Chapter 3

Though it was a very fast train, with all the changes and the long distance it still took me all day and night to get to where I needed to go. I managed to catch a few naps in the train still I was quite exhausted arriving Tuesday morning early in Savannah. First I went over to the MORFS center to make an appointment. The secretary gave me a few choices and I choose the next morning early at 9 AM. After taking care of that I hailed a cab and went to my Uncle Frank's house. I was surprised at the big mansion that my uncle lived in. it seemed he was doing better than Dad always had told us. It was still early, so he was home. In fact I think I called him out of bed.

A bit sleepy he asked from a half opened door, "Who're you?"

"Hi Uncle Frank. It's me, Gabe."

He had to think for a moment, and then his face cleared up. "Gabe, sorry I forgot all about you coming here." He opened the door even further and motioned for me to come in. "Welcome to Savannah. How was your trip? Did you have any problems?"

I went past him, entering a huge front room "Not too many problems. I'm beat though. I would like to sleep, but I also need to arrange a talk with a school soon."

Uncle Frank showed me into the living room, "I already made some inquiries. There are several schools for you to choose from. There is one just a block away which I would personally recommend or you can go to the more expensive partial private school. But I have to tell you that they expect the students there to wear uniforms."

I had a look around. The living room was quite spacious, but a bit impersonal. 'I guess Uncle Frank still isn't married.' He was starting to say something when a new clear and quite pleasant contralto voice said, "Frank? Who is this?" I turned around to see quite a striking beautiful woman standing in a nightgown at the entrance to the living room.

Uncle Frank went over to her, "Darling, this is my nephew. Remember I told you about him?"

She looked at me, "Of course! Gabe, right? How are you doing? I'm Vanessa." She extended her hand to me. I shook it and only hesitated a little before getting closer and giving her a kiss on her cheek. She smiled brightly and kissed me back. "I like him, Frank. He's a nice kid."

I looked at Uncle Frank with a question mark in my eyes. He answered, "Vanessa and I are dating. Sometimes she stays over for a night."

Aunt Vanessa interrupted, "Well more than one night, and not sometimes, but most of the time." She giggled and turned around to leave the room.

Uncle Frank cleared his throat, "Well I'll show you to your room Gabe." He showed me where everything was, and to a guest room which would be my room. "So which school would you prefer, Gabe?"

I didn't have to think long. "I think the school closest will be just fine. I hope to be there only a few months anyway. I still have hopes that I can graduate this year."

Uncle Frank looked in surprise, "You're that old already? I didn't know. Well I'll see when the dean can have a talk with you."

He left me alone in my new room to make the call and I took in my surroundings. 'Wow, this room is big. My old room in Canada or Nederland wasn't this big. Too bad I don't have things anymore. What am I going to do with all this space?' I unpacked my meager belongings from my bag and washed myself before going downstairs again.

Aunt Vanessa was dressed in a professional looking outfit and was eating some breakfast. She stopped as she saw me. "What would you like for breakfast, Gabe?"

"Just some fruit, thank you. My stomach is a bit upset from the traveling." I picked an apple and a kiwi and we both ate in silence for a moment.

Uncle Frank came in wearing a suit. "Sorry Gabe I've got to go to work. Talk to Vanessa and I'll see you tonight."

I just watched in confusion. 'He told me that he'd set up a talk with the dean!' "Uh Uncle Frank?"

He interrupted, "Oh right, here you are." He pulled out his key ring and gave me a key. "Your own key to get in. Sorry I've gotta run." With that he left in a hurry, leaving me dumbfounded behind at the table.

Aunt Vanessa spoke up, "He's always like that Gabe. You'll get used to it."

I turned to her, "But he was going to set up a meet with a school dean?"

Aunt Vanessa gave me an amused smile, "And he did. What did you want to talk about?"

I squinted at her, "You're the dean?" When she nodded, I stammered, "Uh I eh ... I need to eh..."

Aunt Vanessa laughed coyly, "I know Gabe. I've heard about your problems. I can enroll you into school. You've lost some lessons, so you'll have to catch up. I'm looking into how to let you graduate with good grades so you can get into college well enough. What would you like to study?"

I didn't know what to say. Here she handed me a solution handed on a platter. "I'm thinking of business and cooking. I'm not bad in a kitchen, so I might have a future there. Later I would like to have a restaurant or something."

Aunt Vanessa smiled her pleasant smile again, "I can give you some ideas later. Please join me on the way to school. We can talk more there."

We walked to the high school together and in her office, we talked more about my future and my application to the school. She asked some teachers for some assignments for me so I could catch up and dismissed me a few hours later. I returned home, and got into studying my new assignments. It was a quiet day for me and I took a long nap in the afternoon to compensate my lack of sleep during the train ride. Later I made some dinner for three. Uncle Frank and Aunt Vanessa were pleasantly surprised that I had fixed dinner. Aunt Vanessa said, "Delicious, I go out quite often for dinner. But this rivals the most expensive restaurants. Please tell how you make this."

Uncle Frank was also enthusiastic, but more subdued in his praise, "It's good. You can prepare dinner more often."

I went to bed early as I had an early appointment at the MORFS center the next morning.

I didn't even have to wait for my appointment at the MORFS center. Though I was early, my case handler asked as I came in, "Hi, are you Gabe Kramer? I'm Gavin Benson. Shall we go to my office?"

I followed him and we sat down in his nicely furnished office. Gavin looked into some papers before starting.
"Let me tell you a little about me. I'm a telepath and psychologist. I'll be the one deciding if you're cleared for school. Since you're registered as a potential danger I'll be monitoring you frequently. We'll have regular talks, say once a month or two months."

I showed him a poker face as I nodded to him. He continued, "Well, I see you had quite a trip? You've gotten yourself arrested and threatened people with your lightning. Then you fled across the state line to here."

My face now changed to austere, I icily responded, "I was only defending someone from getting beaten. Then we got thrown in jail without a phone call or a lawyer. We didn't get proper food & water and feared for our lives. After we escaped, they threatened us by shooting at us. I only scared them with my lightning."

Gavin smiled, "I know that. I already got a report from some FBI men. The sheriff of Basin is already under investigation for that and other things. The FBI interviewed McCabe's grandparents and Darren McCabe himself in Bozeman. But it's good to have it confirmed by you."

I calmed down a bit. "So you were baiting me, to see if everything went like they others said?"

"Yes I was. Would you mind being questioned by the FBI so they can make a case against the sheriff and that town?"

I didn't mind, so I confirmed it.

Gavin pulled another paper from the folder in front of him. "I also have here a questionnaire from the constable in Canada. He wants to now if you'd like to press charges against the boys that almost beat you to death."

I thought about it. It was tempting to get back at them, but it wouldn't help me would it? "If I don't, will they still get punished? I mean they shouldn't get away with it. But I'm not there anymore. I probably still would've gone through MORFS again, and my parents would still throw me out. There's no point in taking revenge."

Gavin nodded, "I'm impressed with your maturity. Of course if you press charges they could be made to compensate you financially."

'Well I could use some funds for my college, but to pluck them?' "What do you recommend Mr. Benson?"

"Call me Gavin. Well it's up to you. If it were me, I would fill in the paperwork and sue them for a significant amount. I think you really could use the money."

"Okay, Gavin," I signaled with a motion of my head. "So what do I have to do?"

Gavin gave me a form to fill in and gave me suggestions on how to fill it in. Then he told me that he would take care of getting it to the correct authorities. Afterwards we talked a bit about my school and what I planned for college. We didn't watch the clock too much and suddenly Gavin said, "Oh, I'll have to cut it short now. I have another appointment now."

We went outside the office and talked a bit about making another appointment. Meanwhile he frowned and nodded to someone down the hall. He kept talking to me while I glanced to whoever he'd he nodded to. There was a small man with quite a good looking girl and two bodyguards. Gavin escorted me to his secretary and we made an appointment for the next month. I exited the building soon after that, and as I did saw several men running through the building.

I spent the rest of the morning getting my bearings in the city and explored it thoroughly. Afterwards I immersed myself in my homework assignments. Aunt Vanessa had told me that I wouldn't start school until next Monday, so I had a few days to try to catch up. That evening I had a talk with Uncle Frank, I didn't even know what he did for a living. He told me all about his work as city code inspector. He is quite an important man in the city.

The next day I was doing my assignments as the doorbell rang. Two men in suits were there. They identified themselves as FBI men. I invited them in and they questioned me about all that had happened in Basin. It only took a little more than an hour before they left with all the answers they wanted. After that I just relaxed a bit and went on with my assignments.

Friday I was fed up studying on my assignments at noon, so I went out. I had found the perfect diner/ice cream parlor/ restaurant Wednesday. So I went to Everybody's Place for a treat and saw a sign hanging, that said,
"Help wanted in kitchen. Must work evenings."
I asked for the manager, but the owner himself, a heavy set European looking man came to see me.
"Hello, what can I do for you young man?"

I smiled, I recognized his accent. He was probably Belgian. "I saw the sign help wanted. I'm not bad in the kitchen, so I would like to apply. My name is Gabe Kramer."

He asked with suspicion, "I don't know, it's not for starting position as a washer, but as a cook's helper. Do you have any references?"

"Well I did help out in a diner in Bozeman Montana. Here's the phone number." I showed him the card that Mr. Rennick gave me. "Besides that, I did help out some times at a friend's restaurant in Nederland."

That got his attention, "Bent ge Nederlander?" [Are you Dutch?]

"Ja, Ik kom uit Nederland, maar uit het noorden, Friesland." [Yes I'm from Netherlands, but from the north, Friesland.]

"Welkom in mijne zaak, zoals ge kunt horen kom ik vanuit België. Mijn naam is Andre Vanderluijke." [Welcome in my establishment, I'm from Belgium as you can hear. My name is Andre Vanderluijke.]
A middle-aged woman joined us and Andre changed to English. "Brenda. This young man is applying for the job. He's a Dutchman." Then to me he said, "This is my wife Brenda. Sorry, but she doesn't speak Nederlands."

I smiled and shook her hand, "That's okay, I'm fluent in English myself. My name is Gabe Kramer."

She excused herself, "Brenda. Sorry for not saying the last name. I'm married to Andre for 20 years now, but I still can't pronounce it well enough."

I knew how hard it could be on people to say names like that, so I just smiled. We talked a bit more on the work, and when I could start. I would start on a trial basis next week. The work usually wouldn't start until 5 PM or 6 PM,, so I still could have some free time in my holidays.

After finishing the talks I bought an ice cream and sat in the parlor to enjoy it. As I licked on my Ice cream I thought by myself, 'This is great ice cream. I want the recipe for this.'

Then three girls stepped into the parlor. The last one was a vision of beauty. I thought I had seen her before, but couldn't place her yet. I forgot to eat my ice cream as I looked at the girl in her nice feminine clothes. She looked a bit on edge, watching her surroundings like she expected to be attacked or something. Then she looked directly at me and I averted my eyes. I resumed licking on my ice cream and stole a few more glances at her. Every time I did though it was like she noticed and looked in my direction and I turned my eyes away. Suddenly I remembered where I had seen her before. She was the girl in the MORFS center. 'But that girl had a tail.' Then I saw that she was wearing something that looked like a belt, but the tip was moving and twitching. 'She's using her tail as a belt? Nice touch.' 'Maybe I should approach her and introduce myself.' But I've always been too shy to do anything that bold. 'Still she has an attraction that I can't explain or resist.' Then my ice cream was finished. I still had work to do at home, so I got up and cast a last glance at the girl. She was watching me now, but turned away with her cute smile. I smiled myself and stepped out into the street to go home.

Back home I fixed dinner for three and did some homework while waiting for everyone to get home. Aunt Vanessa came first and called me in to talk with her. She said that they offered a few weeks of tutoring with two teachers along with a student of another school. That, coupled with my grades would be enough for me to get into the college I wanted. It would be something like a summer school. I would have class until noon and have the rest of the day off.

"Thanks, Miss O'Dale. I'll take that offer. But I will not have the whole rest of the day free. I just got a job in the evening at a restaurant. I'm starting there next week already."

"Are you still calling me Miss O'Dale? Gabe, whenever we're home you can call me Vanessa."

I sighed, "Sorry, mi ... Vanessa. I wasn't brought up like that. But I'll try to remember."

That evening I brought Uncle Frank up to speed on my plans and perspectives. He applauded my diligence and resolve. He said that he would support me in every way. He even offered to support my tuition for college, provided that I did my best to earn my own money for it. I told him that I already wanted to do most of it on my own anyway.

The next week, both school and my job started. At school I mostly kept to myself, but after a few days I became friends with another weird hybrid in my classes. He was a serpent hybrid who called himself Snake. He introduced me to his girlfriend, a lion hybrid by the name Leona, Leo for short. It well suited her. He wanted to introduce me to his other friends as well, but most of the time when he proposed for us to go see a movie or do something I had to work. I only met his friend Batman, and never got to see his close friend Maren. Well not until much later, but I'm getting ahead of myself.