An Inheritance?

After a few days Travis noticed Joe seemed to disappear for hours at a time, he didn’t care just thought it a bit odd.

"Getting used to farm life?" Travis asked one evening after dinner.

"Not so sure about farm life Travis, countryside is nice though." Joe Sweeny stretched in the rocking chair on the side porch. "You seem to like it…taken to it like a duck to water."

"Too right, I think I’ve found the right place to settle." Travis lit a cigarette. "So what are your plans…got anything going yet?"

Joe smiled slowly, "soon Travis…soon…just waiting on a phone call."

An hour later Travis got a phone call, the firm investigating his sister’s whereabouts had a hot lead. "What are you telling me Frank…you’ve found her?"

"Not exactly Travis but she’s in the country…came through customs last night, we’re close on it Travis."

"Came in from where?" Travis asked.

"United States…that’s all I know right now but I’ll keep you posted."

Travis debated whether to say anything to his parents yet…best to wait until he knew where she was no sense getting them all excited until he knew what was going on with her.

By ten o’clock the next morning Travis was in Sydney, he’d gotten another phone call from Frank; his sister had been admitted to hospital.

"I’m sorry Mr. McGee…she was just too far gone…there was nothing we could do." Travis was stunned. The woman in the hospital bed they’d shown him in no way resembled the bright eyed sister he remembered. She couldn’t have weighed more than ninety pounds hardly a ghost of herself. Drugs they said…years of abuse…her heart gave out.

"I’ll have to call my parents and see what arrangements they’ll want to make." He turned to go and was stopped by a woman in a suit.

"Mr. McGee…there’s the child."

"Child what child?"

"She had a child, he’s in the next room down the hall…if you’ll follow me sir."

Travis stood in the doorway looking at a slightly built boy sitting on the side of a bed, his long hair covered over half his face which was tilted down toward the game boy he held in his hand, his fingers working furiously over the buttons.

"Boy…I’m Travis McGee your mama’s little brother." The boy did not acknowledge him in anyway.

"Excuse me…I’m speaking to you…what’s your name?"

The boy mumbled something not looking up or stopping his fingers. There was a girl sitting in a chair beside the bed and she spoke up.

"I have his papers here Mr. McGee, passport, birth certificate and his school records. His name is…Thursday McGee."

"What…what the hell kind of name is that for a boy?"

"It’s the day of the week I was born." He mumbled

"Does he speak English?" Travis asked the woman

"He’s American Sir."

Travis walked over and squatted down in front of the boy, "look here I ain’t calling you Thursday you hear that…from now on your name is Tee, Tee McGee…got a nice sound to it don’t you think?"

Travis turned to the woman in the suit, "I can just take him with me?"

"There will be some papers to sign but with proper identification…yes sir as his next of kin."

Travis stood up and looked back at the boy and shook his head…what the hell was he going to do with a kid?