Bleach Monster, Part IX

April 24, 2013

Danit woke up and hopped on the Staten Island Railway with Tony. Audrey stayed home with her dad.  They were en-route to Murray’s meeting place. 

She was not pleased that he requested their presence in front of the Yankees’ store at the South Street Seaport. He did that on purpose.  Nothing in his mind topped the Bronx Bombers.

She had been a Yankee fan. Then she converted and began to root for the Mets.

 Sad.

Very sad.

The train pulled into the SI Ferry Terminal and they boarded. She hoped the boat was not laden with roaches. She meant in terms of the real ones and the riders that often resembled them.

The ferry sailed along. All was quiet. The usual preachers were preaching.  The deckhands were drinking coffee. People were reading their papers and chatting away with their friends.  It docked.  They walked off and headed down Water Street.

People seemed distressed. The market was not doing so well.  As they approached Wall Street they noticed several people acting crazy. But not in a sense that the usual NYC crazies acted.   Danit wondered if it was the market downturn or something else?

Despite Tony’s new found tear-water power he was nervous. He is still young and hasn’t spent much time in the city.  He clutched Danit’s hand. She smiled and told him this is the norm for the City.  It is packed with a lot of crazies.

A religious crazy approached them and started preaching and begging.  Danit pulled Tony away. She told him not to go into defense mode.  She further explained that most of these people are harmless. They just need to be institutionalized.  Such a shame these people are free to walk the streets and disturb an otherwise peaceful spring day.

Murray and Danny were in the store buying Yogi Berra t-shirts, World Series collector baseballs and some other stuff.  “Uncle Sam” and the “Statue of Liberty” were standing outside the store posing for pictures and begging for money.

Murray and Danny sat on a bench and sipped bottled water.  A few minutes later Danit and Tony arrived.  They exchanged greetings.  They began walking toward Pier 17. They planned to sit out by the boats and discuss life. Murray was pleased it looked like his plans were finally going to come to fruition.

As they were walking past the GAP and getting ready to cross the street a crazed cyclist was riding through the crowd. She was slamming into people.  A few elderly people got knocked down.  A group of people started to chase her. But she cycled away.

Murray kept his eyes fixed on the route she took.  He pointed in that direction.  Despite Murray’s dark leanings, he still has a lot of good in him. One day this mix of good and evil will kill him.

They picked up their pace and walked near J. Crew. They saw the crazy biker picking up so much speed. However, she was no longer attacking anyone. She was just cruising at a speed too fast for her surroundings.

She started pedaling even faster.  She tried to turn left. But her wheel got caught in the sidewalk and she flipped off the bike and landed on her knees.  Murray and his group surrounded her. She started screaming out words. Not in English of course. But none of them could decipher the language she was speaking. They didn’t think she was an alien. They figured she was just a nut.

Danit asked her if she was ok. She nodded, yes.  They didn’t want to leave her. They walked over to her and tried to help her out.  As Danny moved forward, she pulled an axe out of her bag.  Danny ducked and shot pieces of blubber.  She went down. 

Murray’s gang retreated.  They found a nearby bench to sit on.

Murray began addressing why he called them together.

Bleach Monster, Part VIII

Danit woke up. Today is her birthday. She was pondering the text from Murray. She knew it was cryptic for a reason.  She expected him to call with birthday greetings. He always called early. He is not vermin.

On Murray’s 18^th birthday not one friend or family member called to say happy birthday. He spent the day with his parents and Danit.  No one called. Not even his grandmother, who’s notorious for calling at around 6:00 a.m. on big days in one’s life.

Back to the text, she knew she had to meet Murray. He offered two choices. There was no way she was going to 161 Street.  Sadly her days of going to the Stadium ended. She became a traitor and rooted for the Mutts. 

She knew Murray hated coming back to the Island. Not sure it was that he hated that place so much or the harrowing commute to get there. A train, to a filthy ferry, another train and then being picked up in Annandale took longer than going to Boston. Our hearts are with them today.

So she said she could meet him in two days at Wolfe’s Pond Park.  Murray loved that place. He learned to inline skate there. Audrey came running into her room with a homemade birthday card and a cupcake. It was a little early for the cupcake. But Audrey was wearing such a loving smile when she handed it over to her mom. So Danit ate it.

Audrey was excited that she got to spend the day with her mom. But she was more excited that she was going to the zoo.  She loves animals.  Unlike her mom she isn’t afraid of snakes. Of course, that fear is Murray’s fault.

The trip to the zoo was easy.  Everything was calm. They had pizza for lunch, watched Disney DVDs and got ready for a birthday dinner with Robbie, her husband and an ever doting father to Audrey.

The day came. Murray stood in front of the restrooms at Wolfe’s Pond Park waiting for Danit. He decided to take the SI train or trolley as he called it to Huguenot.  He walked down Huguenot Ave. to Hylan Blvd. to the park. He barely looked at Tottenville High School, the dump he wasted four years of his life in.  Boy did he hate that place with a passion.  Has no care in the world about that institution now. It was a faded memory of one’s past.

Danit drove in and parked in Murray’s traditional parking spot.  He is very ritualistic and always parked in the same spot in the park and just about anywhere else. She knew he’d be standing by the park’s latrine.

April 16, 2013

He smiled and pulled a bottle of Segal’s Fusion Red out of his knapsack. He opened, decanted and poured.  He was laughing and smiling every step of the way.

L’Chaim.

She reluctantly sipped her wine.  She knew exactly why he did this.  Even he though fought with bleach. He was a sith at heart. The Force was always strong within him.

They chatted for about an hour. The bottle of Segal’s was finished and tossed in the recycle bin.

The two siblings agreed to get their little “weapons,” Danny and Tony together to start their “empire”.  They would meet in two weeks at the South Street Seaport.

Over the next few days, Murray and Danit worked out and made sure Danny and Tony followed suit.

All were anxiously awaiting the rapidly approaching meeting date.

Bleach Monster, Part VII

Murray woke up to a lovely spring morning. Before he went to bed he watched, Andy pitch a great game and was happy that Cano was beginning to hit well. All was right with the world. 

Stacey was out of the picture.  Murray was upset. But not terribly depressed. She is cute.  But she wasn’t right for him.  Perhaps he’d find a new crazy before the end of the season. 

Anyway he brought his laundry off to the Laundromat. He no longer did his own laundry. He had to be careful with his use of bleach for him to continue to be the “Bleach Monster”.  He hopped on the R-train and headed to Columbus Circle.

As he sat on the train he began to read, Revan. He was obsessed with the Old Republic. He felt he was part of it. He loved the battles and knew he had to fight many more.

He knew he had to form an alliance.  Of course he had to be in control. He was a little confused about how to get Danit, “the Wine-Girl,” Danny, “Blubber-Boy,” and Tony, “Tear-Water Boy” together under his domain. His sister, Danit would be the toughest.

He got off the train and grabbed a hot dog and Pepsi from a street vendor. He began to walk through Central Park.  It was the usual park scene.  Murray went to his rock.  He’d been sitting on that rock and meditating for more years than he can remember. He was good at it. He turned his iPhone off and immersed himself in his thoughts.

About an hour later he jumped off his rock and bought bottled water. He hiked over to the lake.  A cute couple was in a rowboat. They were smiling. He dreamed that it was he and his new nut job.  The couple seemed happy.

But then he heard sharp words coming from the woman’s mouth about the status of their relationship.  She really liked him. The guy liked her. But she always seemed to spend her time with other people.  But she said she had known her other friends for many years and was having trouble squeezing in space for him. He was tired of being the second banana.

They rowed back to the boathouse and docked.  They were holding hands.  Murray didn’t hear all of their argument. So he figured they must have made up. 

He tuned out for a moment or two and sipped his water.  His ears awoke to a shriek. The guy from the rowboat was rolling on the floor in excruciating pain. His girlfriend slashed his hand with a razor blade. She kicked him hard in the chest when he tried to clot the bleeding.

She was now running wild through the park. The NYPD tried to stop her. But were no match for her.  Little kids were screaming. Her boyfriend was being tended to by EMS.

Murray was not in the mood to deal with her. He was still figuring out how to create his republic. But there was still some good in him and he didn’t want anyone else to be injured.

He kicked his legs into high gear and approached her. The two of them exchanged words.  Her eyes were blood red.  Her twisted smile was beyond big. She came at Murray with the razor blade.

He didn’t move a muscle. She got within inches of him. Her hand was in attack mode.  As she readied herself to slash his face his eyes shot gallons of bleach.  She was drenched. She went down for the count. She started screaming.  Murray poured some water over her. He didn’t want to kill her.

He figured she needed to go to the hospital and then the psych ward.  An EMS technician came over to her. Thankfully, the usual rubber necking crowd was forming.  This gave Murray an easy escape. He meandered through the crowd unnoticed.

No he wasn’t interested in dating this woman even though he had a high tolerance for the mentally ill.  In recent months a young kid broke him away from that.  He finally recognized he needed to stay away.   His breakaway was a slow and enduring process.

The sun was blazing. For some unusual reason no one was around the lake.  Murray jumped in. Did he care if the water was clean? In his neat freak, OCD, GAD mind he did care. He was going rogue.  The water felt great.  After a few minutes of the butterfly and side strokes he climbed out. As he emerged a pigeon flew right at him. He has a little friend who hates pigeons. He’s not found of them either. But he didn’t plan on hurting the bird.  It came within inches of him and flew away.

Murray grabbed some napkins from a food stand and “toweled” himself dry. His shorts and Gehrig t-shirt were damp. But wearable. 

While in the water he only thought of forming his republic. His crazed, but good and caring mind had lots of ideas.  He sent a strangely worded text to Danit and requested her presence at a gathering….

Bleach Monster, Part VI

March 18, 2013

Murray sailed the Staten Island Ferry with his brother-in-law, Robbie. This weekend was going to be a break from his usual life.  He had things to do on the old home front of Staten Island. He chatted with Robbie.  But he pretty much lost himself in reading material.

The boat sailed and they trekked to Robbie’s home via train and car.  It snapped back into Murray’s head how much he hated going to and from the Island.  It wasn’t a bad place to grow up. However, it was so damn inconvenient to travel to and from. Plus it is somewhat backward from the rest of the City.

But he was going to a farewell party and hitting his old health club in between.  Overall Murray was in a good place. He was back to handling his special powers well. His sister, Danit was doing well with hers.  Danny was no longer getting bullied.  He was working hard to stop others from having this problem.

Murray had things to do. Danit was nice enough to lend him a car for the day or two he’d be on Staten Island.  As he jumped into the car his mind drifted back to his old days.  He thought of the crazies he hung out with then.  He wondered how different they are from the nut jobs he now spent his time with.

He had great pizza, worked out and slept in his mom’s house.  Next day did similar. Eventually he made it over to the catering hall for the farewell party.  His closest friends were there. This party was a farewell to place he grew up in.  It was being shut down and merged into another being.

Would it be a stronger one? Perhaps it would be.

Murray was wondering if this was the time to confront Danit about her powers. He knew she was trying to take a young lad under her wing to train him.

They were good friends as brother and sister. But he knew she wondered about him and how he’d control his powers.  He still had thoughts of going after the superficial people.  But back on his home base he should be ok.

Everything was great. He was excited to walk into the party.  All of the people he grew up with were there. People came from all over the country to say goodbye.  Thankfully he got a ride home to Queens.

While at the party there were people he wanted to attack with bleach. They didn’t do the right thing to bring everyone to the event. They didn’t let the young kids, who the disbanding group was created for participate and lead the show. However, he took pictures, shook hands and ate lots of salmon.

Meanwhile, Danit was in the park with Tony the kid that got beat up a few weeks ago. She befriended his mom.  Danit was trying to figure out if he had any powers or if they could be created.  She saw Danny, the blubber boy and figured Tony may have potential.

But she had no idea how Murray fleshed out Danny’s magic.  She was struggling.  She got so hyped up. That was very unusual for her.  She ran off into the woods and shot out wine.  She was not in control. 

After spraying the trees she sat on a rock and fell asleep for a few minutes. It was during this time that she figured out what to do with Tony.  But she had to break him apart from his mom.  She wasn’t going to take him away or hurt him.

But she saw how dependent he is on his mom. She knew if he was going to be strong he had be independent.   What powers he could have was still open.

The park was quiet. Most people were relaxing. There were baseball and soccer games being played.  Little kids were on the see-saws and monkey bars.  The ice cream truck rolled in. People ran out to go get their cones and went back to what they were doing. All was well.

As the day got later people started leaving.  Danit looked up at the sky and saw that a storm was brewing. She grabbed Audrey and put her into the car. She said goodbye to Tony and his mom, Elise. 

There were dramatic changes in the weather.  Tony was getting drenched on the way to the car with his mom.  The water was dragging him down.  But somehow he was fighting it. He was never a fighter. But since he got beaten up and then rescued by Danit he decided to work out a little. He was still a little kid. But he was getting stronger.

He struggled.  Elise was running after him. He was toughing it out. He almost got sucked down into a sewer.  But he managed to jump away from it.  He was soaking wet. Elise was screaming for him. He heard his mom’s screams. But knew he had to keep running. He got toward the car and turned his head. Mom was only a few feet away. 

His clothes were soggy. His feet were full of water. Elise, who was just as drenched as her son helped him into the car. She pulled away.

Tony was shivering. But he was proud of his mad dash to the car. Elise was cruising down Amboy Road.  The weather was clearing up.  A truck smacked into Elise’s Maxima.  She and Tony bounced around a little. However, they were ok.

They got out of the car and were ready to call the police and input the trucker’s into the iPhone so they can call the insurance company. The truck driver was walking with a limp. It looked like he broke his foot. He came after the wielding an ax and screaming.  It turns out he has a bad safety record and this was his trial trip to see if he’d maintain his employment.

Elise threw her arms around Tony. But he broke free. He ran toward the trucker.  Elise screamed at him. Tony started waving his arms and kicking his feet up and down.  Elise was crying.

As the tears rolled out of her eyes, gusts of water shot out of Tony’s knees. The trucker was knocked 15 feet away. The ax flew out of his hands. Tony ran over to him and tied him up. 911 was dialed the police came and took the report about the accident. No one mentioned Tony’s heroics.

The trucker was handcuffed and carted off to a mental hospital for evaluation. They did a DWI test. He tested sober. The accident was likely due to weather. His ax wielding was likely because of his fears of getting canned. That was in the police report. But the man couldn’t speak a complete sentence and seemed clinically insane.

Murray and Danit were steps behind Tony.

RIP: Aquehongian Lodge # 112, June 1938-March 2013

I recently attended Aquehongian Lodge #112’s 75^th Anniversary Banquet. It was the final meeting for the Order of the Arrow Boy Scout lodge that I grew up in.  On April 1, the lodges in all five New York City boroughs will be merged into one.

The Order of the Arrow (OA) is an honor society for campers. In order to become a member, you need to be at the least a First Class Scout and meet several camping requirements.  Then you are selected from your peers.

Those who are voted in undertake an ordeal. In the old days, when I was selected, you slept on your ground cloth, were given a candle so you could read the pieces of the OA ritual. You ate little and worked the next day. Times have changed and thus, the ordeal changed with the times. 

I was an eighth-grader when I passed my June ’84 ordeal. I joined the ritual team that fall. That team is now called ICE (Inductions, Ceremonies and Events).  Again, times have changed.  I took my Brotherhood the next spring.  To obtain that honor you must have been an Ordeal member for 10 months, been on a committee, attended a few service projects and learned the OA’s obligation, handshake, song and admonition. 

As I moved along in my membership, I became ritual team chairman and used to write the OA Tap Outs for my Lodge. I called them “Tap-Mania”. I was copying “Wrestlemania”, something all of us 80s teens loved. 

In Sept. 87, I was elected Lodge Chief.  One of my best friends counted the votes.  The incumbent dropped out of the race minutes before the election. My opponent got two votes. I wasn’t supposed to know that. My buddy opened his mouth. I hope the kid I beat cast one of his two votes. I got like 50. The next year, I ran unopposed.

My dad was chief of the soon-to-be defunct Shu Shu Gah Lodge # 24, Brooklyn. I joined Scouting to emulate “my fadder,” that’s what a former Chappy camper, my summer camp called his dad. I think he still does.

While I was chief, I had to be publications chairman at the same time. I was somewhat of a dictator. But I loved my Lodge so much. I could not let anything go wrong. I was chief of our 50th Anniversary party.

In June 1988, I earned my Vigil Honor, the highest honor you can receive in the OA. In my mind, it is the highest honor in Scouting. I am Eagle. However, the Vigil is more spiritual. Those of you that know me understand how spiritual I am.

I was chief during the Ordeal weekend that I took my Vigil Induction on. Sadly, two Cub Scouts drowned during the afternoon. 

My friends and I were building the ordeal’s induction fires and went to the rededicated Berlin Lodge in Pouch Scout Camp to get lunch. The old one was torched about a year before my some kids.

 

The ritual team did not associate with anyone else. We were bound to each other. We formed a clique. We walked down the trail and saw a Cubmaster letting his Cubs swim in Orbach Lake, Pouch Scout Camp. No swimming was allowed at the time. We yelled at them and made them come out.

 

We ate and walked back. We saw the Cubmaster, who admitted he couldn’t swim was in the lake up to his knees screaming the names of two kids. I was wearing a bathing suit. I tossed off my shirt and sneakers. My other ritual team members did the same. We jumped into the lake and led the Lifesaving merit badge lost bathers drill. We pulled one kid out. The ambulance rushed him off to the hospital. Unfortunately, he didn’t survive.

 

We were told the other kid ran out of the lake. So we set up a massive search all day and night.

I did my Vigil induction that night. My dad came to the morning ceremony. He saw me get my Vigil sash, axe and name. “Alhaquot Aptonen” interpreted as “Stormy Speaker”. I was so proud. But he pulled me off to the side and said the FDNY pulled the other kid out of the lake. He drowned.

I made my best friends in my Lodge.  Many of the guys are now married with kids. Some are getting married. 

When I was chief, I gave out positions to be on my “Cabinet”. Man did I love playing politics.  I was not nice. I was only 17. So if you wanted a job and ate lunch with me in the Tottenville High School “liberry”, you got a job. Yes, I know it is library. But a teacher in I.S. 34, once said all my students think they are going to the “liberry”, not the library. So it stuck with me.

As ritual team member, I played many parts. We dressed up as Lenni Lenape, Delaware Indians. We wore war paint. I was Meteu, the medicine man of the circle in induction ceremonies. I was Allowat Sakima, mighty chief of the circle in the Brotherhood ceremony. The Vigil inductions remain secretive. I was in those too.

The kids that got their positions by hanging with me in the “Liberry” practiced and photo copied the rituals at lunchtime. We were a Tony-award winning team.  I was very dramatic. Once a helicopter was flying over our ritual site. I was doing the OA’s “Legend”. I stopped looked at it and raised my staff.  It circled and flew away. 

I can tell thousands of stories. My friends and I sometimes meet for a few beers and reminisce.

Jumping back to our final meeting.  They called up all the Vigil members to join the ceremony to call out the new candidates for this esteemed honor.

I’m happy to say that everyone was able to join us in the ceremony. Some of our older crowd had some trouble getting up there. But we made sure they were recognized.

The meeting ended all of us in a circle singing, “Firm Bound in Brotherhood,” the OA song. 

Our eyes were filled with tears.  I had an amazing time seeing people, I have not seen in over 20 years. I wish others were there.  Those that couldn’t make it because they had other plans live too far or are in the great lodge in the sky. We placed a sash on the fire for those brothers that were watching us from heaven. We walked out. Part of me died.

ELEM-Entry NY’s Sixth Community Dinner

March 6, 2013

Last weekend, I had the pleasure of coordinating ELEM-Entry NY’s Sixth Community Dinner in the glamorous Upper East Side home of ELEM-Youth in Distress in Israel board member Marilyn Butler. We were there to raise money to help rehabilitate teens lured into Israel’s ever growing teen prostitution population.

Marilyn, a most gracious host, arranged for a delicious meal, featuring salads, salmon, chicken and lots more. Yuval Sheer, ELEM-Entry co-chair emeritus, and his amazing one-year-old son, Leo (the evening’s real star), and I readied things for the intimate gathering.

Yuval asked me to speak about the “Awake at Night” (Erim Bayala) program. Everyone expressed interest in learning about the program and to gain an understanding of why it is so important to make donations.

I showed an alarming video prepared by ELEM-Entry NY, which highlighted a pimp who got caught for forcing teens into the sex trade. The video also showed the efforts Knesset was making in its endeavors in trying to crack down on teen prostitution.

I also talked about how the some of the youngest, more innocent children don’t even get to keep the money they are paid. Instead, they are forced to turn it over to their pimps.

Following our discussion, we were delighted by the musical talents of Israeli up and coming musicians Mika Hary, vocalist, and Dan Nadel, guitar. They played several wonderful songs and then took requests. Our guests, in unison, all asked for a Leonard Cohen song. Mika and Dan broke into an amazing version of “Hallelujah.” All of us joined in. It brought a smile to my face, feeling this unity in the cause to help Israeli kids in need.

It channeled me back to my memories of the “Meet a Star Under Starlight” event and 2011 ELEM Gala Dinner. It featured Israeli Idol winner Diana Golbi, who was rescued by ELEM during her teen years. “Hallelujah” was her encore performance at both events.

This was my fourth Community Dinner. I look forward to my fifth. But I really look forward to the day we can have an ELEM-Entry NY Dinner to celebrate how we eliminated the harsh problems of the children we help rescue in Israel.

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The Bleach Monster, Part V

February 26, 2013

Danny (aka, Blubber boy”) woke up. He had his whole grain English muffin and a small glass of Orange juice that he mixed with water. Today was a big day. He was going to run a little at the Forest Hills High School track and then go into the City to hang out.

Thanks to Murray his confidence was up. He had a few incidents where he had to use “powers”. Some kids were getting picked on and he had to save them. Murray trained him how to run away fast. This way no one would catch onto him.

Danny was wondering if Murray was trying to create his own version of the Avengers or the Jedi and Sith? Murray loved them all. But is more in touch with the Force.

Danny read his book about the Iron Horse, while sitting on the “R”-train. He loved the book. Unfortunately, he was having trouble focusing because the person sitting next to him smelled worse than a horse. Danny was not going to go after the smelly guy. Murray might have.

Murray was getting better. He was slowly going back to only rescuing people who were being harmed for no reason. Not for those that are gross or dumb. These misfits did bother people. However, in the greater scheme of things they really didn’t hurt anyone.
Murray was reading the Weekend Journal on the grass of the World Financial Center. Stacey was by his side tanning and flipping through the pages of a magazine. All was well. They shared sips from their water bottle and smiled.

The weather couldn’t have been better. They watched kids play soccer and heard the bounces of the ball from the basketball court behind them. It was almost time for them to get Sierra Nevadas and sip the precious pale ale by the water.

Danny got off at Fifth Avenue and walked into Central Park. He bit into the Granny Smith that he pulled out of his backpack. He hiked through the park.

Meanwhile, Danit and Audrey were in Bloomingdale Park running the through the sprinklers. They were sopping wet. They were having a grand time.

All of sudden Audrey got scared. Danit didn’t know why. But then she heard screams. She quickly moved her eyes and scanned the area. She saw nothing. She figured some kid must have fallen down and scraped his knee.

For the next minute, all was quiet. Kids started playing running to the slidin’ ponds and swings. All was good. Then screams started. Danit clutched Audrey to her side. Once again she scanned the park.

She heard the screams coming from the wooded path leading toward the baseball field. She saw Audrey’s friend, Jamie with her mom on the see-saw with Joan, her mom. Stacey ran over to them and asked if she could watch Audrey, while she went to the latrine.
Joan said no problem. The two of them have been friends for years. Danit walked toward the latrine. But she made a quick left toward the trail. She saw a bloody young boy lying the ground. He was breathing heavily. She heard laughter from behind the large trees.

She took some tissues of out her pocket and started to clean the poor kid up. As she was bent over a rubber ball came flying down from one of the trees and miss her head by inches. She turned around and saw three kids swinging off the branches with joints in their mouths. They couldn’t have been more than 13.

Danit screamed at them. They laughed at her. One threw a beer bottle at her and the kid she was helping. Danit screamed at them.
They started yelling from the trees.


“You see what we did to that dumb kid?”

Danit gave them a look that could kill.

“We are gonna have some fun with you. Then we will kill you. We know who you are, Danit. We will laugh when all your friends come to the funeral and the paper runs a picture of Audrey crying.”

Danit shook her head. “Get down from the trees you wimps. Show that you’re men and face me head on,” Danit screamed.
“Oh we will show you what men are,” they taunted as they jumped down from the trees. As they were airborne, Danit gave the kid a little kiss on the forehead and turned around. The kids just landed on the muddy trail and raced towards her. One of them hit her. She was playing it cool.

They grabbed her. They were laughing fiercely. The kid was scared. The three boys punched her one to many times. All of a sudden a sea of red shot out of her eyes. Wine was flowing nonstop. The kids were so happy. They thought she wanted to drink with them. The kids opened their mouths and started sucking it in.

Minutes later they were passed out on the ground. Danit picked up the kid and took him back to the play area. Joan was frantic. She was worried sick about Danit. She was in the latrine for much longer than should have.

She saw her carrying a bruised up little kid. Danit put him down and Joan raced to her car to get the first aid kit. They took care of the kid. Joan asked for his mom’s number. The kid cried and said my mom is at work and she left me at the park.

But he did give them the number. Danit texted his mom and explained what happened. No answer. Finally mom answered. She was in tears. She didn’t mean to leave him in the park. Her husband left her. Sad thing is the person he left her for was her manicurist. She said she hasn’t been the same since then. She needs to get grounded.

Danit and Joan stayed with the boy, whose name they learned is Tony. They bought him ice cream. He started playing with Audrey and Jamie. His mom came by and took him home. She thanked them for saving him and asked if she good buy them dinner one night.

Danit took Audrey home and wondered about Tony.