Published: 6 Jul 2023
From The Previous Chapter:
“What’s so special about a boy’s bathroom?” innocently asked Frances Jenkins.
The five boys snickered as they walked out of Phillip’s bedroom and towards the front stairs, with Chief following closely behind them.
“What was all that snickering all about?” asked Mrs. Jenkins.
Mr. Ken knew, but wasn’t about to tell her. He would let the ‘show and tell’ be his answer. He then knowingly laughed inside of him.
Phillip took his friends down the front stairs and into the open space known as the MRS Room. Jeffrey was amazed at the space, but was equally impressed with the glass banisters that allowed the viewer to see down into the Great Room without any obstructions.
“Phillip … what is this room used for?” asked Jeffrey.
“This is the Meeting, Reading and Sitting Room,” offered the Cover. “It is rarely used, from what I know, but I’ve only been here three weeks. But my ‘brothers’ … they tell me that it is really a receiving room where you would greet people and sit and talk. Or, you could come in here and read because the light is really good, but the light is better down in the Great Room. Let me show you Mr. Ken’s Study.”
The boys walked over to the Study and they stuck their heads inside. Phillip told Jeffrey that they usually had a meeting in there every night after dinner and that Mr. Ken talked to them about their appointments and what was planned around the estate.
Jaffrey asked what things were planned and the young Cover told his friend about the Memorial Day Picnic, the sleepover, their trip right after school ended and then the 4th of July Carnival. Jeffrey was curious about the 4th of July Carnival, but Phillip didn’t know much about it since he’d only been living there for three weeks.
Preston told the boy that Mr. Ken held a big carnival on his estate on the 4th of July, that it was free and that the people got tickets for food and to play the games. He also told the boy that the rides were free last year which let them play more games or try more of the foods and that Mr. Ken also pays for the huge fireworks display at night.
From the Study area, Phillip showed his new friend the half-bath and cloak room just off that area, and told them the rooms down the hallway was Mr. Ken’s private area, and then the five boys walked down the winding stairs to the Great Room. When they got to the bottom of the stairs, Westin told Phillip he should show Jeffrey the party restrooms first. So that was where the boys went to begin the tour of the bottom level of the house.
“You have got to be kidding me,” said a surprised Jeffrey Jenkins. “How can they be this big? The house only goes out so far,” offered the dumbfounded friend.
“Well … the restrooms … they’re built out under the ground,” answered a smiling Phillip. “Mr. Ken told me that when he designed the house, he knew he would be hosting large parties and he would need big restrooms, so he had the architect plan to build these out past the front of the house. That’s how they can be so big,” finished a smiling Phillip.
The boys then continued down the hallway past the bar area, the wine cellar and then Phillip showed his new friend the Theater. Of course, Jeffrey had to try out the plush looking seating in the room. The new friend then asked Phillip if he had ever watched a movie in there.
The Cover said he hadn’t, as of yet, because he’d been really busy and so had Mr. Ken and his ‘brothers’. Phillip did add that Robert told him he used to watch a lot of movies when he first arrived, but that as Mr. Ken added more foster kids, things just got way too busy and they just haven’t had the time.
The boys then walked back to the Great Room and Jeffrey walked over to the Rumford Fireplace and stood inside it. He said he never saw a fireplace so huge before. He then wondered out loud if Mr. Ken ever used it. The other boys said he must have, as there was lots of charring all around the side and back walls.
Phillip then told Jeffrey to follow him. The Cover led the boy to the pool area. Jeffrey couldn’t believe his eyes. He looked all around and then spotted the rocky ledge and asked if they ever jumped off of it. Preston and Bryson told him of their exploits and fun they had swimming in the pool and the games they played.
The lifeguards came over to the boys and said hello to them. Gavin asked if they were going to go swimming later and Jeffrey asked if they were allowed to jump off the big rock. Learning they could, the new boy said they would be swimming as soon as they could. The guards all smiled and said they’d be watching out for them.
Phillip showed his new friend the Men’s Locker room. Seeing there was no private dressing spaces, Jeffrey asked if that was where they changed. Preston said it was, but they had a simple method and they all did it and they’d show him later.
When they walked out of the Locker Room, Phillip told Jeffrey that they would put their clothes in a locker, lock it and then place the rubber band with the key around his ankle. Bryson then said he’d have to pass a swim test that everyone had to take, even the adults, before they swam in the indoor pool. Jeffrey looked to Phillip to see if that was true. He then learned that he had to do it and that Westin recently did it when he first swam there. The boy understood he would have to take it as well.
Phillip told his new friend that he wanted to show him the cove area outside and what Mr. Ken had bought for them to have fun on. So, the five boys walked out onto the Patio and over to ornate railing that allowed them to look down and over the dock and all the ‘fingers’ of the cove.
“He bought all of this?” asked the surprised boy.
“Yes. Last year he bought the Rock-It water toy after my ‘brothers’ were on a cruise and they had fun on one just like it. That Sea-Doo … that’s the newest personal watercraft making six of them that my ‘brothers’ and their friends can use out on the lake. We can’t use them until we are thirteen and pass the Texas Water Safety Course.
“You can see there are sailboats, too. We have to learn to sail before we can take those out. I think it would be fun to go out on the lake and have the wind take us all over. Those big water toys out there … my ‘brothers’ … they told me they played a game called ‘King of the Raft’ and when you fell off it was like fifteen feet down.
“Now, Mr. Ken’s insurance company makes anyone twelve and under wear a life vest when they are out on the water, even though he has the lifeguards watching. Matthew showed me a YouTube video that was made here. Something about the lifeguards practicing, just in case something ever happened to someone while they were swimming. It was pretty interesting, too. The local television news station did the interview with the guards and I think they won an award for it. You’d have to ask Matthew, though,” finished Phillip.
While Phillip was showing Jeffrey around, Charles was showing his sister, Jordyn, and her friends, around the house, as well.
“Jordyn … can you believe all of the things the Covers have to do here? Wouldn’t it be fun to come here all the time?” asked Jeffrey of his big sister.
Charles smiled, then spoke up and said, “Well, Jeff, as one of Phillip’s friends you can come back every time he is here. So, you’ll get to enjoy everything, too.”
“Isn’t Jordyn your friend? Then, why can’t she come back, too, then?” immediately asked Jeffrey.
“Well, we … ever since I began living here, we never had girls, you know, as regular daily friends, Jeff. We’ve had them visit here at times, but … well, they’ve never been regular, you know, friends like you have with Phil, Preston, Bryson and Wes,” answered the teen Cover. “But hopefully, she’ll be back with you and your parents for the Memorial Day Picnic, and I hope she’ll be back at other times, too.”
“Memorial Day Picnic? What Memorial Day Picnic?” asked Jeffrey.
“Oh, I forgot to mention it to you,” spoke up Phillip. “Mr. Ken … he is having this big Picnic on the Saturday of the three-day Memorial Day weekend and he is inviting all of our friends’ families and a bunch of other people. He says there will be at least 200 people, or more, there and your family gets to be here, too.”
Phillip and his friends told Charles they were headed back up to the Pavilion and Cove Skate Park and they would see them there. The five boys quickly got out their skateboards when they arrived at the lockers and then headed out on the Cove Skate Park.
Jeffrey was a bit hesitant to skate, but after he tried a few of the smaller obstacles on the upper portion of the Cove Skate Park he felt comfortable enough to try a few others. His friendsgave him some space as did the other boys knowing this was his first time there.
Billy came over and watched his young ‘brother’s’ new friend and after a few minutes went out on the course and asked him if he could give him some pointers. Jeffrey said he could and after a few minutes, Jeffrey was more confident as he skated.
A few minutes later, Mr. Ken and the boy’s parents came over to the Cove Skate Park and the owner of The Cove called the boy over and gave him a Three Finger Cove helmet, knee and wrist pads. The boy didn’t know what to say. He looked to his parents if he should accept them and seeing a nod from them, he thanked the man and quickly put the pads on and Billy came over and helped him adjust the helmet to fit him.
Billy then looked at the time and called out asking whose turn it was to cook. Most of the boys were busy talking with the girls and the Cover teen didn’t get much response, so he called out again. This time he only got a few responses, so the Cover teen started calling out names to come and help get the cooking started and the serving line set up.
A few of the boys, who were called away from the girls, moaned that they had to go and help, but they did go over and Billy told them what he wanted them to do. The girls watched for a few minutes, but they eventually walked over and then they asked if they could help. That put a smile on the boys’faces.
Jeffrey heard all the commotion and asked Phillip what was going on over at the Pavilion. The young Cover told his friend that every day they had friends over they cooked hamburgers and hot dogs and that’s what they were getting ready to do. Jeffrey asked if they could go over and help, too.
Phillip told his friend that they would only be allowed to help set up the serving line, as they had to be at least twelve to cook. But Jeffrey wanted to go over and see what they were doing, so the five boys walked over to the Pavilion.
When the five boys arrived, they saw the cooks were cleaning the grill grates, the girls were helping wash down the serving line and they heard lots of laughter between the boys and girls. Other boys were bringing out the burgers and hot dogs and they saw theothers were filling up the ketchup, mustard and relish dispensers as no one had done that last weekend as they should have.
Jeffrey had lots of questions about what he was seeing and Phillip answered them as best he could. Preston and Bryson had been to The Cove a few more times with Mark, so they answered their friend’s questions with what they knew.
Donald and Frances Jenkins were finished with their ‘nickel tour’ of The Cove and arrived at the Pavilion with Mr. Ken on the golf cart. And seeing the boys were getting the barbeque ready the owner of The Cove asked the parents if they wanted to stay and see how the boys cooked every day that they had their friends over. The Jenkins agreed.
Frances Jenkins walked over and watched as some boys washed the lettuce and patted it dry, while others washed the tomatoes and one teen was peeling the onions under the water. Once the tomatoes and onions were ready, one boy began using the mandolin to slice the tomatoes.
As the tomatoes were sliced another boy plated them. Then once the tomatoes were finished being sliced, the boy sliced the onions and the other boys plated them, too. And Frances saw that they weren’t just randomly thrown on the plate, but the boy took care and tried to make the plate look nice and presentable. Then another boy brought over the now dried lettuce leaves.
Mrs. Jenkins was amazed that the boys did everything and there was no adult supervision. She watched as the boys, with a few of the girls helping, set up the serving line with plates, utensils, napkins, hamburger and hot dog buns, the ketchup and mustard dispensers, a jar of mayonnaise, and then they brought out an ice dispenser, filled it with fresh ice and then set cups alongside it.
All the while that was happening, the woman watched as two teens were cooking the hamburgers and as the cooks decided they were done, place them in a warming tray on the grill. She couldn’t believe that all that was being done in a fairly well-oiled manner and that all that was going on were lots of joking and laughter.
“Mr. Ken … you let the boys do this all the time and … and you don’t supervise them? I must admit you trained them well,” laughed Frances Jenkins.
Ken Thomas explained how the barbeques happened, over time, ever since his first foster son, Collin, lived with him. He told the parents that as he added foster sons, they and their friends helped with a much smaller grill and setting up the serving area to what he now has at the Pavilion. He added that the boys know that they have a very responsible job and know that if they ever begin to mess up and make a mockery of it, he would shut it down and they would lose one of the best things they have about coming to The Cove.
Just as the adults were talking, Billy yelled out, “Come and get it!”
The adults were allowed to get in line first and then the girls went next. But since the serving line had two sides it went fast and soon the boys began getting in line and fixing their own plate.
“Hey, Phillip, I thought you were looking to get a dinner bell, so people didn’t have to yell for people to come over to eat?” asked Westin.
Phillip looked surprised at the question, but then he remembered that about two weeks ago he and his friends did look at some dinner bells, but with everything that had happened with his mom, the Easter Egg Roll, Rafael, getting his glasses and more, he just plain forgot and he told his friends that. He told them that he’ll ask Mr. Ken later if he could still get the dinner bell for the Pavilion.
As the Jenkins ate, Jeffrey came over to his mom and dad and asked what they thought of The Cove. The three Jenkins talked about what they saw. Then Jeffrey asked his mom and dad if they were going to come to the Memorial Day Picnic. Frances looked at her husband, Donald, and he nodded, so the boy’s mom said they would be there.
Then Jeffrey told his parents that Mr. Ken was allowing his ‘sons’ to have a sleepover next Friday night and he was invited, even though he was Phillip’s new friend, and he wondered if he could be there. The boy quickly added that Mr. Ken and Mr. Wayne would be the chaperones and the lifeguards would also be there when they had a Dive-In movie Friday night.
Frances looked to Donald who was noncommittal at the time. The boy’s mom told him they would talk about it and they’d let him know. The boy walked away somewhat dejected that they didn’t tell him right away and his mom and dad saw it in his face and in the way he walked away.
“Mr. Ken … can you tell us a bit more about this … this sleepover? And who is this Mr. Wayne, Jeffrey mentioned,” asked Frances Jenkins.
Ken Thomas told the parents that Mr. Wayne was his Estate Master who helps him corral the boys when he has to be out of town or gone away from The Cove at times. He added that Wayne was also a licensed foster parent and was approved by CPS as the boys second guardian who could act in his stead when he wasn’t available.
Mr. Ken then proceeded to tell the Jenkins that for the sleepover how his ‘boys’ would serve pizza for dinner Friday night and then they’d swim for a while, and then he’d put on a movie that the boys called a Dive-In Movie. The owner of The Cove did confirm that he would have two lifeguards watch over the boys while they were swimming and as the movie played.
Mr. Ken continued and said that after the movie the boys would have a midnight snack and then head to where they had setup their sleeping bags. The man told the parents that in the morning, his ‘boys’, and a few of their friends, would get up early and come up to the Pavilion and fix breakfast.
“What sort of breakfast could the boys fix? I mean something like toast or cereal?” asked the woman.
“Oh, no. The boys … they will make pancakes and crispy bacon and with that there will be orange juice and two or three types of milk – plain, chocolate and vanilla. Oh, and they’ll have fresh coffee for Wayne and me. But this time, I am hoping the boys will make scrambled eggs and make some egg and bacon breakfast tacos for a change of pace. But I’m going to have Momma Maria come in Saturday morning to show the boys how to cook the eggs so they can do the tacos and do it over and over again and again in the future when they have their sleepovers,” finished a smiling Mr. Ken.
“You have got to be kidding me!” exclaimed Frances, not believing the boys could do such a thing.
“No, I kid you not. Let Jeffrey spend the night and then, if you want, show up here at about 7:30 Saturday morning for breakfast, and you’ll see what these boys can do. Last year they convinced me to let them do this and, with Bill leading them, and they put on a great breakfast. And you should see the lunch they put on, sub sandwiches.
“I kid you not there, too. These boys … they will have about four different types of bread, four or five meats, two or three cheeses, lettuce, tomatoes, onions, mayo, Italian dressing, pickles, chips, the works to allow the boys to make their own sandwich. You could come back for that, too if you want,” finished Mr. Ken.
“Who pays for all this? Don’t the boys have to chip in?” now spoke up Donald.
“The boys don’t have to pay for anything. I foot the bill,” answered Ken Thomas.
“But … but that … that has got to cost you a fortune,” said a disbelieving Donald Jenkins.
And then Frances added, before Mr. Ken could answer Donald’s question, “Why do you spend so much money and not ask the boys to help defray what has to be an enormous cost?”
“Don, Frances … I think I can afford it. (Mr. Ken then holds up his arm and sort of indicates what is all around them.) But the reason I do this is because … well, the boys, my boys … they come to me as … as foster boys who … who are in the system for various reasons, but usually for what … for what their parent did … NOT what they’ve done.
“The thing is … I want them to have a better life. I want them to try to forget that they are fosters and I guess, in the process, I … well, I spoil them. One thing we never do is … we never talk about why the boys are living with me. And it is because of what I know of them that I decided to adopt Robert and Charles,” finished up a quiet sounding Mr. Ken.
Donald and Frances heard the way their host’s voice sort of tailed off, as he mentioned the adoption of his two boys. So, they let him sit there in his thoughts, as they talked between themselves about allowing their son to spend the night with Phillip.
All the while the adults were talking, the barbeque was winding down and the boys were cleaning things up. Then once the Pavilion was clean, the cooking utensils washed and hung to dry, the dispensers filled for tomorrow’s barbeque and the soda machines were also filled, the boys and girls all decided to go swimming.
The change in the noise level caught the attention of the Jenkins’ and they asked their host where the boys and girls were all going. Mr. Ken told them it looked like they were all going swimming. Donald looked at the time and then his wife and asked her if it wasn’t time that they headed home. She agreed and asked what time they should be back to collect their children.
Mr. Ken told them that when there wasn’t school the next day the kids needed to leave by six o’clock, and when there was school the next day, they had to leave by five. The owner of the Cove told them when they came back for Jordyn and Jeffrey, they would get to meet a few of the other parents and he was sure they would hear a few stories of what their sons got to do while coming to The Cove.
Phillip and his friends waited until most of the older boys had changed before they went into the Men’s Locker Room to change into their swimsuits. Even then, Jeffrey was a bit hesitant to change in front of his friends. Preston and Bryson quickly set their swimsuits aside and began the ritual of changing.
“Hey, come on and change,” said Preston to Phillip, Westin and Jeffrey.
“Jeffrey, you saw what they did,” started Phillip. “They put their swimsuits on the bench, sat down, took their shoes and socks off, then they stood up, faced the wall and then dropped their shorts and underwear, but they left their shirts on. That way they didn’t feel embarrassed if someone saw their ‘boy parts’.” Chuckled the young Cover.
“‘Boy parts’, what are they?” asked Jeffrey.
“Oh, they, ahh, they are your, ahh, your … dick and balls,” whispered Philip.
Jeffrey and Westin and the other two friends laughed.
“Where did you come up with that term?” asked Phillip’s new friend.
“Well, as the story goes, that I got from Robert … well, he told me that it was a cute way of saying, you know … ahh, dick and balls to the younger boys who swam here when he first started to live here. So, that’s why I said that. It’s kind of simple and it’s not gross or anything,” explained the young Cover.
Most of the boys had already changed, so Preston told the three slow-pokes to hurry-up. So, Phillip and Westin put their swimsuits on the bench and then sat down. Jeffrey didn’t do anything, so Phillip told him to sit next to him and do what he did. Jeffrey sat down and took off his shoes and socks after he put his swimsuit next to him on the bench.
All three boys stood up and faced the wall and looking at each other Philip and Westin dropped their shorts and underwear, at the same time, and they grabbed their swimsuits and quickly put them on.
“Come on Jeff,” called out Bryson, “do it, it won’t hurt you!”
Jeffrey dropped his shorts and underwear at the same time as his friends had and then he picked up his swimsuit and put it on. He smiled after he’d done that, seeing that it wasn’t as bad he thought it would be and with his shirt on and hanging down somewhat, he didn’t feel like he was too exposed.
“Now, that wasn’t so bad, was it?” asked Preston. “Come on, we need to put our clothes in a locker and Jeff needs to take the swim test.”
The five boys filed out onto the pool deck and they found empty lockers and they all put their clothes into one, locked it and put the rubber band, with the key, around their ankle.
Phillip went over to Billy and asked him if he would give Jeffrey the swim test. The Cover teenager came over and asked Phillip’s friend if he was a good swimmer. Jeffrey said he was, but then he asked why he had needed to do a swim test.
Phillip quickly told him that they had mentioned it to him earlier that Mr. Ken requires that everyone, including the adults, have to show him that they can swim. Billy then told the young Cover’s new friend that while they were changing the girls had already passed their swim test.
Jeffrey said, “Okay,” and then he jumped into the water and began to swim across the pool. All four boys waited for Jeff to swim to the other side. The new addition to Phillip’s friends easily swam to the other side and when the boy climbed out, the four were all there and patted him on his back.
The first thing that Jeffrey then asked was if he could jump off the rock ledge. The five boys climbed the stairs and walked to the edge and the four who’d already jumped off the rock ledge let Jeffrey go first.
Jeffrey was just as uneasy at the height as Westin was during his first time at jumping off the rock ledge. The boy told his friends it didn’t look as high from the pool deck as it did now that he was standing there. The other four boys laughed at their friend, but then they told him about Westin’s first time and they suggested to him that he sit down and just slip off his first time.
So, Jeffrey did as his friends suggested. The boy sat down on the ledge and let his legs hang down over the end. He was still a bit hesitant, but after he saw that all his friends had jumped off, Jeffrey decided he better just get it over with, and he just let himself fall off the rock ledge. He yelled as he fell. Everybody closest by heard the boy yell and looked; they chuckled.
“That wasn’t so bad, was it?” asked Preston.
“Well … yes it was!’ exclaimed Jeffrey. “But now that I’ve done it, I’m going to do it again. But this time I’m going to jump,” declared Jeffrey Jenkins. So, the boy deliberately walked over to the stairs and walked right up to the top of the rock ledge.
All of the boys went right behind him and they watched as Jeffrey, when he got to the top of the rock ledge, went right over to the edge and, without hesitation, jumped right off. All the boys cheered that he’d done that, then they all followed suit.
After the boys got their jumping off the rock ledge out of their system, the lifeguards asked them if they wanted to play some of the games they’d played before. Jeffrey didn’t know what the guards were talking about but his friends told him they were fun and he should just join in.
The boys agreed to play and with the girls added into the mix the games became even more fun and competitive as no one knew how well the girls would be able to walk backwards or swim underwater to collect the things at the bottom of the pool.
The lifeguards tried to match the teams evenly and with everyone being so competitive the noise in the pool area was very loud. This was the first time any of the girls played anything like the games they were playing and they were having fun. Plus, with there being so many boys there, they felt special they were asked to The Cove that day. They all knew they would have loads of stories to tell their friends tomorrow around their homes and at school on Monday.
Before long, it was time for everyone to get out of the water and change and head up to the Main Gate and wait either for their parents or their ride. They were all having so much fun none of them wanted to leave, but Jordan told them they had to, as they, the lifeguards, didn’t get paid past six o’clock. All the boys and girls laughed as they walked to get their clothes out of the lockers so they could change into dry clothes.
The five young boys all waited until the majority of the older boys had changed and left the Men’s Locker Room. Phillip told Jeffrey that all he needed to do was reverse what he’d done earlier and that was to put on his shirt, place his shorts and underwear on the bench and then drop his swimsuit and put on his clothes.
When Jeffrey had done that, he forgot to dry his body some and he had a slightly difficult time getting his underwear on. He then saw that his friends had used their towels to dry off their mid-sections before putting on their underwear. He smiled to himself and told himself to do that the next time. He then put on his shorts and then dried his feet before he put his socks on and then his shoes.
When all of his friends had changed, Phillip collected their swimsuits and towels. Jeffrey asked him why he was doing that. Phillip told him to follow him and he’d show him.
“Mr. Ken lets us dry our friend’s swimsuits and towels, so they don’t get moldy. So, when you come back tomorrow, and I do hope you will come back tomorrow, you will have a dry suit and towel,” explained the young Cover.
Jeffrey smiled at the telling and the five boys walked out of the pool area, up the Great Room’s winding stairs and out the Foyer Door to then walk up to the Main Gate so the Cover’s friends could wait for the parents.
Jeffrey saw Jordyn and asked her, “Sis, did you have fun today? I know I sure did!”
“Yes, Jeff, I had loads of fun. This place is amazing, isn’t it?” answered Jordyn.
Charles heard the exchange and was glad his new friend had fun. He decided that he would try to invite her, and a few of her friends, over more as the summer moved along.
When Donald and Frances Jenkins arrived at The Cove to collect their children, there were a number of moms and a few dads there waiting for their sons to come out the Main Gate. The regular parents noticed the new arrivals, so they went over and introduced themselves and talked to them about Mr. Ken and what he’d done for their boys.
Donald and Frances couldn’t believe that the owner of The Cove had taken their boys to Six Flags, SeaWorld and the Lakeside Water Park and all for free. They also learned that four of the boys who come there were given awards for helping save people out on the lake two years back and that Mr. Ken himself also received an award from the American Red Cross for his help in saving one boy.
They also heard that some of their boys got a special tour of the Lake Water Safety and Rescue Team Headquarters that the man built for the community when he built the Lakeside Water Park. They also came to know that Mr. Ken owned the Four Corners shopping area that included the Four Corners Restaurant/Diner, Go-Kart Track, Miniature Golf Course, the 400-unit apartment complex just above it and was currently building the marina, self-serve car wash and boat storage lot.
The Jenkins were amazed at hearing all of that information. They knew that man must have had money because of what they saw earlier in the day, with the home he lived in, and all the amenities all around the estate. But they had no idea he was also involved elsewhere.
The moms and dads added that Mr. Ken doesn’t ask them for anything in return, but that they did hold a surprise barbeque one night when he brought the boys back from swimming at the water park. The dads told how a few of them helped build the original skateboard ramps the boys used before Mr. Ken had the Cove Skate Park built last year.
The moms told the Jenkins that their boys always help whenever something needs to get done around the estate. One mom told how during a bad storm last year, when they were building the skate park, the boys all helped wash down the concrete so it wouldn’t stain and that they helped clean up the back Patio area that was devastated from the high winds.
The women continued and told how the boys helped build the lockers behind the Pavilion and then, with the help of master carpenters, mount them to the walls. They further told how the boys take turns cooking the burgers and hot dogs and set up the serving line and then clean up the Pavilion afterwards.
“When our boys are here, we know they are safe,” spoke up one mom.
“They have the skate park, the swimming pool, the soccer field, the water toys out in the cove along with the watercraft and sailboats they can use, when they are trained, and Mr. Ken has hired lifeguards to watch over them to keep them safe,” announced another mom.
Then one dad spoke up and said, “We, all of us dads and moms, are thankful for what Mr. Ken has done for us … by allowing our boys to come to the best five-star boys resort in the world. And believe you me that our boys … they also appreciate what Mr. Ken has done for them, and has allowed them to do over these past two to three years.”
“Yes, I agree,” voiced another dad. “At home I would never have let my twelve-year-old son cook on my grill. But here … Mr. Ken … he has let my son ‘burn the burgers’, as they call it. And with that he’s learned responsibility and safety and, most of all, teamwork.
My son is thirteen and I have now shown him how to cook steaks and chicken, on the grill, and he eagerly helps around the house because here he’s learned that it doesn’t hurt to help, but it helps the other people have more time for themselves to do things they want to do.”
“Well, spoken,” everyone heard from Mr. Ken, who had just come outside the Main Gate as the group of moms and dads were talking to the Jenkins.
“Mom, dad, I had a great time, and that rock ledge … I jumped off it lots of times,” exclaimed Jeffrey Jenkins.
“Jordyn, how was your day?” asked Frances Jenkins.
“Mom, dad, it was great. There is so much to do here and we never got to do it all. When we went swimming the lifeguards … they had us play some games they devised and they were so much fun. I hope Charles … I hope he invites me back,” enthusiastically responded Jordyn, with a big smile on her face that told her mom that her daughter was probably smitten with the teen.
“Mr. Ken … Frances and I talked and after hearing what the other parents had to say about their sons and the things they’ve gotten to do here, we decided … well, we decided to allow our son to attend the sleepover next Friday,” announced Donald Jenkins, with a smile on his face.
Upon hearing that, Jeffrey and Phillip both smiled at one another.
“And while we were waiting for our kids, we heard so much more about you and what your estate is all about. We also know now what it means to all of these moms and dads and what you’ve done for their boys. We hope our Jeff can benefit by coming here,” finished Donald.
Before long the gathered crowd at the Main Gate began to disappear as dinners needed to be prepared and the Covers needed to head out to dinner, as well. Mr. Ken told the boys to get presentable as Ms. Judy was joining them for dinner. He told Bill that she was either going to talk to him there, at dinner, or she was coming home with them to finish her in-home inspection. Bill just smiled at the revelation.
The saga of Three Finger Cove continues. Let Chowhound know you are reading his story: Chowhnd at Gmail dot Com
75,107 views