Wanna Paint Pt. 02

DISASTER STRIKES AT HOME

Nearly ten weeks after their return from Charlotte, FedEx delivered a Letter-Pak to Di at the Beaufort Campus administrative reception desk. The listed FedEx sender was The Gifted Boarding School of New England. This gifted school was not known to Di, nor was she expecting any FedEx deliveries from them. She was busy working on several important Exception Program items, laying the FedEx package aside for the moment.

Di would read it later this evening at home since she was not expecting anything special. In her mind, the Letter-Pak was probably related to next year's Exception Program's gifted students' enrollment applications.

She could not have been more wrong as she finally opened the Letter-Pak to read it. Di uncontrollably screamed, "No, this cannot be happening," while bursting into tears. She immediately realized her involuntary error in screeching because Tarza, June, and Risse came tearing into the study, eyes bugging out.

Di sniffled, "This FedEx package was delivered to work today while I was busy, so I just now opened it. There is a letter from 'The Gifted Boarding School of New England.' It says that June's parents have enrolled her there for their next term, and representatives from the school are coming for June tomorrow."

Risse immediately began loudly crying, "Nobody can take my big sis June away from me!"

June was crying too as she picked Risse up, "I am not ever leaving you, li'l sis."

Tarza whispered, "Di, what are we going to do?"

Di firmly, "We are leaving for the gallery's upstairs apartment in thirty minutes, and do not tell anyone. Also, we cannot use our regular phones, and we must get going now. So everyone, grab all your cash and enough clothes for a week. We have a spare set of toiletries in the gallery apartment from Tarza and my staying there.

"We must swiftly buy unregistered prepaid burner phones until we get ourselves organized. We will set our entire home's emergency alarm and scanning device systems to the high alert status. I will inform the Duke Police Security office that the place is empty because we had an extreme personal emergency. I will ask them to double their regular patrols in this area, noting any suspicious activity near our bungalow."

The terrified girls were now at the gallery, with the entire upstairs interior cloaked in darkness. Di had spoken urgently with both Sam and Paisley. Sam and one of his trusted drivers were leaving Savannah for Beaufort within the hour.

Di added, "We must get a hold of Carl and grandmom Rosa, telling them what has happened and to pack for a week in Charlotte. Sam and his driver will take you three, plus Carl and Rosa, to Paisley's and Judy's place until I know what is happening."

Tarza and the girls had been crying for hours, pleading with Di to also come to Charlotte tomorrow morning. Di tried to explain she could best investigate this issue from Beaufort. So she needed to remain in the Duke community and learn the specific details of this Gifted School issue. Di did not have any kind of warning from June's parents or her Aunt Maryland about ending their three-year agreement of June living in Beaufort.

Basically, Di was royally ticked off at June's family. They treated her like dirty laundry, which you cast into the laundry basket at will. Alice and Jeff had not seen or hugged June in nearly three years and now pulled this crap. To them, June was more of a scientific commodity than a loved daughter.

Sam collected the distraught girls in the early morning and speedily took them over to Rosa's place, where they picked up her and Carl. Then Sam's driver took off for Charlotte on the most direct route while Tarza checked her burner phone every few minutes.

***

Maryland finally answered Di's burner phone, "What the hell is going on, Maryland? Did you know about this friggin' decision to ship June off to some BS boarding school in New England? I am not giving June up to anyone until you, or your sister Alice, tells me what the hell this is all about!"

Di ranted, "For fuck's sake, Maryland, I received a friggin' FedEx Letter-Pak, saying they were coming for June today. June is only thirteen years old, so she could be molested, raped, kidnapped, murdered, or sold into sex slavery. I do not know these people, and neither do you, so it will be a cold day in hell before they lay their paws on my June."

Maryland kept saying, "Di! Di! We only learned about this today, and Wanda is going off the rails. But my sister is June's mom and has the right to decide on June's schooling as a gifted child."

"Fuck your sister and her husband, Jeff, "continued Di. "They have not seen their daughter in three friggin' years. They do not even know her favorite color, music, or what makes June happy. Hell, they do not even realize she prefers the name June.

"If they want June to go to some New England Boarding school, then they fucking well better climb out of that Egyptian dirt-pit and onto an airplane to Charlotte.

"What the hell kind of parents would ship their thirteen-year-old daughter off to a school they have not personally inspected or people they have not even met? Alice and Jeff did not even have the decency to alert me, the person they once begged to care for their daughter."

Di disconnected without waiting for Maryland to respond. She was becoming more and more bombastic with this entire cluster-fuck. Luckily, none of June's bio-relatives were close by because it would not have been a pretty sight after Di raked them over the coals.

Di phoned Paisley again, "I am friggin' furious and probably should not talk to anyone else tonight. Sam and a driver are en route to Charlotte with Tarza, the girls, Carl, and his grandmom Rosa. They should arrive in the next two hours, and Sam will phone you just before they arrive. Tarza is using a burner phone, and the girls have removed their mobile phone batteries, just in case someone is tracking them.

"I will learn as much as possible from Maryland and Wanda and then speedily join the girls at your place in Charlotte. I just went ballistic on Maryland, which probably did not help much, but this crap is just madness.

"I am so happy that Tarza, June, Risse, and Carl will be with you and Judy for the next few days. You two can probably settle them down right now better than I can. They desperately need love tenderness and ice cream fresh from your freezer. Carl has always loved Risse, so having his grandmom Rosa there will also help calm him down."

Di added, "I alerted Ronnie from Renee's company, who previously agreed to help us should something like this happens. He has set up a 24-hour continuous surveillance scanning of our bungalow, viewing all entrances and access roads to us. He is sending copies of any attempted intrusions directly to you. I will stay undercover here at the gallery until leaving for Charlotte in one or two days.

"Ronnie is also setting up a diversion of our mobile phones' cell towers, so it appears that we are in NYC. I will maintain close contact with Ronnie until arriving in Charlotte, hopefully in two days."

Di continued, "I trust you, Paisley. I am very happy with our earlier plan naming the Law Firm-Charlotte as Guardian Ad Litem for the juvenile girls and Carl. I just can't wrap my head around what prompted June's parents to change their minds about her living with me for three years. But, in the end, they are her biological parents."

Paisley calmly, "Our position remains fixed. We will only turn June over to her parents here in Charlotte. They must sign a release of responsibility to you for the court record. I have reviewed the FedEx documents you emailed, and all of the New England Gifted School documents are unverifiable based on electronic signatures. Your agreement with June's parents has legally certified signatures which were witnessed and dated. So no family court judge will force you to give up documented parental custody responsibility for June using that New England Gifted School crap."

Paisley continued, "Once we have the Judge's approval and everything completed, you will agree to turn June over to them in a Mecklenburg or Carteret County NC-Family Court. Until that happens, we are asking the Judge to permit June's continued living in Beaufort so she can attend her classes. June is a registered Duke University Fuqua School of Business Exception student needing to complete her assigned courses.

"From that point forward, we just play it by ear since the ball is in June's parent's court. I feel that once this transfer of June hits the NC Family Court, June's parents will back off, as they declined your invite to The Beaufort Gallery Gala event."

Paisley's final comment, "I know that you are terribly upset, Di, but try to project calmness. Tarza and the girls are very sensitive and in tune with your mood. They love you dearly and are so close to you in spirit. You have always been the strong one, even with Tarza. So if those three beautiful souls see you sweating or coming unglued because of this debacle, they will lose all hope."

Di, "You are correct, Paisley, and I will try my best to stay calm. This situation has really thrown Tarza for a loop. Her mom, Wanda, is married to June's aunt, Maryland, which wholly personalizes this extremely sensitive issue. After the girls arrive in Charlotte later today, I will talk with you again."

***

Sam, Tarza, Carl and Rosa, June and Risse are now safely at Paisley's in Charlotte. So Di could now tear down walls to learn what the hell had happened with June's parents and Maryland's true feelings.

Di first spoke with Wanda, informing her that Tarza was taking this situation poorly. Their Charlotte Law Firm team insisted that Di be the only one to talk with any of June's relatives until they understood what was happening. Tarza should not ring her directly. Calls to their main cell phone numbers were being intercepted by a special device. They were then forwarded to a sophisticated ENC Electronic Security System.

Di was using a burner phone for all calls, including Tarza, who also had a burner phone, but only communicated directly with her. Di then asked to speak with Maryland.

Di opened up, "I apologize for my language and actions yesterday, but I was mad as hell. We had an agreement with June's parents, which you were completely aware of, and begged me to take June in. I had promised in writing to protect June's safety with my life if necessary.

"Yesterday, I received a FedEx pack that June was now enrolled in the Gifted Boarding School of New England. Someone from that school was arriving in Beaufort today and taking June back to the school. Do you really want me to give June to unknown people, who could molest, rape, murder her, and possibly sell her into White Slavery?"

Di now heating up again, "Are you people out of your friggin' minds? June is an innocent thirteen-year-old girl who could easily fall prey to drug-induced sex trafficking."

Maryland quietly replied, "I understand your anger Di. This situation has gotten way out of hand. I have not been able to reach my sister Alice or her husband Jeff for the past two days. What should we do?"

Di replied, "I packed Tarza, June, and Risse up last night, moving them to a safe and secret location. Only I can contact them through a specially arranged code. A prominent Law Firm is filing as the Guardian Ad Litem for June. That Law Firm is also filling for an Injunction Relief Order which will prevent The Gifted Boarding School or its representatives from any direct contact with June.

"The Law Firm requests that I continue having custody per the written agreement until June's parents petition the court directly to dissolve our original agreement. Only June's parents alone can take her out of NC. But they must first appear before an NC Family Court Judge."

Di added, "Maryland, I feel something suspicious is happening here. Do you know if this school first approached June's parents suggesting she be enrolled there?"

"Honestly, Di, I know very little of the details on what is happening here and was also completely stunned by this requested change in June's custody," replied Maryland.

Di sighed, "Okay, June's primary focus or interest has always been on traveling to Mars sometime in the future by her 25th birthday. She was very excited about Space X's newly projected Mars travel time of two and a half months versus the current seven-month flight time projections. But, June also felt that the Mars trip time could be further reduced to less than a month with the right propulsion booster and heat shield upgrades.

"She discussed quite a few of her Mars travel time theories at the Beaufort Grand Opening's two private sessions, which were open to anyone who signed up in advance. June has written or submitted articles to a few educational and scientific magazines, offering her theories on expedited Mar's travel time in thirty days or less.

"I fear some unscrupulous school or individual may be trying to access her Mars Travel theories for monetary gains. I will talk with June later tonight, asking her for updates on the Mar's project.

"June has responded wonderfully to blending fun things in her life while diligently using her superior gifted intellect. She has consistently adhered to our original 50/50 split on fun versus science. So Tarza and I now allow June total freedom in exploring her scientific curiosity. Heck, we probably wouldn't understand any of her advanced formulas anyway. June is now leading a balanced and happy life, which is why this new boarding school crap blew me away."

Di concluded, "Maybe this New England Gifted School is trying to gain control of June's scientific ideas for monetary reasons. They may even try to put her future patents in the school's name.

"Just think on this. June is already enrolled at Duke in the Exception Program. She is pre-accepted as a Matriculating Space Engineering Doctoral Student at fifteen. What would a friggin' New England Boarding school have to offer June that would be superior to a Ph.D. in Space Engineering from Duke University by her seventeenth birthday?

"I know I am grasping at straws on some of my concerns, Maryland. However, something just does not feel right about this fundamental change of plans by June's parents," Di concluded.

"Please keep my feelings on this issue confidential while I look further into this plausible theory. Just inform June's parents they must visit Charlotte, NC, ASAP. Also, please try to learn who initiated the first contact between them and The New England Gifted School."

Di phoned Maryland again the next day, telling her she was becoming increasingly wary of this situation with June and the gifted school. Her gut feeling was that there was something really off with this New England Gifted School. Also, Sam agreed and asked two of his former military team members to investigate their background.

An ENC Electronic Security Specialist from Charlotte was linked to their bungalow's home security system immediately after Di received the FedEx-Pak. The electronic eavesdropping specialist, Ronnie, worked for a company connected to MCsee, who was the Gallerist for Gallery's By Sam @ Charlotte. Ronnie was also the gallery's security and electronics consultant, which was approved by his company's President, Renee, MCsee's wife.

Ronnie had been scanning their bungalow 24 hours daily, sending reports directly to the Law Firm.

Ronnie's most recent electronic surveillance report noted that two male strangers visited her place twice earlier that day. They seemed quite agitated when no one answered the door. Di had been staying at the gallery's upstairs apartment for the last two days to appease Sam, Tarza, and the girls. Now, with Ronnie's report, she was very happy for deciding to totally avoid her home since this gifted school crisis started.

It appeared that the two males were there to physically collect June for the New England Gifted School. Di had also shared Ronnie's report with Sam and the Duke University Police. There was no way in hell Di would have let them take June.

Neither Sam nor the Duke Police liked the tenor of these two guys, insisting Di leave Beaufort immediately while they investigated them further. So Sam hastily sent one of his trusted art couriers to the Beaumont gallery for her.

Di was now in Charlotte with Tarza, their girls, Carl, and grandmom Rosa. They all would remain safely in Charlotte for the next few days. Maryland still had not spoken directly with her sister and brother-in-law, so nothing was new there. Maryland agreed with Di to protect June until she talked with her sister Alice about June's safety.

Tarza and Di stayed with Renee and MCsee while in Charlotte. June, Risse, Carl, and grandmom Rosa camped out at Paisley and Judy's place. Of course, Mooch and the twins were Johnny on the spot after learning June and Risse were at their grandmas.

Sam, a retired high-ranked career military officer, had asked his old war buddies to look into this Gifted School of New England. Their response was clearly not positive, but there was no Smoking Gun to any blatantly illegal wrongdoing such as tax evasion, illicit drug connections, or white slavery.

However, there certainly were Red Flags. Several parents had reportedly removed their children from this school over the past three years, complaining of harsh treatment. Also, serious complaints and grumbling about unusually high non-related or hidden costs that were assessed after they registered their child(ren). Most of his ex-military buddies were absolute in stating they would never send any of their children to this particular school.

Wanda and Maryland finally checked in, saying they were unsure when June's parents would return to the USA for a court hearing. They also sent a Certified Document prepared by an Attorney friend from Duke Law School. Maryland, June's Biological Aunt, fully supported June's current custody arrangements of living with Di as her guardian and the Law Firm as Guardian Ad Litem.

The Law Firm met with the Family Court Judge, presenting to her all the various documents and their summary opinion. The Judge agreed with the Law Firms recommendation. In addition, she wanted to personally speak with June alone. The Law Firm also provided the Family Court with Di's regular travel schedule as an Associate Dean working on two separate Duke Campuses.

The Law Firm recommended that the Family Court's temporary ruling expressly allows June to travel with Di and Tarza anywhere in NC. But they could not take her out of state, such as to Di's parent's home in Memphis.

Finally, the Duke Psychology Department's report wholly endorsed June remaining in Di's care until her parents appeared before the Judge. June had really come into her own after more than 22 months with Di, Risse, and Tarza. She was no longer socially awkward or ill at ease in group communications.

But more Amazing was that June's 'Gifted Testing Parameters' had astronomically increased in the past two years, now being literally off the chart. Their professional reasoning for the dramatic change was that June's life was now in a happy place, and she was emotionally at peace.

DIANE (DI) AND TARZA GET ENGAGED

Di and Sam continued investigating The Gifted Boarding School, but without very much enthusiasm. June was safe and fully in Di's custody until her parents appeared before the Family Court Judge. No one, including Di, Tarza, or Maryland, could take June out of state since a Judicial Family Court Injunctive Relief Order had been issued.

June's parents had tentatively scheduled a visit to the USA in three months. Due to their delayed USA travel, Jeff and Alice sent a certified document to the Mecklenburg County Family Court via FedEx. Both parents agreed in principle for June to live with Di until she was legally an adult.