Todays Topic
Welcome friend to Create Art Podcast where we create more than we consume. I am Timothy Kimo Brien your thankful head instigator with over 20 years in arts and education helping you tame your inner critic and provide you with commentary, interviews, discussions, and projects that will inspire you to create art. This month I will be podcasting daily and writing a novel in 30 days. I am participating in NaPodPoMo and NaNoWriMo. You will be able to listen to what I wrote for the day and read it at the same time. I like to practice what I preach when it comes to art so I am challenging myself to write and having you come along for the ride. I hope this inspires you to accomplish your goals with your art and if you would like to share what you are doing email me at timothy@createartpodcast.com
The Story So Far
13 Nov 2020 1920 daily count 23005 cumulative count
“Okay Myra, I understand. We need to get a few things worked out here, do you know anything about this book that your dad left,” asked Carl?
“That is a diary, he told me never to touch it. If he left it here then it must be for you because I can’t touch it,” Myra said.
“Okay, just stay put. I need to talk with Cheryl and my brother Nate will be here in a few minutes. I am not going to leave your sight, I will be right there by the counter okay,” said Carl.
“Okay, thank you for the chocolate milk, I drank it all when I saw you come from the bathroom like you told me to do, it was delicious,” said Myra.
Carl headed over to the counter where Cheryl was making up a plate for Myra. He kept one eye on Myra and one eye on his path.
“I have Nate coming here in a few minutes. I took ff the rest of the week. She is coming home with me,” said Carl as he got to the counter.
“She and I talked a little bit, she is nine and was in school up until about a month ago. Her dad has taken her to a few coffee shops but she doesn’t know where they are or what their names are. She doesn’t know the name of her school but she does remember her teachers name. That gives us a start on getting her back home,” said Cheryl.
“There is no mother in the picture or siblings according to the note, she has been through enough today and probably the last month. I am going to get custody of her somehow and brother is going to help me,” said Carl firmly.
“There is a slight problem with that, birth certificate, school records, doctor records, you have none of that. Plus and I mean no disrespect, but how are you going to raise a child on your own in your condition, you told me the doctors didn’t give you long to live unless you went through the chemo treatments and even then you will be pretty messed up physically,” said Cheryl.
“We cross those bridges when we need to, right now she needs a home, I have one, she needs a father, I can be one. I cannot do all this alone, so I am going to need your help. Remember you told me to go into the bathroom and confront the guy, well, this is the confrontation no one expected but we have. I’ll live to be one hundred if I have to but there is no way I am putting this girl through hell that her father started by abandoning her,” said Carl.
“Okay, I am in. Let’s go sit down with her while you go through that diary, might be something in there we can use,” said Cheryl.
“Can’t touch the diary, well at least according to the note I can only read the instructions, so I start there and see where it takes me. This was not how I expected my Thursday to pan out,” said Carl.
“At leas you got some rest in yesterday, lets get that girl her milk and muffin,” said Cheryl.
Cheryl brought out a glass of chocolate milk and the muffin on a plate. Myra slowly ate and drank the milk between bites. All three sat in silence for some time, the adults figuring out what their next move was and the girl enjoying her mid-morning meal.
Nate came through the door in a rush looking all around for Carl and the girl.
“Okay I am here, is she okay,” asked Nate?
Carl stood up and pulled Nate to the side.
“She is fine, no hysterics, just eating a muffin and drinking chocolate milk. I don’t want her to get agitated as she is doing fine for right now. She asked about her father and I said she would be staying with me for the time being. I think she understands that her father is not coming back for her. Here is the note I found and the diary. Do not open the diary please, I’ll do that later today. I am off work the rest of the week and I’ll get my spare bedroom set up for her today. Can we get some old clothes from your girls so we are not starting from zero,” said Carl softly but firmly to Nate.
“You cannot take care of her Carl, in your condition, you would not pass muster in any custody hearing. I will take the girl home with me and we will figure out what to do next,” said Nate.
“That’s not an option, didn’t you say you had a new hot shot lawyer in your firm that loves custody cases, well here is her first one. I have enough money and I live pretty frugally, I can take her in and adopt her as my own,” said Carl.
“That’s nice and all, but what happens when her father comes back to take her home with him. You could be looking at kidnapping charges and end up in jail. I can’t in good conscious let you do that in your state,” replied Nate.
“Read the note first, I don’t think this guy is coming back, he may have a condition similar to mine and is facing his own death sentence. Just look at the note and we can go from there,” said Carl.
Nate sat down and looked at Myra. She was still eating her muffin and drinking her milk and was lightly laughing with Cheryl.
“Myra, I am Nate, Carl’s older brother. I am a lawyer as well. Sounds like you have had quite a morning, are you enjoying your milk and muffin,” asked Nate?
“Yes I am thank you. You don’t look old like Carl,” said Myra.
“Well I am his older brother, do you have any brothers or sisters,” asked Nate?
“Uhm, I am not really allowed to talk with strangers,” said Myra.
“It’s okay hon, he is my older brother, and he knows about the giraffes having tea with the flamingoes,” said Carl.
“Giraffes and flamingoes,” asked Nate?
“Just go with it, it is her code to know that you are okay,” whispered Carl.
“Oh yeah, the giraffes are having tea with the flamingoes today,” said Nate.
“No I don’t have any brothers or sisters, I don’t have a mommy either, she died a long time ago when I was little,” said Myra mournfully.
“I am sorry to hear that Myra, about your mom I mean. I know things are confusing right now but Carl and I will get this all worked out okay, you just keep eating your muffin and drinking your milk. We are not going to leave your sight” said Nate reassuringly.
Nate read through the letter that Carl handed him. Shaking his head, he read it multiple times. Nate stood up and headed to the bathroom. Carl patted Myra on the shoulder and looked at Cheryl, she nodded at him to follow his brother. They stood outside the bathroom in sight of Myra and Nate walked in. When Nate was in the bathroom he saw the open stall and the open window. He looked out to see if he could see foot prints or any sign of something dropped. When he couldn’t find anything he walked out of the bathroom and headed towards the door. Carl followed him. Nate walked out the door but held up his had to stop Carl. Nate pointed at Myra and Carl walked back to the table. Nate walked the parking lot and around the building to where the open window for the bathroom was and then he looked up to see if there was a camera only to find none. He walked back to the table and tapped Cheryl on the shoulder and pointed for her to come with him to the bathroom. Cheryl got up and squeezed Myra’s shoulder and went with Nate to the bathroom.
“Okay so is there any tape of this guy walking in here with the girl,” asked Nate?
“We only have a camera pointed at the back door form the inside, my boss is not a big fan of cameras and I couldn’t tell you the last time we got robbed here,” Cheryl answered.
“How about policemen coming in here, do you have regulars,” asked Nate?
“Not really, this is a bohemian place, not a donut shop. They come in once in a blue moon, but usually they don’t stay because we aren’t super welcoming to them. I mean we give them a free coffee and cookie if they want, but usually this is not really their hangout. What can we do with this girl, what is the next move,” asked Cheryl.
“So Myra and her dad started coming in here four days ago, did you notice anything unusual about them, anything at all would help,” asked Nate.
“Not really, except that the guy kept going to the bathroom for like thirty minutes at a time. I asked Carl to have a talk with him and well this happened today,” said Cheryl.
“Well the important thing is the girl is safe, the note has to many fingerprints on it now to be useful, I take it you read the letter as well. Did the guy pay with cash or credit card, “Nate asked?
“Always with cash and today the only thing he left behind was Myra, the note and that diary,” said Cheryl.
“Okay, Myra seems pretty calm around you which is good and she is calm around Carl which is better. I just don’t see how he thinks he can just take this girl and raise her as his own, we will figure that out later. When is your lunch rush,” Nate asked?
“We are going to get a lot of customers in about twenty minutes,” said Cheryl.
“Okay, I am going to take the girl and Carl back to his place. I have some clothes that may fit her and some toys that my kids don’t play with anymore. Basically, we are all accomplices right now. Here is my card for my law firm. If anyone approaches you about this, you call me and only speak to me. If Carl goes to jail about this it will kill him, I mean it. I am not ready to lose my brother and it seems like you two are friendly and I am sure you don’t want to lose him either. I have seen him hell bent on stuff before and he will not let it go, so I am going to do what I can to help him out and more importantly to help out Myra. Can we get some food to go, because I am sure that Carl doesn’t have much for a nine-year-old girl at his apartment,” asked Nate?
“Yeah I can make up a couple of sandwiches for you guys really quick and I can see what we have for our grab and go,” said Cheryl.
“Here is fifty dollars, I am sure that will more than cover it and put the rest in your pocket. If Carl is going to pull this off, he is going to need your help. I hope you are as good a friend as he believes you to be,” said Nate.
“I’d never let him down Nate, that is a threat not a promise,” sad Cheryl.
Reaching Out
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