Page 27 of Believe

“Texes? Oh, you mean taxes,” smiled Skull. The boy nodded.

“Yeah. He said they owed a lot of that on their house and they took their house.”

“Where are your grandparents now?” asked Skull.

“We live in a tent under the road,” said the boy. “That’s why I can’t stay. They know I come for food but I’m afraid to take food for them, too. I’m scared. You won’t tell anyone will you?”

“Son, no one will care about that. We, me and my friends, could help them.”

“The man said they would still have to pay and that they were going to take me away because they didn’t have a house.”

“No one is going to take you away. It would really help me if you gave me your name.”

“Shaquille. Like the basketball player. My dad liked him. He’s gone now. So is my mom.”

“I’m awful sorry about that,” said Skull. “What’s your grandparents names?”

“You won’t take them will you?”

“I swear to you, we will not take them.”

“Harriet and Otto Morgan. We stay under the bridge by the river,” said the boy.

Skull’s concern rose, knowing that the river was in fact rising as well. The homeless beneath the bridge would die if they didn’t leave or if the cold didn’t get to them first.

“Skull? We heard it all. We’re sending a team.”

“I have some friends that are going to help your granny and pappy,” said Skull. “We’re going to find you a new house.”

“Really?” asked the boy with a surprised expression.

“Really, Shaquille. Come on,” he said standing to his full height. “What do you say we get something else to eat, then play some games. My friends will bring your granny and pappy here after they fix some of their problems for them.”

The boy stood, slipping his hand into the massive bear paw of the man. Just as he’d promised, they ate, played games, and ate again. Before he knew it, it was dark outside.

“I have to go. My granny will be worried,” he said.

“Shaquille!” called his granny.

“Granny!” he ran to the old woman, hugging her. “Granny I was coming, I promise.”

“It’s okay, baby. It’s all okay,” she said kissing his face.

“Granny, this is my friend, Skull.”

“Our hero,” said the woman. Shaquille stared at his grandmother, then back at the big man. “Your friend called for some help for us, Shaquille. Pappy and me, all of us, we have a new home. A fine new home near your school. They helped us with the tax man and we’re gonna have a fine Christmas. A fine one!”

“Really?” whispered the boy. He looked up at Skull, raising his arms as the big man lifted him in the air. “I knew you were an angel. I just knew it. No one could live through what that bad man did to you, giving you that scar and not be an angel.”

Skull could only laugh as the others watched and smiled.

“I’ll give you folks a lift back home. Your new home,” said Chipper. The boy waved at Skull, taking his grandparents hands and following Chipper out of the building.

“You did good, brother,” smiled Whiskey. “You saved that whole family.”

“Anyone know what happened to the parents?” he asked the team.

“Parents are divorced and they don’t really know where the mother went. The father left to find work and no one has heard from him in over a year. We’ll keep trying to find them but I’m not sure the grandparents really care. Their whole world is that little boy,” said Garrett.