#wschp4

The next morning, Theo went directly to Miss Baker’s office and explained to her what Lionel had told her about Ophalena / Lena Atwood. Of course he never mentioned anything about Michael, as he didn’t want her to think he was crazy!

EDWINA- “Well you surely have done your homework, Theo and I know how important it is to you to try and find your birth parents, but what if Lena Atwood refuses to talk to you.  I mean she may do that, and even if she does see you, she may not be any relation to you or your birth mother.”

THEO- “I completely understand, but I have to know. The coincidence is just too much not to.”

EDWINA- “I just don’t want to see you getting hurt, Theo. I would love for you to find your birth parents, but there was a reason why this was done privately.”

THEO- “I understand that as well, but I have to do this Miss Baker.  I just have to!”

EDWINA- “Okay, I will see what I can do to try and get a meeting or phone call or something with this Atwood woman.  I will let you know as soon as I can.”

MICHAEL- “So how did your first night at work go?”

THEO- “It’s a job, but I did find something out from the guy there that is my boss...Lionel Behrey.”

MICHAEL- “Lionel Behrey is your boss!!??  He is still alive? He has to be old! He was Ophie’s mom’s cook back in the day.”

THEO- “That is what he said, and he told me a lot more about her....

MICHAEL- “Okay, what???”

THEO- “She moved away after her mom divorced her dad, took her and her sister to Del Sol Valley. Ophalena married some big producer guy, but had no kids. She is a big star now, She is on TV now, goes by the name of Lena Atwood.”

MICHAEL- “And what about her sister?  Maybe her sister is your mother!?”

THEO- “Could be...he also told me something about you.”

MICHAEL- “About me? What did he say?”

THEO- “He said that you just ran away.  No one ever knew where you went. or what happened to you.  He said a lot of guys used to run away from here, it never was investigated.”

MICHAEL- “Well, we both know that wasn’t the case...”

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.”

So he got his shower and changed and went back to his room. Michael was there.  Sitting there on his bed, always on his bed, he thought...

MICHAEL- “Good morning, Theo, you have a nice walk this morning?”

THEO- - Yeah, it is really hot this morning though.  Is everyone still at prayer?”

MICHAEL- “No, they all went down to the park. Some kind of event going on, a monument for Mr. Penngrove. Maybe you should go.”

THEO- “Oh, that was today, I forgot. No, I think I will just read the newspaper.”

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...”

He turned and Michael was standing over in another area of the basement near some older, dustier boxes.  Those boxes must have been where some of Michael’s things were.  He pointed at one and Michael shook his head yes, and he brought it and put it on a small table sitting there.

When they got back to the room, Theo hid the photograph in a dresser drawer and looked at Michael intently.

MICHAEL- “What?”

THEO- Why don’t you know?”

MICHAEL- “Know what...how it happened?”

THEO- “Yeah, how did you come to be like you are. Why don’t you know?”

MICHAEL- “I don’t know why...but I think you were brought here to find out, to help me. We need to try and fix this wall back.”

THEO- “Seriously, I don’t think fixing the wall is possible, and no one comes in here but you.”

MICHAEL- “Because, this is MY room!”

THEO- “Maybe I can. Help you find out what happened, I mean.... I mean if you lived here then, there has to be some kind of record, and maybe even reports or newspaper clippings of what happened.  I could go to the city library and find out.”

MICHAEL- “Could you?”

THEO- “I am sure I could, but I don't even know what your last name is…”

MICHAEL- “It’s Mullaney.  Michael David Mullaney.”

MICHAEL- “You didn’t need to take it from the paper.  I know where the original is.”

THEO- “What?” You have the original picture?? This one? That isn’t you in that picture, it can’t be!  Is it your father?  He took the newspaper page out of his pocket.

MICHAEL- “ I have the original. It is much clearer than that photo in the paper.”

THEO- “Where?  Where do you have it?”

MICHAEL- “Down in some boxes in the basement. There is a lot of things down there. A lot of my things, things from a lot of the boys that have lived here.”