Grow Down

Chapter 7
The Last, Greatest, and LONGEST Chapter.

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Chapter Description: This is a public broadcasting announcement. Please note that the summaries in this story have very little to do with the actual plot of the story. Thank you and enjoy your day :-).

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C7

Joseph Baron was completely lost in the city of Philadelphia. He couldn’t find any of the probable thousands of bus stops in Philadelphia, only because neither Joseph Baron nor Joey Baron had any idea were to look for them.

As a matter of fact, the two of them weren’t so sure about where to find Syrus, the only thing they knew what were he would be. He just didn’t know how to get there.

“Excuse me sir, can you help me find the Constitution Center? ” Joey desperately asked another man who passed him by, treating Joey like a parasite that would latch on to him and never let go should he respond. This had been happening to Joey all day long. For the City of Brotherly Love, no one was acting very brotherly to a lost, hungry eight year old boy. Nevertheless, Joey continued onward, even though he had no other choice.

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“Vere could he be? Vere on God’s Earth could the boy be?”

“Helga, if I knew, I promise I would tell you!”

“But, he is lost!”

“Helga I know!”

“He’s probably being hungry!”

“Helga,”

“He’s probably being cold and scared!”

“Helga,”

“He’s probably dirty and,”

“HELGA! I know! Thank god!” Robbert was overjoyed that the phone rang and freed him from Helga’s whining,”

“Robbert? Its Mrs. Regnoff.”

“Oh, what is it”

“I felt that I should inform you that I may know where Syrus is,”

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It was nightfall when Joey finally wandered in front of the Constitutional Center. The building was still opened, but people begrudgingly walking in and out of it at random intervals. Tired from his trip around the city, Joey dragged himself into the building.

It was nothing more then a tourist center. Angry fathers screamed at the clerks behind the courtesy desk, while real children begged their parents for cheap souvenirs. Joey wandered over to someone in a uniform.

“Can you tell me where Independence Hall is?” Joey asked in his best puppy dog voice.

“Why would a kid like you need to know?” The man looked at Joey suspiciously. Thinking fast, Joey replied, “I don’t wanna hear Papa yell anymore,” and to follow it up, Joey pointed over in the direction of the screaming man. This got the employee’s attention. No employee feels like hearing customers yell.

“Oh, alright, Its right across the street. Over there,”

“Thanks mister!” and with that, Joey pretending to rejoin his family.

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Joey made in inside Independence Hall quickly, something Joseph could never have done. The landmark was surrounded by a 1600s-style iron fence. These types of fences are extremely difficult to scale, but all Joey had to do was get down on all fours and crawl through a large gap in the fence. It looked like some tourist was angry about some tourist tragedy and kicked the fence extremely hard, enough to move the pole a few inches to let Joey’s tiny frame slip in.

“Where would Syrus go?” Joey pondered aloud. He thought back to what Syrus told him in the sandbox.

“It looks just like the skyline! You can even see Independence Hall! Thats my favorite place to go, and I’ve always wanted to see the wall where they pulled the map out of in ’National Treasure’!”

Joey was already up a story of stairs.

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“Vhat is it know?” Helga was extremely flustered. She couldn’t believe that Joey would hike miles and miles to Center City Philadelphia just to find someone. It was completely out of Joseph’s character. She couldn’t think of anything else as she opened the front door.

“Hello, Helga, is Joey home?”

“Nope, ve he running about the city looking for the boy Syrus!”

“He’s running around looking for me?”

“Yes! He be running around looking for you! No, leave me alone I am being late!” And with that, Helga slammed the door shut in Syrus Scisalee’s face.

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Joey sat on the roof top of Independence Hall, waiting carefully. Although Syrus wasn’t here, Joey had a strong feeling that this was were he should be. The moonlight shone done onto Joey, and it kept him company. Joey didn’t like the dark, and Joseph hated as all the stars in the sky seemed to slowly be going out.

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“Ok, so one down, one to go!” Robbert said as Helga and Syrus joined him and Ms. Regnoff in one of the house’s many parlor rooms.

“Yes, but were could the Mr. Baron be?” Helga asked.

“Syrus, Joey went out looking for you, you didn’t tell him anywhere you liked to go, did you?”

“Mm, I don’t think so,” Syrus said as he took a generous sip from a mug of hot chocolate that he helped Helga prepare.

“Think, Joseph Baron wouldn’t have run off without a plan, even if Joey Baron wanted to go. There must have been some place,”

“What do you mean, Joey and Joseph? Aren’t they both Joey?”

“Well, Syrus, Joey was an adult, Joseph Baron. He ran an entire company before this accident.”

“Mr. Baron, you mean the crabby man that Ms. Regnoff asked for money? He can’t be Joey! Joey’s nice!”

“So you’ve met Joseph Baron? Well, yes, Helga and I have noticed that too. He’s a lot nicer as a little kid. Joseph Baron wouldn’t have run out to find you like that, you know,”

“Really?”

“Yep,” A long pause endured after that statement. After Syrus finished his coco, Helga brought the mug into the kitchen. Out of nowhere, Syrus yelled, “I know where he is!”

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At midnight, Syrus, Helga, and Robbert were sitting around Joey in a hospital room. The annoyingly calm beep of machines was sounding off. Everyone that was conscience in the room was worried.

“Ah, Robbert, so very good ti meet you,” a doctor with a silver hair and an abundance of facial hair said as he walked into the room. His name badge read ’Dr. Hinderly’, and he was carrying a clip board.

“Does Joseph have a verdict?”

“No, he hasn’t been home,”

“We need an answer. The seizure that knocked him out was a sign that his brain is shutting down.”

“What do you expect me to do?”

“Wake him up,”

“Wha,”

“I’ll record everything he says with this,” he motioned to a tape recorder on an unnoticed table.

“Alright,” Robbert walked over to Joey. While he was sleeping, he looked so cute and adorable, nothing like Robbert had remembered him. Robbert whispered to Joey, “Hey sport, its time to wake up for a little while.”

Joey opened his eyes slowly, adjusting to the artificial light of the room. A white blur walked over and spoke.

“Joseph,”

“Joey,”

“Joey, then,” Joey heard scribbling, “As you know, the chemicals you were drenched in regressed your body, but not your mind. Because of this, your mind is in a frenzy. It doesn’t know what age to be, so the stress of switching back and forth is slowly destroying you. You must tell me if you want to be a grownup or a little boy,” Joey closed his eyes for a few minutes. Robbert thought he had fallen asleep. Just as Robbert was going to slightly nudge him, his eyes opened again,”

“I wanna stay little,” Dr. Hinderly scribbled on his pad some more and adjusted his microphone.

“Why?”

“’Cause, when I’m little *cough*, people like me. When I was big, I was mean and nasty and people were mean and nasty back. I like having friends,” with this, he glanced over to Syrus, Robbert, and Helga, but mostly Syrus, “And I like having fun and learning I good at things besides hurting people,”

“Taking this drug will make you forget you were an adult,”

“Will I have to go back to school?”

Puzzled by this question, D. Hinderly replied slowly, “Yes.”

“Can it be a public school?” I don’t wanna be Home Schooled again.” Robbert chuckled to himself at this. Joey did always loathe his mentor.

“Yes, if your guardian says alright.”

“Can Syrus live with us?”

“As adoption?” Syrus’ eyes gleamed as Robbert said ’adoption’.

“Yes, again if your guardian says alright,”

“Ok, I have one last question,”

“Yes.”

“Can they be my guardians?” Joey pointed straight at Helga and Robbert. Everyone in the room except sleepy-eyed Joey was shocked.

“If, if they want, but you know that would put them in charge of all your assets,”

“Doctor, they’ve always been in charge of my assets, this just makes it theirs too,”

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Epilogue

After the operation, Joey acted like a normal, eight year old boy. For the most part. memories of his former life would traditionally pop up only in class. Sometimes Joey would know the answers to questions without being sure why. But anyone who compared Joseph Baron when he was eight to Joey Baron now would tell you they were two completely different boys.

Robbert took over Joseph’s companies, leading them with both compassion and an iron fist.

Helga learned to speak with a greatly reduced German accent with Robbert’s help. The two married each other for love six months latter.

Syrus, along with Joey, were adopted by Helga and Robbert. He and Joey are easily the best of friends.

Ms. Regnoff was fired from her job at the orphanage for negligence towards the children. The orphanage was torn down, and reopened next to the Baron Manor. Helga now runs it, meaning Joey and Syrus visit everyday.

Last, and definitely least, the bagger and cashier still work at ACME.

END

 

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