Folding chairs, picnic tables and blankets are spread out over the field as our reception is actually a picnic for all those in attendance. Kathryn and I are directed by our mothers to begin cutting the wedding cake as is tradition for the bride and groom gets the first two bytes. We’re told to feed each other a mouth full. We don’t make a mess of each other but Kathryn does get a little at the edge of my mouth, which she kisses away. That kiss seemed to have a hundred photos taken both by our friends and the photographers.
The next event, Kathryn throws her bouquet to the single women in attendance. Standing with her back to the crowd of marriageable single women, Kathryn tosses her bouquet into the air is caught by one of her friends from high school girl named Sherry Johnson. Sherry has an expression of surprise on her face that she caught the bouquet.
Sherry is somewhat attractive she hasn’t had a boyfriend for more than a week or two all through high school. Sherry and Kathryn have a couple pictures together as she returns the bouquet to Kathryn. Within five minutes I notice one of my friends from the football team finally got up the courage to talk to her. Walt has had a crush on her as long as I’ve known him. Who knows there may actually be something to that tradition.
We stand on the reception line what seems like forever as Kathryn and I greet many those in attendance. Many were at the first wedding; some said they were stuck in the Hall others didn’t even make it into the court house. We spend a long time greeting people, as they give their congratulations on our marriage. Kathryn and I eventually excuse ourselves to change in something a little cooler, walking into the house we find a few couples hanging around inside. As long as they respect my home I don’t mind, many were waiting to greet us anyway saying they had to leave shortly. Even at cooler temperatures the heat had gotten to some, especially those that never spent much time outside.
We change quickly in our bedroom not into what we normally would, but something appropriate for the occasion dress slacks and a lite shirt for me, and attract the summer dress for Kathryn. What many would wear to church on Sunday during this time of year.
There are a few more guests in the house waiting to say goodbye as we leave a couple younger girls giggling about something they seem in one the rooms. Apparently the little girls have to go to the bathroom and wandered into the bedroom someone was using. Kathryn and I go back to our room and check out the security cameras. There was in a master bedroom, the one currently being used by grandma are a couple engage in sex on the bed. A quick scan of the room and they’re not the only two there, a line of men wait for a turn. There’s a man at the end of the line not watching what that you are doing. When a new man comes in the one at the end of the line insist on money from him. He digs out twenty bucks from his wallet, and takes his place in the line.
That’s just wrong using someone’s home as a brothel on their wedding day. Kathryn wants to go kick their ass right now. I tell her we’ll get the cops to arrest them quietly.
The cops are here by the way. I know the Police Chief and several others from some of our charity work. The chief normally helps give out Christmas presents every year. He loves playing Santa and says it’s a lot more fun now that we’re his top elves. Kathryn and I usually buy more Christmas presents for him to hand out than most of the county.
Walking through the crowd with Kathryn who is obviously upset, we find him pulling him over to the side we tell the chief was going on. We find Grandma helping at the kitchen of the boat house. We inform her, what her room is currently being used for to her surprise. Grandma is just as upset, as Kathryn. The Police Chief quickly rounds up one of his off-duty deputies and makes a quick call, a car on its way with the County Sheriff. The Police Chief and deputy will assist, but the Sheriff must make the arrest.
I showed the Chief the footage from my security cameras. It’s more than enough evidence he says. I burned him a DVD, for evidence. Reviewing the security footage we find that the two have stolen a few items as well. The Sheriff soon arrives and the matters handled quietly. The gentlemen paying for the service are ticketed and given court dates and the prostitute and pimp arrested and taken away to the County jail to wait bail on the fifth.
The party continues on without much to interrupt everyone’s good time. A few people quickly left after the cops showed up. They were the exception to the rule. After lunch is served, an area in the boat house is converted into a dance floor. Several tables still have food and drinks but the majority of them had been cleared away. Kathryn and I spent a lot of time dancing together. Those dance lessons seem to have paid off. We do the tango and get a standing ovation.
Now as the sun was still high in the sky and the day truly entering its full heat, many of our guests leave either for someplace cool or just go home to ready themselves for the fireworks tonight. Kathryn and I walk around our meadow gatherings trash so we will not have to do it later.
I hear soft crying coming from an area brush around a few trees at the edge of the meadow. Setting down the trash bag I move closer to investigate, with her back against the tree a young girl maybe four or five cry softly. I start to wave Kathryn over only to find her at my shoulder. Seeing the girl Kathryn immediately walks to her. Kathryn bending down to see her more closely, perhaps someone we recognize. The child is unknown to us; neither Kathryn nor I have seen her before. I softly ask the girl, “Princess what is your name?”
The young girl looks up, her eyes wide and wild with fear before she can rise Kathryn place is a gentle hand on her shoulder. The young girl’s stutters, “Sam, Samantha, my name is Samantha Sheridan.”
It takes a few minutes of gently coaching Samantha the find her mother went to our house earlier today with her boyfriend. She said should be back in just a little, but never come back. Kathryn and I look at each other the only person that sounds like would be the prostitute that was arrested today.
Kathryn and I stopped our cleaning duties to help Samantha, who insists on being called Sam. “So Sam are you hungry?” I ask. To which I get a hesitant nod yes.
“What would you like to eat today Princess Sam?” I gently ask.
Sam’s reply is a loud growling of her stomach as she says, “Chicken.”
I couldn’t help but notice a few belt marks on the child’s legs before I ask, “I hope there’s some left but we will have to go check. Could you help me check on that Princess Sam?”
She shakes her head no before she nearly whispers, “I can’t leave. If I do I’ll be punished.”
I notice Kathryn stiffens and but she still managed to gently ask, “Princess Sam, who would punish you for getting something to eat?”
Looking down at her feet Sam says, “Mom’s boyfriend, he doesn’t like it when he has to come to find me.”
I gently ask, “Princess Sam what does mommy’s boyfriend look like?” I’m afraid to many questions and Sam will stop answering or even talking to us. Thankfully Sam does answer this one. You don’t need to be a psychic to know he matched the description of the pimp to the last detail.
I tell Sam, “Princess he did something bad and the police took him to jail.”
For the first time during our conversation Sam expression changes, for a moment the fear is gone to be replaced by not anger or panic but by hope. Sam asks, “The cops got Lester?”
I answer, “He look just like you described even to what he was wearing so. Yes.”
Now there’s a big ray of hope shining for Sam, “The cops did they get Mommy?”
I’m not really sure what to do. I am sure I will never hurt her; I don’t want to lie to her. Sooner or later lies hurt, the truth can hurt too. You never lose trust in someone who tells you a truth that is painful. You may not believe it at first but eventually you’re grateful being told. As gently as I can I tell Sam, “There was a woman with him when they took them away together. But I’m not absolutely sure Sam. I’ve never met your mother before. Can we go look for her? We may find you some chicken when we’re looking for your Mommy.”
Sam holds on to that hope, her stomach growls again, as she looks into Kathryn’s face and says, “You’re pretty. If I don’t find my mommy could you be my mommy?” Kathryn immediately scoops up Sam into her arms.
We start walking towards the kitchen of the boat house grandma and several other people are still there. There several people still gathering trash around the yard, some are family some are friends. As Kathryn I walk into the boat house a few follow seeing Kathryn holding the young girl. Kathryn sets her down at one of the last tables. I placed my hand on Kathryn shoulder and she sets down beside Sam. If I hadn’t done that she would’ve got up and found some chicken somewhere. I walk over to grandma and ask, “Is there any chicken here? Our young friend here is very hungry. We’re going to look for her mother as she eats.” I say that loud enough that Sam can hear.
I glance over my shoulder and Kathryn is taking Sam to the restroom. The poor girl probably was suffering to afraid to go to the bathroom. I did get several looks and a plate of chicken with some of the sides is quickly presented to me.
I walked back over to where they were setting and wait for them to return. In few minutes a more relaxed Sam comes back with Kathryn. Both have clean hands and are ready-to-eat. When they sit down I slide the plate in front of Sam. I’m not sure but Sam obviously has never had fried chicken this way, she picks up a whole breast and bit into it. The way she bit into it she got part of the bones in her bite. She pulls off her mouth looks at it very confused. Obviously only thing she’s ever had her life are chicken nuggets.
Kathryn giggles and takes another fried chicken breast. She begins pulling off the meat showing Sam how to eat it. Sam only takes a second to copy what Kathryn is doing. I let the two of them eat. I walk away once I spot Marshall and Misty and the Judge. I quietly explain about Sam, and we need to look through the house just to ensure there’s not a woman there. I also explained about the two people I had arrested earlier today.
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