Chapter 10: Foreign Intervention

Kalliste cruised up the Savannah River towards the Talmadge Bridge and the Port of Savannah. Tony actually had to borrow enough small life vests from the Tybee North Marina to accommodate all the passengers, most under the age of twelve, on the rides. It was at least part of his promise to Edna. Arranging a horseback-riding expedition was something he was still working on. Actually, Rebecca was working on it for him. He really was starting to learn to trust others to do these things. Rebecca had a knack for organizing that even Eileen O'Donnell didn't. Tony had about zero interest in horses, but Rebecca seemed as taken with them as little Edna.

As for the kids, well the kids loved it. Tina, Rebecca, Riley, Cheri, Anita, and three nurses could barely contain the kids. Kalliste was a flush-decked cruiser, which meant only a thin guardrail kept the kids from tumbling into the water. Tony, Dewayne, and Kyle kept their attention on actually sailing the yacht. Every child got a chance to wear the "captain's hat" and "steer the boat" (though if asked both Rebecca and Tina would tell the children it was a ship).

One thing the Shriners were pretty good at was fundraising. They had their own booth set up at the Hilton's familiar dock. All Tony had to do was supply the boat and the crew to keep up with twenty or so youngsters on each trip. For the kids from the hospital the cruise was free. For others a fee was being charged and the expert fundraisers at the Shriners had dubbed it the "Kids' Cruise for a Cure". Tony noted that just what they were going to cure wasn't exactly specified. When he promised Edie a boat ride, however, he had no idea that it would turn into something this big.

So what started as getting Edie and Susan the boat ride he promised, turned out to be an entire day of cruises up and down the Savannah River with various kids, needy or not, and their parents aboard Kalliste.

By the end of the day they had done more than ten trips and had exhausted themselves just in time for their show that evening.

Riley, certainly, was exhausted. Chasing young kids around the boat all day was not exactly what he had in mind. His experience with responsibility was pretty much centered on Jenny, getting her to school on time and just generally keeping her out of too much trouble, while maintaining a big brother's responsibility to never get the parents involved if he could help it.

Tina and her friends did so much. They were like whirlwinds, accomplishing things while he just went to school, played soccer and baseball, and tinkered with his PC. They did things, real things, they made a difference, and it made him feel, quite frankly, self-centered.

Then he realized he had done something that day. No he didn't know how to navigate the boat, but he had watched over the safety of several of the kids and even held on to and comforted a couple who were a bit afraid of being on the boat. When he did that the looks he got from Tina were pure gold.

I guess I'll stay along for the ride he told himself. In two months he'd have his absolute dream of an after-school job, though he was already getting paid for helping with the accounting. He even had a copy of Unix for his PC and three books to study already. Then, of course, there was Tina. If he could just keep up with her...

These buildings do go up fast Tony thought. He was making his weekly visit to the site of the Tammy's Wheels/rehearsal building on Jazie Dr. The entire shell was up on the slab and masons were busy putting up a brick façade in the front. Counting the lease on the land, the building, and the lease on the studio; along with Tina he was well into a couple of million dollars. Not many seventeen-year-olds could say that, he didn't think. But why wait? It might all end in spectacular financial disaster, though he could soak up a few million on a lesson learned. He didn't think so though. This building would have no return except maybe tax breaks. Cobblestone though, Tony believed that was going to be a gold mine for at least a few years until the industry caught up.

Until then it was going to make his talented friends a lot of money; he felt that in his bones. Looking at his watch he realized it was time to head to the airport for his next lesson. Probably the last before he soloed.

"Tony we have a problem," Carol Smith said.

They had finished dinner but hadn't yet begun clearing the table. The entire Smith family, including Anita, was gathered around the family's informal dining table.

"Problem? Uhm, is it something I did?" Tony asked.

"No, it's with Cheri's adoption. Does the name Yakimoto mean anything to you?"

"Cheri's mother's maiden name I think. I've seen it on some of the papers."

"The Japanese Consulate in Atlanta has filed an injunction on behalf of one Mori Yakimoto seeking to block the adoption hearing."

"Yikes! Will that work?" Jim Smith asked.

"The injunction? Surely it will," Carol said. "It's nothing more than a concerned party asking for a delay. Given the international issues any judge will grant it. International law almost demands it. We'll oppose it of course, on the grounds that Cheri needs the stability of a permanent solution, but we'll lose against a 60 day injunction.

"We have what, fifteen days left on my guaranteed custody?" Tony replied. "Otherwise her custody is open to challenge."

"Yes. I talked to our friend Scott Wainright and he says they will have to challenge it here in Georgia because that's where the adoption petition was filed. But if the adoption can't be resolved within your time limit, Judge Cauthan could just award you another custody order like the last one. By the way, your dad and I are flying up there with Anita this week. She should legally be our little girl by Friday."

Tony pulled Anita out of her chair next to him and into his lap. "Well all the legal stuff is nice I suppose. We never really needed it did we little one?"

"Nope, like you said, I was never really an orphan right? I've had all of you from the start. Papers are just papers," she said and hugged her brother tightly.

Tony barely choked back his tears.

"Tony?" The voice on the phone was Chris Harris. Tony had called him to set up a meeting.

"Yessir?" Tony answered on reflex. For all his unearned wealth he was still a little in awe of, and certainly had total respect for, Rebecca's father. Anyone who could help shepherd Rebecca through her early years as a crippled young girl earned his complete admiration.

"Tony! You know better, it's Chris OK?"

"OK s... , um Chris. Look, we've run into a snag. One of Cheri's uncles from Japan is filing an injunction. It's going to hold things up. Is it OK to come over and discuss it tomorrow night? I don't want to discuss it without Cheri there."

"Sure, I don't see any problem. Is this serious?"

"Dunno really, it's serious enough that the consulate filed the injunction on his behalf. I've got investigators trying to find out just who this guy is. We know his name is Yakimoto, Mori Yakimoto, and he's Cheri's uncle. Other than that he does seem to have some influence. Mom sicced a private investigative firm out of DC on him just to find out, we'll know more tomorrow."

"Aren't we about out of time Tony?"

"No, not really. The injunction goes into effect when the first ninety days are up but I would still have custody for another 90 days. That's when it can be challenged.

"This uncle, what does he want? Surely he doesn't want custody or an adoption."

"No idea Chris, all he wants now is an injunction to keep his options open. I imagine Cheri's mother is involved somehow and she probably called her brother to ask for help. We should know more tomorrow."