A Mother's Love

Angie and Parker were occupying the front seat of the Caddy and Peter and May were in the back.

Angie looked in the rearview mirror at Peter. He was looking out the window at the scenery passing by. Peter instantly knew he was being watched and said “Are you ready to talk Papa Angie?” May looked at Peter and said, “We would all like to talk to you about this.” Peter looked at May and knew by the tone in her voice that she meant business. Angie must have told them everything that he was planning. He had a lot of explaining to do.

Peter sat for a few moments and thought about how he was going to explain the situation. He finally turned to May and said “Mom, I’m sorry I didn’t come to you and Dad and discuss what I’m going to do. I just thought that you would tell me I couldn’t do it. I’ve told you about the ones I call the Lost Boys, well they need my help. I needed to know where they’re located so I can plan some type of rescue. I asked Papa Angie to have a get together with his friend Gaetano because I thought he might have some information about them.

He did have the information I needed and now I know where they are. I know you want to protect me and keep me safe from Doctor Scull and whoever else is in on his experiments. But sooner or later I’m going to have to face the facts and admit that I’m here for a reason. What it is I don’t really know yet, but I know saving these boys is part of it. Like I told Papa Angie, I was spared the life these boys have to lead and been graced with an almost normal existence. I have known the love a family shares. They only know an existence of abuse and captivity without any form of love. They or I didn’t ask to be born as we are. Someone else made that decision for us. Fortunately someone made a decision for me that spared me their existence. So I know I must try to give them that chance also. Please understand that I must do this.”

Tears filled May’s eyes as she listened to Peter. That little baby that came into her and Parker’s life ten years ago; a gift from God, now was facing what they had tried so hard to hide him from. She knew he was right in everything he was saying. It was all true. He was spared that horrid existence those boys went through because Fawn had chosen for him a different path in life. Parker and she knew from the very beginning that his path in life would eventually lead to a situation like this and they were prepared. May wiped the tears from her eyes and looked at Peter and said “Your father and I have always expected something like this to happen and we plan to face it with you as a family. We knew years ago the responsibility we had taken on by keeping you as our child. We were hoping that we’d have more time but fate and God have chosen otherwise and the inevitable has happened. Whatever happens from this moment on concerns everyone in this car. We face it as a family or not at all.”

Peter could feel the emotional commitment behind those words in his mother’s mind. He knew that like his biological mother who had laid down her life for him; May would do the same. Peter knew the love that May had for him. It was a true mother’s love for her child. Why the hands of fate brought her into his life was beyond his comprehension, but he knew whatever the reason it was right thing he needed. She and Parker had raised him to understand the importance of a family unit. That its strength lies in the sacrifices each makes for other family members. They had made such a sacrifice when they adopted him as their own child.

They knew the risk they were taking and did it out of pure love for him. That same love was now willing to go the extra mile and face the consequences of what lies ahead. Peter simply nodded as a sign that he agreed fully with what his mother had said.

Parker turned to face May and Peter in the back seat of the vehicle. His thoughts on the matter went beyond the emotional to the analytical. His concern was the details of the plan and he lacked the information needed to formulate it. Speaking clearly and to the point Parker said “Okay Peter, tell us what we need to know so that we can brainstorm some plan to accomplish this promise that you made. We’ll need to know every little detail that you have in the wonderful little mind of yours to pull this off.” Angie agreeing with Parker said “The first thing we need to know is the location they’re being held at and what method of access do we have to it.

Second we need to know the dangers or pitfalls that may arise once we are in and plan accordingly to equalize them. I can tell this isn’t going to be a walk in the park and some of us might face a situation that could be life threatening. So the more information we have the easier this whole situation might unfold.

Peter paused for a moment before speaking and thought to himself about what Papa Angie said about being a life threatening situation. When he made the promise to the Lost Boys he was willing to risk his own well being, but not his families. He hadn’t even considered that fact, yet they, his family, accepted these circumstances without question. Peter took a deep breath and said, “The Lost Boys are in the old work room you and Gaetano found in the tunnel from Milk Street station. They are enclosed in a clear cylinder that contains a gas that keeps them in a semi comatose state. They are conscious of their surrounding and able to communicate mentally with each other. James is there also but he is not contained. It appears he oversees the security of the place. He is the biggest threat we face. He has all the abilities that I have and is more experienced in the use of them. That’s all I know right now.”

There was a moment of silence in the Caddy as the group formulated the information they received.

Angie broke the silence by saying “We going to need more than that to work with. Peter is there any way you can get more information? If we’re going to do this right we’ll have to have as much information as possible.

Peter responded quickly with “I can contact the Lost Boys again and see if they can assist with any information. The only other possibility would be to try and persuade James to help us, but that is something I wouldn’t count on. Of course there is the possibility that Doctor Scull might have something of interested to add to the pot of information.” May answered right away and said “The Lost Boys are the safest avenue to explore. James or Doctor Scull seems too much of a risk to pursue. Using either of them could jeopardize whatever element of surprise we now have in our favor. James even if he agreed to help couldn’t be trusted and the Doctor could identify you as the child he’s been looking for all these years. As I see it contact with either of them is disastrous.”

Angie kept his eyes on the road while driving but added to the conversation by asking “Are you positive these Lost Boys, as you call them, can be trusted? Also, why do you call them the Lost Boys?” Peter responded quickly with “I know they can be trusted. I felt their suffering and their need to be free of it. They have everything to gain by helping us. To answer your second question it’s got to do with the story of Peter Pan. The Lost Boys in the story are lads that fell out of their prams; or carriages as we call them, when their mothers, nurses or nannies weren’t watching. If within seven days they weren’t claimed by someone Peter would whisk them away to a safer place called Neverland. These children I call Lost Boys were given up by their mothers who never really wanted them, just the money it brought them. It is time for them to be brought to a safe place and I am the Peter that shall do it this time.” Angie, still watching the road while driving replied “Then the Lost Boys it is. Are we all in agreement with that?” They all agreed that that was the best plan to follow and decided that tomorrow Peter should try to make contact with them and get whatever information they could give. Angie reached over and turned on the radio in the Caddy to an Oldies station. They listened to style of music that Angie called Doo-Wop all the way home to the city.