Chapter Seven
There was a
tap at the door and the older man pocked his head into the room. “Is every thing set?”
“Yes, we’ll
meet them at the fountain in the
“Good. I’m sure you two must be famished. There is food in the dinning room. Just follow me.” He led them down another beautiful hall to a
grand dinning room furnished in dark red wood.
One end of the long table was set for three and there were steaming
platters set out.
Kate didn’t
realize how hungry she was until the smell of waffles and strawberries bloated
to her senses. Once they were all seated
the man looked at them, “Would you be offended if I said grace?” Kate looked at him a little surprised and
shook her head no. He said grace and
passed the waffles to Kate first. “Ladies first.” They
all sat and ate in silence.
Kate looked
at the older man, “Could you pass me the syrup?”
“Of coarse.” He passed it
to her then paused a moment. “I’m sorry,
I never properly introduced myself. I am
Senior Moyer.”
Kate looked
at him and nodded with a smile. She was
glad to finally have a name to go with his face.
“So, Senior
Moyer, what exactly do you do for a living?”
Robby asked breaking the uncomfortable silence that had fallen on them
once more. Kate looked up from the table
and looked at Robby. He couldn’t’ quite
read her eyes but he was sure he was some fear.
But fear of what; of what the answer might be?
“Despite
what it might look like, I am a mere business man. Well, I’m retired now, but I keep buissy by running a few youth farms.” Moyer said casually, taking another waffle
and loading it with strawberries and syrup.
“Youth farms? What are those?” Robby asked interested, despite herself Kate had become interested too.
“They are
small self-sufficient farms where runaways and reform children can go to and
live. They work the farm, go to school
and get a chance at a new life.” Moyer
told them proudly. “It started maybe
eight years ago when one of my daughter’s friends ran away and came here
looking for work. When more and more
children came, I couldn’t employ then all here so I came up with the youth
farms. They are open to anyone under 21,
who a willing to work. Don’t get me
wrong, any money that they make they get to keep, I
just make sure all the bills are paid. I
don’t make any money off of their work.”
Moyer explained.
“How many
kids do you have working there?” Kate
asked. She was slowly feeling that she
could trust Moyer, so far he had shown himself to be
genuinely sorry for what had happened the other day.
“Each farm
averages around 30 kids ranging from, I think the youngest is 6 months, but she
is the exceptions, for the most part 6 to 21.”
“Six
months?” Kate said shocked.
“Yes, one
of the girls that came to me was three months pragnet
and had been kicked out by her father.
It’s dad I know, and I think we have two other girls in her
predicament.” Moyer seemed sad for those
girls. Every time he looked in their
faces he couldn’t help but think that one day that would be his daughter.
“Oh,” Kate
sighed sadly. Moyer could tell that
Kat’s heart went out to the girls.
“So are you
and your friends down here for a spring-break trip?” Moyer asked them.
“Sort of,
we are part of a traveling drama group,” Kate said indicating her and
Robby. “We’re down here on a mission
trip.”
“Oh, really? What kinds of things do you
do?” Kate and Robby explained what they
did. Moyer commended them on how much
they did. “If you had time I would ask
you to do a performance for the kids. I
do what I can but I think it would mean so much more coming from people their
own age. But enough of this, I’m sure
you two want to clean up before you meet up with your friends.” Moyer pushed a button that was on the table
and they could hear a faint buzzing sound, then a butler and a maid came in the
doors. “This is Kristean
and Jaun, they will show you to some bathrooms, where
you can freshen up.”