A Second Chance II
Chapter 2
By Tickie
©Tickie
Editor: Radio Rancher
Co-Editor: HetepHamaMeret
I spoke, calmly. I didn't want to alarm Colt, but, I was a little concerned, I said, "What man in the office? There were only Mike and I in there with you!"
Colt said, "The man in the picture!"
"I'm sorry, but, what picture do you mean, son? There are several pictures, in the office." I was wondering, what in the world was going on.
"Come here sir... sorry, I mean, JC." Colt took off, like a shot, out of the kitchen, on a dead run, toward my office, and turned on the lights again, then he ran up to the portrait of Charlie, pointing at it, he panted out, "That's the man! Right there! Only he was a little younger, looking, than he is there, I think." Then he ran over to the mantle, and said, here he is again, in this picture. He pointed to the picture of James and Charlie, as they stood in front of the ranch house, with Casper Mountain in the background.
Mike and I were right on his tail, as he entered the office. I was following Mike, and when Colt pointed at the portrait, Mike stopped so fast, that I ran right into him, knocking him to his knees. I said, "Oh, I'm sorry, my love!" What else could I say, I was in pure shock, and Mike was not in much better shape.
Colt looked at us and laughed. He said, in his best Urkle voice, "Did I do that," I lost it right then and there and burst into laughter. "Who is he anyway?" He asked.
I spoke saying, "Son, that is Charlie, someone that helped all of us tonight, right now, I need a little while to sort it out, is that alright with you, son?" I hoped he wouldn't push it more, because I was about ready to start bawling, out loud, and Mike was not in much better shape. "I promise you, Colt, I will explain everything, and when I do, you will understand why it is so difficult for me and Mike, right now. There is one more thing I want to tell you, and that is, that neither of us will ever lie to you. No matter what happens, we will always tell you the truth, as best we know it."
"Ok sir... sorry, JC" He looked at me with those big beautiful deep, brown eyes of his, and said, "JC is a funny name, can I just call you pop?"
That did it, I burst out crying, then Mike came up to me, held me, close, and whispered into my ear, "Hold up now, love. Colt and I both need you, right now."
"You can call me pop, if you like, son. You have no idea, how wonderful that makes me feel, for you to want to call me that." God! How could anyone, with a heart beating inside them, beat that cute little boy so badly. "But right now, how's about us going back into the kitchen and filling that empty tummy of yours."
"Ok!" he said, as he ran back to the kitchen with Mike in tow.
Mike started getting the hot chocolate ready, and dishing up a good size slice of apple pie for each of us. As he did so, he asked Colt, "Son, what is your full name?"
Colt replied, "Running Colt Johnson."
"What a nice name son." Was my reply, then I asked him, "How old are you now?"
"12, almost 13." he stammered looking at Mike, then at me.
I thought, geez! He is so small for being that old. Someone really mistreated him, badly. Mike looked at me, as if to say, what the hell did they do to him? I just nodded my head in response to Mike.
"Where do you live, son?" He looked at me as if I had just branded him with a hot poker. He didn't answer me; he just stared at the wall behind me. "Come on son, please, let us help you. You really need to tell me. Colt, this is very important. I promise you, that we will not take you back to the... and I use the word loosely... person, that hurt you like this, ever! I need for you to know that I will never let anyone harm you again! You have my solemn word on that."
"I live in Riverton" he sheepishly replied. "I love you!" he blubbered.
"Is that where your mom and dad live?" Again, he stared off into space, not responding, then started crying, in earnest. I took him into my arms and held him tightly; I gently rubbed his back as I rocked him back and forth. Saying, "Its ok son, no one will ever hurt you again." I was trying, so very hard to comfort him, he just sobbed saying, "I don't know where my mom is. I don't even know if she is alive. My dad told me she was dead." When he said the word, dad, he trembled and spat the word out like he had just tasted something rotten. Then he cried even harder, I kissed him on the forehead, as I continued to hold him close to me. He sniffled and caught his breath, "Then he kicked me out when he found out..." He stopped in mid sentence, and would not say any more.
Mike spoke up and asked, "How about eating that pie, now, son? There is plenty more, where that came from." Mike was trying very hard, to cheer up the boy. I was being the bad guy, in our version of 'good cop bad cop', trying to find out as much as I could from him.
It was getting late now, and all of us were tired, I think I was, probably, more tired, than anyone else, since I had been in Germany this morning, what with the jet lag, and now all this... My 50-year-old bones were starting to tell on me. I told Colt that Mike and I needed to fix up his room.
He said, "My room? You mean I get a room for myself?" He looked shocked as he stared at Mike and me.
"Of course you do!" I said.
"Ok, I just can't believe how good you are to me." Colt said.
Mike and I went to the guest room, which was already made up, and was always ready for guests who might stop by. "I just want to talk in private with Mike for a bit. Is that ok?"
"Sure, go ahead," he said. We walked across to our room. I then quietly asked Mike, "Love, do you want to try and keep him?" I thought I knew the answer, but wanted to be, very sure of it, before ever saying anything to Colt.
"Of course, I want to try! Isn't that what we have always wanted?" Mike replied.
"Yes, but we still don't know everything yet, and there are more questions than there are answers. God, I still can't believe that Charlie had anything to do with this, but, they did say they would be watching over us."
Mike said, "It's so hard to not believe it, love, with Colt telling us, about him, and then pointing him out, so niftily. I mean, after all, he is so sure of himself, how could anyone not believe him?"
"You know love, when Charlie and I committed to each other, and we saw James in the clouds, over Casper Mountain, and then when you and I, committed to each other, and saw the two of them, in the clouds, and now this? I just know they are there, watching over us. I can feel it in my heart and soul."
"I do too, my love. I am positive that, it's meant to be. That is all I can say about it, right now."
We looked up to see Colt standing in the doorway of the guestroom staring at the big room we had all been standing in. Then he said, "Do I have to sleep in this big room all by myself tonight, I am so scared, that my Dad will come and try to... get me."
"Why would your dad come after you, son? Didn't he kick you out of the house?" I was wondering where this was going, now.
"He did this to me a couple other times before, when he got drunk, and if I didn't do something exactly the way he thought I should, he would punish me." He touched his bruised abdomen, and looked into my eyes. "And when I ran away, then, he came after me, and beat me some more."
My God, what and asshole he is. I thought to myself. Looking at Mike and shaking my head in disgust. Mike took hold of Colt's hand, and led him into our room.
Mike said, "Son, would you like to sleep with us tonight, in that big bed over there?" I smiled at him, and pointed to our king-size bed.
Colt first looked at Mike, then at me, and his eyes widened, then he said, "You two sleep in the same bed?"
I thought to myself, Oh shit, what did we just do. I looked at Mike and said, "You field that one, smart ass." Breaking into a chuckle.
Mike looked at me, and then turned to face Colt, and started telling him. "Son, JC and I are, well, kind of married, do you know what it is to be Gay?" He looked at Colt for his reaction.
Colt looked down at his feet for a few seconds, and then, talked to his toes saying, "Yes, sort of, that's why my dad kicked me out of the house, and beat me, with his belt this morning."
"What?!" I said, having to control my voice so as not to scare him.
"Sorry sir, if you don't want to keep me here, I can go back to town, I can walk back."
I just reached out and grabbed him into a big bear hug, and said, "You have nothing to be sorry for, Colt, nothing at all." I thought, for a few seconds, then I said, "Are you telling me that you are Gay?"
"Ye... yes sir, sorry, Pop" You could see the terror in his eyes.
I looked at Mike, winked at him, and said, "Let's take this rag-a-muffin, here, and put him in the middle of that bed in there, and snuggle up with him, ok?"
"Sounds to me, like, that could be a lot of fun." Mike chuckled, and smiled at Colt. Then pulled up the covers, on the bed so he could slide under them. "How about it, Colt, would you like to snuggle, with us tonight?"
Colt didn't say a word. I think perhaps, he was not sure if we were serious. He just ran over to the bed and jumped into the middle, sweats and all, but who the heck, cared? He got the most beautiful smile on his face, I don't think, to this day; I have ever seen a more beautiful smile. "Sure, I would love to, if it's ok with you two?"
I looked at Colt, smiled a very wide smile of my own, and said, "Doesn't look like we have a choice, anymore, does it Mike? not that I would want it any other way," I got undressed to my underwear, and then got in bed, next to him, giving him a little tickle on his tummy.
Mike undressed to his jockeys, and slid in next to Colt, giving him a little tickle under his arms, saying, "I don't like bed hogs now, oink, oink." Colt rolled over to each of us, in turn, and gave us each a loving kiss on the cheek and hugged us, then he lay back in the middle, putting his arms out, to each of us, closed his eyes, and slowly drifted off to sleep.
I awoke in the morning, to the smell of fresh coffee brewing, and the shaking of my shoulder by a little munchkin, in the middle of the bed saying, "Pop, I need to go to the bathroom, please." I rolled over to see a pair of deep dark brown eyes staring at me, and just a little farther over were a pair of sleepy eyes trying to wipe the sand out of them. So I moved enough for Colt to slide out of bed, and head for the bathroom, in the guest room. As soon as he left, I rolled over and said, "Good morning my love, so much for our lovemaking on my first night home. Guess we will have to do with a good morning kiss until later." then I leaned over and gave Mike a peck on the lips.
"Is that all I get?" He looked at me like a scolded puppy.
"Well, my dear sweet angel, our love making got sort of side tracked last night, by Charlie, and our beautiful bundle of joy." I kept thinking how silly that sounded, but how true it was. "Remind me to have a talk with him about that, will you Mike?" smiling at him. "Now let's get up before Julie finds our run-a-way munchkin."
Mike asked, "Do I have to, love?" as he slowly, got out of the bed, yawned, and headed for the bathroom.
I put on my robe, and a pair of flip-flops, and headed out to the kitchen, finding Julie making breakfast. I spoke to her, smiling, "Good morning Julie, we have an extra mouth to feed this morning."
She looked at me with a knowing grin saying, "I know you have a little person here somewhere, I found some nasty clothes in the washroom."
"You didn't wash them did you? I hope not, those will be evidence." I hope I didn't scare her.
"Evidence of what?" She asked, looking puzzled at me.
"Well let me explain what happened last night, after you left." I explained everything that happened. I even told her about what Colt had said about Charlie dropping him on the front porch. She was so happy for us, but upset with any parent doing what that bastard had done to a child. Then Mike came into the kitchen with a rug rat under his arm.
Mike spoke saying, "Julie this little munchkin is Colt, he will be staying here for a while, and maybe a lot longer, if we can arrange it."
Julie reached out for the boy with her hands, gesturing for him to come to her. Colt looked at Mike then at me, looking for approval. Mike just gave him a little push and he was in her arms, getting a great big grandmotherly hug from her, and a kiss on the forehead. She said, "Welcome son, what would you like for breakfast?"
Colt said, "Really? I have a choice?" he was smiling from ear to ear. Then he said, "Could I have pancakes, with butter and syrup, please."
"I think I can arrange that for you, honey." She replied, smiling with that smile that only a grandma can smile. "Colt, honey, I would like you to come over here for a minute, please."
She sat down, picked Colt up, and sat him on her lap. She hugged him to her stomach, and said, "I know you haven't had a very happy life, so far, but I have a very strong feeling that from now on, all that is going to change, for the better. I love you, already, and I have only just met you. These two guys, have known you since last night, so they have had a lot longer time to fall in love with you. I can see in their faces that they have done just that, and once you have been loved by one or both of them, there is no going back. It is for life. I know that for a fact. Colt smiled, a tentative little smile at first, but then he simply beamed. All the tension seemed to leave his face and he had the biggest brightest smile I had ever seen on anyone. I think he was finally beginning to believe that his luck was changing for the better. He had somehow accepted the fact that we all loved him unconditionally. There were no ifs ands or buts to it, we all simply loved him completely. "Hey!" he finally said, "I'm starved, can we have breakfast now?"
We all sat down to have pancakes, syrup, and lots of fresh squeezed orange juice for everyone, and, hot coffee, for us grown ups, and a huge glass of milk, for Colt. Colt looked at my cup of coffee, and asked if he could please have some too. I said to Julie, I think he is growing up. I think it would be ok for him to have one cup of coffee. We will see just how hyper the caffeine makes him. If it causes him to be too flipped out, we can try some decaffeinated coffee, next time. I asked Mike to call Chuck and tell him we would be bringing in Colt, for a check up, as soon as we could get there. I called Larry and told him we needed him as soon as he could get to the ranch, but not to exceed the speed limit, coming out here. I knew he would have been doing 100 miles and hour or more, if I didn't tell him not to. We all got ready for our trip to town,
Colt still dressed in the oversized sweats asked, "Pop do I have to wear these clothes?" looking at both Mike and me with those cute brown eyes.
I said, "Only until we can get to the store and get you some new ones, OK?" Julie, Mike, and I were in the kitchen looking at a boy that looked like a rag-a-muffin in over sized gray sweats, with white socks and no shoes.
"Ok pop!" he said with a cute grin on his face.
It wasn't long before Larry pulled up out in front of the house, it was kind of a rainy day with low overcast clouds, you could not see the top of Casper Mountain. We still had to make the trip to town. Mike, Colt and I, left the house when we first heard Larry pull up, but now is was daytime and Colt could finally see the ranch, and did he see the ranch. Mike grabbed him quick as a flash before he took off running in his stocking little feet.
"Hold on there Colt!" Mike said, holding on to his hooded sweat top. "You'll have plenty of time when we get home to see things around here; you have lots of things to see for sure."
"Ok pop...uh Poppa Mike." With a smile on his face.
I looked at Mike and he had tears in his eyes when Colt said that to him, and so did I. We all loaded into the car. As we were climbing into the car, I heard a plaintive whinny from out by the barn.
Colt turned his head and smiled. "I like you too!" he said.
I looked at him quizzically, and said, "Who were you talking to?"
His face flushed for a second, as he said, "Star, he said he liked me."
I didn't know what to say. Did he just say he was talking to a horse? I looked at Mike.
Mike just shrugged and said, "It is said that there are people who can communicate with many animals, but horses seem to be very intelligent, and friendly to certain people, so it wouldn't surprise me a bit."
I let it drop for now.
Larry said, "Where to boss?"
"First stop, Dr. Chuck! Then to Demarkus's so we can get this munchkin out of these over sized clothes. Then we'll see."
"Ok boss. Can I ask a question, JC?" Larry said as he started the car.
"Sure" not thinking about the fact that Larry had not seen Colt before, how stupid of me, not to say something on the phone to him.
"Who is the cute kid sitting there between the two thorns this morning?" laughing at his own remarks.
"Oh, Larry, that's a long story, but for now, he is Colt, and I hope you will see a lot more of him." Laughing at Larry's joke. Colt was poking both Mike and I in the ribs too.
As we started moving away from the house, Colt sat up and his eyes got as big as saucers, looking out at the ranch. Then he was full of questions.
"Who owns all them black cows out there? And all them pretty horses too?" He had a grin on his face that would have turned this rainy day into the brightest sunniest day in the world.
"They all belong to us." Mike replied, "And if you are a good boy, you can even ride some of those horses, later"
"I'll be good, real good, can I, please, can I!"
"Later, yes, of course you can." I told him, "But first we have a busy day today, and it's kind of a rainy day, so let's do all the things that we do on rainy days, OK?" I then pulled him into a tight hug.
"Ok, pop." God, I loved his smile.
It wasn't long before we pulled into the doctor's office; Mike, Colt, and I got out and entered the waiting room. Only finding Chuck standing there waiting for us. That surprised both Mike and me. But then I remembered that Harvey was going to warn him of what happened. Plus the fact he was paid by us as our semi-private doctor.
Larry spoke, grinning, "Good morning all, is this the little Colt I heard so much about already?" he spoke directly to Colt.
Colt looked down at his stocking clad feet and sheepishly said, "Ye... Yes sir"
Chuck reached out and put his fingers under Colt's chin, and gently raised his head, so he could see into those cute brown eyes, and he said, "Son, I'm not going to hurt you, but I need to check all those nasty cuts and bruises, is that OK?"
"Ok, but can Pop and Poppa Mike come too, please?"
Chuck looked up at both of us, and said, "Sure they can." Then he cleared his throat, and said, with a huge smile on his face, "One night with you two and this boy has new parents. I always knew you both would be, and this just shows me how much you do care."
I answered as I grinned sheepishly, "Thanks, Chuck, I hope we can count on you to help us though this mess" Mike just looked at me, and smiled broadly, and then Chuck nodded his head in agreement.
"Of course I will, with what that boy has been through, he needs you both." Then brushing Colt's hair back, he said, "Let's have a look. Colt, do you mind getting undressed for me"
Fairly quickly, the examination and treatment was over. Chuck had to put in a few stitches, in the one cut on Colt's left leg, but the rest of the wounds were taken care of very well by Mike, the night before. Chuck told Mike that he should have been a doctor. Of course, Mike told him he was already a horse doctor. And all of us got a real laugh over that remark. Chuck had taken many x-rays, and they showed where the boy had been abused many times over the years, several broken untreated bones that may even have to be re-broken and set again. Chuck told us not to worry; there was nothing that could not be fixed with proper care. He also told us that as soon as Harvey was ready to file the necessary papers, for us to become foster parents, he would also file his reports, with DPS and Judge Franklin.
We all left Chuck's office, smiling, and we were all thankful that Chuck was such a good doctor, and a good friend as well.
Next, stop Demarkus' for new clothes for Colt. Colt, by now was so excited about getting new clothes, he was out of the car tripping over Mike's feet, and fell to his knees, laughing.
"Hold on there tiger." I yelled. Colt stopped in mid stride, looking back at Mike and me.
"Sorry pop and poppa Mike! I'll be good, OK?" He had a half smile on his cute little face.
"Its ok son, just don't get so excited, nothing is going to run away, OK?" I could not help but chuckle at him. He was so damn cute and innocent.
We all entered the store and I could not believe my eyes, when I noticed that old man Bill was there, I hadn't seen him in the store for many years. I said, "Hello Bill what brings you here today, I thought you retired?"
"Don't know, really, I just had a feeling I needed to be here today."
"Good, I need your help, if you don't mind?" I couldn't help thinking, could this be another of Charlie's tricks. I looked at Mike and just shook my head in wonderment. Mike didn't say a word, just smiled at me.
"Of course JC, anytime you need my help, you just yell, OK?"
"Thanks." I replied, "Can you see what can be done for this rag-a-muffin here, all he has to his name right now is what he is wearing, and those belong to Mike." I laughed.
"No problem, we can fix him right up," Bill reached over and patted Colt on the head.
Mike said, "He needs everything from underwear to out... Shoes and of course some cowboy boots too. If he wants to ride the horses." I grinned at Colt, then I said, "Son, you go with Bill now, and let him get you all decked out with new clothes, OK?"
"Sure poppa Mike"
"JC and I will be over there in the office waiting for you." I took JC's hand and we went over to the office to have some coffee they always had brewed up for good customers.
"Mike, how do you feel about taking Colt up on the mountain, next and try to explain what happened last night? You know where I mean don't you?" I looked at him with glassy eyes.
"I think that would be great, hon. there's a covered picnic table up there in case it's raining."
Mike was gazing out, into the store; watching Bill and Colt, looking at shirts. I looked out there, too, and was surprised, seeing them holding up one then another shirt and without much trouble they were gathering quite a pile of clothes, but I was not worried, one bit, because I had already told Bill not to hold back on what the boy asked for. Mike and I just drank our coffee, and I knew what he was thinking, as much as he knew what I was, thinking. We were so close we really didn't need to speak our thoughts. It wasn't, oh too long before we looked up to see a cute little boy standing in front of us dressed in great looking duds.
"How do I look?" Colt asked, as he looked at Mike and me, then came over and gave first Mike and then me a huge hug and said, "Thank you pop, and poppa Mike, for everything." He was so happy, but you could see his eyes were all glassy, like he wanted to cry but didn't.
I turned to Bill and said, "Thank you so much for what you did for us, Bill, could you have all that stuff delivered out to the ranch, today?"
"As good as done, JC and thank you for the business." He reached out and shook Mike's, Colt's, and My hand as we left the store.
Larry was standing by the car waiting for the three of us, as we approached, he opened the door for us saying, "Your chariot awaits, young prince." he looked directly at Colt, with a big smile on his face.
We all piled into to the car, but now, Colt looked like a boy, with clothes on, and was he ever cute, with his new sneakers, and western shirt, what a combination, but what the hell, you only get to be a kid once in your life.
"Where to now, boss?" Larry asked.
"Take us up on the mountain, please, Larry; we need to have a little talk with munchkin here." Mike replied. Looking at Colt, we wondered how we were going to explain to him, what happened last night.
"Sounds like a very good idea Mike." Larry replied as he started the car and pulled out on to Casper Mountain Road.
As we climbed the mountain road, it got foggy, with the low over hanging clouds, from the light drizzle of rain. I was wondering if this was such a good idea, what with the bad weather and all. So I looked at Mike and asked him, "Hon, do you think this is a good idea, with all the nasty weather?"
"Love, we need to do this now, it can't wait, and there is a covered picnic table up there, close to the special spot, you remember, they put canopies over all the tables, a few years ago." He looked at me, not saying another word aloud; I knew what he was thinking. And I was thinking it too.
"Colt, you need to put that jacket on when we get out up here, OK?" God, he is such a cute little boy, why would anyone want to hurt him.
"Ok pop, where are we goin'?" He replied with a strange look on his face.
"Son this is a very special place for Charlie, Mike, and me, and maybe, just maybe, for you too."
God, how do we even start trying to tell him what happened last night? God, I don't even know, and I don't think Mike does either.
Larry spoke next as we reached the place we were headed for, "Here we are guys, your special spot. I will just wait here in the car. Take your time and have fun." He then turned on the radio and pulled out a book to read. He knew we would be there awhile I suspect.
Mike took Colt's right hand and I took his left hand, and we started up to the little grove of trees where 10 years back we had scattered Charlie's ashes over the same spot James' were scattered, many years before. When we arrived at the covered table, we all sat down, Mike sat beside Colt on one side of the table, and I sat on the other side of the table.
Mike spoke first, saying, "Colt both JC and I want you to try and understand what we are going to try to explain to you. It's hard for both of us to even understand, and I don't really think I do yet." Colt looked at me very intently, trying hard to understand, but didn't he say anything.
Mike looked at me and said, "JC, love, can you take it from here, I don't think I can do this justice." With a look of being lost, he shrugged his shoulders.
I knew he was flustered at not being able to articulate his point, so, I took over, but I was not much better at explaining it. Than he was. So I figured I would just give it a try.
"Son, you remember last night and the man that brought you out to the ranch, don't you?"
"Yes, I wish I could thank him pop." He was smiling at the thought.
"Well son, that's what I am going to try to explain, so please try to understand, OK?" God, how do I tell him that Charlie is dead and has been for 10 years now...
"Ok pop, I'm listening?" He was looking nervous, but sitting still.
"There is no easy way to start this, but here goes. The man that helped you last night is Charlie, he was once my partner, like Mike is now, only he died 10 years ago. Can you understand that much, son?"
"We...Well, no, how could a dead man help me?" He was puzzled now, and both Mike and I could see it in his face.
"Son, I said this is going to be hard to explain, and I still don't understand it all either. Well anyway, Charlie has made himself seem to be present sometimes in clouds over this mountaintop. This is where his first partner and my uncle's James' ashes were scattered when James died, geez over 40 years ago. Then when Charlie died, we scattered his ashes here with James' so they could rest together in peace. How are you doing now with understanding, son?"
"Pop, it's hard for me to think about stuff like that, but I am trying hard, I really am pop."
Mike was holding him tight, kind of rocking him, as I spoke.
"Well son, Charlie has always seemed to be somewhere trying to help us, but this is the first time he has ever, how do I say, come back to earth and did what he did with you last night. I really don't know how else to explain it son."
"Pop and Poppa Mike, all I know is that he helped me find you both, and I want to thank him for that. I don't care why he did it, or how he did it."
My god, this boy is wonderful, but we really have to get him to understand what happened, or he will tell this story to folks, and they will think he is nuts. We can't have the CPS thinking that shit, or we will never get him.
"Mike do you think you can explain better than I did, please?" I was looking at Mike with a "shit what do I do now" look.
"Colt, JC is telling you the truth son, you just have to remember, that if you tell folks around here that Charlie, helped you, they would think you were nuts, and maybe take you away from us. Do you understand that, son?"
"Kind of poppa Mike, but what happened to me was real and I want to thank him."
Mike looked at me and never said a word, but I knew what he was thinking. So I said aloud. "For Christ sake Charlie, you got us into this mess; now get us out of it, Please, my love?" I broke down, started crying, and so did Mike. Poor Colt, looked at us like, what did I do wrong.
Then we heard Colt scream and get up from the table and start running, into the trees, Mike got up and started chasing him yelling, "Stop Colt now, right now Stop!"
Colt just yelled back, "He is here, right over here, and I'm going to thank him!"
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