The Wenatchee Boys Hotel was growing rapidly, boys from all over made their way to safety within its walls. The Four Warriors of Saint Michael the Arch Angel, Terry, James, Garth and Gerren, guarded and protected the boys against all that would hurt them. They knew they were faced with a crisis, there were 1,600 boys living within their walls, they were out of room and turning homeless boys away was NOT an option!
Chapter 1 - GROWING PAINS
After breakfast, the four men sat down, each with a cup of Cookie's coffee, to hold a meeting about their current emergency, "No More Room"! Terry said, "Mel James wants $2,800,000 to clear the land and build another 1,000-bed addition. Plus, we must upgrade the water system and bring in additional electric lines. We either need to build a larger food handling and dining room or, at least build another one. Mel estimates we are going to need $3,500,000 just for the construction and that does not include furnishings!"
Gerren asked, "Could we build an even larger addition and convert the old Hotel to just classrooms?" He continued, "That way, all our boys could stay right here and not have to go into town for school."
Terry replied, "That's a good idea, Gerren, but it boils down to money. How do we afford it?"
Gerren said, "Maybe there is a way...." Then he shut up and refused to say more. Immediately after the meeting, Gerren said that he needed to go into town for a while and would be back in time for supper. He was seen going out the front door in his Cadet Uniform, which Terry thought strange, but he knew the young man was very proud of having been made the Master Cadet, even though, technically, he was no longer a Cadet, he remained active as their advisor. He returned shortly before the evening meal and changed his clothes before coming down to eat. He said nothing about where he had been or what he had done, instead, he sat on the floor and played with Manual Pita after supper and then helped some of the boys with their homework before bedtime.
Days turned into weeks and there was no solution to their problem. Terry prayed to Saint Michael for guidance, but none was forthcoming. They opened up the last block of rooms, with space for 40 more boys, Terry and James feared they would be forced to turn boys away soon.
Several days later, there was a strange telephone message from a Hector Volare, asking for a meeting with Mr. Terry Donaldson. Terry was repeating the name, "Volare, Volare, I know I have heard that name before."
James said, "Is that the Volare in Volare Motors and Volare Industries?"
Terry replied, "I have no idea but I guess we will find out, he wants to see us tomorrow at 9 am."
The next morning, Terry and James were in the Hotel Lobby, expecting their guest at any minute, as they looked up, a large limousine drove up and a driver assisted an elderly man out of the car. The man walked slowly up to the front door and rang the bell, Terry opened it and invited the man inside. He asked, "Mr. Volare?"
The man replied, "Yes, Hector Volare. I understand you are in need of expanding your facilities here so that you can provide a home for more boys."
Terry responded, "Yes, that is correct, but how is it you are aware of that?"
The man replied, "First, let me sit down, my legs aren't so young anymore." They went into Terry's office and they all sat down. The man began, "Many years ago, I was a homeless boy. I had no food, my shoes were rotted and there was no place for me to sleep at night. An old man took me in, gave me a home, fed me, clothed me and gave me his name. He was Peter Volare, he had made his fortune in mining and, by that time, he had retired. He had no family, so he helped boys like myself. All he ever asked of those he helped was that we help others in our turn. Over the years, I have helped many boys, including one who came to me some time ago with a strange story about Great Warriors who helped boys. I won't tell you his name, but I feel sure you know of whom I speak. I had you investigated and what that boy told me was only a small part of what you have done." He continued, "I am prepared to give you $10,000,000 towards your expansion and another $10,000,000 to be invested so that Wenatchee Boys Hotel will have a continuing income for the future." He then handed Terry two envelopes, rose and returned to his car, saying nothing further.
Terry and James stared as the man departed, Terry and James said the same name at the same time, "Gerren!" They looked in the envelopes, one had a Banker's Trust Corporation Draft for $10,000,000 and the other was interest-bearing bonds in the amount of $10,000,000!
Just then, the door to the office flew open and Gerren rushed in, "Is he still here?" He asked in a breathless voice.
Terry and James hugged the Young Warrior, "No, he has left already, but we know what you did!"
The three men sat in the office, struggling to contain their emotions, they now had the wherewithal to house their boys because a young man took the initiative to do something about it!
They deposited the draft in the bank and registered the bond certificates before placing them in a safe deposit box. They had plans drawn for an addition that would house 1,600 boys and would include a new kitchen and dining facility, a laundry and a maintenance shop. They also told the contractor to develop plans to renovate the old hotel and make offices and classrooms out of it. The top floor would be for living areas for the adult staff and there was to be a clinic and a dental office on the main floor.
Chapter 2 - CHEERS AND TEARS
Construction began immediately, Gerren asked that Terry and James not tell anyone of his participation in their good fortune, but they did insist on one thing, the Cadet Room was to be named The Gerren Curle Room. They also had a bronze plaque made up that told of the generosity of Mr. Hector Volare.
The weather cooperated that summer and the building were completed just before school opened. The boys spent the entire week moving their belongings to the new building. All the boys from the Hotel and those boys who had been doubled up in the "other" new building were delighted, everything was clean and fresh, and the complete ground floor was dining and recreational facilities.
Cookie and his crew went all out for the first meal. There was a row of beef roasts, a wagon load of baked potatoes, tubs of salad and more tubs of golden ears of roasted corn on the cob! The boys groaned in dismay as cart after cart of berry pie, pumpkin pie and apple pie were rolled out for dessert, along with huge containers of vanilla ice cream! More than one boy walked VERY slowly as he returned to his room.
The next morning, they were awakened by the terrified screams of a young boy. Gerran was the first to arrive in the lobby of the new building. There was Manual Pita being dragged out the door by a filthy man. Covered in dirt and clothes ragged!
As they watched in horror, the man shook Manual by the neck and tossed him down the concrete stairs. Manual lay, without moving, Gerren tackled the man and pinned him to the sidewalk. Dr. Tillie came running from her clinic and knelt down by the little child. She looked up, tears streaming from her face and shook her head. Little Manuel Pita was dead!
Terry and James had to peel Gerren's hands away from the man's neck, the young man was howling his anguish and trying to choke the life out of the man. The Cadets came up and stood on the man's arms and legs to prevent him from running, they made no attempt to be gentle! The man was swearing and cursing in Spanish.
The police arrived and took Oskar Pita into custody, charging him assault, assault with intent to kill and murder. Gerren had to be restrained by Terry and James, he screamed after the policemen, "If the courts don't kill him, I WILL!" Dr. Tillie finally had to administer a sedative to Gerren and they laid him on his bed.
Garth sat with him until the next day, when a white-faced, red-eyed Gerren stumbled down to the Dining Hall. His face was like a death mask as he stood on a bench, "Our little Manuel is dead...... we cannot bring him back to us. No more will we hear his laughter, and no more will he play with his little race car. All we can do is say goodbye to him." Gerren had to stop and wipe his tears before he could continue, "We will bury our little Manny and we will also do this - THERE WILL BE A CADET WATCH AT EVERY OUTSIDE DOOR FROM DARK TO DAWN! NO BOY WILL BE OUT OF SIGHT OF A CADET! NO BOY SHALL GO INTO TOWN ALONE, HE WILL HAVE ANOTHER BOY WITH HIM AT ALL TIMES! WE WILL PROTECT OURSELVES, BOYS WHO WISH TO LEARN SELF-DEFENSE WILL BE TAUGHT THOSE THINGS!"
Word of the awful tragedy spread through the town like a wildfire. The boys were well-liked by the town's children and adults and they were horrified. People began to gather in the front drive and in front of the two dormitories. They carried candles and held them in their sorrow. Terry and James took Gerren into their own rooms and laid him on the bed, covering him in a quilt, he was shivering and shaking in his agony. The Mayor and Chairman of the City Council asked Terry what they could do. Terry told them to pray for the soul of Manual Pita. Many of the town's young people spent the night mourning a little boy they had only ever seen fleetingly.
The next morning, the police found Oskar Pita dead in his cell, not a mark on him and the cell door was still locked. The school district delayed the opening of school in order that those students who wished to attend Manuel's Funeral would be able to do so. The Cadets, their armbands changed to black carried that small casket through the center of town to the cemetery. A Great Warrior, with a shining sword on his back, led the Cadets on that awful trip, three more Great Warriors followed the casket, their swords laid across their arms.
A certain Police Captain watched as the cortege slowly passed the intersection he was blocking, he shook his head and said, "GIANTS!"
The Cadets set that small casket before an awful hole in the ground and a Great Warrior stepped up and said, "THIS CHILD ART MINE OWN, BEWARE ALL YE WHO WOULD HURT ANOTHER CHILD, MY ANGER IS GREAT, MY REVENGE IS TERRIBLE. THIS CHILD ART MINE OWN!" The Great Warriors turned and walked off.
One man in the crowd asked, "Who are they?"
A small boy said, "They are THE WARRIORS OF SAINT MICHAEL, the ARCH ANGEL, fear them!"
The boys returned to Wenatchee Boys' Hotel and went into seclusion, they were not seen again in town for another three days. At the end of the three days, boys were again seen in town, always in company of a Cadet or in groups of two or more, never alone. The young people of the town rallied around the boys, and made sure they were never alone anywhere, older boys would walk with them as they returned from their town visits. Boys came to invite boys to their homes for lunch or supper and they would come on Saturdays for a ballgame. On Sunday, older boys would escort the boys to church service or for a community picnic in the city park.
The Town of Wenatchee was adopting the Hotel Boys as their own. Money was raised to purchase several buses so that the Hotel Boys could partake in ballgames at other schools in other towns. Besides the Cadets, the busses were accompanied by older boys and fathers. Local farmers found they would rather donate produce to the boys than sell it at reduced prices and a local riding academy offered the boys riding lessons one Saturday a month.
There were canoeing events on the river that attracted participants from all over the state, they became known as the Hotel Boys Race and the proceeds were donated to the Hotel! The County Historical Society had a bronze plate cast identifying the new dormitory as MANUEL PITA HALL! As terrible as the tragedy was, some good did come of it, the Boys of Wenatchee Hotel became a coherent group, dedicated to the homeless boys living there. Bigger boys mentored smaller boys, and those needing homework help soon found their grades improving. Older boys became MEN and were a credit to their communities. Many went on to college, and many became highly respected members of their communities, but whatever it was that they became, they never forgot WENATCHEE BOYS' HOTEL.
Chapter 3 - IT IS TIME
Several years rolled by, boys grew into men and new boys arrived. Garth had taken over management of The Hotel, and Dr. Tillie and her husband, Barry had dedicated their lives to the boys.
Terry, James and Gerren were walking on the grounds, the trees had been landscaped into a pleasing shaded park. They came around a huge old oak tree and were confronted by an old man standing there with a great smile on his face. The three men knelt before that old man and said, as one, "Saint Michael, what are thy orders."
The Warrior Saint replied, "Go East my Great and Wonderful Warriors, there are those who need you."
The Three went back to The Hotel and gathered their things. They saw a new Ford Truck parked in the front and they put their few bags in the bed of the truck. Somehow, the boys knew their Wonderful Warriors were leaving, 2,600 boys crowded the front drive, most in tears. Jacob Moore, the new Master Cadet, hung on Gerren's shoulder in frantic tears.
Gerren gently held the boy, "Jake, others need our help now. You are the new leadership, you take care of these boys now." They hugged Garth and moved through the crowd of boys, hugging, squeezing a shoulder and a whispered comment before they climbed into their truck. As sorrowful as it was, this was their mission for they are WARRIORS OF SAINT MICHAEL the ARCH ANGEL!
TBC
This ends the story of these wonderful gentle men here in Wenatchee, but their journey is not yet over.