CHAPTER 28
Once inside the social hall, the Allan family split up. Ma and Nancy gathered with some of the other women in a corner. Pa joined the other local businessmen at the bar. Eddy stood alone at the front door looking for anywhere else to go. His friend Ebenezer Burling, or New for short, waved him over. 
 “Hey Poe. How are you?”
 “Well, I made it through another sermon. So there’s that,” he smirked.
 “I thought dregs of humanity like you weren’t allowed in a house of worship,” joked Nez. 
“Are you kidding?” Preston jumped in. “The churched was created for sinners. Eddy just has them working overtime.” 
“Very funny,” Eddy said. “Burling, you dog. I could say the same for you. You haven’t been in church for a fortnight. Do tell us how you get out of it.”
 “Let’s just say I embellished my constitution,” Ebenezer was a terrible actor. “And made adequate use of my flatulance. Mother kept me out of school for a week,” he took a bow.  
“You’re disgusting.”
“Ah, yes, but also triumphant!” 
 “Ah, yes. Your school,” Preston jumped in. “And how goes life at that sad excuse for an academy?” 
 “Quite good, actually,” Burling retorted. “And it’s a fine school thank you very much. Much more practical than you Clarke snobs would ever care to admit. Anyhow, now that it’s summer, you lucky bastards get to have me all to yourselves.”
Another boy, Nat Howard joked,  “You mean you get to be seen with us.” 
“Speaking of which,” Eddy changed the subject, “Now that it’s summer, what say we all meet up at the swimming hole again? I vote for Victor’s Mill.”
“I second that. Everyday!” Nez agreed.
 “Well, actually,” Eddy continued. “I can’t go everyday. I have to clerk at Pa’s shop, and then— you know that boy I tutored? His parents asked me to teach him to swim this summer.” 
Eddy never uttered anything about spending time with the boy’s mother, Jane. 
 “Ah, yes,” Ebenezer said. “… and the student becomes the teacher. You do know, that I taught this dandy to swim, didn’t you boys?” 
 “Please,” Eddy insisted. “I can swim laps around the old toad now.”
 He grabbed a chunk of Ebenezer’s belly fat in jest.   
Jack Preston made a suggestion. “No worries Eddy. Bring the kid along.”
The friends agreed to trade in their riverside hideout for a summer watering hole. Slowly, each boy was pulled away from the group by their families when Eddy spotted his foster father talking with Mr. Ellis, and a squatty looking stranger at the bar. 
Unbelievable, he thought, but before he could disappear into the crowd John saw him and called him over. 
Eddy knew the church service wasn’t John Allan’s focus each week. It was business was. [4].
 “Hello Eddy,” said Mr. Ellis. 
“Hello, Mr. Ellis. Pleasure to see you as always, Sir.”
“My goodness, look at you, boy! You’re nearly as tall as me now. How old are you?”
“He’ll be fourteen in January,” John Allan cut in before Eddy had a chance to answer. He turned to the stranger with them. 
“Mr. Covey, I’d like you to meet my son, Edgar [5].”
“Yes, yes,” the man said. I see the resemblance.”
“Oh, I highly doubt that,” John scoffed. “You see, Edgar is not of my own blood. Tragic story really. Do you recall the actress, Eliza Poe?”
“No. The theater is for women.” 
Eddy tensed up. I hate this guy.
“Well, I wouldn’t exactly agree with that,” said John, placating the potential new client while calming Eddy with a squeeze to the shoulder. Eddy’s fist relaxed.
“You see, Mr. Covey, Eliza Poe was Eddy’s biological mother. She was quite the starlet of the stage. Sadly, she was already a widow, and so when Ms. Poe fell ill, some of our local patrons of the arts, including my dear wife, insisted upon saving the orphaned children. Having no children of our own, we took in young Edgar here. He is the son we have always hoped for.” 
John smiled down at the boy, as if he was proud of his sincere, yet vainglorious act of charity. Eddy countered with a forced smile. Factual or not, he hated the way his foster father told the story. But he also knew it was best to remain quiet on the topic. There was a measure of love between he and Pa, who had once been an orphan himself. Eddy smiled and channeled hours of etiquette training for moments just like this.  
“It’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Mr. Covey, and what brings you to Richmond?” He really couldn’t care less.  
Sensing Eddy’s subtle mockery, John Allan jumped in.
“Mr. Covey comes to us all the way from Maryland. He is visiting Richmond to survey our—” he searched for the right words- “Our Peculiar Institution, isn’t that right, Sir, and as such Ellis & Allan are only happy to be at your service.”
Eddy tried to decipher the euphemism. 
Our Peculiar Institution? What the devil does that mean? 
But the squatty man spoke before he could ask.
 “Yes,” spouted the stranger whose voice was as gravely as his face. “I was just learning about the inventory offered at Ellis & Allan. Quite intriguing I must say.” 
Eddy winced at the baffling joke while Pa and Mr. Ellis offered polite chuckles. Always on his game, John quickly changed the subject. 
 “Eddy plans on joining the family business this summer, isn’t that right, son?” 
 “Something like that,” he replied, unconvincingly. 
The three older men dove back into a previous conversation about rates, delivery fees, and other business drivel that made Eddy want to throw up.  He managed to peel away from his foster father’s grip and leave the bar. 
Money, money, money he thought as he walked away. 
Eddy wove his way through the crowd, and headed for the heavy double doors leading out of the social hall. 
The rush of fresh air felt wonderful on his cheeks. From the landing he looked up and down the deserted street, everyone in this part of town observing the Sabbath. 
Eddy took a seat halfway down the stoop and began to study the mangled shape of his shadow as it spilled down the stairs below.  Suddenly, the door behind him opened. The sound of a dozen conversations escaped into the ether as a second, smaller, shadow appeared next to his own.