Our Boys

The Bath Time

"Well, what d'you think?" JJ stepped aside, allowing his friend, brother and son to view his old storage room.

The three stood speechless with amazement. Tobi was the first to break the silence.

"I had no idea the floor was that colour."

Cal fought to keep a straight face as he spoke next. "And when did you get that desk? Or was it here all the time, just buried under that mountain of junk?"

"Now c'mon guys, let my bro have his moment of pride." Deji said with a hint of laughter. "After all, he and Simon have been living here for well over three years. Things are bound to clutter."

"Clutter. Grow. Breed. Multiply." Tobi said with a cheeky grin at his papa, as he paced around the room, running his finger tips across flat surfaces and then checking them for dust.

"Look, I didn't invite you fools up to laugh. I need you to look around and make sure I didn't miss anything."

"You mean like this?" Tobi was standing near the corner of the room, holding up a pair of very tight white briefs between the thumb and forefinger of his right hand.

"Yes!" JJ lunged across the room and snatched the underwear from Tobi, who had a disgusted look on his face.

Cal and Deji just burst out laughing and JJ narrowed his eyes at them.

"Look! Just walk around and make sure that there's nothing in this house that's not suitable for two seven year olds. Okay?"

"Relax bro." Deji gave him a slap on the shoulder. "That's what we're here for." Taking charge of the mission, he quickly gave out orders. "Cal, you take the kitchen. Tobi you seem to be doing a good job in here so I'll take the other bedrooms."

"What about ...?" The three did not let JJ finish.

"Oh no, you're on your own for the bathroom."

JJ sank into a chair as the three began their inspection of the home. It was kind of stupid to be worrying so much about the state of the place when it was already checked for Tobi, but he couldn't help but worry. Ethan and Josh's social worker was due to arrive in just one hour to interview him and Simon as the former child's possible foster parents. JJ thought the first time had been terrifying but this time was just as, if not more scary. He had been over the moon but extremely surprised when Tobi's adoption had been approved because really, him and Simon didn't know what they were doing, they were just two twenty two year old guys who wanted to try and help.

"Mr JJ! Mr JJ! Look at what I found under my bed!" The seven year old child who's future home was in question, shouted as he ran up to the worried man.

"Oh! What is that? A rat?" Deji looked as if he was about to swipe at it but JJ was quick to wave him off.

"Relax bro, it's just another clump of dust and...other stuff." JJ took the disgusting mess from the child and carried it to the bin in the kitchen.

"I've never seen dust grow that big."

"Oh, I found some lots bigger." Ethan grinned as he wiped his hands on what might have been a once clean t-shirt. "I'm a 'fessional dust snatcher."

Cal caught the tail end of the conversation and had to ask, "Dust snatcher?"

"Yeah! Mr JJ say's I'm just the right size cause I can fit under all the furniture. I crawl in with a torch and a special catching glove and scoop'em up." Ethan turned a beaming smile on his mentor. "And I get paid twenty pence for every one so this makes..." He had to think about it a moment. "Twenty pence eight times."