Creating a Family

Meeting Luke

Nathan sat on the edge of the sandbox, pushing a small bulldozer through the sand with his shoe. It didn't look as fun without Kota there to play too. He looked around the playground at his classmates. He thought he saw something towards the bottom of the play set, but when he looked closer there was nothing there. He saw a flash of something on top of the play set and moved his gaze up there, but again he saw nothing. He stood up and walked closer when all of a sudden something flipped over the side of the top railing and scurried back to the bottom step of the enclosed stairway. No, not a thing, a kid.

"Lucian Taylor! I have asked you not to do that!" Miss Liz was walking quickly over to where Nathan was standing, as she called out for Lucian to get down. She stopped next to him as she looked around the play set for the other boy.

"I like Luke better." They both turned around at the sound. The boy, Lucian, was standing there with his hands behind his back. Nathan's mouth dropped open, all he could think was how did he get behind me? I watched him go onto the play set steps.

"What was that Lucian?" Miss Liz bent down to be eye level with Lucian.

"I like to be called Luke, Miss Liz. Will you call me Luke?" He smiled up at her.

Miss Liz smiled back at Luke. "Of course Luke. Thank you for telling me. Can you promise me that you will not do your leap of faith over the side rail of that play set again?"

Luke continued to smile at Miss Liz as he nodded. "Yes Miss Liz. I won't do that again." Miss Liz nodded at Luke and walked back to her spot in the shade. Nathan looked at Luke and held out his hand like Erika taught him.

"I'm Nathan."

Luke stuck his hand into Nathan's and gave one big shake. "Luke."

"Are you really never going to do that again? I thought you could show me how to do it."

Luke smiled, but this was a different smile from the one he gave Miss Liz. "O, well, I meant it when I said I would never jump over that rail again. I've done it lots of times, and I think I'm ready for the next thing anyway. I can tell you what to do, it's really easy if you are fast."

"What's the next thing?"

Luke pointed his finger at the bigger playground. It had three sets of stairs to get to the top of the one tower! He was going to jump off of that? Nathan turned to ask, but he was already gone, running full speed towards the playground. Nathan followed behind, he was not going to miss this, Kota would be sorry he stayed inside with his stupid puzzle.

*~*
Present

"It was not a stupid puzzle Nathan. Just because I enjoyed my school work..." Kota was silenced by a pillow flying at his chest. He caught it and turned his head from Nathan to scowl at Gabriel.

Everyone laughed or smiled at Gabriel. "Sorry Kota, but we all know you have always fucking loved school. Now get a move on with the story, I want to get to the point where you meet me."

*~*
Flashback

Kota and Nathan were sitting at a lunch table, sharing the sandwich and apple that Kota's mom packed that morning. A loud thud echoed through the cafeteria and everyone turned to look towards the lunch line. A small boy was kneeling on the ground, trying to pile food back on to his tray. Two bigger boys were laughing and stepping on the food that was still scattered around on the floor. Kota watched as the smaller boy stood up, holding his tray of food that was no longer edible. With his head lowered he dumped the food in a nearby garbage can and walked out of the cafeteria. The two bullies had already made their way back to a table of first graders, as if nothing had happened.

"Nate, do you know who that kid was?"

Nathan had been watching the encounter too, he was trying to hold in his anger so he didn't answer Kota immediately. Nathan knew what it was like to feel helpless and picked on, he just wished he didn't have to see it at school too.

A blur of movement stopped Kota from asking Nathan again. He was startled when a boy slid into the seat next to Nathan with a scowl on his face. "That's Victor. Those kids have already smashed his lunch twice this week. I bet if he didn't buy so much they would leave him alone." Kota was still staring at Luke, almost immediately placing him as the boy that Nathan described from the playground. Luke's appearance seemed to nudge Nathan out of his thoughts though, because he pulled his eyes from where Victor had disappeared to focus on Luke.

"Why does he buy all of that food?"

Luke shrugged at Nathan's question. "Don't know. He buys a lot every day, but then he doesn't eat in the cafeteria, he carries it outside and sits by a tree in the courtyard. So far I haven't seen him eat any of it, but when he comes back in the tray is always empty. Maybe he is feeding the squirrels." Luke smiled at his idea and his eyes glassed over a little as if he was in a day dream.