Chapter 10: Stina

Archie brought his son to his two-bedroom apartment, only a couple of miles from Arlene’s house. There he was introduced to Stina, Archie’s partner of several years. A nurse, she was a tall African-American woman of slender build who wrapped him tightly in her arms and actually lifted him off the ground in an intense hug.

From Archie, Stina knew all about what had happened to Larry; she was determined to help him be happy and well fed. The second evening that he was back, all three of them joined the Miltons (Barry’s family) for a “welcome home” dinner party.

Larry pulled his friend aside for a quiet moment.

“How is Hera, does she know I’m back?”

“Honestly, she cried happy tears when I told her the news. She wants to see you as soon as possible. I hope you don’t mind that she and I, well, progressed while you were gone.”

“Are you kidding? Imagining you two together kept me going while I was in that prison. I can’t wait to see her, tell her that.”

In the living room, Stina and Archie were chatting with George. Meanwhile Barry and Betsy were cleaning the kitchen after dinner.

“It’s good to see your friend Larry has come through his ordeal pretty well. Do you see any changes?”

“I think he is a lot weaker, obviously thinner. But I also think he just wants to go back to the way things were a month ago. We should all talk about that.”

Eventually everyone gathered together in the living room. Betsy took the floor.

“I was talking to my son. He thinks Larry wants to go back to the status quo ante, in other words, back to living at Arlene’s. We all care about you Larry, is this what you want?”

“I don’t know. I mean, I do want to go back to the way it was, hanging out with Barry after school, gaming on our linked computers, like we have for years.

“It was good to have that regular thing since we just started high school together. He really is a good friend, I’ve missed him.

“But I have to be realistic. My mother, well, how can I trust her? Right now, I feel closer to Stina and to you, Mrs. Milton, than I do to her.”

“Call me Betsy, Larry.”

Both Stina’s and Betsy’s eyes were wet. Archie put his hand over Larry’s and then spoke.

“I’ve been in touch with Arlene, son, since you were freed. Because I insisted, she hasn’t spoken to you yet. I can tell you, though, she is completely grief-stricken over what was done to you by those goons. She was totally misled about the true nature of that so-called school.

“I’m not sure that excuses her, though,” commented George, scowling. “She totally freaks and jumps to conclusions about our sons, then she consigns Larry away to be kidnapped from his bed and taken to a secret school that she hasn’t bothered to research.

“People spend more time than she did checking out kennels to board their dogs. I hardly know Larry but I would shelter him in our house before I would let Arlene near the guy. He’s my son’s best friend, and that’s all I need to know to want to protect him.”

“Yeah, you’re right,” answered Archie. “I think it’s time for what they call, guilty but with an explanation.”