Ultimate Justice

didn’t say no then?”
    â€œOf course not. I didn’t know if I wanted to go or not… or if I could… they’re going to the island just over the horizon. He gave me his phone number.”
    â€œThat older one,” said Shaun, “he fancies you.”
    â€œSo what if he does. That’s his lookout. And, anyway,
you
couldn’t take your eyes of that sister of theirs, could you? Can’t you see she was turning it on a bit strong, standing there in her bikini, like, all sexy?”
    â€œAnd you weren’t?”
    â€œCourse not. Sometimes I despair of you Shaun.”
    â€œNot like your lot won the game though, was it? You’d have done better getting in the mix and passing the ball on.”
    â€œLike you? But I’m a natural forward. My skill is scoring goals.”
    â€œSure, so long as you can get the ball. Anyway we won!”
    â€œAlright you two, no need to let your competitive natures get too out of hand,” said Jalli. “So what are you going to do about this lad?”
    â€œWhat do you mean?”
    â€œI mean, are you going to ignore him or ring him and tell him you can’t go.”
    â€œSo we won’t be here tomorrow then?”
    â€œThat’s not the point, Kakko.”
    â€œWouldn’t it be cool to go on a boat like that, though? Especially as they’re going to have a picnic on the island… and he said
anyone
could go. Lot’s of people are going. It wasn’t just me and Shaun.”
    â€œNah,” said Shaun, “but by ‘anyone’ I don’t think he was reckoning on your old man.”
    â€œI don’t think he was for one minute,” said Jack.
    â€œAnd he was speaking to
you
, not the group in general,” said Jalli.
    â€œOh, Mum!”
    â€œI suggest you just leave it. No harm done is there?” suggested Jack. Kakko let out a protracted sigh, slumped full length on the sand and buried her face in her towel. She hadn’t intended to go anyway. She didn’t trust this lad any more than her mother did, but she was not going to admit that. It didn’t hurt to be ‘fancied’ by a rich kid after all, so long as you didn’t let it get out of hand.
    ***
    That evening they all put on their smart stuff. Bandi felt a little awkward being smart, Kakko was transformed into a poised young adult, and Shaun looked very classy in a jacket and open-neck shirt. Jalli enjoyed dressing up too.
    â€œWow,” said Bandi, “you look cool Mum.”
    â€œThank you kind sir!” she said. Jack felt a bit left out and became impatient to ‘explore’ his wife’s impressive outfit as soon as they were alone. As the family admired each other he wished he could have seen his children as they impressed the world with emerging adulthood. Jalli understood this too. She put an arm around her husband’s waist, squeezed him to her and kissed his cheek.
    â€œOK, you three. You get off and meet your new friends downstairs. Jack and I are meeting Tod and Kakko.” After the door had closed, Jalli took her husband into her arms and kissed him on the lips.
    â€œBetter not get dishevelled,” grunted Jalli.
    â€œShucks,” sighed Jack.
    ***
    The party went well. Pero was completely unaware that everything was really for him. There were some great speeches including one from a young woman called Vadma (a recent graduate from the university) who had been one of the first street children to be taken into his care. When she was six she was living on the streets; she and her older sister had nowhere safe to go because their mother had died. Vadma had been looked after by her older sister until she was nine when they where both rescued by the centre. That was thirteen years ago. She had never looked back she said.
    Pero had prepared a magnificent cake for the anniversary couple. To their amazement Kakko and Tod called on Jalli and Jack to cut it because they had