Black Belt Joe By BlindEagle Part 2 blindeagle@codeysworld.com Copyright © 2009 by BlindEagle. All rights reserved.

While Keith sat in the Silver’s living room, on the West Coast his uncle Jack was thinking about the unexpected financial jackpot he and his wife came into some six months earlier.

Jack was Kyle’s older brother and was always jealous when it came to Kyle, and not because Jack had been loved any less by their parents. Since he and Kyle were boys, Kyle seemed to have a natural ease of things while Jack had to put more effort into whatever task he was doing. Throughout their childhood and into adult life it seemed as if everything for Kyle seemed to flow like clockwork. As the years went on and they both grew, so did Jack’s resentment towards Kyle which he kept well hidden. Kyle, on the other hand, loved his brother and looked up to him, especially when it came to the girls and hanging out with the guys. Kyle, being two years younger than Jack, was always coming to Jack with this or that question.

Jack was the first person Kyle told when he found out that his wife was pregnant. The hearing of this news rekindled the resentment and jealousy that was still tucked away in his heart. Kyle’s wife Susan was at her first trimester physical when the doctor heard what he thought was a double heartbeat. Upon a closer examination and scan of Susan’s abdomen the test revealed that Kyle and Susan were going to be the proud parents of twin boys. Excited about the test results, Kyle quickly called Jack and their parents to share the good news.

Jack and his wife Kimberly were modest drinkers at home but both were compulsive gamblers which added to their troubles. They became very bitter towards Kyle and Susan partly because it seemed as if everything in life was going great for Kyle. Now Susan was about to give birth to twin boys; no matter how hard they tried Kimberly could not get pregnant. Kyle’s advertising company had flourished over the years, and the landing of several million dollar contracts were almost more than Jack and his wife could take; however, they were not exactly struggling themselves. Jack was district manager of a string of fish and chips franchises, while his wife Kimberly worked for the Clerk of the County Court in Los Angeles. They kept their feelings to themselves as not to let on to anyone the jealousy and resentment slowly stewing deep inside both of them.

It had been six months since Jack got the news that both Kyle and Susan, along with his nephews Keith and Kevis, were in a horrific boating accident and that Keith was the sole survivor. Unknown to him at the time, Kyle had named Jack as the primary executor of a twenty five million dollar insurance policy should he and his wife pass away, with double benefits if it was due to an accident. Kyle believed in his brother Jack, and that he would do right by him in taking care of the boys should anything happen to him and his wife. The policy also stated that Jack and Kimberly were to be guardians of the boys until they were of legal age when they could assume control of their finances, less ten percent which was awarded to Jack for the care rendered to the boys until the legal age of 21.

Jasper Miles was Kyle’s best friend in college and was later hired as vice president of Kyle’s advertising firm. Once the business had reached a solid clientele status and was financially secure, Kyle had placed thirty five percent of the firm’s shares into each of his son’s names with Jasper as the trustee. The rest of the firm’s stock was split up between himself and the family. It was noted in his will that in the event that he and his wife should die that Jasper would become trustee of the boy’s shares until they reached age of 25. The shares were estimated at at around one hundred and fifty million dollars and growing.

******

It had been 3 days since blackness had taken over Keith. All he could remember upon waking up in the hospital was his dad jumping towards him and Kevis… it felt as if the whole world had crashed down on him. He could hardly keep his eyes open as he heard like in a fog, a light beep… beep… beeping sound. Trying to swallow, he realized that something was seriously wrong. Just as he started to call out an alarm startled him as it started ringing.

Sooner than he could realize what was going on, a team of nurses followed by a man with white hair came rushing in and crowded around him. The man with white hair moved his face close to Kevin’s and looked closely at him.

“Well, I see that you’re finally awake, young man. You had us very concerned about you.”

Keith tried to talk but couldn’t because of a tube in his throat. He glanced from person to person, finally settling his eyes on the man with the white hair.

Keith began shaking his head from side to side. Resting his hand on Keith’s shoulder, the man continued. “I’m Doctor Tyler. I’m the pediatrician in charge of your care. I want to assure you that you’re going to be all right. We need to do an assessment of you and your vital signs, and then we’ll be able to remove that tube in your throat. It was inserted to help you breathe.”

Words couldn’t describe the fear and loneliness Keith felt, not to mention the mountain of confusion that seem to grip his mind like a vice. Rushing to the front of his mind were those last memories of the fishing trip…. Where is Kevis? Why isn’t Mom here? Dad… Dad… what happen to Dad!?

Keith remembered as if in slow motion, seeing his dad jumping towards him and Kevis… beep… beep… beep… beep... the heart monitor sounded as Keith’s heart rate began shooting up through the roof. The doctor saw the look of panic on Keith’s face, and ordered the nurse to give his young patient an IV push of a medication that would be just enough to relax him.

As Keith began to calm down, he could not get the picture out of his head seeing his dad leaping towards him and his brother, over and over, as he slowly slipped into a quiet sleep.

********

While his dad was telling his mom about the recent events, Joe tried to think about how he and his parents could best help Keith. Joe realized that this was especially important after learning the position Keith was now facing with his foster parents.

“Keith? Can I ask you a question?”

Keith looked at Joe, “Yeah sure, but there isn’t any more I can tell you that I haven’t already told you!”

”Well, I was thinking. If things are really as bad as you say it is at your foster home… well… maybe… um… maybe if you tell my mom and dad, maybe they can look into you staying here.”

‘No way,’ thought Keith, ‘there is no way anyone else would want me… I mean, I have been pulled out of two foster homes already and the way it seems now, I’m soon to be pulled out from another. The foster parents along with my social worker told me that if I end up getting pulled out of the home I was being placed in that I would be shipped off to a state school.’

The thought of going to a state school for kids in the system who couldn’t find anyone to foster them shot cold shivers up and down Keith’s back. He remembered the warning he received from his case worker.

In the short time that he was in the Silver’s home, Keith could sense a peace and feeling of home that had long left him, though it had only been six months since his life and world fell apart.

In the kitchen Paul was filling his wife in on what he saw when he pulled up to the house; how he assisted the boy, Keith, up off the ground; how he and Joe helped him into the house; how they helped clean him up; and how, when he tried to get him to call his parents, Keith became very guarded.

Wendy looked at Paul with a concerned, motherly expression. “What can we do Paul? We need to contact his parents as soon as possible; I’m sure that by now they are worried crazy wondering what happened to their son.”

“I know, I know,” Paul replied, “but Wendy, you should have seen the fear and anger in his eyes… I don’t know what caused that, but one thing I do know is the look of a frightened kid. I see it all the time when I do volunteer work at the homeless shelter for boys. You can’t help but see it.”

Wendy placed her arms around Paul and pulled him into a hug. “I know how you feel about that, Paul, believe me, I do, and I know the hard times you had as a boy. But this boy Keith has someone, a family that is scared and stressed and is looking for their son. We need to ask him who we can contact, and explain to them what happened. I’m sure they’ll understand and everything will be alright.”

They walked out of the kitchen and into the living room together. Wendy closely observed Keith while Paul walked over to him. Paul looked at Keith, who kept his eyes facing down.

“How is your head feeling now, Keith? That knot has fully formed itself over your right eye. It must be hurting.”

Keith, taking a moment to reply to Paul’s question, thought about what Joe told him. Maybe, just maybe, if things didn’t work out at the foster home where he was living the Silvers would consider fostering him. The short time that he was in the Silvers home brought him a feeling of love?… acceptance?… comfort? Keith couldn’t explain it, but he liked what he felt.

Keith noticed that Paul was staring at him. He didn’t want to focus any more attention to the knot on his head.

“It’s OK, it only stings a little. The icepack helped a lot. Thank you for getting it for me.”

Paul continued to stare at Keith. “Were you able to reach your parents?”

 “Um, no sir, um, I called but they must not have been home yet.”

Wendy’s motherly instincts took over. “Hi, Keith. I’m Wendy, Joe’s mother. I’m sure that they will be home soon and everything will be explained to them. In the meanwhile it’s just about dinner time. You are welcome to join us if you wish.”

Keith looked at Joe who had one of his famous smiles on full display, then back at Wendy.

“I’d like to have dinner with you, if it’s OK,” he replied shyly.

“Of course it is,” Wendy replied and, turning to her son, “Joe, while I’m preparing dinner why don’t you take Keith to your room and let him clean up before dinner? And Keith, that knot on your head still looks angry, so keep applying the ice bag on and off every few minutes. OK?”

Keith felt tears forming in his eyes. He blinked several time to keep them from running down his cheeks. He replied, “OK, and thanks,” as Joe quickly guided him toward the stairs. As the boys ascended Paul and Wendy both looked on as similar thoughts simultaneously entered their minds.

When Keith walked into Joe’s room, his eyes first scanned the disheveled items on the floor then locked onto the posters on the walls. He looked around, and upon closer observation, he saw Joe’s bookcase had many books on the martial arts. After scanning the room, he turned to Joe.

“I like your room. The poster of Bruce Lee is cool too.”

The fact that Keith liked something of his made Joe feel very special, not to mention that inside his heart he was really hoping that Keith would want to become friends with him.

“So you like martial arts, huh?” Keith began looking through Joe’s book collection.

Joe didn’t know what to say. No one had ever asked him what he liked, or had ever seen his collection of books. And now, standing in his room and checking out his books, was one of the nicest boys Joe had ever met. And Keith actually liked his room and his posters.

‘Wow,’ Joe thought to himself, ‘I know it’s like the dream I always have, but now! Just wow!’ He was happy and excited, and suddenly he realized that he no longer felt like an outcast.

*****