Kaimoana Tales, Riley 14

He looked exactly the same as his brother did, even those penetrating blue eyes were the same, but there was something more, something different about him. He had a cheeky, mischievous look about him and a real sparkle in those eyes.

Riley was lost for words. He stood there with his mouth opening and closing and not a sound coming out of him.

Jacob grinned, “I thought you said he talks a lot, Coll. You sure you’ve got the right guy? Hello, Riley. Are you receiving?”

“Umm, yeah. Yes.” Riley pulled himself together. “Sorry. You just, well, shocked me. You look so much like Colin. Exactly the same! Hey, Jacob. Nice to see you awake.”

“Course it is! But you’ve got it all wrong. I don’t look like Coll, he looks like me. Gorgeous, isn’t he?”

“Well, yes he is. Colin’s a good one and he’s my friend.”

“He is a good one. He’s the best brother ever. Am I your friend, Riley?”

“I wish you were, but I think it’s too late. I’ve just come in here to say goodbye; they’re taking you away.”

“They are. That’s a bugger, innit? Colin stand up and give the boy a big hug from me.”

Colin got up and stood looking embarrassed.

Riley shrugged. “Thanks, Colin, but you don’t have to really.”

“Yes he does!” Jacob protested. “He has to do it for me because I can’t. Hug the kid, Coll.”

They both shrugged and moved into a hug, which was good. They broke apart and looked at him and Jacob took the mask off again, and beamed.

“All right! Thank you. Now we’re friends.”

“Yeah, okay,” Riley smiled. “We’re friends. Thanks, Colin.”

“Coll,” he said.

“Huh?”

“You can call me ‘Coll’ now, like Jake does. No-one else can, just Jake and you.”

“Thanks, Coll. And thank you, Jake.”

“That’s Mr. Jake to you.”

“Shut up, Jacob.”

“Yes, Boss.”

They exchanged grins.

“All right. Time we got this show on the road.” Brian Kersten, and a male nurse, came in, both pushing stretcher/trolleys. “Hello, Riley Sullivan. About time you got here.”

“Hey, Mr. Kersten. I had to go to school.”

“Of course you did. Strip the bed, Terry. I’ll get Colin set up and then we’ll both lift Jacob. Sit up here, Colin.”

Riley stood back and watched as they got both boys settled on the trolleys. Once again, he was impressed at how smoothly and efficiently they worked. They started pushing them out of the room. Brian looked back.

“Well? Are you coming, Riley?”

“Can I? Great! Thanks.”

“You can come with us to the airport. Just don’t let God see you getting into the ambulance.”

On the way out, Riley stopped at the desk and borrowed a pen and writing-pad from Julia. When they got out to the ambulance, he was disappointed to see Dr. Wickes standing there. (‘Dammit’.)

Brian and Terry lifted one stretcher, and then the other, off their wheels and slid them into the back of the ambulance. Riley stood back, looking forlorn and feeling like crying. He raised a hand in farewell. The old doctor turned around and snorted at him.

“Well? What do you think you’re doing, Boy? We haven’t got all day. Get in the ambulance.”

“Can I?”

“Yes, you can. Just don’t tell Dr. Stevens.”

“Great! Thank you, Doctor.”

He got in quick, before he changed his mind. Terry got in as well, Brian closed the doors and they left.

Dr. Wickes wasn’t such a bad guy after all.

While they were travelling, Riley sat on the jockey-seat, next to Colin, and he wrote down his home address and phone numbers. He tore the page out and passed it to him.

“Take this; this is our address and numbers for home and the café. Take this too.” He held out his cellphone.

“No, Riley. I can’t take your cell.”

“Yes you can. Take it, Colin, I want you to have it. Mum’s cell is no.1 on the speed-dial. I’ll get a new phone tomorrow and you guys can keep this one. I want you to have it and Mum would too. Call us if anyone’s giving you hassles and we’ll be there. Christchurch is only a couple of hours away.”

“Well, I don’t know,” Colin hesitated.

Jacob lifted the mask off his face. “Take the bloody cell, Coll. Thanks, Rye.”

Colin took the phone with a grin. “Rye?” he queried.

“Yes, Rye – Rye, Coll and Jake.”

“Thanks, Riley. I’ll return it when I can. We’ll be seeing you again.”

“I really hope so, My Friends!”

They went the rest of the short trip in silence, arrived at the airstrip, parked next to the waiting helicopter, and it was over all too soon. As soon as they stopped, the back-doors opened, some medics slid the stretchers out and loaded them into the chopper.

Riley barely had time to say, “’Bye, Colin. Goodbye, Jacob. Good luck.”

The medics climbed in and the door slid shut. The motor started, the rotors spun, they lifted off and they were gone. Riley stood there feeling quite lost. It was like they’d taken part of him away.

Brian clapped a big hand on his shoulder. “Come on, Boy, we’ll get you home. You can ride up front with me if you like.”

“Yeah, I like. Thanks, Mr. Kersten.”

Life went on in the days that followed. He never heard from the brothers at all. He tried ringing the cell, several times, but there was no reply. He sent text messages, but that didn’t work either.

Ringing the Christchurch Public Hospital was no help at all. They weren’t friendly, casual and informative like the local small-town hospital. All they would tell him was that the boy’s condition was ‘satisfactory’.

A couple of Social Workers came to the café on Wednesday afternoon. They were still trying to find out who Colin and Jacob were and where they’d come from. Nobody knew and they weren’t saying.

When they were leaving, Mrs. Oakden said, “I’m sure we’re all grateful for your help, Riley. They won’t forget you, but I doubt if you’ll see them again. Wherever they belong, it’s nowhere around here. They’ll most likely finish-up in a Welfare Home in Christchurch.”

Damm! After they’d gone, he appealed to his mum. “Can’t we do something, Mum?”

“I’ve been looking at it, but I don’t see what, Son. They’ll be looked after now. I think your part in their lives is over.”

“Well, damm!”

“Yeah, life’s a bitch sometimes. You really liked them, didn’t you?”

:”I did – a lot.”

“I thought so. Maybe you’ll see them again, maybe not. You’ve just got to get on with your own life. Time you cleared those tables out the front.”

“Gee, thanks, Mum.”

“Someone’s got to do it.”

On Sunday morning, Constable Lawry came around and spoke to Riley’s mother. After he’d gone, Riley was dying of curiosity, but she wouldn’t tell him what he wanted.

“Just some legal business and it’s nothing to do with you.”

She could be stubborn sometimes.

Late Sunday afternoon, he was lying on his bed, bored out of his skull. Peter and his mother had gone away somewhere for the weekend and he didn’t know anyone else well enough to just drop in on them. He was even tempted to go down to work, but no – Sunday was his day off.

It was wet outside, so he wasn’t going out there either, he was staying where he was – bored. The phone rang, but it was only his mother. She wanted him to come down to the café.

“Aww, Mum. It’s my day off here. Can’t you guys handle it?”

“No, we can’t. We’re busy here and there’s a couple of customers that I want you to come down and look after. Come on, Riley. I promise you, you won’t be sorry. They’re a couple of nice-looking guys too.”

“Yeah, yeah, okay, I guess. I’m on my way.”

“Good boy. Hurry up.”

He hung up the phone and sat looking at it. There she went again with the gay hints. He was sure that she’d figured him out. It really was time that they had that talk. He put his sneakers on and went down to the café.”