The highway would have been faster, but I chose the road that goes around the eastern side of the lake. I passed a little restaurant with a sign that bragged: “We have bullheads.” Local folks like my father love these fish, for reasons that no one really understands. The ice cream store, where I stopped many times as a kid with my father on our way home from sailing, wasn’t yet open for the season. At the marina, the docks were still empty except for a single boat of fishermen who were joking and swearing at each other as they worked to fix their motor.
Farther on, I passed the little town with the amusement park. The rides stood empty in the spring sun. The brown sign that advertised the beach looked like it needed a new coat of paint. Most of the summer camps were still boarded up, and the first dandelions of the season were springing forth on the little lawns.
After about 45 minutes of driving along the lake, I came to the little town where Biker Boy now lives. Longtime readers will remember that Biker Boy is the kid who used to live on my street and has been in foster care for more than a year. He’s living with a family now — a young couple who live near the lake.
We spent the morning down by the shore — skipping stones, finding pretty ones, and investigating a dead fish that had been tossed onto a lawn. I had a chance to meet the members of the household, including the dogs and the cat and some hens. I heard about extended family members who live near by, and Biker Boy showed me his prize possession: a remote control car that actually flew through the air when he drove it off a pile of rocks.
The little town hasn’t changed much since I was a kid. It’s the kind of place where Biker Boy can spend sunny afternoons riding around on his bike and swimming in the lake. I bet everyone in the town will know him by the end of the summer. I don’t want to say too much more — since this blog is no longer very pseudonymous — but right now, everything looks really good for him. He’s in a safe place with kind, compassionate people who love him and who plan to adopt him. As I drove home, I couldn’t help but feel grateful for all the people who have been working to give this kid a happy ending.
23 comments:
It sounds like a perfect place for an energetic and inquisitive kid to grow up. I would have never guessed that is LBB in the picture: he's grown so much, he looks like you should change his pseudonym to Large Biker Teen.
Wow....he does look big! And I am so glad that things seem to be looking up for him. (and his sister? sending good thoughts to the universe for both of them.)
Ultimately, it is up to him. But you, and the young couple, are giving him a chance. That is all any of us get. I just hope the damage isn't too great. Sometimes, no matter how much we patch, the holes wear through anyway. But this kid has to know he is loved, for himself, without reservations. No matter what happens.
I'm glad he's with a supportive family and that you can still see him regularly. Thank you for updating us about him. And, like Susan, I think about his sister as well.
I'm so glad to hear such positive news about LBB -- it really does sound like the new couple/town is a great fit for him.
This is such good news.
Large Biker Teen, indeed. Its very sweet, though, that he can enjoy a RC car like a boy. Wish that you could tell us more, but respect the privacy of all. Wish the best to all.
This sounds wonderful. I hope it works out, for all of them.
WOW, he's HUGE!! Yeah, but Biker Teen should be enough, no? ;)
Thanks for letting us know more about him in spite of you officially not being pseudonymous anymore. I just WISH I could do the same. Sigh... I don't think my husband will ever agree to me shedding the semi-anonymity of my blog. Sigh...
I'm very grateful for the update. (I'm the person a while back who said I was reading for this story.) I will pray hard that this setting will work out for him.
What a wonderful thing to read. It's really great that he gets both to have a family and keep you in his life.
It is so heartening to read about Biker Boy's new life. He is indeed lucky to have a family and you and so many other people involved in his life in such positive ways. Any news on his sister?
I am so happy to read this. Every time I read about you making time for him I want to hug you. Maybe in the fall. Be forewarned.
I'm happy he's in a safe place with people who love him. It's beautiful that you've been such a steady presence in his life, contributing to a happy ending for him.
Happy to see that he's doing well. Any news about his sister?
I don't have anything new to report about Biker Boy's little sister, whom you all know as Ponytail. She is still living with her biological father.
I am so glad you are in Biker Boy's life. I'm so glad he's in a good place.
Thank you for this wonderful update on Biker Boy. I had been wondering how he is doing. Looks good, really good.
Thanks for giving us the ending/beginning of his story.
(smile)
so great to hear he is doing well, and with a loving family in a safe wonderful place.
This is very happy news.
Thankful.
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