exciting baseball game between the Rangers and the Astros. He told about his riding the roller coasters and other rides at Six Flags Over Texas.
It was when the preteen got to telling about SpeedZone that he slowed down and told how much fun the rides there were and his instance his 'dad' build a Slick Trax at Four Corners. Eric, hearing about the Slick Trax, began telling his own story about the trip out to California and his visit to Disneyland and meeting the California Boys.
Mr. Chris enjoyed being a part of the group that day. They always treated him like he was a part of the larger group, but being the employee he didn't think it was right for him to hobnob with the boss and his kids. The thing he enjoyed about that day, though, was he learned so much more about the man, that his boss was, and what he'd done for the lads and all the possibilities he offered them.