Sunday, November 2, 2014

     Jr was definitely not sure about this.  He didn't know where a broken window was.  He certainly didn't know how to get in the building, and really wasn't sure where anything was in the building. George was right when he said he had a 'say'.  Jr had known for some time that George dad had some sort of secret agreement about the factory.  He had heard his father and George's father, George Sr. arguing about it one time outside the kitchen door.  He couldn't really understand what exactly they were talking about, but he knew he heard his father say, "you are a silent partner, sir. A silent partner."  Whatever that meant.  He thought a silent member meant that he could  help Jr's father sometime.  He had been two years younger at the time, and wasn't sure exactly.
     As the gang traipsed to the back of the factory, it was getting lighter out.  George said, " We better go quick in case anyone sees us."  He jumped up onto a pile of dirt as the others followed him.  It was a steep pile and he grabbed  Sally's arm first and told her to follow him.  He leaned over to the building and grabbed hold of a metal bar beside a window on the second floor.
    "We're gonna have to climb down to get in.  I know that screen is broken and the window is always open a little.  If I can slide it open, I'll shove Sally in and she can open it up so the rest of us can get in easier."  Nods all around as George climbed a little higher on the pile.  Loose dirt fell as the rest of the gang followed up.  Jr and Sam held back a little, Sam because there wasn't  enough room for all of them on the pile, and Jr because he was sure this was not a good idea.
     After several minutes of struggling with the window, Sally managed to squeeze through the small opening.  Once she got inside she tried pushing up the window so the others could follow.  She couldn't get it.  She hit at it, shoved at it, and finally told George, " I can't get it. I think it's stuck."  George slid down the dirt, grabbed the metal bar and began pushing at the4 window to help it along.  There was nothing for it.  It wouldn't budge.  After some discussion among the boys, it was decided that Sally should move to the next window and try opening that.  There was no bar for George to grab on to this time, so they all waited until they could see Sally in the other window.  They could see her struggle with it.  She finally shrugged her shoulders and shook her head.  They watched as she made her way back to the first window.
     "I think it's locked."  She said and pushed her hair out of her face. " I think we need to find another way."
     Jr, having decided that this might actually be an adventure, offered some advice.
     "Why don't you go to the front door and unlock it from the inside?"  He knew there was a dead bolt.  George looked at Jr.
     "Hey, that's a good idea.  Now tell her how to get to the front of building."
     Now there was a problem.  Jr had been in the building so seldom, he didn't really know how to navigate.  Obviously Sally would have to go downstairs, but he wasn't even sure where she was now, nor how to get to the stairs.  He looked first at George, and then the rest of the fellas.  He had a blank stare on his face as George said, "Come on, give."
     "Ahem", Jr said without realizing he sounded a little to like his father. "Well, hmmm.."
      Finally, George frustrated, looked him in the eye.  "Don't tell me you don't know how to get around in that place," he thumbed the building.  " Where did you come from? Mars?"
  Jr, swallowed, "Well Father has never really let me into work with him.  He says it's a man's world, and when I become a man, I will work there."  How odd, he thought.  Just a little while ago he had thought he had reached that milestone.  He shrugged his shoulders.  "It shouldn't be too hard.  There must be door in the room where Sally is, and a hallway.  And it must lead to a staircase."
     Sally could see what was going on outside, but couldn't hear anything, as the boys had moved further back on the dirt pile.
    "find the door and go down the stairs.  Find the front door."  George instructed.  Sally nodded and quickly disappeared.  Sam leading, the rest of the crew slid back down the dirt and raced around to the front of the building.  When they reached the front door, they decided it would be safer to hide under the stairs, in case anyone was at the diner yet.  They certainly didn't want to be found out.
     They waited,  And waited some more.  Minutes ticked by as the Fred gave George a push and whispered, "Maybe she can't unlock the door."  Why exactly he was whispering was any one's guess.  It was all part of the adventure.
     "Go see." Fred shoved George again.   George was always the ring leader although he was the youngest of the three brothers.  Fred, the middle child, always pushed George around to make the decisions and Henry being the oldest was always the head of reason.
     George shoved Fred back and said, "You go."  Fred shook his head.
     Finally after some more minutes passed, Sam stood up and whispered, "I'll go."  Looking quickly both ways, and across the street to the diner, he made his way up the steps.  He squatted down, so as not to be easily seen.  He gave the door a try.  Nothing.

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