#lionelbehrey

After Theo’s shift was completed, he went to tell Lionel he was going to head home....

LIONEL- “So kid, you think you are going to like it here and hang on with me for a while?”

THEO - “Sure, I mean it’s not that difficult, or it doesn’t seem so.”

LIONEL- “Good...so you name is Gray huh?”

THEO - “Yeah, but I didn’t know my family.”

LIONEL- “Many years ago, when I was much younger, I worked for a Miss Willa Gray here in Brindelton. I was her cook.  You related to her?”

THEO - “Could be, I don’t know. I was sent to the Penngrove House when I was about a month old.”

LIONEL- “Oh, I see. Well I am sure you didn’t belong to her. She had two daughters though. Ophalena was the oldest, her little one was Anita.  Once she divorced their father, she moved away. Not sure whatever became of little Anita. But Ophalena went on to be a TV star.”

THEO - “WOW!  Really? I have heard about her.”

LIONEL- Let’s get out of here. We can chat outside. Maybe they are related some how.”

LIONEL- “This is Teagan, she works here two days a week, so you two will work together occasionally. She knows her stuff, so she can assist you or answer any questions you may have.”

THEO - “Hi, I’m Theo Gray, good to meet you Teagan.”

TEAGAN- “Yeah, same. see you around.”

LIONEL- “She is kind of stand offish until she gets to know you, so don’t be offended by her brushing you off, okay kid.  And just so you know she has a boy friend.”

THEO - “Okay, but not looking for a girlfriend. Just want to work get out of high school and then get out of this town. Seems like everyone here is like that. Not friendly.”

LIONEL- “Now, that’s not true. Miss Baker is a nice lady, and you seem okay.  And I think I am a like able guy.”

THEO - “Yeah, your pretty cool...”

Lionel continued to tell Theo what he knew about Willa Gray and her daughters...

LIONEL- “I worked as Miss Willa’s cook, for quite a while. When she left, she left in a hurry. I continued to work for her ex husband until he died. I know that Ophalena went to school and went into acting. She changed her name though. She goes by Lena Atwood now. She married but divorced, and I don’t believe she ever had kids.”

THEO- “No kids...guess she isn’t my mother then. Where does she live now?”

LIONEL- Del Sol...Has a big fancy home there. No, I doubt she is your mother, but Anita may be. But not sure where she went. Like I said she was just a little kid when Miss Willa divorced their father and moved. But Lena may know something...”

THEO- “Yeah, and some other things... Did you ever hear of a boy that lived in Penngrove named Michael Mullaney?”

LIONEL- “Yeah, actually.  He was a lanky scrawny kid. He ran away...actually right about the same time Miss Willa moved. He was an orphan like you, and just ran away from the home when he was about your age, I guess.”

THEO- “Ran away, huh?”

LIONEL- “Yeah. A lot of boys ran away from that home. It isn’t like it is now. Old Penngrove was pretty strict.  And then when his son took over, he didn’t care.”

THEO- “Thanks, Mr. Behrey...I think I am going to see if I can find this Lena Atwood. She may know who my mother is...she may have answers to a lot of questions!”

LIONEL- “Everybody calls me Lionel, Theo. None of that Mr. Behrey stuff...So I will see you next Wednesday?”

Theo thought all night long about the girl that Michael knew when he was, well living. Could she be his mother? Did she go to the hospital because she was pregnant, but the time line doesn’t work. His mother was supposedly 15 when she had him, and this Ophalena Gray would have been in her late 20′s. He was going to investigate, but first he had to start his job today at the Yacht Club.

LIONEL- “So Mr. Gray, you ready to get acquainted with Myrtle?”

THEO- “Myrtle??”

LIONEL- “That’s the name of the dishwasher. We need to get you started before the lunch crew gets here, we get really busy then.”

THEO - “Ok, yeah sure. Introduce me to Myrtle.”

As he begin to explain his job duties and how “Myrtle” worked a girl about Milo’s age walked by...she caught Milo’s eye as she was very attractive.

LIONEL- “Now boy, if you are going to learn your job, you need to focus, Myrtle is touchy if you don’t pay her attention she can get testy, so no cheating on her with the pretty girls around here...”

TEAGAN- “Lionel, you embarrassed him... he is getting flush.”