Chapter 3

Lilly, smiling and shaking her head, sat at the dining room table trying to eat her bowl of cereal. Paul, formerly known as Twitch, was slicing a banana into her bowl saying something to the effect that she couldn’t eat that cereal without sliced bananas; it just wasn’t done in America. She raised her eyebrows across the table at her sister, who giggled in response. Dolly knew that Paul let them eat plain Cornflakes, but his feelings would be hurt if he wasn’t allowed to take care of them in some fashion.

In the past two years, Paul had stopped the majority of his nervous twitching and the result was that he had started looking a lot more handsome. All that showed when he was nervous was a tendency to tug on his fingers. His hair had grown back, but he wore it short so that he wouldn’t pull it out. She thought he looked handsome with his hair and had tried to talk him into growing it a little longer. He was concerned that it would be too easy to return to pulling on it. She asked, “Are you going to talk to the widow today?”

“Maybe,” replied Paul as he pretended to focus his attention on slicing the banana to hide his embarrassment. There was a woman his age that lived down the street that Lilly was positively convinced was interested in him in a romantic manner. From his perspective, the widow woman was attractive and he did want to get to know her better.

“Paul is in love,” exclaimed Dolly knowing that it would fluster him.

He cut a huge slice of banana and watched as it hit the cereal creating a splash. Looking at the spilled milk, he frowned as he said, “Now look at what you made me do.”

“Have some fun for a change. Stay out late tonight with your lady friend,” suggested Lilly.

She was concerned about her protector. Paul was the mother hen and wouldn’t leave their sides for very long. His past haunted him and he still feared that something bad would happen to the girls if he weren’t diligent enough. He was getting better and let the boy that lived next door walk the girls to school instead of doing it himself. In addition, he now had a part-time job at the video store during school hours.

Jeff came out of the bedroom having finished his morning rituals and sat at his place at the table. His hair was neatly trimmed, his face clean-shaven, and he wore very nice clothes. Of the three men, he was the most handsome. He grabbed a box of cereal and filled a bowl with it. He looked up and asked, “Can you pass the milk?”

Too-Tall smiled as he set the carton of milk in front of Jeff and returned to eating his breakfast. He was eating a cereal that even kids stopped eating when they turned twelve. It used to be a source of great amusement for the girls. Whenever they teased him about it, he would just shrug his shoulders as he continued to eat. One day, Lilly realized that it was one of the few cereals that he could actually taste. They had stopped teasing him, but he seemed disappointed. Now, they made occasional comments about his choice in foods that brought a smile to his face.

Dolly asked, “So Jeff, what are you doing today?”

“I’m going to work,” replied Jeff knowing that wasn’t what she wanted to know. He had a job as a janitor in an old folk’s home. It was kind of a depressing place, but he actually felt very relaxed there. The patients were too old to bother him and the past two years of living with Lilly and Dolly had given him the ability to handle the few visitors that came on the holidays and such.

“No, I wanted to know if you were going to go to the doctor.”

“You set up the appointment, so I guess I have to go,” replied Jeff. He was kind of curious why the doctor had agreed to see him. Dolly had talked to Kelly about him seeing a Druid doctor. The doctor had come to town for a conference and Dolly had made an appointment for him. He didn’t even know what he was seeing the doctor about, but he would go just to please Dolly.

The answer pleased Dolly. She smiled to herself as she returned to eating her cereal. The idea that she had for helping Jeff with his medical problem had intrigued Kelly. Maybe some of the damage that his mother had done could be undone. She looked across the table at Lilly and winked.

Too-Tall stood and carried his bowl into the kitchen. It was time for him to leave for work. He operated a crane down on the docks. It paid well, gave him a sense of pride, and meant he was actively contributing to the wellbeing of the girls. It was the perfect job for him since communication was accomplished via hand signals. The fact that he didn’t talk wasn’t a problem. It had been an amazing revelation how much information he could communicate via hand signals. He knew all about his signalman’s family and when something important happened to him.

Too-Tall and Jeff paid the bills for the three bedroom house. Paul took care of everything around the house. He cleaned, cooked, and repaired anything that broke. Used to worse, the three men shared the master bedroom and allowed the girls to have their own rooms. The situation was better than they ever thought they would find.

At the door, Too-Tall knocked on the wall to get someone’s attention. When Jeff looked over, Too-Tall traced a semi-circle in the air with one finger, paused at the end and then drew a line leading away with three fingers. Looking over at the two girls with fondness, Jeff said, “Time to finish breakfast. Eric, the proverbial boy-next-door, is on his way over.”

Lilly said, “He’s early today.”

Smiling, Jeff watched as Too-Tall left for work. He teased, “I’m beginning to wonder if his intentions are honorable. Do you want me and Paul to talk with him?”

“Goodness no!” exclaimed Dolly automatically. The first time the boy had come over to the house, the three men had laid down the rules. It was almost a month before the poor kid came over again. There was nothing worse than having three overprotective parents hovering around when a teenage boy came to visit.

Lilly giggled and teased her big sister, “I think you have a boyfriend.”

“No I don’t. I just think he deserves attention.”

Standing up to get the door, Jeff said, “Better finish eating, girls.”

The girls finished their cereals and took their spoons and bowls to the kitchen. Paul would wash the dishes, but they rinsed their bowls out of habit. Dolly was nineteen and in her senior year of high school. Lilly was seventeen and a junior. Harry had made the arrangements for schooling, giving Dolly an extra year so that she could catch up with others her age. He had arranged private instructors to help them learn English and Math, two skills that he felt were most important for them to know. Now the two girls had almost caught up in English and understood the basics of math. They might not be able to go to college, but they could earn a good living.

They lined up in front of Jeff and Paul for the morning inspection. Neither girl was a virgin; their hymens had been stolen from them during the year of their imprisonment. Both girls had seen and experienced horrors that most people couldn’t even imagine. Despite that, their protectors treated them like virgin princesses. It touched the girls far more than they would ever be able to express. Jeff said, “You are outgrowing that skirt, Dolly. It’s starting to look a little short.”

“Oh, Jeff! It’s longer than what most girls at school wear.” Her skirt came to just below her knees covering the top of her knee- high socks. She looked quite conservative compared to most of the kids at school. She wore a white long-sleeved shirt. Their outfits looked like school uniforms, but the school they attended didn’t have uniforms.

“I’ll take you shopping this weekend for some new clothes,” said Jeff as though that would silence any argument.

The neighbor boy, Eric, just smiled at the exaggerated care with which the two men treated the young women. Remembering his first visit here, he felt sorry for any guy that attempted to date them. Too-Tall had stood behind him, looming over him in a very threatening manner, as the other two had grilled him on his history with women, his intentions towards the girls, and his general character. It had been intimidating and seemed excessive just to meet the next-door neighbors.

Paul asked, “Eric, what are you smiling about?”

“Oh, I was just thinking of what would happen if a boy ever asked Lilly or Dolly on a date,” answered Eric. He had told a number of boys what happened when he first came over. He figured it would be worse for any guy that tried to ask out either girl. The boys at school had believed him and avoided the girls. He wasn’t going to admit that he was one of the boys too scared to ask out one of the girls.

Jeff froze as if struck with a baseball bat. Moving in slow motion, he turned to face Dolly and Lilly as he realized they would probably like to date. With a quaver in his voice, he asked, “Would you like to date someone?”

This was the question that both girls were dreading. It had taken him almost six months to be able to look at them. For almost a year, he wouldn’t speak to them directly. It was only in the last year that he could bring himself to touch them. He had slowly come to the point where he could deal with them in a natural manner, but they had feared that questions about their sexuality would drive him away.

The girls looked at each other and were tempted to slip into Chinese, but Jeff had surprised them when he had learned enough of their language to understand the gist of what they were saying. Not really wanting to date boys, Dolly answered, “Maybe one day.”

The kids at school talked about the barrier the sisters put between themselves and boys. It was beginning to get to the point where Lilly wondered if they shouldn’t date once or twice just to stop the gossip. She added, “The school prom is coming up soon.”

A shudder went through his entire body at the idea of a boy touching either of the girls. Despite his fears in that whole area of life, he said, “It is probably time for you to start dating. All I ask is that you let us meet him first.”

Lilly and Dolly went to Jeff and hugged him. Neither one wanted to say aloud that they never wanted to be touched by a man. They had enough experience in that area to know that it was horrible. Dolly kissed him on the forehead as she said, “Thank you, Jeff. I know how hard this is for all of you. It’s hard for us, too.”

He knew what they meant. The girls still woke on occasion screaming from the nightmares and those nights were crises of monumental proportion for everyone in the household. They brought back memories that were painful for everyone. Jeff remembered looking at the naked Dolly hanging from the fence, her shoulder a bloody mess and her skin a patchwork of cuts and stab wounds. Poor Lilly had been walking around with a blood- covered ass, the blood dried in place. Even the slightest reference to that night upset him for the whole day and reminded him once again that he was their protector. If anyone threatened the girls, he intended to be the bloody one standing between them and the bad guys. Overwhelmed by their gestures of kindness, he said, “I’ll manage.”

The girls left with Eric for school. They walked with a lack of enthusiasm common among teenagers all over the world when walking to school. Watching them walk away, Paul put a hand on Jeff’s shoulder and asked, “Do you want to talk about it?”

“I’ll talk with Annette,” answered Jeff. Annette was a woman in the nursing home, confined to bed as a result of Osteoporosis. Her bones no longer supported her body, but her mind was clear as a bell. He had found that she possessed a kind ear and listened to his problems without jumping to conclusions.

“That’s a good idea. Go to work and talk to Annette.”

Jeff walked home from work feeling much better about things in general. He had spent an hour talking to Annette, joining her at lunchtime as he usually did. She appreciated his company since she spent most of her time alone in her room. Over lunch, she had told him about how things were supposed to evolve between men and women. It was a far different story than what his mother had etched into his body.

Entering the house, Jeff expected to find Paul vacuuming the floors or dusting the furniture. Instead, he heard voices coming from the dining room. Curious, he stuck his head in the room and found Paul talking to Harry.

Surprised, he shouted, “Harry! It’s good to see you.”

“It’s good to see you, Jeff. You’re looking positively wonderful,” noted Harry. All three of the men looked happy with the way their lives had gone. Jeff walked upright and looked him in the eye. Paul wasn’t twitching. Too-Tall had smiled when he saw Harry at the construction site and came over to pick him up in a big friendly hug.

Jeff sat down at the table and looked at Harry. He had not noticed the lunch wagon outside when he had come home. He asked, “Where’s the Roach Coach?”

“Oh, I left it with a young man that needed to see a little of the city today,” answered Harry.

Jeff understood that there was more to the story than that. He asked, “I’m sure that you gave him a complete schedule of places to visit. A little tour of the seedy side of town?”

Harry laughed and said, “Sometimes the spoiled sons of rich men need a helping hand in order to grow up to be the responsible sons of rich men.”

“I can only imagine,” said Jeff, realizing that it was true. He added, “If you ever need some help, just let me know. I owe you so much.”

Paul nodded his head in agreement as he poured a cup of coffee for Jeff. He said, “Just call on us and we’ll be there.”

“I already called on you and you were there. Two happy and very healthy young ladies appreciate what you’ve done for them. I appreciate that,” said Harry with a twinkle in his eye.

“I know better than that,” replied Jeff. Harry had thrown all of them together to help each other heal. His debt to the Druid was even greater today than any time in the past.

“Speaking of knowing better. Our ride has pulled up in front of the house. It’s time to take you to a doctor,” smiled Harry.

“How do you know?” asked Jeff incredulous that Harry should know what was going on outside the house.

“I’m Harry,” replied the old Druid with a smile. He knew his answer didn’t explain anything, but it was enough of an answer for the moment. How could he explain that he could sense the presence of another medallion in the area? He couldn’t, so he didn’t try.

Harry led Jeff and Paul outside the house to the car where Kelly Carter was waiting for them. It took Jeff a moment to recognize her, but then he asked, “Are you the doctor I’m supposed to see?”

Kelly laughed and shook her head. She answered, “No. I’m the nurse.”

Harry stepped over to Paul and embraced him in the center of the street. Surprised by the action, Paul asked, “What was that for?”

“There’s a rather attractive woman over there watching you like a cat stalking a bird. I figure I just gave you about two hours of material for a conversation,” said Harry with a wink. He added, “After all, how many folks have two Druids come visit them in the middle of the day?”

Laughing, Kelly went over to Paul and hugged him. Stepping back, she said, “I just felt like doing that. You’re too cute to resist.”

Paul blushed and shook his head amazed at the Druids. It didn’t matter what Harry was doing, the guy didn’t miss anything that was going on around him. A quick glance up the street showed that the widow woman was watching him.