The man sat on the porch of an old Victorian style house, reveling in all that his group had accomplished, while reading a book and acting neighborly as joggers, dog walkers, and other neighbors passed by. All of the houses they set up throughout the state were of the same style house, the exteriors all restored per the historical guidelines set for those houses in those areas, making the houses look as though they had just been built, just like the day they had first been built. All of the houses they chose were also located near old warehouses, which were used to allow discerning clientele a place to park their cars without worry. The inside of all these houses was special, very special, for a special clientele with very specific tastes, so refurbishing the insides took somewhat longer to get everything just right. Another requirement of each house was a very large basement, one which allowed very special equipment to be housed, and allowed a tunnel to surreptitiously be dug from the house to the chosen warehouse behind the house.
His group had also done their research, looking into all the houses that had failed and gained those who ran them extended terms in the State prison. Of course, once it was known what those people had been doing, none lasted past their first month; they all suffered unquestionable death dealing accidents. His group was NOT going to fail because of what they learned.
Two things caused the downfall of those other houses, and the owners eventual deaths. With people coming and going at all times a day, and parking wherever they could find a parking place, the neighbors started complaining to the police, which forced the clientele to park elsewhere and walk to those other houses. While this did lessen the complaints, there were still complaints about people coming and going at all times during the day.
The other thing which caused their downfall were high-end exterior security equipment, which no other house in those neighborhoods had. And the fact that some enterprising person hacked into those cameras, both exterior and interior, and passed what they’d found along to the police. Needless to say, the houses failed, and those running them...died.
The group decided, after careful discussion, and suggestions, to not have any exterior security which could be hacked and/or questioned. Or to have any wifi cameras inside the house, which could also be hacked, but to have hard-wired cameras inside the house which would run to a room on the first floor which could be watched by any and all in the house. Actual security would be done through the use of hardware, locks, deadbolts, and the like.
One suggestion that was at first rebuffed, was finding a hideaway where cars could be parked and clientele could enter and exit without being seen. It wasn’t until the person who made the suggestion had done extensive research, and put it again before the group, that the idea was accepted. His idea was simple, there were neighborhoods which butted up against old industrial areas, areas which contained large warehouses. A member of the group would pose as a contractor needing a place to store his, or her, equipment where it wouldn’t be vandalized. Equipment would then be brought in as if it was a storage place, then they could surreptitiously dig a tunnel well below any utilities which would then be the real entrance into the houses. And so far, everything was working out as planned.
As the man sat on the porch, a paperboy delivered a newspaper to the man’s neighbor on the west side of the house, then to the neighbor on the east side. This boy looked interesting, one who might just fit the needs of his clientele. After the boy continued down the street, the man ventured next door to the widow on the east side and because he new she had been alone most of the time since a car accident took the life of her husband, she was more than willing to accept company and chat about any and everything just to have the company. So it wasn’t long before the man knew that Kyle Fisher was the paperboy who delivered the newspapers, a boy the man knew would be perfect for his clientele. After going back home, the man made a phone call, setting in motion something that wouldn’t be know about until three months later. Something which, unbeknownst to him, was the beginning of the end for his whole Statewide network, and a lot of people.
Three Months Later:
Dr. Stephen Thomas Thompson, who acquired the nickname of TT in high school, was ten minutes west of Mercy City on I2, having finished his shift at Mercy City Hospital as an ER doctor at 2 a.m. After cleaning up and changing clothes, Irene, his wife, knew he wouldn’t be home until around 3 a.m., due in part to the 25-30 minute drive he had to reach the small suburb west of Mercy City.
Stephen and Irene met while in college, through a friend of hers and classmate of Stephen’s, Irene studying accounting, and he on the road to medicine. The friend had been right, they clicked, and stayed together the rest of their time in college, getting married after they both obtained their Bachelor degrees.
And it wasn’t only the friend that saw they were a couple, but both of Irene’s and Stephen’s parents, when first Irene took Stephen to meet her parents during a school break, then he his during another break. What the couple didn’t know, or the parents let slip, the parents knew each other through business dealings, and set about planning their children’s wedding, which they would get permission, of course, once Stephen asked Irene to marry him. They did, of course, ask permission during the couple and parents getting together at a restaurant, when in front of everyone, other patrons as well, Stephen asked Irene to marry him. Irene was so taken aback she could only respond by nodding her head several times, holding out her left hand so Stephen could place the ring on her ring finger. She still couldn’t speak when both sets of parents told the couple, “It’s about time you two quit dancing around this subject,” and the other patrons gave the couple a resounding applause. And as it turned out, because of the engagement, the meals were on the house.
After they were married, a couple of months later, thanks to the work of the parents, who planned everything, including Irene’s wedding dress, which her mom knew exactly the one she had been looking at, the couple moved to the City where they would be attending their next step in education, Irene her MBA and Stephen in Medical School. Fate fell on the couple because a leading accounting firm in that City had kept an eye on the graduates of the school Irene had attended, and they particularly liked what they saw in Irene. The College of Accounting of her previous school, always had a competition open to any of the accounting students to see who could spot “fixed” books the quickest, with the only prize of bragging rights, and a small warming cup.
The books used were actual books which came from local law enforcement or on occasions, the forensic lab of the FBI. No one could cheat on this competition because the books were delivered by courier from the respective agencies the day of the competition, and representatives of the respective agencies were present. And so it was when Irene walked out of the competition after only thirty minutes, amongst snickers and groans, that when time was called, only Irene had discovered how the books were “fixed” and to her credit, how much had been embezzled.
That accounting firm contacted Irene the minute they learned she and her husband were coming to their City, offering her a part time job so it wouldn’t interfere with her schooling. She discussed the offer with Stephen, and his opinion was that if she could handle school and the job, do it. He got his reward that night after the chickens had gone to bed.
The couple knew Stephen’s medical education was going to be long and time consuming, but also knew neither could do anything without the other being in their life. So even though Stephen would be late coming home sometimes, Irene endure the time when she was alone. She earned her MBA long before Stephen had started his internship, and gone on to set for his medical license, so her part time job became her full time job and did much to help keep the creditors from knocking on their door. It also wasn’t long until first Jennifer came along, followed eighteen months later by Christopher. And again the accounting firm worked around her motherhood to ensure she still worked for them.
Stephen’s long, arduous, work finally paid off, with his sitting for his testing and earning his medical license; only to be snatched up by a private practice which had specifically been watching him. Of all the candidates they looked at, Stephen had an almost innate ability when it came to diagnosing problems. And it was this ability the three doctors who owned the practice wanted in their office.
It took only five years before Irene started seeing boredom radiating from Stephen, something he himself admitted when Irene asked him about it. He was bored with the everyday “bandaid” work he was doing, he really wanted to help people who were unexpectedly in need of top medical treatment. Smiling, Irene laid the classified section of the newspaper in front of Stephen, not pointing out the red circle she’d drawn around one particular ad. This time it was Stephen who was smiling because that ad was an announcement from the Mercy City Hospital seeking doctors for the hospitals’ Emergency Room. Stephen dialed the number listed to make an interview appointment, making the appointment for the following day, his day off. Irene then called her boss and told her what was going on and asked for the following day off so she and the kids could go with Stephen to his interview--and see their parents.
The three-hour drive seemed to fly by, and both kids were the best they could have been. As requested, Stephen had brought all of his personal records with him, and when he came out of the interview room an hour later, he told Irene they better go see a realtor because they’d need to buy a house in Mercy City, or somewhere nearby. Little did Stephen know that the hospital administrator had been following Stephen’s progress in his walk into medicine. And while the administrator wasn’t sure, he hoped Stephen would apply in order to bring Irene and the kids back closer to the parents and grandparents. And by the end of that month, Mercy City Hospital would have one of the best diagnostic doctors anyone had seen in a long time.
That very day Stephen and Irene were shown a sweet little house in a suburb about 30 minutes west of Mercy City, a house they closed on that same day, knowing they had the money and credit to do so. The following day, Stephen notified his partners of his intentions to leave their practice and start work at Mercy City Hospital the first day of the following month. All three offered Stephen more money if he stayed, but he was honest and told them his heart lay elsewhere in medicine and that place was the Emergency Room. At the end of the month, goodbyes were said, all three gave Stephen an added bonus plus each a folder with their opinions of his abilities as a doctor, something which they’d also sent to the hospital in Mercy City--all could see as Irene had that their type practice wasn’t for Stephen. Movers came, packed up the house, and with Irene and Stephen following, left for Mercy City and their new life at Mercy City Hospital.
The area Stephen was driving through, after the sun went down, gave a new meaning to pitch black, because without any lights a person couldn’t see their hand in front of their face. It was also an area where more than one driver had met wildlife standing in the road or crossing it. And it was some of these same drivers that Stephen or his colleagues had treated because the animal the driver thought dead, was only stunned, and either kicked, bit, or butted that driver right into the emergency room. So when Stephen steered his car around a curve, and the brights of the headlights shown on something lying on the shoulder of the road, Stephen’s mind flashed back to all those drivers they had treated because they thought the animal dead.
Stephen checked the rearview mirror to see if there was anyone behind him, not likely at this time in the morning, abruptly slowed down, and pulled over to the shoulder of the road; stopping about fifty feet from whatever was lying on the shoulder of the road. He put the transmission into park, set the parking brake, and turned on the emergency flashers before taking a flashlight out of the glovebox and grabbing his cell phone off the passenger seat. Checking again for traffic, Stephen got out of his car, turned on the flashlight, and slowing walked toward the object lying on the ground--getting a tingling feeling in the back of his brain as he did so. It wasn’t more than four more steps and that tingling feeling became a realization that what he was seeing was the naked body of a person lying before him, and one who’d taken quite a beating from what Stephen could see.
Abandoning his fear of it being a wild animal, Stephen rushed up to the body on the ground, first checking for a carotid pulse then breathing. The pulse was weak, but steady, and the breathing was shallow, but steady. Stephen played his light on the face and was horrified to see that someone had used this...and he shown his light on the groin area, only to see a boys’ genitals, which looked like they’d met a meat grinder. Someone had used this boys’ face as a punching bag, with his eyes completely swollen shut, nose broken, and maybe damaged cheekbones. The boys’ lips were swollen and split; Stephen could even see a few teeth missing.
Stephen played his flashlight down both shoulders, making note of the bruising and two inch strap marks all over the boys’ upper body. His light played down the left arm and saw more bruising, with circular bruising around the left wrist. Playing the light down the right arm, Stephen noted that the upper right arm was not supposed to be bent in the position he was seeing, meaning the humorous was broken; circular bruising was also present about the right wrist.
Stephen moved the light further down the boys’ chest, noting there may be several broken ribs, given the deformity of the chest. The light then went to his abdomen, noting besides regular bruising, a large, pronounced, bruise in the lower left quadrant of the abdomen. From Stephen’s experience, this was possibly the most serious injury he’d seen on this boy, meaning there was internal injury of some kind--maybe the spleen. Stephen had already noted the genitals, so moved quickly down to the legs, when he saw the same belt pattern and bruising on the legs and around both ankles. He did note that the lower left leg shouldn’t be bent as it was, meaning both the tibia and fibula were broken. While opening up his cell phone, and calling 911, Stephen walked around to look at the boys’ back. What he saw made him want to hang someone by their thumbs. Besides fresh two inch belt marks, there were bruises, fading belt marks, burn marks, and what looked like whip marks. Someone had literally tortured this boy and thought he was dead from the experience, so just dumped him.
When the 911 operator answered, Stephen identified himself, gave his approximate location, and then proceeded to tell what he had found. While the operators are supposed to be professional, Stephen wasn’t unsympathetic when he heard her say, “OH MY GAWD.” Even before they disconnected, Stephen heard first one siren, then another; the first being the State Trooper, the second the paramedics--after fifteen years, Stephen knew the sounds of every siren and the department that used it.
As Stephen stood and stared at the young boy lying on the ground, and trying to understand who would do something like this to such a young boy, the State Trooper’s car arrived, stopping behind Stephen’s car with its emergency lights flashing. It wasn’t until Stephen heard,
“Hey, TT, I heard you found a nasty one.” The voice belonged to Sergeant William Toliver, a twenty-year veteran of the State Troopers, stationed in Mercy City, and a lifelong friend of Stephen’s.
Stephen’s family moved next door to William’s family when both boys were six-years-old, and from the moment they met, they were like two peas in a pod. Where one went, the other was right there as well. All through school, elementary, middle, and high school, the two remained tight. Even college couldn’t tear apart their friendship, even though William went the route for law enforcement and Stephen medicine. The entire time Stephen and Irene had been away, they kept in regular touch, getting back together when the couple returned to Mercy City.
“Hi Bill, yeah, this is a nasty one. Worse one I’ve seen since that pile up three or four years ago. Come look for yourself...but brace yourself, it’s bad.” William had almost reached Stephen as Stephen spoke to his friend.
“Holy mother of all that’s precious,” William said out loud as he played his light up and down the boys body. “OH HOLY...look at his genitals,” but William never finished what he was going to say, as the paramedics had arrived. William stepped towards the highway and using his flashlight, motioned the paramedics ahead of where the boys’ body lay. “Yeah,” Stephen said to his friend, “I did warn you it was a nasty one. And look here, here, here, and here. This boy was restrained by his ankles and wrists. Given the location and type of marks, I’d say he was strung up vertically.”
When the ambulance stopped all of its work light came one, turning the area from dark to almost like looking directly at the sun. Patty Taylor was first out of the rig, followed closely by the driver, her husband Clark. Stephen met the couple when he first came to Mercy City Hospital and soon found out they were one of the best paramedic teams in the State. As William and Stephen watched, Patty had the gurney off the rig and was in the process of pulling out all of the carrying cases which contained all of the needed medical supplies. Clark reached in and pulled out a backboard and the Sat phone, and helped Patty take everything over to the scene. Even as Patty and Clark were getting out their equipment, Stephen was rattling off everything he’d found, including the damaged chest and possible damaged spleen. As Patty went about checking for vital signs, Clark opened up communications with the hospital, giving them everything Patty said out loud. When mention of the pronounced bruising in the left lower quadrant of the abdomen, things from the hospital sped up dramatically.
Once all of the instructions were received from the hospital, Clark and Patty were like a blur in getting the boy stabilized. They first carefully rolled the boy onto the backboard, so they had better access to the areas with broken bones. A cervical collar was placed around the boys’ neck, then an IV was started, and finally the broken bones splinted. When they were ready, William and Stephen helped lift the backboard and the boy onto the gurney, which was then hurriedly moved into the ambulance. Patty climbed into the back of the ambulance, Clark shut and secured both doors, then ran to the drive’s side and as William and Stephen watched, Clark carefully turned the ambulance around, and then squealed the tires as he put the accelerator to the floor, causing the ambulance to fly off into the early morning darkness. Stephen walked to the back of his car, opened the trunk, and took out a plastic garbage bag and two pair of disposable gloves. He walked back to where the boy had lain, put on one set of gloves, gave the other to William, snapped open the garbage bag and proceeded to pick up the trash left by the paramedics as they worked on the boy. When that was done, the bag went into the trunk of Stephen’s car, and he then pulled out his cell phone and called Irene to let her know he wasn’t sure when he’d be home and why. Her response? “I’ll pray for him.”
William had turned his cruiser around while Stephen was talking to Irene, and when Stephen turned his car around, William led the way back to Mercy City and to the hospital--the return trip to Mercy City only took them almost five minutes, especially when they hit speeds of 80-90 MPH.
The boy had been unloaded from the ambulance and was in exam room 3 by the time William and Stephen arrived at Mercy City hospital. Both men had designated parking so they were able to park quickly and rush into the hospital. It wasn’t hard to tell which exam room the boy was in, because of the flurry of activities going in and out of that room. Stephen and Bill stood in the doorway, watching as Drs. Phillip Sven and Tory Sales gave the boy a thorough examination, now that he was in a brightly lit room. Phillip turned to Stephen and asked,
“Did you see anyone else out there, someone who might identify this boy? We really need to get him into surgery, given that bruise,” and he pointed to the pronounced bruise on the boys’ lower abdomen. “And we need pictures so we can see what other injuries this boy has.”
“No, sorry Phillip, there was no one else around out there, just that poor boy lying on the shoulder of the road in the state you see him now.”
Stephen knew he couldn’t do any more than what Phillip and Tory were now doing, so he tugged on Bill’s arm and the two walked out into the waiting room. Bill got on his radio and notified his dispatch where he was and would be there until he learned the extent of the boys’ injuries. As Bill started filling out his report on his tablet, Stephen got up and grabbed two cups of coffee from the customer service area. Stephen had just sat down when he noticed a woman come into the ER and walk up to the receptionist, asking about any 12-14 year old boys who might have been brought into the ER. She looked to be about forty-five-years-old, but haggard enough to look fifty-five. Stephen nudged Bill, and both men watched as Phillip came out, spoke to the woman, and escorted her back to room three. Both men were still looking in that direction when they heard,
“OH MY GAWD...KYLE...WHAT DID THEY DO TO YOU?”
Phillip was supporting the woman, as he brought her out to the waiting area; her wailing could not be missed. He sat the woman down next to Stephen, who put his arm around the woman and held her as she cried. Phillip knelt down in front of her and said,
“Mrs. Fisher, we are going to take your son to imaging and do both a CT and MRI on him, to get a good idea of his injuries. Right now, we feel he has internal injuries, maybe a damaged spleen, so after we get some pictures, we need to get him into surgery. May we have your verbal permission to operate on your son?”
Vivian Fisher had been looking for her son for the last three months, after witnesses told the police that they saw two men in a white van grab the thirteen-year-old off the sidewalk as he was coming home from school. The police did find the van, but it was stolen from a town 100 miles away, and it was totally empty--no DNA, fingerprints, nothing. It was absolutely clean. When the police had nothing more to go on, Vivian had started her search with every clinic, hospital, and shelter in her City. Because of needing to find her son, her supervisor gave her every weekend off, and she expanded her search until she finally reached Mercy City Hospital, where she was able to identify her Kyle thanks to a large scar behind his right ear he acquires at six years of age.
“Dr. Sven, I’m an ER nurse in one of the hospitals in my City,” Vivian told Phillip, “And I know the necessity of getting serious injuries into surgery as quickly as possible. Take the pictures, then get my Kyle into surgery. And Phillip,” Vivian said, getting personal, “I saw his genitals, they can’t be saved, do what needs to be done so he, maybe I should say, she has some gender if she survives all of this.” Phillip patted her arm and told her, “We’re going to do everything to make sure your daughter pulls through.” Phillip left Vivian in Stephen’s care, as he got up, ran back to room 3, yelling out instructions to the receptionist as to who to call and tell them it was a Code Blue.
Vivian was starting to calm down, and Bill had moved so he was on the left side of her. Stephen got up, and pulled a bottle of water out of the cooler at the customer service area, walking back and handing it to Vivian. She took the water but looked up at him and asked, “You don’t have anything with a bit more kick, do you?” She smiled and Stephen smiled before telling her, “Sorry, coffee is about the strongest we have.” It couldn’t have been more than five minutes later when one after the other, those the receptionist had called started arriving, totalling twenty when the last one came through the doors. All took a different route, one Stephen knew lead to the operating room. And it was about an hour later that Phillip came back and explained everything they’d found with Kyle. Vivian listened intently, cursed several times, and told the three men, “I want someone’s balls hanging on some sticks because of this.” The only things she heard was, “Amen.” This time Phillip had Vivian sign all consent forms, which would allow the necessary surgeries to be performed, including the SRS. And once again, Phillip ran off, this time in the direction of the operating room.
Stephen walked off a short ways and called Irene, explaining everything that had occurred, even about the boys’ mother showing up. They both knew Stephen would get little sleep before needing to be back for his shift, but it wasn’t anything new to them. Vivian needed his support right now, and that was more important. When Stephen returned to Vivian and Bill, Bill was asking questions, the usual what, when, where, how things. He then got on his tablet and pulled up the missing persons report and found the one for Kyle Fisher, thirteen-years-old, abducted while walking home from school three months ago. He then created another report that showed the boy had been found and was currently undergoing surgery at Mercy City Hospital.
Given all the injuries Stephen had seen, he knew Kyle was going to be in surgery a long time, too long for them to just sit and wait--though he suspected that’s exactly what Vivian would do.
“Vivian, let Bill and I take you to the cafeteria to get something to eat, you look like you could use something, Kyle’s surgery is going to take some time. Unlike some other hospital cafeterias I’ve eaten at, our food is far better.” Vivian smiled at Stephen, because she knew hospital food is notorious for being terrible. “Thanks guys, I think that’s a good idea, I haven’t had anything to eat since lunch yesterday.”
“Oh, and I’m terribly sorry, Vivian, I’m Dr. Stephen Thompson, and that gentleman is Sergeant William Toliver of the State Troopers, stationed here in Mercy City,” Stephen told Vivian, before the three stood and Stephen led the way to the hospital’s cafeteria, with Stephen quickly telling the receptionist where they would be, and to make sure the Brenda Hofster, the hospital administrator, knew what was happening; the hospital had set up special care for families of patients who would be in the hospital long term.
Vivian didn’t realize how hungry she was until she starting eating, though slowly because of her concern for Kyle. As the three ate, Bill and Stephen learned more about Vivian and Kyle, how Vivian’s husband had been a twenty-year veteran of her City’s police force, killed in the line of duty saving the life of a ten-year-old girl who was being used as a shield by a bank robber. That as a young girl, she had felt a calling to become an ER nurse after she had to be taken to the ER where she witnessed the people there work their hardest to save a severely injured man. Kyle gain that bug to go into medicine when he witnesses a horrendous accident and saw the work the paramedics did to save the lives of those involved. Now she didn’t know if that was still going to happen, Kyle going into medicine.
Bill, Stephen, and Vivian heard, “So, Stephen, you still hanging around with that old reprobate? I thought by now you’d found better company to keep.”
Bill slowly turned when he heard the woman’s voice, Brenda Hofster, and gave her his best stink face. “What do you mean, ‘old reprobate’? I’ll have you know, young lady, that I’m am not a reprobate.”
“Well you know how it is, Brenda, it sometimes is rather hard to scrub all the mold off once it gets on you.” Bill slowly turned from Brenda to face Stephen.
“Now listen you two, if you don’t knock it off I’ll write both of you out of my will.”
Vivian just watched the banter going on between the three before her, and finally understood when the woman put her arm around the Trooper and said, “Hello daddy,” and kissed him on the cheek. “Hi sweetheart, how have you been,” Bill replied before Brenda introduced herself to Vivian.
“Hello, Mrs. Fisher, I’m Brenda Hofster, the hospital administrator. Have these two old men been taking good care of you? And please, it’s Brenda” Vivian stifled a giggle as both Stephen and Bill turned to face Brenda and gave her their best, ‘watch out’ faces.
“Yes they have, Brenda, they both have been very supportive,” Vivian told Brenda as she laid a hand on each man’s arm. “Do you have any news about my son, um, daughter?” Vivian asked Brenda, as she pulled out a chair and sat down next to Vivian.
Brenda took Vivian’s hand in hers before telling her, “She is still in surgery, and from what Dr. Sven told me, it will be several more hours. That’s why I’ve come to speak with you. Some years ago the hospital found a need to help support families of patients of our hospital by providing apartments for those patients which were going to be long care patients--as I’ve been told your son, soon to be daughter, will need. There is no charge to the families, in fact, when news got out about your son, a generous donor notified me and said to send all medical bills for your son to them. And to get you whatever you need while you stay with us. This person knows what you’re going through from something similar in their past, so they wanted to do what needed to be done so you could concentrate on your child.”
Vivian burst out in tears when she heard what Brenda said, then reached over and pulled the other woman into a tight hug; Brenda returning the hug. “Vivian, why don’t you let me take you over to the apartments, you need rest, and just sitting around this hospital isn’t going to provide the rest you need. We’ll send someone to get you when there’s more news about your son. And while you’re resting we can have your clothes laundered and fresh when you can see Kyle. We’ve anticipated needs so you’ll find a wide range of clothing sizes in the closets in the apartment, not that I’d party in any of them, but they’re good for around the apartment. Come on, come with me, get a nice shower, then lay down and rest.”
Vivian let Brenda pull her out of her chair, saying their goodbyes to Bill and Stephen, and walked her to the apartments the hospital built some years ago, when one family had to spend a fortune in motel costs to stay with their daughter for six months while she recovered from an accident caused by a drunk driver. And Vivian did exactly what Brenda suggested, not worrying about undressing in front of Brenda, so her clothes could be laundered, then taking a nice hot shower before drying off and almost instantly falling asleep when she stretched out on one of several beds in the apartment. It was 4:30 a.m.
Vivian woke to a firm knock on the apartment door, glancing at the clock on the nightstand and seeing it was ten minutes to noon. Donning a robe, she answered the door, only to see a young woman standing before holding a tray of food.
“Good day, Mrs. Fisher, I’m Piper Milton, head hostess of the apartments. Dr. Sven suggested, in as strongest terms possible, that you needed something to eat before meeting with him. His exact words were, ‘you get her to eat or I’ll put her in the hospital and force feed her.’ He also told me you daughter is now in recovery, and by the time you ate everything I brought you, and showered, and made yourself presentable, barring any complications, she would be in her private room. Now she won’t be awake when you see her because they’ve put her in a medically induced coma, to help keep her from experience any pain and allow her body to heal itself. They also wanted to make sure she wasn’t moving around and possibly do more damage. So, how about something to eat?”
Vivian had to snort a bit after Piper gave her speech, and before inviting Piper into the apartment. “That was a good speech, Piper, one almost as good as some I’ve given family members.” Piper bowed to Vivian before turning and setting the tray of food down on the kitchen/dining room table. When she turned back to Vivian, she saw Vivian had covered her face with her hands and was quietly sobbing, thankful that Kyle was going to live. Piper softly walked over the Vivian and took her into a hug which caused Vivian to hug Piper and cry openly on the girls’ shoulder.
“It’s okay, Vivian, she’s alive and will make it. She has a long road ahead of her, but we’re here to help all we can.” Piper continued to hold Vivian until the woman had cried herself out.
Vivian sniffed as she pushed herself off Piper’s shoulder. “If that food will still be good, I’d like to shower before eating,” Vivian told Piper as she turned and walked back into the bedroom then into the bathroom, turning on the shower to let the water get hot. As Vivian was in the bathroom, Piper answered a knock on the apartment door and found another of her team standing there and holding Vivian’s freshly laundered clothes. She thanked the young man and closed the door before taking the clothes to Vivian’s bedroom. Thirty minutes later a freshly laundered Vivian came out of the bedroom, sat down at the table and started eating what Piper had brought; inviting Piper to sit with her while she ate.
Another thirty minutes passes until Vivian had eaten everything Piper had brought, all the while both women getting to know each other better since Vivian would be spending a lot of time at the hospital. Just before Vivian was ready to leave, she told Piper she needed to make a long distance phone call to her Supervisor. Piper didn’t bat an eye when she told Vivian, “Make your call, it’s no charge to you as long as you’re here.” Vivian called Chad Marshal, her immediate Supervisor, and explained the situation to him, only to be told that since she hadn’t taken any time off in five years, any serious time off, she had more than six months accumulated and to return when she could bring Kyle back with her. And not worry about her job, she was on a very well deserved vacation.
As Piper walked with Vivian, directing her towards Kyle’s room, Vivian asked, “Piper, does this city have a really good bookstore? I’d like to get some of Kyle’s favorite books and read to her until she is allowed to wake up.” Piper said there was one, and if Vivian gave her the titles, or authors, she’d make sure the books were purchased. Dr. Sven intercepted Vivian as she and Piper reached Kyle’s room, taking her into a small conference room just down the hall. After both were seated, he asked how she slept before going into detail about Kyle’s injuries. He then told her everything they did to repair the injuries and that barring any unforeseen problems, Kyle would make a full physical recovery. But her mental recovery, he felt, would take much more time. Vivian thanked him and gave the man a hug before he walked with her to Kyle’s room, telling her to ask the nurse in the room with Kyle for anything she might need. Vivian had seen numerous patients after surgery, some in worse condition than Kyle, but it was different this time as it was her own child. And this time her tears did fall.
Six Weeks Later
Chad Marshal had been called up to John Milton’s office, the head cheese of the hospital. Chad already knew what John wanted, and was already prepared for a battle John was going to lose; John was actually walking on eggshells anyway.
Chad knocked on John’s office door, entering when he heard John tell him, “Come in.” “You wanted to see me John?” Chad asked the administrator, as he remained standing in front of John’s desk. “Yeah, I did. I’ve got a problem you might be able to explain. Seems you have a nurse in the ER that hasn’t reported to work in six weeks. Care to explain why?” The eggshells John was walking on just became a lot thinner, and he didn’t know it.
Chad knew that by letting Vivian take as much time as she needed, legally anyway, he was going to be called on the carpet by the pimple in the administrator office. So Chad had contacted the president of the Board of Directors, and explained everything about Vivian and Kyle, including all of the injuries Kyle suffered. Brian Miller, Board of Directors president, told Chad he made the right call, forcing Vivian to take a much vacation time as she needed in order to be with her child. Chad then went on to explain what he felt was going to happen with John, but was told not to worry, that pimple on someone’s butt was about to hit the road, he just didn’t know it.
“John, you knew Vivian’s son had been kidnapped, right? Had been missing for three months? Vivian finally found him yesterday, or rather early this morning over in Mercy City Hospital, severely injured. According to her employment record, she hasn’t taken a proper vacation in over five years, and had accrued over six months of vacation time, which given her situation, she deserved to take.”
“John we are not running a charity ward for our employees, they are here to work. It’s a shame about her situation, but if she isn’t back to work by tomorrow, she’s fired. Now get out of my office and see to it she’s back to work, tomorrow.”
Before Chad could move around the desk to and pop that pimple, John’s door opened and Brian Miller walked in uninvited. “Um...Brian, what a pleasure. How can I help you,” John said in a greasy voice, as he stood up and walked toward Brian.
“Hello John, I just wanted you to meet a new member of this hospital, Deedee Stone. Your replacement.” Hearing her name, as planned, Deedee walked into the office. “Oh I forgot to mention, she is doctor Deedee Stone.” John stopped dead in his tracks after hearing what Brian said.
“What do you mean, my replacement, Brian? No one can replace me, I’m indispensable. Why, I’ve been running this hospital smoothly for over two years, and doing a fine job.”
“Have a seat, John. No not in your usual chair, in one of those,” Brian said as he pointed to one of the several chairs facing John’s old desk. About that time a plainclothes policeman and a uniformed policeman walked into the office, followed by the hospital’s bookkeeper. “You see John,” Brian started as he sat down in John’s old chair, “Samuel, here,” and he pointed to Samuel Bloomingdale, “Has been noticing some rather interesting things with the hospital’s books, specifically shortages. When he brought up his concerns with me, the Board of Directors decided to bring in a Forensic Accountant and have the books checked out thoroughly. And guess what, John, the losses pointed straight back to you, as did your bank account in that offshore account you have. Mr. Milton, you’ve been skimming from the accounts here at the hospital, and that gentleman with the officer is here to arrest you for embezzlement. Had we not discovered the problem, thanks to Samuel, we were going to fire you anyway, given your inability to work as a team member at this hospital. And after what you told Chad about Mrs. Fisher, you’re lucky I walked in when I did or Chad might have thrown you out the window.” Turning to the plainclothes detective, and the officer, Brian told them, “He’s all yours gentleman.”
Chad and Brian quickly brought Deedee up to speed with Vivian’s situation, only having her tell the two men, “This hospital is going to do everything it can to help that woman. Would you two gentleman see what we can do and get it done?” Deedee laughed when the two men gave each other a thumbs up, knowing they now had the right hospital administrator. Vivian was not going to want for anything when she returned, the hospital would see to that.
Mercy City Hospital
For the past six weeks, Kyle had around the clock care, with a nurse in her room day and night; partly because there had been concerns that whoever did all the damage to Kyle might come back to make sure she was actually dead. Her vitals were taken each hour, day and night. Either Tory or Phillip checked on her daily, as did the surgeons who operated on her. And Vivian was with her every day, reading one of her favorite books, in order to let her know that her mom was there and she was now safe.
After the first week the heavy bandages on her groin were replaced with lighter ones, and the surgeons’ handiwork checked to make sure everything was healing properly. Kyle was also taken weekly to imaging so repairs to her internal injuries could be monitored--something a few doctors thought redundant, only to realize, as their shifts were suddenly changed, their attitudes were not appreciated.
The bruising that basically covered Kyle’s body had almost all faded after the second week, and the swelling in her face had gone to such a degree that Vivian could once again recognize the face of her child. By the fourth week, most of the internal injuries had healed to the point that they were of no major concern anymore; and her right arm and left leg were healing nicely according to the scans. By week five the doctors thought it best to start gentle dilations so Kyle’s new vaginal canal remained open--another round of arguments ensued with this decision, but no one had their shift changed.
Kyle’s broken ribs had been of major concern when she was first brought into the ER. They had been broken into enough pieces that one false move of Kyle’s body and any one of the pieces could have pierced her lungs or even her heart. But after the loving care used to put them back together, using a newly developed technique, they were mending quite well. Because of all signs showing Kyle was doing better than they had hoped, it was decided to start bringing her out of the medically induced coma she’d been in for the past six weeks. And to hopefully find out who caused all the damage she suffered; and maybe put a few heads on pike poles when their identities were finally known.
It’s been four days since Kyle had been taken off the induced coma medication, four long days with hopes she’d wake on her own. It was day five and Vivian was reading another chapter to Kyle when Kyle started to stir, prompting the nurse to get a doctor. As it turned out, not only did the attending doctor arrive but almost everyone who’d been involved with Kyle’s recovery, making the room shrink pretty fast. As everyone watched, Kyle’s eyes fluttered open, and for the first time in three months and six weeks, she saw her mother again.
“Mom? Whe...where am I? What happened? May I have some water?” It was mostly slurred, but Kyle was awake and talking, bring huge smiles to the faces of everyone in the room; the news was also passed to the rest of the hospital staff. After drinking some of the water offered, Kyle drifted off to sleep, this time of her own volition. Vivian was wiping tears off her face, tears of joy that her child was alive and going to be alright, physically.
Three hours later Kyle awoke, complained that she was hungry, which elicited pleasant laughter from those there this time. It took only a few moments for the cafeteria to get a try to Kyle’s room, nothing real heavy, but it was filling and what her body needed right now. After raising the head of her bed, Vivian helped her daughter eat, all the while trying to answer her daughters questions.
“Um, Kyle, how much do you remember about what happened to you?” Vivian tried to ask the question as gently as possible, with William sitting in the background listening and recording their conversation--the bastards who did this were on every law enforcement list of people who needed to permanently disappear.
“Where am I exactly, mom? How’d I get here? How much do I remember? Too much,” Kyle asked and told her mom, as tears slid down her cheeks.
“Kyle, you’re in Mercy City Hospital, you’ve been here for the past six weeks. As to how you got here, a Dr. Stephen Thomas Thompson found you lying alongside the highway as he was on his way home in the early morning. You were naked, badly beaten, but clinging to life. You had a lot of injuries which the surgeons repaired, and um...this might be hard to hear, sweetie, but they had to do sex reassignment surgery on you because your genitals were severely damaged and couldn’t be saved. Kyle, someone castrated you then mutilated your penis. I didn’t want you to become a eunuch for the rest of your life, so I had them do the surgery to give you girl features.”
After Vivian told her son he was now a girl, she became very quiet. Both Vivian and Bill thought they would need to get a doctor to help sedate her, but saw it wasn’t needed when Kyle said, “But I’m alive, right?” Vivian gently hugged her daughter as tears again ran down her cheeks, and Bill found he had something in his eyes, after hearing what Kyle just said.
Over the course of several hours, the doctors were brutally honest with Kyle about the injuries she suffered, explaining in detail what was done to fix her injuries. Kyle showed she had an understanding of what she was told simply because of the questions she asked. They even explained about her need to dilate and for how long in order to get her body used to having a vaginal canal. At the end of the doctors’ talk, Kyle simply told him, “But I”m alive.”
When it was determined Kyle felt well enough to answer questions, one of the hospital psychologist was asked to speak with Kyle, with William Toliver of the State Troopers being in the room to record anything Kyle might remember about her ordeal. The psychologist, Susie Pickton, a gentle woman who had great success getting children to open up, wasn’t happy to have William in the room during questioning, until it was explained to her why Kyle was here and that her one on one session with Kyle would be required at a later date. Right now the main concern was to shut down the bastards who was doing this to kids.
Susie and William walked into Kyle’s room, William taking one of the chairs near enough to record anything Kyle said, but far enough from Kyle to not cause her to become upset. “Hi Kyle, I’m Susie Pickton, I’m a psychologist here at the hospital. I’ve been asked to come talk with you and see if you can help find those people responsible for what happened to you. Do you think we could talk and maybe see if you remember enough to get these people?”
Kyle looked over to William, and gave him a small wave, which William returned, along with a smile. She then looked at Susie and told her, “Hi Susie, um, yeah, I guess we can talk, but I don’t feel like talking about the bad stuff right now.”
“Kyle, the bad stuff can wait until you’re ready to talk about it with me, no one will force you to talk about it in any way, okay? Can you remember what you were doing before all this happened?” Vivian had watched Susie and realized she had a very strong empathy with her patients, which is why she was so good getting kids to open up to her. She also realized, looking at Kyle, she was going to need a lot of help from Susie.
“Um, well, I was walking home from school when two men came out of a white van parked by the curb, and grabbed me. They pulled me into that van and I don’t remember anything until I woke up in some house. Some lady pulled me up some stairs and into a room, where a man...where a man...and a little girl..I don’t want to talk about that right now.” Vivian reached up and wiped off tears that had started running down Kyle’s cheeks.
“Kyle, sweetie,” Susie said, trying to get Kyle calmed down. “That’s okay if you aren’t ready to talk about that. Can you remember more?”
“Um, well, then that lady took me to the basement...I can’t talk about what they were doing there, please don’t make me. She said if I didn’t do what I was told I’d end up down there. Please, don’t make me talk about it.”
“Kyle,” and it was Susie who reached over and wiped the tears off Kyle’s cheeks, trying hard to keep her's in check; she saw both Vivian and William wiping their own eyes. “Kyle, did you see, or hear, anything else beside what the lady was showing you?”
“Um, yeah, I saw some people coming and going through a door in the basement wall. They said something about ‘these new houses were better than the last ones’ as they walked upstairs then came back and went out that door.”
“Kyle, do you have any idea where that house happens to be, it’s important.” Susie didn’t want to push Kyle right now because she wasn’t ready to talk about her experiences, and it was going to take time for her to come to terms with what she experienced.
“Well, I’d been there for a long time, and they made me do some things I don’t want to talk about right now, and the lady said we weren’t to look out any window or we’d regret it. Well, one day I looked out a window, and saw I was in a house right next to the widow woman, you remember me talking about her, don’t you mom?” Susie and William both looked at Vivian and saw her lost in thought, and William was delighted when Vivian rattled off the address of the widow woman’s house. “And then, I woke up here, I don’t remember any more,” Kyle said as more tears ran down her cheeks.
Susie leaned over and hugged Kyle, telling her, “It’s okay, you did good for our first time together.” When Susie looked over to William, she saw he was no longer there, and Vivian mouthed, “I’ll explain later.” “Kyle, why don’t you get some rest and your mom and I will talk, okay?” Kyle nodded her head, wiped tears off her face, and laid back in her bed, closing her eyes and was asleep soon after.
Susie and Vivian left the room with Vivian leading Susie to the small conference room Phillip had used when he broke the news to Vivian. When they entered the room, they found William on the phone talking to someone at his headquarters, by the sound of the conversation. “Right, that’s the address. We’ve got to be crafty about this because we don’t know who all is involved, maybe some our own people, who knows. Okay, right, I’ll keep you informed.” William hung up the phone shortly after Susie and Vivian sat down around the conference table.
“Vivian, the special task unit in your city is being contacted and given all the information Kyle was able to give us. Rounding up these pieces of crap is going to take time since other houses are involved, and they want to get all of them. Plus, without knowing who is involved, we have to be careful since some could be in law enforcement. But I’m told the guys in your City are good, very good, so no one should find out and pass the word along.”
“That, Susie, was what I wanted to tell you back in the room, but thought better until we could talk in private. William has explained about how these people work, snatching kids off the street and then using them for God knows what, before throwing them out like trash. When this all started, he was able to verify several other instances where naked children had been found lying along the side of the road, severely injured like Kyle, only dead. And when they could be identified, those kids lived hundreds of miles of where they were found. Kyle is the first kid to survive such a beating, and provide the first real bit of information in all this.”
Susie had reached out and taken Vivian’s hand as she explained what William had told her, reaching up every so often to wipe off a tear or two. “Vivian, we’ll get these bastards,” William told her with a lot of anger in his voice. “And when we do, you can bet when they get to prison, prison justice will be issued and those pieces of crap won’t live out the week.”
Vivian’s City
The man watched as a utility worker walked from door to door across the street, before he saw woman walking up to his house. “Excuse me sir, I’m Marsha Reed, I’m with the gas company; here’s my ID. I suppose you’ve heard about the gas explosions that destroyed houses in other cities, well we’re going through the City and checking for leaks so we don’t experience the same thing. I just wanted to let you know that we’ll be checking around all houses for leaks or any signs of bad pipes.”
“May I see your ID again, Ms. Reed? Thank you, I want to make sure you are who you say you are, since my wife and I have been scammed before so I always check IDs before I let anyone work on our property.” The man dialed the phone number on the back of the ID card, and yes, Marsha Reed was one of their employees, who was involved with an inspection project that was currently taking place in the City. The man was satisfied with what he was told, gave Marsha’s ID back to her and bid her a good day. He watched as she continued down the block contacting homeowners as she went.
A day later, Marsha and another man were seen walking up and down the alley, carrying equipment and listening to the tones it gave off. After they walked from one end to the other, they then entered the backyard of each house and doing the same thing, listening to their equipment. Once one block was done, they moved on to another block, all the while giving the impression they were searching for gas leaks and bad pipes. In reality, their equipment was actually a newly designed ground penetrating radar, which operated at much higher frequencies and could detect a dime buried forty feet below ground. And that dime happened to be the tunnel they detected coming from behind their target house. By checking everything in the alley, they were able to determine which direction the tunnel ran and what building it ran under--a warehouse about forty-five degrees to the right of their target house.
While Marsha and her partner were doing their jobs, computer searches were being done on the owner of their target house, resulting in a lot of information which tied that owner with several others, which lead to several other houses throughout the State. Checks on those owners, lead to even more houses, and more houses, until twenty five houses were discovered in all. They even discovered legitimate businesses associated with those houses that had done all the exterior and interior work. Everything was kept under the tightest security, with only those needing to know given the information. And as had been done in Vivian’s City, the other Cities rolled out fake gas inspections in order to find the tunnels for each of those houses. Now the big question, how to catch everyone involved. There was always someone sitting out front on the porch, or in the yard doing yard work during the day. So taking the houses during the day was out. All of those involved realized it would have to be a night raid, but they also wanted to save all of the children in those houses; the last time a house like this was raided, all the children had been killed by those in the house.
One of the SWAT team members remember something the military was working on that would knock out a T-rex in moments, and was designed for penetrations so no casualties were realized. It was fast acting, lighter than air so it could be introduced and would permeate every crevice within a structure. He was given the okay to contact his military contact and ask if they could use the new gas, explaining why. His contact ask how much and where do we deliver it.
Because of the old industrial areas these houses butted against, it wasn’t unusual for big rigs to be parked for days at a time before being loaded and driven off. It took several days before enough big rigs could be outfitted, and rebranded so they’d blend in, before the trucks were rolled into the areas and surveillance could begin. The trucks would pull into position so that the warehouses could be monitored, then a passenger vehicle would pick up the driver and leave. What those watching didn’t know about were the people in the trailer who would be running the equipment. Each truck was equipped with enough food and water, and a chemical toilet, to let the truck last a week. When the week was up, the driver would return, that rig would be driven off and a different truck would roll up and be parked; not always in the same spot. This surveillance continued for two months, gathering information about the heaviest times of traffic and times of day, or night, until it was determined they had all the information needed.
Anyone who was going to be involved in bringing all these houses down were vetted, to make darn sure no one involved was involved with the houses and tip them off of the raids that were going to take place. Even the Judges who would be issuing search warrants and arrest warrants were vetted, as were the DAs of each City. A training seminar was schedule that brought everyone involved in the raids together; training seminars could always be used as covers for a multitude of things. Every piece of information gathered was presented, everyone involved in the houses was named, some in high places within each City. As with the house in Vivian’s City, there were lulls at every house, which made it the perfect time to strike. Plans were finalized, people assigned, equipment listed, everything was covered that would be needed for the raids. The only thing left to do was bring down all of the slimeballs so they could get exactly what they deserved.
Each City also happened to own several warehouses in the location of each house to be raided, so it wasn’t hard to back a trailer into one warehouse and unload, not normal cargo, but personal equipped with everything they’d need for a raid. Everything was going to happen at the same time, each house would be gassed through an opening drilled into the basement door. Each business owner was going to be arrested at the same time, and their business shut down. Those caught in the warehouses when the raid started would be darted before being arrested so they couldn’t warn the houses. Those who came to the houses would be arrested at their homes, or wherever they were followed to. None of these sick people were going to walk away from being prosecuted and put in prison--how long they lasted in prison wasn’t a concern, once it was known why those people were there.
By 1 a.m. everything was in place in all Cities. Radio contact was established with every City and at 1:45 a.m. the “word” was given and the raids commenced. As the warehouses were breached, several going to the houses or coming from the houses were darted. Even those just getting into or out of their cars felt the sharp prick from a dart. The gas cylinders were brought in, holes were silently drilled into the basement doors, tubes were inserted through the holes, and the gas turned on. The military contact had done the calculations, given the size of each house, and determined the time needed for the gas to reach every corner of the house. No one in any of the houses noticed as each other fell asleep, or thought it strange, until they all woke up to discover they’d been arrested and their houses raided.
When the computer techs got into the computers at each house, they couldn’t believe all the names of members they found; many very prominent people. So armed with arrest warrants, every member on those lists was rounded up and arrested. After all the arrests had been performed, anywhere from one hundred and fifty to four hundred people had been arrested who were involved at each and every house. The courts were going to be very busy.
As to what else they found inside those houses, the kids, what some saw made the toughest cop head for the nearest toilet, or need to be restrained by a fellow cop. Each house had about twenty to thirty kids in it, not all upstairs in the rooms. What was seen in the basement caused some of those arrested to have accidents while being escorted to the waiting wagons. Some of the kids in the basement were beyond help, but could only be comforted until their end came.
Word reached William Toliver about all the raids, and what was found and the number arrested. He went to the hospital and once at Kyle’s room, pulled Vivian outside to give her the information, information that made it clear that without Kyle’s help, these animals would still be plying their trade. He also made it clear to Vivian that with everything that was found in all the houses, none of those involved would escape prison time, and they’d be lucky if they lived very long after entering prison.
Vivian and William walked into Kyle’s room, Kyle waving to William as he entered. “Hi Bill, I, um, sort of heard what you told my mom. Then they got all of those who hurt me and those other kids? They’re going to prison, but might not live very long after they get there?” William could only nod at each of Kyle’s questions, not trusting his voice at the moment. And when he could, he told Kyle, “It all happened because of you Kyle, and the information you were able to give us. You see, those people thought they’d outsmarted everyone by not doing the things that brought down other such houses. But the didn’t count on one thing,” and here William pointed to Kyle.
Kyle looked puzzled for a moment before asking William, “I only gave you what I knew, William, how else did I help?” William chuckled a bit before telling Kyle, “Because, Kyle, you lived.”
Edit Note: I did not intend to bump this story, only to add an Aunt Jane Universe suggested by another reader. Also, due to my ignorance at the time this story was posted, boo-boos were made in html formatting, as were some writing oopses. Plus, I separated those speaking so it became clearer who was speaking and when.
Jamie Lee
Mark Thomas, now fourteen years old, had been railroaded by his parents since the age of nine to end up going before a Juvenile Judge twice a year, every six months, and spent exactly two months in juvenile detention. Why? So his parents could go on vacation without having to pay someone to watch Mark at home. Their taxes were still paying someone to watch Mark, but the little they had to pay, thanks to creative bookkeeping, was more than worth it to them. But Mark's parents didn't count on a Judge they had yet to put in their pockets. A Judge, who by good fortune, and loyal people, found out what Mark's parents were doing and turned the tables on them. Judge Ruth Walinkiewicz was about to surprise the parents of one Mark Thomas, and help Mark in the process, if only she could get him to trust someone again.
Author's Note: Permission to use the characters Judge Ruth Walinkiewicz and Jane Thompson was granted by Tigger, whose suggestions and observations during the creation of this story were invaluable and much appreciated. Other names used in this story are no relation to like names used in any other story I've written or written by anyone else. I'm just going through the alphabet. Jamie Lee
The private door to Judge Ruth Walinkiewicz's chambers opened and an arm reached around the door jamb in order to find the light switch. Having found it, the switch was flipped up and the lights in the Judges' chamber came on, and only then did Ruth walk into her chambers. Ruth Walinkiewicz had been assigned these chambers ever since the Earth cooled enough for life to begin, and had no trouble walking into her chambers without first turning on the lights. But a few weeks ago, a shorthanded cleaning crew had been in a hurry to finish all their work in the building and had neglected to return a chair in Ruth's chambers to the exact location it had been before they cleaned her chambers. That morning, Ruth had walked into her chambers as she had always done, without turning on the lights first, and walked right into that chair, banging her left shin, hard, into the chair stretcher, resulting in a bruise that lasted at least two weeks. As a result, Ruth's habit changed that day and since then she always turned on the lights before going into her chambers.
Ruth walked over to the closet in her office, opened the door, took off her coat, hung it up, closed the door and walked over to her desk. She looked down at the pile of cases she would hear today, sighed, and sat down at her desk, pulling the top folder of the pile. A folder that belonged to a Mark Thomas, her first case for the day. Her eyes drifted to the pile again, and she mumbled, "Oy... it's going to be a very long day." Ruth had just begun to read Mark Thomas' file when she heard a familiar 'shave and a haircut, two bits' knock on the door to the courtroom, followed by Margret Shipton opening the door and walking into Ruth's chambers.
"Morning, Ruth, you ready for a brand new day," Margret asked Ruth in her usual chipper voice. Margret only laughed when Ruth gave her the stink eye and pointed to the pile of cases to her left. "Aw, Ruth, think of it as a challenge, an adventure, a way of tweaking some little snot's nose who deserves it. And maybe find the one or two who really shouldn't be here at all; you've helped several that way."
Ruth just chuckles at Margret's optimism and held out a ten dollar bill before saying, "Two cheese Danish and tea with a little lemon." Here she stared Margret right in the eye before telling her, "Margret, that's a tea with a LITTLE lemon, not lemon with a little tea like last time."
Margret performed a Gallic shrug before saying, "Hey, Ruth, can I be blamed for the fight that broke out and distracted Jimmy, who was the one who dumped a bit too much lemon into your tea?"
"A bit TOO much she says," Ruth mumbled. "Oh, and Margret, put what change that's left over in Jimmy's tip jar, his Mary is going in for another round of chemo and he could use the help." Margret nodded her head before leaving Ruth to continue her reading of Mark Thomas' case file.
Margret Shipton was one of three bailiffs assigned to Ruth's courtroom, and had been with Ruth for the last ten years. Before Margret became a bailiff, she'd spent ten years in military service, all but two of those years with the Military Police. Her first month in her assigned unit was interesting, to say the least, with several of the men in that unit not happy a woman had been assigned to THEIR unit. An agreement had been reached with the police of the nearby city and the police would call the MPs if the city police had trouble with a soldier from the base. The local police would handle crowd control, and let the MPs deal with one of their own. The town council saw this as a win win since it saved them expenses to house a drunken soldier in their jail. And the men who wanted Margret out used this to their advantage, or so they thought when they made their plans to run Margret off.
Had these same men bothered to read Margret's file, they'd have learned she was not some blooming pansey, but a very street smart and very skilled person. Margret grew up in an area of a City where keeping your head on a swivel had the benefit of staying healthy or ending up in the hospital. And until she turned eighteen, and enlisted, she learned how to spot trouble before it even got started. Of course these same morons would also have seen that Margret's mother had enrolled her in every Martial Arts program she could find when Margret was eight-years-old. Programs Margret stayed with until she enlisted. Margret got so good in the five different styles she learned that before her enlistment, she had a final bout with each of her Senseis. She was so good that each Sensei had to use a few things they'd never showed Margret, things Margret somehow countered. Because of what she showed them in their final bouts, Margret received a bow from each Sensei, something they'd never done before to any student.
The men's plan was simple. Margret, as a newbie, would ride with a veteran the next time they received a call from the local police. When they arrived the veteran would tell Margret to go in the front and he'd go around back and come in through the back door, just in case their man bolted for the back door. But their plan of Margret getting her head handed to her never worked, because when the veteran came in through the back, he'd find their man face down on the floor with his hands handcuffed behind him and Margret standing over him. And every time Margret would tell her partner, "Aw, you missed all the fun." They tried this three times, and three times it was a failure. Margret was not stupid, she knew exactly what those men were trying to do and was having fun spoiling their plans. The men, on the other hand, were arguing over whether Margret had help to bring these men down or was actually doing it on her own; the consensus was she was getting help. The men knew the men they were sent after, all over six feet tall, and all very close to or over two hundred pounds. And that Martret was five feet seven inches, and maybe one hundred and thirty five pounds, wet. And she brought each and every man down.
The men decided to throw their plan out the window, and go in with Margret as they were supposed to do according to regs. But the partner would lay back, stay back and watch what Margret did to bring these drunken soldiers down, then report back to the others. And that's exactly what happened on the very next call. And what was witnessed was a jaw dropper to the men.
As they discussed, the veteran Margret was with held back just a bit and let Margret enter the tavern first. Again, Margret knew what he was doing but didn't care, she went ahead as she always did. Her partner stood where he could see the entire room, noticing the local police officers watching the non-military crowd for any signs of trying to jump Margret as she walked over to where the soldier was sitting at the bar. "Hi there, I'm Corporal Shipton, Military Police. I understand these folks here are getting a bit worried about you. How about you let me take you back to base, before your commander hears about all this."
The bar got quiet as Margret spoke to the soldier, and clearly heard, "Fuck off bitch, I ain't going anywhere right now." Her partner thought Margret would just pull the guy off the stool and force him to the floor before handcuffing him. But as he watched, he finally caught on to what she was really doing.
"Oh come on now, that's no way to talk to a lady. Come on, let me take you back to base. You look like you've had way too much to drink already."
The drunken soldier's head wobbled as he turned it toward her, before telling Margret, "I said, FUCK OFF BITCH! I ain't going anywhere."
Margret knew she had him upset by her constant badgering and pushed it a bit further by laughing at the man then telling him, "Pheewwee, you could sure use a breath mint. You could light a fire with that breath." Margret knew men like the one she was confronting didn't like to be laughed at, so she laughed again and then said, as she held out a packet of breath mints, "Breath mint?"
By now the drunken soldier was pissed, and stood up facing Margret, who had taken two steps backwards. "Look , I told you I ain't going to go anywhere. Now FUCK OFF before I hurt that little body of yours." Margret had manipulated the soldier to stand up, where he was the most unstable because of the amount of alcohol he had consumed.
Now it was time to really piss him off by telling him, "Private, I'm ordering you to accompany me back to base. Where you will spend time in the stockade until your commander can be notified." Margret looked into the man's eyes and could see he was royally pissed off, just as she planned. Between his anger and all the alcohol he drank, he would go done like the others. Margret took another step backwards, putting just a little more room between her and the drunken soldier.
"Listen you CUNT FUCKING PUSSY. NO CUNT FUCKING PUSSY IS GOING TO TAKE ME NOWHERE. BUT THAT CUNT FUCKING PUSSY IS GOING TO GET HURT." The drunken soldier's shout was the only thing heard in that tavern, and as everyone watched, the soldier reached forward and tried to punch Margret in the chest. Her position, and the soldier's drunkenness, caused him to overbalance in Margret's direction and in one swift motion, Margret grabbed the man's right wrist with her right hand and used his momentum to pull him forward. With the help of her right foot, she tripped the man while continuing to hold his wrist, and as everyone watched, that soldier hit the floor face first, stunning him and giving Margret time to cuff his hands behind his back. Margret's partner couldn't believe what he just witnessed, especially the applause she received once the soldier's hands were handcuffed behind his back.
When they got back to the base, and their prisoner had been processed, it was time for the night crew to check in and the day crew to go back to their rooms. As Margret was leaving, she noticed the group of men who wanted her out of the unit, standing around the steps to the office. As Margret stepped outside they told her, "Shipton, we heard what you did today with that drunk. And... well... we just wanted to welcome you to the Unit. And if you've got nothing else to do, we'd like to buy you a beer."
Margret studied the four men, she wasn't going to let them off the hook, or so they'd think. "Well, I don't know," Margret began, "You assholes haven't treated me very nice since I got here. You make it two beers, and you got a deal." They sobered up when Margret said two beers, thinking she'd forgiven them for what they had done. But got a shock when she then said, as they walk along, "Oh, and boys, I knew what y'all were doing from the beginning. Y'all are like tissue paper in that department." They just looked at each other and started laughing.
"Touche rookie," her last partner told her as they continued on.
A few weeks later four of the men were investigating break ins occurring around the Base. Nothing was the same for any of the break ins; entry gained was different; items stolen were different; the time the break ins occurred were different. Everything about these break ins led the men to believe they were separate incidents. Margret heard them talking one day and asked if she could look at the files; they were about to learn about her well developed analytical mind. And her ability to speed read, with one hundred percent comprehension. "Hell, you might as well, Margret. We're baffled," one of the men told her.
Margret took the files, sat down and began reading through them. Five minutes later she turned to the men and told them, "These break ins are the work of one group or one person." She took out a piece of paper and drew the locations where each break in occurred. She then drew the one barracks that stood right in the middle of every break in, Barracks 'F'. "Gentleman, if you search through that Barracks you'll find the stolen items. I can't tell you which floor, but they are in that Barracks." When she saw the bewildered looks on their faces, she took the time to explain how she arrived at that particular Barracks. And after her explanation, all of the men just groaned, because it was something they'd overlooked.
As the years passed, because of Margret's work, she finally made the rank of Sergeant, and turned down the offer of 2nd Lieutenant when it was offered a few years later. When asked why, she told them, "I'm not a manager. I'm a field worker and like what I do." She didn't turn down the rank of Master Sergeant when it was offered, as it kept her doing what she loved.
As Ruth was reading the file for Mark Thomas a second time, she heard Margret knock before coming into her chambers, carrying four cheese Danish, a cup of tea--with a little lemon--and a cup of coffee. Margret sat Ruth's items on her right side before sitting down in one of the three chairs facing Ruth's desk. "I can't seem to figure it out," Margret heard Ruth say, more to herself. "What am I missing?" Ruth pulled her head back, rubbed her eyes, held out the file and told Margret, "Here, read this and see if you can see what I'm missing. Something is wrong with that whole file." Margret stuffed the rest of the Danish she been eating into her mouth, before taking the file from Ruth. Ruth learned a long time ago that Margret was able to quickly read a file because she could read two thousand words a minute, with complete comprehension. She also learned that Margret had a very keen analytical mind, one that could cut to the heart of anything she studied.
"Roof, whif isf thif kig stol ouf an about?" Ruth just glared at Margret, who was trying to talk with a mouthful of Danish. Seeing Ruth's look, Margret swallowed the mouth full, then took a drink of her coffee before saying, "Why is this kid still out and about? Going by his record, he should have been remanded years ago."
Ruth shook her head and replied, "I know that, but there's something I'm missing. Something that's there but I just can't see it." Margret started reading the file again, slowing down just a bit to one thousand words a minute.
When Ruth saw Margret nod her head, she knew from experience that Margret had found what was bothering her. "Ruth, did you happen to notice this Mark Thomas has spent exactly two months in juvenile detention, twice a year since the age of nine?" Margret said to Ruth as she handed the file back to Ruth, who looked even closer to what Margret had just asked her.
"It must be too early for me to be doing this to have missed those facts. Now I see it, twice a year since the age of nine, six months apart, for exactly two months. In every one of his statements he said he was innocent of the charges brought against him. Hmm... I smell something musty here, Margret." Ruth checks her watch, then picks up the phone and dialed a number.
"Hi John, this is Judge Ruth. How are you today?...Good, good...Karen and the kids okay?...That's great, give them my best...Has Mark Thomas been brought over from juvenile detention?...He has?...Is his lawyer with him?...He is?...Great. Would you have someone escort them to my chambers?...Ten minutes?...Great. Thanks John...Bye."
Ten minutes later there's a knock on the door to the courtroom. Margret gets up, opens the door and sees a boy, who must be Mark Thomas, a suit behind him, and a deputy behind the two. "Please, come in," Ruth says in a pleasant voice. All three walk into her chambers, the suit immediately sitting down in one of the three chairs. As Ruth and Margret watch, Mark walks behind one of the chairs but remains standing behind it, a big plus as far as the two were concerned. "Deputy, my bailiff is here, we'll take responsibility for Mr. Thomas. I'll call when he can be returned to holding."
"As you wish, your Honor," the deputy said before leaving the chambers; Margret closing the door behind him.
"Your Honor, I'm Timothy Simms of the Public Defender's office, representing..." but he never finished what he was about to say as Ruth held up her hand to cut him off.
"Just a minute, Mr. Simms, we'll get to you in a minute," Ruth told the man as her gaze went to Mark. "Mr. Thomas, thank you for waiting, but please, be seated," Ruth told Mark as he then walked around the chair and sat down. Ruth's scowl landed on Mr. Simms as she started in on him.
"Mr. Simms, do you know how rude it is to be seated before being invited to do so? NO? It's very rude. And do you know how rude it is to address me before I address you? NO? It's very rude. Tell me, Mr. Simms, were you planning to have your client plead guilty to the charges against him? Have you even bothered to read his case file, closely, MR. SIMMS?" Ruth was a degree below boiling, and it took everything she had to hold it back. "WELL, Mr. Simms, what do you say for yourself?"
"Pardon me, your Honor," Mark said in the lull now evident in the Judge's chambers. "If you prefer, you may just call me Mark. I'm not really into formalities."
Ruth smiled at Mark before replying, "Thank you, Mark, I'd like that." The smile disappeared as she asked Mr. Simms, "WELL Mr. Simms? I'm waiting."
Timothy Simms really looked nervous now, having a Judge almost breathing down his neck. But he mustered on with, "Your Honor, I have twenty six cases to represent today, and more than that tomorrow. The Public Defender's office is understaffed, and underpaid, and I don't have time to closely read every case assigned to me. I either handle the cases as I'm told, or find another job. It's that simple." Timothy tried to hold Ruth's gaze but failed, and dropped his eyes, hoping she would under his predicament.
"Mr. Simms, you seem to be a very caring person, and in a tough spot. Have you ever thought of actually going somewhere else to practice law? Some place where you can do a better job of representing your clients. Because you sure can't give them your best with that many cases each and every day. And if your caseload is any indication of how the Public Defender's office is being run, perhaps a bug needs placed in the right ears to look into the problem. Now, Mr. Simms," Ruth said as she held out her copy of Mark's case file to Timothy, "Read my copy, closely, while I talk with Mark." Timothy took the offered file, started reading it, as Ruth turned her attention back to Mark.
Ruth admired what she saw as she looked at Mark. He was sitting up in the chair, not slouched. Both feet were on the floor with his knees together. His hands were folded in his lap, not draped over the chair's arm rests. "Mark, it's nice to meet you before your hearing, even under these circumstances. The reason I asked to speak with you before Court begins, is due to some anomalies in your case file. And I was hoping you might be able to explain why they occur." As Ruth explained the reason Mark was here in her chambers, she saw a bit of a smile appear at the corners of Mark's mouth and in his eyes. And knew he did know something about this whole affair.
Mark had just opened his mouth to speak when Timothy said, "What the bloody hell, what's going on here?" He turned to Mark and told him, "Mark, with this record, you should have been remanded years ago until your eighteenth birthday. What the hell is going on?"
Mark started to speak again, the smile wider on his mouth, but was cut off when Ruth told Timothy, "Language, Mr. Simms, watch your language, please."
Timothy apologized before Mark said, "Your Honor, I know exactly what's going on and why. I'd be happy to explain it all to you if we have the time."
"Oh we have the time, Mark. I run my Court, the clock doesn't," Ruth told Mark as she watched him start shaking his head.
"Ah, no your Honor. The time I refer to is not when Court starts, but when you will be set up for blackmail." Mark couldn't help smiling as he watched the puzzled expressions form on the three faces watching him. "Your Honor, do you have a tape recorder in your chambers? What I'm about to tell you would be considered my statement against the people who've been at the root of my and the Court's trouble since I was nine-years-old." Mark watched as Margret walked over to one of the cabinets in the chamber, opened it and took out a recording device. She handed it to Ruth, who turned it on and bade Mark to begin.
"Your Honor, everything was fine with my family before I turned nine years old. We traveled to far away places and stayed for two months at a time. Of course this was done at times when school was out, so I didn't miss school. But the minute I turned nine years old, everything changed. My parents stopped being warm and loving towards me. They stopped being interested in how I was doing in school, or in the interests I was pursuing. They started acting as though I was in their way, was causing them problems. And as I found out when I turned twelve, they had put a plan in action that had me in juvenile Court twice a year, every year, from the age of nine. Even when I learned what they were doing, and how they were doing it, it didn't matter, they had a workaround in place when I stopped doing what they told me to do."
"As you've undoubtedly discovered, I've been in the juvenile courtroom twice a year, every year since I was nine. And as you've undoubtedly discovered, I've spent exactly two months in juvenile detention. And as you've read in my case file, I've denied every charge since I was nine, but it seemed to fall on deaf ears every time. Well your Honor, I was innocent of every charge brought against me, as I am today. And the deaf ears? Blackmail, your Honor. Plain and simple blackmail."
"My parents wanted to continue their two month vacations, but without me being there. But they couldn't just leave me at home. So they shopped around until they found a family, David, Pamala, and Tory Jackson, whose son could almost be my twin, with the same hair color and style, same height and weight, and almost identical facial features. Once they found the family, they photographed the husband and wife in what could be construed as compromising positions, but wasn't. They just had someone doctor the photos so it appeared they were in compromising positions. And of course they couldn't refute the photos or prove they were fake, so to keep them out of the public eye, that family did what my parents told them."
"Once they had that family in their pockets, my parents, well the sperm and egg donors that gave me life, sent me to the arcade on my ninth birthday. The chauffeur took me to the mall and was with me in the arcade for about an hour. When we arrived home, my "mother" was waiting and took me with her to do a bit of shopping. My "mother" talked about buying some jewelry for an upcoming party, and when we went into a department store near the arcade, we headed straight to the jewelry department. As I was standing looking at things, I heard a lady yell, 'That's him, that's the boy who stole the watch,' and she pointed me out to the security person. Of course my "mother" acted appalled that I would do such a thing, even though I said I was in the arcade when the watch was taken; the lady told the security man the time the watch was taken."
When I told everyone the chauffeur was with me, my "mother" phoned the chauffeur and had him come into the department store. Imagine my surprise when I heard the chauffeur tell everyone that he wasn't with me the entire time at the arcade, that he had to run an errand for my parents; he said he was gone for about thirty minutes. I kept insisting that wasn't true, but he stuck to his story. And when I learned the truth about all that was happening, I looked back upon that time and remembered looking into my "mother's" eyes. The look she gave me told me they had me right where they wanted me, accused of theft. The security person took my arm and literally dragged me back to the security office, where they called the police. And, I spent two months in juvenile detention. For those two months, I never saw my, um... how do I put this politely? For those two months, I never once saw the people who gave me life. I did, however, learn why at the age of twelve."
"Pardon me for interrupting your story, Mark," Ruth said, "but how did you survive two months in juvenile detention at the age of nine? I've seen boys who've been in juvenile detention come out extremely bitter, angry in fact, hating the world and everyone in it. But you're very well mannered, polite, and don't seem to hate the world and everyone in it. And what about your education? Didn't you receive some form of education?"
Mark smiled a smile that could melt the heart of any girl who saw it before telling Ruth, "Those questions are another part of my story, your Honor."
"I was taken to the Juvenile Detention Center in the afternoon. It wasn't long after I arrived that two older boys decided they were going to explain the rules of the center to me. I was sitting on a bench when they walked up to me, the taller boy grabbed me under the arms, lifted me up and slammed me against the wall. He then started spewing garbage, and when he came to the part of me becoming their b-witch, I started laughing. The second guy stepped closer, asking me what was so funny. What they didn't realize was that by lifting me so I was face to face with them, they put my feet right level with their groins. When the second guy was close enough, I kicked him in the groin as hard as I could. When dope number one looked to see what had happened to his friend, I brought my hands up and when he looked back at me, I poked him in the eyes. This caused him to let me go, at which point I kicked him in the groin once I was standing on the floor. Dope number two was bent over holding his groin, so I positioned myself and kicked his face like I would a football. Dope number two was out cold. My ministrations to dope number one had him bending over and holding his groin. I repositioned myself and kick him in the face as well. As with dope number two, dope number two was out cold. I can't tell you how I knew they were there, but the center had cameras hidden everywhere, and I spotted them immediately. When these two boys attacked, they did so right in front of two hidden cameras, so everything had been recorded. As such, the video showed they attacked me first, and I merely defended myself. My knowing about the cameras save me several times later, until I acquired a reputation of 'you leave me alone and I'll leave you alone'. It took a few days of explaining to other morons that I wasn't a nine-year-old to be messed with, but they did eventually learn. Except the very first two."
"When they returned from the hospital, they wanted pay back. At that time my duty for that morning was mopping the floor in one particular hallway. I was at the end of the hallway when I saw these same two dummies coming my way, with fire in their eyes. I let the mop handle rest on the floor and held the mop near the mop head. And these two proved they didn't belong on the evolution scale when dope number one straddled the mop handle as he reached for me. With both hands, I brought the mop handle up, catching him in the groin, again. This time he went down like a sack of potatoes, likely still hurting from the first time. Dope number two tried to get to me in that narrow hallway and tripped over dope number one. I was able to get the mop handle out from under both of these morons, and struck both in the head with that mop handle. And like the first time, they were out like a light. And again, thanks to the video, I was merely defending myself. After those two got out of the hospital this time, they were sent elsewhere. Thankfully. And this was how it went every time I went back to juvenile detention, and how the cameras saved me."
"My education, your Honor? My sperm and egg donors didn't think everything through entirely. Because I spent so much time in detention, I couldn't attend a public or private school, so my sperm and egg donors had to hire tutors. They hired five tutors, one for each day of the week, and they were some of the finest teachers I ever had. But what my sperm and egg donors didn't know was that each was a Sensei of their Martial Arts discipline. And because I had to do something for my physical education requirement, each of those five people taught me all five of their disciplines. As to my manners, my politeness, your Honor? Because of what my "parents" were doing to me, I was very angry. And one day during my Martial Arts training, I tried to take my anger out on my Sensei. She put my butt on the floor hard, then grabbed my Karategi, pulled me off the floor, pulled me right into her face and told me, 'Don't you ever be angry with people who had nothing to do with your situation. Don't you ever take your anger out on those who had NOTHING to do with creating that anger, they don't deserve it. Do you understand me?' Her words made me realize I'd been holding more than just anger, and I wrapped my arms around her neck and cried. She held me and whispered, 'Be brave my little warrior, everything will work out.' From that day, I never again took my anger out on anyone who wasn't involved in what my "parents" were doing to me. As to manners? They didn't neglect those either. Each of my tutors taught me a different form of manners, one that would be appropriate in any situation. I might add, your Honor, their lessons in Martial Arts aided me as I got older."
"Your Honor, you're going to receive an envelope. Inside you'll find fifty thousand dollars and a letter; my "parents" treat fifty thousand dollars like most people treat a dollar bill. This is the first step in their plan to set you up for blackmail. I don't know how they manage it, but you'll soon receive pictures that show you taking the envelope from a person, opening it, and holding the fifty thousand dollars. You see your Honor, my "parents" received substantial inheritances from each of their families. That plus a bit of creative bookkeeping, and my "father" being a successful businessman, what they own could pay off the National Debt twice over and not dent their fortunes. So what they pay that family each time I'm set up, and each judge each time I go before them, they feel they're getting a bargain."
As if on cue, there was a knock on the door to the courtroom. Margret opened the door and they all saw a man wearing a uniform, with the name of the courier's Company on his chest, standing there. "I have a envelope for a Judge Ruth Wal...in...kie...wicz," the courier said, trying to pronounce Ruth's last name. "I'm Judge Ruth, please come in," she told the courier. As they all watched, the courier walked into the chambers, asked Ruth for her signature on his tablet, before giving her a large envelope. After the courier left, everyone turned and looked at Mark. All Mark did was to shrug his shoulders, without telling them 'I told you so'. Because everyone's attention was directed towards Ruth, no one saw the door to the courtroom open just a crack. Or the camera that was poked into that crack.
As if fate was playing a hand in this drama, William Lipkowski walked into the courtroom, another of Ruth's bailiffs. Like Margret, Bill was a military veteran, of fifteen years, with all but two years spent with Special Forces. He'd never talk to anyone but Margret about some of the things he'd seen, or exactly why he called it quits after fifteen years, but the past five years he'd been in Ruth's court had been some of the most enjoyable times. It was also rumored that Bill could walk through dead leaves without making a sound, or leaving a track, a skill that seems innate to him personally and discovered as a boy. He put that skill to work now as he quietly walked up behind the man standing at the door to Ruth's chambers, peering over the little man's head to see Ruth sitting at her desk, holding several packets of money. Bill stood six feet five inches, and weighed in at one ninety five, and not a lick of fat on the big man.
When the man standing before him slowly closed the door, Bill took a step back and when the man started to turn, Bill's right arm shot out and grabbed the man by the back of the neck, lifting him off the floor and relieving him of his camera. "HEY, WHAT THE FUCK DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING, DICK HEAD? LET ME GO OR I'LL SUE YOUR FUCKING ASS OFF." The man's yelling and kicking, got the attention of those in Ruth's chambers. And when Margret opened the door, they all saw Bill standing there holding the courier off the ground and at arm's length.
As Bill walked into Ruth's chambers carrying the courier by the back of the neck, he told Ruth, "Your Honor, I found THIS person standing outside your door, taking pictures with this," and he held up the camera the courier had been using. After handing the camera to Ruth, Bill then slammed the courier against the wall, face first. The courier started yelling again with, "YOU STUPID FUCKER, I'LL OWN YOUR ASS WHEN MY LAWYER GETS THROUGH WITH YOU."
It was Mark who offered, "Your Honor, it would seem this is how my "parents" got the initial pictures, which were then doctored."
As Ruth started reviewing the pictures on the camera she told him, "From what I see on this camera, I believe you are correct Mark." The courier tried breaking free of Bill's grip, only to be mashed harder into the wall. After Ruth had reviewed the pictures on the camera for a few minutes, she asked the courier, "Would you care to explain all the pictures on THIS camera?"
In a muffled voice, the courier told Ruth, "Fuck you bitch."
Bill leaned close to the courier's ear and said, "Right now, I have the urge to push you right through this wall, and no one in here would object. You are going to answer the Judge's questions, politely, or this wall will be the least of your problems. The boys in prison will love having fresh meat to play with."
The courier's face went through several stages of color before settling on white, at the thought of becoming a play things for an inmate, and he mumbled, "Sorry, your Honor. What do you want to know?" Bill lowered the man to the floor, but still mashed him up against the wall.
"My question still stands, please explain all of the pictures on this camera," Ruth said to the courier. Not only had Ruth seen pictures of herself sitting at her desk holding the envelope, but also of her holding the money. Besides herself there were pictures of Judges Billings, Ford, and Donelly, plus additional pictures of the three Judges apparently accepting an envelope from some man. She also saw the pictures that had been taken of the Jackson family, and their doctored ones. Ruth couldn't believe how stupid this man had been to leave such incriminating evidence almost in plain sight. With these pictures, and the information Mark had given, this man's days as a courier would be put to use behind bars. Ruth swore to it. Before she spoke to the courier again, she picked up the phone and dialed the number for each judge.
"Hi Toni, it's Ruth. I think you need to come to my chambers, and bring the pictures with you...oni, I know what's going on, so you don't have to pretend you don't know what I'm talking about...I have the man here who helped set everything up...Good, see you in a few minutes. And don't forget your pictures."
"Hello, David, it's Ruth. I'd like you to come to my chambers, with the pictures you received...David, wait a minute, please. I know you were set up for blackmail, so you don't have to lie to me...I have the man who took those pictures, and may be the one who doctored them...Yes, he's in a rather uncomfortable position at the moment...That's fine, I'll see you in a little while."
"Good morning, Keith...Not a good morning, I'm sorry to hear that. How would you like to have a good morning?...You would, fine. Come to my chambers and bring the pictures you have with you...Keith, I know everything. In fact, I have the man responsible here in my chambers...No, Keith, he isn't going anywhere soon...Good, I'll see you then."
"And now, Mr. Courier, the pictures, explanation. NOW!!" Ruth's anger was evident to the courier, as the color in his face seemed to drain completely away. He started mumbling until Ruth said, "Bill, would you mind easing up just a bit, the man wants to tell us something." The tape recorder was still on as the courier explained everything, including who paid him to take, and doctor, the pictures. It wasn't long after the courier spoke a knock was heard on Ruth's private door, and three Judges walked into her chambers. Toni was the one to ask, "Is this the piece of gutter slime who's responsible for setting us up, Ruth?" Toni was slowing walking towards the man, a man who stood a foot shorter than Toni. "Is this the piece of trash that put the three of us in the corner, Ruth?"
Toni almost reached the courier when Margret stepped in front of her and said, "No Toni, not this way. He's told us everything, and it's on tape. He's not going to get a deal to lessen his prison sentence." If Toni had been a volcano, her eyes would have been spewing lava. But she let Margret hold her back and she started to calm down. Toni had been on the bench the longest, and had the most to lose of all the three Judges. Plus, if the pictures were made public, all of their cases would be called into question. ALL of their cases, going back to their initial taking the bench, anywhere. Toni's anger must have been a bit too much for the courier, because he took that unexpected opportunity to wet himself. Fortunately for everyone in the room, his clothing absorbed it all. Ruth picked up the phone and dialed holding.
"Hi John, it's judge Ruth...No, no everything is fine with Mr. Thomas. I have something else for you. We have a situation that needs a witness placed into protective custody, far away from any others in holding...That's right, John. He talks to no one, he sees no one. He's to be kept out of sight until the DA is ready to see him...No, she's my next call...Okay John, Bill will be down shortly with the man."
Neither bailiff needed any prodding, as Margret opened the door to the courtroom and Bill took the man out and headed to holding. Ruth didn't let grass grow under her feet as she was already dialing the District Attorney's number. "This is Judge Ruth Walinkiewicz, I'd like to speak with Charlotte Gaff...Yes, I'll hold. Please tell her it's very important...Hi Charlotte, yes I'm doing fine. How's Joey?...He did, wow, guess you'll have to watch out for your fingers now. Listen, I have something I think you better get involved with...Yes I know you're busy, but this involves four Judges and blackmail....No, no, no, it's all a setup. Look, come to my chambers now and you can hear the entire story...Fifteen minutes, fine, we'll see you them."
The three Judges had found chairs, as everyone waited until the DA arrived--Margret had somehow produce the right drink for each person, including a Coke for Mark. It wasn't long before Margret asked, "Mark, you mentioned creative bookkeeping? In what way?"
Mark gave another heart melting smile before saying, "What they actually have and what they report to the IRS, and State Treasury, are two different things. What they report to the IRS, and State Treasury, shows they gross about two million dollars a year. Minus business expenses and other deductions, they actually pay very little in taxes. Now if the IRS and the State ever found out the truth, both of my "parents" would be spending the rest of their lives in prison, or close to it. And likely lose a substantial amount of their fortune in back taxes and other penalties."
Everyone watched as Ruth took out a small notebook from center drawer of her desk, thumbed through the pages until she stopped, then picked up the phone and made a call. Because of what Mark just told them, it wasn't hard to guess who she was calling. It was going to get rather crowded in those chambers in a short while. After the call to her IRS contact, and a friend in the State Treasury's office, and explaining the situation to each one, Ruth then made another call to the investigator the Courts used when it was necessary. She explained to the person on the other end of the conversation what she needed to know and the people involved. She told them to use the utmost discretion so the parties under investigation wouldn't be tipped off and run. She wanted to make sure they paid dearly for what they'd done to the system, to three Judges, and to a young man and a family, who didn't deserve the type of treatment they'd been going through.
It was Judge Keith Donelly who asked, "Mark, may I address you as Mark?" When Mark nodded his head, Keith continued with, "Mark, how did you learn about all this? Surely your parents wouldn't have told you anything?"
Mark merely chuckled before telling Keith, "Your Honor, I related before how my "parents" were forced to hire tutors for me because I'd spent so much time in juvenile detention, or face State and Federal authorities--something they didn't want. Part of the education I received from my five tutors was information gathering, and, um... puzzle solving. In short, your Honor, when my "parents" weren't around, my tutors showed me how to enter rooms that were always kept locked. And how to open secure places found within those locked rooms. The tutors I had found out what my "parents" were doing and were angry enough to help me put a stop to it."
It took Margret only a few minutes to understand what Mark was saying and said, "You found safes, didn't you Mark?"
Mark chuckled a bit longer this time before telling everyone, "Yes, ma'am, we found several safes and a vault in the basement. There's a safe in the Study, another in the Library, one in my "parents" walk-in closet, and a large vault in the basement, the contents of which will astound anyone." Mark then went on to give the combinations to all of the safes, and which safe held the key needed in addition to the combination to open the vault.
Thankfully the recorder had been left on during the entire conversation, and when the DA arrived, Ruth let her hear the entire conversation from the beginning. After listening to the recording, the DA asked Mark if his parents had any other properties they needed to know about. Mark asked Ruth for a pen and paper and wrote down four addresses which the DA might be interested in. The DA then made a call to her office, telling the assistant DA to make out search warrants for everything on the Thomas estate, plus everything at the four addresses Mark gave her. At the last minute, Mark told her about some storage units and give her that address. Several minutes later Ruth's fax machine started printing out faxes of search warrants which Ruth gladly signed after reading each one to make sure everything was correct. She didn't want some small error on the search warrants to be the cause of throwing out the searchs. The DA then asked Mark, "Um... Mark, will your parents be home now?"
Mark laughed then said, "No ma'am, they're on their way to the airport."
Hearing this, the DA made a call to the airport security office, telling them to hold Steve and Georgina Thomas for questioning. With search warrants in hand, the DA made another call to the Chief of Police and again her office, telling each what was about to happen and where she'd meet everyone. Mark was about to become a free young man, after five years.
After the DA left, the three Judges thanked Mark for his assistance in putting things into perspective, and helping to end the blackmail they'd been under, before they left Ruth's chambers. Ruth then turned her attention to Timothy Simms and told him, "Well, Mr. Simms, it appears your services won't be needed today, since Mark won't be appearing before me. I meant what I said, Mr. Simms, about you going elsewhere, and about your caring about your work and doing a better job. I just might know of a firm which is looking to fill a vacancy. If you're interested, that is?"
Timothy Simms had been with the Public Defender's Office for three years, three miserable years. He'd seen more uncaring people in those three years than in all of his twenty eight years of life. He took out his business card, handed it to Ruth and said, "Your Honor, this was going to be my last year practicing any kind of law, after all I've seen in the Public Defender's Office. I didn't get into the practice of law to play political games every time someone didn't get their way, or didn't like their caseload. That office was almost like being back in grade school, with everyone out to get everyone else. I'd appreciate if you'd give my number to the firm you mentioned. And Mark," Timothy said, turning to Mark, "I'm sorry I didn't do a better job for you, it was solely my fault. But I think with the information you have given the Judge and the DA, your life is about to become better." Timothy pulled out another business card, handed it to Mark, and told him, "I'll always have a cell phone for the number on this card. If you ever need anything, and I mean anything, you call me. I'll give you my services for free." Timothy shook hands with Mark then Judge Ruth, before leaving the Judge's chambers.
Ruth studied Mark for a few minutes, still sitting as poised as he'd been from the beginning, before asking, "Mark, I can't exactly turn you lose just because of the information you've given us. But you don't deserve going back into juvenile detention again, either. Do you have any family or relatives that you know of?"
As Ruth watched, Mark started shaking his head and told her, "Your Honor, my "parents" never spoke of any family or relatives. And in my, um, investigations, I never found any photos of family or relatives. I imagine when the District Attorney learns about the contents of the safes and the vault, she'll want another search warrant to open any and all safety deposit boxes my "parents" have. Possibly in those safety deposit boxes she'll find birth certificates and other documents which might lead to other family members and/or relatives."
Ruth pursed her lips, looked at Margret, who shrugged, knowing what Ruth was thinking, before Ruth told Mark, "Mark, instead of leaving you in holding, or sending you back to juvenile detention, again, and in lieu of any family or relatives, or until they can be found, there's a school I can send you to until such time as this entire matter is settled. You'd have to give me your word of honor to do as you're told, not to question anything you're told to do, and do as your asked even if it's uncomfortable or embarrassing. Can you do that? Can you give me your word of honor to comply with everything asked of you without question for any reason?"
As Ruth and Margret watched, Mark's demeanor changed to one of great suspicion and ruthlessness. The once sparkling eyes now had a haunting look, almost those of a predator. Mark's voice, though not disrespectful, was nonetheless, firm and showed conviction when he said, "No your Honor, I can't give you my word of honor as a blank check. I did that for three years with my "parents" and look what they did to me. I will never trust anyone again with my word of honor. I don't really trust anyone, your Honor, except my five Senseis, whom I trust implicitly. If you want my word of honor, your Honor, I'll need to meet the head of this school face to face and be given explicit details what will be asked of me. And if I don't like what I hear, I'd just as soon go back to the detention center. I know exactly what's expected of me there. I should, I've been there enough times."
Ruth leaned back in her chair, her hand held over her mouth, thinking about what Mark had just told her, and how past boys had accepted the offer without question, since it kept them out of juvenile detention. But Mark was different, his circumstances were completely different, he should never have been put into the Juvenile System in the first place. Ruth was racking her brain, trying to think of a place Mark could stay while she made a phone call. It wasn't right sending him back to holding, much less the detention center, even though Mark wouldn't be in any danger. "Margret, why don't you take Mark to the canteen for something to eat and drink, then take him to the staff lounge while I make a phone call." What Ruth said to Margret wasn't really a question, but Margret already knew that. "Mark, please go with Margret and I'll send for you once I've made a phone call. She'll stay with you until then, okay?"
Mark stood up and before leaving told Ruth, "Thank you for believing in me, you're the first person outside my home who's done that in years." Ruth opened the bottom drawer of her desk and took her wallet out of her purse, taking out forty dollars and handing it to Margret. Mark stepped into the courtroom after Margret opened the door, and walked side by side with her as they went to the canteen. Margret wasn't worried Mark would bolt, he wasn't that type of person. But neither was she excited to find out what Mark had been taught should she have to subdue him. She'd seen a lot during her stint in the military, and some of it was downright scary.
Ruth picked up the receiver and made a call she'd made several times before. But not for the reason she was calling this time.
"Hello Darla, this is Judge Ruth...I'm fine, and yourself...That's good to hear...May I please speak with Jane...Thank you, I'll hold...Hello Jane, how are you doing, love?...And Art, are you keeping him busy or is he keeping you busy...Now now, you're married so you two keeping busy is only natural...The reason I'm calling is to find out if you'd be willing to come out and speak with a young man whose parents have royally messed up his life...No, he should never have been in the Juvenile System in the first place, that's the problem. I hate to send him back to the detention center until everything is sorted, but we don't know if he has family anywhere. Plus, there's something else. His parents have utterly shattered any trust this boy had in others because of how they treated him. Other than the tutors he had, he barely trusts me. And he won't give his blanket word of honor unless he meets you and gets the details about what he'll be asked to do...Yes I know that isn't something you normally do, but has anything you've done really been normal? You're the only person I can think of who can help him regain his trust in others...I'd expect nothing less. Call me back once you and Art have discussed this...Thank you Jane...Give my love to Art..Bye."
Ruth hung up the receiver, looks at the clock on the wall and sees it's five minutes until court starts. She hopes Jane will agree to speak with Mark and Mark goes with her, otherwise, he'll have to stay in the detention center until everything is sorted out. Including finding out if he has other family. She would hate to see him thrown into Foster Care, not after what he's been through. Although...
Ruth calls a recess for lunch, Court to begin again at 1:30 p.m.. Once she's back in her chambers, she phones the staff lounge and asks Margret to pick up lunch for her, a tuna fish sandwich, bag of chips, a fruit cup, and a large ice tea with a bit of lemon, emphasizing a bit of lemon, and lunch for her and Mark; she'll reimburse Margret for everyone's lunch. She had to take this lunch break to speak with Mark, see how he feels about speaking with Jane. Also, she's thinking of something else, which causes her to pick up the phone and make another call.
"This is Judge Ruth Walinkiewicz, may I please speak with Tommi Banks...Yes, thank you, I'll hold...Well Miss Banks...are you behaving yourself? Or have you caught that handsome man you were stalking?...Oh yes you were, and he knew it...Or really?...Has he put a ring on your finger yet?...Well, dear, stay with him, you two are great together...Tommi, I have a young man I'd like to get tested, both academically and intellectually...He's had some real problems at home not of his making and has been home schooled by five tutors...That's right dear, five, one for each day of the week...Well, I can't go into his case, but know that he's probably the best behaved young man I've ever met after what he's gone through...I'm not in Court tomorrow, can we do it then?...Yes, we can be there at 8 a.m...That will be fine, thank you Tommi."
Ruth hangs up just as she hears Margret's knock on the door to the courtroom. As the two walk into her chambers, Mark is carrying the drinks and Margret is carrying three bags of, she hopes, lunch. "Let's sit at that table over there, it's bigger than my desk," Ruth tells Margret and Mark, pointing to the table, before getting up out of her chair and walking over to the table. "Mark, I've made arrangements to have you tested by a good friend at a testing center, just to see what your tutors have taught you. I've also asked her to test your IQ, as I'm very interested to see where you stand; I've a feeling you're much more intelligent than many give you credit." Ruth could see Mark was NOT happy at the prospect of being tested, so she added, "This is non-negotiable, Mark, since you're still, technically, in detention at the moment. Mark, I want you to be tested so that the center can assess your level of education and what grade level they should put you in when you start attending classes at school. And as I said, I think you're more intelligent than people give you credit, but how much more? Only being tested can we find out."
Mark had started on his lunch as Ruth was speaking, but stopped mid-bite when she mentioned going to school, going to a private school. Mark gave Ruth a questioning look and asked, "How is it possible I'll be able to attend a private school? I'm in detention, until this whole mess is resolved. Do you plan to break me out of detention? My "parents" have the finances for a private school, but I can't access them."
Ruth saw the teeth marks Mark made on his sandwich and chuckled, her mention of attending school had stumped him a great deal. "Ah, yes... breaking you out of detention," Ruth slyly said, "That part will be easy, I'll become your guardian."
Margret had been taken a drink of her ice tea and choked when Ruth told Mark she'd become his guardian. "Margret, It'll be completely legal given the circumstances. At this moment, he hasn't been convicted of the false charges brought against him this time, and Mark never belonged in juvenile detention. It was all a hoax. And he can't continue to be kept there since he didn't belong there in the first place. I can almost lay you odds that if I spoke with the DA, she'd want him some place safe, some place where his parents couldn't get to him. And the detention is NOT the place." Ruth stuck out her tongue at Margret as an indication of, 'So there.'
Margret chuckled, shook her head and told Ruth, "So that means you're now a granny?" Ruth threw a balled up napkin at Margret, who caught it in midair.
"Mark, two things," Ruth said, trying to phrase everything correctly, least Mark chose detention, "The private school I mentioned is an exclusive private school run by a woman named Jane Thompson. It's actually her you have to give your word of honor to and she will hold you to that word as she teaches you. Some things may not be to your liking, but they are done for a reason. You will also be required to undergo areas of study, like any other school. She is the woman I called to arrange for her to meet with us later tomorrow afternoon, after we finish getting you tested tomorrow morning."
After telling Mark all this, she watched him for any signs of not wanting to do as she wanted, thinking he'd show anger instead of the curiosity she saw on his face. He did, after all, request to speak with the head of the school she wanted him to attend. "Thank you for asking Ms. Thompson to come speak with me, I appreciate what you've done," Mark said, as he took a bite out of his sandwich. After he swallowed that bite he asked, "What type of testing will I be doing tomorrow?"
This he asked with a calmness that others may not have done, since tests scare some witless. "Mark, because you've not had formal education, yearly testing in school wasn't done, so no one knows your academic knowledge of any given subject. I've scheduled to have you take a standardized test given to people to assess their knowledge of several different subjects. Following that, you will be given an IQ test, since that too would likely be done in school at some point. The last test I scheduled because I believe you're more intelligent than people give you credit, and it could help you in class placement if/when you seek higher education, i.e. College or University."
Ruth and Margret were intently watching Mark, who calmly bit into his sandwich again. Swallowing that bite, he took two more, swallowing each one before asking, "I have two questions. One: what time tomorrow? And two: where do I sleep tonight?" Ruth and Margret let out breaths they'd been holding, waiting for the worse that didn't happen.
Mark was savoring his sandwich and didn't see Ruth and Margret give each other the 'thank goodness' look. "Ah, we need to be at the testing center at 8 a.m.," Ruth told Mark, as he continued reducing the size of his sandwich. "And for tonight, you'll stay with me in a spare room I have."
Mark was about to put the last bite of sandwich into his mouth, but stopped when he heard where he'd spend the night. As Ruth and Margret watched, Mark took a napkin and wiped his eyes before telling Ruth, "Judge Ruth, that's very kind of you. Thank you. But I don't have any clean clothes for tomorrow or clothes to sleep in, your Honor."
Seeing the tenderness Mark just exhibited, she told him, "Mark, if you'd like, you may call me Aunt Ruth."
There were too many tears running down Mark's cheeks for a napkin to stop, as he told Ruth, "Thank you, Aunt Ruth, I'd really like to do that." Just the few things Ruth had done for Mark in one day had caused Mark to add Ruth of the short list of people he trusted. It wasn't a life and death trust, yet, but it was trust nonetheless.
And the talk he and Margret had in the staff lounge, more like Margret talked and he listened, about trust, put her on that list too. She had bit into him much as his Sensei had about his anger. She didn't mince words when she bit into him with, "You know, for a smart kid you sure are dumb." Margret held up her hand, incidcating for Mark to listen. "Guess that Sensei's words didn't stick very well, when she told you not to take your anger out on those who didn't deserve it. Well, buddy boy, the same goes for trust. Who besides your parents has given you reason to distrust them? It can't be anyone at the detention center, because after all this time, you knew how the place runs. It can't be your tutors/Senseis either, because they helped you when no one else would. And it DAMN sure can't be Judge Ruth, because she cares about you so bad it hurts. It can't be me because we haven't known each other that long, but I care just as much as Ruth. It can't be those three Judges or that family because they were in just as much of a spot as you were. So WHO IN THE HELL deserves your distrust other than your parents?" Margret stopped speaking to gather her thoughts before she told Mark, "Mark... if you don't direct that distrust you're carrying towards the only two people who deserve it, like your anger, I can guarantee you're going to be a very lonely young man and adult. Trusting those you don't know can be hard to do, but it can also be very rewarding." They were sitting side by side on the couch as Margret laid into Mark. And much like his Sensei who told him about his anger, Mark realized everything Margret said was true. And like the time with his Sensei, Mark turned to Margret, threw his arms around her neck and cried on her shoulder. He so hated what his parents had done to him all these years.
Ruth went over to her desk, picked up the receiver and phoned the DA. When the DA answered, Ruth explained the situation and asked if someone could take Mark home to pick up a few changes of clothing and toiletries. She told Ruth her people were there now going through the house with a fine toothed comb, and she would phone ahead to let them know they were coming and why. "Margret," Ruth began, "I have to get back to Court. Would you take Mark to his home and help him get a few changes of clothing and any toiletries he needs? The DA's people are there now, and she's contacting them to let them know you're coming. And Mark, don't go anywhere but to your bedroom and the bathroom you use. And Margret, it might be good if you have one of Charlotte's people go with you so no one can say either of you tampered with evidence." After everyone finished their lunch, Ruth returned to her courtroom while Margret took Mark to his home for much needed clothing.
The two talked during the thirty minute drive, Mark finding out more about Margret, hearing a few funny stories during her time as an MP, and Margret learning more about Mark. Dreams he believed he'd never accomplish. Goals he never thought he'd achieve. And most of all, his opinion of the Juvenile Justice system, and its shortcomings. He told her he'd seen a lot of injustices over the years, with boys being in the detention center who had done minor things but were spending years in the center. He felt there had to be a better way to handle these type cases, but he didn't know how that could be done. Margret then asked him a question that instantly stopped their conversation, "Have you ever considered practicing law? You have the drive and the empathy for those you'd be representing."
They arrived at Mark's home, actually his parents, since it stopped feeling like home to Mark five years ago. The officer keeping unwanted people from going up the drive let them through once Margret gave him her identification, and he verified it with the Assistant District Attorney, Barbara Moore. When they reached the house, and they were allowed inside Barbara corned them, asking Mark, "Mark, are there any other places in this house where your parents might have hidden things? Money, records, those types of things? I'm asking because something doesn't seem right with the flooring at the far end of the house. It sounds like there's a basement underneath it, but the basement wall doesn't go that far. Can you think of anything?"
Mark thought back to those times when he heard a grinding, rumbling sound coming from the basement. When he asked about it, his "father" would tell him it was not his concern, though he used stronger words. As he thought about those times, he started wondering why there was a breaker box near that one wall when the main breaker and circuit box were at the opposite end of the basement. And, while the other boxes had conduits connected to them, the one he was thinking about had none. "Well, ma'am, when I was investigating the basement, I found it strange that while the main breaker and circuit box had conduit running to them, the breaker box at the opposite end of the basement didn't have anything visible attached to it. Plus, I remember when I was younger hearing grinding, rumbling sounds coming from the basement, and that end of the house shook a bit. Have you tried pulling the lever on that breaker box, ma'am?"
Barbara had Margret and Mark follow her to the basement and over to the wall in question. Looking around the basement, all the walls appeared to be the same, with sealant between sections about every ten feet. With the exception of no conduit, the breaker box in question appeared to be just that, a breaker box. One of the team members, inspecting the vault, was asked to open the cover on that breaker box, revealing a pair of small wires running out of the back of the box and into the wall. He closed the cover then pulled the handle down, and as everyone watched, a ten foot section of the wall was pulled back before being pulled to one side; they also heard the grinding, rumbling sound as the section moved. When the noise stopped, lights came on from beyond the basement, and what Barbara found was a literally gold mine. As Margret and Mark walked inside behind Barbara, they saw they were standing in a room which measured every bit of forty feet wide and fifty feet long. And it was full. Full of filing cabinets, racks holding gold and silver bullion, each weighing at least five to ten pounds. They found paintings, jewelry, precious stones, and more cash than any of them would see in their life times. And, another safe, almost as large as the vault. "Mark," Barbara asked, "Did you find any other safe combinations during your... investigation?"
Mark chucked before telling her, "That book with the safes and vault combinations had a combination that didn't work on the safes upstairs or the vault." Barbara sent one of her team upstairs to get the book, while the three and several of Babra's team looked around the room. When the book arrived in the basement, Barbara opened it and had Mark point out which combination hadn't worked before. When Mark pointed out the fifth one, she didn't want him touching the book, Barbara tried it on the safe they found. When they all heard a click, and opened the safe door, they found pile after pile of pictures and video cassettes, mini-audio cassettes, enough diamonds to make any girl's mouth water or keep a jeweler busy for years. They also found several handguns, with accompanying silencers. At this point, Barbara shooed Margret and Mark out of the basement, not wanting them to get any more involved.
Margret wisely told Mark, "Let's get the heck out of Dodge fast," before she followed Mark back upstairs to the main floor and up more stairs to his bedroom on the second floor. Barbara had told one of her team members to stay with the two as the went up to Mark's bedroom to get his clothes and toiletries. Mark started to open the door to his walk-in closet, but the person with them stopped him and opened it himself. He then let Mark get out a suitcase and a backpack and inspected each one before letting Mark get clothes out of the closet. As Mark set the clothes on the bed, the man checked each piece, making sure nothing was in any of the pockets. He followed Mark to his en suite, again inspecting everything Mark wanted to take. The man apologized for his actions, but Barbara wanted to make sure nothing could be called into question if the case went to trial. Even the chest of drawers were inspected before Mark could get underwear out of the top drawer. Mark picked up a few personal items before packing his school books in his backpack, which were checked for any papers belonging to the parents. Once everything was packed, Mark and Margret wasted no time getting out of the house, in her car and off the grounds. What was in that secret room was more than enough reason for them to make a hasty retreat. They were going to have some story to tell Ruth.
Margret wasn't exactly wound up over what they'd seen, but neither was she especially calm after seeing the handguns and the silencers. There was only one reason for silencers, and that was not good. Those silencers alone were going to get Mark's parents a prison sentence, and if those handguns could be tied to any murders, here or abroad, they'd never see the light of day again. And if the murders were abroad, and it is in a country the US has extradition treaties with, their time in prison might not be spent in the US. Seeing a drive-in, she pulled in and asked what Mark wanted to drink, or eat. Mark wasn't hungry so he asked for a large cherry slushy; Margret got a large root beer. She slugged down about a quarter of it before feeling much calmer to drive. By the time they arrived back at the Courthouse, Ruth had finished for the day and was in her chambers when they returned. Margret didn't know Ruth's exact plans for Mark, so they left his things in her car, before hurrying to Ruth's chambers with some startling news. News which was going to shock Ruth.
They went through the courtroom and to the door to Ruth's chambers. Margret knocked twice before opening the door and ushering Mark inside. After closing the door, Margret said, "Ruth, we have to talk." Ruth closed the case file she had been reading and motioned for the two to sit down. Margret's butt never hit the chair seat before she started speaking. "There may be more problems coming Mark's way after what was found at Mark's home. Barbara cornered us when we got there and asked Mark if he'd found anything else in his investigation. Mark told her he found it odd that the breaker box and circuit panel had conduits attached, but the breaker box at the opposite end of the basement didn't. When they opened the cover to that box, they didn't find the usual electrical wiring, but two smaller wires, going into the wall opposite the main electrical panel. Mark then asked Barbara if they had tried pulling the lever down, which they hadn't. But when they did, it opened a hidden room behind the wall. Ruth, the only place I'd seen more gold was in pictures of inside Fort Knox. That room had to be forty feet by fifty feet, if that little, and it was full of file cabinets, rack of gold and silver bullions, paintings, precious gems, and another safe. The book Mark found held the combination to that safe and when Barbara had it opened, only the earth held more diamond than what is in that safe. And pictures, there were piles of them, and video cassettes, and mini-audio tapes. And Ruth, there are handguns and silencers in that safe also. There's only one thing silencers are used for, and it ain't good. If any of those handguns are traced back to any murders, the can of worms that will open could be huge. And some of it might splash over onto Mark."
Ruth picked up the receiver and dialed Judge Toni Billings' number. "Toni, it's Ruth. Are you busy right now?...Good. I need you to come to my chambers...I'll tell you when you get here...Fine, I'll see you in a few minutes. Oh, and Toni, not a word to anyone, alright?...Good, see you in a little while."
Ruth had thought to make herself Mark's guardian, but in light of what Margret just told her now, felt it best if another judge did the deed. Using Toni might be risky, since she's involved with Mark's parents, and someone could question her motives, but it was a risk they'd better take. When Toni finally arrived, Ruth had Margret retell her story, then explained to Toni, "I'd like you to make me Mark's guardian until this entire mess is adjudicated. Or until we find out if he has family somewhere. I was going to do it myself, but felt someone might question my motives now, given what's been found. I know it might be risky you doing it, but I think it's the best way to handle it." Ruth had all the forms Toni would need, all the Judges had them, so it only took a moment to fill them out before Ruth became Mark's legal guardian. And a granny, as Margret would say.
It was going on 6 p.m., and since Mark's things were still in Margret's car, and because it'd been a trying day, Ruth invited Margret over for dinner. Margret could help Mark get settled in one of the spare bedrooms in Ruth's home, while Ruth started dinner. Plus, all three needed the down time before things might get rather interesting should those handguns prove out a few things. It would also give Mark time to relax before tomorrow's tests. Ruth only hoped she could sleep soundly tonight.
Ruth's alarm went off at 6 a.m.. It took her a few moments to realize she'd slept soundly all night; last night's dinner and conversation had done wonders to relax her. It took her a few more minutes to realize she smelled bacon cooking... and eggs? Her bathroom called before she could get dressed, and when done there and dressed, she ventured to the kitchen, only to find Mark fixing breakfast. Bacon was cooking in one pan, eggs in another, and hash browns in yet another. The table was set for two, and juice was on the table. Mark walked over to her carrying a cup of coffee, kissed her on the cheek and said, "Morning, Aunt Ruth," before going back to the stove. Ruth found she had something in her eyes after what Mark had just done. And she loved it.
The drive to the testing center only took about fifteen minutes from Ruth's home, so they didn't rush through breakfast. Ruth inquired how Mark had slept, was he nervous, and told him they'd go out to dinner after he'd finished being tested, since Ms. Thompson would be with them as well. She also told him Ms. Thompson would be staying with her in one of the other bedrooms, so they could talk more after returning home. "Mark, Ms. Thompson is a very straight forward woman, so be upfront with her, don't be afraid to tell her how you feel about things." Mark nodded his head, before getting up from the table and collecting the dishes.
He loaded the dishwasher with the plates, silverware, and glasses, before starting on the dirty pans. Ruth was going to help, but he told her, "No, Aunt Ruth, I'll take care of these, you just relax. You need it."
They were ready to leave by 7:30 a.m., and with the light traffic, they reached the testing center by 7:48 a.m. They went into the testing center, and found Tommi Banks waiting for them. Tommi explained everything to Ruth and Mark, before Ruth told Mark, "I'm going to leave you in Tommi's hands while I go to the airport to pick up Ms. Thompson. We'll pick you up for lunch, then bring you back for the afternoon testing. I want you to do the best you can on the tests this morning, alright?" Mark simply nodded his head, before giving Ruth a hug and watching her leave the building and going to her car. Tommi then took Mark to the room where his academic tests would be given, got him a bottle of bottled water, and left him to relax a bit before the tests would begin. As Mark sat there relaxing, he remembered back to the many things his Senseis told him about controlling his nerves. That it was the unknown which caused the most fear, and the unknown was just another challenge for him to work through. He applied the techniques they taught him and when the testing began, he knew without a doubt he was going to do well on everything. And as Ruth would soon learn, he was right.
From the testing center, Ruth had about a twenty-five minute drive to the airport, more than enough time for her to plan how to explain everything to Jane. She thought about retelling Mark's story, but accuracy would be a problem. She did receive a copy of the tape from the DA, so maybe letting Jane hear the tape, then filling in the rest, would be better; there was the new information about the hidden room that wasn't on the tape to consider. Arriving at the airport, Ruth had no trouble finding a parking space in the short term parking. Once inside the terminal, she checked the incoming flight schedule, found Jane's flight number, its arrival time and the gate number where passengers would disembark. She checked the time and saw she had about a thirty minute wait, so decided to get a tea and walk down towards that gate and find a place to wait; she knew she couldn't go past security without a boarding pass. It seemed several people were waiting for the flight Jane was on, for a small crowd had gathered when that flight's arrival was announced. Because the crowd had gathered on the opposite side of the concourse from Ruth, she elected to stay where she was and keep an eye out for Jane. Spotting Jane proved to be easier than she had feared, for compared to the dress of the other passengers, Jane looked as though she was going to a business meeting, what with the exquisite pants-suit she was wearing. It was a navy blue, set off with a light blue satin blouse. The tie, as it were, was just a darker blue than the blouse and expertly tied, without a single ruffle. She wore her wedding ring, and a watch, and no other jewelry. And true to her fashion statements of a proper lady, she wore low heeled navy blue matching shoes. She saw Jane glance at her fellow passengers, and saw a scowl form on her exquisitely made up face. Ruth just chuckled, knowing Jane did not like the slothiness around her.
Jane's scowl disappeared when she saw Ruth, and the two hugged, with Ruth asking, "How was your flight? Have trouble leaving Art behind?"
Jane tried to give her friend her best headmistress look, but broke down into a smile and told Ruth, "My flight was fine. And yes, it was hard to leave Art behind. I miss him already."
Ruth found a trash can to deposit her empty cup before asking Jane, "Breakfast, or something else?" Very few people knew Jane Thompson well, maybe Art excluded, so only a very select few knew of a secret she kept since her University days of loving to eat at greasy spoon cafes. While the food might not be healthy for a person 365 days a year, it did create an atmosphere that could be found nowhere else. Ruth was one of the select few people who knew, because she shared the same secret, though no one could tell just by looking at either woman. And if anyone tried to accuse either of such excentricities, they would deny it in a heartbeat, saying hardening of the arteries should only occur naturally. As they headed for the luggage carousels, they carried on a rolling conversation about nothing in particular. It was not wise to discuss the work they did in such an open area, in case someone misunderstood and notified the authorities. Jane hailed a porter to help with her luggage, and when it appeared, he took two suitcases off the carousel. Ruth left Jane and the porter at the loading/unloading zone to fetch her car. It only took a few minutes to pay for her parking and drive back to the loading/unloading zone. The porter loaded Jane's luggage in the trunk of Ruth's car, Jane tipped the porter, got into the front seat with Ruth, and the two headed for the best greasy spoon in the City. And a denial if anyone saw them.
As they drove, Ruth wrestled with herself, trying to decide how much to tell Jane, before her thoughts were vacated by Jane saying, "Ruth, I really can't perceive how I'll be able to help a boy whose behavior, if you are to believed, is impeccable. You know what my program does and why, so breaking Mr. Thomas' self constructed shell isn't necessary."
There was silence in the car for a few minutes before Ruth told Jane, "There have been some surprising developments, and if the tests prove true, Mark's life could be in danger because he helped make the discovery. It's not just these recent developments, Jane. His parents have made him distrust almost anyone he comes into contact with, because of the way he's been treated these last five years. He doesn't know if they're going to take advantage of him as his parents did, or are people without an agenda. Jane, I've been made his guardian, but I'm not equipped to help him break out of his distrustful shell. Plus, because I'm at Court most of the time, I'd have to find someone to take care of him during that time. He doesn't deserve to go back into detention, and as I said, if the tests prove true, putting him into Foster Care might endanger that family, if his parents put out a contract on him. Jane, I wholly believe you're his best hope for safety and learning to trust again. Wait to decide until you've heard the tape of his story." They were silent again, as they continue the drive to the cafe. Both thinking about how they could best help Mark.
Talk of Mark was put on hold as they ate a cholesterol laden breakfast. Jane did catch Ruth up about some of the other boys who made a breakthrough in her program, and where they were now, before their conversation broke down into plain old girl talk. And some of that girl talk was about Art, and his wonderful ministrations when Jane had had a particular nasty day. Once all the cholesterol had been eaten, Ruth drove them to the Courthouse so she could let Jane hear the entire tape recording of Mark's story. Hopefully when she heard everything, and what Ruth would fill in, she'd see that her program just might help Mark break out of his self constructed shell.
Ruth turned the tape recorder off, and watched as Jane tried to compose herself. Jane was hot, boiling hot, that parents would do such a thing to their own child, another family, and three, almost four, Judges. Jane gritted her eyes shut, trying desperately to regain her composure before telling Ruth, "Those two people should have a pike shoved up their asses before being left out somewhere to rot to death. How could people do such a thing?" Jane's breathing slowed, the red in her face receded before she asked Ruth, "What time do you pick up Mr. Thomas from that center?"
Ruth glanced at the clock on the wall and told her, "We have about thirty minutes before we pick him up for lunch. Then we have about an hour and a half before he needs to be back for the afternoon testing. That should give you some time to get to know him. I warn you Jane, he's unlike any boy you've met or worked with since you started your program. You'll have to be upfront with him because he'll read any lie, or omission, you try to get past him. He had to learn how to read people so he could survive all those times in detention. And don't get physical with him, because after five Senseis I have no idea what all he knows. I do know he will defend himself, and send his attacker to the hospital."
Ruth's words started Jane thinking about how to approach Mark without closing him down, and at the same time, learn as much as she could in the short amount of time they had for lunch, so she knew how to approach him when they had their long conversation. And from the training she had, she already knew not to attack someone whose abilities were an unknown quantity.
When they reached the testing center, Mark was sitting near the reception desk, waiting for them. He'd finished the tests thirty minutes sooner than Tommi had predicted. Ruth introduced Jane to Mark, and Mark to Jane before the three left the center to find something to eat for lunch. Ruth asked if the two had any preferences for lunch, and when they didn't, asked if Chinese was alright with everyone. She chose Chinese to give Jane an opportunity to watch how Mark acted at a restaurant which had a buffet. Judging by how he acted when he first came into her chambers, she felt he would treat both women the same way. Unless she was wrong, he'd hold open the door to the restaurant for them, allow them to go first in the serving line, and possibly help seat each one. At least she hoped he would.
As they drove to the Chinese Buffet restaurant, Ruth asked Mark about the tests he took that morning. "Did you find them difficult? What areas did they cover? How well do you think you did?"
Mark then went on to relate, "A test is only difficult if a person isn't prepared, and my tutors made sure I was prepared to take any test I was given; they were task masters in that area. The tests covered the sciences, all the way into College level; math, again all the way to College level; Geography, History and World History; Biology, Zoology, both into College level; Sociology, Chemistry, Physics, also into College level. How well I did is yet to be seen. I answered all the questions and finished thirty minutes ahead of the projected finish time, so perhaps I did well enough to surprise myself and a few others."
They arrived at the restaurant just as Mark finished talking about the tests. Jane purposefully lagged behind the others in getting out of Ruth's car, wanting to see what type of manners Mark did have. Mark instantly knew what Jane was doing, but it made no difference, he would have opened the door for her in any case. He offered his hand in helping her exist the car, before shutting the front passenger door. He walked slightly ahead of both ladies, opening the restaurant door for them and allowing them to enter first, another plus in Jane's book. Ruth told the hostess three for lunch before they were shown to a table. Drinks were ordered and then they made their way to the buffet tables to make their choices for lunch. Jane may not have noticed, but Ruth saw how both Mark and Jane made almost the same choices, leaning mostly on the dishes mixed with vegetables. Each did choose some meats not mixed with vegetables, and all three had egg rolls lying with their plates. Mark following, they returned to their table, where Mark remained standing until Ruth and Jane had sat down in the booth on their side of the table.
Ruth had seen the look on Mark's face, the one which told her he was starting to read Jane's face. As Jane observed Mark eat, she saw he took small bites, chewed and then swallowed before taking another bite. He quirked a smile when Jane asked, "Mr. Thomas, do you enjoy learning?"
Mark's quirky smile changed into a real smile before he said, "Ms. Thompson, Mark is fine with me. Right now Mr. Thomas has his butt in a very tight position. Yes, Ms. Thompson, I do like learning. I acquired that from the five tutors I had. They showed me how learning could be fun, how it could be much different than what I'd been through up until I was eight-years-old. Each of those tutors had a quality about them that encouraged me to learn. They were stern in their teaching, but fair, never admonishing me for wrong answers, but helping me see my mistakes."
Mark's answer to Ruth's questions about the tests, told Jane the subjects he'd studied. So she moved onto another tactic in order to gauge Mark. "Mark, I understand your parents basically threw you away over these past five years. Threw you to the wolves, as the saying goes."
Mark chuckled before telling Jane, "Good ploy, Ms. Thompson, attack the person's emotions to determine their emotional health. I believe it was Goodman who first introduced that idea, and a few others." Mark glanced at Ruth, who was looking at Jane with an 'I told you so' look on her face. He then saw Jane shrug her shoulders slightly at Ruth's expression. "Ms. Thompson, please, let's stop fencing and get down to the real reason you're asking these questions."
"Am I angry with my parents, damn right I am. But will I take that anger out on you, Aunt Ruth, or anyone else? No, I won't. Why? Because my Monday tutor, also a Sensei, dropped my butt hard on the floor one day when I tried to take my anger out on her. She was very blunt in telling me never to take my anger out on those who were not responsible for making me angry. She also let me cry on her shoulder when, after her words, I realized how much anger I'd been holding in. Do I resent everything they put me through? Yes and no. While it's known now what they were doing, by a select few, the store owners and employees only know me as a criminal. Will they ever hear the truth? Will my reputation with them every be repaired? The only way for that to happen is to have a meeting with every employee of that store and explain how they were duped and I was set up. And what about the family my "parents" used? Will their reputation ever be repaired?"
Jane had schooled her face, so in Mark's fervor he missed the ever so slight twitch of Jane's left eye when Mark said Aunt Ruth. She then said in a soft, calm, voice, "Mark, what about your distrust of others, because of your parents?"
Mark sat his fork down on his plate before telling Jane, "Ms. Thompson, my "parents" really hurt me in that area. Oh, I trust Aunt Ruth and Margret, and my tutors, but I can't think about going into a store and not wondering if I'll be arrested again for something I didn't do. Or if I make plans that will only fall apart because someone else is going to use me as my "parents" did. Aunt Ruth wanted my word of honor before I knew what I was getting into. I couldn't do that after what my "parents" had done to me." Mark reached up with the back of each hand and wiped the tears that were forming in his eyes. "Ms. Thompson, I don't know how not to distrust others anymore." His first attempt wiping away the tears was in vain, as more were already sliding down each cheek.
Jane reached across the table and gently took Mark's hand and told him, "Perhaps I can help you get over that problem." The rest of their meal was held with general conversation, with Jane and Mark talking about the subjects Mark found most interesting, had Mark given any thought to his future now that his parents were no longer in a position to constantly send him to the detention center. Mark replayed the conversation he had with Margret, one of Ruth's bailiffs, and her suggesting practicing law, after Mark told her of all the injustice he's seen in the detention center. The rest of any conversation had to be curtailed because of Mark needing to return to the testing center for his afternoon testing. While Ruth paid the check, Jane slipped into the ladies restroom, and Mark waited patiently as Ruth then did the same. When both ladies were ready, Mark held the door open and waited for them to walk out first. His initial actions were done in reverse, first opening the car door for Jane, then after closing it doing the same for Ruth. His actions caught the eye of more than one approving older person going into that restaurant.
They arrived back at the testing center about ten minutes early, so Tommi took Mark to another room for the other tests he would be given to measure his IQ; Ruth then introduced Tommi to Jane. Ruth and Jane were about to leave when Tommi called out to them, "Ruth, Jane, if you both have a few minutes I'd like to go over the tests Mark took this morning. I think you'll find the results more than interesting." After asking if either woman wanted something to drink, Ruth asking for tea and Jane coffee, Tommi led the two into a small conference room. But neither woman was prepared for what they saw as they entered that room.
Seated around an oval table were three women and two men, ranging in age from mid thirties to their fifties. Seeing the look on Ruth's face, Tommi told her, "These five people are the tutors the Thomas' hired to tutor Mark, and these five taught him a few other things along the way. The Thomas' went through the center to hire these people, so we know everything that's been happening to Mark. And I must say, and these people agree, for Mark to survive his parents misdeeds against him all these years, shows he's a remarkable young man. But they do agree with our assessment that he needs help with trusting others again. Please, be seated and we'll talk about the tests and the results."
Tommi told the two women about the first part of the test, checking Mark's general knowledge that he'd have received from a formal setting like a public school, had he been able to attend one. The next part went into higher levels of learning, and finally levels of College or University. "Because Mark wasn't exposed to all the extraneous things that occur in a public setting, the bullying, put downs by teachers, cliques and the like, his intelligence under these five people was allowed to grow. And because it grew, his test results showed a 90 to 95% rating in all areas tested. Even at the College or University level. With all he's been dealing with, his scores should have been so much lower, but they weren't."
As Ruth and Jane listened, the tutors explained of seeing the anger Mark was holding, because of his parents. And how they redirected it into his studies and training. Turning it into a determination to do the best he could at whatever he was doing at the moment. And through their own on the side testing, they all believed he had a very high IQ. Mark Thomas has been through fire and the forge, and has come out of it all as a very determined young man. If only he'd realize that of himself. It was Sherry, the tutor who slammed Mark's butt to the ground, and read him the riot act who said, "Ms. Thompson, we all know of the program you run, and what it entails, and how you help those boys who don't belong in the detention center, it's also not our story to tell. Mark is just such a boy, but he's built a shell of distrust around himself. It took us several weeks before he started trusting us enough to let his guard down and confide in us, and for us to really begin teaching him. None of us here have the expertise in that area to help him regain his trust in others, and because of your program, we're asking for you to consider helping him."
Ruth could see the expectant faces around the table, if Jane didn't, and it wasn't long before Jane told the group, "I was bested at lunch today. No boy in all the years of my program has been able to see through the questions I ask or their purpose. But Mark Thomas did, and very quickly. He is a very traumatized young man, having been accused of crimes he never committed, spending two months twice a year in Juvenile Detention, and surviving. I believe much of that he owns not only to his nature, but to the five of you who saw his need and worked to meet it. He knows he's angry, but because of you Sherry, it isn't aimed at anyone but his parents. I'm not sure, yet, what I'll need to do in order to help him trust again, but I should have something planned by the time I returned home. However, I must first explain what I will be asking of him, in detail, since he won't give his word of honor without knowing what awaits him. So the question only Mark can answer, will he agree to follow my program after hearing the details?"
Their meeting was interrupted by a knock on the door. Tommi opened the door only to find Mark and another staff member standing there. "He finished early," the staff member said before leaving Mark with Tommi. "Come in Mark, and take a seat," Tommi told Mark as she stepped aside to let Mark into the room. As Tommi, Ruth, and Jane watched, Mark went over and hugged each of the five other people, telling each one, "Thank you so very much." Ruth would have to remember to have Mark drink plenty of water after all the tears he shed today.
After Mark sat down, Tommi went over his morning test results, telling him exactly the same as she had told Ruth and Jane. The results didn't mean much to Mark until he was told with scores like those, he could be graduated out of high school. But it wouldn't be recommended. It was now going on three in the afternoon, and all business had been concluded. Tommi told Ruth the results of the afternoon tests would take a few days to compile, and she would contact her when they had the results. Mark gave his tutors one more hug before the three left the testing center and headed to the Courthouse, and Ruth's chambers, where she could ensure a greater magnitude of privacy for what Jane had to tell Mark.
The drive to the Courthouse was basically quiet, with Ruth occasionally asking Mark about the tests he took in the afternoon. Jane was quiet throughout the entire ride, arguing with herself over what she was about to tell Mark. In the past, no boy was told exactly what he would be told to do, so his word of honor could be used against him when he balked. Now, with Mark and his trust issues, she would have to be completely honest with him, telling him everything about her program. And the rest would be up to Mark.
Once they arrived at the Courthouse, Ruth parked in her reserved place and the three walked up to her chambers, going in through her private door. Once she unlocked the door, and the three were in her chambers, she relocked the door then walked over to the door to the Courtroom to make sure it was also locked. Because she didn't have Court today, her three bailiffs had the day off, so there wouldn't be any interruptions from any of the three. Ruth took three bottles of bottled water from the mini fridge and sat them on the table while they all took a seat around the table, Jane sitting directly across from Mark; Ruth could see that her friend was conflicted and pensive over what she was about to do.
"Mark," Jane began, "What I'm about to tell you is only known by a select few, now including you. You must understand what you are told must stay with you as 'not your story to tell' or the good that's been done will be ruined. Can you agree to that?"
"Ms. Thompson, your being here is warrant enough for me not to reveal something that is not mine to share. Your kindness toward me today is further warrant for me to keep this to myself." Mark knuckled his eyes as they became moist, the memories of how a total stranger had treated him today.
"I will accept that, Mark, thank you. One aspect of trust is honesty. It is unadulterated, unfabricated, it doesn't seek to misdirect, it is the truth in as much as we understand truth. Not only with others, but with ourselves as well. It is this aspect of trust I demand of the boys who attend my school. It is this aspect of trust they have been unwilling to face in their lives. I want to build trust between us, Mark, so I'm willing, here and now, to give you all the details of my program at the school. Before leaving here, you will have all the details you will need to determine whether to give your word of honor to me and Ruth, and allow me, and Art, to help you with the trust issues you have. Also, while you have shown great control of your anger, it burns deep within you and will one day explode if not dealt with properly. I want to help you with that as well."
Ruth and Jane watched as Mark became introspective before she said, "Mark, have you ever considered exploring your feminine side? Exploring the softer side which you've exhibited several times today? Dressing in girl's clothing, wearing makeup and having your hair and nails done. Learning how to move like a girl, and talk as a girl? All of this is the basis of my program at Seasons House. Have you ever heard of Petticoat Punishment, or Petticoat Discipline?"
Ruth and Jane watched as Mark showed he was thinking about the terms before he deliberately said, "Yes... in the Psychology course my Friday tutor taught. It was done in the Victorian and Edwardian eras as ways of controlling out of control boys. By dressing them in clothing more suited for girls, or in clothing not normally worn by boys, the boy would behave differently so as not to draw attention to himself. As times changed clothing worn by girls changed and so did what mis-behaving boys were made to wear."
Jane nodded her head after hearing Mark's explanation. "That's correct, Mark. Those boys Ruth determines would benefit from my school have to give her their word of honor to do what they are told, without question, regardless if it's embarrassing or unpleasant." Jane held up her hand as she saw Mark start to respond. "I know Mark, you can't give your word of honor as a blank check because of what your parents have done to you, I listened to the tape and your response when Ruth asked you to give her your word of honor. I'm not asking for your word of honor now, Mark, I'm merely explaining my program to you."
"The boys Ruth sends to me arrive after a lengthy train ride, a very tiring train ride, which is all planned. I meet them at the train station dressed as a very prim and proper headmistress of my school. I also have another boy with me, who has gone through my program, or going through my program, dressed entirely as a girl and acting as a girl. Sometimes these boys are ready to leave my program, and sometimes they need a bit more time to modify their behavior, but I have them to act as a big sister to the new boy; I also use them to keep an eye on the new boy as he starts his travels through my program. Being met by two women, and being tired, the boy is rather confused as to the type of school he'll be attending. Again it is planned this way. He's taken back to my home, shown his room and given a little time to freshen up before having lunch. During lunch I gauge his manners, his table manners, and engaging him in conversation, his general knowledge about current events and other areas. We then toast his arrival with a small glass of wine, laced with a sleeping draft. Sometimes they boy refuses the wine due to past family issues, but most times he accepts the small glass of wine. The long train ride and the sleeping draft in the wine help the boy feel very sleepy, at which point I suggest he go to his room and take a nap."
"Most boys undress when they take a nap, so removing all their clothing from his room is made much easier. Those who don't undress while taking a nap, require Marie, my comrade in arms, to undress them before taking all of their clothing. After a couple of hours, I make my entrance into their bedroom and wake the boy. When he finds me there, and his state of undress, he immediately covers himself with the bedspread or pillow, or some such. I then tell him to follow me to my Study, at which point he asks about his clothes. I tell him they've been taken to be cleaned, and will be returned when he has need of them. He will usually ask what he is to wear, at which point I tell him he can wear the robe lying over the back of a chair in the room. Or come as he is, it makes no difference to me. The boy will usually complains because they realize it is a girl's robe they are to wear, but since no boy will want to be seen naked by a woman, he'll put on the robe and follow me to my study, where I admonish him because his behavior took him into Juvenile Court. Understand Mark, all of this is planned out well in advance, plans which keep the boy confused and willing to follow instructions so as not to be found out."
"It's at this point I make him understand if he doesn't wish to stay in my school, he can leave dressed as he is. Take the train back home and be sent to the Juvenile Detention Center. But if he stays then he must give me his word of honor to do as he is instructed, without question, regardless of the embarrassment or unpleasantness of the situation. Mark, the thought of leaving my school wearing just a robe, a girl's robe at that, is a humiliating thought for most boys. But it is less frightening than being sent to Juvenile Detention, where they know they'd not survive very long. It doesn't take him long to decide that giving his word of honor is preferable to being sent to detention, and he readily gives it. What I've done, Mark, is actually trap this boy into doing what he is told because if he balks, or questions it in any way, then I drill him on the worth of his word of honor. Because most boys who come to me have developed strong egos, my words can't go unchallenged, and they will often times become angry because I've doubted their word of honor. This again ensnares them to do as they are told, and shames them at the same time. It also is the start of them being honest with themselves concerning not only their word of honor, but other things as well."
"Once I have their word of honor, I have their big sister take them up to their bedroom where they begin their lessons of becoming a girl. They first are told to take a bath in water that's been scented with bath oils, and to shave everywhere, even tidying up their groin area. They shave their legs, both arms, under both arms, and their face. Once they have dried off, they are told to put on the lingerie that's been laid out for them; they usually have little trouble with the panties but sometimes need help with the bra. They are then shown how to put on a garter belt and nylons; they often rip the first pair they try to put on. Lastly, Mark, they put on a slip, which rubs against their freshly shaved legs and is intended to garner an arousal response, since this is the first time they have felt something this soft and sheer. If their reaction is an arousal, then it becomes humiliating to them to see two women see the erection; remember Mark, the boy doesn't know his big sister is actually another boy. Again, Mark, this is all planned and intended to help the boy to start thinking about his behavior and to act differently. They are also told to put on a pair of high heel shoes, before putting the robe back on and being shown how to apply makeup to their face; something they must learn to do by themselves as time goes by."
"Once this is all done, they are sent back to me in my Study. This is another test, Mark, one which I monitor from within my Study. Right now they are unsure what to do, so they will either knock on the Study door, or enter without knocking. If they knock, I then tell them to set on the bench outside my Study as I'm busy at the moment. If they enter without knocking, I admonish them for entering without knocking before telling them to sit on the bench. Their big sister is either already sitting on the bench or comes along a few moments later, where she tries to be the good friend the boy desperately needs at that moment. Most boys take her advice, but some and so full of themselves they pay her no mind, and end up worse off than before. After watching for several minutes, I call the now girl into my Study, where I proceed to correct their posture as they're sitting in a very uncomfortable chair. Most boys are used to spreading their legs when they sit, but girls must keep their knees together to protect their modesty. This too is brought to their attention. I then tell them about walking around the Study, five times, with a dictionary on their head, needing to start the count over should the dictionary fall off their head. I then comment about their makeup, and how they must learn to apply it themselves. Because they have yet to visit the salon, I also comment about the rush job that was done in styling what hair they have at the moment. What I'm doing, Mark, is trying to break through the wall these boys have built over the years and help them see there is a better way to behave and live. Some boys are so frightened, and have been over the years, that it doesn't take long to break through their wall. Other boys have taken longer."
"After breakfast the following day, I meet with the new girl in my Study. If they remember what they were told about walking the Study with the dictionary then I talk while they are walking. If they forget, I admonish them and act extremely upset and again bring up their word of honor. I explain everything they will be expected to do, helping in the kitchen, preparing meals and clean up, learning to serve tea properly and remembering how each person takes their tea, how to properly set the table, and a few other things to help keep them off balance. Depending upon the answers I receive to some of my questions, they may be given an assignment to write a paper on that subject after using the library to research the topic. Once they've finished the five walk arounds of the Study, I then have them go back to their bedroom and put on the change of clothing they will find there. They are to redo their makeup and hair style, and... they only have a certain amount of ti... "
It was at that moment the fax machine in Ruth's office chimed, telling her an incoming fax had arrived. Ruth excused herself, got up from the table and walked over to the fax machine. It took only a few moments for the fax to be printed, and a few moments more for Jane and Mark to see she was upset and angry. "Damn... damn it all," Ruth said out loud, as she reread the fax a second time. She came back to the table, sat down and handed the fax to Jane who then read it out loud.
"From CG
To RW
Subject: New found toys
There has been a recall of the new found toys because of lead contamination. It is imperative that all children be kept away from them and away from the Public least they come to harm. Any child found contaminated may be able to partake in a legal action which could result in a cash settlement of $25,000."
It took Mark a few moments to understand what Jane had just read, the handguns found in the secret room had been used to commit crimes, likely murders if the silencers were any indication. His parents had also put a price of $25,000 on his head. And the Public part likely meant not to use public transportation since they'd be watching for him at those places too. And the child keep away must mean to "get the hell out of Dodge" soonest.
"Ruth, if I understand this cryptic message correctly, the handguns found in that room have been tested and found to have been used in several crimes. It also says Mark is in danger with a bounty of $25,000 on his head. I believe it also says to get Mark to somewhere safe and not use Public transportation. Is that how you interpret it also?" Ruth slowly nodded her head, as did Mark.
It was Mark who asked the question hanging in the air, "So what now? How do we get my little body out of Dodge? Where can I go that my 'parents' know nothing about?" Mark watched as first Ruth then Jane perked up before they looked at the other then at Mark, then back at each other and smiled. It took Mark only the time a thought crosses a synapse to realize what they had in mind.
"Do you think that will work?" Mark asked the two, seeing the shocked looks on Ruth and Jane's faces. "You two are thinking of having me dress as a girl and spirit me away as Jane's daughter or niece, or something. Right? Well, my 'parents' have probably given someone my picture, the picture of a boy, so that's who they'll be looking for, right? I have no desire to have my life cut short, so Ms. Thompson, you have my word of honor to do as you instruct to get me 'the hell out of Dodge'. And, when we get where we're going, it stays in effect so you can help me. You and your husband seem to be the only hope I have if I ever want to trust anyone ever again. And my only hope of staying alive." Mark hadn't realized it, but tears were flowing down his cheeks.
Jane got up and went around the table to Mark, turning his chair to face her. She knelt down and gently reached up and wiped the tears off his cheeks just before he threw his arms around her neck and began crying on her shoulder. "It's alright, sweet boy, it will be alright," Jane told Mark as she held him as he cried.
"Well," Ruth firmly said, "We have some work to do and I think I know the exact person for the job. I've done her some favors over the years and... she is very discreet. Plus, we need to get you the correct clothes, Mark, if Jane's Niece is to be properly attired."
Ruth picked up the receiver and dialed a number. "Margret, dear, it's Ruth...Well not really, you see we have need of your special abilities, and William's also...Something to do with the toys you found the other day...Yes, they're contaminated, dear...Is your paper still good...Ah, good. Would you be a dear and call William, and then the two of you come to my chambers...Fine, that's acceptable. Oh, and if you would, before you come in would you check for any cockroaches that might be lurking about. And maybe, oh I don't know, incapacitate them?...Fine dear, we'll see you then."
Ruth disconnected the call to Margret then made another call. "Doris, it's Ruth...Oh fine dear. Listen, we have another Katie problem...Yes that's right, like that other one...Is your shop clear?...Good good. Expect us in about fifteen minutes...Yes, the works. And nothing to indicate the original...Oh I knew you could do it. Bye Doris."
Jane and Mark were looking at Ruth with questions hanging off their faces. "Some years ago, Doris got into some serious trouble with a gentleman who charged exorbitant loan rates. The police thought he was also involved in other shady deals that resulted in a couple of deaths and several people being sent to the hospital. I don't remember how we met, but I was able to help the police get the evidence they needed to put him away for the rest of his life. And Doris has never forgotten what I did. A few years later she had gang trouble and came to me again. Turned out the gang leader was about to appear before me so I offered him a deal. He stays out of detention for his testimony against the rest of his crew. Needless to say, a few fellows were a bit put out. So to get this boy out of town, Doris remade him and when his fellows came looking for him, they never found him because he no longer existed. His sister, Katie, took a trip out of town to stay with relatives several States away. Last I heard, he'd done a wonderful job turning his life around."
Margret's knock was heard on the private door to Ruth's chamber. Ruth walked over to the door, unlocked the door, opened it a crack to verify it was Margret and William, before opening the door to let them in. "Thank you both for coming, we have a rather hot situation with Mark in right in the middle of it. About $25,000 in the middle. Were there any problems with insects?" It was William who chuckled before saying, "There were two, one in the front and one in the back of the Courthouse. Our crazy driver here," and he pointed to Margret, "Had trouble backing into a parking place and bumped the guy's car out front. Of course, she acted really upset for doing something so stupid, and when the guy got out of his car, he suddenly fell asleep. He's sleeping it off in the trunk of his car and will be out some 48 hours, if I gave him the correct dose. If not, he might not wake up. We also took the car keys."
"And the gentleman out back, what of him?" Ruth asked.
This time it was Margret who chuckled. "Ruth, you should have seen this lug," Margret said as she pointed a thumb at William, "he crept right up to the guy's car, right up to the driver's window and actually yanked the guy right out of the car. That guy never knew what hit him, until William colcocked him. He then dosed him like the guy out front and again put him in the trunk of his car. Oh, and we forgot to tell you. We put tow-away stickers on both cars."
While the problem was serious, Jane, Ruth, and Mark couldn't help laughing at what Margret and William had done to the two men watching the Courthouse. And tagging their cars to be towed. "Oh, you two have done a marvelous job. But now we must get Mark to Doris for another Katie job," Ruth said to her two bailiffs. "After you see us to Doris' salon, would you two be dears and run by my house and see if any nasties have landed anywhere around there? And if they have, would you two be dears and use some insecticide on them as well? Preferably a longer-lasting type since it would take too long before the police noticed a tow vehicle tag. And when any problems have been remedied, Margret use your key to my house and go to both spare bedrooms and pack everything. Then if you would, meet us at Doris' and we'll leave for the 8:05 evening train going East from the salon. And please, please, as you drive, keep an eye out for other cockroaches. And if you spot any, take them somewhere and, um... deal with them in a way they no longer are a problem." Mark was rather horrified by Ruth's last statement, but when he looked at Jane he saw a nasty expression which told him she agreed with Ruth. He'd need to remember not to get on her bad side.
No one wasted any time getting out to the cars. Margret and William made sure it was still clear before they let the three exit the Courthouse. They followed Ruth as she drove to the salon, and when the three were inside, headed to Ruth's house. They switch drivers so it looked like a husband and wife driving down the street before going by Ruth's home. They spotted two cars, one in the alley and one a couple of doors down from Ruth's. Again, it was only one man in each car, so they decided to do a lost husband and wife looking for a particular street to the guy parked on the street. William hoped he didn't give this guy too much. But if he did, he did. The guy parked in the alley was handled by Margret showing a bit more of her assets as she walked down the alley toward the car. The guy in the car never felt the punch that turned his lights out. Again, William dosed the guy before putting him in the trunk of the car. This time they put a tow vehicle sticker on the car because it was blocking the alley and would be taken care of almost immediately.
Margret drove this time, as they once more checked the area for insects. Finding none, she pulled into Ruth's driveway and both wasted no time getting into the house, packing Mark and Jane's clothing, and heading to the salon. On the way there they thought a roach mobile was following them, so they took an out-of-the-way route, with the roach mobile still following. Margret knew of a dead-end street where she and Bill could set up an ambush. Both had four clips with them, two with live ammo and two with rubber bullets. If they could, they'd take whoever was in that car down with rubber bullets. But if it got nasty, they wouldn't be following anyone anymore. The car following them pulled up to the dead end, and was about to turn around when the driver found himself staring down the barrel of a .45 ACP, which from his point of view, looked huge. While Margret forced the guy out of his car, Bill came up behind him and gave him his sleepy medicine, which dropped him like a rock. As they'd done with the others, he was placed in the trunk of his car, the keys were taken, and they again placed a tow vehicle sticker on the car. Margret backtracked, checking for more insects, before going to the salon. And what they saw when they arrived was nothing short of a miracle.
After Mark and Jane had been dropped off at Doris's salon, and while Margret and Bill were carrying out Ruth's directions, and bug hunting, Ruth had gone shopping. As they drove to the salon, Ruth and Jane had discussed how Mark should be dressed as Jane's niece. She was fourteen, after all, so she'd just be coming into her womanhood in her appearance to others. They also discussed whether to make what she wore 'scream girl,' or merely 'say girl,' since they were trying to hide Mark from menacing eyes. The pros and cons of each was discussed, even suggestions from Mark were accepted, before settling on just 'saying girl' was chosen. They wanted Jane's niece to look cute, not slutty, which would indeed draw flies. They also settled on her breast development being moderate for a girl that age; a small 'B' cup was decided.
The minute Mark and Jane walked into Doris' salon, Doris took Mark to the back room and had him undress and shower. She and Carol, her life-long partner, then waxed him from head to toe, including his arms chest, and groin area. When they were done, Mark had a few things to say about the experience, but kept them at a whisper least Jane and the two ladies decided his mouth also needed cleansing. He was given a robe to wear as Doris and Carol started their magic, Doris working on Mark's hair while Carol did his fingers and toenails. Carol also worked on Mark's face, first shaping and thinning his eyebrows and then applying makeup after Doris had finished working on Mark's hair.
Once Mark's parents started ignoring him, he let his hair grow long, and it was now down past his shoulders, which he usually kept in a ponytail. Jane, Doris, and Carol discussed the hairstyle that would best help hide Mark's face and settled on a Shag cut which Doris cut so it framed as well as gave his face an entirely different appearance. Bangs would be left to give Mark's face the appearance of being smaller; they would stop just above his eyebrows. After Carol applied makeup to Mark's face, and told him what she was doing while she was doing it, Doris, Carol, and Jane stood in front of Mark and admired the change that had taken place. Mark saw the three women smiling and asked, "May I see?"
A smiling Doris turned the chair so Mark could see himself in the mirror behind him, and was stunned by what he saw. "That's ME? Really? I look nothing like I did when we came here." He then looked at Jane's reflection and asked, "Will this really work, Aunt Jane? I'm not ashamed to admit I'm really scared, more scared than I was going to the detention center."
Jane came up behind Mark, put her arms around him, and told him, "Yes, my sweet boy, it will work. You now look nothing like any photograph that may have been given out to anyone. And when Ruth returns, I have no doubt, you will look even less like your old self."
The Shag cut Doris had given Mark's hair had completely reframed his face. He now had a face that appeared narrower and smaller. Carol's application of makeup had been light but had highlighted Mark's delicate facial features to the point he was very close to being stunningly cute. Couple that with longer fingernails coated with a darker-than-light pink nail polish and no one would mistake Mark Thomas for the boy with a price on his head. No one had noticed when Ruth had returned until she said, "So, who is this very cute girl I see in the mirror?"
Doris and Carol jumped at hearing Ruth's voice, but Jane continued to hug Mark as they heard Mark say, "I'm Rebecca, ma'am. Rebecca Stillman, ma'am. Jane's niece." And when Mark said his new name, it was in a voice that could never be thought of as belonging to any boy.
As Margret and Bill waited up front in the salon the four women took Mark, now Rebecca, to the back room, where they had to quickly teach Rebecca how to dress in the items Ruth had purchased. Mark threw his modesty out the window as he dropped the robe and began putting on the articles of clothing Ruth and Jane started handing him. Jane gave him a gaff, which she explained will help conceal his penis between his legs; shyness had gone out the window along with Mark's modesty. Next, he was handed a pair of panties, then a bra and inserts. Because of the training Mark had received from his tutors, he had a nice waistline, but Ruth and Jane wanted it a bit narrower so a waist nipper was put on Mark. Mark was then given a pair of suntan pantyhose and the instructions on how to put them on. The last item of clothing he was given was a full slip, which stopped about three inches above his knees.
Then came the dress, a light blue, scooped neck trimmed with white lace, fitted at the bodice and falling to just above his knees, with the hem trimmed in the same white lace. It had short sleeves which were also trimmed in white lace. Mark was then told to sit down, but not before being told how to treat the dress before sitting. He swept the back of the dress as he had been told and sat down in one of the chairs in the back room. The finishing touch was a pair of low heel, closed-toe, white patent leather shoes, which Jane herself put on his feet. She then helped him to stand and had him walk around the room, giving pointers on his stance, posture, and steps. The four women stood back watching Mark, now Rebecca, and were amazed at the short amount of time Rebecca had been put together, and with minimal instructions, they saw a young, fourteen-year-old girl walking around the room. Mark Thomas had completely disappeared, and Rebecca Stillman had been born.
It was now 7:30 p.m., and the drive to the train station would take about fifteen minutes. The five women went back out front, where Ruth took Rebecca's hands and told her, "I can't go with you to the train station, I'm rather well known so there might be questions why I'm with a young girl and another woman. And someone might come around asking questions. Where you're going and with whom must be kept quiet as long as possible, I'm truly sorry." She then admonished Rebecca not to cry or she'd mess up the excellently applied makeup. She then handed Rebecca a purse and told her what was inside, things all girls carried in their purses, before telling her, "I'm so very proud of you in the way you've handled this entire affair. I'm very glad to have come to know you and if you'd let me, I'd like to become your grandmother."
Rebecca held back tears with a great effort before telling Ruth, "I'm glad I got to know you too, and I'd be honored to call you my grandmother."
The two held each other for a moment longer before Bill said, "We need to go, Margret and I need to make sure the station is safe before you leave the car."
Rebecca hugged Doris and Carol and told each one, "Thank you very much for what you've done. I'll never forget the both of you." Margret and Bill checked outside of the salon before motioning for Rebecca and Jane to get into Margret's car.
They arrived at the train station, and as they pulled into the parking lot immediately spotted a roach on the left end of the platform. They found a more secluded parking space towards the right end of the station, and it was then they spotted another insect keeping watch. Margret's car was such that passengers in the back seat were hard to see in darkness or when light levels were low. But to be on the safe side, Margret told Jane and Rebecca to get down as she and Bill opened the front doors, turning on the dome light in the process. Once the dome light had shut off, the two sat up again and watched as Margret and Bill calmly strolled toward the station, arm in arm, as a husband and wife couple. When the couple had reached a point where they couldn't be seen by either insect, Bill went to the right while Margret went to the left. If was fortunate for Margret and Bill but unfortunately for the two men to decide to take a smoke break at that precise moment. Both had backed off the platform and were in light shadows watching the platform when both were injected with Mr. Sandman by Bill and Margret. They each caught their man before he completely dropped to the ground, and carried them to an agreed-upon spot before searching each man. Luck had been with them, or it was fate looking over them because no one was in the parking lot during this whole time. Searching the man Margret drugged, revealed a wallet, a set of building keys, coins, and not much else. She memorized the name and number on the man's driver's license before putting everything back into his pocket. Bill did the same but came up with a set of car keys attached to a key fob. He pressed the locator button on the key fob and a sedan's lights flashed once and the horn tweeted. They picked up their packages and carried them to the sadan, as Bill used the key fob again to unlock the trunk. Again their roaches went into the trunk, and again Margret placed a tow vehicle sticker on the car window.
Once the couple was done, they again calmly walked up to the station and onto the platform from the right side. Seeing no more insects infesting the area, Bill took out a small flashlight and flashed the light once in the direction of Margret's car. Seeing the signal, Jane and Rebecca calmly got out of the car, walked to the back, lifted the trunk lid, which Margret had unlocked before leaving, took out their luggage, and calmly walked to the station. Jane and Rebecca then went up to the ticket window where Jane asked for one adult and one child ticket on a sleeper with a bedroom for the 8:05 Eastbound train. She had thought of keeping Rebecca out of sight, buying two adult tickets for a sleeper, but then the porter may have questioned the adult ticket for a child. Instead, she opted for Rebecca to be seen in plain sight, and tickets purchased for one adult and one child on a sleeper with a bedroom. None of the four acknowledged each other as Jane and Rebecca walked out of the station and onto the platform, the illusion of Jane and Rebecca being alone had to be maintained. Margret and Bill kept their heads on swivels, always looking for the person who didn't fit the look of a normal passenger waiting for the train, whose lights could now be seen down the tracks. Bill checked his watch and the train pulled into the station at exactly 7:55 p.m..
Disembarking passengers masked the slight nods the four exchanged, before Jane and Rebecca stood up, picked up their luggage, and walked over to their assigned sleeper car. Jane handed the porter their tickets, who punched them and then helped them get their luggage onto the train. Rebecca gave a quick backward glance at the two people who had helped get her this far, she only hoped she had done the right thing by giving Jane her word of honor. After all, Jane never did finish telling Mark everything he was going to be asked to do. And he knew it.
Imagine you are shopping and suddenly you’re accused of shoplifting. What would you do? And what would you do if you told the truth, to everyone, and because of the lies told by those caught shoplifting, you are deemed guilty? Charles Thorton found himself in this exact situation, while he was at a department store shopping for a necklace for his mother’s 35th birthday. Little did Charles know who he would end up facing after it was decided by the judge he shouldn’t go to juvenile hall.
Author’s note: This story had been bouncing around in my head for some time, and now it’s finally where it will hopefully stop demanding to be let out. This is another of my ‘what if’ stories about Ms. Jane, a woman who is the creation of other very creative writers. The other characters in this story came out of what imagination I possess and are completely fictional. If on the other hand, you see someone you know in one of these characters, then you are either lucky or unlucky, depending on which character it happens to be. As usual, public comments are more than welcome, technical comments should be PM’d to me.
Fourteen-year-old Charles Thorton looked up from the book he was reading when he heard, “ladies and gentlemen, we are approaching Kingston, our next stop. For those of you leaving us at Kingston, we want to thank you for traveling with us and we hope you had a pleasant journey. For those of you traveling on with us, we will be in-station for twenty minutes. If you’d like to stretch your legs off the train, please make sure to have your tickets with you so you won’t have trouble reboarding. Also, in the pocket of the seatback in front of you are occupied cards that you can use to save your seats. For your convenience, the station snack bar sells hot and cold beverages and hot and cold snacks. Ladies and gentlemen, our next stop is Kingston.” Charles looked out the window and saw the beginning of Kingston, some old buildings, newer buildings, and houses off in the distance. He put his bookmark between the pages to mark his place, closed the book and put it back in his backpack. After zipping his backpack closed, he picked it up and sat it in his lap, then returned looking out the window.
The train was beginning to slow down. As Charles looked off toward where he believed the station was, he caught his first sight of a woman and young girl standing at the near end of the platform. They were still too far off to gain any details, but it seemed strange that they stood along as they did. The train was now moving at an easy runner’s jog. Closer now, Charles could see the woman was very statuesque and impeccably dressed, as was the young girl standing with her. As Charles studied the young girl, something started nagging at his mind but being still too far away he could not discern the problem. As Charles again looked at the woman, it appeared she was looking back at him intently, almost as though she was trying to see into his soul. He could now see more of the platform, towards the far end, and saw several people waiting with their carry-ons to board the train; others seemed to be waiting for people to arrive. He again looked at the woman and young girl and had no doubts the woman was looking directly at him. This close Charles could see how attractive she was, as was the young girl. He could almost feel it now, the reason he found something wrong with the young girl’s appearance.
When Charles was two steps from the woman and young girl he stopped and asked, “excuse me ma’am, my name is Charles Thorton. Are you the woman I’m to meet here in Kingston?”
Jane had used the time as the train pulled slowly into the station to observe her new ward as he sat on the train. Even at some distance, she could tell something wasn’t right about this boy being sent to her. And as he stood in the door of the train car, he still wasn’t displaying the traits she had come to expect from boys sent to her. Where most hid fear, he radiated self-confidence. Where most displayed disinterest, he showed an abundance of curiosity. He showed no contempt, no arrogance, no self-importance, he showed absolutely no markers that indicated he should be here now. In fact, his stopping two steps from her instead of crowding her, and his manners at first addressing her, were not consistent with what she’d come to expect from those needing her help and guidance. Something wasn’t right, and Jane’s internal alarms were proof.
“Yes, young man. I am the woman you are to meet here in Kingston. My name is Jane Thompson, you may address me as Ms. Thompson or Ms. Jane.” And using her left hand she said, “and this is my ward, Francis Winslow.”
Charles extended his hand to Jane, who took it and shook his hand and told him, “it’s nice to meet you, Charles Thorton.” He then extended his hand to Francis and she too took his hand and shook it. “It’s nice to meet you, Francis,” Charles told the young girl as he studied her face now he was closer. He could feel she was trembling as they shook hands, and saw fear in her eyes. “It’s nice to meet you too,” Francis told Charles in a voice tinged with fear. And then it hit him, the ‘why’ something felt off about this girl. If Jane felt something was off about why this boy was here, it was about to be confirmed.
Charles turned his attention back to Jane and said, “ma’am I have a question.” As Charles watched Jane’s face, he saw several thoughts play across her face. The one he heard must have won out as Jane asked, “what’s your question, Charles?”
Looking at Francis, Charles asked, “why do you have a boy dressed and presenting as a giirrll…,” but the question died on his lips. For in that instance he recalled the ‘why’ from several articles he’d read for a paper he had to write. And because even though Francis was wearing makeup, Charles could see the color had drained from her face. The fear Francis’ eyes held before had changed to terror, and she appeared ready to run. Charles reached out and gently placed his hand on her arm and told her, “your story is not mine to tell. I will not betray your confidence. You are stronger than you realize and will get through this. And you are very pretty.” Charles gently reached up and wiped the tears off her checks that had fallen from her eyes, watching as color returned to her face and just fear returning to her eyes. “It will be alright, you’ll see,” Charles told Frances as he gently squeezed her arm. Francis put her left hand on the back of Charles’s right hand and said in a throaty voice still laced with tears, “thank you, that means a lot to me.”
Every single alarm within Jane was now sounding. For the first time she could ever remember, another boy recognized the true gender of one of her present wards. And the boy had yet to be introduced to the program. In a voice pitched only for Charles’ and Francis’ ears, Jane asked, “Charles, how did you discern Francis’ true nature? And what else were you going to say?” Though Charles had seen looks that could peel paint off wood, the look Jane gave him now would have done a whole battleship, in one go.
“Ms. Thompson, I was given a special dispensation from the university near my home that allowed me to take a semester of Anatomy and a semester of Physiology, in which I received straight ‘A’s’ in both the lecture and lab parts for both courses; I plan on going into medicine. It was because of Francis’ facial structure that I was able to discern her true gender. And Ms. Jane, perhaps now isn’t the time for me to answer your second question?” Charles flicked his eyes toward Francis and then back to Jane, who immediately understood what Charles was saying without saying a word. With a slight nod of her head she said, “perhaps you’re correct, Charles, some things are best left for another time.” And it wasn’t lost on Jane not only the concern Charles had for Francis, but how his addressing her had changed. She hoped a certain judge was home in a few minutes, because she was going to find out why a boy, no, young man of Charles’ character had been sent to her. If Jane thought her ire was smoldering now, she wasn’t prepared with what she heard next.
As Jane watched Charles’ face, she saw a change that even sent chills down her spine, something that almost never happens. It was a mixture of anger, rage, self-control, and a determination that she seldom encountered. And her ire boiled over at what she next heard. “Ms. Jane, I have another question,” Charles stated as his eyes bored into Jane’s. She wasn’t too sure of her voice at the moment so she simply nodded her head as an indication for Charles to ask his question. Jane saw the fire in Charles’ eyes as he asked, “are you complicit in the lies that were told about me, when I told everyone the truth?”
It was Jane’s turn to show fire in her eyes, and a growl in her voice when she replied, “Charles Thorton, I have never been complicit in lies of any kind!! I don’t know what is taking place, but I can assure you I will get to the bottom of it!!!” Jane closed her eyes in an attempt to regain her self-control before she said, “I think we best say nothing more until we are on our way to my home. Francis, what do you say that we return home?” It wasn’t a question that needed an answer, more a statement that they were going home. “Charles, please follow us to my car so we can return to my home.” Giving Charles another, ‘say nothing more’ look, she heard, “yes ma’am,” from Charles.
“Come, Francis,” was all Jane said as she turned and started walking to the station parking lot. Charles remained two steps behind, and between the two ladies as they made the short walk to Jane’s car. When they reached her car, Charles then walked past Francis on her right side, and when Jane had unlocked the front passenger door, Charles opened the door for Francis and offered his hand to help her into the car. Once she was safely in the car, he closed the door then walked around the front of the car and did the same for Jane. After closing the driver’s door Charles opened the driver’s side passenger door, got into the car, closed the door and fastened his seat belt. Before Jane had put the key in the ignition, it was curiosity that got the best of Francis as she asked, “What do you have in your backpack, Charles?” After the last few minutes and everything Jane had heard, Jane ruffled at Francis’ question, and admonished her with, “Francis, it isn’t polite to inquire as to the contents of someone’s valease.” But she wasn’t expecting what she heard from Charles. “Ms. Jane, I don’t mind telling what I’m carrying, if you don’t mind?” Again, Jane realized Charles was thinking of others before himself, actually giving her control over whether he told or not. “As long as you don’t mind, Charles, proceed.”
“Francis, I have a bag of dried fruit, two bottles of bottled water, a book I’m currently reading, and a complete change of emergency clothing.” Even Jane recognized the need for the first three items listed, given the length of the train ride, but Charles carrying ‘emergency’ clothing piqued her interest, asking, “Charles, why do you carry emergency clothing?”
Charles chuckled at Jane’s question, a chuckle that was rather pleasant to hear. And what he was about to say was going to have the same effect on the two women. “Ms. Jane, all the boys at my high school are required to take Home Economics, due to concerns some previous parents had about their sons being able to take care of themselves when they got out on their own. My class was on a field trip to a major bakery to see how commercial bread, and the like, was made. We had just watched the dry ingredients placed into a large vat, how the lid to the vat closed to allow the paddles attached to the lid to mix the dry ingredients before the liquid was added. Because the man operating the controls was distracted by several of the more attractive girls in my class, he didn’t realize he pressed the wrong button until the vat I was standing near, the one liquid had just been added, poured its contents all over me. Had it been halloween I could have gone as either a ghost or a doughboy.”
Francis was doing more than chuckling, she was laughing so hard it became hard to breathe. And Jane, the oh so refined woman she always portrayed, was laughing right along with Francis. Charles waited until Jane and Francis had calmed down a bit before continuing with, “the employees took me to the employee locker room and there was a debate whether I should shower. But as I pointed out, while I would be cleaned, my clothing would still be covered with the mixture. They tried to find a smock small enough for me after I showered, but they didn’t have any in my size. So instead of a clean me going back into dirty clothing, it was decided to clean off as much of the mixture as they could. Mrs. Mullen, our teacher, wanted to call off the rest of the tour, but I told her I’d be okay and not to let this incident spoil it for the rest of the class. I will admit, it was an interesting experience continuing the tour in squishy shoes and sticky clothing, but I had called my mom and when we returned to school, I was able to shower and put on clean clothes.”
Charles’ last statement set off both women again, and it was a few minutes until Jane had regained her composure, put the car key in the ignition and started the car. It was then she told Charles, “Charles, some things bother me about why you were sent to me. I want you to start at the beginning and tell me how you got involved in all this.” Jane watched by way of the rear view mirror as Charles’ face again took on the look that had sent chills up her spine. She also saw the extreme self-control he was exhibiting to not take his anger out on her or Francis. As Jane backed her car out of the parking space, Charles began his story. A story that would take until they reached Jane’s home to tell.
As Charles started his story, it took all of his self-control not to tell it in anger. As Jane listened to Charles’ story, she remembered back to Kenneth, another boy sent to her but not by judge Ruth. He was sent by his mother, a mother who forged papers with the hope of Jane feminizing him so she could take him south and have him altered physically through surgery. When the truth finally came out, the mother ended up in prison, Kenneth ended up being with Judge Ruth, and Jane swore she would never let such a thing happen again. While Charles’ case was different, he was still a boy who should not be here at this moment.
“Charles caught a City bus at a stop not far from where he and his parents lived. By car, the closest mall was about a ten minute drive, but by bus, because of all the stops it made, it was about a twenty minute ride. Once the bus reached the stop for the mall, Charles got off the bus, along with several others, and had to wait for the traffic light to change in order to walk across the street and onto the mall. Once he entered the mall he went directly to Taylor’s department store, and to the jewelry department, to look for just the right necklace for his mom’s 35th birthday. The young sales lady, at the jewelry counter, had been showing Charles necklaces for about fifteen minutes when a hand grabbed his right shoulder and a man’s voice said, “you’re coming with me you little bastard.” Charles didn’t know what this man intended, so the man ended up face down on the floor with his right arm twisted up behind his back and Charles’ right knee on the back of his neck.
“Get off me, you stupid fucking kid. I’m James Conner, head of security for Taylor’s.” James tried to use his strength to break the hold but Charles merely took his right hand and pulled up on James’ right elbow. That simple action elicits a scream from James and another, “kid...when I get up off this floor I’m going to kick your ass way into next week.”
“Mister Conner, when you grabbed me you failed to identify yourself, so I had no idea who you were or what were your intentions. Even now I have no way to verify your claim,” Charles told James as he maintained control of James as he’d been taught from the age of 6. Charles had shown an interest in the Martial Arts, and self defence from the age of 6. From that time until now, age 14, he had studied several different forms of Martial Arts and self defence, and was not intimidated in the least by James’ threats.
“Young man, release that man immediately,” Charles heard from a man coming from his right. “Young man, did you hear me, release him NOW! That man is James Conner, the head of security for Taylor’s.”
While maintaining control of James, Charles looked up at the man who had stopped a few feet away. The man was middle-aged, maybe 40-45, had sandy-colored hair that was full but above his ears. He wore a three-piece suit in charcoal, with a light blue shirt and a blue tie. The name tag he wore showed his name to be Don Obler, Manager. Standing next to him was a woman, somewhat younger than Don, maybe in her 30’s, wearing a light gray business skirt suit, with a light pink blouse, a darker pink scarf, and low heel shoes. Her name tag showed her to be Mary Myles, Assistant Manager.
“Mister Obler, I’m sorry, because this man attacked me I won’t be releasing him until someone can vouch for his, and your, statement that he’s head of security for Taylor’s,” Charles told Don. Don looked into Charles’ eyes and could tell this boy, though young, meant what he said. He could also see this young man could be dangerous if pressed.
Mary was next in trying to get through to Charles when she said, “young man...please, let Mr. Conner up, he really is our head of security. And I’m sure he never meant to attack you as you said, he was only doing his job. If poorly.” Charles looked at the attractive face of Mary, her makeup nicely applied, helping to cover a slight scar she had on her right cheek.
Where Mr. Obler had been aggressive in his demands to release Mr. Conner, Mary had been passive, trying to play on Charles’ softer side. “Ms. Myles, I would gladly let this man up if there was someone who could vouch for all three of you. Right now there is no one in authority who can do that. So I’ll just keep this man here until them.” Charles again put a little more upward pressure on James’ right elbow after he felt the man once again try to break the hold. And as before, James screamed.
All the while this had been going on, the young lady who had been helping Charles watched with an amused expression on her face. “Serves that asshole right,” she muttered to herself, “and about time too.” She was suddenly drawn into the situation when Don, indicating the young lady at the jewelry counter,said, “this young lady can verify who the three of us are. Ask her, she’ll tell you.” Charles turned his head to look at the young lady but all she said was, “I’m not someone in authority.” Two things happened at once. Charles bit back a laugh, for he had stipulated someone in authority, and Don Obler’s face went from white to fire-engine red in a split second. “I’ll deal with you later,” he angrily told the young lady; the statement not phasing her in the least.
“Is there a problem here,” a new voice asked, drawing the attention of Don and Mary, and recognition by Charles.
“Yes, officer, there is a problem here,” a very red-faced Don Obler said. “This young man refuses to release our head of security, after he was only doing his job. We have tried to make this boy understand who we are but he refuses to listen.”
With his attention still on the young lady behind the jewelry display case, Charles said, “hello...officer Hansworth. And I’d guess officer Weber?”
“Hello...Charles. What have you gotten yourself into this time?” William Weber, Robert Hansworth’s partner, had to cover his mouth so no one would see him smile at the sight before him and Robert. Both men, police officers for more than fifteen years, were well acquainted with Charles Thorton since in a very roundabout way they were related. And in more than a roundabout way, they’d not only helped teach Charles what he knew now, but watched as he became a young man who was not someone to take lightly in a fight. “Alright, Charles, tell us what happened and why you have the head of security for Taylor’s on the floor.” As Charles looked at Robert, he could see William doing a very poor job of hiding a smile, his eyes giving him away.
“Officer Hansworth,” Charles began, then indicated the young lady behind the jewelry counter with his head. “The young lady behind the jewelry counter was helping me choose a necklace for my mom’s 35th birthday. She’d been showing me necklaces for about fifteen minutes when this man,” and Charles nodded to James, “grabs me by the shoulder and tells me I’m going with him. I didn’t know who he was since he didn’t identify himself, and because of what might have happened had I gone with him, he’s where you now see him.”
James was a bit slow recognizing what was being said through the pain in his right arm, but finally recognized a voice out of his past. “Robert? Is that you? Robert, get this fucking kid off me, will ya?” For a third time James tried to bull his way out of the hold Charles had him in. And for the third time Charles merely lifted the elbow slightly, causing James to scream.
“Yes, James, it’s Robert, and if I were you I’d lay still. It will hurt a whole lot less. Charles, the man you are holding is James Conner, he is the head of security for Taylor’s department store. The gentleman to your right is Don Obler, manager of Taylor’s. And the woman is Mary Myles, assistant manager of Taylor’s. Charles, please, let James up so we can get to the crux of this whole problem. And James, I’m warning you, when you get up DON’T try and go after Charles. He knows more than you and I ever learned and will likely put you in the hospital the next time he perceives an attack from you.”
Charles looked at Robert, who gave him a slight head nod, as did William. Returning the slight nod Charles said, “Mr. Conner, I’m going to release you now. Please, sir, don’t try to attack me again or I will be forced to use greater measures which will put you into the hospital.” As everyone watched, Charles took his right knee off James’ neck, then gently pushed himself up, back, and away from James. Only Robert and William caught sight of Charles stepping back in a ready position in case James tried something when he was off the floor. They weren’t disappointed.
James’ arm basically flopped onto the floor after being released by Charles. James groaned as he rolled onto his back and sat up, grabbing his right arm as he did. James started massaging and moving his right arm in order to get the feeling back in it before he finally stood up, and as Robert and William suspected, started moving towards Charles. Because this move was expected, Robert immediately stepped in front of James, facing him he tells him, “James, you got your head handed to you once already, don’t make it worse by ending up in the hospital. I warned you about going after this kid again, and you’d better listen, Charles can hurt you six ways to sunday. Let it go, learn from it as we’ve told you several times in the past.” If James thought the glare he was giving Charles was phasing him, he was mistaken. Charles was in a place where he was only focused on James, and dealing with anything James tried. It took William to tap Charles on the shoulder to bring him out of his trance.
Robert stayed between Charles and James as officer Weber asked the question,
“now, Mr. Obler, would you care to explain what this is all about and why we were called?”
A still extremely red face Don Obler opened the throttle and practically screamed, “we caught three boys just outside the store who had shoplifted almost $1000 worth of electronics. They had three gaming consoles, extra controllers and a lot of games for the consoles. When we had them back in security, the one boy, I guess the leader, asked if we had caught the boy behind the theft, the one who was the lookout and distraction. When I asked who he was, he offered to show me and he pointed out this...this BOY to me. I want this boy arrested for shoplifting and I want the book thrown at him. Do you realize we’ve had almost $3000 worth of merchandise stolen or attempted stolen this month alone? I want to send a message, a big message, that Taylor’s will no longer be lenient with thieves.”
Mary and Don were on James’ left side, so that way was blocked. But William had seen James start to move to his right, so William moved to block any thought James had by moving in that direction. When James gave William a dirty look, William just smiled and shook his head, ‘NOPE, ain’t gonna happen’.
“Excuse me,” said Charles, “do I understand that I’m being charged with shoplifting? When this young lady,” and he pointed to the girl who’d been helping him, and was still standing behind the jewelry counter, “can verify I was here the whole time I was in Taylor’s. Now if I were the boss, as you claim the boy said, Mr. Obler, why in the world would I even be in the store? And if I were the lookout, or distraction, as you claim the boy said, Mr. Obler, why in the world would I not be in the ELECTRONICS department instead of the jewelry department?” Both Robert and William had no trouble seeing the logic in Charles’ questions, but could see it fell very short of Don Obler’s ears. It was then they saw Charles take out his cell phone and tell everyone, “if this is the case then I need to make a phone call.” Charles didn’t bother trying to move some place more private, he let everyone hear what he was saying.
“Hi mom, I need you, dad, and Terry to come down to Taylor’s department store….That’s right mom, in that mall….It seems I’m being accused of shoplifting….No of course not, mom….I was shopping for a present for your 35th birthday….Okay….Alright….Fifteen minutes, okay, see you then….I love you too.
Charles put his cell phone back in his pocket and said, “my mom told me to go with you folks, though because I’m a minor you are not allowed to ask me any questions until my parents and our attorney arrive. And that if you try asking me questions, I’m to remind you what the law says about questioning minors without their parent(s) and/or attorney present. I was also told to tell you, Mr. Obler, if this turns out to be false, you best find yourself another job. Because my dad’s law firm will take this store to the cleaners.
Don Obler has been an ass his whole life, and he showed it now by shouting to the young lady behind the jewelry counter, “YOU’RE FIRED. GET YOUR PERSONAL SHIT OUT OF YOUR LOCKER AND GET THE HELL OUT OF THIS STORE! YOUR FINAL CHECK WILL BE MAILED TO YOU. GET OUT NOW!!!“ What Don forgot in his anger were all the security cameras in the store ceiling. Not only did they record every movement in the store, but audio too. Don didn’t know it then, but everything recorded in the store was sent directly to Taylor’s headquarters security. When this one moment in time on the recording was viewed by security, and upper management, and with help from Terry Morgan, Don Obler’s new position would be somewhere but with Taylor’s. And as Don watched, Charles took a card out of his pocket and told the girl, “here’s the numbers for my dad’s law firm. Ask for Terry Morgan, she’s going to love to help you with this problem.” Don glared at Charles, and his intentions caused William, still standing in front of James, to put his hand out towards Obler. Don got the message and told Charles, “COME ON, BOY!! THIS WAY, NOW!! The girl still behind the jewelry counter gave Charles a thumbs up, as Mary and Don turned and started walking towards the back of the store, followed by James, Robert, Charles, and then William. “Good luck,” Charles heard the girl say as the procession reached the back of the store, where they were led to the Security office and holding room.
The security office was like the offices of the manager and assistant manager, only without a wall and door to provide privacy. There was an office desk with a desk chair, several other regular chairs, tall and short filing cabinets, and a one way glass that looked into the holding room. Don and Mary stepped aside, towards the one way glass, as James stepped up to the holding room door and unlocked it. He then opened the door and angrily motioned Charles inside. As Charles stood at the entrance to the room, he saw a medium length table, two chairs on the window side of the table and one chair on the opposite side of the table. “Sit your little ass down in that one chair and don’t you move from it,” James snarled to Charles. What James, Mary, and Don missed, William and Robert didn’t. Charles had slipped into his heightened state mode, one that they’d seen before, one that made him quite a handful if he was threatened in any way. William and Robert were also standing in front of the one way glass, so they didn’t see the look on James’ face as he suddenly entered the holding room and slammed the door behind him, locking it from the inside. Both men went to the door and started banging on it, yelling at James to open the door and not to ask Charles any questions, or try and hurt Charles, or he too would be arrested along with Charles. Mary reached up and flipped on the speaker to the room in time to hear James say, “now you little fucker, you WILL answer my questions or you’ll wish you’d never been born.” Mary pressed the microphone button and told James, “James, it’s against the law for you to ask that boy any questions without his parents or lawyer present. If you don’t unlock the door you will likely go to jail for unlawful imprisonment and possibly kidnapping.” All Mary, and the officers, got for their efforts was the finger from James.
William turned to Don and asked, “is there another key for that room? If there is, you better find it quickly before you lose your head of security to us. Or before James does something stupid and Charles hurts him.” Don scoffed at the officer’s last statement by saying, “that punk kid couldn’t hurt a fly in a paper bag.” William stared at the man before reminding him, “that punk kid, as you call him, put your head of security on the floor and maintained control of him with ease. Now, do you want to get off your ass and find that key or do I call in our door opening specialist?” Robert quickly covered his mouth to keep from laughing after hearing about their door opening specialist. When Don had gone in search of another key for the door, Robert mouthed, ‘really, a door opener specialist?’ William shrugged, then mouthed back, ‘at least it got that ass out of here’.
James took one of the two chairs and threw it into the corner of the room to his right. What he did next caused both William and Robert to yell through the microphone at the same moment. James roughly pulled out the remaining chair, pulled a collapsible baton out of his pocket, slammed it down on the table and sat down in his chair. If James thought making all the noise, and showing the baton was going to phase Charles, he was mistaken. From the time Charles sat down in the one chair, his hands were folded on top of the table and his eyes stayed on James. To those not in the know, Charles would seem calm, serine even. But to William and Robert, that baton just lifted Charles alert status by a factor of ten. James didn’t know it, but Charles was now in a disable mode. Meaning, if James was stupid to reach for that baton, he was going to the hospital with multiple injuries.
As the three standing outside the room watched and listened, James said, “now you little bastard, let’s start with how you met those other three. Where you met them, and where you and they live. And when you planned this theft.”
Charles saw the color change begin in James’ neck, from light tan to red. He watched it rise as he said, “Mr. Conner, I have already said I will not answer any of your questions because it is illegal for you to ask me questions without my parents or lawyer present.” Now James’ ears were red, and the color continued to rise.
“I don’t give a fucking damn about the law, you little fucker. You are going to answer my questions or you will be the one going to the hospital. Now, WHERE IN THE HELL DID YOU MET THOSE OTHER THREE?” As James yelled at Charles, spittle from James’ mouth hit Charles in the face, but Charles didn’t move to wipe it off. He kept his eyes on James, whose face was now completely red. “WHERE DO YOU LIVE? WHERE DO THEY LIVE? ANSWER ME, DAMN YOU!” And Charles, William, and Robert saw it, the slight move of James’ right hand toward the baton. But he wasn’t quick enough, as Charles’ right hand shot out and grabbed the baton, snapping it open as he pulled his hand back. Charles scooted his chair back slightly before telling James, “Mr. Conner, you have been warned about attacking me. This time, sir, if you come at me I will disable you and you WILL need a hospital.”
James was now in a fit of rage. “It isn’t me who’ll need a hospital, you son of a bitch. When I get through with you, your own mommy won’t recognize who you used to be,” James growled at Charles. It was William who said, “that’s what he thinks.” Mary gave officer Weber a strange look as what she next witnessed came as a horrible shock.
The two officers saw it as did Charles, as James grabbed the edge of the table with his left hand, putting his weight on it to brace him as he coiled to spring at Charles. Hoping to take the boy by surprise. As James made his move, the baton in Charles’ hand came down right in the middle of James’ left clavicle, breaking the bone with an audible snap. Without the support of his left collar bone James’ left shoulder collapsed and he fell to his left and landed on the floor, crying out in pain from hitting the floor and because of the broken bone. Charles moved his chair to the far corner to his left, then slowly made his way towards the holding room door. James was holding his left arm with his right hand, but as Charles tried to step past him, his right hand grabbed Charles’ left leg. As the three outside the room watched again in horror, Charles took the baton and brought it down on James’ right forearm, breaking both the ulna and radius. All the three could hear now were the screams coming from James. Charles calmly unlocked the door, opened it, and handed the again collapsed baton to officer Hansworth. “He was warned, officer Hansworth, several times. You’d better call the paramedics, he’ll need to be taken to the hospital to set his left clavicle and both bones in his right forearm.”
“I know Charles, we saw the whole thing. You had very little choice. Why don’t you go sit in the chair behind the desk over there?” Robert pointed to the desk chair behind James’ office desk, it was the best way to keep an eye on Charles and him out of trouble. William radioed for the paramedics, explaining why they were needed. Robert was in the process of taking a statement from Mary, the third person who witnessed everything that occurred in the holding room.
Having heard the screams coming from the security office, Don came running back from where he’d been looking for another key to the holding room door. When he saw James on the floor of the room, screaming in pain, he shouted, “WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED? DID THAT FUCKING KID ATTACK JAMES? WELL... SOMEONE ANSWER ME, NOW!!! I WANT THAT BASTARD ARRESTED AND CHARGED WITH ASSAULT AND BATTERY, DO YOU HEAR ME OFFICERS? NOW, DO IT NOW!!
Mary calmly walked over to the hysterical Don and proceeded to slap the shit out of him, the force of her blow knocking him back against the wall. Shocked, but raging mad, Don screamed at Mary, “YOU’RE FIRED, YOU STUPID BITCH! GET YOUR THINGS AND GET THE FUCKING HELL OUT OF MY STORE! HOW A CUNT LIKE YOU EVER MADE ASSISTANT MANAGER HAD TO BE BECAUSE YOU SPREAD YOUR LEGS FOR ONE OF THE BIG BOYS!
Mary had turned her back to Don and was talking to officer Hansworth, but when she heard what Don just screamed at her, she quickly turned and punched Don with a roundhouse to his right cheek. Don dropped like a rag doll, but at least now his mouth was closed. Mary looked down at the sleeping man and said, “you can’t fire me you stupid moron, I was hired by corporate headquarters, not you.”
Charles’ parents and Terry Morgan arrived just after Mary put Don to sleep. When they heard all the yelling before arriving at the security office, Terry had turned on her small recorder to catch what could be heard even before they could see the cause of all the yelling. As they walked into the security office, they heard William ask for another unit to back them up; Don was going to jail tonight. When Lynn and Jeb saw their two old friends, Jeb asked, “Robert, William, would one of you care to explain all the yelling, and that man lying on the floor screaming? And what’s this about Charles being accused of being involved with shoplifting?” The paramedics arrived about ten minutes after Lynn, Jeb, and Terry did, so everyone moved out of their way in order for the paramedics to take care of James and Don. William, Robert, and Mary waited until James and Don were taken out by the paramedics before having everyone sit down.
Mary went first, telling what she knew of the three boys saying that Charles was in charge of planning what to steal from Taylor’s today. She told how the three boys claimed he was their lookout and distraction.
It was then William who told how Charles asked logical questions of the store manager but how his questions fell on deaf ears.
Robert then told everything what happened from the time Charles was at the jewelry counter shopping for a necklace, and put the head of Taylor’s security on the floor because he failed to identify himself before grabbing Charles, to the head of security locking everyone out of the holding room, in an attempt to question Charles, and then trying to attack Charles because Charles had grabbed the collapsible baton that stupid man took into the room. He told how Charles used the baton to break the man’s left collar bone when the man tried to come across the table and grab Charles. He then told about Charles trying to leave the holding room only to have the man grab Charles’ left leg, and how Charles used the baton to break both bones in the man’s right forearm. It was Terry who looked at Charles and said, “my, you have been busy. Haven’t you Charles?” All but Mary, because she didn’t know, were proud of the restraint Charles showed in only breaking a few bones instead of killing the man, which he could have done with ease.
Robert told the parents and Terry that he and William would have to take Charles in because he was implicated in a shoplifting; the harm done to James would be reported as self defense as witnessed by them. From experience working with Jeb and Terry, he knew they’d stay and take Mrs. Myles’ statement before they came down to the station. He told them that when they finished at Taylor’s, he and William would meet them at the police station to see about getting Charles out of holding. Robert didn’t lie to them, but said Charles may have to stay the night until he saw a judge in the morning.
And Charles did have to spend the night in a holding cell and he did see a judge in the morning, and he, Jane, and Francis arrived at Jane’s house just as Charles finished telling how he came to be sitting in the back of Jane’s car.
Jane put the car in park, set the emergency brake, and turned off the ignition before telling Francis, “Francis, please go up to the bedroom Charles will be using and make sure everything is ready. Check that there are enough required items in the bathroom, shampoo, conditioner, body soap, towels, just like usual. When you have finished there, please go to the kitchen and help Maria get dinner ready. Charles and I are going to talk for a while, then we will be in. Also, tell Maria nothing special to drink for dinner, she’ll understand.” Charles was out of the car first, and opened the door for Jane. He then went around to the passenger side and opened the door for Francis, helping each lady out of the car. Just after Jane told Charles, “walk with me, Charles,” Francis turned as she was walking to the house and said, “Charles, thank you for all you said to me. I’m not sure you understand how good it was to hear those words. Thank you.”
Charles quietly walked beside Jane, as she led him toward the stables. As soon as Jane heard the front door to her house close she asked, “do you feel now is the right time to answer my second question, Charles? From everything you did for, and said to, Francis, I surmise you have also discerned what it is I do here. Am I right, Charles? By the way, Charles, thank you for what you said and did for Francis. Your kindness toward her has gone a long way in helping her to see not all people are like those who got her into trouble in the first place.”
Charles had been brought up by his parents to always treat others with kindness, even if they are most disagreeable. So it came as a surprise that what little he did do would impact Francis so greatly. He formed his thoughts before saying to Jane, “yes, now is the best time to answer your other question since Francis is now in the house.
“At our high school everyone is required to take Human Sexuality. We were assigned a paper on behavior, and during my research I came across references to behavior modifications. References in those articles led to articles on something I’d never heard of, called Petticoat Punishment. I learned, from reading all the articles on Petticoat Punishment, that it started during the Victorian era as a way to control unruly boys. The boys’ own vanity would be used against him in forcing him into clothing designed for girls. He would be dressed in girls’ clothing from his bare skin out, his hair would be done in a femine style, and he would wear, and be taught how to apply, makeup. Now dressed and looking like a girl, the boy had no choice but to change the way he behaved, or be found out--which could have dire consequences for the boy. All of this had to be kept low key or the women running the program, and possibly the boys’ parents, could be in serious trouble. In short, the boy, over an undetermined period of time, learned to unlearn old behaviors and learn new ones that were more beneficial to him and society. He learned that it wasn’t necessary to act in a brash manner, that it was possible to be a boy and still be kind and thoughtful to others. Yes, Ms. Jane, I realized what you do here some few seconds after asking my first question. I also realized how my question started affecting Francis, and I had to do, say, something to help put her at ease.”
As they walked into the horse barn, Jane picked an apple out of the basket that was kept for just that purpose. She nodded her head toward the basket, silently telling Charles to take one too. Then pointing to one of the two horses in the barn, they fed the apples to the horses, as Jane started formulating a plan to get Charles out of the mess someone had gotten him into. And it would start with a call to a certain Judge Ruth.
Jane never confided in her new wards until much later in their reeducation. And then maybe never. But after hearing everything Charles knew, and his not needing to be with her to unlearn bad manners, and his kind treatment with Francis, she decided honesty with him was her best choice to get his help in clearing his name and returning him to his parents. “Charles, you are correct in what you said about using the boys’ vanity against him. Most who are sent to me think they are the center of the universe. They’re cocky, arrogant, full of themselves, and out to prove just how manly they are. But even those boys have an ego that prevents them from being seen unmanly by a woman, and it’s started by embarrassing them to either be naked or put on the only piece of clothing available, a girls robe. And because they are embarrassed being seen naked, they cover their genitals first off, which leads to being able to get them to put on a pair of panties in an effort to offer them some form of modesty. But in reading all those articles you likely already know this, so nothing I could do would force you into any girls clothing. So, after you’ve showered, and please use the provided items, I think you’ll enjoy the experience, I give you a choice. You may wear your emergency clothing or the robe that you will find lying across the back of the chair in your bedroom, and a pair of panties that Francis will show you where they are.” Jane had turned to face Charles as she spoke. As he had done to her, she now did to him, seeing him run thoughts across his face. What she didn’t expect, or maybe she did, after all, was the smirk on his face.
In a flash, Charles analized everything Jane just said. He ran through his feelings about wearing girls clothing, but found nothing that could prevent him from doing so. He thought back to what his parents had told him on numerous occasions, ‘new experiences are great teachers’. He had been with Jane for only a short time, and had seen the stern mistress who could strip paint off a battleship with a mere look. He’d also seen how much she truly cared about those sent to her and wanted the best for them, even though it meant getting past their guards in ways the boys might find unpleasant. Jane’s stern expression softened, and she smiled as she heard Charles tell her, “Aunt Jane, the clothes I carry in my backpack are for emergencies only. This is NOT one of those times.”
Jane often receives hugs from the boys who finally reach the end of their stay and are ready to leave, having learned what it really means to be a man. It is because they see how much better they are than when they first arrived. On this occasion it was Jane who hugged Charles and told him, “you are a remarkable young man Charles Thorton. You are in your life where I try to guide all the boys who are sent to me for help. Let’s get you back to the house so you can clean up and I make a phone call. We have planning to do if we are to get your name cleared of those shoplifting charges. And I may need your help.”
When they reached the house Jane schooled herself before entering the house, explaining to Charles how she would be acting while Francis was near. Because of his knowledge, Charles replied with, “of course, Aunt Jane, it can be no other way for Francis’ sake.”
They found Francis sitting on the bench in the hallway waiting for them as they entered Jane’s house. Francis stood when she saw Jane and was attentive when Jane told her, “Francis, please take Charles up to his bedroom. Show him all that is available in the bathroom and where he may find panties to wear after he showers. When he is ready, please bring him down to the Library, where I will be on the phone. After that, please set the table for dinner.” Francis smiled when she heard Jane order her to show Charles where the panties were kept, but answered, “yes Aunt Jane.” It didn’t dawn on Francis that normal procedures weren’t being followed, that the boy usually takes a deep nap after dinner then a shower. That it was during the nap that all his male clothing was removed from his room. What Francis appreciated was that Charles had treated her kindly and was going to stay with them for a while.
Charles followed Francis up to the bedroom he would be using. As instructed, Francis showed him all he needed to use in the bathroom, including a razor. When Charles asked about the razor, since he had yet to start shaving, and to see if his suspicions were correct, Francis told him, “it’s to shave your legs, underarms, and arms, just as girls do. And your face. There is shaving gel for that purpose.” Charles smiled inwardly as he recalled an article talking about the procedure being done to the boy instead of the boy doing it himself. Francis caught his attention again when she walked over to a chest of drawers and told him, “these three top drawers hold all the panties you may choose to wear, I’ll explain each style to you after you’ve showered. You best hurry, Aunt Jane can get a bit, um, testie if you take too long.” It was a shame Charles had to withhold all the information he held in his mind, but if Francis was to progress Charles must play along.
Charles did enjoy the new experience using scented shampoo and conditioner and body wash, and shaving his legs, underarms, and arms. He felt his face and it felt smooth, but ran the razor over it just in case. He was actually pleased that he was actually experiencing what he’d only read about in those articles. When he finished, and dried himself and his hair, he walked stark naked into the bedroom and picked up the robe he saw when he first entered the bedroom. This too was lost on Francis as she beckoned him to the chest of drawers and began explaining the different styles of panties he could choose to wear. Francis even went so far to show him the style she was wearing, hoping as she did it wouldn’t be noticed. (She would find out later that it didn’t go unnoticed, as she was given an assignment to write a paper on proper etiquette.) After being told about the different styles, and when they might be worn, Charles chose a blue pair of high cut panties, since they were similar to the briefs he normally wore. As they were about to leave the bedroom, Francis pointed out the slippers under the chair that Charles should put on; they were not seen by Charles at first.
Charles followed Francis down the stairs and to a set of doors that looked like the other doors on the ground floor. “That is the library,” Francis told Charles, but never got the chance to tell him about knocking and waiting to be asked in, as Charles walked up to the doors and knocked. The both heard Jane loudly say, “COME IN.” Francis just shook her head as she turned and started towards the dining room to set the table for dinner as Jane had ordered.
Charles opened the right door, stepped into the room, closed the door then stood facing the desk Jane was sitting behind as she talked on the phone. She motioned for him to come forward and pointed to the chair facing the desk on the right. Charles did as she bid and listened to Jane’s end of the conversation.
“...I know that Ruth, you had no choice, Taylor’s department store wanted him prosecuted...Yes I realize that, but he’s already where I hope to progress the other boys sent to me...I suppose you couldn’t figure out, after talking to those three boys that they were lying, or that they were lying after talking to the two police officers...Oh you haven’t spoken with the three boys or the officers yet...When are they scheduled to come before you...Good, that may give us the time we need...Ruth Walinkiewicz I swore after that affair with Kenneth I’d never put another undeserving boy through this...It was terrible for him, I agree...Listen, I have an idea how we can get Charles’ name cleared and get to the true at the same time...First let me talk to Charles, it actually depends on him...Good, I’ll call you back soon...Love you too...Bye.”
After Jane hung up the phone, her eyes took in Charles sitting in the chair before her. He was sitting up straight, not slouched. The robe he wore was closed and he had his right leg crossed over his left thigh, just as a girl would do to preserve her modesty. She put on her battleship paint peeling look, that Charles recognized, and said to him, “so, you want to learn how to become a young lady, Mr. Thorton?” It took all her self control not to smile as she said it, but she could see that Charles wasn’t fooled. She had to fight even harder not to smile when Charles told her, “in for a penny, in for a pound. How may I help you, Aunt Jane?”
Charles watched Jane’s face soften, and a smirk appear as she said, “tell me about the three boys. You were in the same detention cell with them, correct?” Charles nodded his head and answered with, “yes, Aunt Jane, I was.” Jane watched as Charles went through his thoughts before telling her his impressions of the three boys.
“I sat on a bench opposite all three of them. One boy was so scared that he’d wet himself. I got the impression that he never wanted to be involved with any shoplifting and that the self appointed leader may have threatened him. I got that impression after their leader threatened him if he said anything to anyone. The middle boy didn’t really seem to be all there, he had a dreamy look on his face as he looked at their leader. I believe he lacks any friends, or if he has any they are fair weather friends and do so only when they need him for something. If you are planning what I believe you’re planning, then the self appointed leader is the boy you want.”
Jane had a questioning look on her face at Charles last statement. Charles chuckled and explained. “You said you had an idea how to clear my name and may need my help, help I have offered to give you. According to all the articles I read, the best boys for petticoat punishment are those who are arrogant, cocky, full of themselves, and think they know it all. Their leader has all those character flaws, plus some. As I sat on that bench, I stared at him and never said a word. That got him upset enough to try and threaten to put me into the hospital. He even came at me at one point, but I believe when he saw the look in my eyes, that it would be bad for him if he tried, he backed off and kept mouthing off. His vanity can easily be used against him, because deep down he’s really scared.”
Jane was astonished by Charles’ analysis of the boy who claimed to be the leader. Remembering Charles wanted to go into medicine she asked, “what field of medicine are you going to study, Charles?” With a smirk on his lips, Charles told Jane, “Psychiatry.” Jane was nodding her head when she told Charles, “you’re going to be a very good psychiatrist, you already have the character for it.” Charles could see Jane forming a question that she needed to ask him. And when she asked it, he wasn’t the least bit surprised.
“Charles, how would you like to experience how it is to be a girl? You’d get a crash course in being a girl. I’d make an appointment with my salon to have your hair and nails done. They would fit you with fake breasts for a person of your age, and help teach you what you’d need to know in the short amount of time we have. We’d then go to the dress shop I use and get you fitted for dresses and other undergarments. I’m going to ask Ruth to send the leader to me and I’ll need someone to help on the inside who has your knowledge about petticoat punishment. You have the character, and training, I need to have someone who can make mistakes and not let what I tell you to do as punishment affect you. I’ll want you to act out at times, whine when I tell you to do something. Throw fits, that sort of thing. I also would like you to stay and help, as you have so far, with Francis. I can’t tell you how much she’s changed because of the way you’ve treated her. And don’t think you’ll get out of school, they’ll be lessons too.”
Jane watched as Charles put a finger to his lips, a sign that he was thinking. She was elated when he smiled and said, “my parents often say that ‘new experiences can be great teachers’. When do we start?”
Author's Note: When I first wrote Complicit In a Lie, I had no thoughts, or ideas, to write a sequel. But thanks to a few readers, who asked about a sequel, ideas formed that made writing this sequel possible. It is necessary to have read Complicit In a Lie to understand why Charles is now with Jane, who the boy arriving in Kingston is and how he's involved in Charles' Court case. And to understand where Mr. Corporate, George Strom, fits into this story. This story starts off after Charles says, "When do we start," in Complicit in a Lie. So if you haven't read Complicit In a Lie, the beginning of this story won't make any sense. Hint hint!
Charles Thorton is a fourteen-year-old boy who was shopping at Taylor's department store at a Mall not far from his parent's home. He's at the jewelry counter to find just the right necklace for his mom's 35th birthday. Unknown to Charles, three boys were caught shoplifting over $1000 worth of gaming equipment, and stopped just outside the store by store security. As they are taken back to the security office, the leader of the three boys sees Charles, and decides to get Charles in trouble by pointing a finger at Charles as being the mastermind of the theft. The head of security for Taylor's Department store at the Mall, James Conner, never identifies himself as he slaps a hand on Charles' shoulder, telling him, "You're coming with me you little bastard." That turned out to be a mistake as James found himself face down on the floor with his arm twisted behind his back and Charles' knee on the back of his neck. James is screaming at Charles to let him go, making threats about what he will do to Charles once he's let go. The commotion brings the Manager and Assistant Manager for Taylor's to the scene but they are unable to convince Charles to let go of their head of security; Charles doesn't believe anything both Managers say.
Officers William Weber and Robert Hansworth arrive, verify that James Conner is the head of security for Taylor's Department store at the Mall, and both Managers are who they claim to be. Charles finally releases James, who after getting his arm working again, almost succeeds in going after Charles, if it wasn't for Officer Weber stepping in between James and Charles. Officer Weber warns James about Charles' abilities to defend himself. Charles is told why he was 'attacked,' and told he will have to go to the security office. He makes a phone call to his mom, who tells him not to say anything until she, his father, and a lawyer from his father's firm arrive. Charles tells everyone what his mother told him, and he follows everyone to the security office. James still tries to get at Charles as they walk to the security office, but the Officers intercede, placing themselves between James and Charles, again. James won't be denied his prize, making Charles talk and getting back at Charles for how he was treated. Instead of just putting Charles in the holding room and waiting for Charles' parents, James lets Charles enter the room then he quickly goes into the room, slamming the door and locking it from the inside.
James' mistake was to take a police baton in the room with him, which he then slams down on the table in front of Charles in an attempt to intimidate Charles. Doesn't work, Charles is calm and concentrating on James. Charles responds to James shouts and threats by repeating what his mother told him about being questioned. As the Officers and Mary Myles watched on the other side of the one-way window, James starts to reach for the baton, only to see Charles holding it in his hand, and he had snapped it open. Charles warns James, but it does no good as James then tries to lunge across the table to grab Charles. James ends up with a broken collar bone and the ulna and radius in his right arm. Lynn and Jeb Thorton arrive with Terry Morgan, a lawyer in Jeb's firm. Officer Hansworth explains what happened, Mr. Obler returns upon hearing James screams and demands Charles is arrested for assault. Mary Myles proceeds to put Mr. Obler to sleep with a shot to his jaw, after being told by Mr. Obler she's fired. Officer Hansworth explains they have to take Charles in because of the charge against him, and he is put in the same holding cell as the three boys.
The next day Charles goes before Judge Ruth Walinkiewicz, who has reviewed the case and finds that the charges against Charles are lies. She is about to dismiss the case when George Strom, CEO of Taylor's, stands up in the gallery and tells Ruth if she dismisses the case Taylor's will take Charles to Federal Court and add additional charges. Recess is called and Ruth, Terry, the Prosecuting Attorney, and Charles meet in Ruth's chambers. There they discuss what additional charges could be brought against Charles if it's taken to Federal Court. Ruth has an idea to solve their problem, but it depends on Charles. Charles doesn't plead guilty, but accepts the punishment of the Court. And soon Charles finds himself on a train to Kingston, RI and Jane Thompson. It's there that Jane feels it's wrong for Charles to be with her, until she talks with Ruth and learns the whole story. Jane hatches a plan to help Charles clear his name, but only if Charles agrees to help show the leader of the three boys a side of himself he never knew existed. And Charles replied, "When do we start?"
After Jane explained what she needed Charles to do, and he accepted, plus continue helping Francis, she and Charles left the Library and went to the dining room, where Francis had set the table for their noon meal.
Francis was waiting at the dining room table as the two approached, and after being told by Jane, "Francis. Please tell Marie we are ready to eat,"
"Yes, Aunt Jane," she replied, and went into the kitchen to inform Marie. When Francis returned, she was carrying a turine of soup, which she sat in the middle of the table. Marie then came out of the kitchen carrying a platter of fresh baked bread, which she also placed in the middle of the table. Jane then indicated where Charles was to sit, but not before he helped all three ladies with their chairs; though to Francis it seemed strange for a soon to be girl to do something such as that.
When the soup course was finished, Marie and Francis cleared the table of the soup bowls and the turine, returning with bowls of potatoes, vegetables, and meat. While they had been in the kitchen, Jane had gently schooled Charles about helping a lady to sit at the table, saying young ladies don't do such things. So when Francis and Marie returned from the kitchen, Charles had to stop himself from standing and helping to seat the ladies. Jane, seeing Charles stop himself as he was starting to rise out of his chair, and the consternation written on his face, chuckled inwardly. Charles was going to be a great asset in not only helping Francis, but in clearing his name.
When they'd all had dessert, Marie went into the kitchen and returned carrying a tray with four small glasses and a decanter of wine. Francis had seen this ritual several times before, and knew what was about to happen next. Or thought she did, until she noticed all the rims of the glasses were pink, instead of one being blue. And she was further confused when after they'd drank a toast for Charles being with them, Jane told her to help Marie clear the table and then help in the kitchen. She'd take charge of Charles. But, Francis did as she was told, without her sometimes sour face showing.
It was after they'd all risen from the table that Charles said, "Marie, Francis, Aunt Jane, thank you for a lovely dinner. It was extremely enjoyable." This was something else Francis thought strange, since none of the previous boys had ever said anything so kind on their first day with Aunt Jane. Marie did give Jane a questioning look, to which Jane imperceptibly nodded toward the Library. Marie then told Francis to carry on with Jane's instructions and she'd return in a moment, as she and Jane went into the Library, where Jane told Marie her complete plans to help Charles clear his name by getting the boy coming next week to confess the lie he told in the beginning. A lie which caused Charles to be arrested, stand before Judge Ruth, and if not punished, would be taken to Federal Court by Taylor's Company. Where he could face additional charges brought by Taylor's, charges which would put Charles in Juvenile Detention until he was eighteen, then transferred to a Federal Prison.
Marie had been with Jane from the start of her Winsome Girl's School for Wayward Boys, and Jane knew the look on Marie's face said she was beyond angry at the injustice perpetrated on Charles. And like Jane, the boy coming next week was going to learn a lesson he should have learned some years ago. And they were going to learn a lesson about the boy.
When the two ladies left the Library, Francis had the table cleared, and from sounds coming from the kitchen, was starting to put things away and start washing the dishes. Charles, on the other hand, not given any instruction, stayed where he was by the dining room table, and stepped in beside Jane when she told him, "Charles, please come with me."
As she had told Charles, any time Francis was near, they both had to act as though Charles was just another boy Jane was going to teach, so Charles responded with, "Yes, Aunt Jane." As they walked out of the dining room and toward the stairs, Jane explained, in a voice only Charles could hear, what they were going to do when they reached his bedroom. And that he had a lot to learn in the short time they had before the ringleader of the three boys arrived the following week. All Charles said when Jane became silent, was, "This ought to be fun."
When they reached Charles' bedroom, Jane had him sit on the bed then sat beside him. Charles looked at Jane as she told him, "Charles, the first thing we'll do is choose your feminine name, which I believe should be Charlotte. It's close enough to your own name so you shouldn't get confused when addressed." Charles simply nodded his head in agreement. "Next, and if you'll follow me, I'll explain everything that's in that chest of drawers," and she pointed to the chest of drawers against one wall. They got up off the bed and walked over to the chest of drawers, where Jane started in the top drawer of panties, and proceeded to explain them to Charles. She told him about the style, when a particular style should be worn, or could be worn before opening the second drawer containing bras. Again, she explained styles, which bra should be worn with which panty, and when and where they should and could be worn. When she was certain Charles understood what she had told him, she opened the third drawer, which contained stockings and garter belts. She explained how to put on a garter belt, how to put on stockings and how to attach the stockings to the garter belt.
When she looked at Charles' face, she noticed it was slightly pink, causing her to chuckle inwardly at the sight. She then put her hand on his shoulder before she saw the single tear slide down his right cheek. She knew how hard it was for the boys sent to her to become young ladies and wear what they were forced to wear, so it wasn't hard for her to understand how much harder it was for Charles to do something he'd never done but volunteered to do so. She told him, "Charles, I realize this is all new to you and you're starting to have second thoughts. But if you'll trust me, really trust me, you'll get through this and perhaps learn something you'd not have learned any other way. And Charles, we will get your name cleared, I promise you." For the first time since this whole mess had started, Charles reached out and hugged Jane then started crying. As Jane held Charles she vowed that someone was going to pay for involving this sweet child in their vicious plans.
When Charles' crying slowed, then stopped, he got the hiccups, which caused him and Jane to start laughing. As his hiccups slowly stopped, Jane then took him into the bathroom so he could wash his face and get it ready for what Jane was going to do next. When she was sure he was alright, she took him back into the bedroom and to the chest of drawers, where, after opening the top drawer, she had him pick out a pair of panties. After seeing which panties he chose, she opened the second drawer and took out a matching bra and something else Charles hadn't seen before. She then explained how to put a bra on, then showed him the inserts he would wear until he visited her salon, where he would have breast forms glued to his chest. Jane had him put the bra on, then take it off and put it on again, so the action would start becoming ingrained in his mind. She then took out a garter belt, which matched the bra and panty he was wearing, and showed him how that was put on; again having him remove it and put on several times for the same reason. She'd chosen a nude pair of stockings, explaining how to bunch up one, place it over his toes, then slowly pull it up just as though he was putting on his socks. Of course, she had to get another pair, as he ran his nails through the first pair he tried putting on. His second attempt was more successful, as Jane then showed him how to attach the stockings to the garter belt; he took off and put on the stockings several times, without ruining the pair.
With his robe on, Jane took him over to the vanity, had him sit down and began a dialog about his hair and the different ways his hair could be worn. Because his hair was to his shoulders, Jane told him it was possible to have it cut in a more feminine style when they visited her salon. But for now, she was going to show him ways to make his hair look more feminine. Jane had Charles watch in the mirror as she did this and that in order to make his hair look more feminine. And when she'd finished 'fiddling' with his hair, he was shocked at the change of his appearance by just changing the look of his hair.
Jane walked over and picked up the chair sitting in the corner of the room and brought it back over where Charles was sitting. She looked Charles in the eyes and told him, "Charles, many boys have never thought of using makeup, unless they were cast members in a play, know nothing about makeup or how to apply it properly. And if they did, it was done in secret, lest they be found out by others. By your facial expression, you too find this thought difficult to accept, but for us to get your name cleared and to find out the whole truth of this matter, you must learn how to apply makeup to your face and do so in a proper manner. A proper manner which makes it appear as though you are not actually wearing makeup. When applying makeup, less can make all the difference to a girl's appearance, unless she's attending special occasions, which requires a different application. I want you to watch me in the mirror as I show you the proper way to apply your makeup. Then I'll have you clean your face and have you work through the steps I show you."
As Charles watched, Jane opened and closed several drawers in the vanity, taking out items from each drawer, and sitting them on the vanity counter. She would then pick up an item, show him the label on the bottle or kit, explain its use, and as he watched in the mirror, Jane would apply it to his face. All the while reminding him less is more, unless it's a special occasion. As Jane applied the second coat of mascara, and told Charles she was done, she watched in amusement as Charles marveled at the face he saw in the mirror. The face of a young, fourteen-year-old girl. Charles had totally disappeared. He was so mesmerized by what he saw in the mirror, that Jane had to finally shake him to get his attention.
Jane then picked up a package of cleaning wipes and told Charles, Charlotte, to follow her to the bathroom, where he was to clean off his makeup before washing his face. When his face was clean to Jane's satisfaction, they returned to the vanity, sat down, and Charles was instructed to apply his makeup following the steps Jane had just shown him. When Charles would make a mistake applying this or that to his face, instead of having Charles erase the mistake, Jane would again take him into the bathroom and have him clean his face. They'd return to the vanity where Charles would begin again; starting over after each mistake would help Charles gain muscle memory. After several false starts, Charles was finally amazed as he looked into the mirror and saw the young, fourteen-year-old girl stare back at him, the one he first saw after Jane applied his makeup. And he'd done it all himself.
Jane was pleased with how Charles, Charlotte, had progressed in such a short amount of time. Unfortunately, s/he had a lot to learn in a rather short amount of time, if her plan was to succeed. "Charles, Charlotte, I'm pleased with your progress so far, but there is much you have to learn if the plan is to succeed and your name is cleared. So, please follow me," Jane told him/her, as she stood up and walked to the closet. When Charles, Charlotte, was standing beside her in the closet, Jane began explaining about the different pieces of clothing hanging up on the clothes rack. She explained the type of material each was made of, the proper name for the color of the material, when and when they shouldn't be worn, and the requirements when Charles, Charlotte, was not in his/her room. Jane then turned her attention to explaining the shoes on a shelf at the back of the closet, and explained them in much the same way as the clothing. And again, Charles', Charlotte's, requirements when not in the bedroom.
With explanations over, Jane took a simple dress off the clothes rack, and shoes to match, and led Charles, Charlotte, out of the closet. She laid the dress on the bed and the shoes under the chair that held the robe, before having Charles, Charlotte, follow her to the chest of drawers. All Charles, Charlotte, saw when Jane opened the fourth drawer was what looked like folded up pieces of a soft material. As s/he watched, Jane took out four of the folded up pieces of soft material, closed the drawer and bid Charles, Charlotte, to return with her to the bed. Once they reached the bed, Jane sat the four on the bed, picked up the top one, unfolded it and began telling Charles, Charlotte, what it was.
"Charles, this is a slip, a garment worn under a dress. This one can be worn for everyday dresses, dresses you'd wear shopping, etc. These straps can be adjusted by pulling the strap through these metal pieces until the slip is positioned properly on your body. This slip, because it's white, can only be worn under light colored dresses. If you wish to wear this style under a dark colored dress, then a darker colored slip should be worn. That isn't to say a woman isn't daring, once in a while, and wears a dark colored slip under a light colored dress and a white colored slip under a dark colored dress, but you won't be daring while you're here at Seasons House. You WILL be properly dressed at all times." Jane watched Charles', Charlotte's, face for any signs of stress, and seeing none, laid that slip on the dress lying on the bed. Picking up the next slip, Jane went through another explanation of whens and wheres, do's and don'ts, before folding up the slip and setting it back on the bed. After showing Charles, Charlotte, the third and fourth slips, and an explanation for each one, she took the three slips back to the chest of drawers and returned them to the fourth drawer. It was now crunch time.
Jane studied Charles, Charlotte, as she walked back to the bed. It struck her that it wasn't Charles she saw any more, but Charlotte, a young, fourteen-year-old girl, and it was time she was treated as the young girl she appeared to be. Steeling herself, Jane said, "Alright, Charlotte, I want you to put on the slip so we can get it adjusted correctly." Jane watched as Charlotte gently picked up the slip and examined it, running her hand over the material to feel its softness. She watched as Charlotte bunched up the slip and was about to put it over her head, and told her, "Ah, dear, you're about to put THAT slip on backwards. Much like the shirts you wear, that slip has a tab at the collar in the back." Jane inwardly chuckled, as she watched the 'duh' look form on Charlotte's face, before she turned the slip around, bunched it up again, put her arms through the straps and let it fall over her body.
Jane stood back and examined the slip hanging on Charlotte's body. She saw it needed to be adjusted, and proceeded to show Charlotte how to adjust it so it hung correctly. She then loosened the straps and had Charlotte readjust the slip until it hung correctly on her. Jane then picked up the dress and gave Charlotte another explanation concerning the dress. She then had Charlotte put on the dress and zip it up, only to watch as Charlotte fought to get the zipper all the way to her neck. She didn't give up, and found her own way to complete the task. Jane then had her unzip the dress, take it off, and put it on again. This she did several times until Charlotte had little trouble putting on the dress and zipping the back closed.
Jane crossed her fingers mentally, as she told Charlotte to sit in the chair the robe was on. As Charlotte sat down, she sat as a boy would sit, causing Jane to gently admonish her to sweep the back of the dress under her as she sat, and to keep her knees together after she sat down. Jane instructed Charlotte to sit up straight and not to slouch as she sat, proper ladies always sat up straight. Jane then had Charlotte repeat the exercise of standing up, sweep her dress under her as she sat down, and keeping her knees together as she sat, several times until she saw it had become automatic with Charlotte.
Charlotte was then instructed to reach under the chair and take out the shoes, and to put them on her stocking covered feet. Charlotte had done well with her attitude so far, and Jane was hoping it would continue with what Jane was going to have her do next. "Have you ever worn heels before, Charlotte? Be honest with me. Have you?" Jane watched two things occur with Charlotte. The first was the shake of her head, indicating she'd never worn heels before, and the second being a questioning look on her face. Jane was not going to let the question go and asked, "You have a question, Charlotte?"
Jane believed she knew the question but let Charlotte ask it anyway. "Aunt Jane, you're now calling me Charlotte. Why?" Charles' question was sincere, without malice or anger. He was simply asking a question.
Jane smiled, walked over and knelt down before Charlotte, took both her hands in hers and told the girl, "Because we have so little time to get you used to presenting as a girl, and your girl name. Charlotte. You must be able to answer right away to that name so you don't give anything away when that young man arrives next week. It isn't to demean you in any way, just to help you adjust to something I see you've never done."
Jane could see Charles mull over what he just heard, then nod his head and tell Jane, "I guess you're right, Aunt Jane. After being called Charles for fourteen years, I wouldn't recognize who's being addressed if I was called Charlotte out of the blue. Besides, it's a rather pretty name." Jane squeezed Charlotte's hands before standing, and gently pulled Charlotte up out of the chair by her hands.
Because Charlotte kept her knees together, when she stood up her feet were together. Jane stepped back and observed Charlotte for a few moments, noticing how steady she was standing. It was rather strange that Charlotte should be steady, since she was balancing on the balls of her feet and the tiny two inch heel, and could only do so if she'd worn heels before; it was something Jane had to ask about. Something else struck Jane as being odd, as she noticed Charlotte had her hands together and hanging down in front of her. Just as though it'd been something she'd done her entire life. Standing before Jane was a beautiful fourteen-year-old young girl, there was no longer a trace of Charles Thorton. And there was no way, other than being undressed, would Charlotte be found to be other than a young girl. A young girl who was going to turn heads. Jane took several steps back then said, "Charlotte, walk over to me." She watched as Charlotte dropped her hands to her side and as though she'd done this before, walked over to Jane without so much as a by your leave. Charlotte had taken small steps, without hesitating. She'd been steady with each step, something that shouldn't have happened if Charles had never worn heels before.
Jane was suspicious Charles hadn't told her the truth, and when Charlotte was standing directly in front of her, her voice was anything but kind. "Charles, I believe you haven't told me the truth about not having dressed and acted like a girl before. I believe you've lied to me. None of the boys who came to me in the past have been able to act like the girl I've just watched you portray. You stand as a young girl would as she waited. And you walk in those heels as though you've done that before. I do not tolerate lying by my girls, it's the quickest way to have them sent home exactly as they are dressed. Or not dressed in anything."
When Charlotte had stopped in front of Jane she'd kept her eyes on Jane's eyes, watching as they changed from sympathetic to angry. An anger Charles had seen on the faces of those at Taylor's. An anger which meant his chance of clearing his name could only happen if Jane was on his side. He gave Jane a half smile then said, "Aunt Jane, I've taken self defense and Martial Arts since I was six years old. As I got older some of my instructors, and senseis, felt I could benefit from taking dance, which I did, and it helped with my balance. My standing as I did, was just a ready position when confronted by an aggressive person. I don't look threatening, so I don't give that person a reason to attack me. However, I'm in a position to act if necessary. As to walking in these heels," and Charles looked down at the heels he was wearing, "it's more of my training. Taking large steps puts a person off balance if they should be attacked. Smaller steps keep the body balanced and will allow me to react as needed. I haven't lied to you, Aunt Jane, and I never will."
Jane saw Charlotte's eyes get moist, and told her, "If those tears leave your eyes you will have to redo your face. I am sorry for being rough with you just now, Charles, but I had to know the truth. All of the truth." Jane walked over to the vanity and came back with a tissue, which she gave to Charlotte, telling her, "Blot your eyes gently, don't rub them or you'll smear your eye makeup." When she could see Charlotte had herself under control again she told her to stay where she was and not turn around, as Jane walked over to the closet door and opened it wide. When the door was in position Jane told Charlotte to turn around.
At first, Charlotte was confused as to why she was standing where Jane had told her to stand. But it didn't last as she caught sight of herself in the full length mirror on the inside of the closet door. Or rather, he caught sight of a young girl staring back at her from the mirror. Jane chuckled as Charlotte turned this way and that, all the while looking at the mirror and the reflection she saw. Charles was acting just like a girl would who was making sure she looked good for her night out. Jane chuckled even more as Charles said, "Wow, that's me? All me? I never considered how good I'd look dressed like this. In fact, I don't even see me in that mirror, just a young girl looking back at me."
As Charles continued to primp in front of the mirror, oblivious to anything around him, Jane smiled at what she saw. Charles had taken to dressing as a girl much quicker than others who'd not been given the option, and she knew right then that her plan to clear Charles' name had a chance of succeeding. What she didn't know was how he would react in front of Francis when they started their play acting, and he was punished for his attitudes. She only hoped his balance wasn't only in his posture, but his mind as well.
Author's Note: When I first wrote Complicit In a Lie, I had no thoughts, or ideas, to write a sequel. But thanks to a few readers, who asked about a sequel, ideas formed that made writing this sequel possible. It is necessary to have read Complicit In a Lie to understand why Charles is now with Jane, who the boy arriving in Kingston is and how he's involved in Charles' Court case. And to understand where Mr. Corporate, George Strom, fits into this story. This story starts off after Charles says, "When do we start," in Complicit in a Lie. So if you haven't read Complicit In a Lie, the beginning of this story won't make any sense. Hint hint!
As Jane watched a beautiful young girl continue to primp in front of the mirror, she had a realization that heads would turn when they viewed this lovely young girl. She also had a realization of what would be on the minds of some of those heads, and knew she or Marie had to be with Charlotte any time she was out of the house. Unless...
"Charlotte. Charlotte," Jane called to the girl now twirling around and trying to watch herself in the mirror. But Charlotte was lost in her own new world, and never heard her name called. She came out of it soon enough when she heard, "CHARLOTTE!" Charlotte instantly stopped spinning and faced Jane with a huge smile on her face, a smile that disappeared so fast it might not have formed at all. Charlotte was now staring into the face of a slightly angry Jane Thompson, a Jane Thompson who was not used to repeating herself to her girls. In controlled anger Jane said, "Young lady, when I call your name I expect you to respond instantly. And not ignore me or Marie. Do not allow me to call your name twice in a row again, or I assure you, there will be consequences. Do. You. Understand. Me. Young Lady??"
Jane was having a hard time understanding why Charles was merely staring at her instead of hanging his head in shame because of her chewing him out. He hadn't flinched, blinked, or moved in any way as Jane laid down the law. And she wasn't ready for, "I understand, Aunt Jane. And I apologize for upsetting you, it wasn't intentional," from Charles.
Jane schooled her face so Charles wouldn't see the confusion she felt over how Charles responded to her anger just now. She needed to know more about this boy. "Let's sit on the bed, Charlotte. And remember what I said about your dress before sitting down."
Jane let Charlotte move to the bed first, watching as she walked like she'd done this her whole life. And watched as she turned around, pulled the back hem of her dress forward and sat down with her knees together, placing her hands in her lap. Charles was a remarkable fast learner, Jane thought to herself as she walked over to the bed and sat beside Charlotte. Charlotte looked at Jane and could see her forming her thoughts, before she said, "Charles, I find it necessary to learn more about your personal life from you. You've explained some of the things I pointed out, but I need to know more about the training you've had." She held up her hand to stop Charles from speaking, as she continued with, "I need to know because as you've discovered, you present as an extremely attractive young lady. And because of this I'm concerned the attention you'll get when we go out could endanger your life. I need to know what training you've had and can you defend yourself if you were grabbed by some small brained individual."
Jane saw that Charles had dropped his head and seemed to be staring at his fingers, as they moved through what appeared to be a rhythmic pattern. The pattern started to get more complicated and faster, before it stopped with one hand on top of the other with the palms down in his lap. Charles looked up at Jane, before he said, "Aunt Jane, I can give you a general rundown about the training I've had, but I've given my word to my senseis, and others, not to speak of some things I know. The exercise you just saw is a prime example of just one of the things I promised not to talk about. I will tell you this, though. It is a form of self defense."
Charles then spent the next thirty minutes explaining the training he received from Officers Weber and Hansworth and the general training he received at the Dojos he attended. He then explained that because of his aptitude for Martial Arts, his senseis had taken him aside and given him individual training. Training he had been sworn not to reveal. He then answered Jane's other concerns, that yes, he could defend himself if grabbed by some moron who fancied Charlotte for something more than just to look at. And should that happen, that moron would find himself waking up in the hospital.
When Charles became silent Jane asked, "And if you should find yourself facing more than one attacker? Can you defend yourself then?" The expression Charles now had on his face, because of Jane's question, even frightened her. A woman who is never frightened of one of her wards.
When Charles answered her question, it was with a cold and precise voice. "Aunt Jane. Should I find myself attacked by multiple individuals I can defend myself. And when it's over, one or more of the attackers may lay dead on the ground. It is how I was trained to handle multiple individuals."
As Charles watched Jane got up off the bed and began pacing the length of the bedroom. Charles' last statement made her realize the lengths Charles would go to defend himself, and should that occur, he would be found out to be a young man. This could cause major problems for her and Marie, as she and Marie would be questioned by the police and possibly the State Child Protective Services. And likely end up in prison. She continued to pace as she thought over the problem.
As Jane walked back and forth the length of the bedroom, Charles had turned his head one way then the other, as he followed her pacing. It took a few more moments before he realized why she was pacing and asked her, "Are you worried by what I said there at the end? About how I'd handle a group of attackers? Because if you are, and worried what it might do to you, Marie, and your school, I can give you my word not to give the morgue any more work than it already has at the moment."
Jane stopped dead in her tracks because of what Charles just said. She turned and looked at him, then asked, "You can do such a thing? Not kill but protect yourself against multiple individuals?" When Charles nodded his head, Jane then said, "Then give me your word not to kill any attacker, but not necessarily keep them out of the hospital."
As Jane watched, Charles did something rather strange to her. He got up from the bed, walked over to her, crossed his arms over his chest, bowed and told her, "I pledge my word to do as you ask. There will be no deaths, but lessons taught that will be remembered for all time." He then straightened and took his normal ready position. Jane had to blink a few times due to what she just saw and heard. She did recognize it as a formal giving of a person's word, and knew it would not be broken no matter what.
Jane again gave Charlotte an appraising look, before mentally shaking herself and telling Charlotte, "Now, when we leave this room, and until you leave my house, you are to be Charlotte in every way. Your current posture is excellent for a young girl waiting to be heard, waiting to be told what to do, or listening to what she's being told. Francis is doing well at the moment, so you won't need to act out, in some manner, when I nod to you. Let Francis think you're the new girl in my home. Let her tell you what she thinks you need to hear. Question what she tells you, get her to explain the whys and hows. I want her to learn she can talk with you openly when she thinks I'm not listening. I want her to learn how to trust someone, something that's caused her problems in her home life. And if she's having a bad day, and you'll know it when you see it happen, let her talk with you about it. Be there with a shoulder to cry on when she gets really upset."
"We will be going to my study, the room which is used to admonish my girls. When we go in there Francis will believe you are about to get the same lesson she received on several previous occasions. What we are going to do is give you more lessons about being a girl. I'll have you practice walking around the room, so you develop a better feel for how to walk more feminine. I will also have you experience my special chair, so you'll know what Francis and our new girl experience when they are in that room with me. I also want to go over your academic record, so I can plan lessons for you to work on as I do Francis, and like our new girl will be doing. Sometimes those lessons are punishment for an infraction, and sometimes they are actually papers for a particular course they are studying. Now, because you're just starting to wear heels, remember when you descend stairs to step on the ball of your foot as you step down each tread. Coming up the stairs you'll step naturally on the ball of your foot, so that shouldn't cause you any problems. Going up or down the stairs, you will place your hand on the railing in case you lose your balance. And you will continue to use the railing even when you've gained confidence ascending and descending the stairs. And until you do become more confident, don't rush up or down, take your time. More will be explained once we're in the Study. You will follow me down the stairs, I want to be in front of you in case you suddenly stumble and start to fall. So my new girl Charlotte, let's go introduce you to the world, shall we?"
Jane opened the door to Charlotte's bedroom and Charlotte followed Jane out of the room, to the stairs, and descended behind Jane without any difficulties. When they reached the foot of the stairs, Jane pointed and told Charlotte to sit on the bench against the wall until she returned. Charlotte did as she was told, remembering to sweep the back of her dress forward before sitting and to keep her knees together. Just as she sat down, she heard the door to the kitchen squeak open and close, and squeak open and close again before Jane reappeared. Francis was behind Jane now, and all Jane did was point to the bence. Francis sat down next to Charlotte, before Jane said, "I'll call you in a moment, Charlotte. Stay seated on that bench until then."
Again, Charlotte gave Jane that same puzzling look, the one Jane questioned when she first saw it. It wasn't anger, nor arrogance, nor contempt, nor fear. It was actually a blank look, one Jane had yet learned how to read. She'd have to question Charlotte about that look. She did, however, receive an, "Yes Aunt Jane," from Charlotte.
Jane went into the Study, opened two cabinet doors and turned on the monitor that watched the bench area. She turned up the sound and waited. It wasn't long before she heard Francis say to Charlotte, "Aunt Jane must have really been rough on you before you came downstairs."
Jane watched as Charlotte turned her head to look at Francis before asking, "Why do you say that, Francis? It didn't seem Aunt Jane was rough on me. She did tell me the rules, showed me how to do my makeup, though I made several mistakes and had to start over after washing my face. She explained my wardrobe and all of the contents on that chest of drawers. It didn't seem out of the ordinary to me." The look on Francis' face spoke volumes as Charlotte spoke. Francis was confused. She saw Charles arrive at the train station, enter Aunt Jane's house, eat dinner with them, then go upstairs with Aunt Jane. Now all she saw was Charlotte, and no trace of Charles. And Charlotte said she didn't think her time with Aunt Jane in Charlotte's bedroom was out of the ordinary.
Charlotte had seen the hidden camera watching the area where she was sitting; that had been part of some training Charles pledged not to reveal. So once she spoke to Francis, she continued watching Francis and waited until Francis spoke again. And it wasn't long in coming. "How can you say it wasn't out of the ordinary? It was terrible for me! I put on and took off a bra so many times my finger tips started getting raw. Aunt Jane had me putting on a dress and taking it off until my arms ached from stretching further than they could. And when she had me put on my makeup, I washed my face so many times my skin started getting raw. And then there were the high heels, I almost broke my ankle when I first put them on and walked around the room. And then there was me being a boy dressing like a girl, it was embarrassing." Charlotte watched as Francis hung her head and tears fell into her lap. Charlotte glanced at the hidden camera and noticed a red light blink twice before going out. Charlotte then did something while Francis wasn't watching and held out two fingers and wiggled them up and down. The red light on the camera responded with two blinks. She then folded one finger in and wiggled the one finger from side to side, watching as the red light blinked twice. Jane understood one finger for 'no' and two fingers for 'yes.' And she'd use the small red light on the camera to answer.
Charlotte put an arm around Francis and pulled her into a hug, watching the light on the camera as it blinked twice. "Francis, maybe it was embarrassing right then, because unless you'd worn girls' clothing before, it wasn't something you were used to doing. Right?" When Charlotte felt Francis nod her head, she continued with, "But look at you now. All I see when I look at you is a very pretty young lady. I don't see the boy you are underneath. And just think, we're getting to experience something not many boys would get to do, see how the other half lives and how people treat them. And as pretty as you are right now, I'd even guess some boys have looked at you when you're out with Aunt Jane, right?"
When Charlotte told Francis she was a pretty young girl, Francis straightened and looked at Charlotte. "You... you really think I'm pretty? You're... you're not just saying that, are you?"
Charlotte smiled, reached and gently wiped tears off Francis' cheeks, before saying, "No Francis, I'm not just saying that. You do make an extremely pretty young girl. Even if you're a boy underneath." And she winked at Francis, letting Francis know that fact was just between the two of them. Francis suddenly reached over and pulled Charlotte into a hug, which let Charlotte spot another hidden camera, who's red light blinked twice before going dark. Charlotte gave the camera a concealed thumbs-up.
When Francis broke the hug, Charlotte told her, "Oh, you better go and fix your face. If Aunt Jane sees you right now I don't think she'll be happy to see how you look."
The red light on the camera Charlotte had spotted blinked twice and went dark, before both girls heard, "Charlotte," said by Jane from within the Study.
As Charlotte stood up, Francis grabbed her hand and told her, "Charlotte make sure to knock and wait for Aunt Jane to say 'enter' before you go into the Study. And make sure to close the door after you, or she'll get angry with you. And thank you for being here, and being kind to me."
Charlotte smiled at Francis and said, "Thank you for telling me to knock first and about closing the door after me. And Francis, I'll be here for you as long as I'm in this house." The girls squeezed hands, before Charlotte let go and walked to the Study door, where she knocked on the door and entered when Jane said "Enter."
Jane pointed to the single chair in front of her desk and said one word, "Sit." She then went back to studying the papers in front of her on the desk. The chair in front of Jane's desk, in the Study, was an uncomfortable chair, with a straight back, short seat front to back, and lacked any seat cushion. It forced the girl to sit up straight due to its design, and became quite uncomfortable over an extended period of time. When she looked up she expected to see an uncomfortable look on Charlotte's face, not the calm, patient one she saw at the moment. It was that same look which kept puzzling her, and she was going to learn why. Jane gave Charlotte a measured look before asking, "You have me puzzled, Charlotte. The times I expected certain facial expressions on your face, you presented the one I see on your face now. Why? Why do you keep presenting the same neutral facial expression? As long as I've had you sitting in that chair, you should be feeling very uncomfortable right now. But you look no different than when you first sat down. Why? Don't you find that chair uncomfortable?"
As Jane watched, Charlotte dropped her head and her fingers did another elaborate dance before once again lay in her lap, palms down, one hand on top of the other. Charlotte raised her head then said, "Aunt Jane, the neutral look you have seen on my face comes from lessons I've had in the past. Any time I face a situation unfamiliar to me, or someone intent on threatening me, I keep my expression neutral so as not to give away something I may be going to do. Also, if it's a person intent on harming me, or confronting me, a neutral look doesn't look threatening to that person. Without breaking my word, I can tell you no more than that."
When Charlotte finished speaking Jane asked in a gentle voice, "Do you consider me a threat, Charlotte?"
Jane's question touched something within Charlotte, and tears fell from her eyes as she shook her head and said in a choked up voice, "No, Aunt Jane. I consider you my friend." Charlotte then put her head in her hands and wept. Because Charlotte was a special case, Jane broke a rule she'd held since her school started. She got up out of the desk chair, walked around the desk, knelt before Charlotte and pulled the distraught girl into her, letting her cry on her shoulder. In a muffled voice, and between sobs, Charlotte asked, "Why Aunt Jane? Why accuse me for something I haven't done? Why would they believe me when I told the truth?" Few of Jane's other girls had made her want to have a few minutes with those who caused this girl grief. Charlotte was one of those girls. When the new boy arrived, Jane vowed to get the truth out of him by whatever means she had to use. She then mentally kicked herself and amended that thought. By any means short of violence.
When Charlotte had regained her composure, Jane took a tissue and gently wiped the tears off her cheeks. She then got up and returned to her desk chair, looking at the monitor as she did. Francis was wiping her eyes, likely because she'd heard Charlotte crying and knew what that could mean. That was good, it meant Francis had bonded with Charlotte, felt for Charlotte, and they could use this to help Francis more. She turned her attention back to Charlotte and asked her, "Are you feeling better, Charlotte? I think you have something more going on in your life that we might want to explore, if you'll trust me." Charlotte nodded her head and Jane continued with, "But for now, I want you to help me with Francis. She must have heard you crying, which is not a bad thing, if you've been told about boys not crying. She herself was crying, likely thinking about what might be happening in this room. What I'd like to do, if you'll go along with me, as you leave the Study, I'll angrily tell you to go and attend to your face. That I don't tolerate girls with messy faces. I then want you to yell 'fine,' and slam the door as you leave. Of course I'll be even angrier because of how you acted, and will shout for you to return to my Study. Francis will of course act shocked by your actions, making her all that much more worried about you. When you enter the Study, I'll yell at you for not knocking before entering, at which point you'll stomp out of the room, slam the door again, and this time I want you to pound on the door. Francis will hear me angrily tell you to 'enter,' at which point you come into the room, slam the door again, then come and sit in that chair. I'll then start admonishing you loudly so Francis will be able to hear everything I say. When you leave the Study again, I want you to open and close the door softly, but look angry, and mumble to yourself as you stomp up the stairs towards your bedroom, then wash your face and reapply your makeup. Okay? If what I saw on the monitor is correct, Francis will be beside herself with worry about you. That you're already in trouble with me and you just arrived."
A Mona Lisa smile appeared on Charlotte's face before she said, "Understood, Aunt Jane. This should be fun." As Jane watched, Charlotte's face took on a mean, angry look, before she said, "Okay Aunt Jane, I'm ready."
All Jane said in reply was, "Then go." As Charlotte reached the Study door, and placed her hand on the door handle, the minute the door opened, Jane started her rant.
Francis was worried about Charlotte, since she was new and didn't know the rules of the house. She had heard Charlotte crying, which caused her to cry, and was wiping her eyes again when she saw the door to the Study open and heard Jane yell, "I DON'T TOLERATE MY GIRLS HAVING MESSY FACES. GO UP TO YOUR BEDROOM AND SORT YOURSELF OUT. I WILL INSPECT YOU WHEN YOU RETURN."
Then she heard Charlotte yell, "FINE," and stomped out of the Study, slamming the door behind her.
Then Francis heard, "CHARLOTTE! GET BACK IN HERE!"
Francis' hands flew to her face, cringing at what Charlotte had just done and Jane said. She knew Charlotte was in deep trouble now, and feared Aunt Jane might send Charlotte away. She almost screamed, 'NO,' when Charlotte walked directly into the Study without knocking. She then heard Jane scream, "HOW DARE YOU WALK INTO THIS ROOM BEFORE KNOCKING. GET OUT!! AND DO AS YOU WERE TOLD BEFORE ENTERING A ROOM!!" Francis watched, tears streaming from her eyes, as Charlotte stomped out of the Study, again, slammed the door, again, then pound on it as though trying to knock it down. Francis had heard Jane use the next voice only once, and it meant she was beyond angry. "Charlotte Thorton, get your ass in here. And if you slam that door one more time you'll be on the next train back where you came from. DRESSED EXACTLY AS YOU ARE AT THE MOMENT!!"
Francis had been so intent on what Charlotte was doing, she didn't see Marie watching her. She nodded her head, seeing the effect Jane's play with Charlotte was having on Francis. She went back into the kitchen, picked up the phone, dialed two numbers, and when she heard Jane's voice, told her they were having the desired effect on Francis. Francis was worried that Charlotte would be leaving.
The minute Charlotte had closed the door to the Study, Jane put a finger to her lips, signaling Charlotte to remain quiet. As they had planned, Charlotte sat in the chair as Jane continued on. "Young lady, I don't know how people treat other people's homes where you came from, but IN THIS HOUSE, YOU DO NOT SLAM DOORS OR ACT LIKE A PETULANT CHILD. Young ladies in MY house don't throw temper tantrums, or yell at their elders. Young ladies who do find themselves writing very long papers on the subject they failed to learn at an early age. Just as you're going to do. In two weeks, you will hand me a paper of ten thousand words on the proper behavior of young ladies. It WILL be written legibly, you will use correct grammar and spelling. And if I find any mistakes, you will correct it with a fifteen thousand word paper. DO I MAKE MYSELF CLEAR, YOUNG LADY?"
Jane then motioned for Charlotte to speak, loudly. All Francis heard was, "YES, AUNT JANE!"
Then Francis heard from Jane, "Good. Then go fix your face as I told you to do the first time. And remember what I said about slamming doors.!"
As Francis waited, she saw the Study door open then softly close, and Charlotte walking by her mumbling to herself. She looked really angry. Francis caught a bit of what Charlotte was saying as she walked by. "That stupid bitch. How dare she yell at me for slamming a door. Shit, it's only a damn door. Stupid damn paper, who the fuck cares about some stupid paper."
Francis had both hands covering her mouth, a shocked expression on her face. She couldn't help herself, as she said to Charlotte, "Oh, Charlotte. Don't let Aunt Jane catch you talking like that, or it will be worse for you."
Playing the part, as Jane sat watching on the monitor with approval, Charlotte said, "Oh screw the ol' bitch," before going up the stairs in a huff.
Charlotte had played her part exceptionally well, as a worried Francis stood up and began pacing back and forth in front of the bench. Jane smiled to herself as she heard Francis say as she paced, "Oh gawd, she's going to send her away. What can I do to stop it? Oh gawd, what can I do to stop it? I need Charlotte here, I need someone I can talk to. Oh gawd, oh gawd, oh gawd." She then sat down and began to cry, crying over the thought of being alone again. Alone without anyone she could talk to. Jane smiled because Francis was finally thinking of someone other than herself.
Francis was so lost with worry that she didn't hear Charlotte come down the stairs. She did feel herself being pulled up off the bench, arms go around her, and heard, "It's going to be alright, Francis. I'm not going anywhere soon."
In a thick voice she replied with, "I'm worried Aunt Jane will send you away. I've been so lonely, I need you to be here."
Charlotte gently lifted Francis' chin so she could look her in the eye, and told her, "I'll be here for you Francis, just like I said I would. But right now I think you best go fix your face. You heard how upset Aunt Jane gets when she sees her girls with messy faces." She kissed Francis on the forehead, then gently pushed her towards the stairs. Charlotte waited until Francis had gone up the stairs before going to the Study doors, knocked, and waited until said, 'enter.'
As she entered the Study, Jane was beaming, and pointed to the chair in front of the desk. Once Charlotte was seated, Jane said, "Charlotte, that worked exactly as I hoped. You are a wonderful actress. That was a nice touch telling her to go and fix her face, acting the part of a big sister looking out for her younger sister." She then noticed a questioning look on Charlotte's face, and asked, "What bothers you, Charlotte?"
"Aunt Jane, Francis seems to have lived an isolated life. She acts like she's never had a friend, a close friend. Is it out of line for me to ask why?"
Author's Note: When I first wrote Complicit In a Lie, I had no thoughts, or ideas, to write a sequel. But thanks to a few readers, who asked about a sequel, ideas formed that made writing this sequel possible. It is necessary to have read Complicit In a Lie to understand why Charles is now with Jane, who the boy arriving in Kingston is and how he's involved in Charles' Court case. And to understand where Mr. Corporate fits, George Strom, into this story. This story starts off after Charles says, "When do we start," in Complicit in a Lie. So if you haven't read Complicit In a Lie, the beginning of this story won't make any sense. Hint hint!
Jane evaluated Charlotte's question, trying to determine if she was wanting something to use against Francis or to help her. Given her exchange with Francis, and the comfort she gave Francis when Francis thought Charlotte was going to be sent back, she determined Charlotte was genuinely concerned for Francis.
Jane picked up a large book, held it out just far enough to make Charlotte stand to accept it, and told her, "Balance this book on your head and walk around the perimeter of the room while I tell you her story. This is something I have all my girls do first thing when they come into the Study. Every time they come into the Study. Five circuits of the room. And it's something you're to do as well, if we're to keep up appearances." Charlotte accepted the heavy book from Jane, placed it on her head, adjusted it until it was balanced, and began walking around the room. She had made it to the Study doors when Jane said, "Oh, and Charlotte. If the book falls, you start over in your count." When Charlotte was back where she started, Jane began Francis' story.
"Charlotte, Francis wasn't always a problem child, far from it. From everything that could be gathered, he was a happy young man, never causing his parents any problems. Oh, he got into mischief, but nothing that involved the law. But that all changed when his parents were murdered during a botched mugging."
"According to the police reports, what they pieced together, and a grainy video from a store across the street, his parents had just come out of a restaurant and were walking to their car, when a man stepped out of the shadows and put a gun in his father's face, demanding money. His father acted as though he was reaching for his wallet when he acted, grabbing the gun and trying to take it away from the mugger. They fought and at one point, the gun discharged, hitting Frank's father in the chest, killing him instantly."
"Careful there, Charlotte. You almost caused the book to fall. Take smaller steps. That's it, nice and steady."
"Well, you can imagine his mother's reaction when she heard the gun discharge and watched her husband fall to the ground. She started screaming, and kept screaming until the mugger shot her in the head, before running off. It took the police a while to track down a relative living close by, who could take Frank in until it was decided where he would be living. But when the police arrived at Frank's home with the relative, Frank realized something happened to his parents and completely broke down. It took several minutes before he was calm enough for the police officer and Frank's relative to explain everything to Frank, which caused him to go into shock. He had to be rushed to the hospital for treatment, and they kept him several days to make sure he was going to be all right. During that time it was decided by the CPS that Frank would stay with the relative who was with the policewoman the night they told Frank about the death of his parents. That relative happened to be his dad's sister, Penny Willows, one of Frank's Aunts. The Willows had two children, a bit younger than Frank, but according to the report from CPS, the kids got along well with Frank. Two years into Frank's stay with the Willows family, it was discovered during a routine doctor's visit that Penny had stage two cancer. And was going to need surgery and chemo. When CPS learned of this they decided that Frank's Uncle couldn't take care of his two children and Frank, and at the same time, be there for his wife. CPS contacted another Aunt, another of his dad's sister, who agreed to take Frank in. And if the report is correct, she did so reluctantly."
Frank had been happy living with the Willows, but started having problems with his second Aunt, Agnes Billard, and her family. Where the Willows had been fair in their treatment of Frank, the Billard's were much stricter. It seemed every time Frank turned around, he was breaking one of their rules. He got fed up with always being told what to do, and the families holier than thou attitudes, that he ran away. And somehow made it back to the Willows, who had to call the CPS and let them know Frank was okay. Frank's dad had a brother who wasn't married, but CPS automatically crossed him off the list of family who could care for Frank. His mother had three sisters and two brothers, so the CPS contacted the closet sister and again, she agreed to take Frank in. It was three weeks after Frank was with the Pauls, that it came to light their older son had been physically abusing Frank. Beating Frank up to get the allowance the Pauls gave Frank each week. They only learned of this after Frank ran away again, and again, somehow made it back to the Willows. CPS tried two more family members on his mother's side, and for one reason or another, he'd run away and, somehow, make it back to the Willows. The Willows, seeing that Frank always came back to them, tried to convince the CPS to let them care for Frank. But the CPS said no, even though Penny had recovered from her cancer. The CPS felt, because Frank had run away too many times, that he needed to be sent to a place where he could mature and learn to accept things he may not like. So Judge Ruth sent him to me. And so far, he hasn't liked presenting as a girl, but he is accepting it nonetheless. And he's doing well in his studies, much better than his school records showed."
"Okay, Charlotte, you may stop walking the room. Put the book on the second shelf, in the empty slot, next to the Study doors. Then come and sit down, I received information about the boy who's arriving on Monday. And remember Charlotte. When you come into the Study, you'll take that book, balance it on your head and walk five times around the room without letting the book fall. And if it falls, your count starts over."
Charlotte didn't say anything as she walked over to the book shelves and placed the heavy book in the empty slot Jane indicated, before going over to her desk and sitting in the straight backed chair. Jane had watched as Charlotte replaced the book then walked over and sat down in that hated chair, sweeping the back of her dress forward and keeping her knees together. Jane also noticed her hands were laying in her lap, almost an exact duplicate picture of Charlotte when she was standing. If Jane had to guess, this was another 'ready' position when a person was sitting in a chair.
"The boy's name who lied about you, Charlotte, is Toby Camber. And it seems, based on the report from Judge Ruth, he's had a difficult life. When he was required to change into jail clothing, the guards saw his body was covered with scars, welts, and bruises. They also noticed burn marks, which appeared to be cigarette burns. The guards notified the medical people, who notified the Judge, who notified CPS, but Toby wouldn't say how he got the scars, burns, or bruises. And besides getting your name cleared, Charlotte, we have to discover the reason behind all the marks on that boy's body. He's fourteen, your age Charlotte, he's cocky, and arrogant, though I suspect that is only for show. That he's actually scared out of his mind, but because of what, is the question. Something else we must learn, Charlotte. Oh, look at the time. It's near supper. I'm going to take you to the kitchen and help Marie prepare supper. She'll explain everything she'll want you to do. She'll also show you how we set our table. Now, when I open the Study door, we put our 'game' faces on. I'm going to admonish you for disobeying me and acting like a petulant child, so Francis will understand you've been in the Study being punished. I want you to act as though you've been schooled, and only answer with 'yes Aunt Jane," so Francis believes I've gotten through that thick head of yours. Do you understand our scene?" Charlotte smiled and replied, "Yes Aunt Jane," then curtsied. Jane gave Charlotte a meaningful look before smiling and telling her, "Careful, girl. No ad-libbing in front of Francis."
The directed scene played out as Jane had planned, and she saw the concerned look on Francis' face as Charlotte followed Jane out of the Study. Jane then said, "Come along, Francis. It's time Charlotte learns what needs to be done in the kitchen to get ready for our meals." Charlotte waited for Francis, then took her hand, and the two girls followed Jane into the kitchen, not knowing Jane was pleased how Francis willingly accepted holding hands with Charlotte as the three walked to the kitchen.
When the three ladies entered the kitchen, Marie was in the process of washing the vegetables they'd be having for their supper. She looked up after hearing the kitchen door squeak open and saw Jane nod at her before saying, "Marie, Charlotte needs instruction on our kitchen routine for preparing meals. I trust you won't be too busy to help in that area?" This is the same routine the two women followed every time a new girl arrived at Seasons House, or Winsome Girls' School for Wayward Boys. The two women looked at each other knowingly, to which Marie replied, "Ah, a new girl! Come, come, let me have a look at you, mon chère (my dear.). Ah, so beautiful she is, no? Turn, turn so I can see all of you, mon chère (my dear.). Oh, Jane, she is magnifique, oui (beautiful, yes?)? And certainement, j'ai du temps (certainly I have time) to help this beauty learn about my kitchen." Both women saw a smile come to Charlotte's lips, then heard, "Merci, grand-mère. J'apprécie ton aide (Thank you, grandmother. I appreciate your help.)." Jane gave Marie a lifted eyebrow, before Marie said, "Ah, tu parles français (Ah, you speak French?)? Bon (Good,), it will save my having to translate some things for you. Now, Francis, if you will show..." And Charlotte said, "Charlotte," after Marie paused, looking at her. "Ah, Charlotte, a beautiful name for a beautiful girl. If you will show Charlotte how to properly set our table, I'll continue washing these vegetables to ready them for cooking. Go on, se presser, we have no time to waste."
As the two women watched, and with pride in Francis, Francis took Charlotte around the kitchen and explained the things they'd need to take out of the drawers and cabinets that would be placed on the table. She had Charlotte take four of the supper plates out of one cabinet, while she took four glasses out of another. She then told Charlotte to follow her, and the two girls left the kitchen for the dining room. When the two girls were out of earshot of Marie and Jane, Marie said, "It looks as though Charlotte has already had an effect on Francis. I haven't seen her this happy for some weeks. Have you explained what she must do while she is here, how she must allow you to scold her in front of the new boy, play along so we can learn why that boy lied?"
Jane nodded her head at Marie's words, before telling her friend, "I have, Marie. I've explained in detail what I expect of her if we are to get her name cleared. I've also told her what we know of Toby Camber, and what was found on him when he had to redress in other clothing. I'm worried, Marie. I'm worried because even if everything we try to make him trust us enough to open up to us, it might not be enough. He might be more afraid of the person who gave him those scars, welts, bruises, and cigarette burns, than of us." Marie laid a hand on Jane's arm and told her, "Have faith in yourself, Jane, and Charlotte. Together you both can prevail. Now, scoot. I have a meal to prepare." She kissed Jane on the cheek, causing Jane to smile before she left the kitchen and walked to the Study, where she could watch the girls as they set the table and helped Marie in the kitchen.
Jane sat at her desk in the study and turned on the monitor, before selecting the cameras in the dining room and kitchen. As she watched, and listened in on, the dining room, she heard Francis explain to Charlotte how it was determined who sat where and why. Then Francis explained how to properly place a plate so it was in the correct position for every place on the table. Francis demonstrated this by actually placing the plates, showing how far from the edge of the table it should be, and centered. Francis then picked up all the plates and demonstrated again, only to pick them up a second time and hand them to Charlotte. Jane watched as Charlotte placed the first three plates correctly, but mislaid the fourth plate, only to have Francis call her on it. Then Charlotte did something totally unexpected. As Francis was picking up the plates again, Charlotte looked up at the hidden camera and winked, then smiled. By that time Francis had all four plates and told Charlotte to lay them again, and mind what she was told. Jane sat back in her chair, chuckled, then said to herself, "Why that cheeky bastard. He knew that camera was there and where it was placed." She chuckled again, thinking to ask Charlotte later, and went back to watching the girls set the table.
This time, Francis' instructions were more elaborate, since each piece of silverware had to be placed just so, and in the correct order, and on the correct side of the plate. Francis showed Charlotte three times before handing the silverware to Charlotte and watched as she laid the pieces down. Jane chuckled again, as Charlotte deliberately mislaid the fourth setting, looked up towards the camera, as Francis was picking up all the silverware, and winked at Jane. Jane just shook her head, now intent in learning how Charlotte knew she was being watched. Jane saw Francis hand all the silverware to Charlotte, and this time, gave her instructions each time Charlotte laid a piece of silverware down on the table. Jane saw Francis had a big smile on her face, as she complimented Charlotte for doing a fine job with setting the table, before the girls went back to the kitchen. Jane sat back and reflected back to the time Francis was Charlotte, and she too had to reset the table several times before getting it right. See one, do one, teach one. It was the way of Jane's school.
Jane watched as Francis instructed Charlotte what to take out of what cabinet, and the fridge. They then went back into the dining room, and Charlotte was again shown where everything was placed. Francis repeated everything twice, then sat the items on the edge of the table and had Charlotte place them; she even goofed so she could again look into the camera and wink. "Cheeky bastard," was all Jane said to herself. Jane watched as the girls went back to the kitchen and Marie started showing Charlotte how to cut up the vegetables she was going to fix for their supper. Marie then had Charlotte cut up more of the vegetables and stood by in case she was needed. Once Marie was satisfied with Charlotte's work, she took Charlotte and the vegetables to the stove and started explaining how the vegetables could be cooked, how long they should be cooked if done one way, and how long if done another way. Marie then told Charlotte what to use for cooking the vegetables, whether plain water, seasoned water, butter, or cooking oil. While Marie started cooking one of the two vegetables she was fixing, she instructed Charlotte how to do the other vegetable, and watched her like a hawk. Which turned out to be unnecessary, as it looked as though Charlotte was no stranger to cooking. Jane chuckled, and Marie almost lost it, as the two watched Charlotte deftly flip the pan she was using to turn the vegetables over in the pan. Jane chuckled again as Marie asked, "Chère, where did you learn to do such a thing?" Charlotte shrugged her shoulders, something Jane would mention, and told Marie, "My Uncle taught me. He has his own restaurant, and has been a chef for the past twenty years. It's where I learned to cook and bake." Jane now downright laughed, at the expression on Marie's face. Here she was believing the new girl needed to learn how to cook, and the new girl already knows how to cook. Jane laughed even harder as Marie hung her head and shook it from side to side and said, "Oh mon Dieu (my God.)." While Marie was momentarily lost in her own world, Charlotte told her, "Grand-mère (Grandmother,), these are done." Marie's head snapped up, looked into the pan Charlotte was using and replied, "Oui, chère (Yes, dear,), they are. You've done a fine job, your Uncle would be proud." Jane almost fell out of her chair laughing, as Marie looked up into the hidden camera and shook a fist at her. It was entirely possible she and Marie would have a conversation later after the girls were in bed. Jane continued to laugh.
Jane watched as Marie switched from instructing Charlotte to telling her what was needed, and watched as Charlotte deftly did what Marie had told her without Marie's help. Without looking at the camera, Marie held up her fist once more, and shook it at the camera. Jane had to reach for a tissue to dry her eyes, she was laughing so hard. She schooled her face, though, when someone knocked on the study door. After saying "enter," she watched as the door opened and Francis walked into the Study, closing the door behind her. She went to the bookshelf by the study door, took out the heavy book, balanced on her head, and proceed to circuit the study five times. When circle five was finished, Francis replaced the heavy book in the bookshelf then walked to the desk and stood in front of Jane. "Excuse me, Aunt Jane, but supper will be ready in a few minutes. Tante Marie asked that you be informed."
Francis knew better than to leave before being dismissed, as she found out the hard way shortly after she'd arrived. Jane looked at Francis for a moment, noticing how much happier the girl seemed, before telling her, "Thank you, Francis. You may go."
Francis learned the hard way to say, "Thank you, Aunt Jane," before leaving Jane's presence.
One of two things happened at their meals. Either Jane admonished one of her girls the entire meal, or she used it to find out how much they learned from their lessons. This evening's meal was going to be devoted to learning how much Charlotte knew, and if Francis was learning what Jane intended from her lessons. It would be a learning experience for Jane and Marie as well. An unexpected lesson.
After they'd sat down to eat, Jane thought to throw Charlotte a curve by asking, "Alors Charlotte, parle-moi des cours que tu suivais."
Charlotte smiled and replied, "Voulez-vous que j'utilise le français, l'allemand ou l'espagnol pour vous parler de mes cours (Do you want me to use French, German or Spanish to tell you about my courses?)?" Jane couldn't smile, though she wanted to, as she thought to herself, 'That cheeky little bastard,' Jane thought to herself.
Jane tried to throw Charlotte another curve as she said, "Ich denke, Englisch wäre am besten, da Francis nur Englisch spricht (I think English would be best since Francis only speaks English.)." Marie, like Jane, spoke several languages, so had no trouble following the conversation between the two. And like Jane, she had trouble keeping a straight face because of Charlotte's responses.
And both were surprised again, as Charlotte smiled and replied, "Dann werde ich auf Englisch sprechen, damit Francis unser Gespräch verstehen kann (Then I will speak in English so that Francis can understand our conversation.)." Something must have caught in Marie's throat, as she started coughing, and picked up her glass of water and drank for a few moments. Actually, after Charlotte's response Marie almost lost it and laughed out loud, knowing Jane had been beaten at her own game.
When Marie got herself under control she looked at Jane, who sat mesmerized by what the two women had just heard. She lightly kicked Jane under the table, and when that failed to get Jane's attention, she kicked her harder. Jane responded just as though nothing happened, as she said to Charlotte, "So, Charlotte. Why don't you tell us about the classes you'd been taking at your old school. What class were you taking?"
Charlotte smiled at Jane before saying, "In my freshman year I was taking Algebra, Biology, History, English, Art, and PE. And up to the time I was arrested for allegedly being involved with those three boys in that shoplifting at Taylor's department store in the Mall, I had an 'A' average. Now," and her voice took on a saddened quality, "I guess that average no longer holds true." The minute she finished speaking, she bolted from the table and ran into the Library, closing the door behind her. It wasn't hard for Jane, Marie, and Francis to hear what she was doing in the Library, as her crying could be heard even with both Library doors closed.
Jane started to rise from the table, when Francis asked, "Aunt Jane, may I go instead?" Jane looked at Francis and saw a concern on the girl's face she'd not had up to the time Charlotte arrived.
Jane looked at Marie and saw the slight nod from her. "Of course, Francis. Go ahead," Jane said before sitting back down in her chair.
As the two women watched, Francis walked to the Library doors, knocked, and when she heard, "GO AWAY,"
She then said, "It's Francis, Charlotte. Please, may I come in?"
It was a few moments before all three heard, "Yes, you may come in Francis." Jane and Marie both let out a breath neither knew they had been holding, and almost at the same time, sighed. It was Jane who spoke first by saying, "I hope that was the right decision, Marie."
Marie patted Jane's arm and told her, "Our Francis has been a different girl since the arrival of our Charlotte, don't you agree? She is showing more concern for another than when she first came, non? And look at our cheri now. Risking your rage at wanting to take care of something you yourself would normally handle. C'est un gros changement, non ?"
Jane, still watching the Library doors, replied, "Oui mon ami. Oui…mon ami."
When Francis walked into the Library, she saw Charlotte curled up on the sofa sitting in one corner of the Library, facing towards the large double window. She walked over to the sofa, sat down next to Charlotte, reached over and pulled Charlotte to her. Charlotte let herself be pulled up, and latched onto Francis when Francis' arms went around her. Charlotte laid her head against Francis' chest and asked, "Why didn't Aunt Jane come? I thought for sure she'd be angry with me for the way I just acted?"
Francis smiled to herself before saying, "Because I asked to come instead of her."
Francis couldn't see the questioning look on Charlotte's face as she asked, "Why would you want to come instead of Aunt Jane? Won't you be in trouble for leaving the table without permission?"
Charlotte couldn't see the smile on Francis' face as the girl told Charlotte, "I asked to come instead of Aunt Jane because I was concerned about you. You've been there for me and showed me how it felt to have someone concerned about you. Before I came here, the only family that really cared about me was the Willows family. The rest only wanted the money CPS would send them. I sort of gave up caring about others when CPS wouldn't let me stay with the Willows. And no, I won't get in trouble for leaving the table. Aunt Jane said I could come. So, you want to talk about why you ran away and will now have to face Aunt Jane because you left the table without permission?"
Charlotte could feel Francis chuckling, so she lifted her head off Francis' chest, looked at her face, and asked, "You're really enjoying this aren't you?"
Francis then laughed out loud and said, "Yes I am. For once I won't be the one Aunt Jane gets mad at for leaving the table without permission. So, why all the crying?" Charlotte's influence on Francis had done more than show her how it feels when someone cares about her. Charlotte showed her not to let the other person off the hook when something was wrong and needed to be talked about. And unload Charlotte did.
She told Francis about everything that happened at Taylor's that day. Standing before Judge Ruth, and what Mr. Strom, CEO of Taylor's, said Taylor's was going to do if Judge Ruth didn't send him somewhere. About the three boys he was with in holding. And about his ruined grade average. But most of all, of missing his parents, and how they must be worried about him.
Francis just smiled after Charlotte stopped speaking, telling her, "Before you arrived, everything felt hopeless. I just went through the motions because Aunt Jane can be a devil of a woman if you make her mad, which I have done several times. But now, with you here, it doesn't feel hopeless. I feel like it's all really worth something, because of you. So please, don't give up on yourself. Understand, it will be all right in the end. And if your parents are as you say they are, I bet they aren't sitting around waiting for you to come home." Charlotte thought about everything Francis said, and realized she was right. She couldn't give up or give in to her current situation, she had to hold on until her name was cleared. And Francis was right about her parents. They weren't going to sit around on their butts and not try to find out why Charles had been implicated in the shoplifting incident at Taylor's. Someone's head was going to roll.
When Charlotte stopped crying it got quiet in the Library, which caused Jane to worry. She got up from the dining room table and went into the Study, turning on the monitor and changing cameras to the one in the Library. As she watched, she saw Francis being the one to comfort Charlotte, much like Charlotte had done to Francis. She also noticed that Francis wasn't letting Charlotte skirt around what was bothering her, as she kept steering Charlotte back to her original question. And when Jane heard everything Charlotte told Francis, her blood boiled that someone would do such a thing to an extremely sweet boy. She reached for her phone and made a phone call, and it wasn't to Judge Ruth.
"Hello, this is Jane Thompson. May I please speak to Jeb Thorton? Thank you, I'll hold."
"Hello, Ms. Thompson. Is Charles all right? He's not in any trouble is he?"
"Mr. Thorton, please, call me Jane. I don't believe we need to stand on formalities. We do have a common interest, after all. Charles is fine, and no, he isn't in trouble."
"Then, Jane, please call me Jeb. And I agree one hundred percent. That's good to hear about Charles. How is he doing, by the way? Judge Ruth explained your school to Lynn and myself, and at first I was shocked, then understood the reasoning behind what you do. I hope Charles hasn't given you any problems, um, by having a new experience."
"On the contrary, Jeb, he's been more than willing to go through the experience in order to clear his name of those false charges. Which is why I'm calling. Has your firm started an investigation into who's actually behind the shoplifting at Taylor's?"
"Interesting you should ask that question, Jane. Our investigators have found some rather interesting things, As they looked further into what they found, they uncovered even more. I don't think it wise to say what was found over the phone, but it's leading us to the ground floor. I will tell you this, we have shared our findings, and some important people were very interested in what we discovered."
"That's good to hear, Jeb. Charles did say you wouldn't sit on your, um, posterior until you discovered the truth."
Jane heard Jeb chuckle before he asked, "He said butt, didn't he Jane?"
It was Jeb's turn to hear Jane chuckle before she replied, "Yes, Jeb, he said butt. I was trying to be polite. I'm afraid I have to go, Jeb. If you would, please, keep me informed of your progress in this matter. I really do hate to see Charles go through all this just because of a lie. And Jeb. When the owner of the ground floor is exposed, would you please give that person my regards. In whatever manner suits you?"
Jane thought she'd lost the connection with Jeb, until he said with a growl in his voice, "Jane, when we discover who owns that ground floor, there are several people who will express their opinions of that person's actions. Please give Charles my love. And call again if you need me for anything. Do you understand? Anything!"
They said their goodbyes and both hung up their phones. Jane looked at the monitor again and saw how quiet both girls were as they sat on the sofa in the Library. She argued with herself for a few moments, then turned off the monitor and left the Study.
Charlotte had talked herself out, and she and Francis just held each other as they sat on the sofa. The quiet was broken when they heard a knock on the Library door and heard, "Charlotte. Francis. It's Aunt Jane. May I come in?"
Charlotte was hesitant to reply, until she saw Francis nodding her head. Charlotte took a deep breath, then said, "Yes, please, Aunt Jane."
When Jane entered the Library, and closed the door behind her, the first thing she noticed was the black streaks running down both girl's faces, caused by their crying. She also saw how they comforted each other in order to get through this very moment. She was very proud of Francis and how she thought of another's needs before her own. She pulled a chair over to the sofa and sat down in front of both girls, pondering how to approach them without causing either one to become hostile. It was the last thing they needed right now.
Jane let the silence linger a bit longer before she told Charlotte, "Charlotte, I believe I understand why you ran away from the table. But by the same token, you could have told me you needed to be alone for a few moments and asked to be excused. Still, I might have acted the same, had I been accused of something I didn't do, had my life turned upside down, pulled from my school and lost the chance to maintain my grade average, and not being able to be with your parents." Jane had to be careful how she put the next bit of information, or she'd give away the fact she'd spied on the girls. And as Jane often did, she fudged the truth. "I received a phone call from your father, Charlotte. He asked about you and how you were coping. And he sends his love."
Charlotte lifted her head off Francis' shoulder and asked Jane, "Did he say anything about investigating any of this mess? I know the last time I saw him he wasn't altogether happy."
"Yes, Charlotte, he has investigators trying to get to the bottom of this whole thing. And he's not, um," and Jane almost said 'not sitting on his butt,' but caught herself in time and finished with, "going to give up until he learns the truth." Even though she didn't show it, she was shocked by what she heard next.
"What are we going to do to get Charlotte's name cleared, Aunt Jane?" After asking her question, Francis just looked at Jane, expecting her to answer her question.
Jane thought to herself that Francis has come a long way in a very short amount of time, then said, "We, Francis? What do you mean by we? Are you expecting to help in some way, Francis?"
In the short time Francis had been with Jane, Jane had thought she'd seen every expression Francis could make. What she saw on Francis' face now was one expression she'd never seen. With a determined expression on her face, and in her voice, Francis told Jane, "Of course I do, Aunt Jane. I can't stand by and not help Charlotte get her name cleared. It would be shameful of me not to try and help." The last time Jane saw fire in Francis' eyes was because she was angry. Now that fire said determination, determination to help someone in need of help. And from what Jane could tell, Francis wasn't going to back down. Francis had indeed come a long way in such a short period of time.
Author's Note: When I first wrote Complicit In a Lie, I had no thoughts, or ideas, to write a sequel. But thanks to a few readers, who asked about a sequel, ideas formed that made writing this sequel possible. It is necessary to have read Complicit In a Lie to understand why Charles is now with Jane, who the boy arriving in Kingston is and how he's involved in Charles' Court case. And to understand where Mr. Corporate, George Strom, fits into this story. This story starts off after Charles says, "When do we start," in Complicit in a Lie. So if you haven't read Complicit In a Lie, the beginning of this story won't make any sense. Hint hint!
Jane studied Francis a bit longer before she decided on a course of action, one she had to discuss with Marie. Jane then told the girls, "Girls, please excuse me for a moment. I'll be right back." Jane got up from her chair, turned and started walking to the library doors.
She hadn't taken more than four steps when Francis said, "Tante Jane, I know what you do here at Seasons House, and why." Jane had just taken half of her fifth step when she froze because of Francis' statement. She brought her back foot forward, turned and glared at Francis; Francis didn't need a translator to understand what Jane was now expecting from her. Francis took a deep breath before saying, "It was because of a punishment paper you had me write that I learned what I know. In researching the paper, I came across pictures of boys dressed as girls. I followed the references for the pictures and discovered why those boys were dressed as girls. It took only a moment for me to realize that I was one of those boys, a boy dressed as a girl. I also found under the reference for those pictures an explanation why those boys, why we were dressed as girls. And to tell you the truth, Tante Jane, I was glad I was here with you and Marie, because... um... I needed the two of you in the worst way. You see, Aunt Jane, after the murder of my parents, I was only happy when I lived with the Willows. They treated me like family, they were never upset when I asked questions, or made a comment, or expressed my opinions. That's not to say they were always happy with my comments or opinions, but they weren't nasty about it either. It wasn't that way when the Judge made me live with my other Aunts or Uncles. If my comment didn't agree with theirs, they'd verbally admonish me. Or, if my opinion didn't agree with theirs, I'd get backhanded across the face. I became jaded about people and the people like that Judge, and you and Marie have helped me see I was wrong in believing everyone was like those people." Francis then looked at Charlotte and said, "Even Charlotte showed me that there are good people out there who really care about me as a person."
Jane's glare had gone from a glare to one of amazement, since neither she nor Marie could ever get Francis to talk about her feelings. Now that Francis was thinking about someone other than herself, and was determined to help that friend, she felt at ease opening up to Jane. Jane slowly walked back to the chair she had occupied, sat down and told Francis, "Young lady, why did you wait until now to say all those things? You could have said those things to myself or Marie numerous times in the past. Why now?"
Francis smiled then looked at Charlotte. "Because, Tante Jane, Charlotte needs my help."
Jane could only marvel at the boy behind the clothes and makeup. He arrived sullen and sighted only on himself. Now, after being shown kindness by another boy he didn't really know, he was willing to forego himself for the other person. Jane was actually in a daze, something that hardly happened to her. Just then there was a knock on the library door, and Marie came into the library to make sure the girls were alright, and Jane hadn't done anything rash. Closing the door behind her, and taking one look at the girls, she chuckled and told them, "Girls, le look raton laveur does not suit two beautiful young ladies such as yourselves. Maybe you two should go undo le look raton laveur?"
Marie telling both girls they looked like raccoons shook Jane out of her daze, as both women heard Francis ask Charlotte, "Um, Charlotte. What did Tante Marie tell us?"
Charlotte laughed and told Francis, "Tante Marie said we look like raccoons. Come on, let's go fix our faces."
Charlotte pulled Francis up off the sofa, then asked, "May we be excused Aunt Jane so we can redo our faces?"
Jane just nodded her head until she realized what she'd been asked and that she was nodding her head. "Yes, you are excused to fix your faces. No young lady in my house is allowed to appear as a night time wild animal. Go...GO! But return here when you're ready to look decent."
Both girls giggled at Jane's dismissal, as it wasn't like her to almost sound happy. After the girls left, and Marie walked into the room and sat down on the sofa facing Jane, Jane asked her, "Did you hear all of that, everything Francis said? And it took Charlotte coming to us and her kindness towards Francis for the girl to stop thinking only about herself."
Jane saw the kind look in Marie's eyes, and heard Marie say, "Yes, chéri, I heard everything. That's why I came. You started to come and ask my opinion of telling Francis the whole truth of our house, but she beat you to the coup de poing, by revealing what she knew and why. And it was good for her to do that, chéri, for she told us things she'd kept to herself since coming here. Things we both knew she was holding back, because she didn't trust either of us enough due to her experiences. Kindness can have great beneficial effects if offered by the right person. And the right person is with us now. We have a plan on how to clear Charles Thorton's name, which includes Charlotte. Now, there are four who will work to clear his name. And we both know another who may offer help as well, if they aren't already doing so, n'est-ce pas?"
Jane smiled at Marie and told her, "Yes, that is so, my dear friend. Maybe we all could use something to drink while I make a phone call." Marie patted Jane's knee, got up off the sofa and left the library, heading to the kitchen. Jane followed Marie out of the library, but left the door open so the girls could see the library was vacant. She had a phone call to make to a certain Judge.
When Marie and Jane returned to the library, they saw the girls sitting on the sofa with immaculately made up faces. And both were smiling at the two women. Marie sat the tray she was carrying down on a small table near the sofa, and after she did so Jane said, "Francis. Please show Charlotte the proper way to serve tea." As Francis had done in showing Charlotte the proper way Seasons House's dining table was to be set, she did the same in showing Charlotte the proper way to serve tea. She explained first, then demonstrated twice, before having Charlotte do the same thing twice. Then she had Charlotte actually serve the tea to Jane, Marie, herself and Charlotte herself last.
Marie wasn't afraid to smile at Charlotte's deft ability to pick up things quickly, as she served exactly as Jane wanted. Jane, on the other hand, merely said, "Excellently done, girls. I'm proud of you both. Now..." and Jane replayed her conversation with Judge Ruth.
"Charlotte, do you remember an older man named George Strom, the CEO for Taylor's?"
Jane's question caused Charlotte to get her 'thinking' look on her face, before she asked, "He was the big shot who wanted to take me to Federal Court if I wasn't punished by Judge Ruth."
Jane nodded her head then said, "Yes, that's the man. Judge Ruth thought something wasn't right when Mr. Strom stood up in Court, out of turn, and made that declaration. Ruth also gave him a hefty fine for his outburst. Because Ruth felt something was going on with the man, she had her investigators start looking into the man's life. And so far they've hit nothing but gold. She wouldn't tell me what they'd found, for fear that the case soon to be brought against him would be thrown out of Court. She also contacted your parents, Charlotte, and found out your dad's firm had already started an investigation the minute you were sent to me." Jane took a sip of her tea before continuing. "And according to Ruth, your dad's firm has hit more than gold. They've struck diamonds, but what type of diamonds she again wouldn't say. Ruth did say the case against Mr. Strom would be stronger if a confession could be obtained from Toby Camber, the boy arriving on Monday. And that's where Marie and I need your help. Francis, you know what we will do to Toby after he arrives here at the house, you've experienced it yourself. Because you've been here the longest, I want you to be the good, obedient girl, who's learned the proper way to act. Charlotte, because you've been here the least amount of time, I need you to be the girl who is still acting your old way, whiny when something doesn't suit you, petulant, and in some cases defiant. I will give you a nod of my head when I want you to act in some manner to what I might have said. And Francis, I want you to correct Charlotte when the three of you are together, waiting for me or Marie to call either of you. Also, explain our ways to Toby, though I expect him to scoff at your instructions, which is good. Do you girls think you can do this? Can you act your hearts out?"
Jane and Marie watched as the girls looked at each other, before big smiles broke out on their faces. Still looking at each other, they said almost in unison, "Definitely Aunt Jane." Then Francis said, "If it helps clear Charles' name, definitely."
When the girls were again looking at Jane, she focused on Charlotte and said, "Charlotte, there will be times I force you to wear clothing that might be embarrassing to you, in order to make Toby think about his choices of actions and attitudes. Will you be able to tolerate those embarrassing times? Will you be able to work through those embarrassing moments and maintain the act?"
Charlotte's face took on an extremely serious look, before she said to Jane, "Aunt Jane, Tante Marie. You both have been nothing but kind to me the entire time I've been here, though strict when my mind wandered. I did volunteer to become a girl to help clear my name, and if I must endure being embarrassed, then I will endure the embarrassment. If it will help to clear my name."
Then Jane clapped her hands and said, "Bien, we have a plan. But now you two need to get ready for bed, we have our appointments at the salon tomorrow. Charlotte, Marie will attend to you, showing you how to thoroughly cleanse your face before you shower. Make sure to wear a shower cap, we don't want to spend time drying your hair. I will attend to Francis," and she looked at Francis and smiled before continuing with, "and make sure she still remembers everything that needs done. Go now, you both need your sleep."
When the girls stood up from the sofa, Jane wasn't expecting Francis to put her arms around her in a hug and whisper in her ear, "Thank you, Aunt Jane. For everything," before she and Charlotte left the library.
Marie saw the worried look on Jane's face and told her dear friend, "Chéri, they will do just as you ask. It may take time, but Toby will give us what we want. And perhaps Sandy can instill a measure of fear in the boy, she is rather good at that aspect."
Jane turned to her old and dear friend and told her, "Oh, Marie, I'm not worried about the girls, they've set themselves a goal and will achieve it. No, I'm worried about Charles' life after his name is cleared. Word will get out about the charges brought against him and even though his name is cleared, others will still think ill of him. How will he remake his life with this hanging over his head?"
Marie just smiled at Jane and said, "Dear, he just will. It's what makes him such a fine young man. His compass points in the right direction, and he follows it, and seems to always have done so. Let's not think about that time, yet. Let's think about Monday and the boy coming to us who started all this merde. Oui?"
Jane laughed out loud, then asked Marie, "You aren't upset by all this, are you Marie?"
Marie looked at Jane then asked, "Qu'est-ce qui t'a fait croire ça, chérie ?" Both women laughed, as they left their chairs and headed to the respective bedrooms.
Charlotte found it strange, yet nice, to sleep in a girls' nightie. The fabric was soft, yet somehow comforting to Charlotte. While the nightie only came down to almost below her panties, that fact didn't seem to bother Charlotte. It did take her some time before sleep became her friend, as her mind continued to provide possible ways to play the various scenes that would be playing out when Monday arrived. The last scene of her dream was of her time with her parents during a vacation to the mountains. but something didn't seem right, as the cliff they were standing on suddenly started violently shaking.
"Charlotte, il est temps de se lever. Nous avons le salon de coiffure aujourd'hui. Allez ma fille, dépêche-toi (We have the hair salon today. Come on girl, hurry up.)." Marie shook Charlotte again and said, "Allez ma fille, réveille-toi. Nous devons nous dépêcher (Come on girl, wake up. We must hurry.)."
In a slurred voice, Charlotte replied, "Tante Marie, encore cinq minutes. Je veux finir mon strongeau rêve (Aunt Marie, five more minutes. I want to finish my dream.)." Marie smirked, as she grabbed the edge of the covers near Charlotte's face, and abruptly pulled them to the foot of the bed. Charlotte let out a screech, before saying, "Not fair, Tante Marie. Not fair at all."
Marie just chuckled and told Charlotte, "Cheri, just be glad you are not one of our regular girls. It would have been much worse if you had acted as you just did. Our regular girls do what they're told when they're told. And any gémissements and their day starts on the wrong foot. Now, come, you must shower, do your face, and dress before breakfast. We are going to the salon today so you may experience what we girls do in such a mysterious place. Déplace-le! (Move it!)"
Charlotte chuckled then said, "Yes Aunt Marie," and got out of bed.
Marie sat in the chair which always held the robe when a new girl came to Seasons House. She watched as Charlotte selected matching panties and bra, opened the closet door, took the robe hanging on a hook on the inside of the closet door, and went into the bathroom to shower. "And cheri, don't bother washing your hair, they will do that at the salon. Just wear the cap as you shower."
Marie smiled as she heard, "Yes, Tante Marie." Charles Thorton was indeed a boy to be proud of, Marie thought to herself, as she too thought of the things Toby was going to experience while in Winsome Girls' School for Wayward boys. Things that were going to test the young man to his limits. And she just smiled.
Much like the noon and evening meals, Francis showed Charlotte how to set the dining room table for breakfast. And as she did for the evening meal, she set the table twice, showing Charlotte how it was to be done, before having Charlotte do it herself. Because of the little differences between the evening meal and breakfast, Charlotte caught on much faster. Once the girls were finished setting the table they went into the kitchen to help Marie prepare breakfast, again with Francis showing Charlotte what they needed to do. Once everything was ready, the girls each carried two trays to the dining room table as Marie carried the one tray with fruit bowls and muffins on it. Because of their upcoming new girl, Jane again covered the plan they agreed to, making sure the girls knew their parts in what would be an interesting play. A play meant to elicit a confession from Toby Camber. Jane then went on to talk about the salon, mostly to Charlotte, letting her know what would be done and by whom. And to let her know not to take anything from Sandy, one of the owners of Marisha Charlet. Jane looked at Marie after telling Charlotte about Sandy, and both women smiled at each other, knowing what Sandy would try to do with Charlotte. Only to receive better than she gave.
Breakfast over, dishes done and the kitchen straightened, both girls returned to their bedrooms to attend to their teeth and faces, before returning downstairs and led by Jane, out to Jane's car. As they drove Jane asked, "How did you sleep last night, Charlotte? The clothing you wore may have seemed strange, but if we are to give a stellar performance, our characters must remain in character at all times."
Charlotte just chuckled, then said, "Aunt Jane. You could have just asked how I felt sleeping in the nightie. It felt strange at first, but became rather comforting after a while. And I dreamt about my parents, and one of the vacations we took."
Jane just humphed, then said, "Such a petulant child. That's good Charlotte. Something said like that will cause me to get upset with you but not overly angry. Something that can be verbally corrected and made known isn't to happen again."
Charlotte nodded her head, and replied with, "Backtalk without being snarky. I understand Aunt Jane." Then Charlotte said, "I have a question, Aunt Jane, concerning Sandy."
Jane was interested in what question Charlotte wanted to ask about Sandy, so she told Charlotte, "Ask your question Charlotte," and waited.
"You said Sandy might try to play me," Charlotte began, "embarrass me, make fun of how I'm dressed. How much am I allowed to turn the tables on her?"
Jane laughed out loud before telling Charlotte, "My dear child. You may do anything short of being rude or vulgar. And make sure I'm within hearing when you attack. It should be rather interesting to see the worm turn for a change."
They arrived at the salon earlier than their appointed time, and could see no one but Carolyn and Sandy by the reception desk. They entered the salon, and were greeted by Sandy. "Welcome ladies, as you can see Carolyn and I are free to start on these two lovely ladies right away." She looked at Charlotte and asked, "So you're Charlotte? My you are a pretty thing. How do you like being a young lady so far?" Charlotte could feel the compassion radiating from Carolyn, while it wasn't hard to miss the predatory look on Sandy's face. The woman oozed of mischief. Charlotte got the same feeling from her as he got from James Conner, and hoped it didn't come down to another hospitalization. Jane saw Charlotte staring at Sandy, and observed Charlotte's hands once again going through that rhythmic pattern, stopping with her hands folded in front of her. Sandy's smile grew wider, she even licked her lips.
Jane knew Sandy could get overly excited when she had a new girl at the salon for the first time. She reveled in humiliating the new girl, threatening to expose the boy dressed as a girl, if that new girl didn't act like she was enjoying the experience. Only this time, Jane saw something more on Sandy's face, something that said Sandy was going to try and do more with Charlotte than just humiliation and embarrassment. Something that could get Sandy hurt, so she acted. "Sandy, dear girl. Whatever thoughts you have about Charlotte best be put out of your mind. She quite handedly put a man half again her size in the hospital with a broken collar bone and both bones in his right forearm. You do not possess the necessary skills to take this one on, mentally or physically. So I suggest you get to know our Charlotte and style her hair to suit her facial features. The one you want will be here Monday." Jane had been using Marisha Chalet long enough to read the faces of both women. Sandy's face was telling Jane, 'fuck you Jane Thompson, I'll do what I want.' Jane sighed and just shook her head. Some lessons had to be learned the hard way, as Sandy was about to find out.
Carolyn could feel the tension building between Sandy, Jane, and Charlotte, and diffused it with, "Charlotte, come with me and will get started waxing you."
It didn't escape Carolyn's hearing, or Janes, as Sandy muttered, "Shit."
When Carolyn and Charlotte reached the waxing booth, Carolyn opened the door and let Charlotte enter first, before following her and closing the door behind her. When she turned to face Charlotte she could see Charlotte was alert and waiting, but waiting in a way Carolyn recognized. "Charlotte, I'm not Sandy. I have no intention of hurting you on purpose, though waxing can sting, but that's its nature. So, please, relax. And let's talk. Okay?" Charlotte saw the sincerity on Carolyn's face, and did relax, sitting down next to Carolyn where the woman indicated. Charlotte never reacted as Carolyn said, "Charlotte, I know you're a boy who is staying with Jane and why you're there. She also told me, and I told Sandy, you volunteered to present as a girl in order to try and clear your name. Very few of the boys who arrive at Jane's school get the choice of not becoming a girl, that alone makes you very special. I need to ask something of you and I hope you'll give me your word of honor on it. Sandy can get a bit crazy when a new girl arrives at Jane's and is brought here for the first time. Please, if she tries to get physical with you, try not to break anything. She would go stir crazy if she couldn't come here every day we're open."
Carolyn saw the smirk form on Charlotte's lips, and heard, "I give you my word of honor, I will try not to break anything. I do possess the knowledge to disable for an extended period of time, and if necessary, she may end up without the use of one of her arms for the rest of the day. It would be good to caution her before she starts on my hair."
Carolyn knew Sandy would be furious not being able to use both arms the rest of the day, but at least nothing would be broken. "Fair enough, Charlotte. Let's get you waxed, okay? Have you ever been waxed before? I know some boys do have it done, that's why I asked." When Charlotte shook her head, Carolyn then explained what would be done. She also told Charlotte it would sting as the wax was quickly removed, but she would then apply a lotion which would lessen the pain. "AND," Carolyn almost shouted, "should you need something to drink, say so. I don't need you passing out from dehydration." She also told Charlotte, "After we get you waxed, I'm going to glue breast forms onto your chest, so you won't have to use those inserts Jane has been having you use." When Charlotte was about to say something, Carolyn held up her hand and told her, "Don't worry. They can be removed without any problems. I'd like you to go behind that screen," and she pointed to a privacy screen placed in the corner of the room, "and completely undress. Wrap one of the towels your'll find behind that screen around you before coming out." Carolyn chuckled at the look on Charlotte's face and answered it with, "Yes, I will see everything on your body as you're being waxed. If you'll just relax everything will be fine. Go, get undressed." Carolyn chuckled again as Charlotte shrugged her shoulders before walking behind the screen.
Carolyn kept up a steady stream of questions, trying to learn more about Charlotte, her family, school, and plans after school. When Charlotte finally came out from behind the screen, she had a towel wrapped about her waist, something Carolyn explained by saying, "Right now! You can get away with that towel wrapped around your waist as a boy, but girls wrap towels around their chests to cover their breasts, which you'll have to remember after you receive your own breasts." As Carolyn watched, Charlotte shifted the towel so it was wrapped around her chest, just high enough to cover her breast if she had any of her own. What Charlotte didn't know was as she shifted the towel, she exposed her groin until she had the towel wrapped around her again. Carolyn decided she didn't need to know that at the moment.
Carolyn had Charlotte get up on the table and lie on her stomach, before removing the towel. She had Charlotte place her hands under her chin, then turn her head so her head was resting on her hands. She then told Charlotte, "Okay, Charlotte. I'm going to start on the back of your right leg. The wax will be hot but not scalding hot. I'll then put a cloth strip over the wax, let the wax cool, then quickly pull the cloth strip and wax off together. Are you ready?"
Charlotte laughed, then said, "Miss Carolyn, whether or not I'm ready, you're still going to wax that leg and the rest of me. This will be an experience I may never forget."
Carolyn decided to do a small patch first, just to see how well Charlotte tolerated the pain. She was rather shocked, as she pulled the cooled wax off that patch that Charlotte remained silent. Worried, Carolyn asked, "Charlotte, are you all right? Should I continue or do you want to stop for a moment?"
Charlotte chuckled, yet again, and told Carolyn, "I've been punched during some of my training that hurt much worse than what you just did. To me, what you're doing isn't painful, just a bothersome sting. And you better continue, I don't think Jane would like me to have only one bald spot on my legs."
Carolyn laughed before saying, "No she wouldn't Charlotte. Okay, here we go." When all of Charlotte's backside had been waxed, Carolyn had her turn over onto her back, placing a small towel over her groin for modesty, and again started on her legs before moving higher on her body.
Carolyn was giving Charlotte's face a long look until Charlotte asked, "Why are you eyeing me like a piece of meat on a plate?"
Carolyn shook herself, chuckled, then said, "Oh, sorry. I was studying your eyebrows, trying to decide how much to remove to give your eyebrows a more feminine look." She then took one finger and, tracing Charlotte's eyebrows, said, "I think if I remove hair here and here you will look much better." Charlotte felt Carolyn trace a line above and below both eyebrows, and because she couldn't see how she would look afterwards, Charlotte decided to just let what would happen, happen. Hair grows back, right? "Okay, Charlotte, I need you to close your eyes, so we don't remove any of your lashes. They are pretty the way they are."
This time, waxing her eyebrows to shape them, had an entirely different effect on Charlotte. Maybe it was because she'd closed her eyes, maybe it was because of the experience of waxing. Whatever the true reason, Charlotte felt completely relaxed as Carolyn waxed her eyebrows. In fact, Charlotte was almost asleep when Carolyn told her, "There, that looks much better. You're going to really knock them dead." Carolyn stood checking her work and noticed Charlotte hadn't said anything because of her comment. She also noticed Charlotte was breathing deeper than she had been. Then it hit her, the girl was asleep. She gently shook Charlotte and said, "Charlotte, honey, wake up, I've a question you need to answer."
"Hmm... what... a... question? Whoa, I must have fallen asleep. Sorry Carolyn, I just felt so relaxed as you did my eyebrows."
Carolyn laughed, then gently stroked Charlotte's left cheek and said, "That's all right, dear. You're the first of Jane's boys who've ever fallen asleep on me while being waxed. And the first one who hasn't moaned and groaned while being waxed. But yes, I've a question for you." And Carolyn moved slightly to her left and pointed to Charlotte's groin. "I know no one is going to see your groin but you and possbly Jane and Marie, that you've already learned. I can do two things to your groin, if you want, so that you look more feminine down there."
As Carolyn watched, Charlotte put her 'thinking' face on and thought back to everything she'd read about Petticoat Punishment when she was doing the paper on behavior for her Human Sexuality class. She remembered something bout 'tucking' but nothing more, so she asked Carolyn, "From the reading I've done, there's something called 'tucking,' but what else can you do to make me look more feminine down there? What would you do if I were a real girl?"
Carolyn had a questioning look on her face and asked Charlotte, "Where did you read bout 'tucking?' Boys who come to Jane never have a clue how they can appear more feminine by 'tucking' their penis back between their legs." Charlotte then explained the paper she had to write for her Human Sexuality class, and how she came across references to behavior modifications. And when she followed the references, came across articles bout Petticoat Punishment. And how 'tucking' hides a boy's penis so he has a more feminine appearance. Carolyn was nodding her head after Charlotte finished her explanation. "Jane said you were a special boy. Now I see why. You already knew what was going to happen before it even happened. And maybe that's part of the reason you fell asleep just now. Yes, 'tucking' is one method to hide your 'little boy,' but there is another method that's temporary and can be reversed without any problems. Using that method, you won't have to keep 'retucking' yourself every time you take your panites off or pull them down to pee. As to what do real girls have done? It varies from girl to girl. Some girls want to be completely hairless, so they shave their groin. Some want just a small patch of hair, and some want small patches of hair that are heart shaped. And some have a narrow patch of hair, and ask the sides to be waxed. You, though, aren't going to be showing your patch of hair to a lover, so maybe we should temporarily hide your 'little boy' and shape what hair you do have?"
Carolyn again watched as Charlotte thought about what she was just told, and heard her mutter, "In for a penny, in for a pound," before Charlotte told her, "If I'm going to do this right, then I need to look as feminine as possible down there. Hide my...little boy, and shape what hair I do have. You did say hiding my penis can be reversed, and hair does grow back, right?"
Carolyn nodded her head and replied, "Yes, I did say it can be easily reversed. And yes, hair will grow back. You just lie there and I'll be back in a moment."
Charlotte watched as Carolyn picked up a large towel and draped it over her body, telling her, "So you don't get too chilled," before leaving the room. Jane saw Carolyn coming out of the waxing room, caught her eye, and saw Carolyn just nod her head, telling Jane Charlotte was going the route the two women had discussed. Jane only smiled. It wasn't long before Carolyn returned to the waxing room carrying a small box and a small tube of adhesive. She smiled at Jane before opening the door and going inside.
Charlotte's questions, in her mind, started the moment Carolyn came back into the room carrying a small box and a small tube. She watched as Carolyn sat everything down on the small table opposite the tble she was lying on. Then her questions escaped her mind and she asked, "What's in the box? And what is in the tube?"
Before Carolyn answered Charlotte's questions, Charlotte watched as Carolyn took a pair of disposable gloves out of a box of gloves lying on the same table. After putting them on, Carolyn pointed to the small box and said, "I'll show you what's in here in a moment. As to what's in the tube? It's surgical adhesive, used by doctors to close wounds and used with stitches to keep infections at bay. I'll use it to hide your penis, and in a few weeks, the glue will wear off. So if you're here very long, we'll have to hide your 'little boy' again in a few weeks. Now, I want you to just relax as much as possible. This time, you may experience some pain, but it won't last. And it may seem strange at first, but you will soon adjust to the feeling. And remember. When you pee you will have to sit down, or you'll make a big mess."
Charlotte laughed at Carolyn's last comment. "Carolyn, with all I have to wear, sitting to pee isn't an option." Carolyn laughed with Charlotte, before she removed the towel covering her body and the towel covering her groin. "Okay, here we go," was all Carolyn said, as Charlotte laid back and concentrated on what she felt as Carolyn went to work on her groin. She did wince at one point, even emitting a small cry, but otherwise endured what Carolyn was doing to her groin. It wasn't long before Carolyn said, "There. All done. Now let's do something with your hair."
Charlotte lifted her head to look at her groin, only to see that her penis was nowhere to be seen. She laid her head back down and said, "If only mom could see me now." Carolyn just smiled as she went to work on what hair Charlotte had on her groin. Charlotte didn't try to watch what Carolyn was doing, but heard an electric clipper running for a few moments, before feeling the heat from the wax being applied.
What she wasn't expecting was the pain that shot up her body to her brain, as Carloyn pulled the cloth and wax off. "Yiiiii...please tell me you left some skin down there?"
Carolyn felt bad and chuckled at the same time, telling Charlotte, "I'm sorry, Charlotte. I should have told you this part might really hurt. Your groin region is much more sensitive than the rest of your body. And yes, you still have skin down there. Okay, here we go again." More wax was applied, another strip of cloth was applied, but Charlotte was ready this time, and only hissed as the cloth and wax were removed. As Carolyn had previously done, she rubbed the lotion into Charlotte's skin where she'd removed hair, causing the stinging/burning feeling to subside.
Author's Note: When I first wrote Complicit In a Lie, I had no thoughts, or ideas, to write a sequel. But thanks to a few readers, who asked about a sequel, ideas formed that made writing this sequel possible. It is necessary to have read Complicit In a Lie to understand why Charles is now with Jane, who the boy arriving in Kingston is and how he's involved in Charles' Court case. And to understand where Mr. Corporate, George Strom, fits into this story. This story starts off after Charles says, "When do we start," in Complicit in a Lie. So if you haven't read Complicit In a Lie, the beginning of this story won't make any sense. Hint hint!
"How're you doing, kiddo?" Carolyn asked Charlotte, as she stripped off the disposable gloves and threw them into a trash can under the table where the box of disposable gloves lay.
Charlotte laughed, then told her, "Well, I only have your word that I still have any skin left down there, but strangely, it feels rather interesting. A bit airy, but interesting. In fact, my whole body feels a bit airy, and not in a bad way. Is this how a girl really feels after something like this?"
Carolyn had picked up the small box off the table when Charlotte asked her question. Still holding the small box, she turned to face Charlotte, then said, "Well, I can't speak for other girls, but when I get waxed, it does. And it feels nice, doesn't it?"
Charlotte nodded to answer Carolyn's question, then nodded her head toward the box and asked, "So, now you're going to show me what's in the box?"
Carolyn smiled and said, "I'm going to do more than show you, my dear. I'm going to put them on you, with an adhesive that can't be removed unless a solvent is used. Unlike the surgical adhesive, these will stay on for as long as needed. They won't be falling off when you least expect it." Carolyn then took the breast forms out of the box, showing them to Charlotte before explaining the steps involved in putting them on her. And this time, Charlotte's help would be needed, as she helped hold the forms in place until the adhesive set up.
Charlotte tried to hold her head up so she could watch what Carolyn was doing, only to be told to lie flat so she could get the placement correct. She didn't have to watch Carolyn work, because Carolyn explained each step as she went along. Charlotte then felt the adhesive applied to the right side of her chest; it was slightly colder than room temperature. Then the breast form set in position, then Carolyn told her, "Okay, give me your right hand." Charlotte lifted her right arm, then felt Carolyn take her arm at the wrist and place her hand just so, before telling her, "Okay, press down slightly, and don't move your hand." Charlotte felt adhesive applied to the left side of her chest, before the breast form was set in place and she was told to give Carolyn her left hand. "Now all we need to do is wait for a few minutes until the adhesive has dried. Meanwhile, tell me about the boy coming on Monday," Carolyn said as she sat down in the one chair in the room.
Jane had already spoken with Carolyn about Toby, and the plan she, Marie, and the girls had in place to, hopefully, get Toby to confess that he'd lied about Charles Thorton's, aka Charlotte, involvement in the shoplifting at that Taylor's department store. But Carolyn knew any information she could get about a boy coming to Jane's school would help her and Sandy in how they treated that boy when they first came to the salon. "Well," Charlotte began, I really can't tell you much about him. I only saw him in the holding cell, and from what I saw, he was really scared but trying to act tough. And his being scared wasn't because he was in jail, it was something more. Like he was afraid of someone or someones. After the short time I've been with Jane, he's going to crack like an egg the first time she gives him her look that peels flesh off the bone." Charlotte laughed, then said, "And then maybe we'll learn why he lied about me."
Carolyn then saw the tears drip out of Charlotte's eyes, reached for a tissue from the box on the table, and walking over to Charlotte, gently wiped the tears away. "Oh, baby. It's going to be all right, you'll see. We'll get your name cleared, then you can be with your family again. You lie there and hold those forms and I'll be right back."
This time when Carolyn left the room she was the one to catch Jane's eye, and it wasn't hard for Jane to see the anger in the woman's face. Carolyn walked over to Jane and told her in a low voice, "I'm going to get something to repair some makeup, Charlotte got upset talking about Toby. If you girls aren't able to put the fear of God in that boy, and get him to talk, I'll turn Sandy loose on him. We may have to clean the chair off afterwards, but he will know the fear of God when she's through with him. And I'll make sure the shop is full of my regulars when you bring him in." Like the determined look Jane had seen on Francis' face, a look Jane had never seen on Francis, Jane saw a feral smile form on Carolyn's face. A smile Jane had never seen before. Jane understood why she was seeing that smile, Carolyn felt angry because someone had put Charlotte in her current situation. And that someone was going to pay for their mistake.
When Carolyn returned to the waxing room, she had Charlotte remove her hands and tested to make sure the adhesive had set up, before having Charlotte sit up and turn so she was sitting on the edge of the table. It didn't even occur to Charlotte that she was sitting there completely naked, as Carolyn began cleaning off her face before reapplying her makeup. "So, how are you feeling after your first waxing and tuck and boob job?"
Only then did Charlotte realize she was completely naked, and sitting in front of Carolyn, as Carolyn reapplied her makeup. "Um, well, I must be doing all right, since I'm sitting here, completely naked, in front of you, and not acting embarrassed for you to see me naked. Which I find rather strange."
Carolyn chuckled, as she put the last coat of mascara on Charlotte's lashes, then said, "That's because you are no longer a naked boy sitting in front of me, with your boy parts showing. All I see is a beautiful naked young lady sitting in front of me. And in a moment, I'll let you see her too."
Carolyn stood back, took Charlotte's chin, turned her head left then right, then said, "There, that's got you back to Jane's standards. Hop off the table and meet your new self." Carolyn then walked over to what looked like a full length cabinet, opened the cabinet door, revealing a full length mirror.
She then stood back and watched as Charlotte just stood looking at herself in the mirror. She turned sideways in one direction then the other. She ran her hands over her now smooth body. She even explored her groin, pulling on the folds of skin she saw. "Wow, so this is what a young girl actually looks like? I've just seen pictures of girls in bikinis but never completely naked."
In the reflection of the mirror, Charlotte saw the look Carolyn had on her face, which Charlotte interpreted as trying to make a decision. She was right in her interpretation as Carolyn told her, "You breathe a word of what I'm about to do and I'll make sure Sandy knows you're a pervert who made a play for me. You read me, MISTER?"
It wasn't hard for Charlotte to see how serious Carolyn was right at that moment. She turned to Carolyn and said, "You have my word of honor not to say anything to anyone."
As Charlotte watched, Carolyn started to undress, until she was completely naked. She then stood next to Charlotte as they both faced the mirror, letting Charlotte compare her new body to her own. She didn't even flinch as Charlotte bent down to look at her groin, before looking at her own groin. Then Charlotte chuckled before saying, "If anyone saw me down there, they wouldn't think me anything but a girl. I know this might be strange to say, but seeing me like this," and she waved her hand from head to toe, before finishing with, "I feel different. I feel vulnerable. Is this normal, Carolyn?"
Carolyn was getting dressed as Charlotte asked her question. She thought for a minute, then said, "It can be for some girls, Charlotte. Some haven't developed a good sense of self confidence yet. Some never do. And some see what they have as an asset, and use it for all they can get. Then there are those who have a good grasp of their self worth, and what they see in the mirror doesn't bother them. This," and she waved her hand in front of Charlotte, "is all new to you. So it might make you feel different for a time. But you're still the same person inside you always were, and don't let what you see now change that. When Jane takes you out shopping, you will attract a lot of attention from the boys, you're too beautiful like this to ignore. Keep your wits about you, don't forget what you know about protecting yourself. And don't be afraid to protect yourself if some asshole hasn't learned to keep his hands to himself. A girl can get away with kicking the shit out of some guy who thinks he's an octopus. Now, here," and Carolyn picked up the bra lying on the table and handed it to Charlotte. "The bra you were wearing will be too small for the forms I glued to your chest. And don't be surprised when you get back to Jane's house if you find all your bras have been replaced with this bra size. Go ahead and get dressed, I'll let Sandy know you're ready to have your hair done. Come out when you're ready."
She then walked over to Charlotte, turned Charlotte to face her, kept her hand on Charlotte's shoulders, then said, "Sandy and I will help get your name cleared. That boy will either eventually tell Jane the whole truth, or Sandy and I will get him to spill his guts. Either way, he will recant his story, and get your name cleared." Carolyn saw the tears in Charlotte's eyes, and told her, "You let those tears fall and we'll have to redo your face." She then pulled Charlotte into a hug, and held her until she stopped shaking. "It will be all right, sweetheart. Trust me on that." Carolyn felt Charlotte nod her head, before she broke the hug then shooed Charlotte to get dressed.
When Charlotte walked out of the waxing room, it wasn't hard for Jane to see she'd been upset. Sandy was finishing up with Francis, so Jane motioned for Charlotte to come sit beside her. "Are you all right, Charlotte? You look a bit upset. It's not because of something Carolyn did or said, is it?"
Charlotte shook her head at Jane's last question, then said, "We were just talking while the adhesive for my breasts set up and I told Carolyn about Taylor's. I got upset when I told her about Toby. Why Aunt Jane? Why do people do things like that? I never even knew someone was stealing anything in that store until James put his hand on my shoulder. I never even saw those three boys. And yet, they accused me of being involved with the theft. And here I am, presenting as a girl, a beautiful girl, from what all of you have told me." Charlotte laughed then said, "And I even have breasts that match my age. Imagine, the only thing I wanted a few days ago was to buy my mom a present for her 35th birthday. And now I'm about to get my hair done in a beauty salon." Charlotte turned her head so she was looking at Jane and asked, "Aunt Jane. Do you think I was supposed to go through all this not just to help clear my name, but for some other purpose? This all seems a bit surreal just to be something to clear my name."
In that instant after Charlotte asked her last question, Jane pictured in her mind Toby hung by his wrist, and her standing behind him with a cat-o-nine tails, swinging them in Toby's direction and hearing him cry as they hit his body, demanding he tell the truth about Charles Thorton. She mentally shakes herself then tells Charlotte, "Sweetheart, people do things like this for a variety of reasons. And sometimes their actions cause the innocent to suffer, or profit, from getting caught in the middle. Why Toby wanted to cause you harm, we must wait to see if he will tell us his reason. It did him no good, he was caught stealing and placed in jail, and sent to me. He is, though, going to have an experience such as he's never known, one, I hope, puts his life on a different path. As to your last question, that is difficult to answer. No one can know the grand scheme of things, it's too big. All we can do is take with us the experiences we encounter and hopefully allow them to guide us further in our lives. Very few young men will ever experience what it's like to be a young lady in this world. While it isn't something you wanted to do, you are now getting to see life from a different perspective. To be a bit vulgar about it, you are now the piece of meat the lions would like to devour. And hopefully when you leave me you'll have an appreciation how not to treat the opposite sex, because you saw and experienced how they are actually treated. Sandy is finished with Francis, it's your turn now. And remember your promise to me." Noises from the back room caught Jane's attention. Noises that were anything but happy. Jane patted Charlotte's knee, stood up and walked to the back room, opening the door and closing it behind her after entering.
Charlotte looked up when Sandy said, "Okay, sissy boy, your turn." Once again, Charlotte saw the feral grin on Sandy's face, a look that put Charlotte on guard. Charlotte got up out of the chair, walked over to face Sandy's station, and stopped in front of the stylist's chair. "Well, sissy boy, what are you waiting for? Get your ass into this chair," and Sandy pointed to the chair in front of her. When Charlotte didn't move Sandy growled, "If you don't sit your ass down in this chair I'll drag you outside and let the whole world see the new sissy boy for itself. NOW SIT DOWN!"
Sandy didn't recognize Charlotte's ready position, her hands down in front of her, one hand over the other, her weight balanced on both feet. She studied Sandy for a moment, before telling her, "Any attempt of physical violence on your part and I will defend myself. Any attempt to grab me and I will defend myself." Charlotte saw how red Sandy's face had gotten since she had spoken, and she saw it even before Sandy moved. Sandy came around from behind the chair and reached her left arm towards Charlotte, before screaming, "GET YOUR ASS IN THIS CHAIR!!" Quicker than Sandy could blink, Charlotte had captured Sandy's wrist and elbow, pushing her wrist backward and pulling forward on Sandy's elbow.
Jane was in the back room with Carolyn, trying to console the woman after she heard Charlotte's story. "Jane, I just want to strangle that boy because of what he's done to Charles. Charles is exactly what you try to get your boys to realize. Oh, I just wa..." Carolyn never gets to finish what she was going to say, as both women hear Sandy screaming at Charlotte, then hear her screaming in pain. They both rush out of the back room and find Charlotte holding Sandy's left arm with both of her own hands. Sandy is kneeling on the floor, screaming because Charlotte is holding Sandy's wrist and pushing it backwards. Jane barks an order which Charlotte ignores at first, "CHARLOTTE! LET GO OF SANDY'S WRIST, NOW!!" Jane sees that Charlotte is locked onto Sandy, watching her in case she does something else. Jane barks twice more before she finally gets through to Charlotte, who immediately releases Sandy's left arm and steps back two paces, again taking up her ready stance.
Sandy is now holding her left wrist, then sees Jane and Carolyn standing there. "YOU GET THAT FUCKING PIECE OF SHIT OUT OF HERE RIGHT NOW. GET THAT PRICK OUT OF HERE OR I SWEAR I'LL TELL THE WHOLE WORLD WHAT YOU DO UP THERE, THOMPSON"
Jane calming walks over to where Sandy is kneeling on the floor, reaches down and grabs Sandy's chin, lifts it until she is staring into Sandy's eyes, then calmly tells her, "You tell the whole world what I do, and you'll be included in it as well. You won't get away scott free because I have dozens of witnesses who WILL testify on my behalf that you were also involved. How do you think you'll fare behind bars, Sandy? And should you decide to go through with your threat, I know people who can make you disappear without so much as a trace. Your body will never be found. No trace of you will be left." Jane let go of Sandy's chin, stood, turned and asked Francis, "Francis, what happened here?"
Francis then repeated, vertatum, what happened. Leaving nothing out. Jane turned back to the still kneeling Sandy and asked her, "Weren't you listening when you were explicitly told not to physically attack Charlotte? Did it not register with you at the time? And now, because you tried to grab Charlotte, you're kneeling on the floor with a hurt wrist. All because you saw fresh meat and just had to do things your own way."
Carolyn then looked down at her friend and told her, "It seems to me Sandy, because of how you just acted, you caused the problem and should be the one leaving. But we can't do that, I can't run this place without you. But sometimes you go too far, cause too many problems because you DON'T listen. Oh, and have you given any thought what would happen to me if you opened your mouth about our business with Jane? You think you'd be alone in that jail cell? I'm part owner of our salon, so I'd get half the blame for what we do for Jane." Carolyn crossed her arms under her breasts then humphed.
Charlotte knew she hadn't pressed Sandy's hand that far back to cause her that much pain. She pressed her hand back far enough to only maintain control of Sandy. Something else was wrong with that wrist. As Carolyn and Jane watched, Charlotte walked over to where Sandy was still kneeling and knelt in front of her. Causing Sandy to flinch backward a bit. "Please, give me your hands, Sandy," Charlotte said in a soft voice. Sandy eyed the girl, then looked at Jane then Carolyn, seeing the glares coming from both women. Hesitantly, she extended her arms until her hands were directly in front of Charlotte, who gently took both of Sandy's hands and proceeded to compare the joints between the forearms and the hands. Charlotte then gently felt each joint, causing Sandy to wince when Charlotte felt a spot on Sandy's left wrist. "Have you been in an accident in the past? Or has someone twisted your arm? The bone right here," and Charlotte pointed to a place on the back of Sandy's left wrist, "is out of place and may have been for some time. You've had trouble using your left hand, haven't you?"
Sandy was now giving Charlotte a questioning look, wondering how this prissy boy could know anything about her wrist. Or guess about her arm being twisted. She looked at Carolyn, who nodded her head, before Sandy told Charlotte, "I was in a bad relationship several years ago. He came home drunk one night and started in on me. At one point he had my arm twisted up behind my back, and that hand hasn't been the same since. How do you know all of this about bones? You learn it in school, or something?"
As Sandy was talking, Charlotte had been manipulating Sandy's left wrist, which caused her to wince when a sudden 'pop' was heard. "There, see if that doesn't feel better. And to answer your question. Yes I learned about bones and their placement in school. At a University near my home. Because of my grades I was granted a special dispensation to take a semester of Anatomy and Physiology. Plus, in the training I had been taken, until this mess happened, it's sometimes necessary to pop something back into place, if you get hit too hard during sparring. How's your wrist feeling now?"
Everyone watched as Sandy made a fist, then moved it side to side and up and down. She then opened her hand and did the same thing. She opened and closed her hand several times before saying, "Oh my gawd! It doesn't hurt anymore. It's been so long since I was able to move it as I just did without it hurting." She then looked at Charlotte, a bit sheepishly, and told her, "I'm...um...sorry, Charlotte, for the way I acted. I've had some real bad experiences with boys and men some years ago. I guess you standing up to me like you did, brought it all back. My problems aren't yours to suffer through. Um, if you still want, how about we get to work on your hair?"
Charlotte smiled, stood up and offered her hands to Sandy, helping the woman to stand. She looked over her shoulder at Jane and in a whiny voice said, "Oh, all right. If I have to." Francis chuckled because of how Charlotte acted, gleaning a glare from Jane before she too chuckled. "Just remember, Charlotte. Not to 'over the top,' and wait until I signal you to begin."
Charlotte replied with, "Yes Aunt Jane," before she sat down in Sandy's styling chair and began asking Sandy which style would look good on her.
Neither Charlotte nor Sandy saw Carolyn and Jane look at each other, or raise their eyebrows, or look up to the ceiling before both shook their heads and walked over to sit near Francis. Those two were deep in conversation about hairstyles. And it was Francis who brought an old saying out when she said, "That was rather a close one, wasn't it Aunt Jane?"
Francis was watching the woman and young girl discussing hairstyles, and didn't see Jane nod her head and said, "Indeed it was, Francis. Indeed it was a close one. And the style you chose this time is excellent for your face. Well done Francis."
As Jane, Carolyn, and Francis watched Sandy worked on Charlotte's hair, a person would think they'd been close friends for years, because of the way they chatted and joked with each other. And when Sandy spun the chair around so Charlotte could see herself in the mirror, Charlotte let out a squeal of delight at how her hair turned out. The three watched, unbelieving, as Charlotte jumped, jumped, out of the chair and hugged Sandy, telling the woman, "It looks wonderful, Sandy. Thank you." Sandy had a smile on her face, Francis giggled, but Jane and Carolyn were shocked as they watched Charlotte twirl in front of them and asked, "Well, what do you think, Aunt Jane?"
Charlotte stopped twirling when she saw the look on Aunt Jane's face. Charlotte looked at Francis, who merely shrugged, before shaking Jane, who shook herself and said, "Ah, it looks good on you Charlotte. It makes you even more beautiful than you are already."
Jane then turned to Francis and said, "And you, young lady...thank you for shaking some sense into me." Jane turned back to Charlotte and told her, "Remember, Charlotte. Don't go overboard being happy. You're supposed to be a petulant child, who hates being here. You must get that across to Toby when he arrives on Monday."
Carolyn, Jane, and Francis stood and together with Charlotte and Sandy, walked to the front of the salon. Jane settled her account, then before leaving the salon, told Charlotte and Francis, "Girls, I think we'll do a bit of window shopping at the mall. Charlotte needs to learn how to deal with those who watch her as she shops. And remember, Charlotte. Keep your wits about you at all times." Charlotte hugged Sandy again, then Carolyn, and thanked both for helping her, before she followed Jane out of the salon and to Jane's car. After Jane backed out of the parking spot, and pulled out of the parking lot, she told Charlotte, "I'm proud of how you handled that situation with Sandy, Charlotte. I know it could have been much worse, but you showed great restraint. And you impress me again, young lady. You didn't have to help Sandy with her wrist, yet you did. That shows a good deal of compassion on your part, especially because of what Sandy was about to do to you. And you, young lady," and she'd turned her attention to Francis, "I'm proud of you for the way you behaved today. You're doing quite well, Francis."
And almost together, the girls said, "Thank you, Aunt Jane," before they both giggled.
Jane snorted, then said, "Humph, petulant children," which caused Charlotte and Francis to giggle again.
They arrived at the mall within a few minutes, Jane parking her car close to an entrance. Once Jane had shut off the engine, she turned to look at Charlotte sitting in the backseat. "One of the things I do with my girls, Charlotte, is to have them walk around the mall, so they can become accustomed to people looking at them as they present as a young girl. So far, you've demonstrated confidence while presenting as Charlotte, so I'm not too worried about your reaction when boys and men start eyeing you as you window shop or go into a store to shop. Understand, I will never tell one of my girls all of this, but your case isn't typical, you volunteered in order to help clear your name from an injustice. Again, your word you won't break anything should a moron not understand that their attention is unwanted."
Jane didn't tell Charlotte about those appearing to shop, but who were really there to protect Charlotte just in case. "Aunt Jane," Charlotte began, "I've given you my word before not break anything, and it still holds now. I also said there's no guarantee they won't need medical attention, but nothing will be broken."
Jane patted Charlotte on the knee then told her, "Good enough Charlotte. Let's go shopping."
The three women exited Jane's car and walked towards the entrance, Charlotte noticing the admiring looks they were receiving from the men leaving the mall, as they walked towards the mall entrance. Jane heard Charlotte say to no one in particular, "Do I do the same as those men?" Francis held the door open to let Jane then Charlotte go into the mall first.
Once they were inside, Jane told Charlotte, "Charlotte, Francis, and I will go on our own to shop, you continue without us. Mind now, if you need to use the restroom, go to the food court, don't use the ones down any of the narrow hallways. Those can lead you to doing more than just needing to use the restroom. And possibly breaking your word to me. Also, understand. There are dozens of morons walking around this mall, looking for the right girl to try and 'pick up,' so keep an eye out for those people. Francis and I will meet you in the food court in one hour from now. And of course, if you do see something you'd like to buy, remember where you saw it and we will return to have you try it on and if it fits, or we can find one in your size, we will buy it."
Everything Jane just told Charlotte, apart from where they'd meet in one hour, would never be told to a new 'regular' girl of Jane's. She would be left, in much the same way, to experience what girls have experienced for ages. Because Charlotte was more than a special girl of Jane's, her awareness was heightened because of all the training she'd been receiving the past few years. And it didn't take her long to spot several of the animals she was likely to attract in the hour she had before again meeting up with Jane and Francis. As she casually started to window shop, she muttered to herself, "In for a penny, in for a pound."
The first animal bit as Charlotte was admiring the fashions in one store, though that animal was only walking by her. "Hey, sweet cheeks. Lookin' mighty fine today." Then to emphasize his animalistic thoughts, he provided kissing sounds as well. Charlotte saw his reflection in the glass of the shop as he walked by her. Charlotte mentally told herself, 'Gads, what a jackass.' Then a sudden thought hit her. As Charles, had she done the same thing to a beautiful girl window shopping? Had she, as Charles, made some lude comment, or any comment, to any girl in that way? She put those thoughts away for further study as she continued window shopping.
As she followed the line of stores, she noticed a group of four boys, likely teenagers, standing in front of the Gaming R Us store. As Charles, he enjoyed gaming, if for no other reason than the challenge of beating the game. But as Charlotte, she reasoned gaming would be something she'd be interested in, so she walked by the store. As she walked by the four boys, she could feel them turn to stare at her, and hear a few murmurs of delight at what they saw. She stopped at another store and was admiring the fashions displayed when out of the corner of her eye she saw the four boys standing not far away, acting like they were looking at something. She slowly moved along the store front, and the boys followed. She had learned not to confront trouble unless trouble was directed at her or someone who did need help. And right now, while trouble was directed at her, it wasn't directly directed at her. So she moved on. Trouble became real as she stepped into the nook of a store to view their fashions, and when she turned to move on, the four boys were blocking her path. Charlotte then took her ready stance.
Author's Note: When I first wrote Complicit In a Lie, I had no thoughts, or ideas, to write a sequel. But thanks to a few readers, who asked about a sequel, ideas formed that made writing this sequel possible. It is necessary to have read Complicit In a Lie to understand why Charles is now with Jane, who the boy arriving in Kingston is and how he's involved in Charles' Court case. And to understand where Mr. Corporate, George Strom, fits into this story. This story starts off after Charles says, "When do we start," in Complicit in a Lie. So if you haven't read Complicit In a Lie, the beginning of this story won't make any sense. Hint hint!
To the four boys, Charlotte's stance meant nothing, they just saw a pretty girl standing in front of them. Charlotte's feet were close together, but not heel touching heel. Her hands were hanging down in front of her, one palm against her body and the other palm on top of the other hand. Her face expressionless, unreadable by the four boys.
Charlotte saw the two Mall Security guards just across the way, and decided to let them know she needed help. "Excuse me, but you're blocking my way. Kindly move out of the way so I can continue my shopping." She already knew by saying this, one of two things would happen.
Either they'd move and let her pass, or act like the jackasses they were. They chose the jackass route, as one boy said, "Now why would we want to get out of the way of such a pretty girl like you? We came to find out if you want to have some fun with us?"
Charlotte smirked, a bad sign with Charlotte, before telling the moron, "To answer the question you asked, because you might end up in the hospital. As to your suggestion, I'll decline, thank you. Now, please move out of my way." She had raised her voice this time when asking the boys to move, which attracted the attention of the Security Guards. The guards didn't start walking her way until the boy asking her the question made the mistake of trying to stroke Charlotte's cheek. Everyone in the vicinity could hear the boy screaming, as Charlotte did to him as she'd done to Sandy. And it was only her word to Jane that kept the boy from needing a cast on his left arm.
"Are you having trouble, miss," one of the security guards asked, as the two were now standing behind the three boys still standing.
"Yes I am, sir. It seems these four have a problem moving out of my way. And the boy you see kneeling made the mistake of trying to touch me. I'm just explaining to him that it isn't polite to touch a girl unless he's invited to do so."
The same guard said, "Ah, I see, miss. That's quite an effective explanation, I've used it a few times myself. If your explanation is concluded, maybe we can be more explicit in our explanation, so you don't have any more trouble?" Unknown to the boys, the same guard gave Charlotte a head nod, indicating she'd done a nice job controlling the boy without actually hurting him. Charlotte released the boy's hand, then took a step back, assuming her ready stance again.
People can be stupid in all sorts of ways, and the boy Charlotte had made to kneel was no exception. Instead of getting the message Charlotte gave him by controlling her arm as she bent his hand backward, when he got up off the floor he stupidly tried to punch Charlotte for what she'd done to him. Unfortunately, both Security Guards were standing behind the other three boys, which blocked them from the boy who suddenly found himself put to sleep, as Charlotte blocked his punch and administered a more effective one to the boy. He was actually asleep before he hit the floor with a thud. The three boys and the two Security Guards actually followed the boy as he fell to the floor, but when they looked up at Charlotte she was again standing in her ready stance. Giving no hint that anything had just happened.
"All right, you three, get over here out of the way," the second guard told the other three boys. The guard who'd been speaking moved to the fallen boy to make sure he was not badly hurt. When he saw the boy was all right, he turned to Charlotte and asked, "Where in the hell did you learn to punch like that, miss?"
Charlotte smiled, then said, "Two police officers and several senseis, sir."
The guard whistled then said, "This boy got lucky if you've had that much training. He could have been hurt much worse."
Charlotte nodded her head at the guard's comment, before saying, "That's true, sir. However, I gave my word to my Aunt not to break anything should I be confronted."
The guard keyed his two-way and told the person answering that they'd need an ambulance, and where, for a boy who tried to accost a young lady and lost the battle. He answered general questions about the boy's physical health at the moment, before it was decided an ambulance wasn't necessary at the moment. One of their own medically trained staff members could look the boy over and make a further determination. Of course, Charlotte would have to go with the Security Guards to make a formal statement as to what happened. Charlotte was worried how Jane would react when she didn't arrive at the food court within the hour they'd agreed to. But she didn't have to worry about that small problem, since Jane and Francis had just walked out of the store opposite to where Charlotte was at the moment. And because Jane misses nothing, when she saw the boy lying on the ground, and the three boys talking with a Security Guard, and Charlotte talking to the other guard, she had to find out what happened.
Charlotte saw Jane and Francis walking her way, and indicated her Aunt to the guard speaking with her. "Charlotte, explain yourself, young lady," Jane said in her usual no nonsense manner.
"Aunt Jane, I saw these four," and she pointed to the boy lying on the ground and the three with the other guard, "standing outside a gaming store. I walked by them and didn't acknowledge them in any way. As I was admiring the fashions displayed in the store windows, I caught sight of them following me. And when I stepped into the knook to see what this store offered, they blocked my path and refused to move so I could leave. This one," and she pointed to the boy on the ground, "asked why they should move out of the way of such a pretty girl,. He said they wanted to know if I wanted to come with them to have some fun. And then he made a mistake and tried to touch me, and ended up kneeling on the floor, his hand bent backward. These two gentlemen," and Charlotte pointed to the two Security Guards, "arrived and this gentleman," she pointed to the one she'd been talking with, "asked me to let go of the boy, which I did. I guess the boy was upset because of what I did to him, because once he got off the floor he tried to punch me. But as you can see, he missed, I didn't. And as promised, Aunt Jane, nothing is broken. He's merely sleeping."
By Jane's estimation, the boy is a good 5-6 inches taller than Charlotte, and a few pounds heavier, but is lying on the floor nonetheless. Jane had to put her hand over her mouth to hide the smile that wanted to show Charlotte how proud she was of her for keeping her word. Jane then addressed the guard standing by Charlotte, asking, "I suppose you'll want my niece to accompany you in order to make a formal statement?"
The guard nodded his head then said, "Ah, yes ma'am. It's standard procedure in a case like this. And we'll need to know if you'll be pressing charges against the boy. And of course, we'll be calling the parents of all four of these boys." It was right then a staff member arrived carrying a medically marked gym type bag, knelt beside the fallen boy and began taking the boy's vitals. She then removed a vial, broke it and waved it under the boy's nose, causing the boy to stir and started coughing from the ammonia vial fumes.
The boy rolled over and sat up without being asked, but still looked dazed. The staff member waved the ammonia vial under his nose again, only to have the boy swat it away from his nose. He looked around and saw the staff member kneeling beside him, then the Security Guard, then an older woman and young girl, then Charlotte. This boy was a very slow learner as he tried to get up after saying, "You, you stupid bitch. You're going to pay for this."
He never got to his feet, as the staff member put her hand on his shoulder and kept him seated. "Whoa there son, you just sit your butt right where it is. You've been unconscious for a time and I want to make sure you're okay before we have you stand and come with us to our office. And you ain't gonna make no girl pay for you acting like a jackass and trying to touch her like you did. You got exactly what you deserved. You really should count yourself lucky, it could have been worse, from what I hear."
The boy glared at Charlotte, who was nodding her head. Then she told them, "She's right, I could have done more to you before you even hit the floor. But I gave my word not to break anything if I was threatened."
The boy showed just how much of a slow learner he was by saying, "I better not catch you up here again or I'll finish what I started. No girl ain't gonna make a fool out of me."
Charlotte again smiled, looked at Jane, then said, "I expect I'll be coming to the Mall often," Jane nodded her head. Then, looking at the boy, she told him, "I have no wish to hurt you again. But attack me, and my word or not, you will have to be put into the hospital for a sizable amount of time. It would be best if you learn from this experience and not do it again."
The staff member, the Security Guard, Jane, Francis, and Charlotte, watched as the boy shook his head, then said, "Not a chance, girly. Your ass is mine."
Jane stepped closer to where the boy was sitting on the floor, telling the boy, "You are an extremely stupid boy to make such threats in front of these witnesses." While still looking at the boy Jane told Charlotte, "Charlotte, I rescind my request to not break anything should this idiot or his friends attack you when you're here in the Mall or anywhere else. If he isn't willing to learn the lesson he just received, then a more severe lesson must be applied. Young man, I would strongly suggest you not come after this girl," and she pointed to Charlotte. "When she gets through with you and your friends, all of you will be wearing casts on the major parts of your bodies. If she doesn't kill all of you first."
Jane stood back as the staff member helped the boy to stand. He was then taken by the arm by the guard who'd spoken to Charlotte. Jane, Charlotte, and Francis followed the six to the Security offices, where Charlotte gave her statement and the four boys tried to explain what happened to their parents. After the four boys tried to blame everything on Charlotte, the parents talked with Charlotte, who regaled them with her story, backed up by the two Security Guards who witnessed the last part of the encounter. When the four boys discovered they'd been caught in a lie, one of the other three told what really happened and why. The threat made to Charlotte would never be carried out. The parents of the boy who threatened Charlotte, had told him if he got in trouble again, he would be going to a boarding school that wouldn't tolerate his attitude. The trouble he caused today was his third strike, and in the morning he and his parents would be driving to his new school. An all girls school, specializing in helping boys learn how to become better citizens. Of course the boy wouldn't find out about it being an all girls school until after his parents had left the school to drive home. Or that he too would become one of the girls of the school.
After giving her statement, and the three women left the security offices, Charlotte said to Jane, "Aunt Jane, I apologize for causing this trouble, I should have seen it coming the minute I decided to step into that knook to look at the fashions offered by that store. It looks as though I still have a lot to learn about being a girl."
When Jane stopped dead in her tracks, so too did Francis and Charlotte. With a serious look on her face Jane turned to Charlotte and told her, "Charlotte, did you invite those four boys to follow you? Did you invite them to stand in your way when you wanted to move on from that one store? Did you invite that boy to try and touch you? The answer to those questions is NO, you did none of those things. What you did do is show great restraint in how you dealt with that situation. You protected yourself without doing more than what was needed at the time. Don't you dare apologize for something that wasn't your fault. Any young girl, or woman, should have been able to do as you were doing without fear of animals like those boys causing distress on the part of the girl or woman." Just by looking at Charlotte, Jane could see that Charlotte still felt bad for what she had done. She reached out, pulled Charlotte into a hug, so much out of character for Jane, but needed this time, and softly told the girl, "You did nothing wrong, Charles," and felt the girl start to shake, knowing they would have to visit the lady's room to fix Charlotte's face.
Once Charlotte's face had been repaired, the three sat for a while in the food court, savoring the wetness of their drinks. Jane still saw how bad Charlotte felt and decided another tact was needed to take the girl's mind off her recent experience. "So, Charlotte. Did you see anything you liked as you window shopped? If so, let's go there and see how it looks on you."
Jane watched as Charlotte chuckled before telling the woman, "Aunt Jane, that's a very old tactic, trying to distract a person so they don't dwell on a bad experience."
Jane just humphed before saying, in as serious a voice as she could, "Such a petulant child! Did you or did you not see something you liked?"
Charlotte smiled again before telling Jane, "Yes, Aunt Jane. I saw a really cute dress I think would look good on me."
Jane nodded her head then said, "Then let's go and see if they have one in your size, and see how it looks on you."
Before Jane could get out of the chair, Charlotte had stood up, leaned over and kissed Jane on the cheek, telling her, "Thank you for being here, Aunt Jane. I hope you continue being my Aunt when this is all over. I love you."
Jane Thompson is a hard woman to surprise or embarrass, but Charlotte had done both by what she just done and said to Jane. Jane had to clear her throat several times before she could say, "You are such a petulant child. We won't know if that cute dress will fit you unless we go and you try one on."
Francis, like Charlotte, had stood when Jane said they should go to that store, and had heard everything Charlotte said to Jane. She then bent down, since Jane was still sitting, and lightly kissed Jane's other cheek, telling Jane, "I agree with Charlotte, Aunt Jane."
Jane humphed again, saying, "Another petulant chile. The pair of you are nothing but petulant children. Now stand back so I may stand. Petulant children are such a bother." Charlotte and Francis stood back and allowed Jane to stand, Jane not seeing both girls smiling at each other. Neither girl knew how much it meant to Jane what they'd just done or said to her, or that Jane was amazed how much of an influence Charlotte had been on Francis. Trying to maintain her serious manner, after what the girls did and told her, Jane asked Charlotte, "Where is that cute dress, Charlotte?" Charlotte told Jane the name of the store, and the three walked back the way they'd entered the Mall. The girls giggled when they heard Jane say, more to herself than to the girls, "Such petulant children."
Not only did the correct size dress fit Charlotte perfectly, but so did one they found for Francis. Jane would let the girls leave the store until they found shoes and other accessories as well. After Jane paid for their purchases, the girls were acting just as teenage girls would after shopping, they chatted. Only to have Jane remind them they were young ladies and not barkers at some carnival. Both girls giggled before calming down, not seeing the small smile that creased Jane's lips.
As they drove back to Jane's home, she reminded Francis that she still had lessons to do, and for Charlotte to come to the Study after she properly put her new things away. It wasn't long before they pulled up to Jane's home, got out of the car and went into the house. Marie came out of the kitchen as they walked into the house and watched as the two girls carried their shopping bags up the stairs to their bedrooms. "And girls, if your dresses and shoes aren't properly put away, you will be taking everything out of your closets and putting it all back in correctly."
Jane had said this in her usual headmistress voice, which got an, "Yes Aunt Jane," from both girls. Jane then motioned for Marie to join her in the Study, so she could keep an eye on both girls. Once both women were in the Study, and Jane had turned on the monitor, she then told Marie about their experience in the Mall. And what the girls told her as they started to leave the food court.
Marie smiled at Jane and said, "It seems our Charlotte has been good for our Francis, oui? It is terrible she was forced to come to us but, it is still good she is here now. N'es-tu pas d'accord (Don't you agree?)?"
Jane nodded her head then replied, "Yes, I agree with you. But still, it's an injustice that caused it to happen. And that still makes it wrong." Jane watched both girls by way of the monitor before telling Marie, "Francis will be in the library working on her lessons, and I will be giving Charlotte academic tests to see what she has learned. That injustice has caused us to make sure we help Charlotte keep up with her studies. I'm hoping when this is all over that her grades here can be transferred to her old school. Or I may have to rely on some old friends I have to help make it happen."
Jane watched as both girls started to leave their bedrooms, turned off the monitor, and heard Marie say before leaving the Study. "Jane, sometimes an injustice turns out to be a good thing. Have Foi, everything will be all right in the end." Marie patted Jane's hand before getting up out of the chair and walking out of the Study.
Jane had moved to the table by the window in the Study. She heard a knock on the Study door and said, "Enter." The door opened and Charlotte walked into the Study, closing the door behind her. "Ah, good, Charlotte. Come sit with me."
Charlotte had stopped by the bookshelf which contained the book she had used to balance on her head as she traversed the room five times before. She looked at Jane and said, "I will, Aunt Jane, after I follow your instructions about coming into the Study." Jane watched as Charlotte took 'the book' from the bookshelves, placed it on her head until it balanced, and proceeded to walk around the room. Jane would have been torn if Charlotte had forgotten to walk the room with the book balanced on her head. She would have had to admonish her for forgetting Jane's instructions, but couldn't feel obligated to do so because of Charlotte's special situation. She would have been conflicted either way, since in some things she had to treat Charlotte as she would any of her girls.
Jane watched as Charlotte completed her first circuit of the room, before asking, "Charlotte, how did you find the classes at your old high school? Did they challenge you or did you find them boring?"
Jane could see Charlotte was thinking about her questions, as she started her second circuit of the room. She was behind Jane's desk when she said, "They were rather boring, Aunt Jane. I had worked my way through the Algebra book, going by the examples in the book, and when I asked to be allowed to take Geometry, I was told no. I had to stay with my class. My Algebra teacher thought I was trying to pull a fast one and gave me a midterm and final exam. She couldn't believe it when I scored one hundred on both tests. But I couldn't advance. I did the same in my History class, read the entire textbook. When my teacher drilled me I was able to answer every question put to me. But, again, I had to stay with the class. Science was the same, as was English. I even had to take tests I'd already proven I could pass. I sure messed up the bell curve in my classes." Charlotte completed her second circuit as she finished answering Jane's first question. As she started her third circuit, she told Jane, "And no, Aunt Jane. None of my classes challenged me in the slightest. In fact, I had to fight in order to stay awake, which got me into trouble at times. A teacher would call on me, thinking I wouldn't know the answer, and get upset when I answered their question perfectly. I made the mistake, one time, of correcting a teacher because the book contradicted what she had said. And I showed her where it said it in the book." Charlotte had reached the location behind Jane's desk as she finished answering Jane's last question. Charlotte couldn't see Jane, so she didn't see Jane shaking her head in disgust.
Both were quiet as Charlotte made her fourth and fifth circuits of the Study, before returning the book to the bookshelf where it belonged. She then walked over to the table where Jane sat, pulled out the chair opposite Jane and sat down. After Charlotte sat down, Jane said to her, "Charlotte, your parents were able to get a copy of your current school records, and faxed them to me. I know how you did in school, but what I need to know is how much you really know. The results of these tests will help me plan the lessons you will be taking, geared to your level of knowledge, not grade level as is done in school. I will not time you but I want you to work as quickly as you can. When you finish one set of papers, turn it over, set it off to the side, and take another set and work your way through it. We are getting close to dinner, so I will come and get you to help when it's time to set the table and help Marie. At that time, if you haven't finished a set of papers, turn it over in front of you and set your pencil on top of it. That way I'll know you haven't finished that set of papers. When you finish all of the sets of paper, please come find me so we can look at your results together, I may have questions for you about each set of papers. I will be looking in on you from time to time, but don't let my looking in on you distract you from your work. Do you have any questions for me before you begin?"
Jane again watched the 'thinking' look formed on Charlotte's face, before she told Jane, "No Aunt Jane. I don't have any questions at this time." Jane then handed Charlotte one of several pencils lying on the table, before handing her the top set of papers. Charlotte turned it over and began to work through the math problems. Jane quietly left the table and the Study, going to the library to look in on Francis.
As Jane entered the library, she saw Francis standing and looking out the large windows, the paper she'd been writing lying on the table near where she stood. Francis heard the door close and without turning said, "It isn't fair, Aunt Jane."
Jane walked over to stand beside Francis and asked the girl, "What isn't fair, Francis?" Francis was doing a lesson on Capitalism and its influence throughout history. Jane looked down at the desk near them and could see several sheets of paper which had been turned over, the ones Francis had already written on. Jane waited a moment before asking Francis, "Something is bothering you about the lesson, Francis. What is it?"
She watched as Francis slowly shook her head and said, "Why is it all through the ages, people with wealth make rules for everyone to follow but themselves? Why do they build their wealth on the backs of those who do the actual work, but don't pay, reward, or compensate those who do the actual work with more than peanuts? Then they turn around and price everything so high that those doing the work can't get out of the hole the wealthy put them in in the first place. It isn't fair, Aunt Jane. It just isn't fair."
Jane looked down at her ward and saw tears sliding down her cheeks. She put her arm around Francis' shoulder and pulled her into a hug. "No Francis, it isn't fair. But that's how it's been for ages. Why does it happen? There are several reasons. Greed, lack of concern for those doing the actual work, lack of concern for anyone, egos, selfishness, hate, anger, the list goes on and on, Francis. For every word that depicts a hateful action, there's a person who commits that act against another. And all we can do, Francis, is make sure we don't become a part of it. That we treat others as we want to be treated. That we're fair to others if they work for us in some venture. That we treat them with respect, never demean them for the work they do, no matter how demeaning it may seem. And should you ever become so wealthy you can afford to hire many others, remember this lesson and be better than those you've read about. Come, we better get ready for dinner. I'll go get Charlotte to help." Jane turned Francis around and together they walked to the library door, where Francis opened it and allowed Jane to leave the library first. A hard previous lesson taught her to close doors behind her, and she did that to the library door after stepping out of the library.
When Francis first arrived at the Winsome Girl's School for Wayward Boys, she had a bad habit of leaving doors open when she entered or left a room, if the door started out being closed. As was Jane's way, she scolded Francis twice about her leaving doors open, and for a day Francis closed doors behind her. But when she continued her habit of leaving doors open on the next day, Jane had Francis stand outside the study doors, knock, wait for Jane to say "Enter," then open the door, enter the study and close the door behind her. She then had to ask permission to leave the study and when it was granted, open the door, leave the study and close the door behind her. She did this thirty times in a row. She never left a closed door open again.
Francis had calmed down a bit, by the time everyone sat down to dinner. Jane brought up the subject that had bothered Francis, and listened as both girls offered their opinions and views on the subject. With each opinion or view the girls gave, Jane would offer another question based on each girls' comments. When they'd finally run the gamut of comments and questions, Jane asked Charlotte how she was getting on with her testing.
Charlotte's answer caused Jane to look at Charlotte suspiciously. "I've completed the math set of papers, Aunt Jane, and have finished about half of the History set of papers." Charlotte could see the skepticism on Jane's face, so she asked if she could be excused from the dining table for a moment. Jane wasn't sure what Charlotte was up to, but granted her request. The three then watched as Charlotte walked to the study, entered, closed the door behind her, and in a few moments, the study door opened, then closed, as Charlotte walked out of the study carrying a set of papers. Charlotte handed the set of papers to Jane, the completed math set of papers, before returning to her seat at the dining room table. Jane had the master correction sheet locked in her desk in the Study, but could see as she flipped through the papers, that every problem had the formula and computations written out beside the problem. And the papers were all complete.
Jane excused herself and went into the Study to grade Charlotte's set of math papers. She didn't look happy when she returned, and asked Charlotte, "Would you care to explain how you answered every problem on these pages," and she waved the set of papers in the air, "correctly, when you have yet to have even taken any classes other than Algebra? If I didn't know you as I do, I would say you cheated while taking this exam."
Charlotte just smiled at Jane, then told her, "No, Aunt Jane, I didn't cheat on that exam, as you know I wouldn't. When I had my free period at school, I chose to spend it in the Library--we were allowed to choose where to spend our free periods--and discovered the Library had copies of our textbooks for those students who forgot their textbooks in their lockers. I'd already worked my way through our Algebra textbook so I found the textbooks for the Trig and Calculus classes and worked my way through them. To me, both were easy to work through, by following the examples in both books. Once I'd worked my way through each book, I did the same for Chemistry and Physics, and any other class I found interesting. As I told you, Aunt Jane, I found most of my classes rather boring, since I'd already read through the textbooks for those classes."
Marie could see the stunned expression on Jane's face, and gently took the set of papers out of her hand. She slowly flipped through the set of paper, not seeing what they often saw when Jane gave this particular test. Red marks indicating an incorrect answer. She furled her brow, then looked through the set again, and again did not see any red marks. She held up the set of papers then said to Charlotte, in an astonished voice, "Chère, you answered each problem correctly. And in such a short amount of time."
Charlotte was about to shrug her shoulders, but caught herself in time, then said, "I found all of them easy to work, Tante Marie. I don't understand why it's such a big deal. I was given a test, I took the test, and went on to the next test. It's that simple." 'It's that simple' was the closest Charlotte could come to shrugging her shoulders, lest Jane get upset at her again.
If the two women hadn't had serious expressions on their faces, Francis and Charlotte would have giggled at their expressions. But both women were serious, now, and looking at each other before returning their gaze to Charlotte. "Chère, I don't think you realize what this means. To you, it's not a big deal, because you don't find it unusual. But to us, it is a big deal since you've never had any lessons in either Trigonometry or Calculus. You learned each subject all on your own, because you were bored with your classes. Mon Dieu, mon enfant, there are only a handful of people in this world who could do such a thing, and you are one of them." This time, as both women and Francis watched, Charlotte did shrug her shoulders, it was the only response she had to Marie's comment. Charlotte still didn't see why it was such a big deal.
Jane and Marie looked at each other, again, both thinking the same thing. If Charlotte was able to pass the Math test, and those sections she only learned on her own, it was highly probable she was going to score extremely high on each and every set of papers in those areas where she'd never had a class on that subject. And learned everything on her own. If they were correct in their assessment of Charlotte, Jane would need to make some phone calls and ask for help from those educated in the higher form of the subjects Jane was planning for Charlotte. Otherwise, she wouldn't benefit from the lessons Jane would plan for her.
Jane set the Math set of papers aside, and they carried on with their noon meal, both girls helping with dessert and when time, clearing the table and helping clean up the kitchen. The girls then went back to their previous work, Francis to the library and Charlotte to the study, where Jane found her walking the study circuit as she looked in on her. Jane chuckled to herself as she saw Charlotte walking the parameter of the study with the book balanced on her head, before she'd get back to the tests.
When Charlotte finished all the sets of papers, she did as Jane had instructed and went in search of Aunt Jane. As she stepped out of the study, closing the door behind her, she heard muffled voices coming from the kitchen, Marie and Jane's voices. She walked to the kitchen door but stopped when she heard Jane tell Marie, "Marie, those fools don't realize what they have in Charlotte. Any student who can do what Charlotte did on that set of math papers, without formal lessons, needs more than what that school is capable of giving them." Their talk stopped when there was a knock on the kitchen door, and Charlotte slowly came into the kitchen. The kitchen was the one place where nothing was said about knocking on the door then waiting to be allowed to enter. But Charlotte felt it was the polite thing to do before walking in on Jane and Marie's conversation.
Jane saw the look on Charlotte's face, and asked, "You heard?"
Charlotte nodded her head then replied, "Yes, I heard, Aunt Jane. And I've been trying to get them to let me take advanced courses, even my parents have asked that I be allowed. But they always come back with 'We feel he needs the social structure granted him by staying with his peers.'" As the two women watched, Charlotte pulled out a chair at the kitchen table, sat down, and put her head down on the kitchen table, on top of her hands. "Aunt Jane, Tante Marie, I'm so bored at that school I've often thought of quitting school. Of going out on my own to learn what I want, what I need to learn. I told my parents that and thought WWIII had begun. What can I do, Aunt Jane? My parents won't let me quit. I'm not allowed to take advanced courses. I'm shuttled along with the rest of the herd, 'for my own good.'"
Jane and Marie had no trouble recognizing the desperation in Charlotte's voice, and would have to wait until they graded her tests to devise a plan to get Charlotte the academic help she needed. "You finished the sets of papers?"
Jane asked Charlotte, who said in a despondent voice, "Yes, Aunt Jane. I left them on the table by the window, face down as you instructed." Had the situation been different, Jane would have stripped flesh off Charlotte's back for the way she answered Jane's question, with her head down on the table and using a discouraged voice. Instead, Jane excused herself and went to the Study to grade Charlotte's papers.
Author's Note: When I first wrote Complicit In a Lie, I had no thoughts, or ideas, to write a sequel. But thanks to a few readers, who asked about a sequel, ideas formed that made writing this sequel possible. It is necessary to have read Complicit In a Lie to understand why Charles is now with Jane, who the boy arriving in Kingston is and how he's involved in Charles' Court case. And to understand where Mr. Corporate, George Strom, fits into this story. This story starts off after Charles says, "When do we start," in Complicit in a Lie. So if you haven't read Complicit In a Lie, the beginning of this story won't make any sense. Hint hint!
Marie sat down by the discouraged young girl and told her, "Ah mon cheri, hold your head up, it's so beautiful. One of such beauty shouldn't be seen in such a manner."
Charlotte laughed at Marie's attempt to cheer her up, and sat up and became the proper young lady sitting in a chair. "Marie, I know the material of the classes I'm currently taking. I know the material for the classes I'll take next year and the year after that. I can work Algebra, Trig, and Calculus problems in my sleep. I can quote dates, places, and people in my History class without missing a beat. I know the material for Chemistry and Physics, but no one at that school will grant me advance placement because 'it's for my own good.' I've ruined the bell curve in every one of my classes because I ace each and every test. I've been called teacher's pet, show-off, snob, and a few words that would upset Aunt Jane if I said them. I'm no longer learning anything at that school, but, 'It's for my own good,'" Charlotte said with contempt in her voice. Marie pulled a tissue out of the pocket in her apron and gave it to Charlotte, just as Jane returned to the kitchen carrying all of the sets of papers. She handed them to Marie before sitting down across from Charlotte, who was blotting her eyes to try and keep tears from spoiling her makeup.
The three were silent as Marie perused the first set of papers, before turning it over and setting it aside. This went on until she turned the last set of papers over and set them aside, and said, "Eh bien je serai (Well I will be.)," before looking at Jane, and telling her, "She is further along than we can deal with, cheri. Neither you nor I can possibly provide what she now needs. And neither can that school of hers. Do you have a plan in mind, oui?"
What had astonished Marie, as she looked over each set of papers, wasn't what she saw but what was missing. Red marks, marks which would indicate the answer to a question was incorrect. There were none. Each set of papers had a '100' written on the front page, indicating the answers within that set of papers were all correct. This is why Marie knew she and Jane were out of their league in planning lessons for Charlotte, she was far beyond anything they usually planned for their girls.
Jane had smiled to herself when she saw Charlotte sitting up like a proper young lady, when she returned to the kitchen. She looked at Charlotte's red eyes, and knew she'd made the correct decision not to admonish the girl because of her posture. It may have done more harm than good. "Oui, Marie, I have a plan, which has been put in place. Charlotte, starting Monday you will have a special tutor who can meet your needs academically. She was like you in school, bored, passed every test in all of her classes, studied on her own, and like you, was refused advance placement. It wasn't until her parents pulled her from the public school and sent her to a school that allowed her to learn as fast as she wanted, that she showed what she could truly do. I believe you'll find she WILL challenge you Charlotte, so be prepared to work hard. She already told me she won't tolerate any whining on your part, or excuses of why you didn't get the work completed. Shall I call her back and tell her you aren't interested in a greater challenge than what you've faced at your old school? Or are you hungry for more?"
The silence that lingered was like the time it takes for a drop of water to fall from the end of a facet to the sink. "Please don't make the call," Charlotte said, tears building in her eyes, "I need her as much as I need you and Tante Marie." Her emotional bank was too full, and Charlotte broke down and cried. Marie was sitting the closest to Charlotte, and scooted over to Charlotte to pull her into a hug as the girl cried. "Tout ira bien, mon amour, you wait and see." When Marie looked at Jane she could see the fury in Jane's eyes. Here is a girl who has the weight of the world on her shoulders, and doesn't know what to do. First they learn she's been falsely accused of being involved in a shoplifting incident, now they learn she may be a genius in her own right and her old school thinks it best she stays with her own class. Thereby preventing her from taking advanced classes. Marie knew what Jane wanted to do. She also knew Jane wouldn't do it because she'd never lower herself to the level of morons.
Marie and Jane were so focused on Charlotte that they didn't hear Francis come into the kitchen. It wasn't until Francis said, with a catch in her voice, "Um, Aunt Jane. I've finished my paper," the two women looked up and took in Francis, standing just inside the kitchen with tears flowing down her cheeks.
They saw her holding the paper she'd been writing and also saw she was shaking. Jane stretched out her arm and told Francis, "Please let me have your paper, Francis." Francis walked closer to Jane, handed her the paper, then was shocked when Jane pulled to her and held her. Tears flowing freely down Francis' cheeks, she asked, "Is Charlotte going to be okay? I can try to help her if you want."
Jane reached up and wiped tears off Francis' cheeks before telling the girl, "Charlotte is feeling everything she's been through, right now. She needs our help to get through it, so if you wish to help, continue being her friend."
It wasn't much longer until Charlotte stopped crying. And much longer until they heard, "Danke, dass du hier bist, Tante Marie (Thanks for being here, Aunt Marie.)," from Charlotte. She chuckled and said, "I must look a fright."
Marie lifted Charlotte's head by the chin and said, "Ja, wie ein Waschbär. Nochmal (Yes, like a raccoon. Again.)." Both laughed, then Charlotte took a tissue and wiped her eyes, before seeing Jane holding Francis, who looked the same.
She then chuckled and told Francis, "We've done it again, Francis. We look like raccoons. Aunt Jane, may we be excused to redo our faces?"
Jane laughed then said, "If you two keep this up, we'll run out of makeup for the two of you." Then nodding her head towards the kitchen door, Jane told them, "Go. Go and freshen up. Then come back and help get our supper ready." The two women watched as Francis waited for Charlotte to meet up with her, before they put their arms around each other and left the kitchen. Jane looked to the ceiling, then told Marie, "Those two are having an effect on us, my dear friend. I can't find it within myself to be my usual grizzly bear that I know I should be with those two girls."
Marie nodded her head in understanding, then told Jane, "Maybe not with these two girls, cheri. But you and I will get our chance on Monday, when the one who caused all of this arrives." Marie saw the fury return to Jane's eyes. Toby was in for a bumpy ride when he arrived on Monday. And he didn't know it. Yet.
The girls had freshened their faces and were now setting the dining room table for supper, before going into the kitchen and helping Marie prepare what they'd be having that evening. Jane had gone to the Study in order to calm down and make plans for their new girl arriving Monday. She went through the exercises learned years ago, and often practiced during a particular trying time with one of her girls, before pulling up the records she'd received on Toby Camber.
She first looked at his school records, noticing while not a high achiever, he wasn't failing any of his classes. She also noticed notations which had been placed in his file by his school counselor, stating that, 'While Toby doesn't achieve high academic scores, he is hiding his ability to actually achieve higher scores. He is also hiding something which prevents him from doing better in his classes. Something which frightens him more than failing school.' Jane mulled over 'frightens him more than failing school,' and wondered what could frighten a boy more than failing his classes. His home life, perhaps? Being threatened by someone he knew or by bullies in school or in his neighborhood? It can't be because he is coming here, she thought, since all of this occurred before he was caught shoplifting at Taylor's. And since nothing was said about his causing trouble at school, or being involved in trouble at school, then it had to be his home life or something in his neighborhood. Jane dismissed that for right now, they'd eventually learn the truth. And it'd be a truth that would send Jane into an almost murderous rage.
It was Charlotte who knocked on the Study door, waited until Jane said, "Enter," and came into the study to inform Jane that supper was now ready. Jane thanked Charlotte then asked, "How are you feeling dear?"
"Better, Aunt Jane. Thank you for asking." Then, as per the instructions Jane had given the girls about coming into the study, after informing Jane supper was ready, Charlotte took 'the book' off the bookshelf and proceeded to circuit the study the required five times. When Charlotte had finished her five circuits of the study with 'the book' balanced on her head, they left the study together, Charlotte opening the study door and letting Jane leave first, then following her and closing the door behind her.
Jane steered the conversations away from academics, in case Charlotte wasn't as 'better' as she claimed, and started asking Charlotte about her hobbies and other areas of interests. When they finished supper, and the table had been cleared, and the kitchen cleaned, Jane gave the girls the rest of the evening as free time, hoping they'd spend the time together, getting to know each other better.
When 9 p.m. arrived, Jane sought out the girls, finding them in the library discussing a book they both had read not long ago. They tried to get Jane involved, asking her opinion about this character or that character, but Jane told them she would discuss the characters with them another time, since it was time they got ready for bed.
Jane had gone up with Francis, as usual, while Marie went up with Charlotte. As Charlotte was undressing she asked, "Tante Marie, aren't we going to bed rather early? We've been getting ready for bed at 10 p.m. since I've been here."
Marie chuckled, sat Charlotte down with her on the bed, then told her, "Tomorrow, you are going to experience what Jane has her girls do not long after they arrive. You will need to be quick and accurate, or Jane will be very upset with you. You must also remember what she told you to do when you enter the study, or she will increase the number of times it must be done. Because of this, you will need all the sleep you can get. So, dépêchez-vous (hurry up). Clean your face and get your shower. Jane does not want you to perdre du temps." Charlotte leaned over, kissed Marie on the cheek, stood up and continued undressing, placing her dress in the laundry hamper. She unhooked her stocking from the garter belt she wore, removed them and as she'd been shown, folded them before placing them in the correct drawer in the dresser. She removed the garter belt, put it away before selecting clean panties and a matching bra from the appropriate drawers. She then went into the bathroom, and as Marie watched, cleaned off her makeup, checking in the mirror to make sure she'd removed it all. Marie then stepped out of the bathroom as Charlotte removed her panties and bra and stepped into the shower, remembering to put on a shower cap. Once she finished her shower, had dried off and removed the shower cap, put on her bra and panties, she returned to the chest of drawers and chose a nightie to sleep in. The one she chose complimented the bra and panties she was wearing, something not lost on Marie. Charlotte then sat down at the vanity and proceeded to apply moisturizing cream to her face and arms and legs, something she thought felt nice, but not something Charles Thorton would think of doing.
After getting into bed, Marie kissed her on the forehead and bid her, "Bonne nuit et fait de beaux rêves."
Charlotte smiled then replied, " Merci, tante Marie. Et pour toute votre aide." Marie smiled, then shut off the overhead light before closing Charlotte's bedroom door as she left the bedroom, causing the night vision camera and motion sensor to activate.
The next morning Charlotte's bedroom door banged open, startling her out of a deep sleep. "Time to get up, Charlotte," Jane curtly told Charlotte. Charlotte caught the tone of Jane's voice, so did as she was told. After Jane had walked to the window and opened the shade, she turned back to Charlotte and, again, curtly told her, "You have 45 minutes to shower, dress, put on your makeup, and be downstairs to help get breakfast ready. If you find yourself unable to meet that goal, then I will find something else you can practice at until you are able to reach that goal. Don't get your hair wet as you shower. Make your bed and put your nightie under your pillow after folding it properly. Also, make sure to put on a clean pair of panties and bra. I suggest you hurry, Miss Thorton, you have already lost several minutes simply standing there gaping like a fish." And with that said, Jane turned on her heel and left the bedroom without another word.
Charlotte didn't know what was going on, but didn't waste any more time, as she hurriedly stripped, dropped her nightie, bra and panties on the bed, before going to the dresser and getting a clean pair of panties and matching bra. She then quickly moved to the bathroom, where she started the shower before putting on a shower cap. As Charles, she was used to taking a quick shower, and that familiarity helped her now. The dried herself, put on her panties and bra, rushed out of the bathroom to first put her dirty bra and panty in the laundry hamper, then making her bed before folding her nightie and placing it under her pillow. She then opened the drawer in the dresser and took out a matching garter belt, put it on, then after closing that drawer, opened another drawer, took out a nude pair of stockings, and went back to her bed to put them on. Once she had them attached to the garter belt, she then went into her closet and chose a dress that she'd been told would suit being worn around the house, and matching shoes. Once dressed, she sat down at the vanity and put on her makeup, making sure it was done to Jane's standards. With her makeup put away, and the vanity straightened, Charlotte went to the open door of her bedroom, turned and examined her room, making sure everything was as it should be. Closing the door behind her she hurried, but didn't rush, down the stairs only to find Jane waiting at the bottom of the stairs.
Jane looked at the watch on her wrist, then said, "Not bad, Miss Thorton. Forty minutes. Well done. Stand over there," and Jane pointed to a spot on the floor a few feet to her left, then began walking around Charlotte, inspecting her with a critical eye. Jane stopped behind Charlotte, and Charlotte felt Jane's hand run down her back, then tug at the sides of her dress, before Jane continued walking around her, stopping now and then, making comments to herself. When she was again standing in front of Charlotte, Jane grabbed Charlotte's chin and pulled it up, turning Charlotte's head first to the left then to the right, before releasing Charlotte's chin. "You've done well, Miss Thorton. You have a slight mistake with your eye makeup, Miss Thorton, but what boy had ever worn eye makeup before. You'll have a chance to practice correcting that mistake. The dress you chose is appropriate for wearing around the house, but not for being out in public. Of course with your boy's body, we can't expect it to fit as it would on a 'real' girl, now can we? Your appearance will do for now, Miss Thorton. But after breakfast we'll work to improve your appearance. Now, I believe you have duties in the kitchen, Miss Thorton?"
Charlotte didn't know why Jane had suddenly become the woman from hell, after how she'd treated Charlotte the previous days. But right now that didn't matter, because she knew Jane was expecting, and received, "Yes Aunt Jane," from Charlotte.
Charlotte then asked, "May I be excused, Aunt Jane?" Jane just nodded her head, since her voice would give away the fact she hated how she was going to treat Charlotte during the morning. But as she and Marie had discussed, it had to be done if Charlotte was to play her part in breaking Toby Camber and getting him to tell them the truth. Charlotte had to experience what Jane was going to put him through, as she'd put all of her other girls through. She had to experience the anxiety felt in needing to meet a deadline to be dressed properly as a young lady. Jane went into the study to calm down. And shed a few tears.
When Jane came out of the study, she heard, "Charlotte, come here right this minute," from Marie. She saw Charlotte come out of the kitchen and then heard, "I believe Francis instructed you on the proper way to set a table, did she not? Then why haven't you set this table properly? Pick everything up and set this table correctly. JETZT, Mädchen (NOW, girl!)!" As Jane watched Charlotte start picking up the plates and silverware, she also saw the hurt look on Marie's face. Like Jane, she hated to put Charlotte through the same thing they'd put their other girls through, and what Toby would be put through, but felt Charlotte needed to know how it felt to be ordered to redo something she'd already done correctly. When Charlotte had relaid the table, Marie, like Jane had done with Charlotte, walked around the dining room table and took it all in with a critical eye. "Viel besser, Charlotte (Much better, Charlotte.). Next time don't be in such a hurry, that's how mistakes are made. You may return to the kitchen." Once Charlotte was in the kitchen, Jane watched as Marie leaned against a chair and hung her head. She knew just how the woman felt.
Marie felt Jane's arms go around her from behind, and she grabbed Jane's hands before saying, "Dieu, je déteste faire ça à ce gentil enfant (God, I hate doing this to this sweet child.)."
Jane nodded then told Marie, "I do understand, but we both know it's necessary if she is to understand how Toby feels as we run him through the same thing. Come, let's go see how she's holding up." Together, holding each other, they went to the study, where they watched Francis and Charlotte in the kitchen on the monitor.
When Charlotte walked into the kitchen, Francis was cutting up fruit that would be part of their breakfast. She walked over to Francis and asked, "Francis, have I done something to upset Aunt Jane? She banged open my bedroom door this morning, shocking me out of a sound sleep. Then ordered me to get out of bed, told me to quickly take a shower, put on clean panties and a bra, get dressed and do my makeup. She even ordered me to make my bed and place my folded nightie under my pillow. And she said I had forty-five minutes to have it all done correctly. Is Aunt Jane mad at me, Francis?"
Francis had kept her head down as Charlotte spoke and asked her questions. She put the cut up fruit in a cauldron, took it to the sink and ran cold water over the fruit. She shook off the excess water before placing the fruit in a bowl and placed the bowl in the refrigerator, before rinsing off her hands and drying them on a towel. All the while remaining silent. She was about to do another of her instructed chores when Charlotte blocked her path by standing in front of her, asking, "Francis? What's going on? Why won't you talk to me?"
Francis tried to move around Charlotte, but Charlotte kept blocking her path. When she finally looked up at Charlotte, Charlotte could see the anxiety and confliction written on Francis' face. "Talk to me Francis? Why won't you say anything?"
As Charlotte watched, Francis started shifting her weight from foot to foot, all the while wringing her hands hanging in front of her. Tears were welling in her eyes, and starting to overflow, and as she started to wail, she whispered, "I can't," and fell to the floor in a heap. Charlotte got down on the floor with Francis, and held the girl as she bawled.
It wasn't long before Charlotte understood that Francis had been ordered not to tell Charlotte what was happening to her. She looked up into the hidden camera, knowing Jane and Marie had to be watching, and listening, and yelled, "THIS IS REALLY CRUEL, AUNT JANE! FRANCIS SHOULDN'T BE PUT IN THE MIDDLE OF WHAT YOU'RE HAVING ME DO! NO, THIS IS MORE THAN CRUEL, IT BARBARIC, AUNT JANE. FORCING THIS GIRL TO FOLLOW YOUR ORDERS WHEN YOU KNOW HOW SHE FEELS ABOUT ME. WHEN YOU'VE COME OUT OF YOUR CAVE, WE'LL BE UP IN MY BEDROOM. AUNT JANE."
Charlotte helped Francis up off the floor, before leading her out of the kitchen and up the stairs to her bedroom. She opened her bedroom door, not bothering to close it behind her, guided her up the stairs, entered her bedroom, and sat with Francis on her bed, holding Francis as she cried. "I'm here, Francis. It's going to be all right, just have patience. I stick with my friends."
Francis looked up into Charlotte's face and through blinding tears, and with a raspy voice asked Charlotte, "You're my friend? I've never had a real friend before, just people who wanted me to help them with this or that. And once I did, they'd throw me away like a piece of trash. Thank you for being my friend." She laid her head back on Charlotte's chest, and held her tightly. Tears slid down Charlotte's cheeks, angry tears, that Jane would have the gall to make Francis choose between following Jane's orders or face punishment for disobeying her and helping her friend. And no matter her reasoning, Jane may have done more harm to Francis than good. Because Jane deliberately put Francis into a no-win situation. Damned if she did and damned if she didn't.
It wasn't long before Jane and Marie arrived at Charlotte's bedroom, both coming into the room. Neither woman had to ask how Charlotte was feeling because it was plainly written on her face. She was furious. Charlotte didn't wait for Jane, or Marie, to speak first, she let go with both barrels. "What you've done to Francis is despicable, putting her into an untenable situation like you did. Obey your precious orders or face punishment by answering my questions. And I actually thought you cared about her. Instead you caused her to fold up because she wasn't equipped to handle the situation. So it was sink or swim, was it? Obey me, Lady Jane, or be punished for helping a friend. And if hurting Francis helps get my name cleared, then to HELL with clearing my name. Francis is more important!" Charlotte was so angry tears were flooding down her cheeks, and her voice quivered as she spoke. Charlotte watched as Jane tried to say something, but turned and walked out of her bedroom.
Marie looked at Charlotte and saw the fire in her eyes, she saw a mother protecting its cub. "That was cruel of you, Charlotte, it was beneath you. You're better than that," Marie told Charlotte. She went on with, "You don't understand how hard it was for Jane to do what she had to do, how she agonized over it. She didn't want to order Francis not to tell you what was going on, but it was necessary for you to learn how it felt what Toby was going to be put through. And he won't be getting any answers either. You had to understand what Jane and I are going to do when Toby arrives on Monday. Jane is furious because of the injustice that put you here, even though it has greatly helped Francis. Jane had another boy sent to her, under false pretenses, and vowed she'd never let it happen again."
Marie saw the fire die in Charlotte's eyes, as she said, "But she hurt Francis, Marie. That wasn't right. Francis has nothing to do with my learning how Toby was going to feel when he was run through the same gauntlet. She was an innocent bystander, who was threatened one way and wrought with anxiety the other way. And she crashed. Rationality can't be used to hurt another person, it isn't right."
In all the years she and Jane had been working with the boys sent to them, never had she seen two of their girls who were more worried about the other one than themselves. Charlotte was willing to throw away the chance to clear her name in order to see that Francis never got hurt. She was willing to throw herself on the sword instead of letting the sword reach Francis. Marie could only shake her head at seeing such self sacrifice. "Cheri, I think you have some place you need to go. I'll look after our Francis."
Marie's soft words found their way to Francis, who told Charlotte, "She's right, Charlotte. Jane needs you right now."
Marie sat down on the bed and took Francis in her arms, nodding her head towards the open bedroom door. Not caring how she looked, or caring if Jane was upset by her look, Charlotte let Marie take Francis and left her bedroom. She went down the stairs, to the study and knocked on the study doors. When there was no response, she opened the door, entered the study, closed the door behind her and walked over to Jane's desk, where Jane sat with her head on the top of the desk. Charlotte walked around behind the desk and pulled Jane to her and held her, as Jane cried on her shoulder. What Jane couldn't see were more tears finding their way out of Charlotte's eyes and down off her face. One thought sped through Charlotte's mind as she held Jane, 'Why is it so hard to be human?'
She voiced that thought by asking, "Why is it so damn hard to be human, Aunt Jane? If we do this, there will be someone who thinks it's wrong. If we do that, someone else will think it's wrong. If we don't do what someone wants, they think we're wrong for not doing what they wanted. This person says this is right, and another disagrees. We're told this is how things are, only to learn it's a lie. Aren't there any truths a person can lean on to have a happy life, Aunt Jane? Truths that hold up no matter the situation?"
She laid her head down on Jane's back, and let the tears flow. Everything had caught up with Charlotte, the lie of her involvement in the shoplifting, hearing what George Strom told Judge Ruth if she wasn't punished, the loss of being at school, the loss of being with her parents, the loss of being herself, and now watching as her friend was placed in a situation where she would be wrong no matter what she did. It was Jane's turn to hold Charlotte as the girl let out an agonizing wail, which continued as they both felt arms incircle them. It had been Charlotte's wailing that brought Marie and Francis into the study, the two having heard Charlotte even from Charlotte's bedroom, and the doors of the study closed.
They held each other for what seemed like hours, but lasted for only fifteen minutes. When Charlotte had cried herself out she said, "I've buggered things, haven't I. I got angry with you Aunt Jane because you did what was necessary. And it wasn't you who put Francis in that untenable situation, it was me, by asking her those questions. I ruined what you were trying to have me learn, I am sorry Aunt Jane. Truly I am."
Charlotte had to stop talking, as her voice was no longer steady. Jane pushed Charlotte away so she could look into her eyes and told her, "Never, ever, apologize for standing up for your friends. I should have realized how close you and Francis had become, and it was her you'd go to for answers. I put us all in a no-win situation, Charlotte. But to answer your current questions. Humans are not simple animals, with simple needs. We are more than finding food, mating, and running from predators. Humans are more complicated because their brains are more complicated, and that complication can cause untold problems when it involves relationships. We are not rational creatures, Charlotte, even though there are those who try to make that claim. Given the right circumstances, even those people will break down into being a mere human. Truths, constant truths? Ones you can hold onto in every situation? Many claim to have a constant truth, Charlotte, until they are put into a situation that is out of their comfort zone. Then their truth breaks down. There is a truth that can stay true in any situation if a person has the understanding of what it is and how to use it. It's quite simple, but hard to follow, always be true to yourself. Always be centered in what you believe. Never let others sway you because they disapprove of your beliefs, as long as your beliefs don't harm others. Never let others expect you to believe as they do, unless you've delved into what they've said and find it to be true. And be true to your own beliefs. Charlotte, we actually control our own lives, by how we respond, or react, to any given situation. And it's when we are not centered that problems arise. If you watch those others, you will find they are true to themselves. They know themselves. They are confident of themselves and what they can and can't do. They have a good sense of self worth, and know what they want out of life. And they do it all without the need to harm others. They will even become shepherds to others, helping them gain a better understanding of themselves. They are the people whose funeral is filled to overflowing because of the compassion, true compassion, they had for others. And it was all because they were true to themselves, Charlotte."
Author's Note: When I first wrote Complicit In a Lie, I had no thoughts, or ideas, to write a sequel. But thanks to a few readers, who asked about a sequel, ideas formed that made writing this sequel possible. It is necessary to have read Complicit In a Lie to understand why Charles is now with Jane, who the boy arriving in Kingston is and how he's involved in Charles' Court case. And to understand where Mr. Corporate, George Strom, fits into this story. This story starts off after Charles says, "When do we start," in Complicit in a Lie. So if you haven't read Complicit In a Lie, the beginning of this story won't make any sense. Hint hint!
Silence lingered for a time after what Jane told the girls. It gave the girls time to start thinking about what it was Jane had really meant. Because it was something neither girl had ever heard before. Jane broke the silence as she said, "Girls. I think we need some fresh air. Charlotte, have you ever rode a horse before? There are some excellent trails on my property, which allow a rider to ride at a leisurely pace. And if we're lucky we might see some of the animals that live on my property."
Jane saw the expression on the girl's face, before Charlotte said, "Um, Aunt Jane. I once rode a pony at a fair when I was younger. All it did was walk around in a circle."
Jane saw the apprehensive look on Charlotte's face, then said, "Charlotte, all of the horses I buy are very gentle. They have to be gentle because like you, many of the girls who come to me have never ridden." Jane then took in the girl's faces, and realized her's must look the same. "And girls, if I look like the two of you, then I must look like a raccoon also, so we need to freshen our faces. Charlotte, Marie will go with you and show you the proper clothing, and footwear, a young lady wears when riding. If you have trouble getting dressed, Francis can assist you, as she's ridden with me and knows how to dress properly. And make sure you fix your faces properly, or our riding will be delayed as you're sent back to your rooms to fix your mistakes."
Both girls replied with, "Yes, Aunt Jane," before following Marie out of the study.
Jane sat for a few minutes longer, thinking back through the decisions she'd made that caused this all to happen. "How could I not see how close those two have become without doing what I did? How could I not see how far Francis has come to be concerned about someone other than herself, except by doing what I had to do?" She finished talking to herself, closed her eyes, looked towards the ceiling and told herself, "I must be more careful or this might happen again. And it can't happen while Toby is here." Jane sighed, opened her eyes, lowered her head, got up from her chair and walked out of the study and headed to her bedroom to get dressed for riding and to reapply her own makeup. It had been a stressful morning.
Marie went with Charlotte into her bedroom, walking into Charlotte's closet after opening the door. She then pointed out the pants, top, and boots Charlotte would be wearing to ride in, then took her to the dresser and showed her the undergarments Charlotte should wear so her legs and bottom didn't get chapped while riding. Before leaving Charlotte's bedroom, Marie told her to clean her face after undressing and before getting dressed in their riding clothes. And to redo her makeup after she put the top on, in order not to smear her makeup. Once Marie was sure Charlotte knew what to wear for riding, she went back downstairs to see about Jane.
Marie walked to the end of a hall forbidden to the girls, and entered Jane's bedroom without knocking. As she entered, she found Jane sitting on her bed, her head in her hands. Marie sat down on the bed beside Jane, put her arm around her and pulled Jane to her. "Don't beat yourself up over what happened, you know it had to be done, mon amie. You also had to know how far Francis had progressed in caring for others. Do you know why this time hurt more than the other times?" Jane looked up at Marie when she'd asked her question. When Jane didn't answer her, Marie said, "Because Charles shouldn't be here. Because he's caught up in an injustice, just like Kennth. And you're angry that Ruth had no choice but to send him here or he would be facing additional charges in Federal Court. And, because he is where we want all of our girls to eventually be before leaving us. We can't help her academically because she is beyond our abilities. But we can help him learn how to accept his feminie side and experience how girls feel most of the time when they leave their homes. Charlotte has already had one experience, but we both know there are many more that don't involve putting people to sleep."
Jane chuckled when Marie mentioned the boy Charlotte decked when he tried to hit her. "Yes, our Charlotte can certainly take care of herself," Jane told Marie. Then Jane said, "I vowed never to do this again, Marie. After Kennth, I swore I'd never let another boy be sent to us who shouldn't be here." Jane sighed, then continued with, "But if he hadn't been sent to us he'd be facing more charges in Federal Court. Charges that would be based on a lie." Then Jane hissed, "Damnitall."
Marie patted Jane's knee then told her, "Go, get yourself ready to ride. Go show Charlotte your babies. Show them a good time in the fresh air, you three need it." Jane nodded her head before kissing Marie on the cheek, and thanking her for her counsel. Marie left Jane to get herself ready to ride, and fix her face, while she went to check on the girls. She could do with some quiet time of her own.
Jane took a bit longer getting dressed, and remaking her face, than the girls because she had more on her mind than the girls. When she finally emerged from her bedroom, dressed for riding and her makeup immaculately applied, she found the girls sitting on the bench waiting for her. She had both stand and walked around both girls to inspect them with a critical eye. She then used the same critical eye to check their makeup, holding each girl's chin and turning their heads left and right. "I see Marie had given you both pointers with your clothing. I hope you both thanked her and will remember what she taught you. And you're both doing better applying your makeup." Critical Jane had returned, but not tyrannical Jane. She would return Monday, with a vengeance. With a smile on her face, Jane told the girls, "Let's go out so you can meet my babies, Charlotte. I know they'd like to meet both of you."
They followed Jane down the hall past where the bench sat, and out a back door. As they walked to the stable, Jane explained to Charlotte how to act around her horses, or any horse for that matter. And that she'd teach her how to saddle the horse she chose to ride, and what had to be done after they brought the horses back to the stable. When they reached the stable, and went inside, three of the four horses whinnied as they saw Jane and Francis. One of the horses, a Pinto, was standing in the back of its stall, an uneasy look about it. Francis walked over to a basket holding apples, took one and walked over to the horse she'd ridden before. As Charlotte watched, Francis held the apple in her flat hand and offered it to 'her' horse, with the horse readily accepting her offer. Jane did the same, only with the other two horses. When Jane turned her attention to Charlotte, she saw her standing at the stall of the Pinto, looking at the horse. "Why is this one afraid, Aunt Jane?"
Jane walked over to stand by Charlotte before telling her, "She's had a bad experience with her last owner. The fool thought he knew everything about horses and how to train them. Unfortunately, a whip seldom gets a horse to do what you want."
Without saying a word, Charlotte walked over to the basket and took two apples, putting one in the pocket of her riding pants. She then walked back over to the Pinto's stall, and extending her arm, held one of the apples in the flat of her hand. And waited. Jane backed away, sat down on a bale of straw, and watched.
The muscles in Charlotte's extended arm were starting to scream, but she was determined not to drop her arm, as she held the apple out to the Pinto. She saw the Pinto thinking of coming to her, as it had moved its front left leg in her direction, but pulled it back instead. Even with the muscles in her arm screaming at her, she resolved to help this frightened animal. Looking the horse in the eye, Charlotte told it, "Come on, sweetheart, I won't hurt you. I'd never think of hurting you. You are a beautiful horse, and need someone to care for you. I do know how you're feeling, being scared, I was scared before coming to this place. I didn't know how I was going to be treated, or what I would have to do. But three people have helped me get over my fears, and I'd like to help you get over yours." As Charlotte softly spoke to the horse, she saw it take its first tentative step in her direction, and continued softly encouraging it to come to her. She remained statue still, as the Pinto sniffed the apple in her hand before taking it. She continued talking to the horse softly as she gently rubbed the horse's muzzle. Even though she knew nothing about horses, other than they were big, she knew enough about responses to know when the Pinto pushed its muzzle into her ministrations of its muzzle, it liked what she was doing. It walked forward until its chest was up against the stall gate, allowing it to extend its head out into the stable. Charlotte then extended her rubbing to follow down as far as she could to the horse's left flank. While rubbing the Pinto's left flank, the horse gently moved its head and started rubbing the left side of Charlotte's face. She slowly brought her arms up and used both hands to gently rub both sides of the horse's face, before pulling out the second apple and offering it to the Pinto.
She then did something that caused Jane to stand, and almost shouted for her to stop, as she opened the gate to the stall and took a step towards the big horse. She wrapped her arms around the big horse's neck and hugged it, feeling the horse put its head on her back. They stayed like that for some minutes before Jane heard Charlotte ask the horse, "Would you like to go riding with me? I've never been on a real horse before so I'm kind of scared being up on one of you." She pulled back so she could look the horse in the eye then asked, "How about it, will you let me ride you?" She got her answer as the horse again gently started rubbing the left side of her face with its large head. Charlotte smiled then said, "I take that is a yes?" She again wrapped her arms around the big animals' neck, hugging it as it laid its head again on her back. Jane just shook her head as she watched Charlotte interact with the Pinto. In the two months she'd had the horse, it had never reacted to anyone the way she watched it react to Charlotte. Perhaps it knew it had found a human who knew exactly how it was feeling, Jane mused to herself. And knew exactly how the human was feeling.
Jane walked over to one wall where bridles were hung, and took one down. She turned to Charlotte and siad, "Charlotte, see if Pinto will follow you out of the stall. We need to put a bridle on her if you're to ride her." With her hand on the big horse's neck, Charlotte coaxed Pinto out of its stall and to where Jane was standing holding the bridle. But the minute Pinto saw the bridle she backed up until she was again in her stall and standing against the back wall. Puzzled, Charlotte slowly walked into the stall and up to the horse, speaking softly as she moved. "It's okay, Pinto. Aunt Jane isn't going to hurt you. You can trust her like you trust me, since I won't let anything hurt you." Jane slowly followed behind Charlotte but when she raised the bridle, Pinto quickly moved off to a corner of the stall.
Jane thought back to what she'd been told about Pinto, and an idea struck her, as she left the stall and came back empty handed. Charlotte was standing next to Pinto, trying to calm her, as Jane slowly approached with her hands clearly visible. Pinto let Jane get close enough that Jane was able to stroke its muzzle, and in doing so noticed something that angered her. She gently put her hand on the right side of Pinto's muzzle and moved the big horse's head so she could look at the other side of its mouth. "Stupid fool," she hissed, and rubbed Pinto's muzzle again before leaving the stall.
This time as she slowly entered the stall, she was carrying a hackamore, a bridle without a bit. This time when she held it up, Pinto didn't move, but let Jane put the hackamore on her. "Charlotte look here," Jane told Charlotte, as she pointed to the corner of Pinto's mouth. "See this long scar, there's a matching one on the other side of her mouth. That fool I bought her from not only abused her with a whip, but with a bridle as well. That's why she shied away when she saw the bridle. This hackamore won't hurt her mouth but will allow you to control her just the same." Jane backed away so she was standing in front of Pinto and had Charlotte try to lead Pinto out of the stall by the reins attached to the hackamore. Pulling gently, and speaking softly to Pinto, Charlotte urged Pinto to come with her. Since the big horse wasn't being hurt by the hackamore, she followed Charlotte and she was led out of the stall.
As Charlotte was leading Pinto out of her stall, Jane told her, "Take her to your right, Charlotte, outside through that end of the stables." As Jane followed the two, she picked up a rubber curry comb off the shelf near where the bridles were hung. Catching up with the two, she told Charlotte to stop Pinto when they were just outside the stable. Jane stood in front of Pinto and showed her the curry comb, looking for any reaction from the horse. When she saw none, she told Charlotte, "I'm going to show you how to use a curry comb. I prefer to use rubber ones since they are gentler than the metal ones." Jane talked as she started using the comb on Pinto, explaining, "You want to move in circular motions, be firm but gentle at the same time. This will work off any loose hair or dirt that's accumulated on the horse's skin. Here, you try it now," and Jane handed the curry comb to Charlotte.
Jane was about to tell Charlotte not to start on Pinto's muzzle, but as she watched Charlotte curried the horse's muzzle, she realized Pinto actually liked it. As Jane watched she realized Charlotte seemed to have an instinct for currying a horse. After Pinto's muzzle, Charlotte then started at the top of Pinto's head and worked down the side of her head to beneath her jaw. She then started on Pinto's back and worked her way to Pinto's belly. This she did the entire length of Pinto on both sides of the horse. And Pinto did move a muscle. In fact, as Jane stood watching, she swore the horse had gone to sleep, since its eyes were closed.
When Charlotte had finished currying the other side of Pinto, she walked back to stand in front of the big horse. She handed the comb to Jane then using both hands, started stroking the sides of Pinto's face, while calling her name. "Pinto, sweetheart, did you go to sleep on me?" Pinto's eyes blinked open, and she whinnied before stepping forward and began rubbing the side of Charlotte's face with the side of her muzzle. As Pinto rubbed the side of Charlotte's face, she softly told the big horse, "Ah, you're welcome." Jane just stood there watching, amazed at the bond Charlotte had formed in a short time with a horse no one could do anything with in the two months Jane had her. It seemed to Jane, as she watched the interaction between Pinto and Charlotte, whether it was horse or human, when they meet and recognize a need, it doesn't take long for a mutual bond to form. And one had definitely formed between Pinto and Charlotte today. Then Jane thought to herself, 'Now, if that moron hasn't ruined her for a saddle.'
Jane went back into the tack room, and came back out with a saddle blanket. She started to walk in front of Pinto, stopped and told Charlotte, "Charlotte, take this saddle blanket and hold it out while standing in front of Pinto. We need to know if she's had a bad experience with something like it."
Charlotte took the offered blanket, and standing in front of Pinto, held it up for her to see. Pinto sniffed it, then stepped forward and again rubbed her muzzle against the side of Charlotte's face. "Well, Aunt Jane, guess Pinto is okay with this blanket. What now?"
Jane surveyed Pinto with a critical eye, looking for any minute indications she was nervous. Seeing none, she told Charlotte, "Walk around so you're standing by her left flank, and place the blanket on her back, with the long side hanging down on the top of her flanks. That's it. Now, walk her around by the reins, and let's see if it bothers her." Charlotte took the reins in her right hand, and started walking to Pinto's right. She didn't really pull the reins to get Pinto to follow her, Pinto actually started walking after Charlotte on her own; the reins were slack the whole time.
Jane had Charlotte bring Pinto back where they'd started, and watched as Charlotte softly spoke to the horse, telling her how good she was doing. Charlotte didn't see Jane go back into the tack room or return carrying a saddle. "Charlotte," Jane said, getting Charlotte's attention again, "here is the saddle you'll be using to ride Pinto. Take it and do the exact same thing you did with the saddle blanket. If that fool I bought her from has spoiled her for a saddle, she'll let us know right away." Jane first showed Charlotte how to hold the saddle for carrying, and taking the saddle from Jane, again stood in front of Pinto. Again, Jane appraised the horse, again looking for any minute indication Pinto was afraid of the saddle.
She was rather surprised when Charlotte asked Pinto, "Well, what do you think? Is this saddle okay with you?" She was even more surprised when Pinto whinnied then nodded its head up and down, almost as though it completely understood what Charlotte had asked.
Jane then pulled a step box over from the side of the stable, positioned it near Pinto's left side and said to Charlotte, "She's doing fine so far," Jane chuckled and continued with, "even acting like she understands everything you're saying. Okay. Again, go over to her left side and step up on the step box. Go slowly, let's let her get used to you moving around her carrying something. You're high enough so putting the saddle on her will be easier. The part standing proud of the saddle is called the pammel, it goes in front, towards her head. When you place the saddle on her back, for now, be gentle, we still don't know how she'll react with it on her back. As you put it on her back, make sure the right side stirrup and cinch strap don't get hung up under the saddle, which is why it's best if you place them over the saddle toward you as you put the saddle on. Once the saddle is on, you can then let them down from the other side." Jane watched as Charlotte did as Jane had instructed, first putting the right side stirrup then the cinch strap over the saddle as Jane had said, then gently setting the saddle on her back. 'So far so good,' Jane thought to herself. 'Now we'll see how she takes to the cinch strap.' "All right, Charlotte. Go around to the far side and, reaching under Pinto, hand me the cinch strap, then come back around so I can show you how to affix the cinch strap." As Charlotte walked back around to where Jane was standing, Jane had been explaining about tightening the cinch strap. "Remember, Charlotte, you want the cinch strap tight enough so the saddle is firmly on your horse's back, but not so tight that your horse has trouble breathing. You also have to understand, if you don't get it tight enough in the beginning, and as you ride, the cinch strap loosens, you and the saddle might find yourselves on the ground. In that case, the saddle will get dirty or banged up, you might be in worse shape."
As Charlotte watched, Jane lifted the left stirrup out of her way as she held the cinch strap in her left hand. She then ran, what she called the latigo, through the buckle at the end of the cinch strap with her right hand, then pulled it up and ran it down through a 'D' ring on the saddle. She brought it across itself in the front, then went back through the 'D' ring from behind and down through the opening created when she crossed the latigo over itself. Much like tying a tie. Jane undid everything and showed Charlotte the steps again, before taking it apart and having Charlotte make the tie. She had Charlotte untie the latigo and tie it again. When Charlotte had finished her third tie, Jane shook the saddle to make sure it was secure, complimenting Charlotte on a nice job of securing the cinch strap.
All through securing the saddle to Pinto, Pinto had stood patiently. Now as Charlotte lowered the left stirrup, Pinto brought her head around and gently nudged Charlotte, whinnying and nodding her head. "Aunt Jane, I think someone wants to go for a ride."
Chuckling, Jane told Charlotte, "It does appear that way. But first, walk her around a bit, then we can see if she's comfortable with the saddle on her back, and then we'll recheck the cinch strap again before we go on our ride." As Charlotte did before, she walked off to Pinto's right, with the horse not so much being led, but following after Charlotte; the reins again were slack. After three circuits, Jane had Charlotte stop Pinto where they'd put the saddle on her, and rechecked the cinch strap, having to untie the latigo and pull a bit of slack out of the cinch strap before retying the latigo.
"Take Pinto to the tank, over there," and Jane pointed to a water tank just off the stable, "and see if she'll take some water. If she doesn't take any, then she doesn't need it, so don't try and force her to drink. While you're doing that I'll get my horse and help Francis get her horse ready. Once you see if she'll take some water, bring her back and let her stand in the shade. There's no since having her get hot before we go riding."
After going back into the stable, Jane checked to see if Francis had any trouble saddling her horse, double checking she'd tied the latigo properly. Satisfied with Francis' work, she took her horse out of its stall and got it ready to ride. Leading their horses out of the stable, Jane told Francis to ride abreast of Charlotte, watching for any signs Pinto was about to bolt. When the two reached Charlotte, Jane then instructed her how to mount Pinto, which took Charlotte a couple of tries before she finally sat atop Pinto. As Jane watched Charlotte finally get into the saddle, she swore Pinto acted like a human saying, 'jezzz,' as Pinto first brought her head up then down, then moved it side to side. Jane handed the reins to Charlotte, showing her how to guide Pinto if she wanted to go left, right, or to stop. Francis, having already mounted her horse, watched as Jane mounted hers and led off down a path leading away from the stable. As instructed, Francis rode next to Charlotte, talking to her about nothing in particular, just to help keep Charlotte calm if she was nervous.
Jane had been right, there was some pretty views on her land, as Charlotte took in all of the greenery, flowers, birds, and smells. There was a freshness of the area, both to the eye and the nose. Jane led them to a small pond, tucked away behind a tall stand of trees and flowering bushes. When Francis and Charlotte had stopped their horses next to Jane, she asked Charlotte, "Is Pinto doing all right? Have you had any problems with her? And how are you doing, for your first time on a real horse?"
Six pairs of eyes turned to look at Charlotte, Pinto's being the third pair. She had turned her head as far as she could, and was looking at Charlotte after Jane asked her questions. Charlotte reached down and patted Pinto on the side of her neck, before telling Jane, "She's been a gem, Aunt Jane. She's been gentle with me for my first time on a horse. And it seems she's enjoying the ride. I have noticed one thing though, my butt is a bit sore right now. But otherwise, when can we ride again?"
Jane nodded her head when Charlotte mentioned her butt, something new riders discover after a while. Both Jane and Francis chuckled, with Jane saying, "Your body isn't used to how you're sitting, Charlotte. You're astride something with a wide body, whereas your body is used to sitting in some type of chair. The muscles in your legs will likely be sore after our ride, so you'll need to soak in a warm bath when we get back to the house."
Two things hadn't gone unnoticed by Jane, how Pinto reacted when Jane questioned Charlotte, and that Pinto whinnied when she and Francis chuckled at hearing about Charlotte's butt. Jane got the feeling Pinto actually understood human speech. The three sat quietly on their horses, for some time, listening and watching the life on and around the pond. They saw a family of Mallards moving across the surface of the water on the far side of the pond. A bullfrog loudly called from the reeds off to their right. And the mournful call of a Loon seemed to fill the entire pond. Jane reined her horse to the left, then told the girls, "Come on, girls, let's continue on."
Charlotte had enjoyed looking at the pond, with its serenity and beauty, and had barely moved the reins to the left as Pinto turned left and started following Jane's horse. Feeling confident, Charlotte leaned down close to Pinto's left ear and told her, as she gently patted her neck, "You're doing fine, Pinto. Thank you." Pinto threw her head up and down, just as though she was saying 'you're welcome.' The path Jane led them on, traversed a good portion of one corner of her property. Allowing them to move from the lush green of that surrounding the pond, to grassy, to slightly hilly. The path returned them to the stable from a different direction than when they'd left, a little over an hour later.
Jane and Francis couldn't help themselves and laughed, as they watched Charlotte get down off Pinto, and immediately found it difficult to stand without learning about her sore legs and butt. She tried to walk around but found it difficult to walk correctly because her thigh muscles didn't want to cooperate. She even put her hands on her butt, as she walked, trying to ease the pain she was feeling. It didn't help when Pinto whinnied and just shook her head, causing Charlotte to walk her best until she was standing in front of her horse. "Oh, so you think it's funny my legs are sore and my butt hurts, do you?" Pinto whinnied again and threw her head up and down. Smarting from the pain she felt, but with a grin on her face, Charlotte told Pinto, "See if I give you any more apples, you big goof." This seemed to set Pinto off, as she continued whinnying for several minutes, just as though she was laughing.
More serious now, Jane instructed Charlotte to remove Pinto's saddle and blanket, then walk her around and see if she'd take some water. She then showed Charlotte how to tell if Pinto had cooled down, before showing her how to brush Pinto before putting her back in her stall. All three horses were then given fresh feed to eat at their leisure, as Jane and Francis walked back to the house, with Charlotte approximating someone walking beside them. Marie met them as the three entered the house, noticing how Charlotte was walking. She chuckled then told Charlotte, "Ah, mon cheri, you take a hot bath, and soak. When you're done I'll rub some cream on those parts now screaming at you. It will help with your outside, but you'll have to be patient with your inside and let it get better."
It was hard for Jane not to laugh out loud, as she watched Charlotte start to climb the stairs, saying with each step, "Gawd, that hurts! Oww, gawd that hurts!" Francis had followed Charlotte slowly up the stairs, and when she was out of sight, the two women did chuckle, with Marie asking Jane, "How did she do, cheri?"
Marie looked shocked when Jane told her, "She rode Pinto." Both women had tried for the two months Pinto had been with Jane, to get Pinto out of her stall, even interact with them. But she would have none of it, she stayed as Charlotte had first seen her, only coming up towards the gate of the stall to eat.
"How could she have ridden Pinto, it wouldn't even do anything for either of us?" Jane smiled, told Marie she needed a cup of tea, before they sat down at the kitchen table and Jane told Marie everything that had happened. Including her belief that Pinto actually understood human speech.
Author's Note: When I first wrote Complicit In a Lie, I had no thoughts, or ideas, to write a sequel. But thanks to a few readers, who asked about a sequel, ideas formed that made writing this sequel possible. It is necessary to have read Complicit In a Lie to understand why Charles is now with Jane, who the boy arriving in Kingston is and how he's involved in Charles' Court case. And to understand where Mr. Corporate, George Strom, fits into this story. This story starts off after Charles says, "When do we start," in Complicit in a Lie. So if you haven't read Complicit In a Lie, the beginning of this story won't make any sense. Hint hint!
After telling Marie about how Charlotte and Pinto interacted, Jane went to her bedroom to clean up after their ride, while Marie, still shaking her head, went up the stairs to Charlotte's bedroom. It wasn't long after Jane left the kitchen that Marie, Francis, and Charlotte appeared in the kitchen and began getting things out of the cabinets, drawers, and refrigerator needed to set the table for supper. As Marie watched Charlotte, she couldn't help chuckle to herself as she watched Charlotte carefully move or she'd hear, "Oww...gawd that hurts," as she'd stooped to get something out of a cabinet, or reach high in a cabinet too quickly. Marie thought back to the recent conversations she and Jane had about Charlotte, and how Marie felt there was a reason Charlotte had been sent to them. Now, after hearing how Pinto had responded to Charlotte, not only coming out of her stall but allowing Charlotte to ride her, Marie was more convinced than ever that Charlotte had been sent to them for more than just to keep her out of a Federal Court. And she honestly felt Charlotte's real task was yet to come. Marie's musing ended as the girls came back into the kitchen to help her prepare the food they would be having for supper. And she continued chuckling to herself as she often heard, "Oww...gawd, when will it stop hurting?" coming from Charlotte.
It was hard for Francis to not laugh a little, as Charlotte gingerly reached to place items on the dining room table. Or not to laugh as they all watched as Charlotte took her seat at the table to eat. She kept shifting in her chair, trying to find a spot on her bottom that didn't complain as she sat her weight on that spot. Charlotte looked up and caught all three women smirking and chuckling at Charlotte's predicament, and told them, "It's not funny, it hurts." She tried to keep a straight face but she couldn't, and laughed along with the other three at the table.d
"Charlotte," Jane started, "you'll be sore for a few days because you've used muscles not normally used. It'd be the case no matter what new event you tried. Unless you use a particular muscle group regularly, you will end up sore afterwards. Perhaps tomorrow we can ride again, so your body can adjust to riding a horse. And I believe Pinto would enjoy another time with you."
As she usually did, Jane used their meals as a learning session, after they'd discussed the possibility of riding again tomorrow. Jane asked about a current event that happened a day ago, and what both girls thought. When both confessed they knew nothing about the event, they received a stern look and gained another assignment to read the newspaper Jane received and to look at a website she named which provided good information about recent events. And they'd be asked their thoughts at every meal from now on.
After finishing supper, Jane retired to the study, while Charlotte and Francis cleared the table and helped Marie in the kitchen. The girls left the kitchen when their work was done, with Francis going into the library to start on her current events assignment, and believing Charlotte had gone up to her bedroom. It was a half hour later when Francis had gone looking for Charlotte, that she ended up knocking on the study door. She heard Jane say, "Enter," before she entered the Study and closed the door behind her. Marie and Jane had been talking before Francis entered the Study, but after Francis' question of, "Have either of you seen Charlotte?" Both women went into action. Jane told Francis to go with Marie and search the house, she didn't want Francis to know about the cameras she monitored in the study. Jane opened the cabinet and turned the monitor on and began changing from camera to camera in search of Charlotte. There were a few rooms in her house without cameras, but they were kept locked at all times. As she changed between interior cameras to exterior cameras, something caught her eye as she viewed the image from the camera that watched the back of her house. There was a soft light being emitted from the stable, which should have been dark. She shut down the monitor, closed the cabinet doors, locked it, before going in search of Marie and Francis. She had a good idea where they'd find Charlotte.
"How're you doing girl?" Charlotte asked Pinto, as she gently used the curry comb on 'her' horse. "I had a good time with you today, and Aunt Jane said we might ride again tomorrow. Would you like that?" Pinto threw her head up and down, the whinnied, again acting as though she understood every word Charlotte said. "You know, one day I'll be able to go home, a home I miss, and parents I miss. I'll hate leaving here, and you. Aunt Jane, though strict at times, has become like my real Aunt. There are times I'd like to have a real Aunt like her. And Marie, I really like her. And this is the first time I've been a sister to a sister, feels kind of good, since I'm an only child. There, all done, you should be feeling better now."
When Charlotte finished currying Pinto, the horse turned until she was facing Charlotte, walked forward and placed its head on her shoulder, letting her hug its neck as she cried. She missed her family, school, her life, such as it was. She missed buying the present she had planned on buying for her mom's 35th birthday. She was going to miss her mom's birthday. Because of her sheltered life, she still had no idea why someone would lie about her being involved in a crime, causing her to be sent here with Jane and Marie.
Pinto had remained silent, even though she saw the three standing outside her stall, watching and listening. "Well, girl, I guess I better get back to the house and let you get some sleep. I hope no one is angry with me needing to come and see you, you seem to understand how I'm feeling right now. Someone wronged you too." She then kissed Pinto on her muzzle, turned and froze, as she took in Jane, Marie, and Francis standing just outside Pinto's stall. She then did the one thing Jane absolutely hated to see her do, she shrugged her shoulders before saying, "I needed to be with her right now. I needed to be with her because she knows how I'm feeling right now." As Charlotte looked at the three women, Francis was nodding her head. Marie had a look of understanding, and compassion on her face. But Jane. Jane had her Jane face on, even though inside she was crying because of what she heard Charlotte tell Pinto.
"What do you mean coming out here without telling anyone, young lady? We searched the entire house looking for you, because you didn't tell anyone where you were going. Well, not any more. From now on you don't go anywhere unless you get permission from me. You don't go to your bedroom, the bathroom, anywhere, without MY permission. DO. YOU. UNDERSTAND. ME?"
Even though Jane acted angry with Charlotte, the girl saw through Jane, and walked up to her, put her arms around Jane and told her, "And I love you too, Aunt Jane." Jane fought hard not to let tears well up in her eyes, but lost the battle.
She too loved this young girl, as though she was her very own niece. But she had to be herself with her right now and asked Charlotte, "Did you understand what I just said, Charlotte? You go nowhere without my permission!"
Jane didn't see the trap she just laid, one Charlotte was about to point out to her. "Yes, Aunt Jane. I understand and I'm sorry I worried you. But how'd you know I was in the stable? And if I have to ask for permission before going anywhere, that will mean I'll have to come and find you if I wish to go to sleep or shower, or go in and out of the kitchen when helping get our meals ready. It will mean I'll need your permission to go into and out of my closet when I get dressed, or to and from my dresser and vanity. It will mean I'll have to find you and get your permission when I'm studying in the library and need to get a book from one of the shelves. Or even walk around the Study with the book balanced on my head. It will mean..." But Charlotte never finished what she was about to say to Jane. She'd been hugging Jane as she spoke, so couldn't see Marie or Francis' faces, both holding their hands over their mouths to keep from laughing.
Jane hadn't been specific in her instructions, and Charlotte was reminding Jane of that fact with what she'd told Jane. "All right, Charlotte, you may stop now. I get your point. I would have to be with you joined at the hip in order for you to follow my instructions. Impertinent child. Then let me amend my instructions. You do not leave the house without my permission." She then reached down, took Charlotte's chin in her right hand, lifted it until she was looking into Charlotte's eyes and asked, "Is THAT clear enough for you, young lady?"
Charlotte nodded her head then said, "Yes, Aunt Jane. Quite clear," as tears slid down her cheeks. "And thank you for caring about me so much."
Jane looked up to the underside of the stable roof and said, "Why do you make it so hard for me to be angry with you, you sweet child," and pulled Charlotte into a hug, letting her own tears fall as they may.
Charlotte hadn't closed the gate to Pinto's stall, when she'd turned and walked out to hug Jane. Jane was looking down at Charlotte when she felt something heavy lay across her left shoulder. When she looked up she saw Pinto standing there, with her head on Jane's shoulder. She felt, more than saw, the concern coming from Pinto, as said aloud, "Not only do I have a petulant child, but a horse too." It wasn't planned, or rehearsed, but together, as on cue, Charlotte laughed at the same time Pinto whinnied. Jane looked at Pinto and told her, "You, back in your stall." Then looking down at Charlotte, she said, "And you, young miss, a shower then bed." Pinto was standing there looking at Jane, with what Jane could only believe was a smile on the horse's muzzle. "Well, what are you looking at? Go on, get back into your stall, this girl needs her sleep." And she reached up and gently stroked Pinto's muzzle, softly telling her, "And so do you." As Charlotte had done, she leaned forward and lightly kissed Pinto's muzzle, before watching Pinto walk backwards into her stall. Jane was now trusted by Pinto.
Francis closed the gate for Pinto's stall, and walking alongside Marie, the two followed Jane and Charlotte back to the house. Jane's arm around Charlotte's shoulder as Charlotte leaned into Jane as they walked. Marie's words to Jane about Charlotte came back to her, as they'd watched a horse they'd had for two months, a horse that had been abused by its former owner, a horse who wouldn't so much as come to the gate of its stall for them, give its trust to a young girl who gave her trust to the horse. And because of the trust it had been given, and how it saw the girl being treated, it finally gave its trust to them. Marie knew she'd been right in what she told Jane, Charlotte was here for more than to be kept out of Federal Court. Much more.
Jane went up to Charlotte's bedroom with her, and Marie with Francis. As Charlotte took off her shoes and dress, and as she was standing before Jane in her bra, panties, garter belt and stocking, Jane inspected Charlotte's appearance before telling her, "While you shower you need to save yourself. I see a bit of hair that needs to be removed before it becomes noticeable to others. And soak yourself in the bath after showering, it will help ease some of the soreness you're still feeling. I'll return after you're through in the bathroom." After Jane left Charlotte sat down on her bed and removed her stockings, before taking off the garter belt and putting both back in the correct drawers in the dresser. She then took out a clean bra and matching panties, and taking her robe with her, went into the bathroom to do as Jane had instructed. Charlotte's mind started to wander as she waited for the water to get hot, and continued to wander as she stepped into the bathtub and started letting the warm water wash over her body. She thought back to Taylor's on that day, and everything she'd done. She thought about being accused of a crime she knew she hadn't been involved with. She thought back to her parents, school, and the life she had, and compared it all to what she now had. She was with two women who, while firm in their demands, did so out of love for her and Francis. A love for wanting them to have a better life than they previously had. She also thought back to Jane telling her she was at the stage Jane wanted all her girls to be before leaving her, and if that was so, then why had she been sent here and not to a detention center? She thought back to earlier today, and how Pinto responded to her, even though she'd been with Jane for two months. Why had Pinto responded to her and not Jane or Marie? Surely both could be trusted by Pinto? Or was it because they reminded her of the man who'd abused her? She also thought back to getting Jane angry with her because she left the house without asking Jane. But how Jane found it hard to be angry with her. Her thoughts continued as she rinsed shampoo off her hair and applied the conditioner.
She now thought back to her time in the holding cell with the other three boys, the ones who'd been caught shoplifting at Taylor's. She clearly saw the boy who'd wet himself, and the one who idolized their leader, and Toby, their leader. The one who tried to intimidate him but retreated because of how he was looking at Toby. Toby. The boy who was arriving in two days. The boy he had every right to treat in a detestable way for what he'd done to him. The boy he knew was more afraid of someone than being in holding or being sent to Jane's. The boy Charlotte knew she'd help change the life he had been living so he'd be happier leaving that when he arrived. She'd become his Pinto, and show him a trust he'd likely never experienced before. She rinsed the body wash off herself before grabbing the razor and shaving her body, as another thought crossed her mind. She stopped shaving and wondered, '>What's the real reason I've been sent here>?' No answer came to her, as she resumed shaving then changed from shower to bath, and let the bath fill so she could soak.
Jane had been watching Charlotte as she showered, and could see from her facial expressions that she'd been thinking. She guessed about today, about what she'd told Pinto, and by one expression, Toby arriving on Monday. Jane couldn't help chuckle as Charlotte lowered herself into the bath water, after the water was high enough to cover her. "Owwweee...gawd that hurt. Makes me wonder if I want to ride again if it's going to hurt this much every time. But if I don't ride, what about Pinto? She seemed to enjoy the ride. I can't let her down. Ah, well, a few aches and pains are worth going through for a friend."
When Jane saw Charlotte open the drain of the bath and start to get out of the bathtub, she shut off the monitor, concealed it with the doors of the cabinet, and went up to Charlotte's bedroom, asking when she arrived, "Charlotte, are you through taking a shower and soaking in the tub?" And opened the door to the bathroom to see Charlotte drying herself.
"Yes Aunt Jane, just now. Aunt Jane, I have a question I'd like to ask."
Jane nodded her head then said, "You may ask me your question as we dry and set your hair. Now hurry and finish. You've had a long, and interesting, day and need your sleep."
Charlotte came out of the bathroom wearing her clean bra, panties, and her robe. Jane pointed to the chair in front of the vanity and Charlotte walked over and sat down facing Jane. Jane had been ready to help Charlotte blow dry her hair and asked Charlotte, "What's your question, Charlotte?"
Jane just picked up a brush when Charlotte asked, "Aunt Jane, why am I really here? I could have been sent to a detention center and been all right there, given my self defense skills. But I wasn't, I was sent here. And you've told me yourself that I'm where you want all your girls to be before they leave you. So if I don't need to be here to learn how to live a better life, why am I really here?"
Charlotte's question had stopped Jane cold, still holding the hair dryer in her left hand and the brush in her right. She stared at Charlotte, realizing her question was the same one she and Marie had asked themselves. Jane dropped her hands and told Charlotte, "Truthfully, Charlotte? I don't know. Marie and I have asked ourselves the same question. And we aren't any closer to realizing an answer. And you are correct, after our girls are here for some time, you are where we hope they are when they're ready to leave us. So that isn't the reason you're here. And yes, you could have been sent to a detention center and survived with your skills, but you would have been wasted there. The only possible conclusion Marie and I could arrive at was that your very nature was needed at this time. You were needed here to help Francis, Pinto, and we believe help Toby, the boy who falsely accused you of his crime. Is any of this the truth? We don't know. But I think the change in Francis and Pinto is proof positive that it is your nature that's supposed to be here at this point in time. We'll have to wait and see about Toby. Now, sit still so I can get your hair dried. Watch what I do, you'll be doing this from now on."
When Charlotte's hair was thoroughly dried, Jane replaced the hair dryer and brush in the drawers of the vanity. She then took Charlotte's chin in her right hand, and turning the girl's face left and right, proclaimed, "You've done a good job removing your makeup," before telling Charlotte to brush her teeth then apply moisturizer to her face, arms, and legs. After Charlotte had climbed into bed, Jane sat down next to her and said, "Thank you for today, Charlotte. You made it quite interesting. You also made me realize a few things about myself as well. And one of those things is continuing to be your Aunt after you leave. If you'll have me."
Charlotte reached and took Jane's hands in hers. "Aunt Jane, I couldn't think of two more wonderful ladies I'd like for my Aunts. Of course, you'd be my favorite, you understand," which was said with a smirk on Charlotte's face. Jane kissed Charlotte goodnight on the forehead, before she walked over to the door, turned out the light and closed the door behind her and she left Charlotte's bedroom.
As Jane walked down the stairs, and to the Study, she mused to herself, 'Where has my dragon gone. The one that spits fire at my girls?' She took a few more stairs before chuckling and thinking, 'Its found its queen. It found the one sent to save it from itself.'
Charlotte had an abrupt wakening the next morning, as the covers on her bed were thrown off her to the tune of Jane saying, "Auf und los, Sonnenschein. Vor dem Frühstück müssen wir arbeiten." Jane reached down when Charlotte groaned, roughly shook her and told her, "Get up, girl, NOW!"
At Jane's 'NOW' Charlotte abruptly sat up in bed, telling Jane, "I'm up, I'm up." She swung her legs out of bed, glanced at the window, then told Jane, "It's still dark outside. What needs to be done in the dark?"
Jane reached down and took Charlotte's chin in her left hand, pulled her head up so she was looking into Charlotte's eyes and told her, "Work, young lady. Work. Now get out of that bed, put on a clean bra and panties, use the bathroom, then I'll show you what to wear before breakfast. Now, MOVE!" Again used her command voice, which as it always did, made Charlotte literally jump off the bed and rush to the dresser for a clean bra and panties. Once she would have been embarrassed to let Jane see her naked, but that notion was lost the first time she hesitated in doing so at Jane's command.
While her need to use the toilet was starting to become urgent, she quickly made her bed, folded her nightie and placed it under her pillow before heading straight to the bathroom. As Jane stood waiting, she heard the toilet flush, the sink faucet run, and a freshly washed Charlotte almost come running out of the bathroom, stopping inches from running over Jane. She started walking around Jane, heading for the vanity, but was stopped when Jane said, "You can do that after we come back into the house, you'll have to shower anyway. Follow me." Jane led Charlotte into her closet, where she pointed to pants, shirts, and boots that she told Charlotte to wear for the work they'd be doing. She then told Charlotte she'd need a pair of socks to wear with the boots, and to take everything she'd indicated and quickly get dressed. She'd meet Charlotte downstairs in fifteen minutes. Jane smiled to herself as she watched Charlotte 'grab' everything and rush out of the closet, dropping it all on the bed before going to the dresser for a pair of socks. She left Charlotte to sort herself out and went downstairs to see if Charlotte made it there within the fifteen minutes given to her.
When Jane reached the bottom of the stairs, she found Francis sitting on the bench properly dressed for the work they'd do before breakfast. She looked at Francis, as Francis said, "You didn't tell her, did you?"
With a smirk on her face Jane said, "I did not, and neither are you. Do you understand?"
Francis' reply of, "Yes, Aunt Jane," was the result of just such an occasion not long after she arrived at Jane's home. She made the mistake of thinking what Jane didn't know wouldn't hurt, as she told the new girl what they were about to do. The reward for what she'd been told NOT to do was to muck out all three stalls, by herself, for the next two weeks. Now, any time Jane said, 'Do Not,' Francis did not.
With two minutes to go, Charlotte came hurrying down the stairs. She'd learned the difference between hurrying, hurrying with abandonment, and running the stairs after the exercise Jane had her do because she ran up the stairs that one time. Twenty trips up and down the stairs in a row makes for a lasting memory. Jane looked at her watch, then at Charlotte, then said, "Good, you made it with two minutes to spare. With practice you'll become even faster getting dressed. Okay girls, follow me." With Jane in the lead, and Francis getting up off the bench and falling in beside Charlotte, the two girls stepped out into the semi-blackened morning; the beginning of the rising sun could be seen off in the distance. Charlotte gave Francis a questioning look but received a head shake in return. Charlotte stuck her tongue out at Francis, who giggled because of the antics. Without turning around, or even possibly knowing what Charlotte had just done, Jane told her, "Charlotte, young ladies don't stick out their tongues. It isn't polite." This time Francis gave Charlotte the, 'I haven't a clue,' gesture as Charlotte's shocked face looked at Francis. Then to further shock Charlotte, Jane told her, "It wasn't hard to figure out what you'd just done, Charlotte. I instructed Francis not to tell you what we'd be doing this morning, so your frustrated response to her silence would be sticking out your tongue at her."
Charlotte saw they were heading to the stable, and looked at Francis again, getting the same response as before. She kept her tongue in her mouth, but let Francis see she wasn't pleased to be kept ignorant. Again Jane shocked her by saying, "Stop trying to get Francis to tell you what we're going to do, Charlotte. Francis has learned what I mean when I tell her not to say anything. I can show you the same lesson she encountered if you'd like, Charlotte. If you keep trying to get Francis to tell you what we're going to do." Francis was vehemently shaking her head after what Jane just said, making it clear Charlotte didn't want the same lesson.
When they entered the stable, Jane turned on the lights, then told Charlotte what they were going to do; they meaning she and Francis. "Charlotte, you and Francis are going to muck out all three stalls. Francis will show you where the gloves are, where the pitchforks are stored, where the broom and scoop are, and the cart used to take the old straw out of the stable. She's had plenty of practice doing this, so pay attention to what she tells you and shows you. Or you might get plenty of practice on your own." Charlotte looked at Francis, who quickly looked up, rolled her eyes, then shook her head side to side. Charlotte got the message loud and clear.
Francis started by telling Charlotte, "Follow me," and took her over where the gloves were stored, helping her pick out a pair that fit her hands. Then she took her to another room where the cart, broom, scoop, and pitchforks were stored. She placed two of each tool into the cart before wheeling the cart out next to Pinto's stall. She then took Charlotte into the tack room, and took down two halters and hackamore, explaining, "We'll use these to secure the horses so they don't run off on their own. I didn't do that my first time, and oh was Aunt Jane mad. She had to chase that horse clear down to the pond." Francis led her back to Pinto's stall, letting Charlotte talk to Pinto before opening the gate and giving the hackamore to Charlotte. She talked Charlotte through placing the hackamore on Pinto, before leading her out of the stall so they could muck it out. Taking everything out of the cart, Francis gave Charlotte one of the pitchforks, taking the other one, and talking Charlotte through what they were to do.
With both girls working together, and Charlotte letting Francis know what she thought of the odor, it wasn't long before the old hay and body waste had been removed. Francis then had Charlotte set her pitchfork down and take one of the brooms, again showing her what they'd do with the brooms. As Charlotte watched, and held her broom, Francis got the scoop and had Charlotte push what they'd swept up into the scoop. After dumping the scoop into the cart with the old straw, she then came back with a bucket of sawdust which she spread on the floor of the stall. She told Charlotte it will help absorb any moisture left after taking out the old straw. Once that was swept up, Francis took Charlotte to the new hay bales. Carrying a bale together one at a time, they put enough new straw in Pinto's stall to cover the floor several inches thick. When they had finished, Jane came to inspect their work. Satisfied, she told them to keep going, after giving each girl a bottle of bottled water. After Pinto was put back into her stall, and after the girls had drank some water, they repeated the process with the next stall, and with the stall holding Jane's horse. It wasn't until they'd put away the tools, halters and hackamore, and gloves that Jane told them, "You girls did a fine job this morning. So I won't need to be out here with you tomorrow morning to supervise."
Francis knew what was coming, Charlotte stood there in shock, then asked, "Every morning? Really?"
Jane glared at Charlotte before telling her, "Yes, Charlotte, every morning. Not only is that straw their bedding but their bathroom too. And it needs to be replaced every morning. Of course, if you found working with Francis too difficult, I could let her sleep in and have you to muck out the stalls by yourself."
Charlotte knew right then she'd stepped into a big pile, and told Jane, "Ah, no, Aunt Jane. Mucking out the stalls in the morning is a fine job to start a person's morning."
Jane nodded her head, then put her Jane smile on her face before saying, "I thought you'd agree with me, Charlotte. You two go shower and get ready for the day. I'll inspect the both of you after you come down to help Marie with breakfast."
She stood and watched both girls head back to the house, before walking over and taking an apple out of the basket. She then walked over and held it out to Pinto, who gently took it out of her hand. "Well, Pinto, how'd I do this morning? Was I too rough on our Charlotte?" Swallowing the chewed up apple pieces, Pinto threw her head up and down before side to side. Jane had done all right this morning with their Charlotte.
Author's Note: When I first wrote Complicit In a Lie, I had no thoughts, or ideas, to write a sequel. But thanks to a few readers, who asked about a sequel, ideas formed that made writing this sequel possible. It is necessary to have read Complicit In a Lie to understand why Charles is now with Jane, who the boy arriving in Kingston is and how he's involved in Charles' Court case. And to understand where Mr. Corporate, George Strom, fits into this story. This story starts off after Charles says, "When do we start," in Complicit in a Lie. So if you haven't read Complicit In a Lie, the beginning of this story won't make any sense. Hint hint!
Before going back to her house, Jane gave the horses fresh feed and water, so it couldn't be said Jane hadn't helped. She turned off the lights then slowly walked back to her house, thinking as she walked. Francis had math lessons to complete, a weak subject for her, but not for Charlotte. So after breakfast was finished Charlotte would go with Francis and tutor her in her math assignment. An evil smile appeared on her face, as she thought of the one place a boy would never think of going. Time to see how her Charlotte reacted to those places. They'd go shopping in the afternoon, and maybe Brenda needs a model to show a client or two how their choice of fashion would look on a girl of their age?
She made a phone call after going into her house, letting Brenda know she'd be bringing a new girl into her Boutique in the afternoon. She made another phone call, this time to Carolyn, asking if she'd be busy tomorrow and if she could get Charlotte and Francis in for the works. Brenda was thrilled to have a new model for a few hours and Carolyn would be busy but could fit Charlotte and Francis in. Carolyn laughed, then told Jane, "In fact, Jane, if you bring the girls around in the afternoon, I believe Charlotte would welcome the chance to be my model for the young girls' makeup class." Jane realized she'd have to be 'that' Jane to Charlotte, if the girl balked, but she needed to know how well Charlotte could handle being in front of other women and girls her age while modeling various outfits, and when the salon she was going to visit was extremely busy with other women and young girls, and she was put on display. She crossed her mental fingers.
After cleaning up herself, she went in search of Francis and Charlotte, finding both of them in the kitchen helping Marie. "Girls, let me look at you. Stand over there," and Jane, in Jane mode, pointed to an open space on the floor in the kitchen. She walked around the two girls, taking in how they were both dressed. Making sure their stockings weren't laddered, or their slips showing. She appraised their sense of style, making sure the shoes they wore complemented the dresses they had on. She moved to their hair, noticing both did need Carolyn's help. But they'd both done well styling their hair. She then moved on to their faces, looking first at Francis then Charlotte. There too she noticed a different 'style' in their looks. Neither had done a 'bad' job applying their makeup, for boys, but she stared too long at Charlotte, wondering how she'd fare tomorrow when Carolyn used her as a model in her makeup class.
"Is something wrong, Aunt Jane?" Charlotte had felt uneasy as Jane stared at her, wondering if she'd again made a mistake putting on her makeup.
Charlotte's question brought Jane out of herself and she replied with, "Oh, no, Charlotte. Nothing is wrong, you both have done a fine job with your makeup." Jane had almost told them what they'd be doing this afternoon, and tomorrow, but decided since she never told any of her girls they'd become models, but used that to force them to acquiesce or be exposed as boys dressed as girls, thus making them act differently. She decided 'dragon' Jane had to be present when Charlotte found out.
"Girls, after breakfast and you're finished in the kitchen, I believe Francis has her math assignments to complete." When Jane mentioned math, Francis looked as though she'd eaten something worse than a lemon. She had a dejected, horrid, loathing look on her face, that brightened, somewhat, as Jane continued with, "And because I know you've been struggling with that assignment, Charlotte will be your tutor in the subject. She has, after all, shown herself to understand math to a higher degree. Isn't that so, Charlotte?"
Jane's mini-dragon was addressing Charlotte, who recognized there was only one answer Jane would accept to her question, "Ah, that's true, Aunt Jane. I'd be more than willing to help Francis with her math assignment."
The mini-dragon smiled, showing her teeth in the process. "That's very thoughtful of you Charlotte. I'm sure Francis will appreciate your help." Francis had learned, from experience, when Aunt Jane's voice took on a cold edge it was best to agree even if she said to eat a fish raw.
She shook herself remembering the consequences of not understanding what that cold voice meant not long ago. "Yes, Aunt Jane. I'd appreciate any help in math I could receive. And thank you Charlotte for offering to help me." Both girls thought they saw Jane's eyes flash, as both took the hint and accepted what Jane told them.
Jane, as usual, used their meals to quiz the girls over various subjects, including their personal lives. And if Jane chose their personal lives, the meal became quite uncomfortable for the girl being grilled. So much so that once one of Jane's girls refused to come to the next meal. And as usual, Jane didn't tolerate any of her girls not sitting down with everyone to eat. Jane finally used the threat of sending her home as she was dressed to get her down to the dining room table. But she never answered another question Jane put to her about her personal life, and lived through the consequences of her decision.
It was only after one particular trying time for the girl that she finally broke down. And during that time told Jane how her father killed her mother and younger brother while in a drunken rage. She'd been out of the house during that time, but found her mother and brother dead when she arrived home. Her mother was lying on the living room floor, her brother embedded in one of the living room walls. Her father had slammed him into the wall at the exact location of a wall stud. Her young brother had been slammed so hard into the wall that he'd been impaled on the wall stud. She found her father passed out on the kitchen floor. After that experience, Jane made sure to get all the details she could about the girl's personal life before touching on questions of that nature.
As the girls cleared the breakfast table, then began helping Marie in the kitchen, Jane went into the study and pulled up Toby Camber's personal information. As she looked through the file she'd been given by Ruth, she noticed there wasn't much about his personal life. She picked up the phone, dialed a number and when her call was received, she told the person answering her call, "Hi, it's Jane. I need some personal information on a boy named Toby Camber, he's arriving on Monday. I need to know what kind of family life he has, number of family members, the usual things. And at our usual agreed rate, plus your expenses."
Some years ago Jane had helped the woman she was speaking to out of a very sticky situation. One which could have cost the woman her life, and she never forgot Jane for risking her own life to help her. "I'll have what you need by tomorrow." And Jane heard the connection go dead. The woman was the same girl whose father killed her mother and younger brother. Who finally broke and told Jane everything. The girl who eventually became a girl because her father was hunting her after he was released from prison. Because he thought she'd seen what he'd done and had helped send him to prison. He did find her, after the change, and held her in an old rooming house.
During one of his drunken sprees she was able to get a message to Jane by telling her father she was ordering them some pizza. Jane was only an hour away and managed to get to her in forty-five minutes. Jane then knocked on their door to the room, said, "Pizza delivery," and when the girl's drunken father opened the door, Jane stunned him with a stun gun. They both thought he was unconscious as the girl told Jane where she'd find the key to unlock the handcuffs locking her to a long chain. But as Jane was unlocking the cuffs, the girl's father came around and went after Jane with a knife, even though he was drunk. Jane had freed the girl by then and used the chain to fend off the man until he became angry that he couldn't reach her. By chance, as the man rushed her, he stumbled and lost his balance, giving Jane a clear chance at his throat. She used the chain to catch him around his throat and let him pass her by. Now being behind the man, she crossed her arms as tightly as she could, until the man stopped moving. She grabbed the girl's hand and rushed them to her car, where she called the police. With Jane's statement, and the girl's statement, and testimony for Jane, Jane's actions were ruled self defence of herself and another person.
Jane later learned the girl had become a licensed investigator, but somewhat of a recluse because of her experiences. But if she said she'd have the information Jane needed by the next day, Jane would have it by the next day. She always kept her word to Jane. Jane realized that until she learned more about Toby Camber's personal life she couldn't make any more plans for his educational course. That girl's case made a lasting impression on Jane.
She then opened the cabinet and turned on the monitor, switching to the cameras in the library. As she watched and listened, Charlotte was slowly explaining Factoring Algebraic Expressions to Francis, going by what was written on the chalkboard in the library.
Charlotte was sitting besides Francis, holding her and tears ran down her face. "Charlotte, I just don't get all this. I've read what's in the book but can't understand what's being said."
"It's okay, Francis. I'll go over it again until you understand how it's done. Francis, not everyone learns in the same way, and you're not alone in having trouble understanding what you read. Many have trouble comprehending what they read, so they have to resort to other methods of learning. Some find it easier if they are shown how to do something, or it's explained to them." Francis nodded her head, knowing she had to finish this math assignment or explain why it didn't happen.
Jane watched as Charlotte walked to the chalkboard and wrote the number 45 on the board. "Okay, Francis. Tell me every possible way you can think of to get the number 45."
As Jane listened, Francis actually fired off several normal combinations of numbers used to get the number 45. "You have 9 x 5, 1 x 45, 36 + 9, 39 + 6, 42 + 3, 43 + 2..." and Francis continued until Charlotte called a halt. Charlotte had written the number 45 on the right side of the board. Charlotte had spaced out the combinations Francis had said, leaving space between each combination. Then, in between each combination she placed an equal sign before placing the final one before the number 45. After Charlotte had called a halt, and stood back, Francis saw equal signs between every combination she'd given Charlotte, and a final equal sign before the number 45. Charlotte stood and looked at Francis, who was examining what Charlotte had written.
Then Jane heard Francis say something she'd do nothing about, this time, as Francis dropped her head down then said, "Aw, shit, so that's factoring. But how do you apply this to an algebraic expression?"
As Jane watched, Charlotte started out simple, by writing 3x on the board. Then she asked Francis, "What does 3x actually mean?"
Francis shrugged her shoulders, shook her head and said, "3 times x." Charlotte then stood and looked at Francis, who again caught Jane's attention with, "Shit, that's the factor of 3x." The fire had been lit, and Francis started answering Charlotte's questions as she wrote more and more complicated expressions on the board. And Francis gave the factor of each expression without hesitation.
As her fire had been lit, Jane watched as Francis then went back to the set of papers with algebraic expressions on them and completed the twenty five problems in a matter of minutes. She saw Charlotte look up at something, then tell Francis, "It's time for us to go help Marie get dinner ready, Francis."
Francis had just turned the last page face down as Charlotte said they needed to go help Marie. Jane chuckled as she heard Francis exclaim with a sigh, "Gads, I'm glad that's done. I would never have finished those pages without your help, Charlotte. Thank you."
Charlotte just smiled then said, "You're welcome. Come on, we better get going."
Francis knew that Jane had expected her to finish that math assignment before dinner, so after turning off the monitor and closing and locking the cabinet doors, Jane left the study to once again become the Jane who could send chills up the spines of her girls. She found Francis and Charlotte setting the dining room table, and as she stood in the entrance to the dining room, she asked, in her Jane persona, "Francis, did you complete that math assignment as you were instructed?"
Francis looked at Charlotte, smiled, then told Jane, "Yes, Aunt Jane. The pages have been completed and are laying face down on the table as you instructed."
Jane gave Francis a sharp stare before saying, "We shall see, Francis." Both girls watched as Jane walked to the library, opening the door and closing it behind her after entering.
Charlotte noticed that Francis looked nervous, and told her, "Don't worry, Francis. I watched you work, and you answered every one of those problems correctly. You did, after all, have a grreeaatt teacher!"
Francis looked to the ceiling, rolled her eyes, then told Charlotte, "If your head gets any fatter it won't fit through your bedroom door." Both girls laughed and finished setting the table for dinner.
Jane was standing in front of the chalkboard, admiring Charlotte's teaching technique. She'd shown Francis non-algebraic numbers and how they were formed. Then she used a simple algebraic expression and that helped Francis to understand what she couldn't comprehend from reading the algebra book. She then picked up the papers Francis claimed to have completed, sat down at the table and started looking through the pages. She was glad to see how with Charlotte's help, Francis had been able to answer each problem correctly. She took the pencil lying on the table and wrote a 100 on the top of the first page. Jane was beginning to form an answer to one of Charlotte's previous questions, why she was with Jane at that point in time. Because she was needed.
Jane left the library with the set of papers in search of the girls, finding them in the kitchen helping Marie. She walked over to Francis, handed her the papers, and watched as a huge smile formed on Francis' face. When Charlotte saw the smile on Francis' face, and caught a glimpse of the 100 on the first page, she cleared her throat in a dramatic fashion and told Francis, "See, I told you I was a grreeaatt teacher, Francis." Francis giggled at Charlotte's silliness, but Jane was not amused, as she slowly turned to face Charlotte and gave the girl her best 'Jane is not amused' expression. Seeing Jane's face, Charlotte had a feeling she might have overdone things and said, "Um, sorry, Aunt Jane. I was just happy for Francis." Jane just humphed, before turning and leaving the kitchen, both girls not seeing the smile on Jane's face.
Jane used their dinner time to question Francis about her recent math assignment. She asked why Charlotte had to show her how to work the problems instead of her just reading the explanation in her algebra book. "Aunt Jane, I did read the explanations given in the book, and read them and read them, but couldn't understand what was being said. I don't know, it just seems I've always had that problem with reading. But when Charlotte started showing me, and let me see what she was saying, well, it all seemed to click." Jane realized Francis may have just told her why she found it so hard to learn in a classroom, and made a mental note to call one of her former girls who was now a leading educator at a University. She would also call the woman who was to become Charlotte's tutor, and talk with her about Francis' reading comprehension problem. Maybe between the two teachers they could help Francis overcome her problem. Jane also felt this may be part of Francis' real problem, being frustrated because she couldn't comprehend what she was reading. She'd have to wait and see if one helped with the other.
Jane times her next question just as Charlotte had taken a bite of her dessert. "Charlotte, have you ever been to a boutique?" Seeing Charlotte furrow her brows, Jane asked, "Are you familiar with boutiques? Do you know what they sell?"
Her additional questions gave Charlotte time to quickly chew the bite she'd taken, swallow it and answer, "Ah, no ma'am. I know the word, but not the store."
Jane nodded her head sagely, then said, "Well, then you should enjoy our afternoon. Because we are going shopping at a boutique, and I think you'll find it an interesting experience."
Charlotte looked at Jane and had a feeling she hadn't been told everything. She then looked at Marie, then Francis, who quickly picked up her glass of water and appeared to be drinking, though Charlotte noticed the girl wasn't swallowing. Charlotte had seen the same look on her parents faces, when they were expecting an answer or reaction. She turned back to Jane and asked, "I'm not going to enjoy this trip, am I Aunt Jane?"
Jane smiled and said, "What was it your parents said about new experiences?"
Charlotte chuckled, dropped her head, shook it, and said, "Hoisted by my own petard. Well, as I did say once, 'in for a penny in for a pound.' Okay, Aunt Jane, I guess another new experience won't hurt."
Francis was now drinking her water, and started choking when she heard Jane's sweet voice say, "It's good to hear you say that, Charlotte. Volunteering is so much easier on you, you know?" Seeing Jane's face as she spoke, yes, she did know it had been wise to volunteer for the new experience. No telling what Jane would have her do otherwise. Charlotte tried to smile at the prospect of visiting a boutique, and do whatever else they were going to do. But it came out lop-sided, and she could see Jane wasn't all that happy at her half smile.
Having experienced it herself, Francis knew what was coming next, after seeing how Charlotte reacted to Jane's news. Jane leaned forward, and in her 'send chills down the spine' voice said, "Charlotte, I would suggest you have a change of attitude by the time we arrive at the boutique. While you may believe you are ready for this new experience, your face tells a different matter. Should you continue at the boutique with this same attitude, you may find yourself helping out at that boutique every day in the afternoon." Francis cringed when she saw Jane's sweet smile, which she knew, from experience, was anything but sweet.
Charlotte quickly examined her options, which were slim and none. She knew, as did Francis, there was only one answer from her Jane would accept, and she gave it. "Of course, Aunt Jane. I apologize for not seeming to be enthusiastic about visiting a boutique. I will do better."
Charlotte watched as Jane nodded her head then said, "See that you do, young lady. See that you do." Even though Charlotte's smile now was a full smile, Jane could tell by Charlotte's eyes that she was still apprehensive. But Jane could live with that, she'd gotten her message across to Charlotte. Do what you're told or else.
When they'd finished dinner and the kitchen work was done, Jane told Francis and Charlotte to change their clothes for a shopping trip. In Jane's language that meant a dress that was dressy without being formal looking, with matching or complementing shoes. Makeup which was more than needed around the house but less than going to a formal gathering. And their hair neatly brushed and suiting their appearance. In short, they were to look like 'proper' young ladies according to Jane's standards. Both dressed accordingly but still had to pass the 'Jane' inspection, which took place the minute both girls had come down from their bedrooms. As Jane gave both girls a critical eye, both girls wondered if they would be the one Jane would single out to start over getting dressed. As both stood holding their purses, Jane walked about them twice before pronouncing them fit to leave the house. Neither girl sighed, but it wasn't far from their wants at that moment.
As they drove to town Jane used the opportunity to tell Charlotte, "Charlotte, dear, you'll like Brenda Franson, owner of The Style Shoppe. She'll be more than willing to help you choose a selection of fashions and lingerie. And I'm sure she'll delight in you volunteering to help her for a few hours while Francis and I look for a few things Francis needs. And I'm quite confident you'll be more than happy to help her in any way you can. Isn't that so?"
Charlotte hadn't been with Jane but a few days, and yet in those few days she'd learned the difference between Jane asking and commanding. Jane's voice told her she wasn't asking Charlotte to help Brenda, but commanding her to help Brenda. And as usual there was only one reply possible, "Of course, Aunt Jane. I'll be glad to help any way I can." Charlotte didn't have to see Jane's face to know which smile graced her lips.
She could tell which one Jane wore when she said, "That's good to hear, Charlotte. VERY good to hear."
Silence gained its grip in the car as Jane drove on, giving Charlotte time to reflect on her current situation. She had volunteered to become one of Jane's girls, but at the same time, not one of Jane's girls, since those boys didn't volunteer to become one of Jane's girls. And yet, even though she volunteered, and Jane had treated her differently than Francis, Jane still could make her do what she wanted when she wanted just by the use of her voice. And giving her the idea that if she didn't cooperate, the consequences would be worse than had she just done what Jane wanted. Charlotte had taken down James Conner after being threatened and attacked by him. Yet, here she was with a woman who had gained control of Charlotte without resorting to physical violence.
That thought caused Charlotte to chuckle, and Jane to ask, "You find something amusing, Charlotte?"
Charlotte chuckled silently to herself, shook her head, knowing it hadn't been wise to draw Jane's attention to her, before telling Jane, "I was just musing about my current situation."
After a moment of silence Jane said, "I see. So you find your current situation difficult, do you?"
Charlotte had always been up front with Jane, and decided that would still be the best approach when talking with her. "No, Aunt Jane. Not difficult, just...interesting. I took down a man taller than me and several pounds heavier when he failed to identify himself, then when he tried to attack me. Even when he tried to make me answer his questions I never gave in or feared him. And yet, here I find myself doing what you want without the fear of physical violence if I don't. It's the implication of consequences that cause me to do as you bid."
Silence prevailed again, until Jane said, "So it's the consequences of not doing what you're told that you fear, Charlotte?"
Jane looked at Charlotte using the rear view mirror and saw her wipe a tear off her cheek. "No, not the consequences, Aunt Jane. I fear I may disappoint you if I don't do as you say, Aunt Jane." Jane thought it wise not to say anything more, her voice would have given away how touched she was that Charlotte would think of disappointing her.
They reached the Mall, Jane found a parking space near an entrance, and led the two girls into the Mall and to The Style Shoppe. When they walked into the boutique they heard, "I'll take care of these ladies, Carol," as a middle aged woman approached. "Jane, how nice to see you again. And you too Francis. I see you have a new girl, Jane, might we be introduced?"
Jane and Brenda exchanged hugs before Jane said, Brenda, this is Charlotte Thorton. Charlotte, this is Brenda Franson, owner of The Style Shoppe."
It was Charlotte who first said, "It's nice to meet you Ms. Franson. Aunt Jane has told me I would enjoy my experience while I was here."
Brenda knew Charlotte had been told by Jane 'to' enjoy the experience or else. "My, she is polite Jane. It's my pleasure to meet you Charlotte. I'm sure you'll enjoy your experience while you're here."
Brenda then looked at Jane, and raised an eyebrow, causing Jane to say, "Charlotte has volunteered to help you any way she can, while Francis and I shop for a few things Francis needs. I believe it will be very educational for her." No one had been paying any attention to Francis, who was remembering her time 'volunteering' at The Style Shoppe. And how embarrassed and humiliated she'd been when she learned just what she'd been volunteered to do. And she couldn't tell Charlotte, or else.
"Oh, I'm so happy Charlotte is willing to help out for a few hours," Brenda gushed. "It will be an experience she won't forget." Charlotte looked from Jane to Brenda, and back to Jane, and seeing both looking at her, silently said to herself, 'I'll bet I won't forget it.' But for both women, she just smiled.
Apprehension graced Charlotte as she watched Jane and Francis leave The Style Shoppe, causing her to wonder if it had been wise of her to volunteer to become one of Jane's girls in order to clear her name. Up to now, nothing she'd had to do had been THAT bad, or THAT humiliating or THAT embarrassing, and it all had been a new experience, one she'd never have had if she hadn't volunteered. Jane did leave it up to her, after all, whether or not to become a girl for the duration. Charlotte turned back to face Brenda, who put to words what Charlotte was feeling at the moment.
"You're wondering if you did the right thing in helping to clear your name in this fashion," and she waved her hand head to toe in front of Charlotte. Brenda put her arm around Charlotte's shoulder then said, "Come, let's talk. I'd like to hear your story." As they walked towards the back of the store, Brenda kept up a steady flow of conversation, designed, she hoped, to calm Charlotte before revealing what she'd have Charlotte do that afternoon.
"Jane has told me how much you have helped just by being here, and whether or not you believe this, you have actually been a Godsend for her. You've helped Francis get where she is right now, which is, I'll tell you, much better than she was several months ago. Or even a few weeks ago. She is now like the difference between a sunny day and one which threatens rain. And I could see by the expression on her face, she actually cares about you, again, a first for her since she arrived. You helped her see it was possible to care again, without fear you'd want something in return. Even though she wasn't allowed to tell you what you'll be doing this afternoon, she actually was worried you wouldn't enjoy your experience. That it would upset you. And I also understand you talk to horses, one in particular, which wouldn't respond to Jane no matter what that woman tried. Always remember, Charlotte. Never let your experiences jade who you are inside. Decide how you want to respond to those experiences, how you want to use those experiences as you go through life. While they may be outside your comfort zone, they give you a view of the world you may never have had."
When they reached the back room, Brenda asked Charlotte how she took her tea, before pouring them each a mug of tea. After taking a seat, Brenda asked, "So, Charlotte, what's your story? How is it you find yourself with Jane Thompson?" Charlotte took a sip of her tea then gave Brenda an account of how she found herself with Jane.
How she was shopping for a necklace to give her mom on her 35th birthday. How she put Jame Conner, head of security for that Taylor's store, on the floor when Charlotte thought the man wanted to harm her. How he then locked them in the holding room at Taylor's and tried to intimidate her but eventually ended up with a broken collar bone and the ulna and radius in his right forearm. And how Mr. Strom, CEO of Taylor's, threatened to take her to Federal Court if she wasn't punished by Judge Ruth. She told of the meeting the Prosecutor, her lawyer, Terry Morgan, and Judge Ruth had in the Judge's chambers, and the judge saying something smelled funny, and until they could get to the bottom of it, she would be safe with Jane. "So here I am, going through something I would never have dreamed of experiencing. And I'm doing it in order to clear my name and get my life back, though I'll see things a bit differently when I get home. Which, I believe, will be a good experience for me in the long run."
Brenda was every bit as sharp as Jane in picking up on nuances while people spoke, and a few things caught her attention now with Charlotte. She took a sip of her tea then asked Charlotte, "Tell me, Charlotte. Are you angry with that boy for getting you into this situation? For making you experience something like this? Do you plan to make him pay for what he's done to you?" Brenda had been able to read people as far back as her middle school days, and had no trouble seeing that Charlotte was thinking about the questions she'd asked her.
She then saw that Charlotte had formed her response and did so with, "The short answer to your questions, no. I'm not angry with that boy, or for having to go through this experience. Or plan to make him pay for what he's done to me. I am angry with how I was treated at Taylor's, but my dad's law firm handled that problem nicely. No...that boy, Toby Camber, has more going on in his life than anyone knows about, so it doesn't make sense to be angry with him for responding as he did. He was more afraid of someone than being in that holding cell we were in. And, after watching him as I did, I believe his actions are those of self preservation. Sort of like Jane's 'do it or else' commands. Only in Toby's case, the 'or else' is much more severe."
Like Jane, Brenda was astounded by Charlotte's assessment of what she viewed, and caused her to ask, "Charlotte, what plans do you have for your future? I ask because you just sounded like a clinical psychologist."
Charlotte chuckled, then told Brenda, "I had planned on becoming a psychiatrist, that is, of course, if I ever get out of this mess and get my name cleared. And if my name can't be cleared, then I don't know. I never made plans which included this situation." Brenda nodded her head, understanding that this type of situation could never be factored in with someone's plans for their life.
She smiled at Charlotte, telling her, "Based on what I've heard from Jane, and just listening to you here, you'll make a fine psychiatrist. You have the passion needed to help others, like you've done for Francis and that horse. And if I know Jane, Toby is going to recant his story or wish he'd lived somewhere else in this world." She stood up, took Charlotte's empty mug then said, "Okay. Let's talk about what you'll be doing the rest of this afternoon. And please, understand I want you to have fun with it, enjoy yourself. Because it isn't everyday you get to model teenage girl's clothing." Brenda carefully studied Charlotte's reaction to what she just said, noting the eye roll and shake of her head. Typical, she found, of someone who's resigned themselves to do what they're told.
She then laughed out loud when Charlotte said, "Well, my parents always say that new experiences are great teachers. So, how do I act like a model? I haven't exactly spent my years watching fashion shows."
Brenda smiled after what Charlotte said, knowing from experience she'd do fine modeling the clothing. Brenda then went on to explain what clothing she would be modeling. How she'd start at the back of the 'runway' and walk forward, pause, turn, pause again, turn so she was facing left, pausing again, then turning to face right. Pausing again before she walked back the way she came. She also told Charlotte to walk as Jane had had her do while balancing the book on her head, the way she walked into The Style Shoppe. If she did that, no one would ever know what really lies beneath the clothing. Brenda did have one question, before taking Charlotte back to get ready. "Um, Charlotte, this may seem personal, but I need to know how you're hiding your genitals. And what type of assistance Jane has provided for your breasts."
She was surprised when Charlotte looked at her with complete calmness on her face, without seeming to be embarrassed. "Brenda, my genitals were temporarily glued away at the salon, it was an option I was given. And I'm wearing breast forms, which I've been told would require a close inspection to tell they are false. So unless someone will be getting up close and personal, I should be good to go."
Brenda just clapped her hands together and said, "Splendid," and putting her arm around Charlotte's shoulders again, led her back to the changing area, explaining as they walked the order of the clothing they'd be modeling. And she emphasized again, "Charlotte, I realize this is all strange to you. But please, enjoy it for what it is. An experience you'd never otherwise have in your life. Okay?"
Charlotte smiled, nodded her head, and told Brenda, "Okay, Brenda. I'll try to enjoy what I'm about to do, even though the thought of it is a bit scary." Brenda just hoped she'd have that same attitude when she modeled the items which weren't mentioned.
Author's Note: When I first wrote Complicit In a Lie, I had no thoughts, or ideas, to write a sequel. But thanks to a few readers, who asked about a sequel, ideas formed that made writing this sequel possible. It is necessary to have read Complicit In a Lie to understand why Charles is now with Jane, who the boy arriving in Kingston is and how he's involved in Charles' Court case. And to understand where Mr. Corporate, George Strom, fits into this story. This story starts off after Charles says, "When do we start," in Complicit in a Lie. So if you haven't read Complicit In a Lie, the beginning of this story won't make any sense. Hint hint!
When they reached the changing room, Charlotte saw four girls either getting dressed, having their hair done, or having their makeup done. "Girls, may I have your attention," Brenda said to the four girls. "This is Charlotte, and she'd volunteered to help us this afternoon. She's a bit scared since it's her first time, so give her the same help you received the first time you modeled." Brenda then turned to Charlotte and said, "Charlotte, since this is your first time modeling, we've put you last, so you can watch the other girls and see how they walk down the runway, stand, turn, and hold their hands. And remember also, I do have to give Jane a report about your attitude throughout this presentation. So just do the best you can. And have fun with all this." Brenda smiled at Charlotte, before she walked away, leaving her standing, not knowing what to do next. It wasn't until she heard her name called that she went over to the girl doing the makeup.
"Hi, Charlotte, I'm Gale. Gale Walters. I do makeup and hair, and it sure was fortunate Brenda found you, 'cause it gives us more time backstage to get you girls ready for the next run. So, you've never modeled before? I find THAT hard to believe, since you're so beautiful. But enough of me gabbing, let's get you ready so you can get your first set on." For maybe the first time in her life, Charlotte was lost for words, at least words that could cut through Gale's rapid speaking. She actually never had a chance to answer Gale's question as Gale had pulled her over to a dresser's chair and shoved her down into it. She then put a band around Charlotte's head to hold her hair back, then grabbed a wipe and quickly removed all of Charlotte's makeup. As quickly as she'd removed Charlotte's makeup, she just as quickly redid Charlotte's face, shocking Charlotte when she saw herself in the mirror in front of her.
Charlotte was looking at the face of what appeared to be a seventeen or eighteen-year-old girl. She was so engrossed in her appearance that she never realized Gale had taken the band off her head or was now working on her hair. She was so engrossed with her new appearance she didn't notice when Gale finished with her hair and had spoken to her. "Hey, kiddo. You still with me? You're all ready to go." Gale leaned around to look Charlotte in the eyes, then looked into the mirror, then back at Charlotte. "Pretty neat, huh, kiddo? See, I told you you were beautiful. Now come on, let's get you dressed."
Gale had to gently shake Charlotte's arm to get her attention, and when she had Charlotte's attention Charlotte just said, "That's really me?"
Gale put her face near Charlotte's, looked into the mirror with Charlotte, then said, "Yep, that's you. One hundred percent you. And you're gorgeous. Come on, sweetheart, we need to get you dressed."
The first dress they put on Charlotte was a Summer dress. It was light, airy, had spaghetti straps and a scooped neckline that allowed a hint of Charlotte's breast to be seen. It was a floral print in a light sky blue that was complemented with white sandals, a crystal in a heart necklace, and matching earrings. When she was ready to walk the runway, she stood where she could watch the other four girls, noticing how they walked, held their bodies, how they used their hands, and how they stopped and turned. She then watched as they walked back up the runway before the next girl started her walk. Charles exerted himself now, since it was her turn to walk the runway, and used his training to center himself just as Charlotte stepped onto the runway and began her walk. As Charlotte walked, she couldn't help herself and smiled as she walked. She reached the end of the runway, paused as she faced those watching, before turning so they could see the back of the dress she wore. She gave herself a count of five before turning to her left, pausing, then turning to the right, pausing for another five count before turning and walking back up the runway, her smile never leaving her lips.
The three girls dressed and waiting their next turns, gave Charlotte high-fives, telling her she looked wonderful for her first time. High-fives were all they could manage as Charlotte was ushered back to the changing room to change dresses.
After her last walk, Charlotte heard Brenda announce a ten minute break from the changing room. Charlotte's ears perked up when she heard Brenda announce, "And after the break, the girls will model our swimsuit line. Please, help yourselves to the provided refreshments." Charlotte was standing where she could see all four of the other girls, who were now completely undressing. Standing before Charlotte were four beautiful young girls who were completely naked, each starting to put on two piece swimsuits.
Gale noticed the look on Charlotte's face, came over to her and asked, "You okay, sweetheart? Aren't used to undressing in front of a bunch of girls, huh? It's okay, sweetheart, the girls who model for us their first time have the same problem. Don't worry, sweetheart, they aren't going to stare at you or make fun of you. Just breathe, take it slow, and before you know it, you'll be wearing one of those beautiful two piece swimsuits." And in a conspiratorial voice, Gale said, "And I'll bet you knock the socks off of everyone when they see you in our swimsuits."
Gale's antics finally got to Charlotte, who giggled, smiled, then said, "Thanks, Gale. I can't believe I'm going to wear a two piece swimsuit for everyone to see. My mom would have a heart attack if she saw me in one."
Charlotte had been undressing as she spoke to Gale, and heard a low whistle from Gale before she told Charlotte, "Girl, you got some body there." Then she shocked Charlotte by leaning close to Charlotte so only she could hear, "And Sandy and Carolyn did a good job with you. So don't worry, no one will suss you out. Have fun with it. Shake what you got, girl."
Charlotte rolled her eyes, looked to the ceiling, shook her head, then chuckled. "So you know about me too, huh?" Gale smiled, winked, then told Charlotte to hurry, as they were starting the show again.
Charles had worn swimsuits before, without a second thought. Now though, as Charlotte, he had to concentrate to do as he'd done while wearing a dress. Only barefooted. Brenda was standing behind those seated watching the show. As Charlotte reached the end of the runway, she saw Brenda give her a 'thumbs-up,' and carrying the biggest smile she'd seen on anyone's face. Then Brenda put both hands together and gave her a champion wave, before giving her another 'thumbs-up.' Charlotte couldn't help herself, after watching Brenda. The smile she'd been wearing became even wider, because she was trying not to laugh. She didn't know it at the time, but her trying to hold in laughter, and making her smile even wider, went over big with those watching the show.
After the girls each made three trips down the runway another break was called, letting them drink water and to munch on a few things kept in the dressing area. When the show resumed the girls did sleepwear, with each girl modeling pajamas, night shirt, and babydolls. And even though all this was new to Charlotte, Charles, she was a trooper each time she took the runway. Another break was called, and it was now Brenda crossed her mentle fingers. This time the girls would be modeling bras, panties, and garter belts, something she didn't tell Charlotte about. Something she deliberately didn't tell Charlotte about in order to see how Charlotte would react. Something Jane asked her to do with any of Jane's new girls.
When Charlotte reached the dressing area again, after her last walk on the runway, a frown appeared on her face when she heard Brenda announce, "We'll take another break to give our girls time to refresh themselves and then resume with showing our more...intimate apparel." Brenda had positioned herself so she could watch Charlotte and her reaction when she heard intimate apparel. Gale had also been told to keep an eye on Charlotte when they reached this stage of the show. They both watched, as Charlotte's gaze took in the other four girls again completely undressing and putting on matching bras and panties. She also saw two of the girls put on garter belts, then sit down and roll stockings up their legs before fastening them to the garter belts. Charlotte suddenly felt her legs go rubbery, and sat down in the closest chair near her, and just stared at what the other four girls were doing. She didn't realize Gale had kneeled beside her until Gale said, "It's okay sweetheart. You're doing marvelous. You have those women eating out of the palms of your hands. They love watching you do your thing on that runway."
Charlotte tried to say something but all she could do was move her lips. She shook herself, looked at Gale and asked, "You expect me to walk out there just in underwear? And a garter belt and stockings? And heels?" Charlotte started shaking her head, saying over and over, "That's just too much, I can't do that."
Gale finally reached up and caught Charlotte by the chin to stop her shaking her head, and held it. She looked Charlotte in the eyes and asked her, "So what's the difference if those women see you in your underwear or a two piece swimsuit?" She lowered her voice then asked, "Aren't you covered up in all the right places? Have you heard any of those women or young girls, or those four girls, saying anything about a boy modeling fashions? No. You. Haven't. And neither have I. All they've seen is an extremely attractive young lady who's been enjoying herself while she models clothing. And that's all I have seen too. Don't throw up your hands now, finish what you started. Go out there and wow them one more time with that body you have, and that dazzling smile you've been carrying along with you."
Still looking apprehensive, Charlotte nodded as much as she could with Gale still holding her chin, sighed, then said, "Okay, I'll give it a go, though I'm still not comfortable parading around in my underwear in front of strangers."
Charlotte had been concentrating on Gale and didn't notice two of the other girls walk up to her. One girl knelt down in front of Charlotte, took Charlotte's hands in hers and told her, "We all were nervous our first time modeling underwear, because, well, we've all been taught not to let others see what we're wearing under our clothes. Right? I mean, my mom still has to remind me to keep my legs together so the boys don't get a free show." Charlotte laughed at the image of a boy doing his best to see what a girl was wearing if she let her legs drift apart. "And it's not, like," the girl continued, "we aren't covered everywhere it counts, right? And, like, so what if some boys might stand outside the store and watch? It just marks them as boys none of us want to meet anyway. Come on, it'll be fun, flaunting something those pricks won't get their hands on except in their dreams."
When the girl said pricks, Charlotte must have looked shocked, as the girl had a look on her face that said she'd said something wrong. But when Charlotte said, "Pricks, you said pricks," and started laughing, it wasn't long before the two girls and Gale joined her. "You called them pricks," Charlotte repeated in between laughs. "My gawd, that's just too funny," Charlotte said as she stood up out of the chair and allowed Gale to help her put on what she'd be wearing on her first of three walks down the runway. She was still chuckling, and repeating 'pricks' to herself as she stepped up on the runway and flaunted her stuff to the end of the runway. She even caught sight of boys standing outside of the store, and really played it up, causing all of the boys to suddenly grab themselves and run towards the restrooms. Watching the boys' reactions caused Charlotte to giggle, which caused her to smile even wider, before she'd begun to complete her first walk on the runway. And she wanted to do it again.
Gale had to shush the girls as Charlotte and three of the other girls were laughing after watching what those boys did. One of the girls said, "Like, totally, they're pricks," which started the girls laughing again. Gale sternly told the girls to be quiet, but inside was happy Charlotte had lost her apprehension for walking out in her underwear. She wouldn't tell the girls this, but she enjoyed watching Charlotte tease those boys watching the girls, and what she caused to happen in their pants. She looked at Charlotte, getting dressed for her next walk, and thought to herself what a wonderful kid his parents have. If only those she was used to dealing with could be like him, then this would be a heck of a world.
None of the four girls had modeled anything in black, just pastels. And when Gale held up the black outfit Charlotte would be wearing, she saw a smirk form on her lips. When the girls had started their walk on the runway, they'd walked out from behind a curtain and walked to the end of the runway, before giving the audience a front, back, and side view, pausing in between moves. Then they'd turn and walk back down the runway, where the next girl would step out from behind the same curtain and do the same thing.
When Charlotte saw the black outfit she'd be wearing, the smirk Gale saw, and wouldn't understand until she watched what occurred, she decided to really give those women and young girls, and those boys watching from outside the store a real show. As Gale helped Charlotte put on the black lacy bra, and black lacy panties, and lacy garter belt, and watched as she sat to put on the black stockings with a floral design at the top of the stockings, Charlotte's face took on a look Gale interpreted immediately. Not meaning to, but did anyway, she voiced, "Oh, this ought to be good." When Charlotte was ready, and the last girl had walked off the runway, she motioned to the four girls to come with her and they all stood where they could see the entire runway. All she told the four girls was, "You girls have got to watch this."
Charlotte had followed the girls in that when the last girl had reached the curtain, she would then step out and start her walk. Not this time, this time the first thing the women and young girls saw was a left, black clad leg being sensually extended onto the runway from behind the curtain. That was followed up by the right leg being extended in much the same way, until Charlotte stood facing the audience with her hands on the hips. She slowly turned, looked over her left shoulder with a 'come hither' look on her face, before turning to the side and running her hand through her hair. Gale and the girls heard the boys standing outside the store, and watched as Charlotte did one of the most sultry walks Gale had ever seen a girl her age do while walking down the runway. When she reached the end of the runway, she went through more sultry moves, causing Gale and the girls to laugh as they saw more boys grab themselves before running to the restrooms. Charlotte played with her hair while facing the women and young girls. When she turned, she ran her hands up and down her body, licking her lips when, while facing to her left, turning her head to face those watching. And when Charlotte turned to face the other way, she struck a pose Gale had only seen professional models make. She then turned and started sauntering back up the runway, running her hands over her butt as she walked. When she reached the end, with her back still to the audience, she looked at the audience over her right shoulder, gave them an air kiss, before stepping behind the curtain.
Gale glanced at the women sitting in the small audience, and saw some of them fanning themselves and others wiggling in their seats. She and the girls then rushed back behind the curtain and saw a joyous Charlotte, lounging in a chair, fanning herself as well. Gale looked at the smiling girl and asked, "Where in the hell did you learn to walk like that?" The other girls were gathered around Charlotte, telling her how hot she looked as she walked the runway.
One of the girls let slip that, "My boyfriend would go ape shit seeing me dressed like that."
Charlotte laughed at the girl's comment, before saying, "You did see what it did to those pricks standing outside the store, right? Surprise your boyfriend."
When the chatter died down, and the girls went to change back into their everyday clothes, Gale pulled Charlotte aside and asked her again, "Where did you learn to walk like that? I've never seen a girl your age be able to pull off something like that."
Gale suddenly got chills down her spine as the expression Charlotte got more than serious. "I'm not permitted to tell you, Gale. And it's best if you don't know or find out."
Gale continued staring at Charlotte, nodding her head as she said, "All right, Charlotte. All right, forget I asked." She then brightened and told Charlotte, "Oh girl, you were wonderful out there today. And from what I've seen, the store is going to have super sales this afternoon. And it's because of your help. I think Jane will be proud of how you did today. Take what you're wearing with you as a reminder of your time as a model. In fact, everything you wore today will be given to you. Now you've got something to really tell your grandchildren."
As Charlotte undressed and put on the clothes she wore into the store, Gale's words about grandchildren rang through her mind. Would she have grandchildren some day? Doesn't that require she first have a girlfriend, and children of her own?
Charlotte had finished dressing and as she was walking out of the dressing area, Brenda rushed up and told her, "Charlotte, that was one of the most marvelous shows I've ever had. You were magnificent, especially your last walk. I don't know when we've sold so many of that outfit you were wearing in one day. Thank you, sweetheart." Then Brenda got a serious look on her face and asked Charlotte, "So, was it as bad as you thought? You looked like you WERE having fun."
Charlotte smiled and replied with, "No, it wasn't as bad as I feared it'd be. And, I hate to admit it, but I did have fun. I will definitely look at models differently from now on, knowing what they have to do to get ready. And thank you for giving me the opportunity to do this. I know at the beginning I was reluctant to even give it a try. But looking back, I really did have fun."
Gale walked up just then carrying a store bag with all the clothes Charlotte had worn inside. Charlotte saw Jane and Francis walk into The Style Shoppe, bid Brenda and Gale goodbye, and went over to Jane, who gave the bubbling Charlotte a critical eye and asked her, "And why are you so excited, young lady?"
A smiling Charlotte looked Jane straight in the eyes and told her, "Because, Aunt Jane, I had fun this afternoon. I had fun."
Jane smirked then told Charlotte, "Let's see how much fun you have writing a five page paper about your experiences here this afternoon."
Charlotte's smile never wavered as she told Jane, "Oh, I won't be able to write just a five page paper. No, it will have to be longer if I'm to write down all my experiences here today."
Inwardly Jane smiled, outwardly she humphed, then said, "Petulant children. That's all they ever send me." Francis chuckled after Jane spoke, knowing Jane was pleased with Charlotte's performance this afternoon. She only hoped Charlotte's enthusiasm lasted with what Jane had in store for her tomorrow.
Jane must have read Francis' mind, as she looked down at her and slowly shook her head. Francis gulped before answering, "Yes, Aunt Jane."
As they drove back to Jane's house, it was quiet in the car. Quiet until Jane and Francis heard, "Oh my gawd," from Charlotte. "Oh my gawd," she repeated, then started laughing, and laughing hard.
She was laughing so hard she never heard Jane ask, "What's so funny, young lady?" Charlotte was gripped with ruckus laughter, which caused her to fall over onto her back in the backseat of Jane's car. Again Jane asked her question, and again Charlotte never heard it because she was laughing so hard. Jane found a place to pull over to get out of traffic, before shutting off the engine, getting out of the car and attending to Charlotte, who was still in the throes of laughter. Because Charlotte was lying down on the backseat facing the passenger side, Jane opened the rear passenger side door, reached in and pulled Charlotte upright and held onto her. Charlotte never acknowledged she'd been pulled up or that Jane was holding her. It wasn't until Jane shook her hard, several times, that Charlotte finally saw Jane and started calming down.
She giggled a few times before saying, "Sorry, Aunt Jane. But it's just so darn funny." Even Jane's glare didn't phase her at this moment, she was still giggling at what she just realized. Still being held by Jane, she reached up and wiped her eyes, giggling a few more times before she could actually speak. "Sorry, Aunt Jane, I was just thinking about the modeling I did this afternoon, when I realized something. There I was, a boy presenting as a girl, in a changing room with four other attractive girls and I got to watch them change for each walk of the runway. Me, a boy, got to see what many boys only dream of, four girls who were completely naked as they changed into our next outfits."
Then Jane saw the somber look replace the joyous one, as Charlotte then said, "And you know what, Aunt Jane. I didn't react to what I saw as any boy would. I was never aroused by what I saw, or tempted to do anything. Does that make me strange? Shouldn't seeing four beautiful girls naked have caused me to be at least a bit aroused? Or tempt me to do something?" Jane saw the tears slide down Charlotte's cheeks, as she asked, "Does that make me weird, Aunt Jane? Because I didn't get aroused as other boys would?"
The only thought Jane had at that moment, seeing the anguish look on Charlotte's face, was to make sure Toby Camber have the best experience Jane could devise. Whether he liked it or not. She took a deep breath to calm herself, and looking Charlotte in her eyes, told her, "No, Charlotte, you are not weird, never have been and never will be. You are a remarkable young man, who as I told you before, you are where I want all my girls to be before they leave me. You are kind, caring, and thoughtful. You help, at times, without realizing you're helping. You are a young man a mother can be extremely proud of, as every boy should be. As to your not becoming aroused upon seeing four naked young ladies? You didn't become aroused because you weren't seeing them through the eyes of a boy. You saw them through the eyes of a young lady, you. You became one with them as you modeled the clothes Brenda had you wear. You were having fun doing something you'd never have done had Charles been in that store. Don't look down on yourself as being a failure of a boy because you weren't aroused. Think of yourself as a boy who's matured in ways other boys could never understand. For a few hours you saw four beautiful young girls not as sex objects, but as people, like yourself. And you treated them AS people, and not as sex objects. I'm very proud of how you handled that fashion show. Some day it's going to be a story worth telling. But for now, come on, let's get home and something to eat." Charlotte nodded her head, hugged Jane, then moved back onto the backseat, wiping her eyes as she did. " Raton laveur (Raccoon,)," Jane said, which caused Charlotte to laugh.
"Yes. I guess I do look like a raccoon, again." Jane smiled before closing the passenger side rear door and getting behind the wheel of her car.
As she drove, one part of her asked if she could get away with using a bullwhip on the person who caused all this heartache for Charles. She knew several desolate places where no one would hear them scream. Her other part said it wouldn't be the right thing to do, and she'd have to settle with using what she found that does work and works well. Toby was going to see a taskmaster like no other taskmaster who ever lived. And one way or another, he WAS going to tell her the whole, unvarnished, truth.
As they entered Jane's home, they were directed to bathe and dress for supper, before helping Marie in the kitchen. Jane did the same, going to her study afterwards. The light on the fax machine was blinking, indicating an incoming fax was ready to print out. Jane entered a code, then hit 'print' and watched as several pages were spit out of the machine. She sat down in her desk chair and began to read what she had been sent.
From: Ruth Walinkiewicz
To: Jane Thompson
RE: More information concerning shoplifting
Jane,
We have uncovered more information about the shoplifting at Taylor's and about Toby Camber. That incident at Taylor's is only one of many events that have been occurring throughout the area, many not being realized until the store's regular inventory was taken. So far, close to $125,000 has been stolen, and it is felt was done in much the same way as it was done at Taylor's that day Charles was accused of being involved, by teams of three boys or both boys and girls. We've been able to backtrack and have identified the persons involved in the actual theft, but it was felt we'd learn more if they were put under surveillance rather than being arrested now. It's a case of using the small fish to catch the big fish. The stores involved have agreed with our assessment, and have agreed to notify those involved in the investigation when they spot another theft taking place. We've also notified other large chain department stores to be on the lookout for theft, or attempted theft, in their stores and not to interfere but watch and record the persons and to notify the investigators when it occurs.
As to Toby Camber, I don't know where to start, as his life up to being caught that day at Taylor's has not been a bed of roses. He lived with his dad and older brother, dad working three jobs to try and keep food on their table and the debt collectors off his back. Toby's mother walked out when Toby was five, the promise of bright lights and a better life luring her away. She's now a junky, turning tricks to support her habit, the guy who promised her a better life responsible for getting her hooked on heroin. From the time his mother left Toby had literally been under the thumb of his older brother, and we suspect he is the one forcing Toby to do the stealing. You'll understand why I say forcing when you see Toby after he falls asleep. Words can't do justice in explaining what Toby's had to endure his whole life under his brother's thumb, you'll understand fully when you see with your own eyes. And maybe what you see will temper your anger because of what he did to Charles. When I know more then you'll know more.
Ruth
Jane read the fax again, ruminating over Ruth's inability to describe how Toby was forced to steal. Several things came to mind, but none of them were the ones used to force Toby to steal, as she would soon learn. There was a knock on the study door, "Enter," she said, and watched the door open and Charlotte come into the study. After Charlotte shut the study door, she went to the bookcase and took 'the book' off the shelf, balanced on her head, and proceeded to walk the five circuits of the study. Stopping at the study door after completing circuit five, Charlotte replaced 'the book' in the bookshelf before walking over and standing in front the desk Jane was sitting at. "Aunt Jane, supper will be ready in a few moments," Charlotte told Jane, who was looking at Charlotte but wasn't looking at her.
"Thank you, Charlotte." After asking to be excused, and being given permission, as Charlotte turned and started walking to the study doors, Jane said, "Oh, Charlotte, please come and sit down for a moment." Charlotte was halfway to the study doors but abruptly stopping when Jane called her name.
Author's Note: When I first wrote Complicit In a Lie, I had no thoughts, or ideas, to write a sequel. But thanks to a few readers, who asked about a sequel, ideas formed that made writing this sequel possible. It is necessary to have read Complicit In a Lie to understand why Charles is now with Jane, who the boy arriving in Kingston is and how he's involved in Charles' Court case. And to understand where Mr. Corporate, George Strom, fits into this story. This story starts off after Charles says, "When do we start," in Complicit in a Lie. So if you haven't read Complicit In a Lie, the beginning of this story won't make any sense. Hint hint!
Instead of indicating the straight back chair in front of her desk, Jane indicated the chair to her left. After Charlotte sat down, without saying a word, Jane gave her the fax she'd received from Judge Ruth, and watched as Charlotte read what Ruth had to say. Charlotte had been with Jane long enough for her to interpret Charlotte's facial expressions, which were at this moment, going from a surprised look to a questioning look. It was the questioning look Charlotte had on her face when she looked up from reading the fax and asked Jane, "What does it mean 'you'll see for yourself?' What's to see?"
Jane was shaking her head at Charlotte's question, and replied with, "I don't know, Charlotte. I wish I did, it might change my plans for Toby. And because Ruth believes he's been forced to steal, that alone might be enough to change my plans. And how I want you to act. So maybe, because of this fax," and Jane tapped the fax in Charlotte's hands, "it would be better if you played the part of a proper young lady until we learn more. And if I do give you a nod, just sass or question why you have to do something. Don't overdo it, I don't want to appear as a dragon until we learn more about Toby." Jane held out her hand and Charlotte gave the fax back, with Jane saying, "You better go and help finish getting our supper ready."
After responding, "Yes, Aunt Jane," Charlotte got up out of the chair and started walking to the Study doors.
Her hand was on one of the door handles when Jane said, "Oh, and Charlotte. Keep this to yourself. Francis isn't to know anything about this. Not yet at least."
With another, "Yes, Aunt Jane," Charlotte opened the study door and closed it behind her as she walked out of the study. Jane's monster was again suggesting using a bullwhip, but now, maybe not on Toby.
Jane started to get up out of her desk chair when the fax machine pinged, indicating an incoming fax. She waited until the machine said it was ready to print, before inputting a code, pressing the print button and waiting. Given the fax from Ruth, she expected it was another fax from her, but was pleasantly surprised when it turned out to be from Jeb and his law firm.
From: Jeb Thorton, et al.
To: Ms. Jane Thompson
Jane,
I've spoken with Ruth and learned she'd given you some of the information we have discovered about the rash of shoplifting thefts in the area. I want to add to this information.
Our firms' investigators have been following Toby's brother everywhere he goes, and they discovered some interesting things. He meets up with a mixed group of boys and girls, about Toby's age, at an abandoned warehouse every day at the same time. Our people staked out the building and watched as the group of boys and girls, around twenty, went into that warehouse carrying bundles and came out empty handed. They waited until the brother had left before going inside and finding a storehouse of stolen goods, still marked with the store's price stickers. We passed this information to our contact within the police department, and they've put a stakeout team on that warehouse.
I hope you're sitting down because we think we've learned who is the actual mastermind behind this whole theft ring. None other than George Strom, CEO of Taylor's. Toby's brother was videoed meeting with Mr. Strom on several occasions, even going with the brother to the warehouse.
And that isn't all. Mr. Strom was then tailed and met up with a woman who the FBI has had their eye on for a long time, but didn't have enough physical proof to do anything. When our police contact learned of this, she immediately contacted her FBI contact, and they in turn put a tail on this woman.
I wish I could tell you, and Charles, that arrests have been made and the whole truth has been told in regards to his being implicated in the thefts, but I can't. We don't have enough physical proof yet. We do, however, have proof that Mr. Strom is living beyond his means. The FBI obtained a search warrant to have a forensic accountant look into Mr. Strom's bank account and other financial records. Seems he has acquired more than his yearly salary pays him. They're still digging because of what they initially found, and from what I've been told, Mr. Strom has a lot to explain not only to the FBI but the IRS as well. I believe once everything is tied up with a nice neat bow, arrests will be made, and the whole truth about my son will finally see the light of day.
Give our love to Charles
Kindest regards,
Jeb
Jane read the fax from Jeb again, and now sat trying to decide if she should tell Charlotte about this or keep it to herself. She weighed the pros and cons of telling her, not wanting to get her hopes up only to see them dashed. Her thoughts were interrupted by a knock on the study door, which she acknowledged and was told by Francis that supper was ready when she stepped into the study. Francis then took 'the book' off the bookshelf, but Jane just shook her head. Francis put 'the book' back on the bookshelf, then stood and watched Jane get out of her chair, walk past her, never saying a word, leaving Francis to follow her out of the study, closing the door behind her. When they sat down to supper Marie could see the concern on Jane's face, but got a surreptitious head shake from Jane just before she could ask her question. Instead of getting an answer as to why Jane was concerned, she received a full report from Charlotte about her time modeling clothing at The Style Shoppe, and her concern that she didn't react like a boy her age would act around young girls in the act of changing clothes. Where Jane gave Charlotte one reason, Marie gave her another reason, "Because you aren't like other boys. You are a gentleman, chère. And a gentleman knows the proper way to act around women in the state such as you saw."
With supper over and the kitchen duties completed, Jane reminded Charlotte she had a paper to write about her experiences modeling, and Francis had History to read for her paper on the Napoleonic Wars. It was only after the girls had entered the library to do their homework that Jane took Marie with her to the study, and let her read both faxes she'd received. When Marie finished reading the one from Jeb, she put it down and told Jane, "So, you are wondering if you should tell Charlotte about what's been discovered? Thinking maybe if you do she'll get her hopes up only to have them dashed if nothing comes of what's been discovered?" Jane just nodded, it's the only answer she had at that moment. Marie sat the faxes on Jane's desk, looked at Jane, then said, "What can you tell her that can really help her believe her name will be cleared? Nothing. Absolutely nothing that she doesn't already know. I presume you showed her the fax from Ruth?" Jane nodded, picked up the faxes, unlocked a drawer before placing the faxes in the drawer and relocking it. "Then, tell her nothing more than she already knows. She has enough going on right now and doesn't need to be told something which might or might not clear her name. The time to tell her will come, and that time will be when her name can be cleared. N'est-ce pas (Is not it?)?" Jane nodded her head before opening the cabinet, turning on the monitor to check on her wards. As she listened, Charlotte was talking with Francis concerning her assignment, helping to clarify a few points. Maybe she could get away with using a guillotine on someone.
A clock in the downstairs portion of the house struck nine times, the ninth time fading as the energy given to the air dissipated. The girls heard a knock on the library door before it opened and Jane came into the room. "How is your reading coming, Francis? Are you ready to write your paper yet?" Jane couldn't let her know she'd been watching her, as Francis had started writing her paper or she'd learn things Jane wanted to stay hidden.
"I've finished the reading, Aunt Jane. I had to ask Charlotte if she knew anything about the Napoleonic Wars because I had some questions. And because of her answers I've started writing my paper."
Jane sagely nodded her head, then turned to Charlotte. "And the paper about your experiences from today? Has it helped you see an answer to some of your own questions?"
Charlotte smiled at Jane, then told her, "It's basically done, Aunt Jane. I say basically because most of what I've written is about what I did as I modeled."
Jane looked at Charlotte and asked her, "But you're having trouble writing down how you FELT while you modeled, oui? Because you're having trouble sorting out the answer to some of your questions?"
Jane watched as Charlotte nodded her head before saying, "Yes, Aunt Jane, that's exactly why it's basically done. If I sit and think about how I felt, not only do I think about my feelings but about me as a boy and my masculinity. And when I think about that, well, my thoughts start down another path then branch to another, and several more, before coming back to my original thought."
Jane had sat down in a chair next to Charlotte, looked at her, smiled, then told her, "So your thoughts are a Mobius Loop, starting and ending at the same place. No real beginning and no real end, perhaps you need to make a beginning and an end. Perhaps you need to cut the loop at branches in the path so you have an end and a new beginning. Perhaps how you felt while modeling, and the answer to some of your questions, lies in the parsaled sections of the thoughts you separate into strips of thoughts. Perhaps your current thoughts are a sheet of writing paper, and you lay a ruler lengthways on that paper so you can tear that paper into strips and then examine each one individually. Do you understand what I'm saying Charlotte?" Jane saw the half confused and half accepting look on Charlotte's face, then told her, "Don't be concerned by your thoughts going off in tangents before returning to the beginning. Take the tangent thought, pull it out separately and examine it on its own merits. Then do the same for each thought. A jigsaw puzzle has to be assembled piece by piece. Each piece fits an exact place in the puzzle as a whole. And it's only by examining each piece can the puzzle be assembled into a whole picture."
Jane saw the light go on in Charlotte's eyes, and watched as she chuckled to herself then said more to herself than to Jane, "Guess I'm not as smart as I thought I was. I should have realized that." Charlotte had dropped her head after what she said, feeling stupid for not realizing what Jane had just said.
Jane reached over, put her fingers gently under Charlotte's chin, lifted her head and told her, "No, chère, you are smart. You could not have known to break down your thoughts because you are not in your usual situation. You are used to thinking in literal terms, this happens, that's the response. Being here, with me, has caused you to relearn how to think, how to reevaluate what you see and do. You are Charlotte now, chère, and Charlotte doesn't always think in literal terms of this happening and that's the response. Because Charlotte has never existed before and is as a baby taking its first step. Learn to let Charlotte learn. Don't compare her to Charles, because Charles has not only learned how to walk but run as well. Because as Charlotte, you are just learning how to walk. Keep working on your paper, it will be complete when you're ready for it to be completed. It's time for you two girls to get to bed, we've a busy day tomorrow."
As they always did, Jane went up with Charlotte and Marie with Francis. When Jane and Charlotte were in Charlotte's bedroom, Charlotte asked, "Aunt Jane, why is there so much disparity between males and females? Both are human mammals. Their anatomy is different in some aspects, as is their roles in procreation, but they share the same type of feelings, needs, and desires, even though males seldom let on they do. So why should one be treated better than the other? Why should it be thought that males are superior to females in many ways?" Charlotte had walked into the bathroom to clean her face, brush her teeth, and use the toilet before getting into bed, after asking Jane the questions.
Jane stood dumbfounded by Charlotte's questions, wondering where this child obtained such questions. Wondering if the school she attended knew just what type of a student they had or her intelligence, or cared. Charlotte may not realize how deep her questions went, or how difficult they could be to answer. When Charlotte came out of the bathroom, Jane gave her face a good inspection, pronounced her face clean, and told Charlotte, "You dear, child. Those questions are not some a person your age would even think of, much less ask about. Where did they come from and why do you ask?"
Jane sat down on the edge of Charlotte's bed and patted the space beside her, indicating for Charlotte to sit beside her. She watched as Charlotte formed her thoughts before she heard, "It's what I saw during the fashion show, Aunt Jane. Oh, not just my seeing four naked young girls who were beautiful in their own right, but how others reacted when they saw us walking down the runway. As I watched the women and young girls in the audience react, they were excited by the items we wore, the young girls particularly interested in everything they saw. Their mothers, I assume they were their mothers, were more subdued when we came out in swimsuits, sleepwear, and underwear, some telling their daughters, 'No way in hell,' I believe one mother put it. But none acted as though we were anything but young ladies modeling clothing."
"As you know, The Style Shoppe has a large glass front, which allows shoppers to see into the store without any trouble. As we modeled I saw from the runway, and from behind the curtain, the large number of young boys and men who stopped and watched us as we modeled. It wasn't difficult to see how aroused many were as they stood and watched."
Charlotte laughed at the remembrance of the boys who held themselves as they ran to the restroom. "You found something funny about being watched, Charlotte?" Jane had to wait until Charlotte stopped laughing to hear an answer to her question.
"Aunt Jane," Charlotte said, as her laughing slowed to a chuckle, "During one of the girls' walk, we were wearing two-piece swimsuits at the time," and she chuckled again before continuing, "I watched from behind the curtain as several boys grabbed themselves and ran off to the mens restroom. As I watched from behind the curtain, until it was my turn, each time a girl walked the runway wearing the swimsuit, more boys would grab themselves and run off. When it was my turn, I watched, and after watching me, a boy presenting as a girl, more did the same. And it got even worse when we switched to sleepwear and underwear, because now it wasn't just the boys who grabbed themselves, but men as well. That's when I decided to really ham it up while wearing the all black underwear, and there were only a few boys or men left standing watching the show from outside of the store."
Jane didn't have to imagine how Charlotte hammed it up while wearing the all black underwear, she watched her do it from a room in Brenda's store. What she saw Charlotte do made her wish Art had been there with her. She shook off that thought and started thinking of answers to Charlotte's questions.
"Charlotte," and Jane paused, gathering her thoughts. "Answers to your questions are simple yet complicated. You saw with your own eyes how those men and boys reacted to you girls as you modeled the clothing. You can look to nature and see the same thing occur, and none are wearing what we'd consider clothing. The male brain is wired to find a female attractive, attractive enough to copulate in order to procreate our species, it happens with every species. By the same token, it's up to the female to decide whether or not the male who wants her is the one she wants to become the father of her children. Boys your age, and some men who never grew up, have trouble controlling themselves when they see beautiful women or young girls. The boys because their hormones are running wild and they have yet to learn to master the desires their hormones produce. The men know better, but possess the desire to mate with any female they find attractive, whether they are mated or not. By mated I refer to being married. As to why women are treated differently than men? It stems from long ago, a man had to protect the woman he was with or she'd be taken away from him by other men. Men are built differently than women, so are able to deal with situations women would have found difficult to handle. That isn't to say all women would find the tasks difficult, but the majority would. Because men began to think of women as the 'weaker' sex, it was believed women didn't posses the abilities or intellect to do what many men were capable of doing. And when 'modern' women wanted to stop being 'babied' and started exerting themselves, many men felt threatened. They felt as though they were losing control of everything around them. They never discover what some men discover, that a woman completes the man, that the woman makes the relationship whole. That she is the right hand the man had been missing his entire life. You didn't see those men who discovered the truth watching you as you and those girls modeled, Charlotte. You saw those men who wanted to possess something they couldn't have, watching you. To them, you five girls were nothing more than a desire to have sex with you and then move on. They had no interest in becoming your soul mates."
Jane again saw that Charlotte was thinking, and learned what she was thinking when she asked, "But if a person really loves someone, the true part of that person, not what they see that person present, should it matter if it's more than just man and woman?"
Jane marveled at the depth of Charlotte's question, because it's a question that has caused a great deal of strife. "Charlotte, very few people ever learn to love the true self of a person, they can't get past the presentation they see in the other person. Many don't even know there is a true part to every person, because it isn't what they've been told while growing up. If you watch television, read a magazine, listen to the radio, or see any type of media that displays products produced by others, you will see the vast majority deal with the appearance of the individual, and not their true self. They have the world believing that it's more important how you look than how you conduct yourself in the presence of others. They have convinced the world that men want women who are the most beautiful. They have convinced women they want men who ripple with muscles and stand tall above other men. But not one, to a letter, has ever said that it's more important to seek a person's true self and not look at the outside package. They are the ones who've made it difficult for women to show they are capable of doing what men can do, and in some cases, better than a man. It would be nice, Charlotte, if everyone sought the other person's true self and not how the person looked, it would keep so much trouble from happening. But we, as humans, aren't mature enough for that to happen. We, most of us anyway, are still trying to learn how to walk. Enough talk. Let's get you into bed. You've an interesting day tomorrow."
As Charlotte told Jane goodnight, and Jane left her bedroom, closing the door behind her, she wondered if she could get away with just pushing the SOB off a short plank hanging out over a deep canyon. Her other self told her 'no.'
"You've an interesting day tomorrow," was replayed in Charlotte's mind, as she lay in bed wondering what her next adventure was going to be. She had closed her eyes, trying to relax and let sleep overtake her, but her mind kept going over the events at The Style Shoppe, and the role she played.
"Charlotte, Charlotte, wake up, you're dreaming. It's just a dream, wake up."
Her sight was blurry as her eyes fluttered open, and she saw Jane standing over her. "Aunt Jane? Why are you here? Is it time to get up?"
Charlotte had to clear her throat several times while she spoke, it was raw for some reason. "You were screaming in your sleep, Charlotte. You must have been having a nightmare. Can you recall what you were dreaming? Try hard, it might be important for me to know."
Charlotte caught a glimpse of her dream, which helped her recall the whole dream and that caused her to burst into tears. Jane sat on the edge of Charlotte's bed and held her while she cried, coming up with more ideas which her other self told her she still couldn't do. Slowly, Charlotte calmed down, and when she had stopped crying Jane asked, "Can you tell me about your dream now?"
Charlotte remained silent for several long minutes, before saying, "We'd gone to the mall. You left me to window shop while you took Francis to get some much needed items. You didn't say it, but you did that so I'd see I was only seen as a girl. I started walking past this one empty store, one of the single stores, when hands came out of nowhere, grabbed me, and drug me into that empty store. I was dragged to the back of that store, someone held my hands up over my head on the floor, two others held my legs down and apart, then I felt my dress ripped up the center and my panties torn off and then someone was on me and in me," and Charlotte broke down again as she croaked, "and there wasn't anything I could do to stop it." And even though she was crying, Jane managed to understand her when she got out, "And they all took turns raping me."
Jane remembered a story she'd read for fun about invaders who'd treated those they'd conquered badly, especially one woman. She was repeatedly raped by several men at the orders of their commander. As fate would have it, the invaders were finally driven out, and that commander captured. The woman, with the help of several other men, stripped that ex-commander naked, held him down on the ground as they drove a sharpened stake up into his rectum and out his back, making sure not to hit any vital organs. They then raised the stake impaling the man, and it was set into the ground so that the cross piece against the man's rectum kept his feet from touching the ground. And they left him there to rot. Her other self told her again, no.
Charlotte is a boy, who, according to all the information she'd received, had never had such a sexual experience as she was describing. So why had Charlotte dreamt about that horrible event? Charlotte had calmed down again, holding on tight to Jane. Jane decided to try working backwards to see if Charlotte could give her any clues which lead to the nightmare. "Charlotte. Can you remember what you were dreaming before the dream of the rape? Or can you remember what you were thinking about as you went to sleep?"
Charlotte sniffed her nose, wiped her eyes, then told Jane, "I was dreaming I WAS a girl modeling, like today. I was having fun wearing all the clothing, even the sexier ones. I wore ball gowns, mini skirts, skirts girls could wear to school and some underwear that'd rev up any man's motor. And then you and Francis were there and, well, you know the rest. I had trouble falling asleep because I kept thinking about being a model for the afternoon, and how it turned out to be fun. And then started thinking about those four other girls and the boys getting aroused watching us, and I woke up with you shaking me. Could I have wanted to do to those four girls what those boys watching wanted to the five of us? Is that why I dreamt of being raped? Was my mind showing me how I'd feel if I done that to those four girls? But I never had any feeling to act that way even when those four were completely naked while changing. Never, Aunt Jane. You got to believe me. I would never do something like that to any girl, it isn't who I am inside, Aunt Jane. I don't understand why I had a dream of me being a girl and being raped?"
Jane so wanted to kill the bastard who's mentally hurt this boy, but elected to take deep breaths in order to calm herself down. "Charlotte, no one knows why we dream of events we'd never think of doing in the real world. Some try to explain it away by saying the desire is buried deep in our subconscious, that it's our self consciousness that keeps the subconscious in check in the real world so that deep desires are never allowed to occur. They claim that during sleep the subconscious takes over and manifests in our dreams. You are a male, Charles, not unlike the males on this planet. You have a desire to have sex with women, but unlike most of the males on this planet, the desire to have sex with a woman doesn't control your life. Your self awareness, your moral code of life, your knowing right from wrong all work together to show you how to live your life. That is what drives your life, not an animalistic desire. Are you feeling better? Do you think you can go back to sleep now?" Jane felt Charlotte nod her head and felt Charlotte release her, moving to lie back down in her bed. Neither said any more to the other, Jane just quietly left Charlotte's room, turning off the light and closing the door behind her.
Jane didn't go immediately back to bed, but went to the kitchen instead, finding Marie there fixing two cups of tea. "Is she all right now, Jane?"
Jane nodded her head and told Marie, "Yes, she seems to be now. The modeling she did at The Style Shoppe got to her more than she realized, it played on her subconscious. She dreamt she'd been window shopping and was grabbed by several guys, dragged into an abandoned shop, held down and raped. Repeatedly by all of those holding her. It would seem that being Charlotte, even for this short time, has really played into her subconscious. Charles may have been doing more analyzing of being Charlotte than he realizes, actually putting himself in the shoes of the girl named Charlotte." Jane picked up her cup of tea with shaking hands but sat it back down, afraid she'd spill the entire cup if she tried to take a sip. Marie laid a hand on Jane's hands, held them until Jane's hands stopped shaking. Jane looked over to Marie and growled, "Maire, I'd like to kill the bastard who caused this sweet boy all of these troubles. I wouldn't care what happened to me if I could make sure he didn't do this to another boy like Charles."
Marie nodded her head at Jane's words, totally understanding how Jane felt. "I know, chère, I feel the same. But...we both know that isn't the right way for us to proceed. We both know our role lies here, at Seasons House, doing what we do best in helping young boys find the path they should be walking and not the path they've decided to take. We have to trust those who are looking into all this, trust they will find the truth and all of those behind this. Try to drink your tea, chère, then go back to bed. I'll keep an eye on our Charlotte tonight."
Jane nodded her head, picked up her cup of tea, and together the two women sat silently and sipped at their tea until they saw the bottom of the cups. Both women thinking the same thoughts without saying a word to each other. Perhaps there's more of Charlotte in Charles than Charles realizes. Perhaps Charles isn't that far from actually becoming Charlotte, even though he seems comfortable being himself. It was as though a silent signal had been given and both women looked at each other, nodding towards the other before Marie said, "Perhaps we need to have him speak with someone better versed in that area than we are, oui?"
Jane slowly nodded her head in agreement with what Marie said, "Oui, ce serait peut-être pour le mieux. But he will have to speak with me first," Jane said, a smile forming on both women's lips.
Marie giggled then told Jane, "You two must remember there are children in the house, so you must not speak too loudly, as you yourself often do when the two of you speak."
Jane playfully swatted Marie's arm, saying, "I do not speak that loudly when he and I are in discussion. He causes me to um...rephrase my responses to his, um...inquiries. That's all."
Marie eyed Jane with a look that said, 'Uh, huh, sure,' before both women broke out laughing. Patting Marie's hand, she told her, "Wake me if you need me. I think after talking to me she'll sleep through what's left of this night."
"I will, chère, go get some sleep," Marie replied, and watched Jane leave the kitchen.
Marie picked up both tea cups, took them to the sink, rinsed them out before placing them on the counter; she'd wash them in the morning. As she walked up the stairs to her bedroom, she thought back to all the boys who'd affect Jane as Charlotte was doing, and could only think of a few that got under Jane's skin. She wondered when she'd need to be the one who'd need help getting over those who'd been sent to her but shouldn't have been here. She wondered if there would come a time when she would have to say enough, and go find her own peace.
Author's Note: When I first wrote Complicit In a Lie, I had no thoughts, or ideas, to write a sequel. But thanks to a few readers, who asked about a sequel, ideas formed that made writing this sequel possible. It is necessary to have read Complicit In a Lie to understand why Charles is now with Jane, who the boy arriving in Kingston is and how he's involved in Charles' Court case. And to understand where Mr. Corporate, George Strom, fits into this story. This story starts off after Charles says, "When do we start," in Complicit in a Lie. So if you haven't read Complicit In a Lie, the beginning of this story won't make any sense. Hint hint!
Charlotte had slept soundly the rest of the night, apparently her talk with Jane resolved issues her subconscious had with her now living as Charlotte. Marie silently crept into Charlotte's bedroom, and quietly told her, "Cheri, it's time to get up, you've a big day today."
Marie had awoken Charlotte for the past few days, and had learned how the girl was going to react each time. "Yeah...okay...tante Marie...just a few more minutes," Charlotte mumbled and turned back over and went back to sleep.
Marie couldn't help herself and giggled before she grabbed the end of the covers over Charlotte and threw all of them to the foot of the bed. Charlotte did, and said, the same thing each and every time Marie did that, "Aww, Marie, that isn't playing fair."
Marie laughed then told Charlotte, "Peut-être pas, mais vous êtes maintenant réveillée, jeune fille." Charlotte rolled over, tried to give Marie a death glare, but failed, then said, "Que le vent soulève ta jupe un jour."
Marie laughed again, telling Charlotte, "Dépêchez-vous, shower, makeup, dress because you're going out today. Dépêchez-vous, dépêchez-vous, cheri. You must hurry."
Marie watched as Charlotte did her now famous look to the ceiling, rolled her eyes then said, "All right, Marie, I'm up. I'm up. Rush rush rush, that's all we seem to do. Is there really a purpose to all of this rushing?"
Marie bent down to Charlotte sitting on the edge of her bed, took her face in both hands, looked Charlotte in the eyes, and told her, "Because you are now a young lady, cheri. And young ladies often take more time getting ready for the day. Especially ones who haven't gotten out of bed. Now, dépêchez-vous, alle!" Marie released Charlotte's face, stepped back and watched Charlotte do her now famous head and eye movements, before she got out of bed, got a clean bra and panties, go into the bathroom, and closed the door behind her. "Dépêchez-vous, cheri. Dépêchez-vous," Marie said loudly to the bathroom door before leaving Charlotte's bedroom.
Jane had been watching Marie wake Charlotte, and heard the banter between the two. She was now listening to Charlotte talk to herself as she showered, causing Jane to laugh and chuckle at what was being said. "Rush rush rush, everything in this house is rush rush rush. You'd think the world was coming to an end. I'm surprised we aren't rushed to use the toilet, which would be a good trick at times. Wonder if mom and dad would take me on a nice, relaxing, vacation? Where rush is a four letter, a word not to be spoken." Jane continued listening as Charlotte prattled on, causing Jane to almost lose it completely because of some things Charlotte said to herself. When Charlotte finished in the bathroom, Jane watched as Charlotte swiftly put on her garter belt, stockings, slip, and the dress she'd wear for their outing today. She then watched as Charlotte placed a towel around her neck to keep makeup off her dress, before applying her makeup. Jane was impressed how quickly Charlotte was now able to apply her makeup, and doing a good job at the same time. She watched as the towel came off her neck, a brush taken to her hair, and Charlotte pronouncing, "Sehr gut," before she got up from the vanity chair, made her bed, placed her neatly folded nightie under the pillow, and left her bedroom. Once Charlotte reached the dining room, she went on through to the kitchen, telling Marie, "Bonjour," before getting the necessary plates and silverware to set the table for breakfast.
When Francis came down, and saw Charlotte setting the table, and doing it according to Jane's standards, she went into the kitchen, said, "Good morning, tante Marie," before she started taking the other items out of the cabinets and refrigerator to set on the dining room table. When the table had been set, both girls then donned aprons and helped Marie finish getting their breakfast ready.
After seeing both girls setting the table for their breakfast, Jane went into the study and noticed the fax machine was holding another fax to be printed. After inputting a code, and after letting the machine print out the fax, she sat down in her chair and began reading.
From: Jeb Thorton, et al.
To: Ms. Jane Thompson
Re: Progress report, for your eyes only.
Jane,
I wanted to update you on the progress of all the investigations into the rash of shoplifting thefts in the area. As I've seen so far, there is enough evidence to make several arrests, but that would only take the low level thieves off the street. Those in law enforcement want those who are in charge, issuing the orders to those actually doing the stealing.
I've been shown what's been found on Mr. Strom, he doesn't know it but his days are numbered. Once enough evidence is gathered on the real mastermind of this problem, several arrests will be made at once. His included.
Something that was surprising was what turned up when the store employees were investigated to rule out their involvement. Like Mr. Strom, several of the store managers, including Mr. Obler, the ex-store manager for Taylor's where the three boys were caught, are living a long way beyond their salaries. Several have other houses they own outright, costing several million dollars, which would be hard for them to do on their $75,000 a year salary. Others are driving cars which fall into the same category as the homes, on salaries just a bit higher. When this was discovered, records were backtracked and it was discovered these people paid cash for the items. Cash for items costing several million dollars on salaries of $75,000 and a bit higher. None listed any other income on their latest IRS returns, or even had that much in savings. Teams have been assigned to tail all of these people.
I sat in Court when Toby Camber stood before Judge Walinkiewicz, and he is a piece of work. I thought for a moment Ruth was going to come down from the bench and slap the snot out of him, because of his mouth and attitude. But she refrained, and is sending him to a special school which she said, "She hopes can instill a decent attitude and upright standards in him." I sure hope the people at that school are ready for him.
When I receive any more information I'll pass it on to you. Give Charles our love.
Kindest regards,
Jeb
So, Jane thought to herself, 'Some of the employees of those stores were involved in the thefts. I wonder how many more patsies were arrested?' She looked on the fax and found Jeb's email address and sent him an email concerning her thoughts of others being in the same situation as Charles. The reply seemed instantaneous, "We hadn't considered that, thank you for bringing it to our attention. Jeb" There was a knock on the study door, which Jane acknowledged, and saw Charlotte enter the Study. Charlotte then went to the bookshelf, took out 'the book', balanced it on her head and began walking the study. After her fith circuit finished, she replaced 'the book' and told Jane, "breakfast is ready, Aunt Jane." Jeb's fax was still on her mind, so she simply nodded recognition of Charlotte's message. She unlocked a drawer, placed the fax there, relocked the drawer, before getting out of her chair and walking out of the study before Charlotte, with Charlotte closing the door behind her..
"Girls," Jane said, to get their attention, just as both girls had taken a bit of scrambled eggs, "Today we're going to the salon to get you two ready for Monday and our new guest. I want to remind you to be on your best behavior because, as you know, Francis, Sandy and Carolyn are usually quite busy on Saturday. And I don't believe either of you wants to be found as boys dressing as girls, correct?" Still chewing, the only way they could answer Jane was to shake their heads, caught in another of Jane's little actions. "And Charlotte, Carolyn hold classes on Saturday for young girls. I think she'd enjoy it if you'd participate in the morning class. It would be another new experience for you."
Charlotte didn't have to be told that being suggested she participate was Jane's way of telling her she WAS going to participate. Charlotte also knew the correct response, "Yes Aunt Jane." She thought back to how she felt when finding out she was going to model clothing, and now felt the same knowing she was going to participate in something at the salon.
She thought her muttering hadn't been heard, but Jane asked, "What was that Charlotte?" Charlotte put her tongue in her cheek and said, "I was just saying it should be interesting, Aunt Jane." Looking at Jane, Charlotte knew Jane knew exactly what she had said, but chose to accept what Charlotte said out loud. She also saw the look on Jane's face when Jane knew she scored the very thing she wanted, her ward's unbridled cooperation.
"Girls," Jane began, just after they'd sat down to breakfast, "I've received more information about the investigations into your problem, Charlotte. I don't want to get your hopes up, but your father, his investigators, other investigators, and the police, have found a lot more than they had when Toby and the other two boys were caught at Taylor's department store. Charlotte, the shoplifting done that day at Taylor's is just a small part in a much larger ring of thefts that have been occurring in the area. And, Charlotte, somehow Mr. Strom, the CEO of Taylor's, is involved. It seems he garnered attention to himself when he spoke out at your hearing that day." Jane saw the excited look on Charlotte's face and told her, "Don't get too excited, Charlotte, it may be several more weeks before they have all the 'i's' dotted and the 't's' crossed, to make sure any case they bring forward stands up in Court. They must make sure of everything if they are to prove you were never involved in any way." Charlotte's excitement shifted to one of dismay at the thought of having to spend several more weeks with Jane. Or the possibility of not getting her named cleared right away. What Jane said next made Charlotte believe Jane really could read a person's mind, as she said, "A few more weeks won't be that bad, Charlotte. Just think of all the fun times you'll be having. And, think of helping with Toby Camber." It passed so fast Jane almost missed it, the flicker of anger that crossed Charlotte's face when she'd mentioned Toby. 'So, she hides her anger well, our little Charlotte. Hopefully she won't release it when Toby arrives,' Jane thought to herself. It was also something she could use as a teaching tool in the coming days.
The girls were then drilled about their lessons, something never wasted at any of the meals. When they'd finished breakfast, and everything was put away and the kitchen done, Jane directed the girls, "Okay girls, get your purses, make sure you've freshened your faces, make sure you teeth are clean, before we go to the salon to make you two ready for Monday. I want Toby to see two very proper young ladies when he steps off the train. Two young ladies who are properly dressed and groomed. Oh, and Charlotte. Don't forget Carolyn will be expecting your help with her morning class, so you are to do as she says when she says."
Jane gave Charlotte the 'look,' resulting in Charlotte's, "Yes Aunt Jane," answer. Jane then glared at Francis, who was dancing from foot to foot, wanting to say something to Charlotte but understood Jane's unspoken message.
Francis stopped dancing and like Charlotte, replied, "Yes Aunt Jane." Marie hid a smile as she watched the girls follow Jane out to her car.
It was only after they'd closed the front door that Marie said to herself, "I hope our cheri can do as she did modeling."
Parking this time was not simply pulling up in front of Merisha Chalet, getting out of the car and walking into the salon. Today, because of the number of cars present, they had to park some distance away and walk to the salon, something Jane knew about and made sure to watch Charlotte for any reaction from her. The scene Charlotte witnessed when they walked into the salon was completely different than her first time in the salon. The waiting area chairs were full of women and young girls. Young girls were at the reception desk looking through magazines, trying to show the receptionist the hairstyle they wanted or the makeup look they thought would look good on them. Several women and young girls were under hair dryers, and the styling chairs were full. Charlotte noticed several young girls, about her age, going and coming in and out of the back room, and more girls in the room every time the door opened.
The Merisha Chalet was always a madhouse on Saturday, so Sandy and Carolyn had extra help from girls who worked other jobs during the week but were licensed hairdressers and liked the extra money they made on the weekends. It was Carolyn who came to the reception desk when she saw Jane and the girls come into the salon and told them, "Good morning Jane, girls, you're right on time. Francis, Sandy is just finishing up with the girl in her chair so it'll be just a few moments then you can go back. And Charlotte, I'm ready for you. It's time to see how everything is with you." Because no one but Sandy and Carolyn knew the truth about Jane's girls, they were both circumspect when discussing what they'd do for the girls. And because Carolyn helped Charlotte her first time in the salon, Charlotte understood exactly what Carolyn meant by 'seeing how she was doing.' A young girl, about Charlotte's age, walked out of Sandy's station as the three walked to the back of the salon. "Ah, there she is, my favorite young lady. How are you today, Francis? I hope you haven't been giving your Aunt any trouble. I know you're such a sweet girl when you're here." Sandy still scared the bejesus out of Francis, and Sandy knew it. Francis was still under the impression she would be outed if she didn't do what Sandy or Carolyn told her to do. And Jane wanted it kept that way. "Hi Sandy. Yes, I'm doing fine this morning, and ready for whatever you have in mind." Jane smiled at Francis' response, as did Sandy, both knowing Sandy had Francis exactly where both women wanted her. Afraid she'd be outed if she didn't behave and do what she was told.
Carolyn took Charlotte into the waxing room and closed the door behind her, directing Charlotte to step behind the screen in the corner and get completely undressed. In a low voice, and while Charlotte was undressing, Carolyn asked, "How have you been coping, Charlotte? Has it been as bad as you expected, or have you been having fun with it all?"
Charlotte chuckled because of Carolyn's questions, and answered with, "Well, Carolyn, it has been an experience. Even getting to model at The Style Shoppe. After I calmed down, the modeling was fun, though I encountered something I didn't think would happen. Otherwise, yes, if I was truthful, it all has been fun. When would I otherwise be able to experience how it feels to wear girl's clothing and not have the adults in the know get upset?"
Charlotte came from behind the screen with the towel wrapped around her body, as any naked girl would do. Carolyn didn't miss Charlotte saying she encountered a problem while modeling and went straight at Charlotte to get her to explain about the problem she faced. "So, what was the problem you encountered while modeling, Charlotte? Hop up on the table face down, I'll do your backside first. So, the problem you encountered?" Carolyn saw how red Charlotte's face became when she'd asked about the problem, and how slow she was to get up on the table. And as she watched, a very naked Charlotte didn't lie down on her stomach on the table but sat on the edge, her legs dangling over the edge.
Carolyn sat down on the table beside Charlotte and waited, watching as Charlotte fought with herself in trying to answer Carolyn's question. She saw the resignation reach Charlotte's face and heard, "While I was modeling we'd have to change into the next set of clothes we'd wear. Several times while we all changed, I saw the other four girls completely naked and never once got aroused, as most boys would do." Carolyn saw the tear form in Charlotte's eyes, and slowly leave her eyes for her cheeks. "I only realized that after Jane had picked me up and we were driving home. I asked Jane why I didn't get aroused, why I didn't react like a normal boy. I asked her if not getting aroused made me weird." Tears were running freely down her cheeks now, as her voice cracked during her last statement. Carolyn reached over and put her arm around Charlotte, pulling her to her and into a hug. Carolyn hadn't been around Charlotte but once, but it was enough to see just what type of boy Charles was and why he questioned himself when he realized he hadn't reacted like a 'normal' boy seeing four naked girls.
"And let me guess," Carolyn said, reaching over to wipe the tears off Charlotte's cheeks. "Jane said you weren't weird. She said you were more mature than other boys your age. She said those four girls accepted you as one of the 'girls,' and thought nothing of you when you were naked. Right?" She felt Charlotte nod her head against her chest, then continued. "Charlotte, Charles, you are more mature than other boys your age. You don't put a premium on seeing girls as sex objects, only interested in getting between their legs in order to pleasure yourself. You see girls for who they are, girls, who feel much like you do, who want to be treated as people, like you do. And just because you didn't get aroused when you saw those four girls naked doesn't make you weird. I'm not saying that one day a special girl, one meant for you, won't get you aroused, just that you've been taught, rightly so I might add, how to treat other people properly. Boys or girls. You are a very sweet boy, Charles Thorton, and more boys could learn a thing or two from you." She held Charlotte for a bit longer then asked, "Feeling better? Want to get that nice looking butt up on my table so we can de-hair you?" That caused Charlotte to giggle, then nod, as Carolyn released her and watched as she swung her legs up onto the table and rolled over onto her stomach.
As Carolyn was waxing the back of Charlotte's legs, Charlotte asked, "Carolyn. What do girls, or women, want from a boy, or man? Are they as driven by wanting to have sex as boys or men?" If Carolyn was taken back by Charlotte's questions, she didn't show it, as she kept on working.
The room was quiet for several minutes before Carolyn said, "Charlotte, to answer your last question first, yes. There are some girls, and women, who are driven to have sex with boys or men. Sometimes women feel their clock to get pregnant is running out and because they want a child, they become driven by that belief. And some men think themselves to be a god women would be lucky to have sex with. Their egos are bigger than our planet. Of course, there are those who are addicted to sex, it's become like a drug to them and their fix is to have sex whenever the chance occurs. And often with whoever they can. Then we come to boys and girls who are going through puberty, their hormones raging throughout their bodies. Those hormones are new to them, almost driving them during this time of their lives. Most girls learn how to control the feelings they have during puberty, knowing the results of having sex can be pregnancy. But some girls don't care and give in to those feelings and have sex with boys, often getting a reputation of being easy."
"Boys, unlike you, are like wild animals who are often left to fend for themselves. They are often left out when the girls have 'the talk,' with their moms or classes at school. And if boys do get 'the talk,' at home or school, they are better at coping with their feelings, though sex isn't far from their thoughts. And then there are boys like you, Charles, boys who know about sex but find other interests more important to them. Boys who've had 'the talk,' understand the ramifications of having sex, but have a level of maturity that helps them deal with feelings produced by hormones. I'm guessing when you were modeling there was a crowd of men and boys standing outside the store watching? And more than one of the boys had a problem and ran off to take care of it?" She watched as Charlotte nodded her head. "I thought so, it happens every time Brenda has a showing. What you witnessed was a group of immature boys, who are governed by their raging hormones. Who sit around and talk about having sex with this or that girl. Who, when crunch time comes, talk louder than they have the courage to perform."
"As to what the majority of girls and women want from a boy or man? How do you want to be treated, Charlotte? I mean, when you're Charles? Don't you want to be respected for who you are, not what others can get from you? Don't you want to have your opinions respected, regardless of the topic? Do you want girls to throw themselves at you, thinking you'd be lucky to be with them? Don't you want to be respected as a person? A person who loves, is loved, and can give love to others? Or do you just want to be seen as an object to be used and thrown away? An object used by some to increase the size of their bank account, then when you're worn out, throw you away like a piece of trash?"
"Charlotte, girls and women, the majority of girls and women, I should say, want a boy or man who's sensitive, who can show his emotions without caring what others think. Who can make them laugh when they are hurting or need a lift from the daily grind of life. They want a man or boy who makes them feel secure, knowing no matter what happens, that man or boy will stay with them. They want their opinions respected, regardless of the topic. They don't want to be seen as airheads who don't know what they're talking about. And most of all, Charlotte, they want a man or boy who knows what real love is, and how to give it freely, without wanting anything in return. Isn't that what you want as Charles, Charlotte? Okay, your backside is done, roll over onto your back. I need to remove your breast forms and check you down there," and Carolyn pointed to Charlotte's groin, "to make sure everything is holding."
Carolyn worked to remove Charlotte's breast forms and continued with, "Charlotte, too many people have forgotten what it means to love or be loved without expecting anything in return. Things have changed since you were born, but when a man took a woman out on a date, there was never the thought of getting to home plate." Carolyn laughed when Charlotte gave her a questioning look after she said 'home plate.' "Charlotte, when a man took a woman on a date, or a woman went on a date with a man, it was never expected they'd have sex afterwards. She might get a kiss goodnight, or they might kiss for a while before he left, but the expectation of sex was not there. It was considered improper. Now, though, many guys expect to have sex with their dates because he paid for the meal and entertainment. And their attitude is, 'Well, I paid for everything, so she can pay me back by letting me get between her legs.' And Charlotte, there are some women who want sex with their date, and do expect to have sex with him. And that causes problems when a decent woman or man comes along who doesn't want to have sex or expects to have sex. Most times there's a lot of shouting and arguing, but sometimes it gets violent, and the woman ends up in the hospital. Or in the morgue.
"The questions you ask are really rather hard to answer, since there are so many different standards out there any more. It doesn't help that advertisers, in order to sell a product, show men and women having a good time in many different ways. Including those that suggest they're having sex or about to have sex. They show how happy those people are, how much fun it looks like they're having. They don't show the downside, Charlotte. They don't show the men and women who end up dead or in the hospital, or in jail because they just wanted to have the same fun they saw in an advertisement. Charlotte, keep to the standards I saw in you the first time Jane brought you into this salon. The standard Jane saw in you the minute you stepped off that train. It's a standard that would do other boys your age good to have. It's a standard that would make a lot of girls' lives much easier. It would help to keep many from making a mistake they later regret. A mistake that results in pregnancy, running away, or worse, their death because they couldn't face their parents after what they'd done. You didn't get aroused when you saw those girls naked, Charlotte, because you are a decent young man. A decent young man who knows how to treat other people like he wants to be treated."
Carolyn had been talking the entire time she waxed Charlotte's front, using it to distract her from any pain she might have felt as the strips were yanked off. "Okay, if you'll put your hand here," and Carolyn took Charlotte's right hand and placed it on the freshly applied breast form, "and hold it until the adhesive sets up, I'll make it so you don't look lopsided."
Carolyn laughed again when Charlotte said, "Lopsided?"
Carolyn gave Charlotte a 'duh' look then asked, "Do you want your breasts to be one sided? Flat on one side and bulging on the other?" She then gently tapped a finger to Charlotte's head, telling her, "Think girl. The other breast form has to be applied so you don't look...lopsided. Duh!" The silliness of it all made Charlotte laugh, a good sign to Carolyn that Charlotte was doing okay with what they were doing. "Okay, the adhesive should be set up, so you can get up now. I want you to put on just your bra and panties, then put on that robe," and she pointed to a white robe hanging on the wall near the privacy screen, "and wear it while Sandy does your hair. Something you need to remember when wearing a dress, skirt, or that robe, which is opened in the front. If you don't keep your knees together when you sit down, you're going to flash whoever happens to be looking at you. They're going to get a good view of your panties. So, when you sit down, sweep the back forward before you sit down, keep your knees together, and either cross one leg over the other with that leg resting on your thigh, or cross your feet at your ankles. Got it?"
Charlotte nodded her head as she got off the table, "I understand," she replied as she stepped behind the screen, emerging a moment later wearing just her bra and panties.
And as she was putting on the robe, Carolyn said, "You're going to be helping me with my morning makeup class. You're going to be my model."
As Carolyn watched, Charlotte became as white as the robe she was wearing. Carolyn could tell Charlotte was about to imitate a falling tree and quickly scooted the chair behind her just in time to let it catch the collapsing Charlotte. She kneeled down in front of Charlotte, took both of her hands just as Charlotte had started, "Bu...bu...but I can't be your makeup model. Those girls will see I'm not a real girl, they'll be real close, they'll see I'm not a real girl. I...I..."
Carolyn made gentle shushing sounds, trying to calm Charlotte down before she spoke. When Charlotte had calmed down, a bit, she told her, "No one is going to suss you're anything but a beautiful young girl. No matter how close they get to your face. Has anyone discovered your true gender up to now? Didn't Jane take you to the mall and let you walk around while she took Francis elsewhere?" Charlotte just nodded her head, her throat had gone dry. "Well, did anyone see that you were a boy presenting as a girl, or just a beautiful girl looking around? And what about the modeling you did at The Style Shoppe? Were you outed for being a boy modeling girls clothing? When you walked into our salon, did you hear anyone laugh because they spotted you as a boy dressed as a girl?"
Carolyn got up and opened the small fridge in the corner of the room, took out a bottle of water and handed it to Charlotte, who almost drank the entire bottle in one gulp. "Better?" Carolyn asked, watching as Charlotte nodded her head. "So. Have you been outed as a boy since you've been presenting as Charlotte?"
She saw the tears form in Charlotte's eyes as Charlotte whispered, "No. I've just been seen as a girl."
Carolyn then took Charlotte's face in her hands, lifted it until she was looking into Charlotte's eyes, and told her, "Then no one in my makeup class is going to see you as anything but a very beautiful girl who wanted to help them learn how to apply makeup. You just sit there and let me apply different makeup to show them how to get different looks for different occasions. You act like this is something you always do, don't make it a big deal, and they won't know any difference. Okay?"
Carolyn released Charlotte's face, and watched Charlotte nod her head before saying, "Okay. In for a penny, in for a pound."
Carolyn took Charlotte's arm, pulled gently, and helped Charlotte out of the chair. "Go on, Sandy should be ready to do your hair. And remember what I said about flashing people." Charlotte laughed after hearing Carolyn say 'flashing people,' and left the waxing room, heading to Sandy's station to get her hair done.
Sandy had a smirk on her face when Charlotte walked into her station. "So...you get to be Carolyn's makeup model today. You best be nice or they'll see the boy Carolyn is using." Sandy hadn't forgotten the last time she tried to get physical with Charlotte, so was extra careful to keep her hands to herself. But that didn't mean she couldn't try and get under the boy's skin by talking. "So, prissy, boy, you looking forward to being a makeup model? You goin' to let Carolyn put makeup all over your prissy face?" Sandy had kept her voice low, low enough so only Charlotte could hear what she was saying. "You know, a real boy wouldn't let anyone put makeup on their face. A real boy wouldn't be dressed as a girl, and prance around trying to look like a girl."
Charlotte had remembered Carolyn instructions when sitting in the robe, and had her left leg crossed over the thigh her right one, as she'd seen girls and women do. Sandy had said a few things which she knew weren't true, as her mind located the memory location.
Charlotte laughed when she found the memory and told Sandy, "You're so wrong, Sandy. In fact there have been several famous female impersonators who are quite popular. Francis Leon, Miss Shangay Lily, John Epperson, RuPaul, Pabllo Vittar, Zsa Zsa Shakespeer and many more if you ever care to look them up. And some of them are so good, if they'd walk into this salon, not even you could tell they were anything but women. Did you also know that during Shakespeer's day, all female roles were played by men. Even today, those who perform authentic Shakespeer plays, use men to fill the rolls of the women characters. So save your attempted insults for one of Jane's regular girls, like the one arriving Monday. Him you will be able to scare enough to get him to wet himself, that I know for sure." Sandy tried a few more of her insulting words, but always got a comeback that shut her up.
Jane had been watching Sandy try to get under Charlotte's skin, chuckling when Charlotte gave better than she got. She saw how mad Sandy was at being rebuffed, but was pleased Sandy didn't take her anger out on Charlotte's hair. Or Charlotte herself, knowing what could happen if she did.
Author's Note: When I first wrote Complicit In a Lie, I had no thoughts, or ideas, to write a sequel. But thanks to a few readers, who asked about this sequel, ideas formed that made writing this sequel possible. It is necessary to have read Complicit In a Lie to understand why Charles is now with Jane, who the boy arriving in Kingston is and how he's involved in Charles' Court case. And to understand where Mr. Corporate, George Strom, fits into this story. This story starts off after Charles says, "When do we start," in Complicit in a Lie. So if you haven't read Complicit In a Lie, the beginning of this story won't make any sense. Hint hint!
With a bit of smoke coming out of her ears, because she'd more than met her match in Charlotte, she wasn't expecting what Charlotte did next. As Charlotte looked into the mirror, after getting out of the hairdressing chair, she thanked Sandy then gave her a hug and a peck on the cheek, telling her, "You do wonderful work, Sandy," before she left Sandy's station. Carolyn was standing there as Charlotte walked out of Sandy's station, and did a 'come with me' finger gesture that told Charlotte her new modeling job was about to begin.
Carolyn took Charlotte into the back room, closing the door after Charlotte had entered. What met Charlotte's eyes were about fifteen teenage girls, in every manner of dress, hairstyle and makeup. Charlotte remembered what Carolyn had told her, and what Brenda had told her, and screwed up her courage and stood listening as Carolyn addressed the girls. "Girls, if I can have your attention. If you all will take a seat, we'll get started." Carolyn waited patiently until all the girls were seated then went on with, "Today we have a volunteer with us who has generously offered to allow me to use her as a model for this morning's makeup class. Girls, meet Charlotte. She's staying with her Aunt for a while and thought the experience would not only help you girls, but herself as well."
For the next two hours Carolyn went over the proper way to remove makeup, she had to remove the makeup Charlotte was wearing. How to moisturize their skin, which she did to Charlotte's skin, even talking about the different types available. She then went over color matching and how what one girl wore might not be the right color for another girl; little did they know it also applied to the boy being their model. She covered foundations, powders, blush, lip and eye liners, brow pencils, shadows, and the application of each as she demonstrated on Charlotte. "Now understand, girls. What I've done to Charlotte's face would be considered a daytime look, where you're wearing makeup but it doesn't seem you're wearing anything. You're not going to a special occasion, or party, or any such event. You're out with your friends, shopping, going to the movies, anything along those lines. Now, while I clean Charlotte's face, over on that table," and she pointed to a table to her right, "you'll find a box of facial cleaning wipes that you can use on your own faces. You want to make sure you have a clean palette when you start putting on your makeup. So, don't be shy, go ahead, grab a box and have at it."
Charlotte watched as all but one girl enthusiastically grabbed a box of wipes off the table. She watched as the girl waited until all of the other girls had taken a box before she slinked in to take one of her own. Charlotte watched the girl go back to a seat in the very back, and as she slowly opened the box and took out a wipe. While the other girls happily cleaned their own faces, or helped the girl sitting next to her, that girl just sat there, holding the wipe in her hand. In a low voice, meant only for Carolyn, she asked, "Carolyn, why is that girl in the back row just sitting there holding the facial wipe?"
Carolyn moved to position herself to appear wiping at a place on Charlotte's face so she could see the girl pointed out to her. Responding in a low voice, meant only for Charlotte, she told her, "That's Barbara Wells, Charlotte. She has a pretty good case of acne, and she's embarrassed by how it makes her appear. As I no doubt you've seen, the other girls don't seem to want anything to do with her. And it hurts."
Then Charlotte did something that really didn't surprise Carolyn, she asked, "Have you cleaned off my face?" When Carolyn said she had, Charlotte told her, "Since it looks like the girls are still cleaning their faces, I'll be right back." As Carolyn stood and watched, Charlotte walked back to where Barbra was seated. There was an empty chair next to Barbra and Charlotte asked, "Is there anyone sitting here," and she pointed to the chair next to Barbra.
When Barbra looked up at Charlotte, Charlotte saw the tears in Brabra's eyes, though they had yet to reach her voice. "Ah...no, it's empty," she told Charlotte. Barbra dropped her head, again, after answering Charlotte's question, giving Charlotte a good side view of her face. Even wearing a foundation, it was clear to see how much acne covered Barbra's cheeks.
"You're worried about what the other girls will think if you take off your makeup, aren't you?" Charlotte's question brought more tears to Barbra's eyes, causing some to slide down her cheeks. "Yes, I am," she whispered. "Because of my face I'm treated like some freak."
Charlotte smiled, placed her left hand gently under Barbra's chin, lifted her head and told her, "I don't think you're a freak. Judging by your eyes, there's a beautiful young girl inside that others are missing. They're too blind to see past your skin and see the real you."
All the hurt she felt, all the teasing she'd suffered, all the unkind words she'd heard about her face finally came out, as she leaned onto Charlotte's shoulder and cried. Charlotte felt her own tears well in her eyes, as she muttered a few things under her breath about such people to cause this beautiful girl so much pain. As Barbra started to calm down, Charlotte quietly told her, "Come on, let's go talk with Carolyn and see if she doesn't know of something you can use to get rid of that acne. I'm guessing you've seen a doctor?"
Charlotte asked, feeling Barbra nod her head, then heard, "Yeah, but nothing they gave me did any good. It doesn't matter how hard I work to keep my face clean, or not eat greasy foods, it won't go away." Charlotte helped Barbra out of her chair and held her and they walked up to Carolyn. Carolyn could only smile at what she saw Charlotte doing, something she's wanted to do ever since Barbra's mom forced her to come in on Saturday morning. She wanted to do what Charlotte was doing but every time she approached Barbra, the girl would shy away and leave.
"Carolyn," Charlotte addressed the woman, "this is Barbra Wells, and she has a problem, and I wonder if you could help her?" Barbra was again shy, and looked like she was ready to leave, if not for Charlotte's arm around her waist.
"Yes, I think I have something that might help. Let me go get it and I'll be right back." Charlotte had Barbra sit down in the chair she'd been using, then offered to clean the makeup off Barbra's face. Reluctantly, Barbra gave the wipe she was still holding to Charlotte, and Charlotte gently started cleaning the makeup off Barbra's face; she'd finished just as Carolyn returned carrying a green bottle.
"Barbra, this is made by a company who has perfected a treatment for acne, and it's new to the market."
With her makeup removed it was easy to see that Barbra had a bad acne problem. "But will it work for me?" She asked in an almost resigned voice. "I've tried so many and none did any good."
Carolyn saw the tears well up in the girl's eyes and almost cried with her. Instead, she gently put her fingers under Barbra's chin, lifted her head, looked her in the eyes, and told her, "Oh, yes it will, sweetheart." Carolyn looked out over the girls and said, "Patty, where are you girl? Oh there you are. Come here for a minute, would you please."
When Patty reached Carolyn, Charlotte, and Barbra, she took one look at Barbra and said, "Ooohh, you got it bad, don't ya girl?"
Charlotte gave Patty a dirty look, while Carolyn only said, "Don't be cruel, Patty. You were much worse if I remember right."
Patty chuckled, then said, "Sorry, girl. Yeah, I was worse than you. Here, wait a minute." The three watched as Patty returned to her chair, grabbed her purse and came back to the three. They watched as she took out a wallet size folder, which she flipped through, then showing Barbra the picture, said, "That's what I used to look like. And boy did I feel like shit."
Barbra looked at the picture for a long moment, then looked up at Patty, then again at the picture. Then she reached up and gently touched Patty's cheek, saying, "No way. This can't have been you, your skin is so soft and smooth."
Patty turned around and almost yelled, "Hey, Mel. Get your butt up here." When Mel arrived Patty told them, "Guys, this is Melissa, who goes by Mel. Mel, is that or is that not my picture from a month ago?"
Mel looked at the picture and said, "Yep, that's your old ugly face all right. But that's nothing, I'll show you one better." This time it was four who watched as Mel returned to her seat and grabbed her purse before coming back to the four. Like Patty, she then pulled out a wallet size folder, flipped through the pictures it held, then said, "Take a look at that mess." The picture Barbra and Charlotte looked at showed a face with a massive acne infection. Neither girl could see a clear place on Mel's face in the picture.
As she did with Patty's picture, she looked at Mel, then her picture, then Mel, and could only say, "Wow."
She handed the folder back to Mel, who told them, "School was hell for me back then. I never knew people could be so mean." She reached up and backhanded tears out of her eyes, then told Barbra, "That stuff Carolyn's holding really works. It took more than a couple of months to clear up my face, but ain't I purty now?" She said, as she thrust out one hip, putting a hand on that hip and one behind her head.
Mel's silliness caused the five to laugh, and Barbra asked Carolyn, "May I buy that today. I've tried about everything else, one more something won't hurt."
Patty popped in with, "You got that right, it doesn't hurt. Use it twice a day, morning and before you go to bed. Wash your face real well before you put it on. Your face ain't as bad as mine or Mel's faces were, so those pretty eyes will soon have a pretty face to go with them. Right Mel?"
"Got that right," Mel replied, before saying, "Why don't you come sit with us, we'll show you some tricks we used before our faces cleared up. What'd ya say?"
Barbra looked at Charlotte, who was nodding her head, and softly saying, "Go on, let them help you."
Barbra nodded her head, as she let Charlotte help her out of the chair, following Mel and Patty back to their seats. Carolyn put her arm around Charlotte's shoulder and told her, "That was a nice thing you did for her, Charlotte. You helped her without making her feel any worse because of the acne. What's that boy's name who's arriving on Monday?"
The rest of the time Carolyn worked with each girl to find the color that fit their skin tones. She then, using Charlotte, showed the girls a different look, before having the girls try it on their own faces. Charlotte kept an eye on Barbra, and saw how much happier she was as Mel and Patty worked with her by showing some of the tricks they'd learned to hide their acne before their faces cleared. By the time the two hours were up, not only was Barbra happy but so was Charlotte, again only thought to be just another girl by the rest of the girls in the class.
Carolyn took Charlotte back to the waxing room so she could get dressed, before speaking with Jane. When Charlotte came out of the room, she noticed Francis was upset, she could almost see smoke coming out of her ears. She sat down next to Francis and quietly asked her, "So, would you care to tell me about it now or wait until later? You look like you're about to explode."
Francis took several deep breaths before saying one word, "Sandy." After taking several more breaths, Francis told Charlotte what Sandy had said while doing her hair, and it was extremely personal.
Charlotte looked up and saw Sandy watching them, then watched as Sandy smiled and finger waved at her. Looking at Sandy, Charlotte reached up and scratched the top of her nose with her middle finger, smiling as she did. Charlotte got an even bigger smile as she watched Sandy storm off to the back of the shop, muttering to herself along the way. Neither Jane nor Carolyn saw the exchange between Sandy and Charlotte, but they did see Sandy storm off and hear her muttering as she headed to the back of the salon. Both women turned to look at the two girls, Jane giving Charlotte a questioning look before asking, "Is there something wrong, Charlotte? Sandy seemed rather put out about something."
Carolyn hadn't seen the expression now on Charlotte's face, but Jane had, and knew it was serious. "Yes, Aunt Jane, there is. Sandy verbally attacked Francis' parents with lewd suggestions. I merely showed her how I felt about her for what she did."
Jane furrowed her brows, then asked, "And how did you show her your displeasure, Charlotte?"
Charlotte smiled, then said, "Well, I had an itch on the top of my nose, and scratched it." Carolyn chuckled, Jane did too but inside, as both women now knew exactly what Charlotte had done.
Maintaining her Jane persona, she told Charlotte, "We'll discuss this later, Charlotte."
Francis finally caught on to what Charlotte had done, and giggled, whispering, "Way to go girl." Neither girl saw the smile on Jane's face as she'd turned back to face Carolyn, who was smiling because once again Sandy got better than she gave.
They had to wait a few minutes more before Charlotte could finally get her nails done, and left the salon shortly after, with Charlotte getting a 'well done' from Carolyn. It was once they were in Jane's car, and driving to the Mall, that Jane finally broached the subject of what Charlotte had done to Sandy. "That was admirable of you to stand up for Francis, Charlotte, and help Barbra during the makeup class. The gesture you showed Sandy, while most unladylike, was discrete, and might not have been understood by everyone. Sandy does have a habit of overdoing things, and Carolyn will speak to her... again. That's twice now you've bested her, and she isn't happy. Hopefully Carolyn can get across to her how to limit herself... again. Now. You, Charlotte, will be on your own to explore the shops at the Mall while I take Francis to acquire some needed things. You may visit any of the stores you want. Francis and I will meet you at the food court in one hour."
Jane knew that Charlotte knew exactly what Jane was doing, so Charlotte said, "This is another time for me to get used to being seen as a girl, isn't it Aunt Jane?"
Jane chuckled before she replied. "Yes, Charlotte, that's exactly what you are doing. You have a different appearance now, and you need to see how that appearance affects those around you. And, Charlotte, you have my permission to protect yourself should the situation arise."
When they reached the Mall, and Jane had parked her car near a Mall entrance, she gave Charlotte a Debit card, telling her the amount on the card, before they entered the Mall. Once they reached the main concourse Jane and Francis went one way and Charlotte the other, Jane reminding Charlotte where they'd meet. It was much busier than it had been the first time Charlotte had been there, with more teens walking around. Charlotte started window shopping much like she'd done the first time, going into the stores which had something she wanted to get a closer look at. She'd just come out of one store carrying her purchase, a nice dress, when a group of girls came by. "Whoa, get a load of miss prissy, girls? Ain't she a looker." The group stopped in front of Charlotte, blocking her path, all of them looking her up and down. "So, miss prissy, you from some charm shit house, or something? I never seen you around here before. What school do you go to?"
Charlotte smiled, gave the five girls the same up and down look, before she told them, "A school none of you are qualified to attend. Now if you'll excuse me I've more shopping to do." Charlotte made to step past the girls, only to be blocked by the one doing the talking.
"I don't think I like your attitude. Maybe we should teach you some manners."
Charlotte smiled at the girl, watching as the girl produced an uneasy look on her face, before she said to the girl, "Girl, you couldn't show manners to a goat. You have to know what manners are before you can teach them to anyone." Charlotte watched as the girl's face became fire engine red, before one of her hands came up to slap Charlotte's face. Charlotte was quicker, catching the hand by the wrist and squeezing it. The pain Mouthy girl felt in her wrist, now showed on her face, and heard the growl in Charlotte's voice, as Charlotte told her, "See, you can't teach manners if you don't have them first. I would suggest, if you don't want this to get very ugly, to take your little group and move on out of my way."
This time when Charlotte made to step around the five girls, they parted to let her go by them. As Charlotte walked off, Mouthy girl, still rubbing her wrist, hollered, "BITCH." Charlotte turned around to face the girl, and scratched the top of her nose. As Charlotte observed during her shopping, more girls seemed to be at the Mall than boys, and more girls eyed her in much the same way as the five girls had done. It wasn't lost on Charlotte how the boys reacted as she walked by them, some getting down right lewd in their speech. As she was standing looking in one window a boy came up beside her and actually told her what he'd like to do with her, getting a response from Charlotte that caused him to grab her by the arm and tell her, "No bitch talks to me that way." His bravado was short lived, as he suddenly found himself, nose first, up against the window of the store they were in front of, his arm twisted painfully behind his back. The growl in Charlotte's voice left no doubt she was pissed, as she leaned in close to his left ear and told him, "So you must be the dick who thinks he's the God to all of us girls around here. Well, dick, you're no God, but an asshole who hasn't the brains God gave a jackass. If you don't want to end up in the hospital you'll leave me alone. And if you grab me again, you will." Then in a sweet voice she asked, "Do you understand what I said, asshole?"
Charlotte saw blood from the boy's nose on the glass, and watched as he nodded his head in understanding. Charlotte stepped back as she released his arm, ready for anything the boy might do next. As she watched, he wiped the blood from his nose with the back of her hand, telling her as he started walking away, "You wait until I see you at school. I've got some friends who'll love fucking you."
Charlotte waited until she was sure the boy wasn't coming back before bending down and picking up the store bag she'd dropped out of her way. "Are you all right, miss?" A voice asked, caming from her left.
She turned to see a store employee standing there, a cloth held in her hands. "Yeah, I'm all right, and sorry about the mess on the window. Assholes like him really piss me off."
The woman smiled, used the cloth to wipe off the blood on the glass, before telling Charlotte, "I know what you mean. Some men and boys just don't understand how to properly treat women or girls. By the way, that was a nice move you did. Had a bit of training, haven't you?"
Charlotte smiled at the woman and said, "Oh, just a bit."
Neither Charlotte or the store employee had noticed the small crowd that had gathered to watch Charlotte take care of the boy who'd grabbed her arm. Nor did they notice when it broke up and two Mall security guards appeared. "Excuse me, miss. Are you okay? We saw the trouble on our cameras and got here as fast as we could," the female security told Charlotte.
Charlotte turned to face her, and her male partner, smiled, then told her, "Yes, ma'am, I'm fine. But he," and she pointed towards the boy stomping down the concourse, "got a bloody nose out of his efforts. Oh, and looky there, he's at it again. Down there in front of the sporting goods store."
The two guards looked towards the sporting goods store and watched as the boy was bothering a girl standing in front of the store. The male guard let out a sigh before saying, "Oh, crap. Not him again. Miss, you're not the first young lady he's bothered, and he's been warned by us and his parents. It looks like he's a slow learner. Come on, Heather, let's go toss Romeo out the door." Charlotte and the store employee stood and watched as the two Mall security guards reached the boy. Each took one of the boy's arms and frog marched him down the concourse and turned where the concourse led to an entrance.
"Well, hopefully he won't be a problem any more," the woman store employee said, before turning and walking back into the store.
Charlotte looked around and found a clock hanging from a rod on one of the store walls, it was time to meet Jane and Francis at the food court. And likely explain herself...again.
When Charlotte reached the food court she saw Aunt Jane and Francis sitting at a table sipping their drinks. As she walked up to the table Jane said, "Ah, there you are, Charlotte. I take it you took care of that problem in a proper manner. You didn't send him to the hospital, did you? Go get something to drink, then we'll talk." It wasn't hard for Jane to see the still smoldering embers in Charlotte's eyes, telling her Charlotte was still angry over what happened. Charlotte came back to the table with her drink, sat down and stayed silent, slowly sipping her cola. When Jane could see she'd calmed down a bit she said, "Tell me what happened. You need to get it off your chest."
Charlotte was silent for a long while before she told Jane everything she'd been doing before she was accosted by the boy. She explained how she'd tried to tell the fly to go away but that the boy didn't take kindly to being spoken to in the way Charlotte spoke to him. And when he grabbed her arm, she reacted, and the boy found himself face first into the glass window of that store. She also told Jane of the boy going after another girl standing in front of the sporting goods store, and of the two security guards who then escorted the boy out of the Mall. As Charlotte talked, Jane could see her calming down, until she was her normal self again. "I'd say, under the circumstances, you acted appropriately, Charlotte. You should never allow any boy to lay hands on you, unless he's trying to save your life. Now, I think we are done here for today and time for us to leave," Jane said, as she stood up from her chair. As the three walked back to the entrance they'd used to come into the Mall, they passed the two security guards, who waved at Charlotte, and she waved back.
They turned from the main concourse and started walking toward the entrance, just as Charlotte spotted the boy she gave the bloody nose too standing outside the doors. "Aunt Jane, see that boy pacing back and forth, wearing the blue shirt? That's the boy who caused the problem. And the one the guards must have thrown out of the Mall."
Jane had seen a boy pacing just outside the Mall entrance doors, but thought nothing of it. Until now. "Yes, Charlotte, I see him. Let's hope he doesn't display any more of his ignorance." After saying that, Jane led the way out of the Mall, watching the boy as she did, just as Charlotte was watching him and getting herself ready in case there was another display of stupidity.
As the three emerged from the Mall, the boy saw them and stopped pacing and stared daggers at Charlotte. "YOU STUPID BITCH. YOU GOT ME THROWN OUT OF THE MALL. THAT'S GOING TO COST YOU PLENTY THIS TIME," the boy yelled, as he started walking towards them.
Author's Note: When I first wrote Complicit In a Lie, I had no thoughts, or ideas, to write a sequel. But thanks to this few readers, who asked about a sequel, ideas formed that made writing this sequel possible. It is necessary to have read Complicit In a Lie to understand why Charles is now with Jane, who the boy arriving in Kingston is and how he's involved in Charles' Court case. And to understand where Mr. Corporate, George Strom, fits into this story. This story starts off after Charles says, "When do we start," in . So if you haven't read , the beginning of this story won't make any sense. Hint hint!
As the boy walked towards them, Jane said, "Young man, it appears you didn't learn anything from your first lesson. I would advise you to turn around and walk away now while you still can." Jane didn't have to see that Charlotte had already taken her ready stance, and would have no trouble handling the boy if he reached her. Only that didn't happen, as the boy stretched out his left hand to push Jane out of the way, he found himself with his arm twisted in pain. Jane had reached across with her right hand and grabbed the boy's hand just under the thumb. She then rotated his hand outward until his entire arm was rotated in that direction, threatening to twist the boy's arm off at the shoulder. She then used that force to push the boy to the ground and hold him there, just as the same two Mall security guards came running out of the Mall, breathing hard. They had no trouble determining who had the upper hand, as the boy was screaming his head off because of the pain he was experiencing in his left arm.
Because her concentration was solely on the boy, Jane didn't know which guard said, "Aw, shirt, don't you ever learn, kid?"
The boy's day got even worse as a police patrol car pulled up to the curb where the action was happening. Both officers got out of their patrol car, one saying when he saw the boy, "Gawd, Grant. Why is it always you causing problems here at the Mall?"
Neither officer could see Jane clearly, as her back was to them, but when they both walked where they could see her, the second officer said, "Hello, Ms. Thompson. Teaching another lesson I see."
Despite the situation, Jane chuckled, then replied, "Officer Brinkley, yes, unfortunately that is the case. I take it you two know this... uncouth youth?"
The first officer was on his cell phone, as the second officer relieved Jane of the boy's hand. "Stand up, Peter. I think you are well aware of what you were told by your parents the last time you got your butt in trouble. My partner is calling them now." She then looked at the two Mall security guards and asked, "I take it you've kicked him out of the Mall for good?"
Both nodded their heads, with the woman guard saying, "Yeah, he bothered this young lady there," and she pointed to Charlotte, "and got a bloody nose for his troubles. He wasn't through, though, as he had another go at another young lady. Plus, he's caused problems before. Yeah, he's banned from the Mall this time."
About ten minutes later a car pulled up behind the police patrol car, a man and woman getting out of the car and angrily walking over to the small group. "Officers," Martin Grant said as she stopped next to the officers.
"Mr. Grant, Mrs. Grant, I'm sorry to see you both, again, under these circumstances. But Peter here," and he pointed to Peter, "either didn't listen the last time we talked, didn't listen to your last lecture, or didn't understand what this young lady here," he pointed to Charlotte, "told him when he grabbed her arm while in the Mall. Oh, and he's been banned from the Mall this time."
Peter turning a pale gray wasn't lost on Jane, or Charlotte, who had developed a keen eye after years of training. The look on Peter's face told it all, he knew he was in deep trouble. Martin walked over until he was standing in front of his son, then said, "Peter. Your mother and I love you very much, but we can't allow this behavior to continue any more. We have tried to instill a sense of morality in you, but I guess you find what your 'friends' say more important. Your mother and I have been talking, and have contacted a school we think will help you learn a lot about yourself, values, and instill a sense of morality in you."
The color in Peter's face returned to normal until he heard, "Son, it's an all girls school. You will become a member of that student body as just another girl in the school." Peter's face went white, just before he yelled, "YOU CAN'T BE FUCKING SERIOUS! I WON'T GO, YOU CAN'T MAKE ME GO. I AIN'T GONNA BECOME NO SISSY BOY." Martin reached up and firmly took hold of Peter's chin. "Young man, the next vulgar word out of your mouth and you, me, and one these security guards are going to the men's room and I WILL wash your mouth out with soap!" Then with a growl in his voice, Martin finished with, "DO. YOU. UNDERSTAND. ME?"
Peter found it hard to nod his head with his dad firmly holding his chin, but he did. "As to your not going, that's fine, then you can go with these two officers and I'm sure this woman would be happy to have charges brought against you for attacking the young lady with her. That would mean you'd be put in jail. Behind bars. With people who eat people like you for lunch, and don't blink an eye when they do. But it's up to you." Martin released his son's chin, stood back and watched his son work through what he'd just been told. He looked up at the police officers, noticing one was holding a pair of handcuffs, twirling it around one of his fingers. Jane recognized what Martin was doing, giving Peter the chance of choosing the lesser of two evils; she'd used it often enough herself. They all watched as Peter sighed, a sign of resignation, before he said in a defeated voice, "All right, I'll go. But I won't like it. And if anyone finds out I'll be the laughing stock of school." Martin looked at Jane, who smiled and nodded her head at Martin, who smiled and nodded back.
Jane then gently placed a hand under Peter's chin, raised his head, and told him, "Young man, you shouldn't take this as a defeat. Think of it as a learning experience. Seldom do boys have the opportunity to learn how it feels to be treated as a young lady. Seldom do they finally understand what many girls suffer because of boys like you are at the moment. I've no doubt you will get a taste of the very things you did to my niece and the other young lady. And maybe that experience will open your eyes wider than your so-called friends."
Jane just finished saying, 'So-called friends,' when three boys came walking towards the small group. "Hey, Peter, how're they hanging today? Loose, right?" The three laughed at what the boy said. "Sorry we're late, but George here," the boy said, pointing to the boy on his right, "had to finish fucking his girlfriend. Boy you should have heard her screaming, he was pounding her hard." The three stopped a few feet from where the Grants were standing before the first boy asked, "So... what's goin' on? We're still goin' inside to have some fun, right? What's with the four cops, someone rob a bank?"
The three boys laughed right after what the first boy said. Martin turned to his son and asked, "So you call these morons your friends? These illiterate degenerate morons? You think being with them is better than what your mother and I have been trying to teach you all these years?"
The first boy didn't seem to understand why the adults were looking at them as though they were something gooey that had just been stepped in, and ignoring what Martin just asked Peter, went on with, "Well, you comin' or not, Peter? Saturday is always prime shopping day. There are girls just waiting to be felt up."
Martin looked at the boy and told him, "Peter isn't going with you today, tomorrow, or any time, from now on. His attitude, the attitude he picked up from you three, has gotten him into trouble and he'll be leaving today for a boarding school. Where he'll learn what his mother and I have been trying to teach him for years. Where he won't be associating with morons like you three."
The first boy stepped closer to Martin, looked up at him and asked, "Who you calling a moron, old man?"
Jane chuckled before saying, "Mr. Grant, it would seem your assessment of this jeune cochon (young pig) is accurate. As is his being a degenerate moron." Jane could see that her words hit the boy right between his eyes, as he turned to her and took a step towards her.
What he wasn't ready for was the sudden appearance of Charlotte between him and Jane. "It also appears you are as illiterate as well as a degenerate moron," Charlotte said, smiling and standing ready. "You don't even recognize you've just been called a young pig, which is quite fitting." Just as she had as Charles sitting in the holding room at Taylor's department store, when James Conner started reaching for the police baton lying on the table, Charlotte saw the boy's intentions before he moved, and blocked the hand that had swung up to slap her across the face. There was both a look of surprise and of pain on the boy's face as the toe of Charlotte's kitten heels planted itself squarely into the boy's solar plexus, causing him to drop to his knees gasping for breath. George, the boy who'd been to the right of the first boy, came at Charlotte, but never saw her right hand come up and deliver a palm strike straight to his chin. He also didn't realize he was lying down until he came too several minutes later.
The adults had been so focused on the first boy and George that they never saw the big man approaching from the same direction as the boys had, until they heard a cry of pain and looked in the direction of the sound. What they saw was how the third boy had been grabbed by a huge hand, from behind, at the base of the boy's neck. And how the man's fingers almost met at the boy's throat. The man bent down, and in a deep voice, said, "I guess you didn't understand me when I told you to stay away from those two assholes. I guess you forgot what I said was going to happen if I ever caught you with those two assholes. I guess you thought I was kidding when I told you your mother and I had been discussing a new location for you to attend school so you wouldn't be around those two assholes. "WELL! DID YOU FORGET WHAT YOU WERE TOLD? OR ARE YOU JUST TOO STUPID THAT YOU CAN'T SEE WHAT KIND OF ASSHOLES THEY ARE?" If Peter had turned white when he learned he'd be attending an all girls school, this boy turned almost translucent by what his father said. "Well, boy, I'm waiting for an answer?" The big man then looked up and said, "Hello, Martin, Millie, Ms. Thompson. I hope my son hasn't caused you any problems. He does, however, have a problem right now. Young lady, that was some fancy work you just did on those two buttheads, guess they weren't expecting something like that from a girl."
It was Millie who spoke up as she said, "Did I understand you correctly, Brad? You and Doris have discussed the possibility of sending Roger to a different school?" And in saying that, Millie took a brochure out of her purse, "Then I might have the perfect solution for you." She extended the brochure in Brad's direction, and letting go of his son, said, "You move and it might be the last thing you do on this Earth," before stepping up to Millie and taking the brochure. Except for the first boy still trying to regain his breath, and the sleeping George, everyone was quiet while Brad read through the brochure.
He then looked up, then looked at Peter, then at Martin and Millie and said, "Really? Peter? Oh that's beautiful, simply beautiful." He turned to face his son and told him, "Well, Roger, you might get to hang out with Peter after all. He's going to a very good boarding school. A girls boarding school. An all GIRLS boarding school, where, according to this brochure, they can even teach the most stubborn boy how to live a happy and better life. And gain a new perspective on life." They all watched as Roger just up and fainted. Brad laughed then said, "Guess he's a bit surprised by his new school."
Because of what the two boys attempted to do, the police officers took charge of the first boy and George; they'd call paramedics to have both boys checked over before moving either boy. Peter finally got into the family car with Millie sitting beside him and Martin driving, the three starting the hour long drive to Peter's new school; the school would have everything Peter would need so they didn't need to take anything with them. Brad all but frog marched Roger back to their car, explaining to his wife over his cell phone about the new school he'd learned about, and how he felt it was the perfect place for Roger.
With that excitement over, Jane and the girls finished their walk to Jane's car, Jane saying as they walked, "Charlotte, did you not think I was capable of dealing with that degenerate moron? Didn't it cross your mind he might have known more than you do? Or that you might have gotten hurt?"
Jane sensed Charlotte had stopped walking, turned to face her and heard, "Aunt Jane, no one who truly studies the arts treats others the way that... um... moron treated you and the Grants. They show respect for those they don't know and those who are older in age. As to you not being able to apply a bit of education, I've no doubt he would have regretted his actions against you. But you are my Aunt, and as such, no asshole is going to try and hurt you if I'm around and can do anything to stop it."
Jane saw the tears forming in Charlotte's eyes and did something that was out of character with her girls. She stepped up to Charlotte, put her arm around her shoulders before doing the same to Francis, and told them, "Girls, I know of a place that sells the best homemade ice cream around. I think this one time it would do us good to see if it's still as good as I remember. What do you two say?"
The girls changed clothes when they'd returned to Seasons House, then helped set the table for their noon meal. Jane relayed everything to Marie about their morning, even how Charlotte stood to protect her. "Ah, mon chère, have we not said she is special? She is like our girls are when they leave us, and she has adopted you as her Aunt. That doesn't always happen, and you know it, chère." Their conversation was interrupted by the girls coming into the kitchen, getting what they'd need to set the table.
After their noon meal, and the kitchen cleaned, Jane sent Francis to work on her lessons, while she took Charlotte into the study to apply a fine polish before Toby arrived on Monday. Jane didn't have to see that Charlotte had taken 'the book' off the bookshelf, put it on her head and started her walk around the study, as she went to her desk and sat down. She checked her emails as she waited, finding one from Jeb.
From: Jeb Thorton, et al.
To: Jane Thompson
Re: Progress report of theft ring
Jane,
This is an update of what we have learned so far, during all of the investigations that have been taking place. The police have arrested more of the three boy/girl shoplifting teams, thereby slowly cutting off the supply line of merchandise George Strom and the woman receive. They believe by doing this it will put pressure on the two to come up with something else in order to be able to fill their contracts with their buyers. They hope this makes them desperate, as we have learned that some of their buyers don't take breaking contracts well.
Because the police are going after the thieves at this point, cutting off the supply line as I said, even Toby's brother is starting to feel the pressure from those above him. The police noted he'd been to the ER several times in the past few weeks. They believe some of his trips to the ER are the result of trying to recruit more boys and meeting fathers who've explained their dislike of him. I say believe because they are taking no action against any of those fathers. They want Toby's brother to be frustrated at his inability to fulfill his obligations to George Strom and the woman.
I hope Charles is doing well and not causing you any problems. Please, send him my and his mother's love.
Kindest regards,
Jeb
Jane closed the email just as Charlotte sat down in 'the chair' in front of the desk. "Charlotte, your father sends his and your mother's love, and things are getting closer to the day when it will be possible to clear your name." She saw Charlotte's eyes glisten, but nothing fell as she went on with, "Now. When Toby arrives Monday you are to become just one more of my girls. You are not to be my protector, though it was admirable of you to do so today. You will be one of my new girls, still learning how to be a young lady, one who gets corrected on occasion and who has yet to learn to do what you're told without complaint. I will nod to you when I want you to complain after being told to do something, but remember, don't go overboard. Complain like a petulant young girl would do, not a five-year-old toddler. Can you do that?"
Charlotte smiled then said, "Yes, Aunt Jane. I can whine like the best girl who doesn't want to do what she's told."
Jane nodded at Charlotte's statement, then said, "There will be a time where punishment for not doing what you're told without complaint will be strange to you, but please, don't overreact because of the situation. And no, I'm not going to tell you what some of that punishment will be," she told Charlotte when she saw the questioning look on Charlotte's face. "My reason for keeping it from you is to make sure your reaction is honest, sudden, and straight forward. We have to impress on Toby what he too could face if he too complains when told to do something. Do you understand?"
She again saw Charlotte smile and heard, "Improvacation, Aunt Jane. I believe that's what you're wanting me to do. Deal with the situation when it occurs, don't preplan, don't think it out in advance, just react to the situation."
Jane smiled, nodded her head, and uttered one word, "Precisely." They talked a bit more before she sent Charlotte off to work on her lessons, staying in the study to go over her plans for Toby.
Sunday, after breakfast, and the kitchen was cleaned, Jane had the girls dress for riding. It had been a few days since they'd ridden and Charlotte had seen Pinto. After inspecting the girls, Jane led them to the stable, where they found all three horses standing at the gate of their stalls, Pinto whinnying when she saw Charlotte. Charlotte walked over to the basket of apples, kept in the stable, and taking one, walked back over to Pinto and offered her the apple. "Hi, Pinto. You look much better today. Would you like to go riding again?" Jane marveled as the horse threw its head up and down, while chewing the apple. Francis missed the event, as she'd taken the third horse out of its stall and was in the process of brushing it down.
Charlotte turned to Jane and, laughing, said, "Looks like six of us want to go riding, Aunt Jane." Charlotte then walked to the tack-room and brought out the hackamore and gently put it on Pinto before opening the stall gate and leading Pinto out of her stall. She then took a brush setting near the stall and began to gently brush Pinto down, getting her ready for the saddle blanket and saddle. Every so often, while she brushed Pinto, the horse would turn its head and gently push Charlotte in the back, whinnying after doing so. Charlotte would then slowly turn her head to look at the eyes that were looking at her and say, "Oh, you think that's really funny, do you?" She'd then turn to face Pinto's face, still looking at her, put her hands on her hips and tell her, "Well maybe now I don't want to ride you. What'd you think of that?" And just like a dog who'd been scolded, Pinto would turn her head facing forward then drop her head. Then Charlotte would say, "Oh gads, if you're going to pout, then I guess I'll take you riding." Upon hearing this, Pinto would lift up her head, whinny, and throw her head up and down.
Jane had kept an eye on Pinto and Charlotte, marveling at the game the horse was playing with Charlotte. And how quickly Charlotte realized it was a game. After saddling her horse, she first checked Francis' saddle, making sure she'd secured it properly, before checking Charlotte's. Once she was satisfied they'd be safe in the saddle, she led the girls out of the stable and after they mounted their horses, led them off in a different direction than they'd taken before.
Jane was taking them to a part of her property which was thick with wild grass, wild flowers, and low lying shrubs. The trees in the area were scattered so far apart it would take 5-10 minutes to ride from tree to tree. "Girls, take a good look around you as we ride through this area. This is what you might have seen had you been with those who crossed the prairie. As you can see, the grasses vary, in both species and height. And if you look over there," and Jane pointed to her right, "you'll see how some birds are able to use the taller grasses as perches. It also gives them a good vantage to spot predators if any are in the area. Have either of you studied history about The Dust Bowl, and what contributed to its occurrence?" Both girls said they'd heard about The Dust Bowl but didn't know why it occurred. "Francis, in two weeks you will present a research paper on The Dust Bowl. When it occurred, what contributed to it, how widespread it was, what was taking place at the time, how it affected the lives of those living in the area, and its duration. Charlotte, you will do a research paper, also due in two weeks, about the flora and fauna of the prairie. Also include wildlife which lived on the prairie."
And as usual, the only response accepted by Jane was, "Yes, Aunt Jane."
Both girls were busy looking around them as they rode through the area. It was Charlotte who spotted fresh dirt by some of the scrub bushes, and what looked like a hole going under the scrub. As they approached one particular scrub Charlotte saw another spot of fresh dirt piled up and away from the scrub. Jane had passed that scrub a few feet before both girls, but when they reached the scrub both let out an, "EWWW... what's that smell?" Jane knew the smell was there but didn't react to the pungent odor. She reigned her horse, turned it around so she was facing the girls, and had to strongly school herself as she saw both girls had stopped their horses and were pinching their noses shut.
She let them sit there, thinking they should have realized stopping there was a bad idea, and asked them, "What odor? I don't smell anything from HERE?" Both girls got the hint and spurred their horses on, only to stop where Jane's horse was standing. Jane had to again school herself as she watched first Charlotte then Francis slowly let go of their noses and test the air around them.
It was Francis who first found the air more pleasant as she said, "Oh, that's much better. That odor was just rank. What caused it, Aunt Jane?" Jane looked at Charlotte, who was just now following Francis' example and letting go of her nose.
"Charlotte, can you answer Francis' question?"
Charlotte looked at Francis, who shrugged her shoulders, before looking back at Jane and telling her, "Ah, no, Aunt Jane. I have no idea what caused that putrid smell."
Jane looked from Francis to Charlotte before asking, "Surely you girls have heard or seen a skunk?" When both admitted they'd heard about skunks and had seen pictures of them, but not a live one, Jane shook her head and told them, "What you smelled was the defensive measure a skunk uses as a last resort when it's threatened. What you smelled is not fresh, or you both might be vomiting right this minute, it's that revolting. It won't take both of you long to produce a paper by Friday about skunks. Where they can be found, their active times, what they eat, and, since you smelled one method they use, other methods they use to warn off threats. And you'll also include a possible danger skunks pose. It's something dogs can get if they've not been vaccinated. Let's press on. There's a nice little area up ahead I believe you both will enjoy, if you're quiet." And with that said, Jane turned her horse and started it slowly walking in the direction they'd been headed. Jane parted one last bit of information as they resumed their ride. "Oh, and girls. That hole, where you saw the disturbed dirt? It could very well be the den of a skunk, where they sleep during the day. That odor should be a clue for you not to investigate what lives at the bottom of that hole. In fact, girls. Unless you know what animal lives there, you will find it safer to not become curious. There are, after all, animals living out her who are more aggressive than a skunk, and really hate to be roused from their sleep."
Author's Note: When I first wrote Complicit In a Lie, I had no thoughts, or ideas, to write a sequel. But thanks to a few readers, who asked about a sequel, ideas formed that made writing this sequel possible. It is necessary to have read Complicit In a Lie to understand why Charles is now with Jane, who the boy arriving in Kingston is and how he's involved in Charles' Court case. And to understand where Mr. Corporate, George Strom, fits into this story. This story starts off after Charles says, "When do we start," in Complicit in a Lie. So if you haven't read Complicit In a Lie, the beginning of this story won't make any sense. Hint hint!
Sitting atop their horses, the girls had an excellent view of the surrounding area, much better than had they been walking. The height afforded them the opportunity to watch cottontail rabbits feeding, running away as they advanced down the trail, or engaging in an activity which caused both girls to chuckle. They also saw several different species of birds flying overhead, perched on the scrub bushes, grasses, or running through the scrub and grasses in groups. "Aunt Jane," Francis called. "What are those birds running around in groups? They all have some type of small feather sticking up on top of their heads."
Without turning around, Jane said, "Those are likely quail, Francis. I'm sure once you finish your paper about the quail, you'll have your answer." Jane heard Charlotte chuckle, because of Francis' plight. She pointed off to her left and asked Charlotte, "Do you see that black bird with the red on its wings, Charlotte? The one hanging onto that tall grass?"
Jane waited until she heard, "Yes Aunt Jane."
Then continued with, "Your own paper will give you all the information on that bird you need as well." Francis slapped her hand over her mouth, trying to stifle the laugh bubbling up from her throat. Charlotte heard the throaty laugh from Francis, turned to her and stuck her tongue out at her.
Both were totally shocked when Jane said, "Charlotte. It isn't ladylike to stick your tongue out at someone."
Charlotte started to notice how the trail started going downward, and that not far in the distance it seemed to disappear. "Aunt Jane. Why does it seem this trail disappears up ahead?"
Jane smiled to herself then replied, "It isn't that it disappears, Charlotte, but drops down. From here on out you must be very quiet if you are to see something you may never have seen." Charlotte looked over at Francis, who shrugged her shoulders, as they rode on in silence.
The girls watched as Jane stopped her horse, then motioned for them to stop on both sides of her. When they were both on either side of her she whispered, "We must be very quiet. Look down there." As the girls looked where Jane pointed, they saw the trail wander down into a meadow, created by a beaver dam.
Francis whispered back, "What's that large pile of sticks, Aunt Jane?" Before Jane could respond, Charlotte whispered, "It's a beaver lodge, Francis. It's where the beavers, who built that dam, live."
Before them lay a meadow, formed when the beavers dammed the stream which flowed from their left to their right. Over time, a pond formed, which seeped out into the surrounding ground, and nourished other plant life that made the area a perfect habitat for wildlife. They were fortunate in that their silent approach hadn't scared away what wildlife they now saw. They were also fortunate in that they saw the actual builders of the dam and lodge, busy working on their dam. Several species of duck swam in the pond, ducking their heads every now and then below the surface of the water. On the far side of the pond several deer were drinking at the edge of the pond, looking up every so often. They saw several ripples on the surface of the pond, indicating there was life below the surface of the water. That fact was made quite clear as a very large bird flew in low over the water, dipped its feet into the water and flew away carrying a fish in its talons. All three watched as the bird repositioned the fish so its head was facing the direction the bird flew. Strange as it seemed, even Jane let out a soft "WOW."
Jane spoke quietly to both girls in telling them, "Girls, gently pull back on both reigns at the same time. You want your horses to back up." Pinto seemed to get the message without Charlotte's request, as she started backing up just as Jane's horse did; Francis' horse followed a moment later. When they were far enough away where the trail dropped down into the meadow, Jane said, "I think we best be getting back, girls. We've seen quite a lot today, and you girls have papers to write." Jane chuckled as both girls let their heads fall back, then brought them forward and shook their heads. She was still chuckling when she told them, "Oh come on girls, just think what you'll learn by writing those papers." With Jane in the lead, the girls again formed up behind her, both thinking about the papers they had to write about the animals Jane had indicated.
Jane pointed out other things as they made their way back to the stable, where they unsaddled their horses and walked them until they'd cooled down. They then let them drink what they needed, before brushing them down and returning each horse to its stall. After making sure each horse had plenty of feed and water, they returned to the house where they showered and dressed before the noonday meal. As the girls went to the kitchen, Jane went into her study, where she checked for more emails from Jeb and to review Toby's file. Jane put the file away in a locked drawer when she was informed lunch was ready.
Jane had the girls tell Marie everything they saw on their ride, and had them retell some when they neglected to tell Marie about the skunk smell they encountered. Marie laughed, then said, "Ah, oui, puanteur de mouffette, nasty, very nasty to the nose. If you want to keep your friends close, avoid it at all costs. But, if you wish to clear a room...," and she gave the girls a Gallic shrug, causing both to laugh in understanding. When their meal was over, Jane returned to her study while the girls cleared the table and helped Marie in the kitchen; she'd given them orders to start on the papers they had to write after they finished in the kitchen.
As Jane sat reading Toby's file for the umtenth time, her computer chimed, signaling she had just received an email. Opening up the email program, she saw it was a new email from Jeb, hopefully with good news about getting Charles' name cleared.
From: Jeb Thorton, el al.
To: Jane Thompson
Re: Update
Jane,
I would like to say the police are about to close the theft case, but that's not to be. They've started finding bodies of young boys and girls who they feel were part of the shoplifting teams. It's possible those in charge were worried one or more of the kids would talk, so silencing them made sure that didn't happen. Because of the deaths, those already arrested are scared they could be next, and are now refusing to say anything to anyone. They have simply stopped talking, period.
The news isn't all bad, as the police do have some leads as to who might be responsible for the deaths. Unfortunately, it will take time to check each lead they have. Meanwhile, they are arresting more of the three boy/girl teams, when they're caught in the act. But they too refuse to say anything other than 'lawyer.'
I'll keep you informed of any further developments.
Kindest regards,
Jeb
"They've started finding bodies of young boys and girls...," Jane read again. Jane was trying to wrap her mind around why anyone would start killing young kids to keep them quiet when better means of violence could be used. Whoever decided killing was needed to silence them has just waved a red flag in the face of the police, who will now break their backs to bring the killers to justice. And Jane knew she couldn't get involved in finding who was killing those kids, no matter how badly she wanted to. She knew people who might help track them down, but then they'd have to explain why they got involved. She was infuriated.
She closed down the computer, made sure to put Toby's file in the drawer, locked it, then went in search of Marie, she'd have to watch over the girls while she was out. She had to gain some peace. She found Marie in the living room, reading, sat down beside her and said, "They're killing the kids who are stealing for them, to shut them up. Those who've been arrested have become clams, they aren't saying anything to anyone. Marie, I...," Marie had put down the book she was reading when Jane sat down beside her. She put a hand on Jane's leg and told her, "Go, do what you love to do when you get like this. I'll watch the girls. Go get changed. Aller (Go!)!"
Jane smiled at the woman, patted the hand resting on her leg, got up off the sofa and walked to the library, knocking on the door before entering. "Girls, I'll be out for a while. Marie will be watching you while I'm gone. You both know what you have to do so keep working on your papers." Jane never let Francis or Charlotte ask where she was going, as neither should have questioned her, but backed out of the library and went straight to her bedroom to change into her riding clothes.
It wasn't long before the girls came out of the library and were standing in front of Marie. "Is Aunt Jane okay, tante Marie?" Francis asked, seeing a sad look on Marie's face. Marie was silent for several minutes, trying to decide if she should scold Francis for asking or give her an honest answer. She remembered how Francis was when she first came to the house, thinking only of herself, not that she was selfish, just that she was in the habit of looking out for herself because of her living condition.
And now, in part thanks to Charlotte, here she stood, concerned about another person. "No, mes filles, she is not all right. Sit, and I'll explain."
When Jane came from her bedroom, and saw the girls sitting next to Marie on the sofa, and not working on their papers, she was filled with rage. Marie saw the anger in Jane's face, and shaking her head, said before Jane could say anything. "Votre colère est mal dirigée. Ne t'en prends pas à eux (Your anger is misdirected. Don't take it out on them!)!" Marie spoke too quickly for Charlotte to follow, but heard the cry of anguish from Jane and watched as she turned and all but ran out of the house.
"Will she be all right, Marie?" Charlotte asked, wiping tears from her eyes. "Can we do anything to help her?"
Marie put her arms around the girls and told them, "She is hurting right now because of what she just learned. She needs time and peace to gain herself again. We can help her by giving her that time, and making her proud of us by doing our best. So maybe you two best get back to your papers? Oui? I'll bring you something in a little while." Both girls nodded their heads, giving Marie kisses on her cheeks before getting up from the sofa and returning to the library.
Jane had to keep wiping her eyes as she walked out to the stable. When she opened the gate for her horse's stall, the big mare felt the anguish coming from Jane. Much like Pinto did to Charlotte, her horse came over to her and placed its head on her shoulder, giving Jane the opportunity to hug its neck. It stood stock still as Jane hugged the big horse, and cried. Hard. When Jane's crying had eased, unbidden by Jane, the big mare slowly walked herself and Jane out of her stall, letting Jane know she wanted to be ridden. Jane looked up into the left eye of her horse and chuckled, saying, "So you figured it out, did you? And I suppose you know where I want to go?" This time she laughed as the mare threw its head up and down. It wasn't long before the mare was saddled and Jane on her back, the mare taking Jane to where she could find the peace she needed.
Usually Jane guided her horse in the direction she wanted to go, but because her mind was mulling several thoughts at the same time, her horse guided Jane where it knew she needed to go. The reins were loose in her hands, her eyes seeing but not seeing, questions running through her mind so fast she could hardly pin one down to examine it. The question which almost shouted the loudest was 'Why do I continue doing this? Why continue showing these boys a better way to live their lives? Why continue when I see where most come from and how they've been treated? And the hurt caused by the losses? And now the killing of young kids who never knew a different way to live. Why stay involved? Why continue to get hurt?' Unknown to Jane, as her horse walked on, it would occasionally turn its head in order to make sure its rider was still there. It slowly crested the ridge and continued its walking pace down towards the meadow, causing those there to pause and watch rider and horse come closer. Causing some to panic and run, while others stayed and watched, knowing the reason for their presence.
The horse stopped at the bench setting by the pond, whinnied, then threw its head towards the bench. Since Jane didn't climb off her back, she whinnied louder and threw her head around to get Jane's attention. Jane reached down and rubbed the horse's neck, telling her, "Sorry, my friend. I was lost in thought." She laughed as the horse threw its head again in the direction of the bench, Jane telling her horse, "Thank you, my friend." As Jane climbed down off the back of her horse, it remained still until it saw her sit down on the bench, then wandered off to graze.
Those who knew the woman went back to what they were doing, others stayed hidden and watched to see what would happen. A small group of ducks came near Jane and swam in front of her, quacking encouragement as they did. Those who ran to hide were shocked to see a doe with her fawn lay down some few feet away from Jane, acting as though there was nothing wrong with having this person in their midst. None recognized the tears that slowly found their way out of Jane's eyes and down her cheeks, caused by her thinking about how cruel people could be to kill, so they could stay free. Her mind went back to the boys who'd come to her, the ones who left totally different young men, and the ones she couldn't reach. And the friend she lost because her twisted mind wanted a daughter instead of a son. She thought of how her girls were treated by Sandy at Marisha Chalet, and of Charlotte besting Sandy. Of her forcing the girls to help Brenda at The Style Shoppe, and the experience they had modeling. All of her thoughts seemed to be leading her in one direction, trying to make her understand that all her and Marie's efforts were not in vain. That with all but a few, each boy who'd come to her was living a better life than they would have without their guidance. That even though she and Marie had experienced heartache and disappointment at times, they did it so others could have a better life. And right now, her grief wasn't because of being unsure if she wanted to continue changing lives, but the grief felt of lives lost because of greed. Yes, she and Marie knew people who would take care of the problem for her, but it wasn't how she wanted things to end. Because if it ended that way, Charles would never have his name cleared, he would always have a record.
The doe and its fawn slowly got up off the ground and wandered away. The ducks took themselves to another part of the pond, feeding as they went. A sudden weight was on Jane's shoulder, the massive muzzle rubbing Jane's cheek. She reached and stroked the top of its nose, saying, "Thank you old friend. I suppose we better return to the house, eh?" A soft whinny answering Jane's question, as her horse lifted its head off Jane's shoulder, allowing her to stand and remount her. They rode back to the house as one, the reins a bit tighter in Jane's hands, though not giving directions through them. Jane felt more at peace as they reached the stable, though the thought of the killings were still with her. Once cooled down, watered, and brushed, the mare walked back into its stall on its own accord, turning and putting its head on Jane's shoulder once again. Hugging the big mare, Jane told her, "Thank you for being here, my old friend. And for understanding." Jane released the horse's neck, stepped back and closed the stall gate, checking for adequate food and water. Her heart was still heavy over the loss of life, but her resolve was to push on in their attempt to better the lives of those boys sent to Seasons House, and the Winsome Girls' School for Wayward Boys.
There was no need to look in on the girls, Marie would have been doing that, making sure they were doing the assigned work. She went straight to her bedroom to shower and change; it was getting near their evening meal. Coming out of her room, hearing voices coming from the kitchen, Jane headed in that direction. As she passed the dining room table she caught sight of two papers sitting in front of her place at the table. Picking them up, and reading them, she saw they were the two papers she had directed the girls to write on two of the animals in the area they rode through that morning. She hadn't given them explicit instructions, so wasn't expecting research papers, but saw they provided the necessary relevant information. She sat each paper at its proper place on the table, as they would discuss them over dinner.
It's Monday morning, the day Toby Camber arrives at Seasons House, Winsome Girls' School for Wayward Boys. Jane came out of her bedroom in full headmistress mode. She was wearing a light gray skirt suit, the skirt reaching 2" above her knees. She wore a long sleeved, high necked white cotton blouse, adorned at the neck by a blue backed camio broach. She wore off black stockings with three inch closed toe heels. Her hair was in a tight bun, and her makeup, as always, immaculately applied. And her expression? One that said, 'take no prisoners.' She was on a mission. A mission to get Charles' name cleared, to find who was killing young kids just to shut them up. If she had to, she'd use Toby to reach those ends.
She knew Marie would have already woken the girls, but she made it a practice to look in on them to make sure then hadn't fallen back to sleep.
After going upstairs, Jane walked to Francis' bedroom door, opened it, and quietly walked inside. It didn't take Jane but a moment to realize her bedroom had changed. It was tidy and clean. Quietly closing the door behind her, Jane took a moment to gaze around Francis' bedroom. The dress Francis had chosen to wear today was hanging neatly on the hook attached to the closet door. There was no clothing thrown around the room as she had done before. Books and nick-nacks were placed neatly on shelves or on the vanity. The bed was neatly made, with her chosen lingerie lying neatly on the bed, minus her bra and panties, and her low heeled shoes were sitting neatly on the floor just under the edge of the bedspread. Jane walked over to the bed and lifting the pillow, finding Francis' nightgown neatly folded and where it should be kept.
Jane heard water running in the en suite and walked to the bathroom door, opening it softly. She took a step inside and saw Franics' silhouette behind the shower curtin. Jane also saw Francis' bra and panties lying neatly on the vanity counter top. Scanning the bathroom, Jane was surprised how clean it now had become, compared to time past. She looked behind the bathroom door and found Francis' robe hanging on the hook attached to the back of the door. Then she heard something that surprised her, Francis was humming. Jane listened for a moment before leaving the en suite and quietly closing the door behind her. She would have to question Francis about the changes, changes that had recently occurred. Changes that were new for Francis. Changes that marked a step in the right direction for Francis. Might Charlotte had a hand in the changes? That was another question to ask, privately.
After leaving Francis' bedroom, Jane walked the short distance to Charlotte's bedroom. She didn't expect to see anything out of place in her bedroom, Charles is an orderly individual. Quietly opening the bedroom door, Jane stepped inside and quietly closed the door before surveying the room. As she expected, nothing was out of place. No dust sat on anything Jane could see. Like Francis, or Francis like Charlotte, her chosen dress was neatly hung on the hook attached to the closet door. Lingerie, minus her bra and panties, were lying neatly of her made bed, her shoes right below on the floor and back under the edge of the bedspread. She found Charlotte's neatly folded nightgown under the pillow, as it should be.
Water could also be heard running in Charlotte's en suite. Quietly opening the bathroom door, Jane watched as Charlotte's silhouette moved around behind the shower curtain. A neatly folded bra and panties were sitting on the vanity counter top, and Charlotte's robe was hung on the hook attached to the back of the bathroom door. Scanning the rest of the en suite, Jane was not surprised by its cleanliness.
As with the surprise she heard from Francis, she heard, "Good morning, Aunt Jane," from Charlotte, as she'd stepped out of the en suite and started to quietly close the door. She stepped back into the ensuite and asked, "How did you know, Charlotte?"
Jane heard Charlotte laugh before she said, "One was logical, the other physical. Marie had already been here, so it would only be logical that it was you who'd look in on us. As to the physical way... opening that door creates an air current. The current is strong enough to move the shower curtain."
Jane chuckled at what she heard. "You are an interesting person, Charles Thorton," she commented, deciding she could question Charles now. "Charles, have you been helping Francis? Talking with her about her attitude and demeanor?"
Charles was silent for a moment before he said, "Thank you for speaking to Charles, Aunt Jane. It means a lot to me. As to your question, yes. I've been talking with Francis. She opened up to me about her home life, and how she's been treated. I listened and held her as she cried. I waited until she'd calmed down, then told her no one can take away her dignity if she doesn't let them. Her name can change, but only she could lose her dignity. She asked questions about dignity, self respect, and dealing with how she's treated at home. I told her the only way to deal with the demeaning things her Aunt Agnes says to her, is to not care what she had say. Let her say what she want, and don't react. I told her that if she ignores what Aunt Agnes says to her, and doesn't react in any way, her Aunt loses that particular hold over her. I may have gone a bit too far when I explained your goal for her. That you care more than she understands. How it wasn't fair how she'd been acting, when all you're doing was trying to make her see she can live a different life and have a better attitude toward life. She may have opened up to you, eventually, Aunt Jane. But to her, right now, you're an intimidating woman, you remind her of how she's treated at home. Aunt Jane, how would you stand up to a barrage of insults, put downs, and slights simply because you were born? How would you handle doing the best you know how to do, and being berated for simply doing it? She was fed up doing what she was told and being reamed every way possible afterwards. Aunt Jane, Frank can't go back to live with his Aunt Agnes when he leaves here. She didn't want to take Frank in after her sister, Penny, was diagnosed with cancer. She didn't want him and that's how she's been treating him. If he does have to go back to live with Agnes, someone needs to give her a good dose of whup-ass before he gets home."
The water running may have hid the snicker Jane made at Charles' last statement. It was also good Charles was still behind the shower curtain, because he would have seen Jane wipe her eyes after what he said to her. When she felt she had control of her voice, she told Charles, "Thank you for helping Francis, Charles. And please continue doing so when it's needed. Now hurry up and finish your shower and get dressed. You still have to help with breakfast."
Jane almost lost it again when starting to leave the en suite and heard Charles say, "I love you too, Aunt Jane!" She had to clamp her jaw shut to keep from crying out."
Jane left Charlotte's bedroom and went down to the living room, to wait for the girls and their daily inspection. She mulled over everything Charles had said, wondering if she was too intimidating and if maybe that's why some boys never went along with her program. If she was being perceived by Frank to be like his Aunt, then she'd have to devise another method of reaching him. She'd have to make sure he realized he was wanted and valued. She'd also have to talk with Ruth to have her see if any of Franks family knew how he was being treated at home, and if any would be willing to take him in to get him away from such a toxic environment.
As Jane waited in the living room, she heard first one bedroom door open and close and steps echoing down the hallway, then another bedroom door open and close, with another set of steps being added to the echo. As Jane stood facing the stairs, with her arms hanging in front of her, and the palm of one hand over the back of the other, she watched as Francis was the first to be seen descending the stairs, followed closely by Charlotte. Jane could already see the change in Francis, with her hair neatly styled, instead of the 'not really caring look' it had before Charles arrived. The dress she chose was even more appropriate than the ones she'd worn pre Charles. Even her choice of makeup was more fitting to her age, as was her choice of hosiery.
Jane watched as Francis waited at the bottom of the stairs until Charlotte was standing beside her, then both girls walked into the living room together, stopping three steps in front of Jane. Jane spotted the enigmatic smile on Charlotte's face, causing her to question its purpose and to frown at Charlotte until it disappeared; she'd have to question Charlotte about that in a few minutes. As Jane inspected both girls from where she stood, taking in their clothing, hosiery, shoes, hair, and makeup, she asked, "Francis, I noticed your bedroom was in a much better state than it had been. Is there a reason for that to occur?" Jane had stepped up to the girls and was looking both up and down, from the front and back as she'd asked the question. She was now standing in front of Francis. Francis dropped her head, as Jane had seen her do on multiple occasions in the past. The fingers of Jane's right hand went gently under Francis' chin, slowly lifting it until Francis was looking at her. Jane saw that tears were threatening to escape Francis' eyes after what she had asked. Thinking back to what Charles had said to her, Jane quickly said, "Thank you for what you've done to your bedroom. It looks really nice." Jane could see the questioning look on Francis' face, before a huge smile erupted on her face. "You're also much improved in the choice of clothing and makeup that best suits your person. Did you have help in that endeavor?"
Jane waited for an answer, watching the inner turmoil of emotions playing across Francis' face, despair not being one of them. Jane saw that a decision had been made, and with her whole body exhibiting confidence, Francis said, "Yes, Aunt Jane, I had help. I had help from Charlotte." Jane tried her best not to show her head mistress face so as not to shut Francis down. Frank needed this moment. Francis chuckled before she told Jane, "She sat me down and basically read me the riot act. She told me I'd been unfair to you by my actions, because you were only trying to help me see a better way to live and think. She told me I was being very rude by not keeping my bedroom clean and organized, as a guest should do. We went through my closet and drawers so she could help me learn how to determine what would look best on me and what paired well together. She even helped with my makeup, showing me much of the same." Then Jane almost lost it when Francis' voice got husky and she told Jane, "I'm sorry, Aunt Jane, for my past behavior. You've done nothing but try and help me and I treated you like I treated my Aunt with my bad behavior." Tears were now sliding down Francis' cheeks, as she suddenly stepped into Jane and engulfed Jane with her arms. In a muffled voice, Francis said, "Thank you Aunt Jane for caring."
Jane had to muster every ounce of self control she possessed so she wouldn't break down after what Francis said. Jane gently push Francis back and looking directly into her eyes, told her, "I do care about you, Francis. I care very deeply and I only want you to see that there is another way you can live your life and a better way to react to terrible situations." Offering Francis a hint of a smile, Jane went on to say, "Now, dry your eyes and go help Marie get things ready for breakfast. We have a new girl arriving today and we have to be ready for her." Francis nodded her head before walking over to the end table and taking a tissue from the box sitting on that table. Jane watched her walk through the dining room and pushing the kitchen door open before the door hid her from view as she walked into the kitchen. She then turned her attention to Charlotte, who was now wearing a big smile. Jane stepped in front of Charlotte, trying her best to put her head mistress look on her face. "Alright, Miss Thorton!! Would you explain to me the smiles you aren't supposed to have on your face during this time!" If anything, Jane's head mistress look backfired, as the smile on Charlotte's face grew even bigger.
The first words out of Charlotte's mouth were, "I love you too, Aunt Jane," almost causing Jane to flat out lose it. "Francis has started opening up to you, Aunt Jane. She told you that she isn't being treated well at home, she may even tell you more, now that she knows you really care about her."
Jane simply looked at Charlotte, shaking her head as she told her, "You are a remarkable young man, Charles Thorton. And I absolutely hate that you have to be here. But your dad, and others, are getting close to learning the whole truth."
Charlotte was nodding her head at the last of what Jane said. "I can tell how much you deplore my being here, and how upset you are about everything that's happening. But being Charlotte hasn't been all that bad, it's given me a perspective I never would have had any other way. And for that, I think you. I also thank you for this experience because it's made me take a look at myself, how could it not, dressed and presenting as a girl.
Jane jerked her head towards the direction of the kitchen, indicating that Charlotte was to help with getting breakfast ready. She watch as Charlotte walk towards the kitchen, thinking, for a boy, he makes a cute girl. She shook off that thought and went to her study, opening the door, walking inside before closing the door behind her; one of the girls would let her know when breakfast was ready.
After sitting down behind the study desk, she unlocked her computer and checked her emails. One email caught her eye immediately, it was from Jeb. Quickly opening it, she read the following:
From: Jeb Thorton, el al.
To: Jane Thompson
Re: More arrests made
Jane,
The police have made more arrests of the shoplifting trios. Most have been young boys, but there have been a few young girls about Charles' age involved. They have the girls speaking with women officers for obvious reasons. They would like to have each girl examined by a doctor, again, for obvious reasons. But since they show no outward signs of needing medical attention, their hands are tied without parental consent.
Several of those arrested, the girls included, give the impression they'd like to talk to officers in order to help themselves. As the kids have been observed, those leading the three teen crews have made it clear what's going to happen if anyone snitches. The police think if the power of those leading the crews can be neutralized, those wanting to talk will talk. The police have a plan, though it will depend on finding a few male and female officers who can easily pass as young teens.
I'll keep you posted of any further developments. Give Charles our love.
Kindest regards,
Jeb
Jane bristled after reading Jeb's email. If they gave her five minutes with those leaders, they'd have all the information they'd need. She took several calming breaths, she had to recenter herself to fully deal with Toby when he arrived. Just then there was a knock on the study door. "Enter," Jane loudly said, and watched as the door opened and Francis came into the study. After closing the door, Jane watched as Francis walked to the book case, took 'the book' off the shelf, balanced it on her head, and started the first of five walks around the study with the book balanced on her head, knowing that if the book fell, she'd have to start over..
When round five was completed, Francis replaced 'the book' on the bookshelf. She then walked to Jane's desk, stopping two steps in front of the desk. "Aunt Jane, breakfast is ready," she told Jane as she stood up straight, with her shoulders back and her arms hanging in front of her, with her hands lying on top of each other.
Jane had watched every movement Francis made. Right now, she was evaluating Francis' mood and whether she could be the 'good' girl in front of Toby. "Francis, do you remember how Sonya acted when you first arrived? Do you remember what happened to her when she acted out?"
Jane watched Francis' face as the girl was searching her memory. "Yes, Aunt Jane, I remember some of how she acted and the consequences. If I may ask, why do you want to know if I remembered?"
Jane pointed to a chair while saying, "Please bring that chair over to where you're standing and be seated. I have something to ask of you." Jane watch as Francis walked over to the chair, stood in front of it and lifted it off the floor by the arms. Careful as she walked carrying the chair, Francis brought the chair to the place where she previously stood. Sitting the chair down by bending her knees, instead of bending over as she'd done earlier in her being at Seasons House, Francis turned around, smoothed the back of her dress and sat down in the chair. She sat ramrod straight, crossing her ankles, and placed her hands in her lap. Looking straight at Jane, she then waited for Jane to speak.
Jane leaned forward in her chair, placed her arms on her desk with her hands clasped, then said, "Francis, I want you to remember you are playing the good girl to Charlotte's new/bad girl when Toby arrives. When I give Charlotte a nod, she is going to act different than she does now, and that will be your que to become the good girl. Don't be snobby, or criticize Charlotte for her actions, just let Toby know that Charlotte will suffer the consequences for her actions. And remember, you explain what's expected from all my girls. And as I told Charlotte, don't go overboard, act as you've started acting since Charlotte arrive. Can you do all of that?"
Jane watched as Francis' head dropped to her chest, and when she again looked up at Jane, tears were running down her cheeks and dripping onto her dress. "Aunt Jane," Francis began in a choked up voice. "I've given you nothing but grief since I've been here. My bedroom has been a mess, I've just gone through the motions, which I now see has caused you stress, and you're still asking me to be the 'good' girl? Why, Aunt Jane? Why not Charlotte, she's a better example of a 'good' girl?"
The situation, this time, at Seasons House was unlike any Jane had previously faced. Yes, she had girls like Francis, girls who's home life caused them to act out, end up before Judge Ruth and ultimately here. But none like Charlotte and the killings taking place just to keep someone free from justice.
Jane had already broken her rule of not getting visibly emotionally involved with her girls, the situation had warranted it being done. And she did so again, as she stood up from her chair, walked around the study desk, knelt before Francis, took the girl's hands in hers and told her, "Sweetheart, yes you did all the things you said. Yes it caused me stress because nothing I did or had you do brought you out of your shell. But look how far you've come since Charlotte has been here. You listened to her, cared about her, and come to realize how terrible you've been acting since you arrived at my house. I think you've earned the right to be my 'good' girl and show Toby how he's supposed to act."
Jane watched the girl sitting before her, tears still streaming down her cheeks. Jane waited, as she could see that Francis was arranging her thoughts. When she finally spoke, it was hardly about a whisper. "You could have sent me back at any time but you didn't, Aunt Jane," Francis said as she sniffed her nose. "You've been stern, but kind to me in your own way, too. And now you want me to be your 'good' girl after everything I've done. Aunt Agnus would have thrown me out of the house permanently for the things I've done while being here." With her face wet, and a big smile on her face, Francis told Jane, "Yes, Aunt Jane. I'll be your 'good' girl."
Francis had come a long way in the last few days. 'Thank you Charles Thorton', she thought to herself. "Thank you Francis for agreeing to this, we'll talk more after Toby arrives. Now, though, you need go and change your dress and fix your makeup before we eat." Jane released Francis' hands, stood up and stepped back, giving Francis room to stand. Jane watched as Francis turned around, picked up the chair without being told, and moved it back where it had been. Then, as she had now started doing, Francis asked, "Aunt Jane, my I please be excused?"
Schooling herself, Jane replied with, "Yes, Francis. You may be excused." When Francis turned to leave the study, Jane caught up to Francis, and breaking her normal rule again, put her arm around Francis' shoulder as they walked to the study door. Francis opened the door, waited until Jane had walked through of the study before following her and closing the door behind her. The two then went their separate ways, Jane to the dining room and Francis to her bedroom. Jane never saw the big smile on Francis' face as she climbed the stairs. And no on saw the smirk on Jane's face as she walked to the dining room. Charlotte was right in her assessment of Francis, kind words did indeed go further with Francis than Jane's usual dragon words.
Breakfast began after Francis came down from her bedroom, having changed her dress and redoing her makeup; it turned into a planning session when Toby Camber arrived. Jane discussed how he would be treated at the train station, when he arrived at Seasons House, the toasting of his arrival, for Charlotte's benefit, and the roll of the girls after Jane woke him from his nap. She reminded the girls what was at stake in getting Toby to "tell all" about the shoplifting ring. She cautioned them to not be direct in asking about it, but to try and guide Toby in that direction. Jane also laid out contingency plans in case Toby recognized Charlotte, asking Charlotte not to hurt Toby should he attack her after recognizing her.
Author's Note:Complicit In a Lie to understand why Charles is now with Jane, who the boy arriving in Kingston is and how he's involved in Charles' Court case. And to understand where Mr. Corporate, George Strom, fits into this story. This story starts off after Charles says, "When do we start," in Complicit in a Lie. So if you haven't read Complicit In a Lie, the beginning of this story won't make any sense. Hint hint!
Of all the girls arriving at Seasons House, Toby may be the most important. He might have first hand knowledge about the shoplifting gangs; he was also the one who lied about Charles' involvement in the shoplifting. While Toby wasn't the only source of information about the shoplifting gangs, he was the only one who could exonerate Charles.
With breakfast over, the dining room table cleared, dishes washed and the kitchen cleaned, Jane instructed the girls to freshen their lipstick and to get their purses and wraps. It was time to go pick up Toby at the train station.
The drive to the train station, as usual, was uneventful. Jane pulled her car into the parking lot in front of the station, shut the car's engine off before going over the plans again with Francis and Charlotte. Again, reminding Charlotte not to hurt Toby should he recognize her. The three got out of Jane's car, and calmly walked to the station platform. As usual, Jane guided the girls to her usual spot to wait for the train's arrival. Somehow, those working the platform knew when Jane and her girls were coming, since the near end of the platform was clear of carts, freight, and people. Many of the men and young men working the platform had been one of Jane's girls in their teens or pre-teens, so it wasn't unusual for Jane to receive slight head nods as she waited. Even after receiving nods in return, none approached Jane while she and the girls waited for the train to arrive, carrying Jane's next new girl. An air horn sounded in the distance, signaling the approach of the 11:00 a.m. train. The sound increased as the train came nearer, until the sound of the diesel electric engine itself could be heard, along with a ringing bell. The engine slowly pulled the cars into the station, stopping when all the cars had lined up with the platform. That's when the platform burst into action.
It was like someone stirred an ant hill with a stick, with passengers coming out of the waiting room, full luggage carts heading to the baggage car, as luggage and freight was unloaded from the baggage car onto empty carts. Passengers were disembarking from the passenger cars as fast as they embarked. Jane tried to spot Toby before he left the train, but couldn't see him until he was standing at the door of the car nearest them. Pitched only for their ears, Charlotte said, "He looks scared, Aunt Jane. And why is he wearing a long sleeve shirt in this weather? It isn't long sleeve weather yet."
Jane had noticed the same thing, and thought the same thing too. With a sideways glance at Charlotte, Jane thought to herself, 'That boy would make an excellent lawyer or psychologist. Maybe even going into the medical field.' Doing the same as Charlotte, Jane, pitching her voice only for the girls, replied, "I saw that too, Charlotte. Wearing long sleeves in such warm weather does seem strange."
"If he's scared, why does he also look happy?" Francis asked, keeping her voice only for the three.
Jane and Charlotte both gave Francis a glance before looking at each other. Charlotte smiled while Jane simply nodded her head several times. Looking back at Toby, the three watched as Toby stepped onto the platform, carrying a medium size backpack. He looked around the platform, glancing at Jane and the girls, before dismissing them and starting to walk to his left. A station worker, pushing a laden cart, stopped in front of Toby, jerked his head to his left and stared at Toby. He jerked his head again to his left, then said, "It's the lady you want, lad. The one at the end of the platform with the two girls. Treat her right, lad, she'll do you a solid. She's a bit stern, she is, but she'll give you the right best education you've ever had." The man looked at Jane, doffed his cap, nodded, and received a nod back from Jane. "Go on, lad. You best not keep Jane Thompson waiting."
Toby thanked the man, something not lost on Jane and Charlotte, and apparently Francis too, as she said in a low voice, "Isn't he supposed to be a mean, terrible person? Why did he just thank Marcus? Would a mean, terrible person do that?" Again, Jane and Charlotte gave Francis a glance before looking at each other. Once again, it was a smile on Charlotte's face and a nod from Jane. Francis was starting to form opinions based on observations. She was learning to think of more than her desires and/or wants. She was growing.
As Toby walked away from Marcus, he turned back and thanked Marcus again, receiving a nod in return. Toby walked up to Jane and the girls, stopping three steps from Jane and asked, "Excuse me, ma'am. Are you Ms. Jane Thompson? I'm Toby Camber, I was told to ask for a Ms. Jane Thompson."
Jane gave Toby her best headmistress look as she replied, "Yes, young man. I'm Ms. Jane Thompson, and I already know who you are. You may address me as Ms. Thompson or Aunt Jane." She indicated the girls and told Toby, "And these are my wards, Francis and Charlotte." The girls did a slight curtsy as Jane said their names.
Toby nodded his head and said, "It's nice to meet you Francis, and you Charlotte. I hope we can become friends."
Jane saw that Toby's actions mirrored the school councelors notes. He wasn't the trouble maker he'd been made out to be. As always, she couldn't let on she suspected something, so asked instead, "Is that all the luggage you have with you?" Jane asked, pointing to the backpack Toby had slung over his right shoulder.
As polite as he'd been the minute he stepped onto the platform, he replied, "Yes, ma'am. This is all I've ever had... " and his voiced dropped off, sounding sad at the thought that he carried everything he owned.
The change in his voice wasn't lost on Jane or Charlotte, but Jane pushed on with, "Very well, please follow us to my car. We must hurry if we are to be at my house for lunch."
And again, Toby was polite by responding with, "Yes, ma'am," before wincing as he took his backpack off his right shoulder and slung it over his left shoulder. Wincing again as the backpack settled onto his left shoulder. Both expressions weren't lost on the three standing before him, but none said anything to him.
Jane looked over at Charlott and Francis, and said in her best headmistriss voice, "Girls, come with me, please." Jane turned on her heel and strode off, with the girls two steps behind her and to her right, walking side by side. Toby followed, being two steps behind the girls.
Thankfully, or it was fate, the wind was blowing into their backs, as Charlotte spoke so only Jane could hear, "Er ist verletzt, Tante Jane (He's hurt, Aunt Jane.)."
Jane turned her head slightly to the right and replied with, "Das habe ich auch gesehen, Charlotte (I saw that too, Charlotte.).
Of course, Francis felt left out and asked Charlotte in a whisper what she said to Aunt Jane. In a whisper, Charlotte replied with, "He's hurt."
Because Toby was tail-end-Charlie, and far enough away from the three, he didn't hear the short conversation that had taken place between the three. And the three didn't see him wince as the backpack slapped his back with each step he took. Or when he reached behind his neck and pulled his shirt away from his back. Or how he hissed with each arm movement. But the three would, in time, learn why Toby was hurting.
When they reached Jane's car, Toby hurried around to the driver's side and once Jane had unlocked the car, opened the driver's door for Jane. With a curt, "Thank you, Toby," Jane got into the car. Jane had signaled the girls to wait before she got into the car, just to see if Toby would open the doors for them as well. He did, after closing the driver door and hurrying around to the passenger side, receiving a "Thank you, Toby," from both girls after opening and closing the doors for the girls.
Two things were observed by Jane and Charlotte about Toby. He was in a lot of pain, it showed as he opened and closed the car doors. And this wasn't the same boy who tried to intimidate Charlotte in the jail cell. Pain was slowing Toby down, as he walked around the back of the car to the driver's side passenger door. In the time it took him to walk around to that door, Charlotte had time to tell Aunt Jane, "Aunt Jane, something isn't right here. He's not the same person now as he was in jail. And he's in a lot of pain."
Jane had just enough time to say, "I agree, Charlotte," before Toby opened the driver's side passenger door and got into the car. Once Toby had closed the door, Jane said, "Everyone fasten your seatbelts. We don't move until that's been done." As Jane listened, three clicks could be heard as the girls and Toby fastened their seatbelts. Jane started her car, backed out of the parking space, and left the parking lot by way of the same entrance she'd used when they came to the station. Jane kept an eye on Toby using the rearview mirror, asking short questions not requiring elaboration. Charlotte also kept a surreptitious eye on Toby, noticing how he kept shifting in the seat. She also noticed that he never leaned back against the seatback, which had her wondering just how bad he was hurt.
Finally arriving at Jane's home, after Jane parked her car and shut off the engine, she told Francis, "Francis, please take Toby up to his bedroom and show him everything in the room and en suite. Only!! Toby, please go with Francis, and listen carefully to what she tells you. Charlotte, you'll come with me."
Getting an "Yes, ma'am," from Toby, and two, "Yes, Aunt Jane," one each from Francis and Charlotte, they all got out of Jane's car and walked up to the house, where Jane opened the front door and entered her home, followed by Francis, Toby, and Charlotte, who closed the door behind her. Jane was standing to the side and watched as Francis led Toby up the stairs.
When the two had reached the second floor and walked down the hall, Jane told Charlotte, "Let's go into the study and talk." Charlotte led the short way to the study, opened the door, stood back and let Jane enter first before following her in and closing the door. She started to take out 'the book' to circuit the study, but Jane told her, "Not this time, Charlotte, we need to talk." Jane didn't go behind the desk or have Charlotte sit in the high back chair, instead she went to the table by the window and sat down in one of the three chairs around the table. She motioned for Charlotte to sit across from her and said to Charlotte, "Tell me everything you saw or think you saw. Leave nothing out, even if it's just a hunch. Something doesn't sit right with me about Toby."
Jane watched as Charlotte put her 'thinking' face on and waited a few moments before she heard, "Aunt Jane, that isn't the same boy I was with in jail. He's not even the same boy that was at Taylor's. That boy was arrogant, angry, hateful, a nasty piece of work. This Toby... this Toby is not that person at all. He was respectful with Marcus, you, and Francis and I. And he's actually happy, which is 180 degrees from the boy I first saw. And, Aunt Jane, he's in a lot of pain. You saw him wince as he shifted his backpack from his right shoulder to his left shoulder. He never leaned back in the seat all the way from the station until we were home. And he was squirming in his seat the entire time. If I didn't know better, Aunt Jane, someone has really beat him before he came here. Maybe to remind him to keep his mouth shut."
Jane had been nodding her head at everything Charlotte had said, she'd noticed the same things with the rearview mirror as they drove home. "I too observed those very things, Charlotte, and that has me worried. Who would beat him and want him to remain silent. Maybe Toby knows a lot more than he's supposed to know. Our observations will be answered in time. You best get to the kitchen and help Marie with lunch, and say nothing about our conversation. Oh, and Charlotte, you did a find job walking the study with 'the book' balanced on your head." Jane winked at her after telling her that.
After Charlotte left the study, asking permission before leaving, Jane went to the cabinet, unlocked it, and turned on the monitor to watch Toby's bedroom. When the camera came up, Jane saw a still respectful Toby listening intently to Francis as she explained everything but what was in the closet or drawers. Looking at the clock in the room, Francis had Toby lay his backpack in the robe chair and follow her back downstairs. Jane turned off the monitor, closed and locked the cabinet, before leaving the study. Toby and Francis were almost to the first floor as Jane stepped out of the study. "Francis, please help set the table and help Marie prepare lunch. Toby, you may wait in the living room, quietly, until lunch is ready." Receiving acknowledgements from the two, Jane led Toby to the living room, then followed Francis into the kitchen..
Once in the kitchen, Jane went to a cabinet, unlocked it, turned on a monitor, and selected the living room camera. As the four watched, Toby slowly inspected everything in the living room. But he never sat down, he just kept slowing walking around in the living room. Again, out of the mouth of babes, Francis asked, "Why doesn't he sit down? He just keeps walking around?"
Jane shut off the monitor, closed and locked the cabinet doors, then said, "That's a good question, Francis. A very good question. You girls better hurry and set the table, we don't want to keep Toby waiting too long." Acting the proper ladies, Francis and Charlotte did as Jane said, calming walking out of the kitchen carrying plates and utensils and placing them as they'd done many times before.
When Toby saw the girls setting the table, he asked, "May I help with anything?"
It was Charlotte who answered Toby with, "Not right now, Toby. You need to relax after you journey." The girls watched as Toby went back into the living room, and continued his walk, finally stopping in front of the big window and turning to look out the window. Where Jane found him to tell him lunch was ready.
Jane walked over and stood besides Toby, asking, "Beautiful country, isn't it?" Have you ever ridden a horse, Toby? I believe there are some things on my land you may not have seen." Jane didn't press the boy, but she wasn't amiss of the tears sliding down his face.
It wasn't long in coming as Toby said, "I've done some bad things, Aunt Jane. I've lied and got another kid in trouble because I was angry how free he was, and because... um, I was just angry. I've stolen, not that I had much choice if I wanted to remain alive. I... " but he never finished what he was about to say. Turning to look at Jane he said instead, "Yes, Aunt Jane, it is beautiful country. I could live here if I could."
Jane was looking at Toby now, and able to see the anguish in his eyes. She had to restrain herself from reaching up and wiping the tears off his cheeks. She also didn't miss that he'd addressed her as Aunt Jane, not Ms. Thompson, or ma'am. The rage Jane felt at that moment threatened to reached her face, if not for her iron will to keep it in check... at that moment. Jane wanted to pull this boy to her, hug him, comfort him, but she couldn't, she had to follow the plan they had made. Instead she told Toby, "Come, Toby, lunch is ready."
He surprised Jane again as he indicated with his hand, "After you, Aunt Jane," and followed Jane into the dining room. As they reached the dining room table, Toby watched where Aunt Jane was headed and followed her, pulling out the chair for her. As Jane sat down, after thanking Toby, he helped her move the chair in towards the table. And he did this for Marie, Francis, and Charlotte, shocking each in turn. Only after the ladies were seated did Toby take a vacant seat at the table next to the girls. While he may not have see the looks that passed between the four women, they each lifted an eyebrow as the look went from woman to woman. And from the looks each gave the other, even from Francis, they all knew something was right about the whole Toby situation.
Before Jane had a chance to address Toby, they all watched as Toby bowed his head for a moment before looking back up and saw the four women looking at him. Puzzled, Jane asked, "Why did you bow your head just now, Toby?" Jane's voice wasn't her usual strip flesh off the bone sharp, but it was demanding nonetheless.
Toby's eyebrows did the equivalent of a shoulder shrug as he replied, "Just a short prayer of thanks for the food, Aunt Jane. I apologize if I wasn't supposed to do that... it's what my Aunt taught me to always do before eating." Jane kept staring at Toby, making Toby feel he'd really cocked up this time. "Really, Aunt Jane, I'm sorry if I made any of you uncomfortable."
Jane finally shook herself and told Toby, "No... no Toby, you did nothing wrong. And no one was offended. In fact, it's rather admirable of you." Jane was staring at Toby not because he'd done anything wrong, but because there was nothing in the file she was sent that mentioned who had taught Toby such things. (Reference Toby's recorded life in Chapter 11 in Ruth's fax to Jane.) The monster once again threatened to surface until Jane said, "Excuse me for a moment. There's something I must attend to." Before Jane could push her chair back, Toby was behind her, helping to move her chair back so she could get up from he table. Her monster was now just below the surface. She thanked Toby, who remained in place, before she walked in a manner towards the study that told the three women that someone was about to have a very unpleasant conversation with Aunt Jane.
When Jane returned to the dining room table a few moments later, it was obvious to those who knew her that she had calmed down somewhat, though they all knew the fire was still burning. As Toby help Jane sit again, she thanked him, watched as he returned to his seat, and they all began eating. Jane kept the conversation light, asking Toby about his trip, where he went to school, what class he was taking, etc. Jane had learned from Ruth about Toby's home life, but no one had said anything about who really took care of Toby. Who it was who had instilled the manners he was now exhibiting. Something that was contrary to what Charlotte had seen in the jail cell. Being sorry Jane understood. But not the 'where' of the manners he learned.
Another shock came as Toby addressed Marie and the girls by saying, "That was a wonderful meal, Miss Marie, Francis, Charlotte. Thank you." And as the four watched Toby's face and heard his voice, both laden with a sadness that bordered on depression, Toby continued with, "It's been a long time since I've had such a fine meal." The tears standing in Toby's eyes weren't lost on the four either.
Jane's monster was clawing its way up, wanting to be released. She held it at bay by saying, "You're very welcome, Toby. We have one more tradition we hold when we receive a new student. Marie, if you would please." Marie started to push her chair back, only to find Toby once again helping her. She thanked him before going into the kitchen and coming back carrying a tray upon which sat four pink rimmed and one blue rimmed cordial glasses. Two of the pink rimmed glasses would be half full of wine, those were for Jane and Marie. The other two pink rimmed glasses, containing less than a forth of a glass of wine, were for Francis and Charlotte. The blue rimmed glass, Toby's glass, also contained less than a forth of a glass of wine but with a sleeping draught mixed in. Toby would be tired from his train trip, and the draught would ensure he would sleep for a few hours so Marie could retrieve all of his boy belongings, and begin the boy's adventure into girlhood.
After Toby had helped to reseat Marie, he returned to his own chair, causing the four to once again give each other raised eyebrows before Jane spoke. "Toby, we have a tradition here at Seasons House to toast the arrival of a new student with a small amount of wine. We want to welcome you and hope you learn well while you're here. To Toby, welcome...," Jane finished, and raised her glass in Toby's direction, followed by Marie, Francis and Charlotte. Jane and Marie only took a sip of their wine, as their glasses were half full. The girls, on the other hand, were able to empty their glasses because they had what amounted to a gulp to begin with. As the four watched, tears slid down Toby's cheeks and his lips trembled as he tried to speak.
In a raspy voice he told them, "That's the kindest anyone has treated me in a long time, and I thank you for that." He then drank down the glass of wine just as the girls had done. Jane and Marie knew it would be but a few minutes before the draught started making Toby sleepy, so as Marie started to rise from the table, Toby started to stand up but dropped back into his seat, saying, "I guess I'm more tired than I thought. I did sleep some on the train."
"That's understandable, Toby, it is a long trip," Jane told him. "Francis, please escort Toby to his bedroom so he can rest."
What none of them were expecting from Toby was, "May I be excused, Aunt Jane?"
Francis had already asked to be excused, and all eyes turned to stare at Toby after asking to be excused. Lost on Toby, the four eyed each other again, before Jane answered simply by telling Toby, "Yes, Toby. You may be excused." Jane's monster was screaming now to be released. It wanted someone's head on a platter and it wanted it NOW!
Marie saw the effort Jane was exerting to keep herself under control and told her, "Nicht jetzt, Jane. Nicht jetzt (Not now, Jane. Not now.)." Charlotte goaded Francis to move, and escort Toby to his bedroom. She too could see that Aunt Jane was about ready to explode because of what they've witnessed and what she'd been told by others.
"Aunt Jane, may I please be excused? I'll help Francis get Toby to his bedroom." Charlotte planned to carry Toby's backpack, so he wouldn't be in as much pain as he was in. The girls wouldn't help him undress or anything, but they would make sure he made it inside the bedroom and to the bed.
In a very controlled voice, Jane said, "Yes, Charlotte. You may be excused. And yes, you may help Francis get Toby to his bedroom. But the two of you return quickly, the table must be cleared, dishes done, and the kitchen cleaned."
Toby had pushed his chair back, and the girls helped him to stand; he wasn't very stable on his feet. Charlotte retrieved his backpack from the bench, where it had been put after they'd come into the house, as they reached the stairs. Charlotte suggested Francis let Toby go up the stairs near the banister so he could hold onto it and he climbed. Charlotte climbed directly behind Toby, in case he lost his footing and fell backward. They manage to get him into his bedroom, asking if he'd be okay now. He nodded his head and told the girls he'd be fine now, now that he could undress and get some sleep. The girls wished him a good nap and left his bedroom, returned to the dining room and their chore of clearing the table and getting the dishes and the kitchen cleaned.
While the girls had helped Toby to his bedroom, Jane had gone into the study. When the girls returned to the dining room and started clearing the table, Marie left the girls to their chore and went into the study, where she found her dear friend pacing back and forth across the study.
"Tu dois te ressaisir, Jane (You need to pull yourself together, Jane.). We can only do what we always do when a new girl arrives. Let the others do their jobs, let them find and catch the ones responsible for this whole merdique mess."
Jane stopped dead in her tracks, turned and looked at Marie. Marie seldom gets angry, nor uses words as she just used, she's the motherly figure to Jane's dragon. Even though Jane could see Marie was extremely angry, because of the word she used Jane couldn't help herself and started laughing. She staggered over the the edge of the desk, leaned against while she laughed in order to keep from falling down laughing. When Jane had control of herself, she told Marie, "Oh, thank you my dear friend. I'm sorry I was laughing at what you said, but you're right. We can do only what we do. And thank you for making me see that." Jane looked at the clock on the wall before saying, "Toby should be sound asleep by now, it's been ten minutes. And judging how fast that draught hit him, I won't be surprised if you don't have to completely undress him." Jane walked over to Marie, hugged her and was hugged back by the woman who'd stayed with her all these years. "You better go," was Jane's final words to Marie, before she kissed Jane on the forehead, turned and left the study.
Just then, the fax machine chimed, signaling a fax was ready to print out. Jane walked over to the fax machine, entered a series of numbers, and watched as the machine printed out the fax it had received. Taking is off the machine, she sat down at her desk and began to read the fax.
From: Jeb Thorton, et al.
To: Jane Thompson
RE: The Police Ruse Worked
Jane,
The police ruse worked like a charm. They found four officers, two men and two women, who could pass as teenagers without any problems. The makeup squad, the ones who makeup those going undercover, made them look exactly like fourteen-year-old street kids. The number of boys arrested are being held in two different jail cells. The undercover men were literally thrown into each cell and spoken to as though they were street kids who've broken the law. Because the number of girls arrested was less, they were put into one jail cell. As with the men, the woman were thrown into that jail cell and spoken to like the men. Both the men and women did what the kids did when they were thrown into the cells, and yelled back at the guards.
Both men and both women played their parts well, acting at though they recognized the leaders then asking what kind of deal they received because of what they told the police. I watched it all unfold on a security camera, and when it finally got through to the rest of the kids that their leaders might be getting a deal they weren't getting, the guards had to rush into the cells to keep the leaders from getting hurt worse than they'd already been hurt. After the gang members had been pulled off the leaders, they all wanted to talk and also get some kind of a good deal. Of course, the parents of the two undercover men and women arrived, and they'd been bailed. Their jobs were done.
I haven't heard what the kids are saying, there are a lot of statements to be taken. But once I hear what they're saying, I'll pass it on to you.
Give Charles our love.
Kindest regards,
Jeb
Jane sat back and digested what Jeb had said. As usual, when Francis and Charlotte finished a chore, they were instructed to sit on the bench and await for further instructions. The girls heard it first, "Oh mon dieu oh mon dieu oh mon dieu, JaneJaneJaneJane... (Oh my god oh my god oh my god, JaneJaneJaneJane…)" and saw Marie actually running down the stairs. They watched as she ran to the study door, threw it open, causing it to hit the bookcase, before running into the study.
Marie's yelling, then the noise of someone running down the stairs, brought Jane out of her musements. But when the study door was thrown open and it hit the bookcase, followed by Marie running into the study, that had her full attention. "Oh mon dieu oh mon dieu oh mon dieu, qu'est-ce que ces putains d'animaux ont fait à ce pauvre enfant (Oh my god oh my god oh my god what did these fucking animals do to this poor child?)? Come quick, Jane, you have to come quick. Animaux. Ce sont tous des putains d'animaux!!" She then turned, without waiting for Jane, and ran back out of the study and back up the stairs. Seeing Marie didn't even bother to close the study door behind her, caused Jane to rocket out of her chair and almost run after Marie; Jane didn't take the time to close the study door herself.
Francis looked at Charlotte, her eyes wet, and asked, "Do you think he's hurt badly, Charlotte?"
Charlotte took Francis' hands in hers and replied with, "You've been here longer than I have. Have you ever seen those two actually run in the house? Yeah, Francis, I think he might be hurt badly."
As Charlotte held Francis to comfort her, Jane came into view on the stairs and told Francis, "Francis," which caused Francis to sit back up, breaking Charlotte's hold of her. "Please go into the library and look through the rolodex until you find the phone number for Jill Peters. Call her office. When they answer, tell them doctor Jill Peters is urgently needed at Seasons House. Do you understand my instructions Francis?" Francis repeated the instructions back you Jane perfectly and then heard, "And not running in the house has been temporary recended. Go, NOW!" Jane and Charlotte watched as Francis was off like a shot. Charlotte looked at Jane and didn't have to ask the question on her lips. Jane read the question on her face and said, "Yes, it's bad. Answer the front door when Jill arrives, then show her up to Toby's bedroom. Knock, then leave. You are not to enter the room, understand?" The look on Jane's face told Charlotte Jane was absolutely serious, and would beg no other questions or accept anyone disobeying her orders. Jane knew what Charlotte's reaction would be if she saw what had been done to Toby, which is why she forbade her from entering Toby's bedroom. And she couldn't handle two problems at the moment, Toby's immediate needs had to come first.
"Yes, Aunt Jane. I understand. Is there anything else Francis and I can do?"
The monster was at the back of Jane's throat, and if she spoke now, it would be with angrily words. So she remained silent and forced herself to shake her head no and went back upstairs. Francis returned, not in as big of a hurry as she had been when she was given instructions by Jane. Francis caught just a glimpse of Jane retreating up the stairs. Before sitting down, and still looking up where Jane had been, asked, "It's really bad, isn't it, Charlotte?"
Charlotte patted the bench and Francis sat down. She pulled Francis to her and told her, "Yeah, it's really bad." It wasn't long before Francis felt tears falling on her, looked up and saw Charlotte had her head back, her eyes closed, her lips trembling and tears flowing from her eyes. She untangled herself from Charlotte's grasp and reversed it, holding Charlotte as she cried.
Charlotte had cried herself out, and fifteen minutes later there was a knock on the front door. "I have to answer that," Charlotte told Francis, as she pulled away from Francis, got up, picked up a tissue from the tissue box on the side table, dabbed her eyes as she walked to the front door.
When Charlotte opened the front door, she saw a sandy haired woman, maybe in her late 30's, with deep blue eyes, about Marie's height, with a fierce look on her face. "I'm doctor Jill Peters, you have an emergency for me?"
It took Charlotte a few moments to get over the shock of seeing such a beautiful woman standing before her, as she shook her head and said, "Yes, we do, doctor Peters. If you'll follow me, please." After doctor Peters stepped inside the house, and Charlotte had closed the front door, she told doctor Peters, "Jane instructed me to take you up to Toby's bedroom, knock on the door and leave. He must be in real bad condition because she explicitly told me not to enter the bedroom." Charlotte had stopped walking and turned to face doctor Peters before saying, "Please, doctor Peters, do everything you can for him. Besides needing all the help we can give him, he may be able to help me as well." She then turned and started ascending the stairs, followed by Jill.
"Here we are," Charlotte said, as she stopped at the door just past her own bedroom but on the left side of the hallway. She knocked on the door, started to leave but turned back and said one word, "Please." Charlotte was halfway down the hallway as she heard the door to Toby's bedroom open then close. Even though the bedroom door was closed, she still heard doctor Peters say, "Oh my God!"
Jane had been the one to open Toby's bedroom door to let Jill enter, and Jill had been watching Jane as she entered the bedroom, hoping Jane would tell her what happened. Jane flicked her head towards the bed, but the worst of Toby's injuries were blocked from view because Marie was standing at Toby's back, keeping an eye on Toby. When Jane said, "Marie," Marie turned to her left and took a step back, giving Jill a view she'd never seen in her life.
"Oh my God! What happened to that boy? Who did that to him?" She quickly walked over to the bed, bent down and started examining Toby from head to toe. What sent Marie running to get Jane, wasn't just what she saw when she pulled the covers completely to the foot of the bed. What sent her was what she saw after removing Toby's briefs. It was the same thing that caused Jill Peters to ask, "Who in the hell did all this to that boy?"
Toby's back and legs were a mass of old scars, healing wounds, and seeping wounds that had occurred recently. It looked like someone had used some type of strap and repeatedly beat Toby until they broke the skin. But his butt was a different matter, as it looked like he'd been paddled until blood had risen to the surface and then the skin broke. Toby's butt was a mass of weeping scabs and several old scars near his hips. And his arms were a mass of deep purple bruises, from his shoulder to his wrists. When Jill looked closer at his wrists and ankles, she could see marks that said Toby had been restrained with something like rope. Jill pulled out her cell phone and call the hospital, telling them she needed an ambulance at Seasons House. And to keep it low key. Most, if not all of Kingston, knew what Jane and Marie did at Seasons House. Many of the men in the town had been a student of Jane's in their teen years. And the ones who disapproved were kept quiet by the ones who benefitted from Jane's lessons. That included a few of the local police and sheriff deputies. After Jill made her call, Jane left the bedroom to give more instructions to Charlotte. While Jane was gone, Jill had taken out sterile gloves from her case, several sterile gaze packets, and a roll of surgical tape. She then proceeded to cover Toby's back, butt, and legs with the sterile gaze and secure it in place with the surgical tape.
When Jane returned, she was followed by two paramedics with a stretcher. After opening the door, she stood back and let the paramedics enter first. She followed them into the bedroom and listened as Jill issued instructions on how to place Toby on the stretcher to prevent any more pain than the boy was already feeling. Toby let out a groan, as the paramedics gently picked him up and placed him on his left side on the stretcher. After strapping him to the stretcher, and after Jane opened the bedroom door, they wheeled the stretcher out of the bedroom, carried it down the stairs, before wheeling it out of the open front door that Charlotte had opened for them. Jill packed up her material, closed her case, turned to Jane and told her, "I hope you catch the bastards who did this to that boy. And do worse to them," before rushing out of the bedroom, down the stairs, and out of the house.
Jane never closed the bedroom door, but walked over and sat on the bed next to Maria. Both were quiet, thinking about what they'd just seen and that there was an extremely vile person out there willing to do anything to keep their freedom. Their reverie was broken when there was a knocked on the open bedroom door and Francis asked, "Are you two alright? Will Toby be alright?"
Jane's head shot up in anger, she'd told the girls to stay sitting on the bench. She was about to rip into them until Marie laid a hand on her leg, causing Jane to look at her. "No, mon chère ami, no (No, my dear friend, no.)."
Hearing Marie's words, Jane laid her head back, realizing that she was about to take her anger out on the girls. Instead, she motioned for the girls to come and sit beside her and Marie, and proceeded to tell them everything about what they saw on Toby. There wasn't a dry eye in that room as Jane replayed the seen she'd seen when she first walked into Toby's bedroom. Jane's monster was standing just behind her front teeth, and it had a belly full of fire, ready to release it on the right person. Hopefully it would get its chance.
When everyone had settled down, somewhat, Jane said, "Let's go downstairs." The four women got up off the bed at the same time, but only Jane, Marie, and Charlotte started walking towards the bedroom door. Francis had stayed behind and started making up Toby's bed. When Jane realized Francis wasn't with them, she turned to watch as Francis had just finished making up the bed. "Francis, why did you make up Toby's bed," Jane asked, as she slowly walked over to Francis.
In the past, Francis would have hung her head believing she'd done something wrong, this Francis looked straight into Jane's eyes and told her, "Toby can't do it, so I'm helping him."
Jane pulled Francis into a hug before telling her, "That's very thoughtful of you, Francis. Come on, let's go downstairs."
They followed Marie down the hallway, down the stairs and into the dining room, where Marie pointed at the dining room table before disappearing into the kitchen. She returned a short time later with four glasses of iced tea, which she sat down in front of the three already seated at the table. Taking the last one, she sat down at her regular spot and nodded to Jane. "Girls, I'm going to the hospital, since I'm responsible for Toby. Marie will be watching you tonight, and I want you to be on your best behavior for her. Understand? Her authority is the same as mine, so any missteps and you'll receive the same punishment as I would give you. Do you two fully understand what I'm telling you?"
Both girls nodded their heads and said together, "Yes, Aunt Jane. We understand." They then looked at each other, and both Jane and Marie saw a silent message being passed, as they turned their heads back to face Jane before telling her, "And we love you too, Aunt Jane." Jane's throat had become to tight to speak. She could only shake her head as she got up from the table and walked down the short hall to her bedroom. Charlotte turned to Marie and asked, "Did we overdo it Tante Marie?"
Marie could only smile at Charlotte as she replied, "No chère, you didn't overdo it. You two did it just right. Now, finish your drinks then go freshen up your faces. Seasons House doesn't allow ratons laveurs (raccoons) to run around in this house."
What Francis said next caused Marie and Charlotte to laugh. "Not again? Do I look that bad?"
Charlotte and Marie laughed before saying together, "Oui!"
Author's Note:Complicit In a Lie to understand why Charles is now with Jane, who the boy arriving in Kingston is and how he's involved in Charles' Court case. And to understand where Mr. Corporate, George Strom, fits into this story. This story starts off after Charles says, "When do we start," in Complicit in a Lie. So if you haven't read Complicit In a Lie, the beginning of this story won't make any sense. Hint hint!
After getting herself ready, Jane gave final instructions to the girls before leaving for the hospital. Once there, she inquired at the front desk as to where Toby Camber was being treated, explaining that he was her ward. After being told the floor and room number, Jane walked to the elevators, pressed the call button and waited until the first available elevator arrived. Once the elevator arrived, and the doors opened, she stepped into the elevator, pressing the button for the third floor. Upon reaching the third floor, and after stepping off the elevator, Jane walked to the nurse's station and asked, "Excuse, me. Where would I find room 325?"
The nurse at the nurse's station had been busy filling out patient charts and hadn't noticed Jane when she approached the nurse's station. It was only when Jane asked her question that the nurse looked up and recognized Jane right away. She got up from her chair, walked out from behind the partition, and told Jane, "Come this way, Ms. Thompson. Doctor Peters wanted to keep things quiet because of the nature of the situation, so she had him brought directly to a more secluded room. She also instructed us to refer to him as the boy in room 325, for obvious reasons." The nurse led Jane down a hallway that took them to the back part of the hospital floor, away from prying eyes and bit quieter. "Here we are, Ms. Thompson, you may go right in, doctor Peters is still with the boy."
Jane knocked before entering and slowly pushed the door open then entered the room. Jill was a bit tense when she heard the knock on the door, but relaxed when she saw it was Jane. "How is he?" Jane asked as she walked into the room, noticing the 'IV' and the monitor connected to Toby by various cords and tubes.
"He still has me puzzled," Jill replied. "He was severely dehydrated, had to be in a lot of pain given everything that was done to him. Yet managed to arrive here on the train. We've had to keep him sedated while we cleaned out every open wound on his back, butt, and legs. And we'll keep him sedated for the next day or so, until we make sure there's no more infection to be removed. We also have him on pain medication, nothing he'll get addicted to, but it will make him much more comfortable. Jane, do you know who did all this to that boy? They should be arrested and imprisoned." Jill saw the look on Jane's face, asking, "What is it Jane? You know you can trust me."
At Jill's question, as to who was responsible for Toby's current condition, Jane mulled over whether or not to tell Jill everything, or almost everything. She wondered if telling Jill about Toby would affect any case brought against those involved with the shoplifting ring. She also reasoned, by not telling Jill the whole story, and how sensitive a situation they were in, she might let slip about the boy in room 325 at the hospital, causing others to get curious. "Do you have time for a story, Jill?" Jane asked, before sitting down in one of the three chairs in the room.
Jill snorted and told Jane, "I'll make the damn time. But wait one minute before you begin." Jill took out her cell phone, dialed a number then said, "Hi, Penny, it's Jill. I want you to make it clear to one and all that no one is to enter room 325 until I give the all clear... Just tell them it's doctor's orders...There shouldn't be anyone else nosing around... Thank you Penny." She cut the connection, sat down in the chair next to Jane and said, "You were going to tell me a story, I believe."
For the next half hour, Jane told Jill the whole story, if for no other reason than to impress upon her the gravity of the situation. Jane told Jill about everything that happened at Taylor's. How the security guard ended up on the floor and why. How the same security, being angry, tried to get at Charles in the interrogation room but ended up with a broken collar bone and the ulna and radius in his right arm. She told of Charles being in the holding cell with Toby and two other boys caught at Taylor's, and how the three were acting. She told of Judge Ruth not finding any evidence against Charles and how the CEO of Taylor's threatened to take Charles to Federal Court if Ruth didn't find him guilty. How the minute the CEO of Taylor's threatened to take Charles to Federal Court, Ruth started an investigation into the CEO. How Judge Ruth, the Prosecutor, Charles' lawyer, and Charles met in Judge Ruth's chambers and of Ruth knowing Charles would be safe with me. Of Charles' dad's law firm with their own investigation going on. That members of the shoplifting gangs were being killed by someone just to keep them quiet. How she suspected Toby was bailed out of jail by the person taking care of him, but still had to stand before Judge Ruth. And of how he was when he stepped off the train this morning, different from how he was in jail. And how polite he'd been ever since he arrived. How he was actually happy to be here and he'd live here if he could.
Jane couldn't look at Jill as she told the woman everything, or she'd have fallen apart. When she ended the story and finally looked at Jill, Jill had her hand over her mouth and her eyes were wet with tears. "My God. That's horrible, Jane. What type of person are they looking for? How depraved does a person have to be to beat a boy like that," and she flicked her head towards where Toby lay, "and to kill 'kids' just to shut them up? Jane, you're talking about a rabid animal here. Someone not fit to breathe the same air we breathe. My God, Jane." They sat quietly for a moment before Jill suddenly said, "Wait a minute. You think this boy was beaten this badly in order to keep him from talking? That he might be the one to not only clear Charles of the charges against him, but reveal who beat him and who runs the shoplifting rings?" Jane remained silent, but nodded her head in affirmation. "No wonder you want this kept quiet. If they found out where he is right now, they'd try to kill him this time."
"Plus," Jane said, as she used a tissue to dab her eyes, "if word got out about Toby's condition, CPS might learn of his condition and take matters into their own hands. If they did that, they could jeopardize not only the ongoing investigations but Charles getting his name cleared. So you see why his condition must be kept confidential. Why no one in this hospital can say anything about Toby. NOTHING. Absolutely nothing to anyone. And you best let them know if anything about Toby gets out, his name, where he is, his condition, anything, they'll have to deal with me when I learn of the breech. And believe me when I say, after everything that's been done to this boy, Charles, and those kids killed, I'll kill and bury the son of a bitch who talks to anyone outside this hospital. Doctors included."
Jill had known Jane for more years than she could remember, and knew what Jane did at Seasons House. She'd seen Jane mad at her girls, at some other fool, but she'd never seen Jane this mad. Even the look in the woman's eyes said don't doubt her words. She would kill and bury the first person who said anything about this boy to anyone outside of the hospital. And she just might get away with it, too.
They sat silent again, before Toby stirred, causing Jill to get out of her chair and check on him. She checked the 'IV' bag and the monitor, before turning to Jane, accessing her condition and telling her, "Jane, go home. Toby's doing alright now and there's nothing you can do for him right now. This whole affair has you worn down, even I can see that. Go. Home. Those are doctor's order."
Jane saw the serious look on Jill's face after she turned to face Jane. "You know I'm not good at talking orders, don't you? But I am rather good at giving them." Jane's words did nothing to change the look on Jill's face. Jill was now pointing to the door, flicking her hand up and down, an indication for Jane to leave, get out, go home. Jane chuckled, stood up, then said, "But you'll call me if there are any changes. RIGHT? Despite what Jane just said, and the serious look on her face, Jill's face remained resolute, and her hand kept flicking towards the door.
Jill stepped up to Jane, took her in a hug before telling her, "It'll be alright Jane. Have faith." Jill was a bit shorter than Jane, but had felt Jane put her head on her shoulder. After a few moments, she felt her blouse under Jane's head getting wet, telling her again, "It will be alright, Jane." Jill silently let tears slide down her own cheeks, hoping those who are doing all this are thrown into the deepest canyon on Earth. Jill finally pushed Jane back, handed her a tissue, then much softer than she had told her at first, "Go home to your girls and Marie. Let them be your strength, you lovely woman."
Jane used the tissue she had used to wipe her eyes, then wipe the tears off Jill's cheeks. She couldn't speak or she'd break down again. So she just nodded her head, kissed Jill on the forehead, picked up her purse and left Toby's hospital room. She needed her girls and her dear friend.
As Jane drove home, her monster was showing her everything it wanted to do to the person who put Charles in his current situation, and who beat Toby so badly that he had to be hospitalized. The monster wanted Jane to call on those she knew who could deal with it all, but her iron will forced the monster back down so she could drive safely. The drive allowed her to reexamine everything from the beginning until now. Allowed her to question if she'd done this or that right, in regards to Charles. She still found it hard for a boy to withstand her dragon when it was released, but Charles had and done so without so much as a flinch. Even in modeling at The Style Shoppe, he'd been unsure at the start, but ran with it, and with more gusto than Jane had seen any of her previous boys had. Kenneth's plight came back to her, and her vowing never to let it happen again. But here she was, with not one but two boys who shouldn't be with her. One severely beaten into submission by an animal Jane would like to deal with. And the other because the one had been severely beaten into submission and lied about his involvement. She willed her monster back down once again.
When Jane arrived home, she could feel the tiredness down to her bones. She took a deep breathe before getting out of her car, locking it and walking up to the front door. She opened the front door, took one step into the house and was met with a shock as she saw Marie and the girls standing on either side of her, and the girls dressed in riding clothes. No instructions were given, no one said a word, but the girls walked up to Jane, took her hands and led her down the short hall to her bedroom. It was only then Francis said, "Charlotte and I will met you at the stable. Everything will be ready when you arrive." Having said that, the girls turned and headed to the hallway that led to the backdoor. Jane saw Marie looking at her, her arms crossed in front of her and a 'do as you're told look' on her face. Jane chuckled, shook her head, then turned and entered her bedroom to dress for riding.
When Jane reached the stable, all three horses were saddled and ready to ride. Walking through the stable, she stopped to look at the horses and the two girls standing with them. She started to say something but Charlotte cut her off by saying, "Not a word, Aunt Jane. You need to just listen to the friends you've made while being here. Let them talk to you and help you get through this moment. I'm sorry if I'm out of line, but it's for your own good." Jane muffled a cry, as she rushed forward, tears freely flowing, and pulled both girls into a hug. Not one word was said, as Jane gave the girls a final squeeze before letting them go, mounted the big mere, and didn't bother tightening the reins as the big mere started the ride on her own volition. The girls mounted up and followed Jane, moving so Francis was on Jane's right and Charlotte on Jane's left. Not a word was said as they rode out or back. This ride was about listening to what the genuine world had to say to their souls. To listen and let those in the genuine world speak to the hurt and anguish felt down to their very souls. To give them the strength to continue doing what had to be done, should be done, for the good of those who came to the Winsome Girls' School for Wayward Boys. And for the two who were there now.
As the horses grazed, the three sat on the bench near the pond. It wasn't long before the largest flock of ducks Jane had ever seen were swimming towards them. More frogs than she'd seen at one time hopped out of the pond and sat in front of them on the edge of the pond. A small herd of deer came out of the woods on their left, followed by two raccoons and a mated pair of skunks. When the ducks reached the shore, they all walked out of the water and formed a line in front of the three, and they all sat where they had stopped walking. The small herd of deer stopped not far away and laid down on their right, while the two raccoons and the mated pair of skunks did the same on their left. The three looked at all the creatures that had come to them, and it was Francis who said, "It looks like their waiting for something." No sooner had she said that then two porcupines came walking out of the forest, following the footpath that went into the forest; the footpath was only a step away from the bench where the three women sat.
When the porcupines reached the three, they stopped directly in front of them, turned to face the women, and gazed at them. No sound was made, but a message, a conversation, was exchanged between the three and those that had come to give them strength, to give them affirmation of what they were doing, to show an empathy for the hurt and pain they were feeling, and to help them understand that all would be well in the end. The assembly made it clear the three were needed, will be well, as three fawns stood, walked over to the women, each standing in front of a woman, then dipping their heads, and licked the hands that laid in the lap of each woman. No one had any tissues to catch the tears that fell into the laps of the three women, as the fawns returned to where they had lain. It was then the breeze conveyed its own admiration of what Jane did and had done. It even praised the girls for helping and caring for Jane. No signal was given, no sound was made, as the porcupines turned to their left and walked back into the forest. The frogs disappeared, the ducks got up and walked back into the water. The small herd of deer stood, turned and followed the porcupines, as did the raccoons and skunks. The usual sounds heard at the pond returned, and the breeze continued on as it had always done.
The women heard Pinto whinny, causing all three to turn their heads and see that the horses were standing two paces from the bench. "Sounds like someone what's to go home," Charlotte said, and Pinto whinnied again then threw her head up and down.
Jane laughed and told Charlotte, "I swear that horse understands everything we say." Pinto's lips were separated in only what could be described as a smile, as she whinnied again while throwing her head up and down. Jane patted both girl's leg before saying, "Come on girls, let's get home. And thank you for this. I will never forget what you two have done for me today. Ever."
They were silent as their horses took them back home. Each lost in their own thoughts, examining not only the days activities but the past days. When they reached the stable, the girls shooed Jane away, telling her they'd take care of the horses. Jane shook her head, pulled the girls into a hug, then silently walked the short distance back to her home. She was a bit surprised when the backdoor opened and there stood Marie with a big smile on her face. "Ces deux-là sont vraiment quelque chose, n'est-ce pas ?"
Stepping into the house and past Marie, Jane turned and replied with, "Ils sont ça et bien plus encore."
After closing the door, Marie stepped up to Jane, put an arm around her waist, and started walking with her as they headed towards Jane's bedroom. "You get cleaned up. Rest, oui? The girls and I will get everything ready for supper. Go." She kissed Jane on the cheek before pushing her towards the bedroom door. Once again Jane had to stay quiet or she'd break down. She nodded her head and disappeared into her bedroom.
It wasn't long before the girls came into the house. Marie saw them walk in and without being told, headed up the stairs to their bedrooms to clean up and change for supper. Marie called to the girls just as Francis had taken three steps up the stairs and Charlotte two. "I can't express in words how proud I am in what you two did for Aunt Jane. You two are more than can be expressed in just words. Thank you for what you did for Jane, you don't know how much all of this has been upsetting her."
Francis started shaking her head, then said, "No, Tante Marie. We know how upset she's been. We know, that's why we did this for her." After saying that, she and Charlotte turned and continued climbing the stairs. Marie went to find herself a tissue.
Talk around the dinner table that evening led away from school work and lessons, but centered around Toby and the experience they had at the pond. Jane asked the girls for their observations and opinions, bringing out points the girls may have missed in the observations. Then serious Jane returned. "Girls, this may be hard to hear but I believe you've earned the right to hear about Toby. According to doctor Peters, someone had restrained Toby by the wrists and ankles then severely beat him with not only something like a belt but used a paddle on his butt until blood came to the surface and broke the skin. Whatever belt like object they used on him, was administered so many times that it eventually broke the skin. They also used some cord like object and did the same to his legs. Most, if not all of his wounds were infected, and he was sedated so the doctors could clean out the infection. He was severely dehydrated so they are giving him 'IVs'. He's being given medication to help fight the infection, ease the pain, and to keep him sedated. I'll go see him tomorrow, so Marie will again be in charge. I expect you two to work on your lessons, do your chores, and be on your best behavior. And...," Jane had to pause as her throat had tightened once again. It had tightened because of what she had to say to the girls about what they did for her that day. When she was sure she could say it, she said, "Girls, words aren't sufficient enough to say how grateful I am for what you did for me this evening. None of the girls I've had here at Seasons House have ever done anything of that nature. While I am still your headmistress and will growl at you when necessary, your unselfish actions tonight will never be forgotten. Now," Jane growled, "don't you have a table to clear and a kitchen to clean."
Both girls smiled at Jane and said in unison, "We love you too, Aunt Jane. May we be excused?" Receiving permission from Jane to leave the table, after getting out of their chairs, they went and stood by Marie, Francis on her left and Charlotte on her right. Charlotte bent down, kissed Marie on the cheek, then told her, "Merci pour tout, tante Marie (Thank you for everything, Aunt Marie.)." Then looking at Francis, Charlotte whispered, "Go ahead."
Before Marie could turn to look at Francis, she too bent down, kissed Marie on the cheek and said, "Um... Merci... um... oh what was it, oh yeah... pourr... um... pour... um... tout, tante Marie. That's it," then looking at Marie, Francis told Marie, Merci pour tout, tante Marie (Thank you for everything, Aunt Marie.). And I really mean that."
No one saw Jane wipe her eyes after what the girls told Marie. The also didn't see Jane smirk as Marie asked, with a serious look on her face, "Alors, tu parles français maintenant ?" Marie had to school herself or the smile that wanted to split her face wide open would be seen by Francis.
"Um, let's see. Tu is, um, means, you. Parles means speak, and français means French. But I don't know the meaning of alors or maintenant."
Marie then let her smile show and she told Francis, "I said 'so you speak French now.' And who, if I didn't know better," and she turned to look at Charlotte, "has been teaching you?"
This time Francis really shocked Marie and Jane as she said, without any flaws, "Mon professeur est Charlotte Thorton (My teacher is Charlotte Thorton.)."
Charlotte laughed at seeing the expressions on Marie and Jane's faces. "Francis asked me one day to teach her how to speak in French. I taught her while we sat on the bench and during our free times. Or after we finished our lessons."
Jane and Marie had turned to look at Charlotte as she spoke. It was Jane who asked Francis, "Alors vous voulez apprendre à parler français (So you want to learn to speak French?)?"
All three watched as Francis bobbed her head, squinted her eyes, before she answered with, "Oui. Si je peux (Yes. If I can.)."
Jane being Jane, threw in a monkey wrench with, "Was ist mit Deutsch (What about German?)?"
Again the three watched as Francis gyrated before answering with, "I think you asked if I wanted to learn German."
Again, the eyes of Marie and Jane fell on Charlotte, who almost shrugged as she told them, "Francis asked about German too. So... ."
Jane was serious now, asking Francis, "Francis, have you taken language classes in school before you came here? You seem to have an aptitude for them."
"I was taking a Spanish class, but didn't get much out of the class. I guess I wasn't that interested in the class," she replied, almost shrugging her shoulders.
Both Charlotte and Marie knew what was coming as Jane said, "¿Estabas aburrido en la clase o simplemente no estabas interesado en aprender español (Were you bored in class or just not interested in learning Spanish?)?"
Without missing a beat, Francis answered with, "Creo que simplemente estaba aburrido. Lo único que hicimos fue repetir algunas frases del libro. Nunca aprendimos cómo mantener una conversación real (I think I was just bored. The only thing we did was repeat some phrases from the book. We never learned how to have a real conversation.)."
And Marie summed it up nicely by saying out loud, "Oh, mia parola (Oh, my word!)!"
Nodding her head, Jane said, "You are going to be learning French, German, and we'll see how much Spanish you know. You do indeed have an aptitude for languages. And I'm not going to let you waste that talent. Understand?"
With the biggest smile on her face, Francis replies, "You bet I understand, Aunt Jane. Thank you very much." When Francis saw the expression on Jane's face, she calmed down and re-replied with, "Yes, Aunt Jane. I understand. And I love you too."
"Get the table and kitchen done," Jane growled, trying to mask the pride she had in Francis at that moment. And to hide the tears that threatened to again escape her eyes. Her eyes met Charlotte's eyes and she mouthed 'thank you' to Charlotte. Charlotte dipped her head once, before continuing to help clear the table.
After the table was cleared and the dishes and kitchen were clean, Jane gave the girls the night to themselves. Jane and Marie had gone into the living room. As they sat there, it wasn't hard to hear the girls talking as they sat on the bench. Charlotte was explaining French to Francis. Charlotte would say a word in English then say it in French, then have Francis say it, explaining how to say the word properly when Francis said it with an English accent. Neither girl got upset with the other, Francis was eager to learn and Charlotte was more than happy to help her learn. The two women looked up from the books they were reading and saw the girls go up the stairs. A clock chimed nine times and as the last chime faded, the girls were coming down the stairs dressed in their nightgowns and wearing their robes. When they reached the first floor, they walked together, hand in hand and came to stand in front of Jane. Jane laid her book aside, stood up and began to inspect both girls. After doing a tour of both girl, she told them, "You both have done an adequate job of removing your makeup. Do better next time. And who dried your hair?
Both girls were doing their best to hold back the smiles wanting to expose itself after what Jane said and asked. They didn't totally succeed as it escaped Francis as she replied to Jane's question with, "I dried Charlotte's, and brushed it and she did the same for me."
Jane bent down and got right into Francis face before asking, "And why are you smiling, Miss Winslow?"
Francis' smile got even bigger before she said, "And I love you too, Aunt Jane." Then she shocked Jane as she kiss Jane on the cheek.
Jane grumped and said, "Such a petulant child. Both of you, off to bed. NOW!"
Jane received a kiss from Charlotte, another one from Francis, and Marie received one from each girl, before, hand in hand, the girls walked to the stairs, climbed them and entered their respective bedrooms. Still watching after the girls went upstairs, Jane said to the air, "Should all our girls be as those two are right now."
Marie was nodding her head at Jane's statement. "We can only hope chère, we can only hope," was Marie's reply before both women joined the girls in a good nights rest.
Author's Note: When I first wrote Complicit In a Lie, I had no thoughts, or ideas, to write a sequel. But thanks to a few readers, who asked about a sequel, ideas formed that made writing this sequel possible. It is necessary to have read Complicit In a Lie to understand why Charles is now with Jane, who the boy arriving in Kingston is and how he's involved in Charles' Court case. And to understand where Mr. Corporate, George Strom, fits into this story. This story starts off after Charles says, "When do we start," in Complicit in a Lie. So if you haven't read Complicit In a Lie, the beginning of this story won't make any sense. Hint hint!
As Marie always does every morning when a girl is in the house, after leaving her bedroom, she would go into each girls' bedroom, wake them, and hurried them along before going into the next girls' bedroom. This morning was going to be a bit different, as she discovered when she opened the door to Charlotte's bedroom to wake the girl. Only... no one was in bed. Charlotte's bed was made. Checking under the pillow, Marie found Charlotte's nightgown neatly folded as it should be. Hearing no water running in the en suite, Marie opened the en suite door, look around, but found no one. Puzzled, Marie left Charlotte's bedroom, closing the door behind her, walked the short distance to Francis' bedroom, and discovered the same absence as she had discovered in Charlotte's bedroom. Marie slowly walked out of Francis' bedroom, closing the door behind her and puzzled where the girls could be. After how they'd showed great concern for Jane, running away didn't seem possible, especially after what they did for Jane yesterday. Maybe they went on an early ride. But no, Jane explicitly told Charlotte not to leave the house without telling someone, and she wouldn't disobey Jane, she thought to herself.
It was as she slowly walked towards the stairs that a realization hit her. She smelled food cooking! And it smelled delicious! Wasting no more time puzzling about the girls whereabouts, she quickly descended the stairs and headed straight to the kitchen. Practically blasting through the kitchen door, Marie came upon a scene she'd never once encountered in all her time with Jane at Seasons House. Charlotte and Francis were in the kitchen preparing breakfast. She was even more shocked when Francis, of all people, told her, "Tante Marie, you just scoot back out of the kitchen, Charlotte and I are busy getting breakfast ready. You sit yourself down at the dining room table and I'll bring your tea and juice out in a moment." When Marie stood there dumbfounded, Francis walked over to her, physically turned her around and pushed her out of her own kitchen, guiding her to her usual place at the dinner table. Francis pulled out the chair, guided a stunned Marie around in front of the chair, and gently sat the woman down in the chair. "Now you just relax and I'll be back in a moment, tante Marie."
It was but a few minutes as Jane came walking down the short hallway that led to her bedroom. As she walked into the dining room, she saw Marie sitting at the dining room table with a stunned look on her face. As Jane watched, Marie planted both of her elbows on the table, then put her chin in the palms of her hands. As Jane watched, Marie's stunned expression changed to one of being flabbergasted, as she started saying, over and over again, "Je n'y crois pas. C'est incroyable. Je n'y crois tout simplement pas (I do not believe it. It's incredible. I just don't believe it)." Jane's attitude went from one of concern for her dear friend to one of anger, thinking the girls had finally done 'it' this time. Jane had walked over to stand by Marie, but her attitude changed as a noise came from the kitchen, she turned and took one step before Marie's left hand shot out and grabbed Jane's left wrist. "No, chère, it isn't bad, just unbelievable. You better sit down. Even you won't believe it." Slowly, Jane stepped back, pulled out her chair and sat down, all the time keeping her eyes on Marie. Marie finally sat up straight, turned her head to look at Jane and regaled her with something totally unbelievable. "You know I wake the girls every morning on my way down to the kitchen." After Jane slowly nodded her head, Marie continued with, "Well, I went into Charlotte's bedroom first, but no Charlotte. Her bed was neatly made, her nightgown where it should be, neatly folded, and the room and en suite neat and tidy. I then went to Francis' bedroom and found the same. When I reached the stairs, I smelled food cooking and rushed down and into the kitchen. Only to have Francis throw me out of my own kitchen. She said she and Charlotte were making breakfast for us, you and I. She threw me out of my own kitchen, can you imagine that. Our two girls threw me out of my own kitchen, and they're preparing breakfast for you and I."
Now it was Jane's turn to have a stunned expression on her face, as the kitchen door swung open and Francis and Charlotte came into the dining room. Francis was carrying two glass of orange juice, while Charlotte was carrying two cups of tea. "Good morning, Aunt Jane," Charlotte said, as she sat the cup and saucer down in front of Jane, kissing her on the cheek. She then walked around to Marie's right, sat the other cup and saucer down in front of Marie, kissed her on the cheek and told her, "Don't worry, tante Marie. Your kitchen will not be harmed by the two of us. Remember, my Uncle taught me how to cook." Charlotte kissed Marie again on the cheek before she disappeared back into the kitchen. Francis, meanwhile, had followed Charlotte, setting first on glass of orange juice in front of Jane, wishing her a good morning, giving her a kiss on the cheek before doing the same for Marie.
"Now, you two relax, enjoy your tea and juice, and breakfast will be ready shortly." Two overly stunned women turned to watch Francis walk back into the kitchen, both not realizing they had their mouths open.
A still stunned Jane turned back to the table, put her left arm across her chest, brought her right arm up and rested her elbow on her left arm, with her hand at her mouth, asking Marie, "Were we just given orders by our girls, Marie?"
A still stunned Marie answered with, "We were, and I was kicked out of my own kitchen."
The kitchen door opening caught the attention of the two women. Francis came out first, carrying two glasses of orange juice. Charlotte followed her with two cups on saucers of their tea, setting one of each at their own places at the table. Neither girl said a word, as she disappeared again into the kitchen only to return with each girl carrying two plates of food apiece. Charlotte sat one plate down in front of Jane, then the other in front of Marie. As the two women look at what had been sat before them, Charlotte said, "It's the best I can do making Huevos Rancheros without all the right ingredients. I think you'll really like it though." Francis set her plates before her's and Charlotte's places at the table, before both girls sat down.
The two women looked at their plates, then at each other, before looking at both girls, who had sat down at their place but had yet to start eating. It was Jane who, in a fake dragon voice, asked, "And just what made you think you had permission to work in MY kitchen alone?"
Charlotte pushed her chair back, stood up and walked around to stand between Jane and Marie. She put her arms around both women and told them, "You two needed this. You both have been so worried, and angry, about everything connected with me and now Toby. You two deserved to have Francis and I do something without having to be told or threatened in to doing it. And we love both of you." She then kissed first Jane then Marie on their cheeks before walking back to her chair and sitting down. Charlotte never gave Jane the answer she was expecting, and after what the girls had done, and Charlotte said, she didn't care anymore.
"So," Marie, began, looking down at the food on the plate before. "What poison have you conjured up for us, Charlotte?" Both Marie and Jane knew what Charlotte had attempted, and both knew the kitchen didn't have all of the right ingredients to make it properly.
"Tante Marie. First off, it isn't poison, it's quite edible. And second off, it looks as though you recognize what I attempted to make with what ingredients that were on hand. It is the best version of Huevos Rancheros I could make with the ingredients kept in the kitchen. I substituted toast for corn tortillas, parsley for cilantro, but added a bit of something to make the parsley seem to be cilantro, green peppers for jalapeños and lemon juice for the lime juice for the pico de gallo. When my Uncle taught me to cook, he even made sure to teach me how to improvise when the right ingredients weren't available. I couldn't improvise anything in place of the refried beans, so they were left off the dish."
Neither Jane or Marie could see that Francis and Charlotte were holding hands, not quite sure what they'd done that morning wasn't going to have consequences they weren't going to enjoy; they both also had the fingers of their free hands crossed. The girls watched as Jane and Marie took their first tentative bites. Marie was the first to react, as she sat back in her chair, with her eyes closed, chewed and swallowed her first bite before saying, "Oh mon Dieu, mon enfant. Toi et moi allons ouvrir un restaurant ensemble." She didn't say another word as she continued eating, eliciting a few moans after several of the bites she took.
Jane, on the other hand, trying to maintain an air of authority, but failing, told Charlotte, "This is quite good, Charlotte. But I think you could do better when you have the right ingredients. Don't you agree, Marie?" So out of character for Marie, who just kept on eating despite Jane's question, she gave Jane a thumbs up and kept savoring her meal. Jane was about to take another bite when she saw the girls weren't eating, but sitting in their seats with a look of relief and smiles on their faces. Jane started with, "And why ar...," but she let those words drop and said instead, "Yesterday you two made me go ride. Today you fix breakfast for Marie and myself. You two are the most remarkable girls I've ever had. And like yesterday, I shall never forget what you two have done today. Now eat, before it gets cold. And Marie will get everything you need to make a proper Huevos Rancheros, Charlotte. That I can't wait to taste."
So taken with what she was tasting, all Marie could say between bites, in agreement to Jane's statement, was, "Ja."
Squeezing each others hands, the girls joined in and had their breakfast, happy they could make Jane and Marie happy. Happy they took some of the concern off the shoulders of the two women. Extremely happy there'd been no consequences mentioned, yet. Or maybe weren't coming. They still had their fingers crossed.
When each had finished their breakfast, and the girls had asked to be excused to attend to their morning ritual of clearing the table and taking care of the kitchen, they told Marie that since they were the cooks that morning, they would attend to everything in the kitchen. That she could do something else and wait until they'd finished in the kitchen before coming to see if her kitchen was still in one piece. Jane had to cover her mouth in order to hide a smile and stifle a laugh. Again, Marie was flabbergasted. Putting on her best Marie 'I'm serious' look, along with her voice, she told the girls, "If anything is out of place, anything, if the kitchen isn't spotless, if you have broken anything, you two are going to scrub that kitchen from the ceiling to the floor. Before you repaint the walls and refinish the cabinets." Then she leaned close to the girls faces before saying, "DO. YOU. TWO. UNDERSTAND. ME?"
The two girls simply smiled at Marie, kissed her on her cheeks, then told her together, "We love you too, tante Marie," before they started clearing the dining room table.
Jane was trying so hard not to laugh that she was shaking. Marie turned to face her, threw her hands up in the air, rolled her eyes as she looked to the ceiling and said out loud, "Ils m'ont encore expulsé de ma propre cuisine. Ils sont incorrigibles."
When the girls came out of the kitchen to take more off the dining room table, Jane stopped them with, "Girls, I'm being very serious now, so please listen. As I said yesterday, I'm going back to the hospital to be with Toby. Marie will be in charge," to which the girls watched and Marie crossed her arms over her chest. It was clear to Jane and Marie that both girls were doing the best to stifle laughs because of Marie's actions. "You'll do what she tells you without question, just as you would for me. You both have lessons, so I expect you to start on those once you've finished in the kitchen, brushed your teeth and freshened your faces. Is that clear, girls?"
As usual, the girls gave Jane the only answer she'd accept of, "Yes, Aunt Jane."
Jane knew Charlotte knew several languages, and hoped she didn't know Portuguese, as she told Marie, "Leve as meninas para comprar os ingredientes que Charlotte precisa para fazer Huevos Rancheros adequados. Espere até o meio da manhã para se mudar."
To not give away anything, Marie only replied, "Oui."
Jane was looking at Charlotte as she spoke to Marie, trying to discern any recognition from Charlotte of what she had told Marie. What Jane didn't know, was that Charlotte understood everything Jane had said to Marie, and that she knew Jane was trying to see if she knew the Portuguese language. When Charlotte realized what Jane was doing, she entered her 'ready' mode that caused her to tightly school any facial expressions. In essence, she pulled one over on Jane. A victory she best not let Jane know about or the consequences might be much different than being a clothing or makeup model.
When Jane arrived at the hospital, everyone ignored her as she entered the elevator, press the button for the third floor, exited the elevator, walked past the nurse's station and went straight to room 325. When she enter Toby's hospital room, Jane saw Jill sitting in a chair she'd pulled over near the bed, sound asleep. Jane quietly walked into the room, gently touched Jill on the shoulder, and stepped back as Jill roused herself then looked up at Jane. "Were you here all night?" Jane quietly asked as she picked up another chair, walked around to the other side of the bed carrying the chair, before setting it down near Toby's head.
Stretching, Jill said, "Yeah. I wanted to be here in case he needed anything. And to keep from having nurses coming in and out throughout the night. Ya know, the fewer eyes the better? Anyway, he had a good night, stirred a few times, maybe nightmares or something, his condition is stable and the anti-biotics are doing a fine job of fighting the infection. He's hydrated better now, so I've slowed the 'IV' drip. I've also lowered the sedative, so he'll start coming around sometime today or maybe even tonight. Since you're here, Jane, I think I'll go freshen up and get a change of clothes. And I think I'm hungry."
Jane simply told Jill, "Go. I'll be here the rest of the morning." Just before Jill opened the door, Jane added, "And if you would, only have your most trusted nurses coming in to look on him. You know, the fewer eyes the better." Jill nodded her head, opened the door and left the room.
Jane looked down on the boy lying in the bed, breathing deeply and steadily. She reached up and moved some of his hair off his forehead, before she softly told him, "It's going to be okay, Toby. I'm going to see you receive the best care possible. And you don't have to worry, no one is going to hurt you while you're under my care. If only you could tell me who did this to you so I could let some friends know."
Jane sat back in the chair, laid her head back against the chair back, and reflected about everything up to this point. Jane was fighting with her monster, the one who wanted to scorch earth the ones who was responsible for everything, when she felt a hand on her right arm. Looking down, she saw Toby's right hand was lightly gripping her right arm. Just above a whisper, in a halting voice, Toby said, "My... brother... did... this... to... me. I... tried... hiding... from... him... but... he... always... found... me. It... started... when... mom... left... him... beating... me. Water... please... Aunt... Jane." Jane got out of the chair and walked around to the other side of the bed. Picked up the pitcher sitting on the patient cart, poured water in a cup sitting nearby, put a stray in the cup, and walked back around the bed and sat in the chair. She held the cup close enough so Toby could drink through the straw, and when he'd had enough, pulled back and told her, "Thank you, that makes my throat feel better."
Jane sat the glass on the table behind her, then asked Toby, "How long has this been going on, Toby? And why, Toby"
"May I have more water please, Aunt Jane?" Toby asked, then took another forth of the glass of water when Jane held the straw up to his lips. "Thank you, Aunt Jane." Jane watched the boy laying in front of her, on his left side, organize his thoughts before he started his story. "I was thirteen when he started beating me. At first, it was just with his hands, slapping me around and punching me. After a few weeks, he started using a belt, a cord, anything flexible. He also started burning me. Said he wanted to remind me who was in charge. Dad never found out because I was told it'd be worse if I ever told dad. He was always careful to hit me where it wouldn't show. He told me I was going to help him make some money, but didn't say how until he took me to meet a man and a lot of other kids. Those kids didn't look any better than I did. Anyway, we all found out we were going to shoplift items from the department stories in the area, and the man was going to teach us how to do it. One kid, a boy, I remember it being, told the man he wasn't going to do it, and the man walked up to the boy and punched the boy in the face. After the boy fell to the ground, the man picked him up by the neck of his tee-shirt and punched him two more times. Then the man stood up and asked who else didn't want to help. None of us said anything. Aunt Jane, I think he might have killed the boy. May I have more water please, Aunt Jane?"
After Toby drank what water was left in the glass, Jane got up, walked around the bed and refilled the glass, before returning to the chair. "Thank you, Aunt Jane." As Jane watched, Toby slowly reached down and pressed the bedside call button, telling the nurse who answered that he had to pee. In a few moments, the same nurse who'd shown Jane to Toby's hospital room, entered the room.
"How's he doing?" She asked Jane, as she lowered the bed railing on the left side of the bed. Jane nodded her head several times before the nurse said to Toby, "Toby, I'm going to roll you to your right side, so I can help you get out of bed, okay?"
Toby replies with, "Okay," as the nurse gently rolled Toby onto his left side. Toby let out a loud hiss as his back came into contact with the mattress, but the pain was brief as the nurse didn't let his back touch the mattress but for a moment. Then the nurse helped him to sit up, eliciting another hiss until she helped him stand. She let Toby lean on her, as she pulled the stand with the monitor and 'IV' bag along with them. When they were in the restroom, she told Toby she was going to stand behind him and help support him while he peed. Toby smiled, then told her, "And so you don't embarrass me by seeing my penis."
The nurse laughed before telling Toby, "Yes, so I don't embarrass you by seeing your penis. But you do understand I've seen those organs before, being a nurse?"
Toby laughed and replied with, "Yes, I realize that," and let out a sigh as he emptied his bladder into the toilet. "Oh, that feels so much better. Thank you for helping me." After flushing the toilet, he turned to his left, since the stand with everything on it was to his right, and took two steps to the sink where he washed and dried his hands before being helped back to his bed. A few hisses and Toby was in bed but lying on his right side this time, causing Jane to move the chair around to the other side of the bed. Continuing with his story, he told Jane, "And so the man started showing us how to shoplift and not get caught. We'd get yelled at for a while, but then he'd start slapping us or punching us when we messed up doing dummy shoplifting. Then we were divided up into teams of three and told go to work. He also told us if we came back with less than $500 worth of merchandise, we'd regret it." Jane had moved the glass of water around with her, and this time Toby reached up with his left had, took the glass and drank almost half the water in the glass.
Jane watched as Toby shuddered, then heard, "Aunt Jane, I watched that man tie some of the kids between two poles and beat them until they passed out. Girls too. I wanted to run away, but with my brother and his beatings, I was scared. They gave us time off, as they called it, and when that happened, I'd go to my Aunt Terri's place. She was really angry over what my brother was doing to me, and about the shoplifting I was being forced to do. But as she said, it'd just be my word, our word, against two adults. And since we were just 'kids', no one would take us seriously. She helped me be myself, and lied to my brother more than once when he called looking for me. When dad was around, my brother had other things to do, work was what he told dad. Aunt Jane, if dad had found out what my brother was do to me and the shoplifting, my brother would have gladly confessed everything to the police after dad was through with him. It was dad and Terri who taught me to think of others before my self. To treat others like I wanted to be treated. And I couldn't do anything to stop my brother or that man because no one would have listened to me."
"Then I got arrested, along with the two boys I was with. I was granted bail, and bailed out by my brother, who took me directly to that man. I got slapped around by that man and punched hard in the stomach, before I was dragged and secured between those two pole. The man told my brother, since I was his brother, he'd get the honor of punishing me. I don't know how many time I was hit with the belt thing my brother used, or on my legs with that cord, or how many time he used a paddle on my butt, because I passed out after the first three hits. And you've seen the results of my brother's work." Toby had just been talking, not looking at anything in particular. Now he looked directly into Jane's eyes and told her, "Thank you for getting me medical attention. If I had gone on my own, or with Terri, there would have been all sorts of questions. Questions that might have resulted in more beatings like the last one I received. Or maybe worse, like that one boy."
"And Charles," Jane asked. "Why'd you involve him?" Toby gave Jane a questioning look until Jane told him, "The boy you saw at Taylor's the day you were caught shoplifting. The boy you lied about being involved in the shoplifting."
Jane watched as Toby searched his memory, then said, "Oh, him. His name is Charles?" He watched as Jane silently nodded her head. "I was angry then, Aunt Jane. Angry I couldn't stop my brother from beating me. Angry I couldn't do anything when that man beat one of the other kids, or go to the police or my dad. When I saw him standing there at the jewelry counter, I became jealous, knowing he could do anything he wanted and go anywhere he wanted. I lied about him and I was wrong. I let my hate control me and took it out one someone else, contrary to what I was taught."
"Do you know that man's name, Toby?"
"No, ma'am, my brother only called him Mister. That's all he'd let us call him."
"Can you describe him, Toby? How tall he is, the color of his hair? Was he a big man, medium tall, short? Was he skinny, medium build of burly?"
"Well," Toby said, thinking back to the man. "He had gray or white hair, down to his ears, and full. He didn't have a gut, but he wasn't overly muscled. I'd say he was maybe five ten to six feet tall. He was maybe in his late 50's or early to mid 60's. And his voiced dripped syrup, until you made him mad, then it took on a really cold tone. He always wore a suit and tie, with some type of pin on the right lapel. I didn't want to see too much of him after what he'd done to some of the other kids."
There was a light knocked on the room door, before Jill entered, looking much better and a lot more relaxed. "Ah, I see my patient is awake. How are you feeling Toby? How's the pain?"
Toby looked at Jill then at Jane, who nodded her head. Somehow, even without the interaction the two were scheduled to have, Jane saw that Toby trusted her. "I'm feeling much better...,"
"Oh, sorry. I'm doctor Jill Peters, I'm your doctor."
"The pain isn't as bad, unless I'm on my back. The nurse helped me to the restroom, and getting out of bed was a bit rough. How long have I been here in the hospital?"
"We brought you in yesterday afternoon, after Aunt Jane called me and I saw the condition of your wounds." Jane saw Jill so wanted to know what happened to him and who beat him like this, but caught Jane looking at her and slowly shaking her head no. So instead, she told him, "We'll see how you're doing tomorrow and decide then if you can go with Aunt Jane. But for now, try and get all the rest you can. Someone will be with you through the night, in case you need anything. Okay?"
When Jill stopped talking, Toby thanked her just as a nurse came into the room with Toby's lunch. "Well, I best get home to check on the girls. Jill, you'll call me if need be. And Toby, you call me if you need me to bring anything." Both told Jane they would, as Jane waited for the nurse to clear the door before leaving the room. Once in the hallway, she reached into her purse and turned off the small recorder she'd brought with her. Now she had to figure out how to get it to Jeb and Ruth without it being intercepted by the wrong people. What Toby told Jane was a box car full of dynamite. And her monster begged her to let it have a few minutes with the brother. Jane tamped it down again. She'd let the right people dish out the punishment.
Author's Note: When I first wrote Complicit In a Lie, I had no thoughts, or ideas, to write a sequel. But thanks to a few readers, who asked about a sequel, ideas formed that made writing this sequel possible. It is necessary to have read Complicit In a Lie to understand why Charles is now with Jane, who the boy arriving in Kingston is and how he's involved in Charles' Court case. And to understand where Mr. Corporate, George Strom, fits into this story. This story starts off after Charles says, "When do we start," in Complicit in a Lie. So if you haven't read Complicit In a Lie, the beginning of this story won't make any sense. Hint hint!
As Jane drove back home, she played one thought after another, trying to decide the safest way to send the recording to Ruth and Jeb. As she thought through what the police had likely been told by those kids, the only thing those higher up in this whole mess would be worried about was saving their own hides. Toby's brother would believe Toby wouldn't say anything because of how savagely he'd been beaten. And 'the man' would do even more to keep from being caught -- maybe he's the one killing the kids, was Jane's last thought as the answer to her 'how' question answered itself. She'd just send it to Ruth attached to an email. They'd have no reason to monitor anything going into the Courthouse, and they didn't know where Jane lived, so wouldn't have anyway to monitor what came and went from her home. Plus, she could rename the file to something about a receipt.
When Jane parked her car at her home, she realized she didn't remember the drive home, her mind was so distracted with the 'how' problem. She laid her head on the steering wheel and started shaking, realizing it could all have come to an end that day.
After collecting herself, vowing to never again drive home by habit, she left her car, locked it and slowly walked up to her house. The door opened, and there stood Francis, Charlotte, and Marie, all having worried looks on their faces. "Well... ," Marie asked, "how is he?"
Walking past the three, Jane told her, "I'll tell you in a moment," just before entering the study and walking straight to her desk. She unlocked the computer, opened a drawer and took out a cord and a thumb drive, opened her purse and removed the recorder. She plugged one end of the cord to the recorder and the other end into one of the USB ports on the computer. She brought up a program, ran it and followed the directions on the screen. She hit record in the program and play on the recorder and watched as Toby's recorded words were gathered by the program in a waveform audio file. When the recorder reached the end of Toby's recorded conversation, the recorder stopped as did the recording of the program. Jane pulled the cord out of the USB slot and replaced it with the thumb drive and put a copy of the recording onto the drive. She then had the program save the initial waveform file to an encrypted file after opening the file with a password. Closing the computer program and removing the other end of the cord from the recorder, Jane put the cord back in the drawer where it was kept, and unlocking the secure drawer, she opened it and placed the recorder in the drawer before closing the drawer and locking it.
Getting up from the chair, Jane walked over to the rolling ladder that was stored near the front wall of the study. Rolling it over to a position that allowed her to access books on the eighth shelf, she climbed the ladder and removed what looked like a book titled, 'The World According to Hermies'. If someone was standing on the floor and looking at all the books housed in those ten shelves, 'The World According to Hermies' would look like any other book. However, when Jane removed that supposed book, two more supposed books on either side came away with the 'Hermies' book, revealing a safe behind the fake books. Turning the dial, Jane entered the combination before she then held her left thumb and right little finger up to a finger print reader. Hearing a click coming from the safe, Jane pulled the lever on the safe up, opened the door, and placed the thumb drive inside the safe before closing the door and spinning the dial. She replaced the fake books, climbed down the ladder, returned it to its stored location, walked back over to the desk, sat down and opened an email program on the computer.
Ruth,
I'm sorry for being so late getting you the recipe you wanted for the dish I fixed several weeks ago. It's been hectic here of late and this is the first chance I've had to sit down and get it to you. I think you'll really enjoy it again if you just follow the directions.
Jane
Jane then went into the encrypted file, made a copy of the waveform file, now renamed as the name of a recipe, went back into the email program, attached it to the email to Ruth and hit send. She then deleted the copy and closed the encrypted file. She then opened a new email to Jeb, and hoped he'd understand her message to him.
Jeb,
I'm sorry for the delay in getting back to you about that recipe for the dish I fixed some weeks ago. I had decided to send you a copy of the recipe, but had promised Ruth a copy some weeks before you asked for one. Since you both enjoyed the dish so much, and I did promise Ruth a copy first, I thought you could contact her and get a copy of the recipe from her. I'm glad you liked the one I made, and I'm sure it will taste much better being made by your own hands.
Jane
Jane reread the email to Jeb, making sure it didn't belie any of the real topic it was about. Satisfied, she hit send and closed the program. She leaned her elbows on the desk, putting her head in her hands she wondered if that recording was going to put an end to this whole verdammtes Durcheinander. Sitting up, she locked the computer, picked up her purse and walked out of the study and into the arms of Marie, Francis, and Charlotte. It was a group hug, and she laid her head on Marie's shoulder and cried. All of the pent up tension, anger, all of the stress she'd felt since Charles arrived, washed out of her at that moment. Marie motioned to the girls to release Jane and Marie walked Jane down the short hall to her bedroom. The girls returned to the library and their lessons, even though their minds weren't really on their lessons, they worked on them anyway.
Two nondescript men walked into the Kingston hospital. There was nothing outstanding about them. Both wore well used running shoes, casual button up shirts, jeans, and sport coats, something a lot of men wore. Their hair styles were, well, ordinary. Cut so their hair fell just above their ears, but full. Supplies fell off a cart a nurse was pushing, and both men rushed to help her pick them up and put them back on the cart, laughing as they exchanged shorts quips about something always causing delays. The nurse thanked the men, both men told her, "You're welcome," before walking on to the reception desk.
Reaching the reception desk, the woman behind the desk asked, "May I help you gentlemen?"
The man on the left smiled, then said, "Um, hi. My name is Mat Camber and this is my brother Tony. Our nephew ran away from home and we've been checking with the police, sheriff, and hospitals to see if he was arrested or hurt and needed medical attention. Do you have a Toby Camber as a patient here at your hospital? His parents are worried sick."
The fact that people were looking for Toby had been discovered days before, and the hospital administrator had a meeting with all of the hospital staff and explained what she'd been told and then activated their security measure which was a simple page for a doctor who didn't work at the hospital. She explained if/when that doctor was paged, the staff was to continue with their tasks, not reacting to the page in any way. It took a few drills before everyone finally got over reacting when doctor Blackmore was paged. The drills were also coordinated with the police department, monitoring their arrival time at the hospital. And when Mat asked about Toby Camber, their drills suddenly became very real.
"Okay, you said Toby Camber, that's C-a-m-b-e-r, right?" When Mat nodded, she then said, "Just a moment, let me look in my system." As she appeared to be looking in the system, she suddenly said, "OH, SHIT!!" Turning to the woman on her left she asked her, "Joyce, I forgot, would you please page doctor Blackmore and say he's urgently needed in from 485. I'm so gonna be in trouble for forgetting to do that." She then turned back to Mat and told him, "I'm terribly sorry, sir, for the interruption. Let's see, ah, no, I don't show a Toby Camber in my system. However, sometimes it takes a while for my system to be updated. If you can wait a few moments, I'll call our Records Department and have them check."
***"Doctor Blackmore, you are urgently needed in room 485. Doctor Blackmore, you are urgently needed in room 485***
When the page for doctor Blackmore went out over the hospital PA system, Mark and Steve, the hospital's armed security guards, were finishing up their lunch in the cafeteria. Hearing the page, both calmly stood up, bussed their trays, then took the back elevator to the third floor. Reaching the floor, both took a back way to room 325 and walked right into the room without knocking. When the door opened, Jill and Toby's attention was instantly drawn to the movement of the door. Jill knew of the security word, but hadn't heard anything while in the room. She asked one question, "They've called doctor Blackmore, haven't they."
Mark and Steve had seen a lot in their 20 years with the military. They'd even emptied a lot of sand from their boots a time or two during that time. They were calm but all business and Steve told Jill, "Yes, ma'am, they've called doctor Blackmore. And Mark and I are here to make sure whoever it is doesn't succeed."
Toby looked at Steve as he spoke. "Succeed in doing what," he asked, the sudden realization striking him. "They're here to kill me, aren't they?"
Mark walked over to the bed, ruffled Toby's hair, then gently put a hand around the back of Toby's neck, bending down so he could look Toby in the eyes, before telling him, "They think they're going to kill you, kid. But they got that thinking all wrong. Steve is going to be right inside the bathroom and I'm going to be behind the door, back far enough so they can't see me through the crack between the door and the jamb. See, the location of your bed means they'd have to come into the room to get a clear shot at you, making sure they didn't miss. Well, when they do that, I... shoot... them. Got it?" Toby nodded his head, he was too scared to speak.
Connie had picked up the phone and dialed a number, when the call connected she told the person at the other end, "Hi, this is Connie at reception. There are two men here searching for their run away nephew. Do you have a record for a Toby Camber. That's right, C-a-m-b-e-r, Camber. Okay I'll hold." She then looked up at the two men and told them, "The records department said they'd check, but it could take several minutes. If you gentleman would want to get something from the cafeteria I'll let you know if they find anything." What the two men didn't know was going to bite them in a matter of minutes. Connie was on the line with the police department, as they'd rehearsed. And the police department was already in motion.
Mat smiled at Connie and told her, "Aw, thank you ma'am, but we're really worried about Toby, so we'll wait for as long as it takes your people to check for us."
Connie held up a finger, as though she was listening to someone on the other end of the line. "Okay, I'll tell them. Yes, I'll hold." She looked up at both men and told them that the Records Department didn't have a file for their nephew, so they were following hospital protocol and calling the nursing stations and have them do a room by room search.
It was Tony who spoke this time, saying, "Ma'am, we just gotta find Toby. So we'll wait as long as it takes ya'll to look for us."
485 was the hospital's code word for the reception area. As Connie appeared to be waiting for word from the Records Department, and the men patiently stood in front of her, a smartly dressed couple walked into the hospital, the woman carrying a bouquet of flowers. After them, two men walked into the hospital, the type, by their looks, most would frown upon. Both had scraggly hair, their jeans were torn at the knees, and their tee-shirts had seen better days. The man and woman reached the reception desk first, the man acting as though he was about to say something. Connie held up a finger in his direction, the told him, "I'll be with you in a moment, sir."
The raggedy looking men came up on the other side of Mat and Tony, and the one closest to the two men, slapped the counter, leaned in and said, "Hey, there, dudette," but never finished what he was about to say.
Connie held up a finger in his direction and said, "Sir, I'll be with you in a moment."
The other raggedy looking man said in a slurred voice, "Aw, dudette, you're killing us here."
Mat turned to the two and said in a pleasant voice, "Patience, gentlemen, have patience. It will be your turn soon."
The raggedy man who'd spoken first replied, "Sorry, man. Our friend was in motorcycle accident and we're worried about him. We didn't mean to come on so strong."
Tony smiled and put in, "Oh, man, that's rough. We understand, though. Our nephew ran away from home and everybody's sick with worry. We've been checking with the police, sheriff and hospitals, but nothing so far."
The man with the woman on the men's right chimed in with, "Oh, that's a shame. I hope you find your nephew and that he's alright."
Mat leaned past Tony and looking at the man, told him, "Thank you. We hope he's okay too."
Just then a uniformed police officer came into the hospital, helping a man who looked like he'd gone one round with a chainsaw. The man had blood on his shirt and splatters on his face, and a wrapping the length of his right arm, saturated with blood. The two walked slowly, the officer appearing to hold the man up and the man moaning as they walked. When Connie saw everyone was at the party, she said, "Sir," and that got Mat and Tony's attention long enough for the barrels of two 9mm handguns to be pressed up again the temples of Mat and Tony. The other four 9mm's were pointed directly at each men's torso.
The man with the apparent bloody arm said in a sweet voice, "Boys, if you don't want to find out the truth about the hereafter, you'll put your hands on the top your heads, with your fingers laced together and your palms facing up. And gentlemen, remember, any funny moves and you'll be dead before you hit the floor."
Two of the 9mm handguns were kept pressed against Mat and Tony's temples, as the other officers searched the two men. Tony's coat was moved out of the way when something was felt behind his back. It was a Glock 9mm. As they worked down his legs, they lifted his right pants leg and found a 32 caliber revolver in an ankle holster. When Mat was patted down, an officer reached inside Mat's sports coat to the left inside breast pocket and pulled out a silencer. His ankle holster carried a 22 caliber revolver. The man with the fake hurt arm, the Chief of Police, held up the Glock 9mm in one hand and the silencer in the other. He looked back and forth at each one, then at Mat and Tony and ask them, "Just WHAT did you boys have planned? You boys look like you're ready to kill someone. Is that so?" When Mat and Tony remained silent, the Chief told the other officers, "Chain these two up good and tight. Empty their pockets and run the seams of their clothes for anything that doesn't belong. Then get them out of here."
It was twenty minutes after both men had gotten into position that Mark's pager went off. Looking down he saw the code for the 'all clear' from the administration. "It's over, the police caught the guys. You're safe now, kid. Rest up, huh? Come on, Steve, let's let these two get some rest," Mark said just before he and Steve left Toby's hospital room.
***Thank you, Doctor Blackmore***
Thanking Doctor Blackmore over the PA was the 'all clear' signal given to everyone in the hospital. When that message went out over the PA, it was as though there was a collective sigh throughout the hospital; there were a lot of hospital staff buying coffee shortly after the announcement. And a lot of patients who didn't know anything had even happened.
But now they had a problem. If because of their arrests, Mat and Tony believed Toby was at the Kingston hospital, when they demanded their phone call, if they demanded their phone call, it would likely be to whoever was running the entire operation. And that person would likely send two more men to Kingston and those two might not be so personable. But if Mat and Tony were waiting to be processed and retrieved by several US Marshalls, and driven back to face the music, then they couldn't call anyone. And if the long-distance phone lines just happened to be down somewhere beyond Kingston?
Hearing that someone wanted to kill him really shook up Toby. After Mark and Steve left Toby's hospital room, Toby all but came apart, causing Jill to hold him until he'd calmed down. Through tear filled eyes Toby asked, "Why me? Why do they want to kill me? I don't know anything, any names, other than my brother's."
Jill shushed Toby, trying her best to calm him down. Wondering if he needed to know the truth, and deciding since he'd just been in danger, threw caution to the wind and said, "Toby, someone is killing those kids who were involved in the shoplifting ring. It's believed that by killing the kids, there'd be no one who could testify against them. Or provide the police with information. They're trying to save their own skins, Toby. They don't care about anyone else, you kids included. And believe it or not, you just might know more than you think. We have to get you out of here." Saying that, Jill added, "How are you feeling, can you walk?"
Jill saw Toby think for a moment, before he replied with, "I'm feeling a lot better, as do my legs. Yes, I think I can walk okay."
Jill pulled out her cell phone, dialed a number and then said, "Just listen. We're coming home. Get his room ready and I'll treat him there. I have to move him quickly," and cut the connection. She then picked up the handset from the room phone, dialed two numbers and said," Would you help me please?" A few moments later, the same nurse who'd helped the day before entered the room. Jill explained her plan and asked her to get Toby dressed while she pulled her car around to the ambulance bay. They'd take Toby down every back way in the hospital to the ambulance bay, where he'd get into Jill's car and she'd take him back to Jane's home. She also told the nurse, "Once we're gone, sterilize this room. Wipe everything down, clean it better than you would normally do after a patient leaves. There can't be a trace of anyone having stayed in this room."
The nurse looked over at Toby, and while he had calmed down, there was still a frightened look on his face. The nurse smiled, then told Jill, "This room will be so clean you could eat off the floor." Jill smiled, patter the nurse's shoulder, then left the room to move her car around to the ambulance bay, while the nurse started to remove the 'IV' and monitor leads from Toby. As she was helping him out of bed so she could help him get dressed, she told him, "You trust that woman, and the other woman too. That other woman will go through hell to keep you safe. And I pity anyone looking for you getting on her bad side. They might not see the next sunrise. Come on, let's get you dressed and outta here."
Jill was back just as Toby finished dressing, his wounds, though healing well, were still painful as he moved. Standing on Toby's left side, Jill gently gripped Toby's upper left arm while she let him support himself using her left forearm. As they slowly made their way to the door, the nurse was on the room phone, telling someone, "We have a room to sterilize. Get everything we need." After hanging up the phone, she stripped the bed down to the padding, took down the 'IV' bag and placed it into a Biohazard bag, and threw any paper leftovers into the trash can in the bathroom. Just after Jill and Toby left the room, two more nurses arrived, pushing a cart laden with all of the cleaning supplies they'd need to sterilize a room. They left the cart in the hallway, walked into the room, and heard, "This room has to be beyond spotless. We have to clean this room so it appears no one has ever stayed in here. Wipe down everything from top to bottom. Let's move." And with that, the three nurses went to work, finishing an hour later with a room that was cleaner than clean. A room that had the appearance of no one having stayed in the room.
Toby had been lying down for two days, so it took a bit of time for his legs to loosen up as he and Jill walked down a back corridor. As his legs loosened, he was able to walk better and faster, which helped shorten the time it took them to reach Jill's car at the ambulance bay. Whether it was fate, on purpose, or just happenstance, one of the ambulances had just returned from being serviced at an auto shop and the driver had stopped right behind the bay Jill had pulled into. So as Jill brought Toby down in the elevator and to her car, no one outside could see Toby get into the backseat of Jill's car. She had him lay down on his side on the backseat, and positioned a thick blanket between the seatback and Toby's back, so he could lean back without having to much pain. Whether it was fate, on purpose, or just happenstance, just as Jill got into the driver's seat, the ambulance parked behind her moved, allowing her to back out of the bay. Now, if anyone saw her, all they'd see was Jill Peters driving her car away from the hospital. Alone.
Jill was rather curt when she called Seasons House and talked to Jane. Telling Jane Toby had to be moved quickly, told Jane all she needed to know. Someone was after Toby. It became a mad house at Seasons House after Jill cut the connection. "MARIE, GIRLS. IN HERE NOW!" Jane yelled and all three actually came running into the living room. "Apparently someone was at the hospital looking for Toby." When the three started to speak at once, Jane held up her hand and told them, "No, they didn't get to Toby. But he has to be removed from the hospital and Jill is bringing him here. So, get his room ready. Put clean linen on his bed, make sure his room and en suite are clean, and make sure there are plenty of clean linen in the en suite. Jill will treat him here, so get her anything she needs or wants." Jane no sooner finished what she was saying than they all heard a knock at the front door.
Jane said she'd answer the door, before she walked over to the small bookcase near the front wall of the living room. There she took out a thick book, opened it and took out a 9mm handgun. Checking to make sure a round was chambered, and the safety was off, she held it down on her right side as she walked to the front door. Holding the 9mm behind her back, she looked through the peephole before quickly opening the door and letting Jill and Toby into the house. After closing the front door, and double bolting it, she called out, "Girls, please come and assist Toby." The girls showed up at once, each one on either side of Toby and helping him into the living room and over to the couch, helping him sit down. Without showing Jill the 9mm she still had behind her back, Jane used one finger to safety the 9mm, as the two women slowly walked to the living room. "How is he doing?" Jane asked Jill as she walked over to the bookcase, then revealing the 9mm as she placed it back inside the thick book.
"Much better," Jill said, as she turned to look at Toby. "Aren't you, Toby?"
Toby smiled at her and nodded his head, saying, "Yes, ma'am, much better thanks to you, Aunt Jane, Marie, and Charlotte and Francis. Yes, ma'am, much better. And thank all of you for helping me. If Judge Ruth hadn't sent me here, or if I hadn't had medical care, or if not for the hospital and police, I might be dead right now. Saying thank you doesn't seem to be enough for what everyone has done for me."
It was Jane who responded to what Toby said. "You're right, Toby, just saying thank you doesn't seem enough payment. If you want to repay all those who've helped you then make something of yourself. Don't accept what you were forced to do, take a different path. Go into a field that allows you to help others like you've been helped. Always remember. It's you who determines how you'll respond to any given situation. It's you who decided what path to take, what choices to make. It's you who can feel sorry for yourself or let this experience strengthen you and make you that much stronger as a person." Jane was kneeling before Toby now as she told him, "Don't let what was done to you jade you into thinking everyone is like your brother or those other people. Be better than that, Toby." Toby reached up and wiped a tear off Jane's cheek.
Toby smiled at Jane and softly said, "Aunt Jane, I had already planned to do all of that. But I'll need help getting into the right University. You don't by any chance know someone who'd help me, do you?" Toby asked, with a cheeky grin on his face.
Jane's face took on a serious look as she said, "Was für ein gereiztes Kind. Natürlich kenne ich jemanden, mehrere, der Ihnen helfen würde (What a petulant child. Of course I know someone, several, who would help you)."
The room was filled with laughter as Charlotte lost it, Marie lost it, Jill lost it, and Francis was a close fourth, when Toby asked, "Du gehörst doch nicht zufällig zu denen, die mir helfen würden, oder (You don't happen to be one of those people who would help me, do you?)?"
A stunned Jane just stared at Toby. "Why you cheeky little... what other languages do you speak?"
"Aunt Jane, Ich kann fließend Deutsch sprechen (I can speak German fluently). También hablo español con fluidez (I also speak Spanish fluently). Parlo italiano ma non fluentemente (I speak Italian but not fluently). E uma senhora na rua estava me ensinando português (And a lady on the street was teaching me Portuguese). Beszélek egy kicsit magyarul is (I also speak a little Hungarian). Je parle un français passable, mais ma prononciation pue (I speak passable French, but my pronunciation stinks)."
To say Jane wasn't shocked, would be like saying there wasn't any water in the ocean. Both would be wrong. Still kneeling in front of Toby, Jane turned her head to look at Marie, and did a shortened Galic shrug by lifing both hands into the air. "And none of this was on his school record! What else did they leave off?" Jane turned back to Toby, a serious look blanketing her face as she told him, "You, young man, are going to take some of my tests. We'll see just how stupid that school you've been attending has been."
Toby smiled at Jane before saying, "I love you too, Aunt Jane. But if you don't mind, this couch is comfortable and doesn't hurt me as much when I sit down. May I do the tests here?"
Jane's throat suddenly became restricted after what Toby said to her. Nodding her head, least she lose it if she spoke, she stood up, turned, looked at the four watching her and made a shooing motion to three standing there. Marie, Francis, and Charlotte had been so entranced by what Toby had said, they'd simply frozen in place. With Jane's gesture, though, the three were off like a missile. Without saying a word, Jane walked to the study, opening and closing the door behind her, and returned a moment later with a stack of papers, several pencils, and a bed tray. She had regained her composure and upon reaching Toby and told him, "Here are the tests. When you finish one, place it off to your left, face down, and continue with the next one. Inform me when you are completely finished. Do you have any questions, young man?"
"Yes, ma'am, just one."
"What is your question, young man?"
With a deadpan expression on his face, Toby asked, "Where is your bathroom?"
Jill started laughing, at Toby's expression, the question that hadn't occurred to Jane, and Jane herself. Jane looked at Toby with a stunned expression on her face, she'd been expecting a question about the tests. Not the location of the bathroom. She blinked a few times, looked up as she started slowly shaking her head, turned and walked off. As she passed Jill, she told her, "You'll pay for this," and continued until she was in the study.
Jill laughed even harder with what Jane told her, but calmed down enough to tell Toby, "Come on, Toby. I'll help you to the bathroom," still chuckling as she helped Toby off the couch and to the downstairs bathroom. She asked him if she needed to help him so he didn't fall, but he declined her help, telling her he believed he'd be okay. Jill stayed by the bathroom door, just in case.
Toby came out of the bathroom and with Jill's help, made his way back to the couch. Jill helped him sit down, then watched as he positioned the bed tray, set the tests off to his right, and began on the top test. It wasn't long before Marie and the girls returned downstairs, having gotten Toby's bedroom ready for him. Marie sent the girls to set the table and get things ready for lunch. Jill was still chuckling to herself, as a curious Marie ask why she was chuckling. Jill waved Marie into the dining room, so as not to disturb Toby, then told her. "After Toby's language demonstration, Jane told Toby he was going to take Jane's tests. Then she asked him if he had any questions when she brought the test to him and explained what to do with the test as he finished one. She expected him to ask about the tests, but instead, he asked her the location of the bathroom. And then, stunned, she walked off shaking her head." Finishing the story, Jill started chuckling again. Then told Marie, "Then as she walked by me, while I was still laughing, she told me I'd pay later for laughing."
Marie was chuckling herself, seeing the humor in what had occurred. Then asked Jill, "Where is Jane now?"
Jill simply said, "In the study."
Marie nodded her head, turned and walked to the study door. She opened it, stepped inside, and closed the door behind her. After turning around, she spied Jane once again pacing the study from one end to the other. It wasn't hard for Marie to see that Jane was angry, but she had a feeling it wasn't at anyone in the house. She thought she knew why and proceeded with, "You're angry with the administration at the school Toby attends, aren't you? You're angry because of the stupidity of not seeing what a fine mind that boy has, aren't you? And you want to go to that and administer your version of a wakeup call, right?"
Jane had covered her pacing from one end of the study to the other in about three seconds. When Marie started asking her questions, Jane's time increased to about ten seconds. And when Marie asked her last question, Jane stopped dead in her tracks in front of Marie. "Marie, I would like to visit both schools. I would then like to take those in charge of the school and the curriculum and explain how to run not only the school, but the curriculum as well. I would like to pull every bored student out of both schools and find out if they're just bored or bored because the curriculum doesn't challenge them. If it's the latter, I'd pull them out of those two schools and give them a curriculum that would challenge the hell out of them. We would teach them as we teach our girls, refusing to accept anything but their best work. And if every boy had to become one of our girls to make him try his best, then by damn that's what we'd do."
Marie watched as Jane ran down, which, to Marie, was a good thing. Jane had a habit of holding things within her until she reached the exploding point. Now, she was exploding, getting it out of her system. When Jane had gone quiet, Marie told her, "Chère, you and I can't take care of the whole world. We can only take care of our corner of it. We do what we do with those sent to us. That's all we can do, unless you want to open our own school, and make it mandatory the boys attend presenting as girls? You and I both know what ruckus that would cause with those who find it wrong, those who don't ever try to understand why it's done and what results we've achieved. So we do as we are doing, one boy at a time. Yes, some boys just go through the motions and leave us not exactly as we'd wish, but nonetheless, better than they think. Chère, look at those with us right now. Look at the changes of one and the help the other has given not only to the one but others as well. And think back at the questions he posed to you, questions he'd never have contemplated had he never been with us. And you have to admit, it has been good for him because it's caused him to look at himself. Questioning if he himself has done those things he's experienced recently." Marie walked over to Jane and pulled her into a hug. "Chère, I know it hurts you to see those schools waste brilliant minds because of socialization. And it's absolutely ridiculous. But don't make more worry for yourself beyond the worry you already carry. I don't want to lose a dear friend so early."
The two women held each other for some time, reenergizing the other. It was Jane who broke their hug first, saying, "Merci, ma chère et douce amie. Je peux toujours compter sur toi pour me redresser."
There was a knock on the study door before it opened, and the women heard, "Hey, do you two plan on starving use out here?" Jane and Marie turned to see the smiling face of Jill's head peering around the study door. The two looked at each other, smiled, turned back to the waiting Jill, and stuck out their tongues at her. That set Jill laughing again, as she removed her head and closed the door.
"The natives are restless, I better go and get lunch ready," Marie told Jane, before kissing her on the forehead, turning and walking out of the study.
Memories sped through Jane's mind, too fast to examine a single one. They were from her being a headmistress at an all girls school, to the boys she'd helped and the ones she couldn't, until right now. Marie was right. She could only do what she could do now, where she was at the moment. And by God she was going to do the best she could. Leaving the study, Jane checked on Toby. She could see that he was almost halfway through the test she'd given him, just by looking at the pile of tests he'd completed and the ones left to do. Jane got his attention with, "Toby, do you feel well enough to join us at the dining room table for lunch?"
Toby looked up from the math test he was working, looking at Jane and seeming to access his condition. "I think so Aunt Jane. Would you have anything soft I can sit on, my butt is still a bit sore?"
Still looking at Jane, Jane replies with, "Yes I do, Toby." Then she shocked Toby with, JILL! YOUR PATIENT NEEDS YOU! Not only did Jill come flying out of the kitchen but so did Marie, Francis and Charlotte. Jane always punished anyone who shouted in her house, and here she'd done it herself.
"Tante Marie," Francis began. "Isn't there punishment for anyone shouting in the house?" Jane looked smug after hearing what Francis asked.
"Oui, chère, there is. But you have to remember, this is Jane's house and she makes the rules." Then giving Jane a stink eye added, "And she can break those same rules, whether it sets a good example or not." It was then Charlotte and Francis' turn to roll their eyes, look up to the ceiling, throw up their hands, before turning and going back into the kitchen. That caused the three women to chuckle.
Author's Note:Complicit In a Lie to understand why Charles is now with Jane, who the boy arriving in Kingston is and how he's involved in Charles' Court case. And to understand where Mr. Corporate, George Strom, fits into this story. This story starts off after Charles says, "When do we start," in Complicit in a Lie. So if you haven't read Complicit In a Lie, the beginning of this story won't make any sense. Hint hint!
Toby had set the bed tray aside, as Jill walked over to him, helping him to get off the couch as Jane had gone to get a soft pillow for him to sit on at the dining room table. Jane was rather surprised when Marie sat down at the table instead of helping bring out their meal. She gave Marie a look, only to have Marie hold up a finger, indicating she'd have to wait for her answer. Jane had been so involved with everything around the events of the day that she only now realized the wonderful aroma permeating the house. Her wait to learn the cause of that aroma wasn't long in coming, as first Francis then Charlotte came out of the kitchen, each carrying two plates of food. Francis placed her plates in front of Jane and Marie, while Charlotte placed her plates in front of Jill and Toby. Francis had gone back into the kitchen after serving Jane and Marie and returned with the remaining two plates of food.
After Charlotte and Francis had sat down, they again watched as Toby momentarily bowed his head. Jane waited, then asked, "Is this what I think it is, Miss Thorton? Huevos Rancheros, made with the correct ingredients? With just a touch of 'heat'?
Jane saw ideas play across Charlotte's face, frowning when the one Charlotte thought to use, but the thought died when Charlotte saw the expression on Jane's face. Charlotte chuckled, then said, "Yes, Aunt Jane. This is indeed Huevos Rancheros, made with all of the correct ingredients. And yes, with a touch of 'heat'. And yes, I removed the seeds from the jalapeños, no proper chef would add them to a dish like this." Charlotte actually smirked, earning her a stink eye from Jane. Jane's stink eye had the desired affect, and a proper young lady reemerged. Charlotte mouthed, 'sorry' and earned a head nod from Jane. Charlotte had a feeling she'd pushed things a bit to far, and might regret it.
Everyone waited for Jane to take the first bite. They watched as Jane's expression went through several emulations before she told Charlotte, "Ahhh, finally, the real thing. The tortillas are still hot but supple. The egg is at the right consistency. The refried beans not dry but not to watery. And the pico de gallo, wonderful, with just the right balance of heat and the flavor from the lime juice. My compliments to the chef, Miss Thorton, and you must teach THIS recipe to Marie. For I expect to see THIS recipe again at this table.
Marie shook her head, looked at Charlotte and said, "So eine Drama-Queen, unsere Jane. Man könnte sagen, sie gehört auf eine Bühne. " Turning to look at Jane, Marie asked, "Dürfen wir jetzt unsere Mahlzeiten einnehmen, Eure Majestät?"
Jane gave Marie her best stink eye, which did no good, since Marie was immune to them. Instead, Jane told her, "Sie stehen kurz vor der Änderung Ihres Wohnsitzes. Wenn Sie an dieser Leichtfertigkeit festhalten, wird sie zur Realität."
Hearing what Jane said, Charlotte looked between the two women, seeing a serious look on Jane's face and a blank stare on Marie's. Toby caught what he thought was tension between the two women, and Francis was trying to decipher what Aunt Jane just said. Jill, on the other hand, was doing her very best not to start laughing because of the looks on the two girls' faces and Toby's reaction. She had seen this act so many time before that it never got old, especially because of the reaction of those who didn't know the two women.
"Ja Ja Ja. Du sagst das immer wieder, aber hier bin ich, immer noch deine Allround-Haushälterin (Yes Yes Yes. You keep saying this, but here I am, still your all-around housekeeper)," Marie shot back, before a smirk appeared on the face of both woman. That's when Jill's willpower failed and she started laughing out loud.
Charlotte looked at the laughing Jill, then at Aunt Jane, then Marie. It was only then the smirks on the two women's faces, along with Jill laughing, registered with Charlotte. She let out a groan, closed her eyes as she slowly shook her head, before whispering in a sardonic voice, "Oh, gads."
Even though it had been a whisper, what Charlotte said wasn't lost on Jane, especially since she saw the gestures that accompanied it. "Yes, Miss Thorton? You have something to say to the rest of us?"
Charles always knew when he'd stepped into it in a big way, and this time it was no different. He looked at Jane, then Marie, then Jill, seeing the 'you stepped into it big time' look on their faces. If she told Aunt Jane, 'nothing,' Jane would persist that she heard Charlotte say something. If she told Aunt Jane what she realized and what she thought of it, Aunt Jane would surely assign her a writing assignment. She was in a no win situation. A damned if she does and damned if she didn't. Charlotte rolled the dice and they came up snake-eyes. "Um... I, a, realized that you and Marie were just bantering with each other, Aunt Jane."
"But that wasn't what you'd planned to say about our banter, was it, Miss Thorton?"
Marie and Jill had clamped there hands over their mouths, each enjoying watching Charlotte squirm under Jane's gaze. They watched, keeping their laughs under control for the moment. "Um... no Aunt Jane, it wasn't." Charlotte thought to herself, 'in for a penny, in for a pound,' before saying, "J'allais dire, tu aurais dû être sur scène.."
Jane kept her steady gaze on Charlotte, who realized the pile she'd stepped in was clear over her head. Jill and Marie were on the verge of laughing out loud from watching Charlotte squirm. "I see, Miss Thorton. So you believe I'd have made an excellent actress, Miss Thorton?"
Jane saw the decision on Charlotte's face, the one that said she had pulled her courage together, as she told Jane, "No Aunt Jane. You wouldn't have been an excellent actress. You'd have been a great actress."
Jane knew Charles would sometimes shy away from making a decision to do something for fear of the consequences. She used this play with Marie as a way to force Charles to make a decision and engage, even though there might be consequences. "Well, thank you for that confidence, Miss Thorton. But isn't your food getting cold?" Jane just smiled as she saw Charlotte realize she'd been played again. And watched as Charlotte shake her head, before picking up her fork and begin eating. Marie and Jill couldn't hold back any longer and started laughing, watching as Charlotte turned a lovely shade of red.
Everyone complimented Charlotte as they ate. Jill so loved what she was eating that she asked Charlotte to give her the recipe. When their main meal was finished, Francis and Charlotte collected everyone's plate, surprising Jane and Marie when Francis told them, "Dessert will be out in a minute." When the girls came out of the kitchen, each was carrying a try with three bowls. Francis sat a bowl down in front of Jane, Marie, and Jill. While Charlotte sat her bowls down in front of Toby and where she and Francis sat. When Francis returned the trays to the kitchen, and returned, she stood behind her seat, and told the assembled group, "This is Arroz Con Leche, Mexican rice pudding. We hope you enjoy it." She and Charlotte then sat down and began eating their dessert. Jill once again asked for a recipe.
When their meal was finally over, the girls asked to be excused, as did Toby. Jane excused Toby but told the girls, "This was a passable meal, ladies. I expect your next meal to be even better." Jill and Marie bit their tongues as the watched the expressions on the two girls' faces go from pride because of what they'd done for Jane and Marie, to shock at hearing they'd have to fix another meal. Jane then excused the girls, as Jill helped Toby leave the table and walked with him back to the couch. Despite the girls being the chefs, Marie left the table and went into the kitchen. Jane left the table and went into the study, wanting to check for any faxes or emails she needed to see.
Jane sat down at her desk in the study, unlocked the computer just as the fax machine chimed, indicating a fax was ready to be printed. Jane stood up, walked to the fax machine, entered a code, and waited while the fax machine printed out the fax. Taking the printed fax off the machine, she sat back down and began reading.
From: Jeb Thorton, et al.
To: Jane Thompson
Re: More Arrests Made and a shooting victim
Jane,
More arrests have been made, only this time those arrested have been adults. You may remember Don Obler and James Conner, Obler being the ex-manager at the Taylor's where this all started for Charles? And James Conner, the security man at Taylor's who Charles put into the hospital with several broken bones? Both were arrested, after it was discovered they were living well above their means. One of the things tipping off the police, once they started into the kids statements, was the car Obler was driving, the cost of which was well above what his yearly salary could buy. And Conner, car, home and vacation home, items his yearly salary couldn't possibly pay for. But they aren't the only chief store employees to be arrested. Several managers, assistant managers, and bookkeepers were arrested from those department stories where the shopliftings took place. Every one of these people were living well above what they earned in a year. And the police are really putting pressure on these people, threatening to put everything on these people if they didn't tell everything they knew. So far, they're all sitting in holding cells, sweating it out.
Sadly, there's been another shooting. This time the victim was an adult, possibly shot for the same reason the kids were killed. Two police officers were patrolling the warehouse district and found him lying outside a warehouse door, apparently trying to get help for himself. One of the officers called for an ambulance as the other officer searched the man, trying to find any identification he might be carrying. Jane, it was Tylor Camber, Toby's brother. He was shot three times, his pulse was weak, and we were told he'd lost a lot of blood. But he was still alive and they rushed him to the hospital and directly into emergency surgery. Right now, he's in recovery, in serious but guarded condition. None of the bullets hit any vital organs, but because of the blood loss, they're keeping an alertful eye on him. He's being kept sedated, to give his body a chance to recover and to keep him for thrashing about until his body has recovered. When he is taken off the sedatives, he isn't going anywhere, as the police have arrested him and cuffed him to the bed rail.
While reading this fax, you may wonder why he was being sought, since he was smarter and didn't live above his means. Several statements from the kids caused the police investigators to start checking bank accounts. His account was one of several that had been flagged by the bank as suspicious. While he wasn't living above his means, he was saving above his means. A guy working for $20 an hour has a hard time explaining how he's able to deposit $5000 into his bank account each week. If he makes it through the next several days, the police will ask him that question, and like the department store staff arrested, they'll threatened to lay everything on his shoulders if he doesn't talk to them. He is going to prison, how long is up to him.
I'll keep you informed when we hear anything more. Give our love to Charles.
Regards,
Jeb
Jane reread the fax twice more, looking for anything Jeb might be eluding too but didn't say. Unlocking the secure drawer, and opening it, she put that fax into the drawer, closed it and relocked it. She sat there with her head back, resting on the chair back, wondering how Toby was going to take hearing that his brother had been shot, had undergone surgery, and was in serious but guarded condition. She also wondered why the good ones had to walk through hell during their lives. Setting her resolve, Jane pushed the chair back, stood up, and walked out of the study with a purpose.
The girls had been directed by Marie to return to their lessons in the library. Jill had to leave for an appointment with one of her patients. Marie was sitting in one of the two easy chairs in the living room, reading a book and keeping an eye on Toby. As Jane walked into the living room, she saw that Toby had fallen asleep, with a piled of completed tests lying to his left. The bed tray had been moved to the floor and a blanket had been placed over him, likely by Marie. Marie looked up from the book she was reading, saw Jane's face, stood up and motioned towards the kitchen; they could monitor Toby from the kitchen monitor. Once the two women were in the kitchen, and the kitchen monitor was active and the living room on the screen, Marie made Jane sit down at the kitchen table and made each of them a mug of tea. After setting a mug before Jane, she sat opposite Jane in order to keep an eye on Toby by way of the monitor.
Marie had been with Jane since the beginning, and knew how to read her. Asking, "What is it, chère? What news have you received?"
Jane took a sip of her tea, sat it back down on the kitchen table, played with it, rotating it where it sat, picked it up, took another sip, sighed deeply, and told Marie everything. "They've made more arrests, adults this time. That Obler moron and the security guard, Conner, from the Taylor's where Charles encountered his troubles. Managers and assistant managers from other department stores were also arrested. Even some of the staff were involved, and were arrested. The fools were living above their means. Obler had a car his yearly salary couldn't begin to afford. And Conner, car, house, vacation home, what a fool. Some of the statements given by the kids led to these arrests, and resulted in forensic accountants looking into banking accounts. One in particular."
Jane once again looked down at her mug, played with it again. Picking it up and taking another sip, she continued with, "A patrol car was checking warehouses in the warehouse district and found a man lying outside one of the warehouses. He'd been shot three times, still alive, but in a serious condition because of blood loss. One of the officers called for an ambulance while her partner searched the man, looking for identification." Once again, Jane looked down at the mug in front of her, rotating it back and forth.
Marie waited a moment, then asked, "Who was he chère? Is he related to someone we have here with us?"
Jane nodded her head, then in a small voice said, "He's Toby's brother, Tylor. He was taken to the hospital and into emergency surgery. He's in serious but guarded condition at the moment. Doctors say if he makes it through the next few days, then his chances of a full recovery are excellent. His main problem is the blood loss he suffered, none of the three bullets hit any vital organs. They were looking for him because they couldn't understand how a man making $20 an hour could deposit $5000 a week into his bank account. The most he could have made a week, without overtime, and before taxes were taken out, was $800 a week. Take out taxes, and well, you see why they wanted to find him."
"And you're worried how Toby will take the news, given his own condition. How would you feel, chère, if someone did to you what was done to Toby? He isn't Charles, at least we don't know if he is. He may forgive his brother, or he may curse him. No matter his reaction, he has the right to know. And no matter how he reacts, you're going to hate yourself for needing to tell him, aren't you?"
Jane nodded her head, replying, "Yes... yes I am. But he does deserve to know, that is beyond doubt."
Marie reached across the table and took Jane's hands in her own. "Chère, nothing about this whole situation is normal. One boy was falsely accused, another savagely beaten into submission and being hunted. This is not our normal way of dealing with our girls. We've not had boys at the level of Charles or Toby, or even Francis as they are at the moment. Why, Frank would still be the lackadaisical boy he was before Charlotte came. But look at him now. Look how far he's come. That's what we've worked for in the past, and hoped for. Not a falsely accused boy and one in Toby's condition and situation. Remember the past successes, and failures, and don't dwell on a situation that's out of our hands. As I have told you many times before, "Nous ne pouvons faire que ce que nous pouvons faire. Ne vous attardez pas sur ces choses que nous ne pouvons pas contrôler."
Jane squeezed Marie's hands and smiled at her, before hearing, "Now, go check on the girls. I'll go back into the living room and keep an eye on Toby. Jill said she'd return after taking care of her patient appointments. Go... shoo!"
Jane squeezed Marie's hands one more time, before releasing them, picking up her mug and finishing her tea. She stood up from the kitchen table and walked out of the kitchen, heading to the library to check on the girls. Marie watched her go, very tempted to pick up the phone and call an old friend. A friend who could find the head of this whole monster. Whether the monster would be delivered alive would depend on that person. But her friend would deliver them to those searching for them. Marie finished her own tea, picked up both mugs, rinsed them out and set them on the counter next to the sink. She turned off the monitor, closed and locked the cabinet, before leaving the kitchen and picking up where she left off with the book she was reading. She had to get the thoughts out of her head of what she desperately wanted to do to several of those involved in all of this.
Jane knocked on the library door before entering, closing the door behind her. Some of Charlotte must have rubbed off onto Francis, because after seeing Jane's face, she asked, "What, Aunt Jane? It's bad, isn't it Has something happened to Toby?" Jane was two steps away from the table the girls sat at, doing their lessons, when Francis asked her question. Jane gave Francis a 'how did you know' look and was told by Francis, "The expression on your face said it all, Aunt Jane. Is it something about Toby?"
Jane smirked, stepped up to the table, pulled out a chair and sat down. "That's very observant of you, Francis. Your teacher has done well." Saying that she looked over at Charlotte, who had a mixed expression on her face that said she hoped Jane approved and worried Jane didn't approve. Chuckling, Jane told Charlotte, "Relax, Charlotte. You did a splendid job teaching Francis to read expression, it can become quite useful in certain situations." Taking a deep sigh, looking first at Francis, then Charlotte, deciding they needed to know, she told them, "Yes, part of the news I received is bad. But there is good news as well. More arrests have been made, adults this time. Charlotte, you remember Dan Obler and James Conner? They were just two of all the adults arrested. Managers, assistant managers, and staff at other departments stories have been arrested. The arrests were due to statements many of the kids give. Those arrested were living well above their means, owning more than their salaries would allow." Jane paused, looked down, then went on with, "A patrol car was patrolling the warehouse district and found a man lying on the ground near one of the warehouses. He'd been shot three times, he was still alive, but in serious condition because of blood loss. They called an ambulance and searched him in an attempt to identify him." Jane looked up then finished with, "It was Toby's brother, Tylor. They were looking for him because of his weekly deposits, which were substantially more than a man making $20 an hour should be able to deposit. He was taken to the hospital and rushed into emergency surgery. He's in serious but guarded condition, but he's alive. Doctors believe if he survives the next few days that he'll make a full recovery." She paused and made another decision, as she said to the girls, "And I have to tell Toby about this."
Francis looked at Charlotte, and Charlotte looked at Francis, before both girls stood up from their chairs, Charlotte walking around the table with Francis the first to hug Jane. After both girls had put their arms around Jane, she reached up, held onto their arms, and with tears sliding down her face, gave the girls, "Thank you for this, girls. I needed it." Both girls laid their heads on Jane's shoulders, where they were found when Marie came into the library to tell Jane that Toby was awake. Jane thanked Marie, and patting the girls' arms, told them, "I have to go girls. Please come with me, Toby might need you in a moment."
When the three came out of the library, Francis closing the door behind her, Marie was helping Toby to the downstairs bathroom. All three went into the living room to wait. Toby turned out to be as sharp as Charles was at reading expression. When Marie helped him back to the living room, and to sit on the couch, he had no problem determining something bad had occurred. "Aunt Jane, give it to me straight. No embellishment, no varnishing the truth. Just be honest with me. By the way you three are acting right now, I'd guess it's about my brother, yes? You're worried how I'll react if you say what has to be said about him, right? He isn't dead, because people act differently around those who've lost a loved one or family member. So he's alive, just not in very good shape, right?"
Jane had an astonished look on her face after what Toby said. He then chuckled when he saw the look of 'how did you know' expression on Jane's face, telling her, "I learned real fast how to read someone's facial expression, Aunt Jane. It was after mom walked out on us, and dad had to start working two jobs to keep the dogs at bay, when my brother started slapping me around, then changed to beating me, that I learned how to read his moods when I was around him. I could tell, after walking into our apartment, whether I was going to be slapped silly or beat until I lost consciousness. Learning to 'read' my brother's moods also helped when it came to that man. I could tell from his expression, the minute he entered the building, what kind of a mood he was in. I could tell whether one of us could say something and not set him off or whether it was better to just keep quiet. I could also tell when someone was going to pay for something that happened. So, Aunt Jane, how bad had my brother been hurt?"
Jane pulled herself up straight and looked directly at Toby. "More arrests have been made, Toby. This time, because of statements given by the kids that were arrested, it was managers and assistant managers, along with staff, from not only Taylor's but other department stores in the area. Even the ex-manager and security guard at the Taylor's where you were caught were arrested. In some of the kids' statements, they talked about those people having fancy homes, cars, and in one case, a boat that could almost be called a ship. They all were living well above their means, Toby. When they started looking into bank records of these people, and discovered deposits that were much greater than they should have been able to deposit, that's when Tylor popped up on their radar. Your brother was working for $20 an hour, but putting $5000 a week into his bank account. A man working for $20 an hour, working 40 hours a week, only makes $800 before taxes are taken out. And yet, he was putting $5000 into his account each week."
No one saw Marie slip out of the living room and into the kitchen. It wasn't long before she was back, holding a tray in front of each person, urging them to take one of the glasses of water she'd returned with. After Jane all but drained her glass of water, she continued giving Toby the worst part of the information she'd received. "A patrol car was patrolling the warehouse district, Toby, and found a man lying on the ground next to one of the warehouses. He'd been shot, three times, but was still alive and in serious condition. While one officer called for an ambulance, the other searched the man's pockets, trying to find some kind of identification that would tell them the name of the man. The officer found the man's wallet and driver license, and learned it was your brother, Tylor. He was rushed to the hospital and into emergency surgery. On the plus side, none of the three bullets hit any vital organs, but he'd lost a lot of blood. He's still alive, in serious but guarded condition. I was told that if he makes it through the next few days, he'll likely make a full recovery. But he won't be leaving the hospital on his own. He's been arrested and handcuffed to the bed railing. When the police have the doctor's permission, they'll start questioning him." Jane drank the rest of the water in her glass, then sat back in the chair, watching Toby.
Seasons House was unscrupulous for making people examine their own feelings, thoughts, and beliefs. Jane could see how Toby was doing that at the moment, wondering what he would discover. She thought he was about to say something due to his head shake, but he remained silent, mulling over his thoughts. Finally, with more head shaking, he said, "My brother chose his own path, so he must accept the consequences of walking that path. You're probably wondering if I hate my brother, Aunt Jane. Do I hate him, Aunt Jane? No, but I do hate what he did to me. Do I love him, Aunt Jane. No, Aunt Jane, I don't. He made it clear early on that he was only concerned about himself, not me or our dad. Even before our mother walked out, he only cared about himself. I do, though, feel sorry for him. He could have gone any other way than he did, and would have been successful, he was that kind of a person. But the lure which caught him was green, money green. It pulled him in so deep that he's now fighting for his life and will spend years behind bars. I hope he recovers, Aunt Jane, but I have no desire to ever see him again. This feeling could change, in time, but I doubt it, not after everything he did to me.
Jane nodded sagely after Toby's statements. Then said in general, "Excuse me, there's something I must do." She stood up from the chair then walked to and into the study, closing the door behind her. She sat down at her desk, picked up the handset and dialed a number. After speaking with the person at the other end, she hung up the handset and waited until the fax machine chimed. Entering the security code, Jane waited until the machine printed out the fax it had received. She got up from her chair, went to the study door, opened it and called, "Charlotte, please come here." When Charlotte reached the study door, Jane fully opened it so Charlotte could enter the study and closed it behind her. "Charlotte, who is this man?" Jane asked, then handed Charlotte the piece of paper she'd been holding."
Watching Charlotte carefully, Jane got her first answer because of Charlotte's unflattering facial expression and then by, "That's Mr. Strom. He's the CEO of Taylor's department stores. He's the one who threatened to take me to Federal Court if Judge Ruth didn't find me guilty." Then risking consequences, Charlotte asked, "Why do you want to know who he is, Aunt Jane?"
With a smirk on her face, Jane told Charlotte, "You'll see, come with me. But say nothing and don't react. Understand?" Charlotte nodded her head, and followed Jane out of the study.
Jane began speaking just as she stepped into the living room. "Toby, describe the man to me again."
Charlotte was standing next Jane just into the living room, and like the others, was watching Toby. "He was maybe 5' 10" to 6', Aunt Jane. He wasn't thin but didn't have a gut. He had gray to white hair and he always wore a suit and tie. And he always had a pin attached to his right lapel."
Slowly walking over to the couch, Jane handed the paper to Toby. "Is this the man you saw, Toby. His name is George Strom, he's the CEO of Taylor's department stores."
Toby took the offered paper from Jane. Everyone in the room could see that man was familiar to Toby, as he immediately crumpled the paper and threw it on the floor. His face took on a horrible expression as he said quite forceful, "YEAH, that's the man. He's the one that punched the kid who didn't want to shoplift. He's the one who had some of the kids tied between the two pipes before whipping them. He also took some of the girls into another room there in the warehouse, they came out really shook up. Him I could do things to without remorse." At that moment, Charlotte took off down the hallway to the backdoor and out the door, leaving it swinging on its hinges. The consequences of leaving a door open wasn't on her mind at the moment.
Everyone had been so focused on Toby and what he was saying, they hadn't noticed Charlotte had bolted until they hear running feet on the hard wood flooring. Turning, Jane saw Charlotte disappear down the hallway to the backdoor, hearing the door open but not close. Marie started to get up, but Jane held up her hand and went after Charlotte herself. She had a feeling where Charlotte was headed.
Jane walked down the hallway and out the backdoor, closing the door behind her as she stood on the small porch. She went down the steps, looked around for Charlotte, and only knew she was right when her mere whinnied. Charlotte was with Pinto. When Jane reached the stable, she didn't go in, instead watched as Charlotte curried Pinto. Every so often, she'd lean her forehead against the horse and cry, only to wipe her eyes moments later and continue curring Pinto. Several times after crying, she'd walk around and hug Pinto, with Pinto gently laying its head on her shoulder. Charlotte was so lost in her thoughts that she didn't see or hear Jane as she quietly walked into the stable and sat on a hay bail. At least that's what Jane thought. "I so want to kick that fucken bastard's ass, Aunt Jane. I want to do to him what he's done to those kids, only with a cat-o-nine tails. I want to fillet him alive, Aunt Jane. For everything his done and everyone he's hurt, Aunt Jane. And I can't do a damn thing about any of it! Because that's not who I am, Aunt Jane," Charlotte finished with a soft voice. "And because it isn't the right thing for me to do. Damnitall, why do I have to be that way? Why can't I go out there and kick a bastards butt and not care if he lives or dies?" Charlotte was standing on Pinto's left side as she spoke, not looking at Jane. She now turned to face Jane and with tears rolling down her cheeks, asked, "Why, Aunt Jane?" She then dropped to the ground and started bawling.
Two things occurred almost simultaneously. Jane rush to Charlotte, kneeled down, and pulled her into a hug and held her. Pinto had turned herself around and now put its head gently on Charlotte's shoulder, whinnying softly to help comfort the girl. Jane gently rocked Charlotte, and for the moment, let Charlotte cry herself out. When Charlotte had cried herself out, she reached up and rubbed Pinto's muzzle, thanking her for caring. Jane chuckled, as she watched Pinto walk back into her stall, turn around and using the underside of her mouth, pull the stall door shut. Giving Jane what could only be called a smile. "She just went back into her stall, didn't she, Aunt Jane? And closed the stall door behind her, right? She's quite the horse, isn't she Aunt Jane?"
Jane helped Charlotte to stand, answering her question with, "Yes, she quite a horse." She led Charlotte to the hay bails, had Charlotte sit down before going into the tack room and returning with two bottles of water. Handing one to Charlotte, Jane sat down next to the girl and they both sat quietly drinking their water. When Jane sensed Charlotte had calmed down enough, she began telling Charlotte her thoughts concerning Charlotte's question. "You asked why you didn't have it in you to go out and beat the hell out of people like George Strom, not caring whether they lived or died? First, because that isn't you, Charlotte. Secondly, the world is full of people like George Strom. People who steal, cheat, kill, rob, generally don't care about anyone but themselves and what they can get for themselves. What the world doesn't have enough of is people like you. People who are kind, intelligent, willing to help others, willing to stand up for others with disregard for the consequences. There are people like you out there, Charles, but not enough to counter all of the George Stroms in the world. And when you take care of one George Strom, another one appears. And after a while, Charles, those like you can no longer deal with not seeing the George Stroms of the world get what they deserve, and walk away to find their own private solitude. If you went after every George Strom out there, Charlotte, the world would lose you. Because you'd finally find it impossible to deal with it all and walk away to find your own solace."
Charlotte asked Jane a question Jane hadn't expected from the girl. "Is that what you did, Aunt Jane? Walked away to find your own solitude? Did you walk away from all the stupidity, bureaucracy and foolishness? Is that why you and Marie started your own school?"
Jane marveled at the girl, chuckled and said, "Charles Thorton. You do ask the damndest questions sometimes."
Chuckling, Charles answered with, "You aren't the first person to tell me that, Aunt Jane. But did you, walk away to find your own solitude?"
"Yes, Charles. Marie and I walked away to find our own solitude. I could no longer tolerate the egos that knew nothing but acted as though they knew everything. I was tired of arguing with those who refused to do what had to be done but were too worried about reputations. I was fed up with blind parents who claimed their 'darlings' would never do anything they were caught doing. Yes Charles, I walked away from it all and together, Marie and I started our school for boys like Frank. Boys we knew we could help but not in a traditional way. As you're well aware. Marie and I have found our solitude and still help those needing the help they don't realize they need." Jane changed the subject by asking, "Are you feeling better now?"
Nodding her head, Charlotte answered, "Yes, Aunt Jane. But I'd feel even better if I could have a few minutes alone with Mr. Strom."
Jane chuckled for a few moments, before telling Charlotte, "Between you and me Charlotte, so would I. Come on, let's get you back into the house."
Charlotte nodded her head, stood, then took an apple from the nearby basket. She walked over to Pinto's stall, held out the apple and watched as Pinto gently took it from her hand. As Charlotte gently rubbed Pinto's muzzle, she said, "Thank you for caring about me. I really appreciate it." Still masticating the apple, Pinto whinnied and threw its head up and down. Then to Charlotte's surprise, Pinto used its head to push Charlotte towards the entrance to the stable. A sure signal from Pinto that Charlotte needed to go back to the house. Hugging Pinto's neck one last time, Charlotte and Jane walked back to the house. Each lost in their own thought, seeing everything they'd like to do to one George Strom. But each bridled by the one rein at the top of their list for George Strom. It wasn't the right thing to do.
Author's Note: When I first wrote Complicit In a Lie, I had no thoughts, or ideas, to write a sequel. But thanks to a few readers, who asked about a sequel, ideas formed that made writing this sequel possible. It is necessary to have read Complicit In a Lie to understand why Charles is now with Jane, who the boy arriving in Kingston is and how he's involved in Charles' Court case. And to understand where Mr. Corporate, George Strom, fits into this story. This story starts off after Charles says, "When do we start," in Complicit in a Lie. So if you haven't read Complicit In a Lie, the beginning of this story won't make any sense. Hint hint!
It was a strange time at the Winsome Girls' School for Wayward Boys, strange in that one boy was there to keep him out of Federal Court, who also volunteered to be one of Jane's girls. Another boy, who by all accounts, was an angry, mean, terrible boy, involved with false accusations and shoplifting. Who, upon arriving at the Winsome Girls' School for Wayward Boys, was found to be everything but angry, mean, and a terrible boy, who they discovered needed immediate medical attention because he'd had been severely beaten. And who had to be removed from the Kingston hospital because of a threat on his life, is now being treated and recovering at the Winsome Girls' School for Wayward Boy, aka Seasons House. Indeed, it is a strange time, this time.
Charlotte opened the backdoor to the house and let Jane enter her home first. She followed behind Jane, this time closing the door behind her. Because they'd been in the stable, both women took off their shoes and went their separate ways to replace them. Both did replace their shoes, along with a shower, clean clothes and reapplied makeup. As usual, Jane reappeared first, clean and wearing clean clothes, but still trying to ignore her monster's pleadings. Charlotte was a few minutes behind Jane in returning to the living room, also cleaned and wearing fresh clothing and makeup, but battling with herself not to do what she so desired to do. Two monsters were fighting to be freed, to do what they felt should be done to all who were involved with the crimes that had been committed. But chains and locks seemed to restrained them, as they were told once more, it wasn't the right thing to do.
When Toby saw Jane, he asked, "Is Charlotte alright, Aunt Jane? She left rather quickly after you showed me that picture of the man. Is there anything I can do to help?"
Charlotte had walked into the living room just as Toby asked his questions. Jane nodded her head in Charlotte's direction, then watched as the two stared at each other. Charlotte then looked at Jane, who knew the question Charlotte was asking by her look. Jane's hands were hanging in front of her, the back of one palm over the other. In answer to Charlotte's unasked question, Jane's hands never went higher than they were, but she rotated both hands outward, basically telling Charlotte, 'It's up to you, whether or not you reveal yourself.' Charlotte then looked at Marie, who with facial expressions and a head shake, was telling Charlotte, 'keep me out of this, it's not my call.' Then Marie flicked her head in Jane's direction. Charlotte again looked to Jane, who, this time, remained motionless.
Marie had sent Francis back to her lessons in the library. When she heard muffled voices, she left the library and walked to the living room, ending up standing next to Jane. Jane could tell Francis was about to ask a question, but softly told Francis to keep quiet. As Francis watched, Charlotte looked to Marie, who ran through several facial expressions while shaking her head. Then, she flicked her head in Jane's direction. Jane felt it more than saw it, and reached out to grasp Francis' wrist, keeping her motionless and by her side.
All four could see anger rising on Charlotte's face. She was starting to get angry because in this instance, she didn't know what to do. Then, when her anger reached it's peak, she said in an angry voice, I'm damned if I do and damned if I don't!
She then looked at Jane and told her, I don't know what to do, Aunt Jane! What do I do? Tell me!
Jane remained stoic, unmoved, on the outside. What she had to let play out was killing her on the inside, knowing it had to be done. "Charlotte, you are well trained to handle physical situations, and situations you are familiar with. But when it comes to situations like this one, you try to defer to others. Our lives will always encounter situations that are out of our comfort zones, those zones we know well and have handled well. We must also learn how to handle, deal with if you will, those situations we've never encountered, knowing there could be consequences one way or the other. You are now faced with one of those situations, and you must decide how to deal with. Neither Marie or I will advise you of which path you should take. Neither will I tell you if consequences will be attached to either decision you make."
Tears were slowly sliding down Francis' cheeks. Francis had come to care deeply for Charlotte, Charles, deeply as one brother could care for their brother. It pained her to see Charlotte in such anguish, but knew she couldn't say or do anything. Even as painful as it was to watch, Francis knew Charlotte's only option was to make her own decision in this matter.
Toby sat on the couch watching the interaction between Jane, Charlotte, and Marie. He even saw how upset Francis was, as tears were sliding down her face. "Aunt Jane, what's going on? Was it something I said? If it is, I'm sorry for upsetting everyone."
As the headmistress now, Jane told Toby, "Yes, Toby, it has to do with what you've said. But it's more than that. It also deals with everything connected to you and the things you've done. And because of what you said in the latter, Charlotte has a decision she has to make on her own, and that is causing her consternation.
Her anger still smoldering, Charlotte faced Toby, her voice tightly controlled as she said, "You asked if you could help! You sit there safe in this house and asked if you could help!" With those few words, the dam broke and Charlotte held nothing back. "YOU RUINED MY LIFE! YOU TOOK ME AWAY FROM MY PARENTS, SCHOOL, AND MY FRIENDS WITH YOUR LIE! I SO WANT TO BREAK YOU INTO LITTLE PIECES BECAUSE OF WHAT YOUR LIE HAS DONE TO MY LIFE. AND DON'T THINK FOR ONE MINUTE I CAN'T DO IT! I CAN PUT YOU BACK INTO THAT HOSPITAL WITH LITTLE EFFORT!"
Both Jane and Marie saw Charlotte in her readying position, both readying themselves to intervene if necessary. But they also saw both of Charlotte's hands were balled into fists, something she'd never do when in her ready position. The two women relaxed slightly, but remained alert.
After what Charlotte said, then yelled, Toby was confused. How had his lie ruined Charlotte's life? He looked at Marie, who was looking at him. He then looked at Aunt Jane, who was also looking at him. Then he looked at Francis, who while still upset but also looking at him. He then looked at Charlotte, who was physically shaking with anger and tears dripping off her cheeks. Then he again looked at Francis, then Charlotte, then Marie, then Jane. Then again at only Francis then Charlotte. Then he sat there thinking. It wasn't long before all four women could see the light come on in Toby's eyes. He looked at Jane and quietly said, "Petticoat punishment. You use petticoat punishment." Jane sagely nodded her head, before he turned his head to look at Charlotte, saying, "You're Charles, aren't you? You're the boy that was at Taylor's that day I was arrested. I wouldn't blame you if you did break me into little pieces, after everything I've done, I probably deserve it." Tears slowly slid out of Toby's eyes as he looked down at his lap.
More under control, this time, Charlotte got out, "You don't understand, do you?" Toby's raised his head and looked at Charlotte. "You don't understand, do you?" She repeated. She raised her voice slightly as she continued with, "I can't do what I'd like to do to you and everyone involved in this whole mess. I can't because it isn't the right thing for me to do. If I did what I wanted, it'd make me no better that those who started this whole shoplifting spree. Yes, I'm Charles Thorton. And yes, Aunt Jane uses petticoat punishment to help boys like you and Francis see there's a better way to live and behave. You likely won't experience it because of your injuries, and because you're likely to be a witness for the prosecution against Strom and any others you saw. I will also tell you that I volunteered to be one of Aunt Jane's girls, and I've actually learned something about myself along the way. That's one of the things she wants to happen, that we learn about ourselves. Even though you may never experience presenting as a girl, you too have learned something in the short time you've here. And we've learned something about you as well. You aren't who you pretended to be at Taylor's or in the holding cell. You, and me, are actually where Aunt Jane wants all of the boys who come her to be before leaving. And... I'm sorry I got upset with you, yelled at you." She looked at Jane before continuing with, "I guess this whole mess is bothering me more than I realized." With that, Charlotte turned and went up to her bedroom to shower, change clothes, and freshen her face.
Nothing was said for some time, as Toby sat looking at the floor. Then, just as Jane and Marie heard footsteps starting down the stairs, Toby said in a wistful voice, "God, I've really messed up. But what choice did I have? Do as I was told or get the hell beat out of me? I guess I do deserve to get my butt kicked."
It was Francis who answered with, "You could have gone to the police." Jane and Marie looked at Francis, and then at each other, thinking it might be time for Frank to leave Seasons House.
Toby was shaking his head and still looking at the floor as he answered, "I tried that, Francis. When I first found out what my brother was going to force me to do. Those old scars I have on my back are the result of him catching me before I got to the front door of the police department." He then looked at Francis and told her, "No Francis, nothing I tried did any good. Even trying to run away did no good. I don't know how he did it, but my brother always found me. Some of the pink scars were his doing for me trying to run away."
Then a new voice joined the conversation. "You could have killed him. With all the scars you had, it would have been considered self-defense. No jury would have convicted you after seeing the scars you bare." All eyes turned to the voice, and saw Charlotte walking towards the living room. "Or, you could have shown your dad what he was doing to you."
Wincing as he got off the couch, and as he took off his shirt, turned so Charlotte saw his back, and asked her, "And keep getting this done to you. Take a good look Charlotte, then ask yourself what you'd have done to keep this from happening to you over and over again. And the new ones you see, the raw ones, are because I got caught at Taylor's. Done by my brother, at the warehouse, as directed by that bastard Strom." Wincing again as he put his shirt back on, and turning to face Charlotte, he continued with, "I thought about killing my brother after the first time he slapped me silly. Then again when he started using anything he could get his hands on. Then again when he beat me because I was going to the police. Then when he and Strom tied me between those poles and he beat me to unconsciousness. Yeah, Charlotte, I thought about killing him. But as you told me, it wouldn't have been the right thing for me to do. I'd have been no better than he and Strom. And, that isn't me. All I can say to you is that I'm terribly sorry for dragging you into this whole mess. It's happened, it can't be changed, I can't go back using a time machine and do something different to ensure the outcome would be different." Toby stood looking at Charlotte, who had slowly walked into the living room and until she was standing an arms distance from Toby. Toby stood his ground, he didn't move a muscle, as Charlotte stepped right up to him, put her arms around his neck and pulled him into a hug. As Marie, Jane, and Francis watched, Toby put his arms around Charlotte's neck and they both stood and cried on each other's shoulder.
Pushing back from each other after several minutes, tears still fresh on their faces, it was Toby who, looking at Charlotte, started laughing as he said, "Maintenant tu ressembles à un raton laveur (Now you look like a raccoon)."
With a deadpan look on her face, she stared at Toby, then turned her head to a chuckling Francis. "Vous réalisez tous les deux que je peux créer des énigmes avec vous deux, n'est-ce pas (You both realize that I can create puzzles with you two, don't you)?" Charlotte told Francis, as she turned back to look at Toby. She turned to look back at Francis again and told her, "Et tu n'as pas l'air beaucoup mieux." Letting go of Toby, Charlotte turned to face Francis and in a 'we have to do this again' voice, said, "Well, come on girl. Let's not wait to be told to do this, again." She rolled her eyes, shook her head, and chuckling, Francis walked over to Charlotte, took her hand and together they walked to the staris and to their bedrooms, where they'll clean their faces and reapply their makeup. Again.
It was plain to Jane and Marie that Toby was still in pain, as he turned towards Jane and wincing, started walking in her direction. Marie came up beside him to help support him, before telling him, "Lean on me, cher. Salle de bain, oui?" When Toby nodded, she then said, "Good, you can deal with you face while there."
While Toby was in the bathroom, Marie looked at Jane's expression, saying, "You're going to ask me if we made the right decision letting Charlotte tell Toby everything, aren't you? He realized it on his own, after Charlotte's outburst. And so far... " and Marie kept her hands waist high and rolled them outwards, palms up, shrugging her shoulders at the same time. "We can never really know the outcome of our decisions until the fruit has ripened." Just after saying that, Toby slowly made his way out of the downstairs bathroom.
Marie gently took Toby's arm, hearing, "Just a minute, tante Marie," from Toby. Looking at Jane he asked, "You're concerned what I'll do with the information I discovered concerning your activities here, aren't you Aunt Jane?" When Jane gave Toby a questioning look, he told her, "I heard what tante Marie asked you as I was opening the door. A dog may be extremely scared because of how it was treated by its previous caregiver. But if the next person taking care of that dog, takes time, has patience, is gentle, provides food, water, and a warm place to stay, will eventually win that dog's trust. After everything you've done for me Aunt Jane, tante Marie, I could never violate your trust. Your story, as they say, is not mine to tell. It would no more be my story to tell even had I become one of your girls, Aunt Jane. I will never forget how you saved my life, even if it wasn't done your usual way." Toby then took a step forward toward the couch.
Marie looked at Jane after Toby had spoken. The two women had been together so long, and through a lot together, that each could read the other's facial expression and know what was being asked or said. Now, as Marie looked at Jane, Jane's facial expression told Marie, 'well, that answers that question.'
Francis and Charlotte returned just as Marie was helping Toby sit back down on the couch. They stood in the middle of the living room and waited for Jane's inspection. Seeing how the girls were standing, Marie looked at Jane and raised her eyebrows, silently asking, 'what's going on?' Jane looked at the girls, thought for a minute, then squeezed her eyes shut, opened them, then slowly shook her head. She looked at Marie and silently told her with an eyeroll, looking to the ceiling and a slow head shake, 'they're trying to help me center myself.' Jane put on her headmistress face and slowly walked over to the girls. In her best headmistress voice, Jane went at the girls standing in front of her. "So, you two think you've reapplied your makeup properly. Did you remember to change your dresses, shoes, lingerie at the same time?" Jane stepped up and closely inspected each girls makeup. "Well, I see your makeup application is getting better. It still needs work, though. I see you finally learned how to brush your hair, Francis. It's about time." Now she stepped back and began looking at their clothing, hosiery, and shoes. She adjusted Charlotte's dress at the shoulders, straighten Francis' dress in the back. Jane stepped back and still in headmistress mode, complained, "When will you two ever learn how to put on a dress properly? Charlotte, your dress was too high at your shoulders, And you, Francis, still can't get your dress straight in the back. Both of you, back upstairs and change dresses. And this time get it right. Or you'll be changing dresses until you get it right. NOW GO!"
All through the grilling, neither girl reacted. It had been their plan, and Francis' chance to practice letting what someone said roll off her back. Their plan was to also help Jane remember who she is and why they were with her, helping to center herself after all that had occurred. And it worked.
To Toby, sitting there watching the action before him, it seemed Jane was really being hard on both girls. Then he saw the gleam in the eyes of both girls, and knew they'd planned this from the beginning. Once that realization occurred, he clamped his hand over his mouth to quell the laughter that seemed interested in being heard. He pressed his hand tighter over his mouth as Jane turned to Marie after the girls had gone up stairs and said, "Nothing. No reaction at all. Both of them should have at least cringed, or looked like they didn't want to get changed again. But... nothing. Marie, I'm losing my touch."
It was only when Jane turned to look at Marie did she see Marie's hand covering her mouth, and her eyes were dancing. And it was only when Jane gave Marie the stink eye that Marie started laughing. Calming down, Marie spoke. "Chère, what has kept your attention this entire time? Like this one over here," and she nodded her head towards Toby, "I saw what those two were doing the minute they stood in the middle of this room. And like this one," and she again motioned with her head towards Toby, "I was having a terrible time not laughing once I understood what those two filles pétulantes were doing but couldn't spoil their moment with laughter. Jane, they helped you center yourself by making you inspect them, criticize them, and making them go change their dresses. And where you would have had Francis shaking with fear, she let your words fade past her. That she could have only learned from Charlotte. Ah... they return."
Bedroom doors could be heard opening and closing, before steps were heard walking toward the stairs. Marie had walked over to the couch and sat down to Toby's right. She didn't want to miss a minute of the show that was about to start. The girls came down the stairs as they'd learned to do. As they walked towards the living room, they saw Jane slowly pacing the floor with her hands behind her back. Francis looked at Charlotte, Charlotte looked at Francis, and the silent message they exchanged was, 'oh crap.' Both wondered if they'd gone to far in helping Aunt Jane regain her center. She was, after all, their headmistress. They walked into the living room and stopped in the middle of the room facing a pacing Jane. Still pacing, Jane was laughing on the inside as she started with, "Just how long does it take you two to change one, single, solitary dress?" Jane stopped pacing, turned to face the girls and continued her fun. "Why, in the time it took you two to change one, single, solitary dress, I could have stripped bare naked, showered, dressed, reapplied my makeup, and returned in a shorter amount of time than it took you two to change one, single, solitary dress. What were you girls doing up there all this time? Huh? Maybe getting 'friendly' perhaps? Well, girls, since you seem to have so much time on your hands, you get to deal with our evening meal. You'll set the dining room table. You'll fix the meal and clean up after our meal is over. And after you've cleaned the dishes and kitchen, if I find one speck of dust anywhere in that kitchen, you two will spend whatever time it takes scrubbing the kitchen walls from ceiling to floor. Do you two understand what I've just told you? If you do, then why are you two imitating a Greek statue? MOVE. NOW!"
While Jane had her fun letting the girls have it about changing their dresses, she'd bent over so she was eye to eye with the girls. Because Jane herself had told them to go, neither girl had to ask to be excused. So, when Jane told the girls to move, and now, she was still bent over at their eye level. Francis looked at Charlotte, Charlotte looked at Francis, and together, the girls stepped forward and each kissed Jane on each of her cheeks. Telling her, as they started for the kitchen, "We love you too, Aunt Jane."
Marie and Toby are sitting on the couch, watching the entire scene play out. Now, after what the girls just did, they're watching as a woman with an indomitable will, was frozen in place. Still bent over, but with a stunned expression on her face. It started with Marie as a snort. From a snort it went to a chuckle. And from a chuckle it went to full blown laughter. Marie's laughter was infectious, and despite himself, Toby joined her. They laughed even harder as Jane turned to face them, still bent over, and said, "Je m'occuperai de toi plus tard, vieille femme. Et toi, mon garçon, tu peux encore devenir une de mes filles. Blessures ou pas. Il y a beaucoup de robes qui cachent les cicatrices (I'll deal with you later, old woman. And you, my boy, can still become one of my girls. Injuries or not. There are many dresses that hide the scars)."
Author's Note: When I first wrote Complicit In a Lie, I had no thoughts, or ideas, to write a sequel. But thanks to a few readers, who asked about a sequel, ideas formed that made writing this sequel possible. It is necessary to have read Complicit In a Lie to understand why Charles is now with Jane, who the boy arriving in Kingston is and how he's involved in Charles' Court case. And to understand where Mr. Corporate, George Strom, fits into this story. This story starts off after Charles says, "When do we start," in Complicit in a Lie. So if you haven't read Complicit In a Lie, the beginning of this story won't make any sense. Hint hint!
While Marie sat speaking with Toby, about the school he attended, his opinion on the school, whether he was learning anything, and what he'd like to do after high school, Jane went into the study. She didn't worry about Charlotte and Francis being in the kitchen alone, getting the evening meal prepared, not with Charlotte's training by her Uncle. She walked over to her desk, sat down in the high backed chair, and leaned back, mulling over all that had recently taken place this afternoon. She thought back to Charlotte's outbursts, both just moments ago and her bolting from the house to find comfort from Pinto. Why hadn't she seen the turmoil building up in Charlotte? Hadn't there been signs? Had she missed the signs that pointed to the volcanic eruption Charlotte displayed? Had she missed them because Charles had been trained so well to hide his intentions from his attackers, that he was able to hide how upset he actually was about everything that's happened? Was he telling the truth when he said he didn't hate Toby, when only minutes ago he told Toby he'd like to break him into tiny pieces?
And what about Frank? Since Charles has been here, Frank has made famous progress in coming out of his shell and has actually started to care about someone other than himself. His school work has shown the change in him, as his grades have rapidly improved. But when he leaves? Where will he live? He can't return to his Aunt Agnus, she's the reason he started acting out in the beginning. He wants to return living with the Willows, and after Penny's successful treatment, they would be glad to have him, except CPS isn't letting that happen. Could Agnus and the CPS be working together? After all, Agnus reluctantly took Frank in after Penny Willows was diagnosed with stage 2 cancer. And the CPS has repeatedly denied Frank's return to the Willows.
Putting a stop sign at that last thought, Jane picked up the phone and made a call. "Hi, it's Jane. Marie and I think Frank Winslow is ready to leave Seasons House. But the question is his place of residence. He can't go back to his Aunt Agnus since that's when he started acting out...Yes, I know CPS has said that's where he has to live, but do we really want to send him back where it all began...Yes, but CPS has repeatedly denied his return to the Willows, despite Penny's successful cancer treatment and the fact that the Willows would be glad to have him living with them...Actually, I'm wondering if Aunt Agnus and the CPS are working together to keep Frank with Agnus. As long as he lives with her, she gets support payments, which could be going back to the CPS agent handling Frank's case. Maybe someone should look into that possibility?...There is another possibility I've been mulling over, based on how close to brothers Frank and Charles have become. Perhaps the Thorton's should be approached and asked if they'd foster Frank? In the long run, that family would be the best for him. Charles would be with him to continue teaching him, and Frank would have a wonderful roll model in Charles and his parents...Well, there's a rush and no rush, since nothing can happen until the entire shoplifting case has been closed...Well, let me know what's decided and if anything is found...Yeah, me too...Bye.
Hanging up the phone, Jane went back over her conversation with Ruth. Ruth did have a point, Agnus and Penny were family, and maybe Frank should be with his family. But, in Jane's mind, and with Charlotte's counsel, just not with Agnus because that's where Frank's troubles began. And there was no reason to believe Agnus had changed since Frank had been sent to Seasons House. Or that Agnus' attitude had changed with respect to Frank. So that begs the question, why was CPS so insistent that Frank stay with a woman who didn't want to take Frank in to begin with? Were they reasoning that Penny's cancer might return and Frank would have to be relocated? If that was the reasoning they were using, then the Thorton's were the best choice for Frank. Charles has proven he's from a loving family. Frank and Charles have basically, for all intents and purposes, become brothers. If Frank lives with Charles and his parents, Charles will be there to help support and guide Frank. And, the Thorton's may have the financial resources to ensure Frank get's the best education possible. Would Agnus ensure that happens for Frank? These were questions that would have to be answered, afterwards.
Jane swiveled the chair around, unlocked the cabinet behind her, turned on the monitor, and selected the camera in the kitchen. She adjusted the volume so she could hear Francis and Charlotte as they talked to each other. As she watched the two work, she was amazed at the lack of banter between the two, Charlotte was all business as she directed Francis, made sure Francis wasn't going to cut herself as she did prep work, before going back to work on preparations of her own. Francis was asking Charlotte culinary questions she'd never have know to ask weeks ago, proof of Charlotte's teachings. As she looked closer to what the camera was picking up, Jane recognized the ingredients Charlotte was using. The girl was making lasagna for their evening meal. Jane knew what recipe Marie used when she made lasagna, and all of the ingredients in that recipe. But as she watched what Charlotte was doing, she saw Charlotte add additional ingredients to her lasagna. As Jane sat mesmerized watching Charlotte and Francis work, the fax machine chimed, signaling a fax was ready to print. Shutting off the monitor, closing and locking the cabinet doors, Jane got up from her chair and walked over to the fax machine. After inputting a code, Jane watched as the awaiting fax printed out. Taking it off the machine, she returned to her chair and began reading.
From: Jeb, et al.
To: Jane Thompson
Re: The birds are singing
Jane,
The majority of the managers, assistant managers, and staff arrested, are working as hard as they can to save their own hides. They're pointing fingers left, right, and center. But it seems after wading through all of their finger pointing, it all goes back to George Strom, or at least in his direction. Because it appears all of the strings are going back to Strom, the investigators and forensic accountants have gone back and used a finer comb to sift through his finances. Because of the quantity they have to sift through, it's going to take time, perhaps several weeks before they will know if he is indeed the ring master of this circus.
As always, I'll keep you informed of any more news I receive. Give our love to Charles.
Regards,
Jeb
Reading through the fax again, Jane saw no reason to tell the girls any of this. She didn't want their hopes to rise, only to be dashed if things didn't progress as everyone hoped. She thought it best to wait until their was real positive news before bringing the girls in any further.
Putting the fax in the security drawer, Jane stood up, walked to the study doors and left the study, thinking to make a surprise visit to the kitchen. She was surprised, all right, as she found Marie standing in front of the kitchen door with another shocked look on her face. Jane smirked at seeing a shocked Marie standing outside of her kitchen. "Let me guess. Ils t'ont viré de la cuisine. Encore (They kicked you out of the kitchen. Again)?"
"Yes, they kicked me out of the kitchen again. I just wanted to make sure the fire department wasn't needed. The kitchen door hadn't even swung back in before Charlotte pushed me out of the kitchen. Telling me everything was under control."
Jane chuckled before saying, "I did tell them they were in charge of our evening meal. Maybe I should have added several provisions. Maybe I should have added instructions that allowed you to walk into the kitchen to ensure all of our safety. I smell a pleasant aroma, there's no smell of anything burning, so perhaps the fire department won't be needed, even without your inspection.
Getting serious now, Marie nodded towards the library. With a curious expression on her face, Jane followed Marie into the library. Closing the door after Jane was into the library, Marie led the way to the table near the front window in the library. She pulled out a chair, sat down, and indicated Jane sit opposite her on the other side of the table. "I had a long talk with Toby while you were in the study. He's like Charles at school. He's bored. He isn't learning anything because he's already read all of his textbooks. He's tried asking to be put into advanced courses, but like Charles, it was felt it was better for him to stay in the classes he was assigned. His councilor's assessment was correct, but not even she could convenience the decision makers it's better for him to be in advanced classes. And as we discovered, he was indeed hiding something. I graded his tests, chère. He received perfect scores on each test. Chère, he's like Charles, beyond anything our school lessons can teach him. He needs to sit with Charles when the tutor arrives. And, it might be wise to include Francis when foreign languages are studied. She seems to have quite the aptitude for them, just never having the chance to study them closely."
Jane saw the wisdom of Marie's words, responding with, "Because Toby is like Charles, he will be included when our tutor arrives. I hadn't considered adding Francis to that class when they study foreign languages. But given his demonstration of Spanish, perhaps she should be there at that time."
Just then, there was a knock on the library door before it opened and just a head peered around the door. "Hey, dudettes. Is this a private party or can anyone join?" Marie looked at Jane, and Jane looked at Marie, before both shook their heads and Marie waved Jill into the library. Jill knew if these two women were alone, leaving three students by themselves, that it was a serious talk and a death threat had been given if any of the three misbehaved. "I just checked Toby's wounds," Jill told the two, as she closed the library door behind her before walking over to the table and sitting down next to Marie. "They are healing nicely, though the deeper one will take longer to heal, so I've left more antibiotics. He's to take two a day, one in the morning and one at night. I noticed he's still in some pain, so I added more pain killers The pain killers he takes when he feels he needs them. And from the two left in the bottle, he seems to be needing them yet. Also, have you thought about having Toby talk with a psychologist? After going through what's happened to him, sooner or later, he's going to react to the memories, and maybe in a violent way." After asking about their thoughts concerning Toby's mental state, Jill changed the subject with, "So, anything interesting happen while I was gone," Jill asked, with a shit eating grin on her face. After associating with Seasons House for several years, Jill knew there was always something happening. And sometimes it wasn't pleasant.
"Thank you, Jill. That's one worry off my mind," Jane said, sighing afterwards. "No, we hadn't considered his mental health. He seemed so resilient after what he's been through that it never crossed our minds. Perhaps we better call someone I know and see when they can talk to him. And maybe it would do Charlotte some good to speak with the person I'm thinking of. After her meltdown this afternoon, she has a lot of pent up anger she's hiding."
Jill had studied psychology as her minor while getting her BS. She still had an interest in the field but couldn't find the time as she was attending medical, to study for her license. "How did she have a meltdown, Jane?" Doctor Jill was the one now asking Jane questions. "Was it directed at Toby?"
Jill could see Jane gathering her thoughts, so she remained silent. "It started when I wondered if George Strom was the man Toby described. He was the one that threatened to take Charles to Federal Court if Ruth didn't punish him. Ruth sent him to me to keep him out of Federal Court. Jill, he has no business being here, none at all. And if it wasn't for a lie Toby told, he wouldn't be. The description Toby gave me sounded a lot like the one Charles gave when Strom was in court. So, I had Charles' dad fax me a picture of him. When I showed the picture to Toby, he confirmed Strom was the person known to the kids as 'the man' and only as 'the man'. Toby didn't react well, and what he said about Strom caused Charlotte to run out of the house."
Jane chuckled before saying, "And she found comfort being with Pinto, the horse we've tried for months to put at ease. And Charlotte did it in a few moments. If Pinto had been human, I'd say the two were joined at the hip. But as it is, they're joined in a much deeper bond. It's as though they both understand the other. I found her currying Pinto, stopping every few minutes and crying as she leaned against Pinto's side. I entered the stable as quietly as I could, but she somehow knew I was there. She told me what she wanted to do to Strom, but couldn't do anything because that wasn't her and it would put her on his level. She then had a major breakdown there in the stable. She fell to the ground, bawling. I rushed over and held her, and Pinto laid its head on her shoulder. And you may not believe this, Jil, but when Pinto was sure Charlotte was okay, she went into its stall and closed the stall down on its own. And Charlotte knew Pinto had done that."
"Anyway, we returned to the house to clean up. After cleaning up, I returned to the living room before Charlotte, that's when Toby asked after Charlotte. He even asked if he could help. When he asked that question, Charlotte had walked into the living room. I indicated he should talke to Charlotte, basically putting Charlotte in an unfamiliar position. I actually put her in that situation because she'll defer to someone else when she's in unfamiliar situations. Now she had to make her own decision how to react. She turned to me to make the decision for her, but I told her she'd have to decide the path to walk. She became angry because she didn't know what to do and no one was going to help her, and became so angry that she finally lashed out at Toby. Jill, she unleashed more anger than she did when I erroneously put Francis into an unattainable position. And no, I won't tell you about that, so don't ask. She told him how he ruined her life, took her away from her family, school, her friends, she gave him both barrels. After she said all she had to say, she stood there shaking with anger, tears dripping off her cheeks. Marie and I saw her get into her ready position, the one she uses when she believes someone is about to attack her. Except, she balled up her hands into fists, something she never does when in her ready position. Marie and I were still alert just in case she did make a try for Toby"
"Francis had come out of the library and was standing by me. She was upset seeing how upset Charlotte was at the moment. I had to silence her so she wouldn't interfere in what had to play out, no matter how much it killed me to let it happen. After a few moments, Toby broke the silence by saying what he'd figured out on his own. He realized about our use of petticoat punishment and that Charlotte was actually Charles, the boy he'd lied about. He almost set off Charlotte again, when he told her he wouldn't blame her if she did break him into little pieces. But she came back with a more calm reply, she told him she couldn't do such a thing because that wasn't her. That it wasn't the right thing to do. If she did that, she'd be no better than Strom. She explained what our objectives are here at Seasons House before leaving, then she went back to her bedroom to fix her face after all her crying. Toby was quiet for several minutes, before wistfully saying how he'd really messed up. Asking himself what choice he had. Do what he was told or get the hell beat out of him. Francis offered several options, but Toby said he'd tried those things and his brother always found him."
"We didn't notice it at the time, but Charlotte had returned and told Toby he could have killed his brother. She told him no jury would find him guilty given the scars covering his body, they would consider it self-defence. She even suggested he could have told his dad. It hurt him, but he got up off the couch, took off his shirt and turned so Charlotte could see his back. He then told her he'd get what she saw all over again if he said anything. He then told Charlotte the same thing she'd told him, that he couldn't kill his brother because that wasn't who he was. That it wasn't the right thing to do and would make him no better than Strom. By that time, Charlotte had walked to within a step of Toby. But as we watched, she stepped up to him, put her arms around his neck, pulled him into a hug, and while they both held each other, they cried on each other's shoulder. And Marie and I couldn't interfere, it had to play out."
It was silent in the library after Jane told Jill everything that occurred that afternoon. Jill broke the silence with, "Not only do those three kids need to talk with your friend, but you two need a word with that person too. This entire situation is nothing like what you two normally deal with. Yes, you get boys from nasty homes, or who've been bullied, or what have you. But this type of situation, where one boy was sent here to keep him our of a Federal Court, and another who was savagely beaten. And one who has become as a brother to the one. And to top it off, someone sent two men to kill Toby. Jane, Marie, it wouldn't hurt you two to speak with your friend. Because you are developing PTSD, if you don't have it already. It's also something, going by your description of Charlotte, something she already has developed. And I wouldn't put money against Toby already having it. Even Francis may be on the verge of developing it, as she watched the anguish Charlotte goes through. All five of you need to speak with your friend, Jane. Or I swear, Jane Thompson, I swear," And Jill suddenly got up and hurried towards the library door. Turning before she opened the door, she said with tears in her eyes, "Or I swear, Jane Thompson, I'll be pissed at you until hell freezes over." And with that she opened the library door, slammed it closed behind her and hurried out of Seasons House.
Only Marie was in a position to see out of the window and what happened next. She watched as Jill ran to her car, got in, closed the driver's door, laid her head on the steering wheel and cried. Marie turned to Jane and softly told her, "Our friend needs to speak with Jill too, I think."
Jane stood up from her chair, walked over to the desk in the library, picked up the phone and dialed a number. "Sherry, it's Jane. There are five of us who need to talk with you...Day after tomorrow? That's fine. We'll see you then. And thank you." Jane hung up the phone, then, putting both hands on the desk, leaned on her hands, then hanging her head as she did so. She raised her head, looked at Marie and asked, "Is all of this happening as it's happening for our benefit too, Marie? Are we being forced to examine ourselves by the events that have occurred, just as we put our girls into situations to force them to examine themselves? Have you and I veered off our plotted course, become too ridged in dealing with the boys sent to us? Are we being to stoic with our girls, too distanced from them? We've hid our emotions from our past girls, but now, now they are flowing freely. Although, I will admit mine have been flowing freer than yours. Are we being shown how we can reveal our emotions and not let them detract us from what we are doing? How they'll show our girls we aren't the monsters they may believe we are when we make demands of them and give them little to no choice in doing what we want? Are we being shown how we can still be human in every way and still keep the course we've plotted?"
Jane sighed before pushing herself away from the desk. She walked back to the table, walked past where Marie sat listening to her questions and stood before the window, looking out at the scenery. Marie pushed her chair back, stood up, and walked to stand behind Jane. She put her arms around Jane's waist, laid her chin on Jane's shoulder, and told her, "My dear friend, you have always been the one between us who takes things very personally. You have always questioned your motives and the decisions we make. I'm unable to answer your question concerning our current situation and the recent events, but they have done what you asked. They have put us into a situation that is outside our usual situation, our comfort zone, if you will. Maybe we have become to stoic, to removed from our girls. Maybe we should let them see just how human we are and not the monsters they may see us as when they are forced to do our bidding. Look how things have unfolded since this situation began. How many times have we heard 'we love you too, Aunt Jane' since it's started? How many times did we hear that in the past? While I do a better job of hiding my emotions than you, much as our Charlotte does, you have shown the girls just how much you care for them and how you want only the best for them. When was the last time our girls forced you to go riding? Or made a meal without being told to do so? Our girls still respect your authority, Jane, despite the emotions you have let them see. Yes, we have been forced to examine ourselves and what we do at Seasons House because of this unusual situation. But it hasn't diminished our purpose, it may have even helped our purpose, this time. Can it be used with our next girls, that's a question we can't answer until next time. Continue what you do, chère. Continue caring for our girls, chère, showing them it's possible to live a better life and have a better attitude toward life and others."
Jane had leaned back into Marie as she spoke. The two women stood there looking out the window for several minutes until Jane said, "Marie?"
"Yes, chère."
"You have a boney chin and it's digging into my shoulder"
Marie lifted her chin off Jane's shoulder, kissed her on the cheek and told her, "I love you too, Aunt Jane. Come, chère. Let's go see if our kitchen is still in one piece." And as Marie stood up and backed away from Jane, she took her left hand and planted a good swat on Jane's right butt cheek. "A boney chin you say, HA. That'll teach you to criticize a person's chin."
When Marie administered the swat, Jane had let out a screech, and turned to face Marie, who had a malicious smile on her face. Even though Marie was immune to them, Jane gave her a stink eye nonetheless. Marie chuckled, turned around and started walking to the library door. Seeing her chance, Jane walked quickly up behind Marie, and decided turn about was fair play. This time it was Marie who let out a screech, as Jane administered to her what she'd administered to Jane. The two women left the library, arm in arm, heading to the kitchen to see if it still existed.
Author's Note: When I first wrote Complicit In a Lie, I had no thoughts, or ideas, to write a sequel. But thanks to a few readers, who asked about a sequel, ideas formed that made writing this sequel possible. It is necessary to have read Complicit In a Lie to understand why Charles is now with Jane, who the boy arriving in Kingston is and how he's involved in Charles' Court case. And to understand where Mr. Corporate, George Strom, fits into this story. This story starts off after Charles says, "When do we start," in Complicit in a Lie. So if you haven't read Complicit In a Lie, the beginning of this story won't make any sense. Hint hint!
When Jane and Marie left the library, they found Francis standing just outside the library door. "Por favor señoras, si me siguen (Please ladies, if you follow me.)." After saying that, Francis turned and began walking towards the dining room. She first went to Jane's chair and said, "Aunt Jane," as she pulled out Jane's chair, helping Jane push her chair in after Jane sat down. Then, moving to Marie's chair, pulling it out, and saying, "Tante Marie," she waited until Marie sat down and helped her push her chair in. Francis then walked over to the couch and said to him, "If you're hungry, Mr. Camber, dinner is ready." Smiling at Francis, he extended his arms, which she took, and helped him to stand up from the couch; they did have to take a slight detour before going to the dining room table.
After Toby finished in the bathroom, Francis helped him to his seat at the dining room table. Once he was seated, Francis disappeared into the kitchen. It was but a moment later Charlotte entered the dining room from the kitchen, carrying a rectangular serving dish, which she placed on two ceramic squares sitting in the center of the dining room table. Right on Charlotte's heels came Francis, carrying a plate of garlic bread. Charlotte had returned to the kitchen after placing the serving dish on the table, returning with a bowl of mixed salad covered with Italian dressing.
"Well, girls, I see you've improved in setting the table. I commend you for the slight improvement." Jane was dying to try Charlotte's lasagna but had to be 'that' Jane first. "Since the house is still standing, I suppose the kitchen is still in one piece. I'll see for myself after you two have finished in the kitchen. Now, what poison have you given us tonight? It looks passable, hopefully it tastes better than it looks." And with that, Jane took the spatula and removed a large pre-cut square of lasagna, passing the spatula to Marie. The spatula finally reached Toby, as the salad bowl had reached Charlotte. When the salad bowl reached Toby, Charlotte had taken a piece of garlic bread and was passing the plate to Francis. Once Toby had taken a piece of garlic bread, and bowed his head for a moment, they all began eating.
Charlotte was eating very slowly, while she watched Marie and Jane as they ate. Jane knew Charlotte was watching her and Marie, and decided it was time to find out why. Bring up another fork of lasagna, she stopped, looked at Charlotte, and asked, "Miss Thorton. Is there something wrong with your food? You don't like your own cooking, is it? Why are you eating so slowly?"
Marie, too, had been aware of Charlotte watching her and Jane. And sucked on her lips to hold in a chuckle as she watched Charlotte squirm because Jane had once again aimed the spotlight directly at herself because of her actions. "I, a, um, was just wondering how you and Marie liked the lasagna, Aunt Jane. I hope it meets with your satisfaction." Marie chuckled inwardly, watching as Charlotte climbed out of the hole she fell into.
"Well, Miss Thorton. I'll admit it's different from what we usually have, with an interesting flavor we usually don't experience. It's passable, I believe, and something Marie might be interested in making again. You do have the recipe, don't you, Miss Thorton?"
Jane and Marie had watched as a small band of sweat had broken out across Charlotte's forehead as Jane spoke. They both saw the sigh of relief that washed over Charlotte's face because of what Jane had said. Then Jane received the only reply she would tolerate to that type of question. "Yes, Aunt Jane. I have the recipe and would be happy to give it to tante Marie." Marie quickly put a fork of lasagna in her mouth to stifle the laugh that was close to occurring.
"Excellent, Miss Thorton. Then we can look forward to this dish again. Now, there will be a change in your continued making of our meals. You two," and Jane pointed to Francis and Charlotte, "will no longer exclude Marie from the kitchen during your preparations. If she is to learn these recipes, she must be present to observe, oui? And, Miss Thorton, despite your Uncle's teachings, it's likely he forgot to mention one or two things when something doesn't turn out as you expected. So, again, Marie will be in the kitchen with you two from now on. I believe the two of you understand these changes, don't you?"
Telling the girls Marie WOULD be in the kitchen from now on, put a damper on the way both girls had been working in the kitchen. And it showed on their faces. Still, they both knew there'd be no changing Jane's mind, as they replied in unison, "Yes, Aunt Jane." After saying that, it wasn't difficult for both girls to see how pleased Jane was with their decision, as she smiled and nodded her head at their response.
Charlotte had made the lasagna using a 9 ½ x 15 ¼ casserole baking dish, which now sat empty on the dining room table. Apparently, since according to Jane, the meal was just passable, everyone, including Jane, decided to have a second helping of lasagna. The garlic bread had disappeared, as had the tossed salad. So, for a passable meal according to Jane, it turned out to be anything but passable, if the empty dishes and plates were a testimony.
"Now," Jane started, in her no-nonsense tone, "Charlotte and Toby, your tutor, Susan Toliver, arrives tomorrow. She will begin your advanced lessons, the lessons you both asked for at your respective high schools but were denied. And Francis, when she conducts the foreign language lesson, you will attend. I expect the three of you to put forth your best efforts and to afford Susan the same respect you show me and Marie. And you do know the possible consequences if you don't put forth your best efforts and utmost respect. As I see there are no questions, a table needs cleared, dishes need washed, and a kitchen needs cleaned. Upon Marie's approval of HER kitchen, the three of you have the evening to yourselves. Understand, ladies. If Marie isn't satisfied with your efforts, you will redo what she finds deficient."
While the girls knew, and Toby was learning, Jane's last statement was her way of telling the three she wouldn't accept any questions concerning what they'd just been told. It was also her way of dismissing the three. After asking to be excused, and it being granted, Francis and Charlotte pushed their chairs back, stood up, and began clearing the table. What surprised everyone, was watching Toby assist the girls. When Francis and Charlotte looked at Jane, she shook her head slightly, telling the girls not to say anything. Even though he was working slowly, Toby didn't stop until the last piece had been cleared from the table. Then, with pain showing on his face, he slowly made his way to the couch and slowly sat down, letting out a sigh as he did so. In the back of Jane's mind, her monster was listing all of the things they could do to Tylor. Jane told it to shut up.
Marie didn't have to be told by Jane what she was going to do, as it was silently conveyed between the two women. Before the girls had finished in the kitchen, Jane had gone into her bedroom, redressed, and left the house for the stable, where she groomed her mare, saddled her, and let her lead Jane out onto her property. Specifically the pond. Marie had gone into the kitchen and helped the girls clean the dishes and the kitchen, before going into the living room, not only to keep an eye on Toby but to continue where she'd left off reading in the book she'd started. The girls, once finished with the kitchen, had gone up to their rooms, freshening their faces without needing to be told. After they came back down, they went into the living room, sat on either side of Toby and the three talked until being told it was time to get ready for bed. After helping Toby off the couch, they helped him up the stairs and saw him to his bedroom, asking if he needed any help bathing himself because of the wounds he still had. Because he could only take a bath at the moment, he considered the question and decided having someone wash his back wouldn't hurt. Toby asked Charlotte to stay and wash his back for him after he was in the bathtub.
If Francis was upset because Toby chose Charlotte, she hid it well, as she left Toby's bedroom and walked down the hall to her's. Marie had gone into the study, unlocked the cabinet door, turned on the monitor, and split-screened Toby's and the girl's bedrooms on the monitor. She saw Charlotte in Toby's bedroom, and caught the end of the conversation between her and Toby, with Toby telling her he'd call her when she could wash his back. She then focused on Francis' bedroom, watching as Francis undressed, took clean lingerie out of the chest of drawers, took her robe out of the closet, and went into the en suite to shower. Her attention was drawn back to Toby's bedroom as she heard Toby call Charlotte. Marie switched to the camera in Toby's en suite, watching as Charlotte walked into the bathroom, picked up a washcloth, soap it, and gently began washing Toby's back. The two chatted while Charlotte washed Toby's back, and once or twice, Marie thought she saw a tear or two slide down Charlotte's cheek and she gently washed his back, careful of the wounds that were healing. Once she was finished, Toby thanked her and Charlotte left the bathroom and the bedroom, walking slowly to her own bedroom.
Marie watched as Charlotte entered her own bedroom, but went directly to her bed and sat down. "It isn't right, Marie," Charlotte said, then looked up at the camera. "After getting an up-close look at those wounds and scars on Toby's back, if his brother survives, he should be thrown in prison and left to rot. Instead, he'll only get a few years and then be out and likely looking for Toby when he does. And the entire time he's in prison, he'll be blaming Toby for his getting shot and sent to prison, when getting shot was not Toby's doing and when it was the statements from the kids that caused him to be sent to prison. But what if he turns State's evidence against those running everything? What if he only gets probation, it's possible if they think he has the most damning information they could use against Strom? He could deal for no jail time in exchange for testifying against Strom and the others. Then he'd come after Toby without having to wait years to do so. Toby needs protected, Marie. He needs to disappear so Tylor can't find him. I feel so helpless, tante Marie."
Marie, always the stoic one no matter the situation in the house, reached up and knuckled tears out of her eyes, as she watched the anguish on Charlotte's face. She watched as Charlotte stood up from her bed and began to undress, tears sliding down her cheeks as she did. In days gone by, Charlotte would often hum to herself as she undressed and showered. Not this night. This night, there was a dark cloud hanging over Charlotte. It was a dark cloud of despair because she couldn't do anything to help protect Toby when everything with his brother had concluded. "Well, chère, you may not be able to do anything, but Jane and I can." She then took out her keys and unlocked the security drawer. Reaching inside, she pulled out their book with phone numbers of everyone they dealt with. Finding Ruth's home phone number, she picked up the phone and made the call. "Hello, Ruth, it's Marie...Yes and no. We're all doing our best under the circumstances, but there's helplessness running rampant...It's about protecting Toby once he leaves us and, if his brother survives, from his brother...Yes, his going to prison is likely, but if he makes a deal with the prosecutor? Exchanges information for no prison time? He may then come after Toby...Ruth, you really think Tylor would obey a restraining order? After everything he's done?...Our Charlotte is going off the rails with worry, Ruth...Why is she worrying? Because she can't see any way to protect Toby after he leaves us or if anyone will protect him after he goes back home, which shouldn't happen, by the way, Ruth...That's true Ruth, his dad is there but so far isn't aware of what's been done to Toby. Has anyone sent you pictures of the severe beating he was given?...They have, good. Maybe it's time his father sees those pictures and knows about everything Toby's been suffering. And maybe it's time his father relocates somewhere the boy would like to live and with others around who could protect them both...Why Ruth, I believe you're psychic. Kingston is where Toby said he could live, he said it's pretty country...It's important Ruth...I know you'll do the best you can. But our Charlotte needs to hear something positive before she has a complete meltdown...You're preaching to the choir, Ruth. There's three of us who would like to do the same...Alright. Get back to us as soon as you can...You have a good night too." Marie hung up the phone, putting the phone book back into the secure drawer before closing and locking it. She checked the monitor one last time, seeing the girls and Toby about to come back downstairs.
The door to the study opened, and a fresh-looking Jane walked in, closing the door behind her. "Well, what'd Ruth say?"
Marie chuckled, shook her head, and replied with, "Basically… she'll do what she can. She'll show Toby's father the pictures taken of all he's been through. But whether the father decides to act, eh. I told her our Charlotte is on the verge of a meltdown with worry about Toby's safety, and how Toby would like to live out here if he could. I also told her how three of us were in agreement with her, and had thought of several things we'd like to do to those running this mess. But right now, I'm more concerned about Charlotte. She washed Toby's back for him while he was in the tub. Then, after going back to her bedroom, sat on her bed and talked to me through the camera, Jane. She was looking directly at the camera as she spoke. I'm worried she's on the verge of a complete meltdown if we don't hear some positive news. She needs to hear how Toby will be protected once he leaves us."
"Marie, it's a mystery to me as well, how she knows when we're watching her. But we've both done all we can by informing those dealing with the case of Toby's needs and our concerns for his safety. Maybe Sherry can help Charlotte realize that fact. That you can do only what you can do and trust others to do what needs to be done. I'll talk with Charlotte first thing in the morning. But now, I hear bedroom doors closing, so we better get out there. By the way. When was the last time you went for a ride?"
There was no pretense of Jane and Marie having been doing something else while the three had been getting ready for bed. Both Marie and Jane stood in the living room, facing the stairs and waiting for the three to arrive. Three slow steps could be heard walking towards the stairs, and slower steps as they descended the stairs. As Jane and Marie watched the three slowly descend the stairs, Francis was in front of Toby and Charlotte behind him. They were in that formation in case Toby faltered on the stairs and started to fall. Toby was taking one cautious step at a time, and the girls were matching him step for step. Both women knew Charlotte would have helped Toby simply because he needed the help. The old Francis would have come down the stairs without a care for Toby's needs. Now, she kept asking if he was doing okay, and if he needed to stop for a few moments. Because of Charlotte, Francis truly cared for someone besides herself. Watching as the three reached the ground floor, Toby let out a big sigh and slowly walked into the living room, past Jane and Marie, and to the end table at the right side of the couch. There he took out a pill from each of the two bottles, throwing both into his mouth before washing them down with water from a glass of water near both bottles. Then, he slowly walked back over to Jane and Marie, standing between Francis and Charlotte, and silently waited.
Because Marie hadn't taken the clothing Toby brought with him, he was wearing a loose tee shirt and pajama bottoms. The girls by contrast were wearing their nightgowns underneath their robes. It wasn't hard for Jane and Marie to see how fatigued Toby was at this moment, so Jane shortened what she usually did before the girls went to bed. She quickly checked the girl's faces, making sure they'd cleaned all of their makeup off and applied moisturizer. Jane also saw they'd brushed their hair. "Well, girls. I see you're finally doing much better cleaning off your makeup and remembering to brush your hair. It's taken you both long enough to remember. Toby. How are you feeling right now?"
Toby squeezed his eyes shut and opened them again, willing himself to stay awake. "Truthfully, Aunt Jane, I need to sleep. I'm still in pain but it's manageable, to a point. My back still hurts if I lean against anything hard, otherwise, I can manage. It's my legs and butt that hurt the worst. I feel everything pull each time I take a step, which is why I'm slow on my feet. I'm trying to find a gate that doesn't cause everything to pull. And I discovered if I walk stiff-legged, my butt hurts. Overall, Aunt Jane, I'm doing much better being here. Thank you for allowing me to stay here with everyone. All of you have really made a difference in me."
Jane had to show her authority, so didn't react as she'd like to react by hugging Toby right that minute. "Very good, Toby. If you need any help during the night, call out. Marie is just down the hall from your room. Girls, thank you for helping Toby today. I expect you two to continue helping him when it's needed. Now, please help him up to his bedroom and make sure he has no needs before going to your own rooms. Goodnight to each of you."
Recognizing their dismissal, the three turned and slowly made their way to the stairs. As they came down, they ascended the same way, one step at a time, with Charlotte leading and Francis following, keeping a watchful eye on Toby as they climbed. When the three had disappeared up the stairs, Marie said, as she continued looking where the three had last been, "I'm going to miss those three when they have to leave us, Jane. It will be strange to get back to our regular selves when our next girl arrives."
Marie didn't have to look at Jane to know she was nodding her head in agreement. "So am I, Marie. All three will be sorely missed." Both women bid each other a good night before Jane headed first to the study to check all three using the monitor. After seeing the three climb into their beds, she turned on the motion detectors in each room, closed and locked the cabinet then headed to her bedroom. Marie checked the front and back doors to make sure they were locked. She then checked the kitchen and the downstairs bathroom, making sure all lights were off and nothing was amiss, before turning off the living room lights and making her way up the stairs and to her own bed. It had been another long day.
6 a.m. comes early to Seasons House, as Marie left her bedroom and made her first stop at Toby's bedroom. When she entered his bedroom, the first thing she noticed was Toby's absence in his bed, a neatly made bed she observed. As she looked around the room, she noticed the absence of any clothes thrown on the floor or anywhere else. The room was as tidy as it had been when they readied it for his return from the hospital. Hearing water splashing, she went to the en suite, opened the door, and looked in. "Good morning, tante Marie," a chipper Toby greeted Marie, as he turned his head to see who'd opened the bathroom door. "Um, do you think you could wash my back for me?"
Chuckling lightly, Marie asked, "Won't being seen by a woman embarrass you, young man?"
Toby laughed, then said, "I'll answer your question while you please wash my back, it itches."
Toby saw a stern look develop on Marie's face, as she replied, "Coercion has no place in this house, at least by our guests. It would be wise of you not to practice it on Jane, if you wish to continue being our patient. Otherwise, you might find yourself being one of our girls. I will try to be gentle on your back, young one." Marie took a washcloth from the towel rack, Toby handed her the soap he was using, and after lathering up the washcloth, she gently began washing Toby's back. Toby would wince or hiss as Marie washed the deeper wounds as they were still quite sensitive. "Now, young man, your answer," she told Toby as she continued to gently clean Toby's back.
"During my talks with Francis and Charlotte, I learned it was you who came into my bedroom to remove my clothes, so I'd have none of my 'boy' clothing to wear; that is your standard petticoat punishment practice. So, tante Marie, because you came into my bedroom to remove all of my own clothing, it stood to reason that you would have taken off any clothing I still had on while sleeping. So, you've already seen me naked, what's one more time? Plus, it's not like I have anything different about me… " Toby's voice trailed off after realizing how he meant to finish the sentence would have been false. Because, even though Marie had seen naked boys before, none bore the marks of being severely beaten as Toby had.
Quietly, Marie said, "It's okay, cher (dear.). I know what you meant. Your plumbing isn't any different than any other boy I’ve seen naked. And yes, I saw you when I came to remove all of your clothing. I will also tell you, after seeing what someone did to you, I had a lot of dark thoughts about what I'd like to administer to them. A woman will be here tomorrow, her name is Sherry Daniels, and all of us are going to sit down and speak with her. You, Francis, and Charlotte especially. Specifically you most of all, because of the likelihood you've developed PTSD after enduring your ordeal. Cher (Dear,), it's even been rough on Jane and me, seeing someone with your demeanor and aptitude being treated as you were treated. There, your back is now clean. Hurry as quickly as you're able, I now have to look in on our girls."
Marie rinsed out the washcloth, dried her hands, then looking at Toby again, left the en suite with more dark thoughts wanting to be released. After leaving Toby's bedroom, she schooled herself, walked the short distance to Charlotte's bedroom, and entered the room. Once again, she found no Charlotte. She muttered to herself as she walked to the well-made bed, lifted the pillow, and found Charlotte's neatly folded nightgown where it should be. Still muttering to herself, something about she hoped that girl hadn't been foolish and gone to the kitchen alone, she went to the en suite door, opened it, and heard the shower running. "Morning, tante Marie. Did you sleep well?"
"How… " was all Marie was able to say before getting her answer.
Laughing, Charlotte told her, "Air currents, tante Marie. Plus, it's too early for Aunt Jane to come check on us. Is Toby okay this morning? He was in a lot of pain last night, only he didn't want you and Jane to worry so he didn't tell either of you. He asked you nicely to wash his back, didn't he? We told him to ask you nicely and you might do it for him. And no, I haven't forgotten about not going into the kitchen alone, if you were going to ask."
Marie stood at the bathroom door dumbfounded, she was listening to another Jane. Charlotte said or asked everything she was going to tell her or ask her. It was as though this boy-bodied girl had second sight, or something. "To answer your questions about Toby, yes he seems better today. Yes, he asked nicely for me to wash his back. He is still in pain but hides it well. You and Francis continue helping when he needs it or if you see he needs it but won't ask. Now, stop perdre du temps (wasting time), you must hurry. Jane will not be happy if you aren't downstairs before she appears. Déplace-le (Move it!)!" Marie was pleased to see Charlotte's bra and panties neatly folded and lying on the sink countertop. Looking behind the bathroom door, she was again pleased to see the robe hanging from the hook attached to the back of the door. This is what they've always found when coming into Charlotte's bedroom in the morning.
Leaving Charlotte's bedroom, Marie went into Francis' bedroom, not really surprised by what she saw. Her bed was neatly made, and looking under the pillow, she found Francis' nightgown neatly folded. Going to the en suite, she quietly opened the door, heard the shower running, and saw Francis' silhouette behind the shower curtain. Her bra and panties were where they've been the past several days, and neatly folded. Checking behind the bathroom door, she saw the robe hung where it should be hung. Backing out of the bathroom, and silently closing the door, she took one more look at Francis' bedroom before leaving to make her way to the kitchen. Charlotte had been a godsend, were her thoughts after seeing Francis' bedroom.
Jane came out to the living room just as she saw the girls and Toby partway down the stairs. Charlotte was ahead of Toby and Francis behind, each stepping as slowly as the steps Toby was taking. After the three reached the bottom of the stairs, the girls flanked Toby as the three slowly walked into the living room. This time, instead of walking past Jane to take his pills, Toby stopped where the girls stopped and waited with them. "Toby, how are you this morning?" Jane asked, her voice laced with iron, desiring to enforce her authority over the three.
"Somewhat better, Aunt Jane. My back is starting to itch, which while annoying, is a good sign. My legs are feeling better, and itching as well. There is still some pain and I'm still being careful walking because of my butt. If I walk too fast, what's still healing pulls, causing my pain to spike. I'll take my pills when allowed, Aunt Jane."
Jane threw her head in the direction of the end table before telling Toby, "Go. Take what you need." She let Toby walk by before starting in on both girls. "You're becoming even more presentable each day, ladies. You are almost on par with the salon makeup artists, also, ladies. Perhaps, one day, with more practice, you'll get there. Right now though, a table needs to be properly set and Marie needs your assistance in the kitchen. So ladies, get to work." Both girls knew a dismissal when they heard it from Jane. Both girls would have rushed to the kitchen to retrieve everything needed to properly set the table, but the consequences would have been unpleasant, and tiring. So, together, they calmly walked to the kitchen and began a well-practiced dance. Watching until the girls entered the kitchen, Jane turned her attention to Toby, turning to just catch as he schooled the pain off his face. "Why do you hide it, Toby? The pain you're experiencing? There is no shame in showing pain after what you've endured. If you hide your pain from Jill, you might be hiding something serious. We are here to help you, not condemn you or humiliate you, or to harm you. You must be honest with us if we are going to help you to the best of our abilities. Do you understand?"
Nodding his head as he spoke, he told Jane, "Yes, Aunt Jane. I understand, I just don't want to be more of a bother than I've been. Or cause anyone more strife. My past actions have already done that for several people. If I had shown the actual pain I was feeling, I felt I'd become a bother to all of you. And after how this whole mess has affected everyone here, it didn't feel right to show my actual pain and add to the anguish I've witnessed. Over the years, I've learned to tolerate a lot of pain, it was that or get more of the same. I chose to learn tolerance, it hurt much less."
Looking at Toby with empathy in her eyes and a heavy heart, her reply was, "I can't imagine the need to endure such pain to avoid more pain. However, when Jill is next here, you will be completely honest with her. You will tell her where you experience the most pain and when it occurs. You will no longer hide your pain from us. If you must go lie down to ease the pain you're feeling, then say that is what you must do. We will help you the best we can, but not if you continue to hide it from us. Do I make myself clear, Mr. Camber? Or should I make it Miss Camber?"
Toby hung his head, gently shaking it left the right, before raising his head and telling Jane, "I'm sorry, Aunt Jane. In thinking I'd cause you less worry by not telling you about my pain, I was actually causing you to worry. I won't hide how I'm feeling from you, Marie, or the girls anymore. I do understand what you've told me. As to Mr. or Miss., Aunt Jane. It may sound strange, but if I wasn't covered with all of these wounds or scars, it might be interesting to become one of your girls. Gaining a different perspective on life would be an eye-opener. Um, Aunt Jane. Would you please help me to the bathroom?"
No one would walk the study this morning when notifying Jane of breakfast being ready. It was given to Jane and Toby, both back in the living room, when the girls brought out a platter each of assorted peeled fruit slices and Marie with the egg casserole, consisting of eggs, hash brown potatoes, ham, chopped green peppers, chopped onions, and a cheese topping. After setting down their platters, both girls went over to the couch and helped Toby off the couch, staying with him as he slowly walked to his chair at the dining room table. As was his usual habit at their meals, Toby bowed his head momentarily, before the egg casserole was dished out and the platters passed around. After raising her eyebrow at Marie, who jerked her head towards Charlotte, the girls heard Jane say, "This isn't too bad, Marie. You've been holding out on us."
When Jane spoke, six pairs of eyes were on her, only one pair catching the look between Jane and Marie. That pair of eyes looked back down and continued eating, knowing, without looking at Jane, what was about to happen. Marie corrected Jane by telling her, "Oh, cher, this casserole isn't my recipe, but our Miss Thorton's."
Now Charlotte's head was really down, almost touching her plate, as she actually shoveled the casserole into her mouth, feeling more than knowing all eyes were now on her. "Miss Thorton, is there something wrong with your back? If not, why are you doing a Quasimodo impression? Sit up, young lady. Young ladies at this table do not hunch over while eating. I think we all would like to hear why you felt the need to almost put your face into your plate. Don't you agree, Miss Thorton?"
Once again Jane had put Charlotte into an uncomfortable situation, the need to say why she had been eating hunched over. Both Jane and Marie saw Charlotte going through thought after thought, until she finally made a decision. "No, Aunt Jane, I don't agree. I knew what Marie was going to say to you before she said it. I also knew what you were going to say about the casserole before you said it. I knew the way I was sitting was going to draw your attention, knowing you'd say something about the way I was sitting. I'm tired of the humiliation laid on me when I try doing something nice for everyone by fixing nice meals. I'm tired of the iron mistress voice trying to make me feel bad because I might not met your standards. All because I've tried to do something nice for everyone. Not anymore, Aunt Jane. Not, anymore." And with that, Charlotte pushed her chair back, got up from her chair, ran out of the dining room, up the stairs, and to her bedroom.
Francis was about to take another fork full of the casserole before Charlotte started speaking. The fork was halfway to her mouth but froze as Charlotte started speaking. That's where it stayed the entire time Charlotte spoke, even as she watched Charlotte bolt from the table and head to her bedroom. It was still in place as she looked between Jane and Marie, seeing the message being passed. She watched as Marie patted Jane's hand, then started to get up from the table. "Tante Marie, let me go to her?" It was Toby who'd asked Marie. Then looking at Jane he told her, "Aunt Jane, you forget Charles isn't one of you regular girls, who need the humiliation and iron voice to help them change their behavior and attitude. Charles is already there, he needs no behavioral change or his attitude adjusted. Charlotte may not have been severely beaten physically as I was, but you've severely beaten her mentally. It isn't something she is accustomed to having done to her. Please, I know how she's feeling. Please let me go to her."
The reminder that Charlotte wasn't one of Jane's regular girls, hit Jane hard. She'd been treating her as one of her girls who needed a change of behavior and attitude, and hadn't taken into account how her constant needling was going to affect someone not needing to change. Jane was looking at her lap, lost in thought over what had just occurred. "Go, cher. Go help our Charlotte," Marie told Toby in a soft voice. "Go with him, Francis. Help him up the stairs then come back, oui?"
Author's Note: When I first wrote Complicit In a Lie, I had no thoughts, or ideas, to write a sequel. But thanks to a few readers, who asked about a sequel, ideas formed that made writing this sequel possible. It is necessary to have read Complicit In a Lie to understand why Charles is now with Jane, who the boy arriving in Kingston is and how he's involved in Charles' Court case. And to understand where Mr. Corporate, George Strom, fits into this story. This story starts off after Charles says, "When do we start," in Complicit in a Lie. So if you haven't read Complicit In a Lie, the beginning of this story won't make any sense. Hint hint!
Francis and Toby asked to be excused, which was granted by Marie, Jane was still lost in her thoughts. Francis helped Toby move his chair back, stand, and together, they slowly walked to the stairs. Marie had been watching the two as they slowly walked towards the stairs, and, as they had now disappeared from her sight but within her hearing, she heard them as they started ascending the stairs. She then turned her attention to Jane, still sitting in her chair, head down, lost in her mind. She reached out with her left hand and took Jane's right hand, which was lying in Jane's lap. "Mon cher et doux ami (My dear and sweet friend,), look at me."
Marie shook Jane's arms, finally getting Jane to look up and at Marie. "Chère, we are not in our normal situation, where the threat of being exposed as a boy dressed as a girl or the threat of being sent home dressed as they are, is enough to get our girls to do what we want. With Francis, that works, but it won't work with Charlotte or, now Toby. Toby will do as we ask because he's grateful to be staying here, and away from his tormentors. Plus, I believe his Aunt Terri instilled in him those traits we now see. Charlotte is an altogether different case. You gave her the choice of staying as Charles or becoming one of our girls, she chose the latter, for the experience. She has developed such an affection for you she would do almost anything you ask of her, but we can't use our usual methods because, unlike Toby, she's more worried about disappointing you. I truly believe we could threaten to send her home dressed as she is, or naked, and it wouldn't phase her. She knows who she is and cares nothing what others but her parents and you, think of her. Oh, she cares what I think of her, but not as deeply as she does you. Go, take your plate with you, and see how Toby is doing with our Charlotte. I'll have Francis finish her breakfast and we'll take care of everything."
Marie chuckled as she watched Jane take more of the egg casserole, before pushing back her chair, standing, picking up her plate, and walking to the study. After entering the study, Jane walked to her desk, sat the plate down, then unlocked the cabinet, turned on the monitor, and selected the camera in Charlotte's bedroom. What she saw on the monitor almost disappointed her, as Charlotte sat at the vanity with a jar of cold cream sitting open on the vanity counter and a tissue in her hand. But not Toby. Splitting the screen, she activated the camera in the hallway to the bedrooms, observing Toby standing outside Charlotte's bedroom. "Charlotte, please, let me in. I just want to help." Through the microphone in Charlotte’s bedroom, Jane could tell Charlotte could hear what Toby was saying, but seemed to ignore his pleas. As Jane watched, and finished eating her breakfast, Charlotte reached up with the tissue but paused her hand over the mouth of the jar. And held it there. From Charlotte's reflection in the mirror on the vanity, Jane could see the fierce battle going on inside of the girl’s mind. One minute it seemed her mind was made up, and her hand would start to dip the tissue into the cold cream, the next, she'd pull her hand back up and sit there. Back and forth it went on, until finally, her face contorting in anger, Charlotte jammed the tissue into the jar, picked up the jar, and slammed it back on the vanity countertop before storming to the bedroom door, kicking the chair out from under the doorknob and going over to her bed, and throwing herself across it.
Watching the monitor, Jane saw Toby react when he heard the noise from the bedroom. Trying the doorknob again, Toby walked into Charlotte's bedroom when he found the door would open. After entering the room, and closing the door behind him, Jane watched as Toby stood and looked around Charlotte's bedroom. She saw him stare at the open jar of cold cream sitting on the vanity countertop and the tissue sticking out of it, asking, "So, why didn't you?"
The silence in the room was deafening, until Charlotte, still lying on her stomach, turned her head so she could see Toby and asked him in a hostile voice, "Why didn't I WHAT?"
Calmly, Toby pointed to the open jar of cold cream with the tissue sticking out of it and again asked, "So, why didn't you?"
Moving her head to follow where Toby was pointing, Charlotte turned her head back with her chin resting on the bed and answered, "Trust me, I wanted to. I almost did several times before you came. But I couldn't, even though I really wanted to."
"Why couldn't you?" Toby asked, as she slowly walked over and with a grimace, righted the chair and sat down, sighing after sitting. "Why couldn't you remove the makeup on your face and become Charles again? That's what you were fighting with yourself about, isn't it?"
It was Charlotte's turn to let out a sigh before replying, "Yeah, it's what I was fighting with myself to do. But I couldn't. Because I gave Aunt Jane my word of honor, and I can't go back on my word. GOD… I hate all of this!"
Toby started laughing, it pained him but he laughed anyway. "You hate all of THIS?" And he waved his hand around the room. "Girl, all of this is great, compared to where I came from. Compared to what I endured, you've got it easy. How many times has Aunt Jane taken a belt, a wire, or anything she could get her hands on, and beat the hell out of you? I'll bet none. I'll bet she's never raised her hand to you, has she? That's because she doesn't have to, does she? She's the best psychologist I've ever seen, and I've seen a few, thanks to Aunt Terri. How do you sleep at night, Charlotte? Do you worry Aunt Jane will come into your room and decide you shouldn't be sleeping because she can't and beat you awake? Or yell at you to get up and make her something to eat at 2:00 in the morning? I'll bet you sleep soundly, barring any nightmares or other bad dreams, right? Let me get undressed and let you take a good look at something you could honestly hate. Shall I do that for you, Charlotte? Shall I get naked so you can see what's really to hate? For almost two years, Charlotte, two damn yearsAND YOU HATE ALL OF THIS? What a self-absorbed whiny bitch. And here I thought you were Miss Strong-willed Charlotte. Boy, was I wrong!"
Toby had been looking at the floor as he spoke. His view of the floor was blocked by two feet wearing low heels, causing him to look up into the face of an angry girl. "Well looky here, she can stand by herself. So, what now? Do I become the little pieces you spoke of, which I agree with you, by the way? Or what?"
"What the hell were you going to do after graduating high school? I'd really like to know."
Looking down at Charlotte's feet, he told her in a melancholy voice, "I'd like to go to college and get my B.S., then a Masters, then a Ph.D., all in psychology. I'm pretty good at motivating people and sidestepping all of the BS to get down to their real problems. Take you for instance," and he looked up at Charlotte. "I screwed up your life with the lie I told about you, and even though you hide the anger well, it's still there. And when you heard me identify Strom, and when we heard what's happening to the kids who didn't get arrested, and you felt helpless to do anything, your anger surfaced and you reacted. You hold things inside of you. You could have talked with Aunt Jane or tante Marie, or me, but not you. You play the Lone Ranger until it gets too much then blow up. Did you ever once think how Jane and Marie are feeling about all of this? You didn't see Jane when you ran away from the dining room table just now. You really hurt her with your outburst. People try and help you and that's how you repay them? Jane has seen how indecisive you can be and has been putting you into situations that force you to make your own decisions. But not you. You have to bite the hand that's offering you help. How am I doing so far? From the look on your face, I'd say I've been hitting every nail on the head every time. What do you think?"
Inwardly, Toby cringed when Charlotte raised her arms before she turned, stomped to the vanity, pulled the tissue out of the jar of cold cream, threw it into the waste basket, before putting the lid on the jar, and putting it back where it had been sitting on the vanity countertop. She then turned and stomped back to where Toby was sitting before telling him, "I hate it when people get some things right about me. Come on, we'd better get back downstairs. I'm probably in a bunch of trouble for what I did." Reaching down to Toby, she took his outstretched hands and helped him out of the chair. With his arm around Charlotte's shoulder, and her arm gently around his waist, they slowly walked to the bedroom door. After Charlotte opened the door, they slowly left the bedroom, stopping so Charlotte could close the door behind them. Then their slow walk began to the stairs, and with Charlotte leading, they made their way slowly down the stairs. Reaching the bottom of the stairs, Charlotte helped Toby to the couch and helped him sit down. Turning towards the dining room, she saw the table had been cleared so walked directly into the kitchen. After walking past the kitchen door, it was an upset Francis she saw first. Tears were hanging in her eyes, as was the worried expression she was wearing. She turned to Marie when she heard, "You need to go to the study, oui? She needs you and you need her. Aller (Go.)."
When Jane saw the two were going to be coming downstairs, she shut off the monitor, closed and locked the cabinet before getting out of her chair and walking over to the front window. As she stood there, looking out over the scenery, there was a knock on the study door, which she ignored. She was still upset. Then, "Aunt Jane," Charlotte said, as she had opened the study door and stuck her head inside. Seeing Jane just standing at the window, ignoring her, she opened the door, came into the study, and softly closed the door behind her. Slowly, she walked over to the window and silently stood beside Aunt Jane. Their view of the scenery outside wasn't marred by any structures, giving them an excellent view of tall grass, patches of old-growth trees, and a flock of sheep grazing off in the distance. Charlotte broke the silence with, "I'm sorry, Aunt Jane. What I said was wrong, as was leaving the table as I did. I didn't mean to hurt you, I wasn't thinking about how it was going to affect you."
There was a long silence after what Charlotte said to Jane. It started to break when Jane reached out with her left arm and placed it around Charlotte's shoulders, pulling the girl closer to her side. Charlotte's right arm went around Jane's waist, and that's how they stayed for some time. "Yes, Charlotte, you were wrong, in what you said and did. But the greater fault is mine because I've been treating you as I do Francis or how I would have treated any of my past girls. I had wanted you to experience the many things girls your age might experience, but I went about it the wrong way. I wanted you to experience being a runway model for an afternoon, and a makeup model, but felt if I asked you to do those things, you'd have balk and refuse to do them. I threw you into those situations, giving you little choice but to comply. From this minute forward, I will take you aside and tell you what I'd like you to do. I will explain everything to you, and hope you choose to engage in the activity. Once we're in front of Francis, I will act as though you have no choice in the matter, keeping with how Francis is treated. Do you find those changes acceptable?"
The study was quiet once again, as Charlotte pondered what Jane just told her. After several quiet moments, Charlotte asked, "And if I decide not to participate in the activity?"
Once more the energy of the air in the study remained sedate, as Jane thought through different ways to plead with Charlotte without seeming to be pleading. Finally, "Charlotte. Since you've been here, you've done nothing but help Francis. You saw she needed help and you stepped in to help without being told or prodded. That is who you are, someone who willingly helps when you see the need. I'm asking you again to help Francis by willingly participating in the activities I have planned or will plan. Francis knows what activities you're likely to engage in because she herself did those very ones. She knew I was going to have you participate as a runway model when I took you to The Style Shoppe. She also knew you'd be a makeup model at the salon because she experienced the same thing. For her sake, please go along with me on this. I'll reiterate what I told you when you arrived. These experiences may never have happened to you as Charles. As Charles, the only way you'd have been a runway model, a teenage girl runway model, would be if you volunteered to do it for a charity event. As to being a makeup model, I doubt a charity event would ever do such a thing. Here, with Marie and myself, you have a great chance to experience the other side of the 'fence.' You get to see what it's like being a girl, participating in activities girls do engage in and make a career out of. You also experience the downside of being female, as you've already seen at the mall. On the other hand, you also saw how animalistic males can be when seeing a beautiful young woman strut as you did in that black outfit. All of this teaches you, Charles, it opens your mind in ways you ordinarily wouldn't have happened. Charles, book smarts give you the groundwork to experience life, with life being the best teacher of all. So please, Charles. Accept my proposal and continue helping Francis and learn from these events."
After several minutes, Charlotte pulled away from Jane, walked to the bookshelves, took down 'the book,' and began the five circumferences of the study. Jane didn't have to see Charlotte's face to know she was thinking about all Jane had said. She also didn't have to witness the five circuits of the study, as she knew Charlotte would do the five honorably. She heard 'the book' slide back on the bookshelf, felt an arm go around her waist, then heard, "Everything you said is true, Aunt Jane. Nowhere else could I learn what's on the other side of the 'fence.' Charles did see the animals grazing aimlessly through malls and stores, salivating every time they saw a pretty young lady. I witnessed a zoo one of those times at the Mall when a group of terribly attractive girls, about my age, passed three boys going in the opposite direction. But I never would have known how the girls felt, when it happened, if I hadn't experienced it for myself. I had my hair cut at a salon when mom and I were shopping. It was convenient since I was already at a place that cut hair, and easier than leaving the salon and going to the barbershop. But this time," and Charlotte paused, lost in thought, "this time was much different. This time, apart from Sandy, I was treated more intimately. And not just to make me appear more like a girl. Women have a greater bond among themselves than men. Sharing this or that, or discussing this or that seems to come naturally. And they open up to each other easier than men do."
"During the makeup class, there was one girl, Barbara Well, who had a severe case of acne. She was really upset by how others treated her because of her acne, even the girls in the class ignored her. I went up to her and started talking with her, then took her to Carolyn and asked if she had anything that could help her. Carolyn had a solution that was new to the market, made specifically to fight acne. When Barbara asked Carolyn if it worked, she called a girl named Mel, who showed us her before pictures. Her acne was ten times worse than what Barbara had, but that solution cleared up her skin. Mel called on another girl, Patty, who also showed up before pictures, and she had been worse than Mel. Both girls then asked Barbara to sit with them so they could show her some tricks they used to cover their acne until their skin cleared."
"But I also learned how cold young girls can be towards each other. The last time at the mall, a group of girls, led by a girl full of herself, thought I was prissy and was going to teach me manners. When I told her she couldn't teach manners to a goat, she tried to slap me. I caught her arm at the wrist and applied quite a bit of pressure. When I asked her if she wanted it to get really ugly, they all somehow decided to move out of my way as I walked toward them to leave. Then, as I was walking away from them, I learned I was a female dog from the girl who tried to slap me. Of course, after she said that, I turned to look at her, and had that darn itch on my nose again."
"I volunteered to be one of your girls, Aunt Jane. I gave you my word of honor I'd do what you asked, and I can't go back on my word. It would be dishonorable. As long as you ask me and explain what I will be doing, then I will do as you ask. I won't balk at the thought of doing it, though I may be apprehensive beforehand. For Francis' sake, I will appear to be unhappy with what you tell me to do in front of her. Is my decision satisfactory with you, Aunt Jane?"
Silence reigned supreme in the study again, broken after several minutes by Jane saying, "Yes, Charlotte. I can accept your decision. And I thank you for that decision. There's Susan Toliver now, just pulling into the driveway. Come, let's go welcome her to my home." And together, Charlotte's arm still around Jane's waist, and Jane's arm around Charlotte's shoulder, the two walked to the study door, where Charlotte opened the door for Jane and followed her out of the study, closing the door behind her. The study was quiet again, except for the used plate, empty of the bit of casserole Jane simply loved.
Francis had come straight back downstairs as Marie had instructed. Marie told her to finish her breakfast before the two cleared the table, with Toby's slow help, and finished everything needed in the kitchen. Marie told Francis to sit with Toby on the couch and wait for Susan to arrive, and that is where Francis and Toby were when Susan arrived and knocked on the front door. Jane had sent Charlotte into the living room after they came out of the study, and she and Francis helped Toby to stand as the three waited to be introduced to Susan. Very few who came to Seasons House didn't know what Jane and Marie did at Seasons House. And those who didn't know, Jane often made sure the girls were elsewhere. Susan happened to be one of those in the know, so wasn't shocked when Jane introduced the three to Susan.
"Girls, and Toby, this is Susan Toliver, the tutor I told you three about." As the girls had often done when helping Toby get around, Francis was on Toby's right and Charlotte was on his left. "Susan, the young lady on the left is Francis Winslow." Francis did a slight curtsy when Jane said her name. "The young man in the middle is Toby Camber." Toby nodded his head towards Susan, bending over to bow to Susan would have been too painful. "And the young lady on the right is Charlotte Thorton." As Francis did, Charlotte did a slight curtsy when Jane said her name.
"It's a pleasure to meet the three of you. I hope I can teach you as much as you want to learn. Charlotte, is your father Jeb Thorton? I ask because his firm has done work for me in the past."
"Yes, ma'am, Jeb Thorton is my father," Charlotte replied, having looked to Jane for permission to answer truthfully; Jane had nodded her head slightly.
"He's a wonderful man, Charlotte. He speaks very highly of you. So, what I want to do first is evaluate each of you with a few tests.” When Susan said tests, all three appeared to have just sucked on a lemon. “Oh, please, no sour faces. The tests I'll give you won't be graded, they're just to give me a starting point. From what Jane has told me, you, Toby, and you, Charlotte, had asked to be put into advanced classes at your respective high schools. And the anal heads denied your requests?" Toby and Charlotte nodded their heads at Susan's question. "Yeah, that doesn't surprise me a bit. They didn't want you two to mess up their program by taking classes others weren't interested in taking. They're more interested in social engineering than enriching minds. And Francis, I understand you have been doing much better in your lessons of late." Susan looked at Jane and continued with, "And I believe Jane now wants you to sit lessons with me?" Jane nodded her head in answer to Susan's question to her, even though it was directed at Francis. "Okay, let's get this show on the road, shall we? Ah, where do you want us, Jane?"
"Our study room is the library. The girls can show you where it is. I believe everything you asked for is there, and should you need anything else, please let me know."
It was Charlotte who asked, "Um, how do you want us to address you, Miss Toliver?"
Susan laughed before she answered. "Well, for starters, drop the Miss, I'm a Mrs.. And because the only principal here is Jane, you may call me by my given name, Susan. Of course, I know there may be other names you'll use as we progress through your lessons, but that's okay too." The smile Susan had on her face put all three at ease, though Charlotte and Toby had a feeling they shouldn't underestimate her one bit.
"Okay, Susan, if you'll follow us, we'll take you to the library," Charlotte told Susan and she put an arm around Toby's shoulders and helped him walk to the library. Francis was still standing where she had been standing, looking at Jane. After Susan passed her, she walked up to Jane and asked, "Why are you having me be with Susan? You told me I would be with her only for foreign languages?"
Jane gave Francis a small smile, then said to her, "I changed my mind because the work you've been doing has vastly improved. And I think you deserve to be given a chance to really see what you can do now that you have a chance. You do the best you can and pay attention, understand?"
Jane saw tears threatening to escape Francis' eyes. In almost a whisper, Francis got out, "Thank you for the chance, Aunt Jane. No one before you would have given me this chance. I don't know how I'll ever repay you for this."
Jane bent down so she could look Francis in the eyes before speaking. "You can repay me by doing the best you can. By learning as much as you can. Now, scoot, you'll be late for class." With a big smile on her face, and remembering not to run, Francis walked as fast as she knew was allowed to the library.
When the four had entered the library, and the door closed, Charlotte helped Toby to the couch by the near wall, hearing a sigh as Toby sat down on the soft cushions. "Toby, I know of the reason you are here, but not the why you aren't one of Jane's girls. By now, Jane would have had you as accomplished as Charlotte and Francis. Might I know the reason you haven't become one of Jane's girls?"
Charlotte had sat down on Toby's right, Francis on his left. He looked at Charlotte who shrugged her shoulders, then to Francis who did the same. Both silently telling Toby, 'why not?' With a nod of his head, both girls stood up, each taking one of Toby’s outstretched hands, helped him up from the couch, then stood with him as he spoke. "How much do you know of why I was sent here? Did you know I was involved with a shoplifting ring? Not by choice, mind you. Hasn't Jane told you how I was treated by my brother and Strom after my brother bailed me out of jail?"
Susan was nodding her head when Toby told her about being involved in the shoplifting ring and shook her head when he asked if Jane had told her how he was treated after being bailed out of jail. "Toby, I only know about your involvement in the shoplifting, not how you were treated after getting out of jail. Was it that bad?"
With a stern look on his face, and a bit of a growl in his voice, he told Susan, "I'll let you be the judge of that," as he turned around so his back was to Susan. Then, with growls and hissing, he lifted his shirt and pulled it over his head so it would stay in place. Painfully, he then bent down slightly so he could pull his pants and briefs down so Susan could see him from the base of his neck to the bottom of his butt cheeks. With a choked-up voice, he asked Susan, "Is this bad enough for you, or would you like to see everything? I can show you, simply by taking my pants completely off."
Both girls could hear how upset Toby was as he spoke, and as Francis pulled up Toby's briefs and pants, Charlotte pulled down his shirt, before they helped Toby back to the couch.
When Susan saw all of the scars, the wounds that were now pink, and the fresh wounds, she'd put her hands to her mouth. "Dear God, child. How could you endure such treatment? Why didn't you tell someone? Your father or the police or someone at your school? No one has the right to do that to anyone?"
Sitting on the couch, Toby snorted through the tears streaming out of his eyes. "Tell someone? Who? Those pink scars you saw, those I got from my brother as he caught me before I reached the police station. And the older scars? They were to remind me not to tell our dad or anyone else. The fresh wounds on my back and butt? Those my brother gave me for getting caught and being arrested. He and Strom fought with me, dragging me to a pair of pipes in the warehouse Strom used. They tied me spread eagle to those pipes and my brother went to town on me with a shaving strop. I don't know how long the beating lasted because I'd passed out by the third hit. It was either do as I was told or get more of the same or worse. What would you do, Susan? As to your question about me becoming one of Aunt Jane's girls? How? Backless fashions would be out. Short skirts would show what was done to my legs. I can't walk properly because of what was done to my butt, which pulls with each step I take. And my arms are still covered with bruises, though the bruises aren't as pronounced as they were initially. I also don't think it would be safe for others if I became one of Aunt Jane's girls. I'm still holding in a lot of anger over what was done to me. All it would take is the wrong person saying the right thing and, despite the pain I'm still feeling, I would pound that person into pulp. I would unleash all of my anger on that person, likely killing them before anyone could stop me. Because I wouldn't be able to stop myself."
Seeing the tissue box on the end of the study table, Susan took one out of the box before walking over and kneeling in front of Toby. Reaching up, she gently wiped the tears off Toby's cheeks and gently dabbed his eyes. Then, taking his hands in hers she said, "I know a person you can talk with, who can help you deal with everything that's happened to you. Help you try and calm the anger you rightfully harbor."
It was Francis who asked, "Is it Sherry?"
"Yes, Francis, it's Sherry," Susan replied. "She's a wonderful lady."
Charlotte chuckled then supplied, "She's coming here tomorrow. We're all going to speak with her. Even Aunt Jane and tante Marie. I guess I need to speak with her as much as Toby does. I've blown up several times over this whole freaking mess. And I have a lot of thoughts of what should be done to Toby's brother and Strom, which I can't do because it would put me at their lever and it wouldn't be the right thing for me to do."
Author's Note: When I first wrote Complicit In a Lie, I had no thoughts, or ideas, to write a sequel. But thanks to a few readers, who asked about a sequel, ideas formed that made writing this sequel possible. It is necessary to have read Complicit In a Lie to understand why Charles is now with Jane, who the boy arriving in Kingston is and how he's involved in Charles' Court case. And to understand where Mr. Corporate, George Strom, fits into this story. This story starts off after Charles says, "When do we start," in Complicit in a Lie. So if you haven't read Complicit In a Lie, the beginning of this story won't make any sense. Hint hint!
Susan looked at Charlotte and told her, "Charlotte, there are times you should do something and it won't put you on the same level as those you're fighting against. Law enforcement does it every day, in one way or another. And yet, the vast majority of them still hold on to their integrity. All of you in this house have likely given a lot of thought to what you'd like to do to Toby's brother and this Strom person. The five of you won't go after them because it isn't who you are or the right thing to do or because you feel it would put you on their level. You five won't go after those two because, deep down, you know it isn't your job. The thoughts you five have or have had, are typical with this type of situation. You want to do to them what they've done to you. If you went after those two because of that reason, then you would be at their level. And after you did what you'd like to do, you'd hate yourself for the rest of your lives. Do to those two what you'd like to do only in your minds. It may not be as satisfactory as actually watching what happens to them in real life, but you won't be the ones who'll be arrested because you gave in to your hate."
"Now," Susan said, standing up and walking back to the table where she laid her briefcase, operating the catches and watching as the latches flew up. Opening the lid and taking out a thick stack of papers, she went on with, "I need the three of you to work through these papers to the best of your abilities. This is NOT a test. These papers will NOT be graded. They are so I can see where you stand with your knowledge of the subjects you've taken or are taking now. There is NO time limit. If you can't answer a question or problem, don't worry about that question or problem, this ISN'T a test and you WON'T be graded. Girls, you may sit at the table to work through these papers. Toby, because you seem more at ease where you are, I have something you can use so you have a hard surface under the papers." With that said Susan began to divide up the papers into sets, setting two sets on the table and handing one set to Toby. She then walked over to the things Jane had provided, and rummaged through them until she found the two-foot by two-foot tray she'd asked Jane to get for her. Susan walked back to Toby, handed him the tray, along with a pencil and eraser before giving the same to Francis and Charlotte. "When you finish as much of one as you can, just turn it over next to you and continue with the next paper. As I said, there isn't a time limit, so take your time and answer what you can answer. I'll look in on you three from time to time, but will be speaking with Jane in case you need me. Go ahead, you can start. And please remember, this is not a test."
Once all three had started on their papers, Susan left the library, leaning against the outside of the library door as she tried to take in what Toby had shown her. She had her head in her hands, when a voice said, "Come into the kitchen. I'll make us some tea." Dropping her hands, she turned towards the voice and saw Marie standing a few feet away from her. "You look like you need to talk to someone. He showed you, didn't he? Everything or just his back? His legs aren't in any better condition. Come, you need to hear it all."
Marie led Susan into the kitchen and pointed to one of the kitchen table chairs opposite to where Jane was sitting. As Marie took three mugs out of an upper cabinet, then three tea bags out of a lazy susan on the counter, she had been speaking the entire time. "You already know about Toby being involved with the shoplifting, but did you know he lied about Charlotte, aka Charles, also being involved? There wasn't any real evidence to prove he was involved, but the CEO of Taylor's department store threatened to take it to Federal Court if Judge Ruth didn't find him guilty. So, to keep Charlotte, aka Charles, out of Federal Court, she sent him to us. Jane gave him a choice to continue being himself while here or become one of our girls. Our Jane pointed out he'd never again have such an opportunity to have such an experience. And as you see, Charlotte is now with us, and doing quite well. At least on the outside. On her inside, eh, not so much. This whole bordel sanglant (bloody mess) has her tied up in knots. Do you take cream or sugar with your tea?"
Susan shook her head at Marie's tea question, asking, "So, how bad is the whole mess? What possessed someone to beat that boy that severely? Surely CPS or some other agency could have intervened?"
Jane had remained silent as Marie spoke, taking a sip of her tea before answering Susan's questions. "Susan, did Toby tell you he wanted to go to the police, wanted to tell his father, but was reminded it wasn't in his best interests? Did he explain the faded, healed, old scars, or the pink ones, or about the fresh ones that are healing? Did you see what was done to his posterior, butt as he puts it? Pass me the sugar please."
Jane was contemplative as she stirred a spoon of sugar into her tea. How much should she tell Susan about everything? Would she tell her husband or anyone else? And if she told her husband or anyone else, would they tell others and it would get back to those, or the one, who wants Toby dead? With a sigh, Jane made her decision and told Susan, "Susan. You can't say anything to anyone about Toby. His life is in danger. Shortly after he arrived, we discovered the severe beating he'd been given and put him in the hospital because many of the wounds were infected. Two men came to the hospital looking for Toby in order to kill him. If the police hadn't been forewarned, they might have succeeded. He was brought back here because we believed no one would know of my house or that he'd been brought here. If anyone asked after Toby again at the hospital, they'd learn nothing, only that he was taken out of the hospital and not the location. It's set up so anyone asking would be told he was taken by the police." Jane's explanation was interrupted because her mug was at her lips, and another swallow of tea soothed her throat.
When Jane asked Susan if Toby told her about the last beating he'd been given, she nodded her head, so Jane backed up even further and told of how it started for Charles. "I again caution you against telling anyone about what you've learned and what I'm about to tell you. So far, only Strom and some woman have been discovered to be involved with the entire shoplifting affair, but it isn't certain there isn't someone even higher up on the food chain. Charlotte, aka Charles, was at Taylor's department store the day Toby and two other boys shoplifted quite a bit of gaming equipment and were caught. When Toby saw Charles at the jewelry counter he became jealous of Charles' freedom, his being able to come and go as he pleased. And his not appearing to have been mistreated. So, when he was questioned, she implicated Charles with a lie. Janes Conner, the security guard for that particular Taylor's department store, who was also involved in the shoplifting affair, had his head handed to him twice by Charles. The first time he only ended up face down on the floor with his arm twisted up behind his back and Charles' knee on his neck. The second time, when he tried intimidating Charles in the holding room, he made the mistake of bringing a collapsible police baton into the room. Those witnessing the event said it appeared Conner was actually going to use that baton on Charles in order to get him to confess. His third mistake was lying it on the table next to him, and then starting to reach for it to presumably use it on Charles. But Charles was quicker, sensing what Conner was going to do, he grabbed it before Conner did, snapped it open, and warned Conner he would defend himself if Conner came at him. Conner, a stupid man, who's ego ruled his life, tried to cross the table to get Charles but ended up with a broken left clavicle. Because his left arm would no longer support his weight on his left arm, because of the broken clavicle, he fell to the floor. Would you care for more tea?"
When Susan nodded her head yes, too enthralled with Jane's story to speak, Marie got up from her chair to boil more water. While the water was heating, Jane continued with her story. "Conner's fourth mistake was trying to stop Charles from leaving the holding room. Charles had tried to walk around Conner, who was in immense pain at the moment, but Conner reached out with his right arm and grabbed Charles' ankle. For that action, he ended up with a broken ulna and radius, as Charles used the baton to hit Conner's right forearm with enough force to break both bones. Charles was detained because of the lie Toby told, and because of what had just occurred with Conner, and they both ended up in the same police holding cell, along with the two boys with Toby. While in that cell, Toby acted all brave and tough, even trying to scare Charles with his actions. Because Charlotte was designated as the ring leader, bail was denied and she went before Just Ruth first; bail was granted for Toby and the other two boys. We never heard what became of the other two boys. That tea will grow cold if you don't drink it while it's hot." Jane chuckled because of Susan's gaze on her.
"The girls and I went to the train station to pick up Toby on Monday," Jane continued. "But the boy who got off the train was not the same boy Charlotte saw in the holding cell. As was observed, he seemed happy, not the angry, arrogant boy in that holding cell. Francis questioned something else about him, he was wearing a long-sleeved shirt in the warm weather at that time. Toby was respectful, polite, and thoughtful, opening the car doors for me and the girls. But I and Charlotte noticed something was off as we drove back to my home. Toby never sat back in the seat as would normally be done. Plus, he was trying to find a comfortable spot to sit, wiggling around the entire drive. And so far, he is still respectful, polite, and has found sitting more comfortable. It wasn't until Marie went to retrieve all of his clothing that the reason behind the long-sleeved shirt and the other things became apparent. You saw everything except his legs, correct?"
Jane asked Susan, receiving a nod in return. "He was much worse that Monday. Those recent wounds were oozing and some were infected. And his posterior was just as bad. I had Dr. Peters come to look at him and she immediately had him taken to the hospital. They kept him sedated while they cleaned out the recent wounds, and kept him sedated to help ease the pain he was experiencing. They lowered the sedative and he came around the second day he was there, that's when we learned who and how he had been so savagely beaten. Because he and the two boys had been caught shoplifting and arrested, Toby's brother, Tylor, and Strom fought with him but finally dragged him over to two poles in the warehouse Strom used, tied him spread eagle to those poles, and Toby's brother, using a shaving strop, savagely beat his own brother. Toby said he passed out after the third hit because of the pain, so he doesn't know how long the beating lasted." Jane stopped talking for a few moments while she moistened her throat with more of her tea.
"The police had been arresting the groups of three kids involved in the shoplifting. We received shocking news that the kids not having been arrested, were being killed. Possibly to shut them up so they couldn’t become witnesses. On the third day Toby was in the hospital, two men showed up at the hospital and started asking for Toby, claiming to be his two Uncles. The police had been warned about the possibility and had prepared to deal with it if and when it happened. A code went out to all staff members, and the receptionist had surreptitiously called the police and used a code word to let them know about the two men. After the police arrived at the hospital in disguise, the police made their move when the two were distracted by the receptionist, with each man having a handgun pressed against his temple. One man was carrying a silencer, the other, a 9mm handgun."
Dr. Peters was with Toby at the time the warning code was announced, and only learned of the problem when the hospital's two ex-military security guards came into Toby's hospital room to protect him. After the all-clear was given, another code word, the guards left Toby’s hospital room and Jill made a snap decision to bring Toby back here. And here is where he's been since that time. He'll need to see a psychologist, as will Charlotte, and perhaps Francis, when this beschissenes Durcheinander (fucking mess) is over and those responsible are answering for all of their crimes."
Marie reached across the table and laid a hand on one of Jane's hands holding the mug containing her tea. "Easy, chère. Calm yourself down. You know it's being taken care of and all we can do is take care of the three with us." With one hand still on Jane's hand, she looked at Susan and told her, "We are all upset by these events. We've all, well, maybe just Jane, me, and Charlotte, have had thoughts about what we'd like to do with Toby's brother and Strom. And a woman Strom has been seen with. But, that isn't our purpose. Our purpose is here, helping young men learn to become better young men by altering their behavior and thinking." Then she got a cold expression on her face as she said, "Believe me when I say this, Susan. If we did what we wanted to do, we wouldn't shed any tears afterward. We'd likely be in jail, but satisfied we'd rid this world of people who don't deserve to draw a breath."
Susan looked at Marie's hand still holding Jane's hand, then at Jane, then at Marie, and back to Jane. "You are two extraordinary women. Being able to help young men and hold yourselves together during something like this. I greatly admire the two of you. I guess I better go check on my pupils."
Marie smiled while looking at Susan and shook her head, before letting go of Jane's hand, getting up from the kitchen table, and walking over to a cabinet, where she took out her keys, unlocked the cabinet, and opened the doors to reveal a monitor. After turning the monitor on, she selected the library, and the three watched as the girls and Toby still had several papers to work through. And there was nothing unexpected going on. Marie looked at Susan before telling her, "See, our young ones are doing fine." She looked back to the monitor, then turned back to Susan. "They also seem to be part way through your papers. Maybe if you just looked in on them, asking if everything is alright, will let them know you haven't forgotten them. Oui?"
Nodding her head, Susan answered with, "Oui. Tu as raison. Ils ont peut-être des questions auxquelles il faut répondre (Yes. You're right. They may have questions that need to be answered.). I will be back shortly." With that said Susan got up from the kitchen table and walked to the library, knocking quietly before opening the library door and walking into the library. "So, how is everyone doing? Do you have any questions for me? I see all of you are about halfway through the piles I gave each of you. Remember, this isn't a test. There isn't a time limit. I'm just going to use your papers to determine your level of knowledge and where I can start with each of you."
Jane and Marie had been watching everything from the kitchen monitor. The girls and Toby had looked towards the library door when they heard the quiet knock. Then watched the door open and Susan entered the library, and closed the door behind her. After Susan asked her questions, and said this wasn't a test or had a time limit, all three just shook their heads and resumed what they'd been doing. They didn't see Susan nodding her head in satisfaction, before turning, walking to the library door, opening it, walking out, and quietly closing it behind her. She was impressed with those three. Others she'd given those same evaluations to had first looked through them, picked out the ones they were able to work, and refused to do any of the other sheets. But these three, actually took what they were doing seriously, working through each sheet one at a time.
By the time Susan had returned to the kitchen, Marie had shut off the monitor, closed and locked the cabinet doors, and was in the process of boiling more water for tea, which they'd drink with a slice of cake for each of them.
The first thing Susan asked the minute she reentered the kitchen, and before sitting down in front of a slice of chocolate cake, was, "Have their IQs been tested? When I've given those same evaluations to other youngsters, some only work a few of the sheets, others didn't do anything but sit there, and some have moaned and groaned when I'd check to see how they were doing. But those three, they are halfway through the piles I gave each of them, and had no questions or gripes because they were doing them. Those three, as I'm sure you saw, shook their heads at my questions, listened to my 'it's not a test or has a time limit,' then went straight back to their work. What kind of les fesses des vaches (cow's buttocks) do they have running the schools those three attend? You talked about wanting to take care of Toby's brother and Strom, and that woman. I can't tell the number of times I've thought of doing the same to many school administrators. Oh, and school Counselors. I swear, some of them are using their butts for brains."
Marie chuckled, took the boiling water off the stove and to the table, where she refilled three empty mugs. She dropped a tea bag into each mug, then told Susan, "Before you explode, chère, sit and enjoy your cake. Charlotte and Francis made it."
All three women knew they were thinking much the same about their individual concerns. They also knew many who shouldn't be in the positions they were in because they did more harm than good. And they knew, those people were a waste of air and needed to see how long they could fly after losing the edge of a cliff along a deep canyon. But they also knew it wasn't the right thing for them to do, as they could only do what they were currently doing for others.
An hour and a half marked the clock, and Susan once again checked on her students, noting they were three-fourths done with their piles. When she returned to the kitchen, Jane then went on with, "Charlotte had a nightmare recently, one where she was gang raped by a group of men. It may be because of her recent experiences at the Mall, where one boy hadn't been taught what 'no' meant, and Charlotte put him face first against a store window. She then pointed out to the Mall security guards the boy doing to another girl what he tried with her. That caused the young man to get booted from the Mall. Then there was a group of boys blocking her way when she stepped into a recessed entry to one of the stores, to look at the fashions in the window. One of those boys tried to touch her but ended up on his knees, after Charlotte grabbed his hand and put her other hand behind the boy's elbow and bent his hand backward. Two security guards, standing not far away came over and asked why the boy was on his knees. Charlotte simply told the guard who asked, that she was just explaining to the boy not to touch a girl unless she had given him permission. Unfortunately, that boy didn't learn his lesson and after being released by Charlotte, tried to punch her. He missed, but our Charlotte didn't, and delivered a palm strike that put the boy to sleep. When that boy was finally roused, he threatened to get Charlotte at school. And some of his friends were going to have fun with her. The height of stupidity, not knowing Charlotte didn't even attend that boy's school."
"When we left the Mall, the boy Charlotte slammed up against the store window was waiting for her outside the Mall. That boy is undoubtedly a slow learner, as he came at Charlotte again, and got another lesson. By then the security guards and police arrived, and neither group was surprised the boy was in trouble again. The police called the boy’s parents, who arrived and proceeded to ask what part of what they told him last time he hadn't understood. Suffice it to say, he's now attending an all-girls school as one of the students. A girl student. It was rather comical, in that even though he made it abundantly clear he wouldn't attend the school, between his parents and the police, one standing there twirling a pair of handcuffs around one finger, they gave him the chance to make the best choice for himself, guess he didn't fancy a time behind bars."
"Marie, please let us see how those three are doing… if you would please." Conversation stopped while Marie unlocked the cabinet, opened the doors, turned on the monitor and the three saw the three teens still busy on the evaluation sheets. When Susan nodded, Marie turned off the monitor, closed and locked the cabinet door before retaking her seat at the kitchen table. "While the boy's parents were giving their son a chance to make up his mind, the three boys he'd been associating with arrived. They are a vulgar trio. The one who appeared to be the leader of the three talked about going into the Mall and laying hands on the girls walking around the Mall. Asking if the boy was coming, the boy's father told that pig his son wouldn't be coming now or ever again. That his son was going to be far away from filth like him." Jane saw Susan smiling as she understood what was about to happen, and went on with, "I see you realize what was to happen next. And you're right. I redirected that boy's attention to me, and in his attempt to slap me, our Charlotte stepped in and put the toe of her heeled shoe into the boy's stomach. After that, it seemed the boy was having trouble breathing. The second boy decided to do something of his own and I dealt with him. The third boy got quite the surprise when his father came up behind him and grabbed him around the neck with his large hands; he was more than extremely angry with his son. I knew the parents of the first boy, the police, and the father then holding his son by the neck. When the boy’s parents explained where their son would be attending school, the father was more than happy to do the same for his son. The two boys on the ground were arrested, and the two other boys would become girls at an all-girls school. And in a sense, because of what Charlotte did to the first boy, and what we both did to two of the three boys, we saved a lot of girls in the Mall from the heartache of having those pigs defile them with their hands. Marie and I are of the opinion that the events Charlotte experienced were the cause of her nightmare. Add those events to being falsely accused of a crime, and our Charlotte is carrying a heavy load. A friend of mine is arriving tomorrow to speak with all of us." When she saw the questioning look on Susan's face, she answered it with, "Yes, even Marie and I. This time we have an unusual situation, where one boy volunteered to experience being a girl and the other boy sussed what Marie and I do here. We can't let Toby become one of our girls mainly because of all the scars his body holds and the wounds still healing. Plus, he knows how petticoat punishment works, and he needs no behavior modification." Looking at Susan, Jane told her, "You best get back to your pupils. I need to go to the study to do a bit of work."
Susan nodded her head at Jane's final words, standing up and telling her, "Thank you for the backstory. I believe it will be necessary to figure it into my plans." Susan picked up her mug, but Marie took it from her. The two watched as Susan left the kitchen, then looked at each other, before Marie said, "Was it wise to tell her the story? Can she be trusted to remain silent?" Marie stood, picked up her mug then Jane's, and took them to the sink to rinse out.
Jane had nodded her head at Marie's questions. "Yes, Marie. She can be trusted to remain silent. She has, after all, been hired to tutor some very important people. People who required her not to see anything she saw or anything she heard. Yes, she can be trusted."
After walking to the library door, Susan knocked lightly before opening the door and stepping into the library, closing the door behind her. At the sound of a knock on the library door, the three had turned or looked up from their work and watched as the door opened and Susan entered the library. Charlotte, Susan noticed, was standing at the large front window, looking at her, she presumably had been looking out the window, while Francis was still at the table, with a few sheets left to finish. Toby, looking at her, was still on the couch and had maybe one or two sheets left. "So, how are you all doing," Susan questioned, as she walked over to the table.
"I finished the pile you gave me, Susan," Charlotte said, then turned back to the window. The look on Charlotte's face wasn't missed by Susan, nor the tone of her voice.
It was Francis who answered next with, "I'm almost through, I may have three or four left to work. It's funny, I'm finding out I know more than I realized. Guess something rubbed off on me in school."
With Charlotte and Francis having listed their progress, Toby was last to say, "I've two to work through. You are one tough lady, Susan. Particle physics? Whoa!" At Toby's words, Susan just smiled.
"Francis, Toby, take your time, do the best you can. I don't expect you to know everything on those papers, just answer the ones you can answer." Having said that, she walked around the table and went over to stand next to Charlotte. The room became silent again, with just the slight sound of pencils on paper. As Susan stood beside Charlotte, she could sense Charlotte's mood and decided to see if the girl would tell her what was bothering her. "Pretty country, isn't it," Susan said in a soft voice. "It's why my husband and I moved here. There isn't the constant sound of traffic in the background, the atmosphere is enjoyable, your being able to see as far as you can when you look past the stands of trees, and it smells divine after a rain. Flowers of every color, and wildlife, what a selection. Of course, it can get cold in the winter, but it's pretty even then. Do you wish you could live up here, Charlotte?" Only the slight sound of pencils on paper could be heard again, Charlotte remained silent. Susan turned to look at Charlotte and quietly asked, "What's wrong, Charlotte? You seem to have something on your mind. I'm a good listener, or that's what my husband tells me."
Silence again. As Susan watched Charlotte, Charlotte dropped her head, before saying, "Yes, it is pretty country around here. Have you been to the pond on Aunt Jane's property? There's a beaver dam there and if you're quiet, you can watch them work. We sat on the bench that's there one time, when Francis and I took Jane there after she received some disturbing news. Can you imagine, Francis and I took Jane there, and not the other way around? She was really upset. More frogs than I'd ever seen hopped out of the water and lined the shoreline. Then, more ducks came and joined the frogs. A small herd of deer came out of the forest and sat down not too far from us on our right, the fawn coming over and licking Jane's hands in her lap. And if you can believe it, a mated pair of skunks came out of the forest and sat off to our left, showing no fear of us. And the topper, two porcupines came last, sitting right in front of us. None of them made a sound, they didn't move towards us, but there was a, oh, I don't know, a feeling that passed from them to us, to Jane. Then, they all left, back the way they'd come. And nature resumed her dance. Yeah, Susan, it is pretty country. But I just want to be with my parents and friends. I want to get back to that crappy school, with a-holes who refuse to let me take advanced classes. But most of all, I want my name cleared so I can do all of that."
"You women, you females, don't have it easy. Once upon a time, you were nothing but baby makers and food fetchers. Down the ages, you started fighting for your rights, wanting the same rights men were afforded. Begrudgingly, you started receiving them but still had to put up with us males who still believed you belonged in the kitchen and pregnant. And in today's age, until ages ago when a man could practically do what he wanted with a woman, men are prosecuted if they do what they want with a woman. But that same 'I'll do to a girl what I want' still prevails, as I experienced."
"Do the old have to die out so the young can learn a new way of behaving? Some of us males don't understand how to treat, much less act around, young girls. That boy I smashed up against the store window, didn't understand what 'no' or 'leave me alone' meant. He got a bloody nose for his efforts. Then after leaving me, he went down the Mall a ways and started in on another girl. Accosting that girl was the last straw for Mall security. They banned him from the Mall. He was so mad he waited for me to leave the Mall and had a go at me, again. The Mall security showed up, as did the police. And the real surprise? So did his parents. He's now a student at an all-girls school, as one of the girls. That kid's so-called friends showed up, they were going to go into the Mall and accost as many young girls as they could. For fun. I guess they didn't like how Jane and I spoke to them because their leader tried to slap me only to receive the point of my heels in his stomach. He had a difficult time breathing after that, while on his knees. The second boy came at us and Jane took care of him, surprising that butt hole. But the really good part was when the father of the third boy arrived unannounced and grabbed that boy by the back of his neck; that man had huge hands, his hand completely encircling the boy’s throat. That kid got such a tongue-lashing, then found out he and boy number one were going to be classmates. Hearing that, that kid fainted. Then there were the three guys who blocked me when I stepped into a store entrance recess, to look at the clothes in the window. One of the boys tried to touch me and received a nice lesson for his efforts. Two Mall security guards arrived, one approved of my lesson skills, before asking me to let the boy go. That boy was a slow learner because after I let him go and as the guards were dealing with the other two boys, that kid got up and tried to punch me. I put him to sleep before he hit the ground."
"Where does all this garbage come from Susan? Is it inbred into us? Is it genetics?" Going quiet for a few moments, Charlotte sighed, then turning to look at Susan, said, "I just want all this to be over. I'm tired, not sleep tired, just tired of it all." Charlotte turned back to the window and continued to look out at all that could be seen past Jane's property.
When Charlotte turned back to the window, so did Susan. As they watched, the blowing wind caused the tall grass to act as ocean waves, undulating with the pulsing wind. "Are you sorry for experiencing being a girl, Charlotte? You had the choice, after all. From what Jane has told me, you've learned some things about yourself, even questioning if you act as you've seen other boys act around young girls. Even questioning yourself after modeling clothing. And with that in mind, I agree with Jane, you are more mature than a lot of boys your age, and know how to treat not only girls but others as well. You said the leader of those three boys talked about going into the Mall and having fun with the girls there. Have you ever done that Charlotte? Just meeting you today, I doubt the thought had ever entered your mind. You've also helped Francis, according to Jane. Would you have done that if you weren't Charlotte? Would Charles have done that?"
"To answer your questions, Charlotte, put the garbage down to bad parenting. Parents who may have had a strict upbringing and decided they weren't going to do the same to their children. So they let their children basically run wild, never questioning what they're doing or where they're going or who they have for friends; never applying the board of education to the seat of understanding. They decided to befriend their children instead of parenting them. If parents are hard on their children, lovingly hard, it often isn't seen as loving until years later, and for the reason it was applied. Don't mistake those who are lovingly punished for those who are abused. There's a vast difference between the two. The first comes from parents who give unconditional love, they'll love you even if you’ve done something they consider wrong. Those who are abused, aren't actually punished as such. They have become the focus of an angry person, a person who sees them often as a nuisance, someone extremely frustrated and takes it all out on their children. Oftentimes, when the child has had enough, sees no way out, or finds no help, they run. And sometimes, it's much worse, a better solution in their eyes. They feel unloved by anyone and see no reason to continue living. And the saddest of all of this? When a parent learns of the death of their child, they can't understand why it happened. They claim to have been a good parent, even though they took all of their anger, frustrations, and disappointments out on their child. When a child is lost in this way, Charlotte, it's often because the people they reached out to for help either turned a blind eye or turned the child back over to their parents. You probably can guess what happened when their child was back with them. That's often when the child sees no reason for living."
"And then there are those like Toby, who've been physically beaten over the years, even severely. But retain their moral grounding despite the hardship they endure. They have hope of one day getting away from such abuse, and they never lose that hope despite what they endure. They are fighters, Charlotte. People with so much heart that they will endure almost anything to survive. If it means being beaten, even severely, then they'll endure it. Because having hope, they know within their bones, how one day those inflecting the abuse will be gone, and they will be free."
"You haven't answered my questions, Charlotte. Do you regret agreeing to become one of Jane's girls? If Charles was here right from the beginning, would he have helped Francis as Charlotte's done?"
Toby had finished his pile of papers but sat quietly listening to Susan and Charlotte talk. "I didn't tell you about my time being a makeup model for Carolyn at the Marisha Chalet salon," Charlotte began. "She had just finished applying the prosthesis I'm wearing when she said I was going to be her makeup model for teenage girls attending her Saturday class." Charlotte chuckled, then continued. "I didn't realize it at the time, but if Carolyn hadn't put a chair under me, I'd have fallen to the ground, on my butt, right after what she told me. I was scared, scared the girls would see I was a boy under this facade," and she waved a hand in front of her from head to toe. "She held my hands as she asked about my experience at the Mall, whether I'd been seen as a boy dressed as a girl or just a very pretty girl. Of course… she was right. I was only seen as a pretty girl shopping at the Mall or I wouldn't have attracted the attention of those boys and that one girl the next time I was there. I'm getting off track, though. None of those girls ever discovered I was anything but what I appeared to be, a teenage girl helping Carolyn."
"But something happened only Charlotte could help with at the time. One of the girls was visibly upset, tears rolling down her cheeks when Carolyn had the girls remove their makeup so they would have a clean face to work with. Charlotte went back and sat with her, discovering she had a bad case of acne and she was treated badly because of it. Even the girls there ignored her. She cried on Charlotte's shoulder. She agreed to go with me to speak with Carolyn to see if she had something that could help the girl. Carolyn did have something new to the market, but the girl was skeptical at first, skeptical because she'd tried just about everything and nothing worked. Carolyn called up another girl and that girl showed a picture of herself before using the product Carolyn had. When the girl couldn't believe her eyes, that girl called up another girl who showed a before picture that was even worse than the first girl. It was easy to see both had bad memories from those times. The girl wanted to buy that product right then and there, getting instructions on how to use the product from the two girls. Both took her back with them so they could show her some tricks they'd learned to hide their acne. Charles could never have done that for the girl because he wouldn't have been there."
"How can I regret being Charlotte, when Charlotte has helped others in one way or another? She helped the girl at the makeup lessons, helped girls at the Mall by what happened to all of those boys, and helped with Francis, Charlotte even helped Aunt Jane. Aunt Jane is right, I have learned something about myself throughout all of this. Even seeing things from the other side of the 'fence.' Did Jane tell you I asked if I was here for a reason? After all of the events I've been involved in or with, I have to believe Charlotte was meant to be here. She was meant to do what has taken place. As to helping Francis if Charles were here," Charlotte turned to look at Francis, who had looked up at the mention of her name. "Yes, even if Charles were here, he would have helped her just as much." Hearing Charlotte say that, Francis smiled and wiped tears off her cheeks. Charlotte then looked at Susan, and said, "But we are here, aren't we?"
Author's Note: When I first wrote Complicit In a Lie, I had no thoughts, or ideas, to write a sequel. But thanks to a few readers, who asked about a sequel, ideas formed that made writing this sequel possible. It is necessary to have read Complicit In a Lie to understand why Charles is now with Jane, who the boy arriving in Kingston is and how he's involved in Charles' Court case. And to understand where Mr. Corporate, George Strom, fits into this story. This story starts off after Charles says, "When do we start," in Complicit in a Lie. So if you haven't read Complicit In a Lie, the beginning of this story won't make any sense. Hint hint!
Susan was still marveling at Charlotte's last question, realizing she was both Charles and Charlotte. 'Just how intelligent is this child?' Susan thought to herself. She knew from experience that very few people would admit to being feminine and masculine at the same time. Most believed you're either feminine or masculine, not both. Men can't see the acts of love, caring, kindness, and mercy as being considered feminine. And yet, men demonstrate these traits daily in some way. How could Charles come to such a conclusion unless being Charlotte has shown him that fact?
Charlotte turned back to look out of the window, tears silently making their way down her cheeks. "Who will I be when this is all over, Susan? How can I be who I was before all of this happened? How do I use these experiences to reclaim my life? Jane, Marie, you, and Carolyn, have told me I know how to treat other people and girls, so what use are all these experiences if I already possess that ability? Am I being selfish, self-centered, only thinking of myself? I haven't really thought about what my parents must be going through, or my friends since I've been here. Is that wrong of me? Why haven't I thought of those people?" With a sudden movement, Charlotte turned and engulfed Susan in a hug, laying her head on Susan's shoulder and crying. Taken aback, somewhat, Susan held the girl, wondering how she was going to answer Charlotte's questions.
Still holding Charlotte, Susan guided them to the couch, where she encouraged Charlotte to sit down next to Toby. She then sat next to Charlotte, putting her arm around Charlotte's shoulder and pulling her to her. She didn't start right off answering Charlotte's questions, but started with Francis. "Francis, what have you learned by being here? You were sent here because you ran away from your Aunt Agnus too many times, and Judge Ruth believed here was better suited for you than juvenile detention. What have you learned?"
Having looked up at hearing her ‘girl’ name, Francis listened to Susan's comment and her question. A smile played over her face as she said, "That Sandy's a bitch, and is really hurting. She's been hurt in the past but refuses to deal with it. So, she takes it out on the boys who come to Jane's home. In a way, she abuses us much like she was abused. Oh, I know she does some of it to keep us in line, makes us think she'll out us. But deep down, she's a mess and needs some help."
Charlotte took her head off Susan's shoulder, looked at Toby, who was looking at her, then the two looked at Francis, as was Susan, after what Francis said. "Where in the world did all that come from, Francis?" Toby asked, still looking at her.
Blank-faced, more of a 'duh' look on her face, Francis looked at the three in turn, shrugging her shoulders, replying, "It's easy to see if you know the signs. My Aunt Agnus is like her, I think that's why she didn't want me with her."
"That time she tried to grab me, and I pushed her wrist backward, then discovered she had a bone out of place, she did say she'd had a bad experience with a former boyfriend. Maybe that's why she loves to give it to the boys from Jane's school," Charlotte supplied.
Toby joined in with, "It would make sense. If she has undiagnosed trauma she isn't dealing with, it would be outwardly visible as aggression towards the gender that caused the trauma."
Susan's and Charlotte's gazes now turned toward Toby. "How did you come up with that reasoning, Toby?" Susan asked, watching Toby's face move into the blank look, the 'duh' range, before he answered.
Toby chuckled, then told Susan, "I've been studying psychology when I wasn't getting the hell beat out of me. I want to become a psychologist if it's possible after what I've done. Anyway… I hope I can." He slowly dropped his head, only to have Charlotte reach over and put an arm around his shoulders. He leaned into her and let the tears fall freely, not caring who saw him cry.
As Susan watched, Francis got out of her seat at the table and walked over to the couch, sitting down on the other side of Toby. She then put an arm around his shoulders and leaned into him, telling him, "Keep that hope of becoming what you want. Right now it's just a struggle for you, but as with your beatings, it has to end sometime. A character on a TV program told a colleague, 'If you’re in hell, keep walking.' Those wounds will heal, plastic surgeons might be able to help with all of the physical scars, and those who forced you to work for them by beating you won't be around forever to do it again. I also have a feeling once your dad finds out about all of this, things will drastically change. And if what you said about your dad is true, maybe your brother would like to live on another planet, or get life in prison. Just don't lose the hope you have. It's the one thing you can keep for yourself."
Three heads turned to look at Francis. Toby knuckled his eyes before asking, "Are you sure you aren't going to be a psychologist? You sound like some of those my Aunt Terri had me talk with. You really should consider it."
Francis again shrugged her shoulders, something that would have brought the wrath of Jane down on her. "I don't really know what I want to do after high school, providing I make it through high school without falling asleep too often. There are a lot of AP classes I'd like to take, but they tell me my grades are too low. My grades are too low because most of the classes I have are boring, or I'm just bored sitting through them. I don't know which one it is."
As the three watched, Francis left the couch and returned to her seat at the table, picking up the pencil she was using and continuing with the evaluation sheets. Susan was dumbfounded by everything Francis had said. Another student of public education, bored with their classes, and not challenged by them. Susan's school monster wanted to say something to her, but as Jane did to her monster, Susan told it to shut the hell up.
The three stayed seated on the couch, Susan's arm around Charlotte, Charlotte's arm around Toby, and Toby leaning into Charlotte. They watched as an unconcerned Francis worked on her current paper, before turning it over to her left, setting the pencil down, and declaring, "Finished. Now what?"
Jane did go to the study, and did have paperwork to do, but had been watching the library ever since Susan returned to check on her pupils. She shut off the monitor, closed and locked the cabinet door, then sat back in her chair to ponder everything the three kids said and asked. Charlotte's question about Charlotte and Charles being there together amazed her the most. Her thoughts were now in full gear, asking 'How long has Charlotte realized she's both feminine and masculine? Does she realize many would chastise her for such a belief? Does she understand many only see themselves as feminine or masculine, not both? Could it be the time she's spent being Charlotte the reason she sees herself as both feminine and masculine? Or her experiences at the Mall?' She realized Charlotte's other questions may carry more validity than many of her previous questions, as marvelous as they were. 'Why does that girl think she's being self-centered, selfish, only thinking of herself after everyone she's helped? No one who helped as she's helped others would ever be thought of as being self-centered, selfish, or only thinking of themselves. She's even helping the boy who actually put her here with me.' Jane shifted through the other questions Charlotte asked, namely getting back to her old life. 'Won't she be more sensitive to the needs of girls? Won't she step up more often to stop the vary things she experienced at the Mall? What will she say when asked where she's been and what it was like? Even though Sherry will cover these questions and more, Charles will need additional counseling after leaving here.' Never before had she felt so tired and frustrated at the same time. Never before had her monster threatened to escape her because of everything that had been done to two of her wards. Never before had she needed every bit of her self-will to keep it from escaping, possibly ending everything she and Marie did here if it did.
Jane had leaned forward in her chair, putting her elbows on her desk then her head in her hands. She was trying to clear her mind, not forgetting what she'd seen and heard from the library feed, but putting it into perspective and store in her mind. She was deep in concentration and didn't hear the study door softly open or close in the same manner. She never heard the soft footsteps that came to and around the desk. It took several moments until she felt the arm that was around her shoulders, holding her. She slowly looked up to see Marie standing next to her, a worried look on her face. "This time you put too much on your shoulders, chère," Marie softly told her. "I know how you are feeling, the worries you carry, wondering if we've done all we can or should be doing. Mon amour (My love,), you can't let your abundant concern for these kid's lives cause you to forget we can only do what we can do here, at Seasons House. If we do any more than that, outside of what we do best, we jeopardize our work here. Give Sherry a chance with Charlotte's questions. Don't try to deal with them yourself. Let those dealing with the cause of this mess do what they do best. Just as I believe Charlotte's question about being here is true, so do I believe in those who'll eventually find the truth and put those responsible where they belong. Why don't you see how things are progressing in the library? It's almost time for our supper, ask Susan if she can stay." Marie bent down and kissed the top of Jane's head, before leaving the study. Jane sat there a few more minutes, thinking about all Marie had said. Seeing the truth in Marie's words, she nodded to herself before pushing the chair back, standing and leaving the study.
Jane's usual walk when needing to check on the girls, was one of a person on a mission, brisk, but short of running. This time, her walk from the study to the library was contemplative, due to her still mulling over the questions Charlotte had asked. Reaching the library door, she knocked, then entered, closing the door behind her after entering the library. As happened before, when someone knocked on the library door, every eye in the room would focus on the library door, waiting to see who'd enter the library. Jane's back was to the door, as she surveyed everyone there. "Girls, Toby, it's close to our evening meal. Girls, you know what needs to be done in preparing for the meal. Toby, if you're feeling better, I'd like you to help where you can. But don't over-tax yourself, we don't need to return you to the hospital for more treatment."
Toby had only been with Jane a few days, but knew, as the girls knew, when Jane stopped talking after giving orders, it was time to leave. He also knew the proper protocol for leaving her presence, and after the girls helped him off the couch, he, like the girls, asked to be excused. Being granted permission to leave, Jane waited until Francis closed the library door behind her before asking Susan, "What do you think of our kids? Francis is becoming something of a surprise with her observations and her thoughts. Charlotte and Toby are being held back, they need a free rein to learn." She walked over to the couch and sat down with a heavy sigh. Looking up to the ceiling she said with a sigh, "It pains me so to see kids like those treated as they've been treated. I would so like to…" but she let the rest of her words trail off.
Susan reached over and patted Jane's left thigh, saying, "You need to stop trying to carry all of this on your own shoulders. Stop worrying about what you can't do anything about. Those dealing with this mess are going to get it cleaned up in time. Killing kids, in mass, is not something that will cause them to drag their feet. With kids of their own, you may not be the only one who wants to do something drastic. Now, you asked what I thought of your kids. I think there are three sharp minds being put through remedial learning; they are thirsty to learn. Charlotte and Toby have studied on their own and are lightyears ahead of anyone in their respective classes. Francis hides her intelligence, probably because of her Aunt Agnus. She likely belittled her when that intelligence emerged, causing Francis to shrink back. It's also possible she was harassed at school when she showed her intelligence, making her feel as though she was having to deal with her Aunt. All three need to be taken out of public education and put into a private school, but not just any private school. They need to attend a private school that employs staff who can recognize intelligence and treat it as it should be treated. Let me gather their papers and we can look at them together."
Getting up from the couch, Susan went to the table and picked up both Francis' and Charlotte's papers, before returning to the couch and sitting down. She asked Jane to hand her Toby's papers and together they looked at each set of papers; Francis' papers were examined first. Susan knew the expected answers to each question, so simply circled the number of the question with a regular pencil if the answer was incorrect. She put a 'star' next to the question without an answer, showing her the areas where knowledge was lacking. When the last of Francis' papers had been examined, and Jane saw the results, Jane told Susan, "Those bloody fools. No wonder Francis is bored with school. She already knows the material and isn't being challenged. I see my decision was correct having her attend your classes, she's more than ready." Then in a softer voice, she said, "Had I known she was hiding this much intelligence, I would have called you sooner."
"Jane Thompson, will you STOP with the self recriminations. Given Francis' history, you couldn't know what she was hiding. Hell, to her, you were her Aunt Agnus again. Plus, how you have to maintain control of those boys, she was scared spitless to show you anything that might get her punished or outed. Maybe with the next boy sent to you, I should come and give them this evaluation so you know where they stand acedemically. That way, I can help you plan a course of study that fits their needs."
"Turning back to those three, I'll give you my educated experienced opinion of them. Based on what I've seen just today, those three would make excellent psychologists or psychiatrists. All three have an insightful ability to see and interpret what they see, and are accurate in their interpretations. I believe Toby wants that direction, but is worried because of the things he's done. Well, actually, forced to do; being beaten can make a person do what they don't want to do, after all. That alone, or along with all of the scars he bears, may be enough to have all charges dropped. Maybe you can consult someone who can give you a definitive answer. Let's look at his and Charlotte's papers."
As Jane watched, Susan went over Toby's papers, 'hmm' and 'uh huh'ing' as she turned paper after paper. "He's as I expected, grounded in the basics, actually doing Senior year work. I had to laugh when he called me a hard woman because of the question on particle physics. He's not far from that level of knowledge. It really galls me to see this kind of work and know there are Arschlöcher (assholes) who keep these kids back. All to keep from interrupting their precious social programs. Those pea brains have no concept of education, or how to administer it. What I'd like to do to some of them."
It was Jane's turn to place a hand on Susan's knee and remind her, "Seems all of us have something we'd like to do to someone, but can't. As I've been reminded a few times, only do what you can do at the time. It's saner that way."
Jane saying that, caused Susan to chuckle, and reply, "Yeah… I know. But I get so infuriated seeing minds like those three going to waste because of Arschlöcher (assholes) who only care about social structures. The kids in those schools don't need the administration to take care of the social structure of the school, the kids manage it quite nicely on their own. Sometimes it works well, other times not so much. School administration should only be concentrating on making sure every kid in the school has a quality education that is appropriate for each student. If you have kids who need AP courses, then by God get them into AP courses." Susan was quiet for a moment, then chuckled, saying, "Oh, dear. I've done it again, haven't I?" She looked at Jane, who'd been watching her, and saw her nodding her head. "How do you do it, Jane? How do you keep it together when you learn how the boys who are sent to you have been treated? Or in my case, seeing minds like these," and she slapped the papers she was holding, "being held back when they should be freed to learn."
Jane smiled at Susan and answered her question by saying, "I have Marie. When I start to stray, when I want to charge off and give some parent or guardian a taste of their own medicine, or have someone take care of something, she reminds me we can only do what we do best right here at Seasons House. Dare I say you and I aren't alone in your feelings of how kids are treated by their parents or guardians, or the schools they attend? Yes, there are agencies whose job it is to make sure kids are not mistreated. But how overworked can you overwork people before they've had enough and leave the profession? Or parents who care, fighting tooth and nail with school boards who don't care what parents say? Or administrators who are threatened with their jobs if they don't do what this or that person above them tells them to do. Those who stand up to the uncaring, often find themselves out of a job. And too many don't care enough to throw the rotten apples out of office when election time arrives. Again, as I've been reminded time and again, we can only do what we can do where we are at the time. You are an excellent teacher, Susan, I've seen the results you achieve. Continue being that excellent teacher in the realm you're in. Fight when you can, but don't lose sight of your main goal, enriching the minds of the young. Marie and I will straighten out that crooked path they're on and you fill their minds with knowledge so they continue walking the straight path."
After finishing with Toby's papers, Susan looked over Charlotte's papers, finding much the same with her answers to the questions. Both teens had sharp minds that were being held back by bureaucracy's useless programs. Keeping both from reaching their full, wanted, potential. Inhibiting both teens from learning at a speed they both could learn and advance. This time, instead of Susan voicing her frustration, she simply shook her head in disgust at the schools Toby, Charlotte, and Francis attended. Those schools had diamonds in their mists and were too blind to realize it.
Jane watched as Susan started crumpling the edges of the one paper of Charlotte's she was holding. She laid a hand on Susan's arm and said in a soft voice, "Perhaps it's time for you to take a break so you can calm down. You're about to reformat that paper you're holding."
Susan looked down at the paper she was holding and saw it was about to become a paper hand fan, with not too neatly folded creases. She laughed before saying, "I think you're right, Jane. I need a break and to calm down. But sometimes… " and she raised her left hand in a fist and shook it.
Jane nodded her head in understanding, before saying, "Come on, let's go eat our supper." Saying that Jane uncrossed her legs and stood up, standing back a bit to allow Susan to stand. After setting Charlotte's papers aside, Susan uncrossed her legs, stood up and the two women walked to the library door. Susan opened the door and followed Jane out of the library, closing the door behind her. As she sniffed the air, something smelled wonderful. Walking beside Susan, Jane took in a deep charge of the wonderful aroma before saying, "I do believe our Charlotte has once again made lasagna, possibly because you're here. She was taught to cook by an Uncle, who is a chef. I haven't learned what he taught her to add to the lasagna, but it is the best I've ever tasted."
The two women found Toby standing at the dinner table. He slowly walked around to the chair Jane used, pulled it out, and waited until she seated herself before helping her to push the chair in. When Jane indicated the chair Susan would use, he again slowly made his way there, pulled out the chair, and helped Susan push her chair in towards the table; both women thanked him. Then the parade of gastronomic delights started. Charlotte was in the lead with a large bowl of mixed salad. Francis followed with a large plate of garlic bread. And bringing up the end of the parade, was Marie, carrying an even larger casserole dish than before, brimming with lasagna. After everything was placed on the table, the girls went and stood behind their chairs. Toby, who'd been standing behind Marie's chair, helped seat her before slowly making his way to his chair. Once all three teens were at their places, they all sat in unison. Not unusual to Jane, Marie, and the girls, but new to Susan, she watched as Toby bowed his head for a moment before looking back up. Susan knew right away Toby had bowed his head to give thanks for the food he was about to eat. That one act increased her admiration for the boy. A boy who was abused beyond belief, but who hadn't lost the dignity and the humanity he'd been taught by someone.
The lasagna had already been cut into nice big squares, with plenty left in the dish after six squares had been placed on six different plates. As it turned out, the only thing that would take place in the kitchen that night, was to wash dishes and clean the kitchen. There were no leftovers to deal with this time.
Jane started her usual educational round robin, as they ate, by reminding Charlotte and Francis they both had research papers due and were to work on them after the kitchen had been cleaned. Then she questioned the teens about the evaluation papers they had worked on. It became a can of worms she hadn't expected to open. "Tell me, girls, and Toby. What opinions do you have of the evaluation papers you worked through? Were you surprised by anything, or learn anything about yourselves?"
Toby and Charlotte had each just put a fork of lasagna into their mouths, so couldn't answer Jane's questions right away. But Francis was just about to fork another piece of her lasagna and sat her fork on her plate before the three women saw a thoughtful look appear on her face. "Well, Aunt Jane," and she almost shrugged her shoulders. "I don't have anything to compare them to, so I guess they were okay. There were more questions I could answer than I couldn't answer, and that kind of surprised me. I think I couldn't answer some of the questions because, well, I've never had that material before. It isn't that I didn't want to learn the material, I wasn't allowed to learn it. They told me I had to stay in the classes I was in. I guess maybe that's why school became boring or I became bored with school. I wish they'd have let me take those other classes." There was sadness in her voice, and for several moments, she just looked down at her plate; tiny drops of water dropped onto her plate.
Jane saw Susan's reaction to Francis' words, and knew what Susan was about to do. So she placed a gentle hand on hers, getting Susan's attention and subtly shaking her head, 'No.' Susan understood the unsaid meaning. Susan wanted to go to the school Francis attended and explain what education is all about. After she kicked a few butts.
As the three women watched, Toby and Charlotte stopped eating and each put an arm around Francis' shoulder. "Hey," Toby began. "You'll now get that chance to learn that material because Susan is here. She'll fill your head so full of knowledge that we'll have to clean up the library after your head explodes. Boy, that'll be aaa mess."
Susan quickly covered her mouth, as did Marie. Jane, using all of her willpower, quickly schooled herself to keep from laughing, both at what Toby said and the look now on Francis' face. Jane also recognized what Toby had done, and she knew he knew it too.
Francis slowly looked up, tear tracks evident on her cheeks, frowned, then slowly turned her head towards Toby and said to him, "Then you should hurry up and heal. Because I'll be incapacitated and it will be you and Charlotte who'll have to clean up the library."
Then Toby said something that caused everyone's eyes to water, and Francis to throw her arms around his neck and hug him. "For you, Francis. I'll do that any day."
Author's Note: When I first wrote Complicit In a Lie, I had no thoughts, or ideas, to write a sequel. But thanks to a few readers, who asked about a sequel, ideas formed that made writing this sequel possible. It is necessary to have read Complicit In a Lie to understand why Charles is now with Jane, who the boy arriving in Kingston is and how he's involved in Charles' Court case. And to understand where Mr. Corporate, George Strom, fits into this story. This story starts off after Charles says, "When do we start," in Complicit in a Lie. So if you haven't read Complicit In a Lie, the beginning of this story won't make any sense. Hint hint!
After hugging Toby, Francis turned back to her plate, picking up her fork with the bite of lasagna still on it. She lifted the fork towards her mouth but stopped midway and slowly turned to look at Toby, who was looking at her with a big smile plastered on his face. In the brief time between picking up her fork and raising it towards her mouth, she'd realized what Toby had done by what he told her. She snorted, shook her head slightly, then softly said, "You're a snot, but thank you."
Toby leaned over and gave Francis a peck on the cheek, before telling her, "Any time, my little sister."
Francis' eyes were moist and her throat tight after Toby spoke. She felt the safest course right now was to continue eating. Or she was going to have a good cry right there at the dinner table.
The three women could see the effect Toby's words had on Francis, and could see how she fought to hold it together. "So, Toby. Let's hear your opinion of the evaluation questions," Jane said to Toby, more as a way to give Francis more time to calm down.
"I have to agree with Francis. Many of the questions I couldn't answer because of not having gone through the relevant courses. I'm also like Francis and wasn't allowed to take AP courses, even though I asked to take them. They said my grades didn't show I could deal with AP courses. I asked them to test me and I'd prove I belonged in those courses." Here he snorted, before going on, remembering the condescending attitude of his counselor: 'That isn't how it's done, Toby. The grades you earn in your classes determine if you're suitable for AP classes. And obviously, you're not.' At the time, after his counselor said that, Toby wanted to punch that arrogant asshole in the mouth. "But my so-called counselor said I didn't have the grades to prove I could handle AP courses. I so wanted to punch that arrogant bastard in the face after he said that. Especially as he sat there with a smug grin on his face after telling me I couldn't take AP courses. After that, I didn't really care anymore, so I did the bare minimum to get by in my classes. I'd sit in the library during my free period and read what they said I couldn't learn." Then he looked at Susan and told her, "I was even reading an advanced physics textbook that included a section on particle physics. I was a few chapters away from that section when I was arrested. Maybe if I'd made it through that section I could have answered that question on particle physics. Now though… " and he just shook his head in resignation, believing he'd never have a chance now to fulfill his dream of becoming a psychologist. He just sat there at the table, his head down and using his fork to move pieces of lasagna around on his plate.
Marie reached over and laid her left hand on Jane's right hand. Jane reached over and placed her right hand on Susan's left hand. After hearing what Francis and Toby had to say, there were three women at that table who were doing their very best to rein in the anger that threatened to become actions.
Even after hearing Charlotte's questions and seeing the results of her evaluation papers, Jane still had to ask the question. "Charlotte. We haven't heard from you yet. Tell us what you thought of the evaluation."
Despite sitting at the dinner table, Charlotte's mind was still standing at the library window looking out. Charlotte was looking at her plate when she spoke. "It was okay, Aunt Jane. Nothing special." And that's all she said, or as Jane believed, all she was going to say. Jane was usually demanding when it came to the girls speaking to her. They looked at her when they spoke or incurred her wrath for not doing so. However, this time she knew if she pushed Charlotte into looking at her when she spoke, Charlotte could go ballistic again.
Hoping what she was about to say would bolster the three teens, she told them, "From what Susan has shown me, the three of you did quite well. Even without having the advanced courses. That in itself is a testament to the work you three have done on your own. Not many would have done what you three have done on your own, that's something to be proud of doing." Jane had crossed her mental fingers before she spoke, and it seemed to have paid off. There was no shouting, crying, or anyone bolting from the table. Instead, they had looked at her as she spoke, each in turn getting a thoughtful look on their face while she spoke.
Francis broke the silence with, "That may be true, Aunt Jane. But it'd be even better if we could take AP courses. I know I wouldn't be bored sitting in those classes. But it'll never happen to me. I'll be stuck in those boring classes after leaving here."
Once again, the casserole dish of lasagna was cleaned out, as was the salad and garlic bread. Once everyone's fork had been laid to rest on the plates, Marie and the girls went into the kitchen are returned with the dessert. During dessert, Jane again reminded the girls of the research papers they had due and suggested after the kitchen was clean, they should spend time working on their papers before needing to get ready for bed. Toby felt left out until he saw the sweet smile on Susan's face. She and Jane had finished their desserts, and Susan now sat with her elbows on the table, her hands flat under her chin, and a sweet, innocent smile, garnishing her face. "And Toby. After helping the best you can with clearing the table, and in the kitchen, you are to go to the library and follow Susan's directions. I believe what she has planned for you will enhance the rudimentary learning you received in a subject at your high school. All of you need to work as efficiently as possible and not waste the short time you have before your bedtime. Since all three of you have finished your desserts, you may be excused to begin your chores."
After helping Toby out of his chair, the three had the dining table cleared in a matter of minutes. When Marie went into the kitchen, she was almost run over by the girl's quick proficient work, directing Toby when necessary. When Toby had done all he could do at the moment, he slowly walked out of the kitchen and to the library, where he walked through the open door. After entering the library, he saw Susan rifling through several boxes until he heard her exclaim, "FOUND IT!" After standing up, she looked at Toby and had the same innocent smile on her face. Pointing to the couch, she and Toby met there at the same moment before she told him, "You asked me a question during the evaluation you were taking. This book," and she held it up for Toby to see, "can answer that question and many more you may have. There will be no labs, just reading, and after completing a section, there will be a graded test. So," and she handed Toby the AP Physics book she'd been holding, "start reading."
Susan had to suppress the chuckle threatening to escape because of the surprised look on Toby's face. "Well, I'll be dang. I'm finally going to be allowed to take an AP course." He'd been looking down at the AP Physics book he was holding, so Susan didn't have a clear view of his face. But when he looked up, she saw his eyes were wet. With a catch in his voice, he told her, "Thank you for this. I've been wanting this for a long time."
Susan didn't have to say anything more, as she watched him sit down on the couch and become lost in his reading. He didn't even hear Francis and Charlotte enter the library, or the door close behind them. Even when Francis or Charlotte asked what he was reading, he didn't hear them, he was so focused on his reading. Susan had sat at the opposite end of the couch, watching Toby as he read. She was rather shocked by how swiftly Toby was reading the material in the book, flipping page after page in rapid succession. She had known people who could speed read, and retain what they read, but there was nothing in Toby's file about his ability to do the same. The section test she would give him would prove if he was capable of speed reading, and retaining what he read.
Two hours had passed when a knock was heard on the library door. For the girls, it would be trained reflex causing them to look up from their work to see who was about to come into the library. But not for Toby, who was still lost in his reading. The library door opened and the girls watched as Aunt Jane entered the library. After closing the library door behind her, she walked over to the table and enquired how the girls were doing on their papers. When their answers met her expectations, she then turned her attention to Toby, still sitting on the couch and still flipping page after page. Jane gave Susan a questioning look, nodding her head towards Toby. "He's been like that ever since I gave him that book. I don't think he's heard anything since he started reading." Jane and Susan watched for several minutes as Toby flipped page after page before Susan softly called Toby's name. He kept on reading. She raised her voice, but he kept on reading. Finally, she reached over, grabbed his arm, and shook him. Then, and only then, did she get his attention.
Toby looked up from his reading and noticed everyone looking at him, including Aunt Jane. "Oh, hi Aunt Jane. I didn't hear you come into the library. I was lost in this book," and he held it up for Jane to see. "Why is everyone looking at me? Did I faux pas again? If I did, I'm sorry."
Perplexed as Susan was by Toby's reading, Jane asked, "Toby, are you retaining what you're reading, given how fast you seem to be reading?"
Toby smiled, then handed the book to Susan and told her, "I've read the first two hundred pages. Pick any page within that range, then tell me the page number and the paragraph number of your choice." Susan found page two hundred and isolated those pages from the rest of the book. She then opened those pages at random, telling Toby the page number. She stabbed the page, letting her finger land on a random paragraph. When she told him the paragraph number, all four watched as Toby closed his eyes, and recited that paragraph verbatim. He asked her to pick another page and paragraph, and again recited that paragraph verbatim.
After opening his eyes, he looked around and saw everyone had their mouths open, even Jane. "Um… why is everyone's mouth hanging open?"
Jane was the first to recover as she told him, "Don't you realize what you've just done, Toby? You've read two hundred pages in that Physics book in two hours. You then recited not one, but two randomly selected paragraphs and recited both verbatim." The shocked look on Jane's face remained because of what Toby told her next.
"Okaayy… so?"
Susan was shaking her head, realizing Toby didn't understand the significance of what he'd just done. "Toby, very few people can do what you've just done. And it seems you are another one of those who can. How'd you learn to read so fast and retain what you've read?"
If what they just witnessed wasn't so serious, they all might be laughing right now. Toby's face became animated with frowns of various forms. Head tilts and turns as though he was listening to something. Questions crossed his face and he finally said, "You mean everyone doesn't read like I do? I thought everyone read that fast."
"How long have you been reading this way, Toby?" Jane asked, sitting down on the couch next to Susan. "Who taught you to read so fast," Jane added before falling silent, waiting for Toby to answer her questions.
Toby looked thoughtful for a moment before answering Jane's questions. "Well, Aunt Jane. I guess I've always been a fast reader. It seemed to start the day I learned to read. So, in a way, I guess the elementary teacher who helped me learn to read taught me. As to remembering what I read? I don't know, I just do. I don't seem to forget anything I read, though I may have to think a bit to find anything I've read in the past. It all just seems to stick with me."
Jane just nodded her head at Toby's answers, before telling the three they needed to get ready for bed. Toby closed the Physics book, set it aside, and with some effort got up off the couch. The girls gathered up their work and returned it all to their individual folders, before putting them away in a filing cabinet. Asking for permission to leave, and receiving permission, Jane waited until the three were out of the library before speaking with Susan. Only Susan went first. "Oy vey… that discovery just shot holes in my plans for him. He's almost a fourth of the way through the book, in two hours. He'd finish reading the entire book if he was allowed to read all day. Jane, he's at such an accelerated pace I don't think I can keep up with him. He'll be through lessons faster than what I have in mind for him. My God, Jane. Those fools are holding back a boy who could graduate high school within at least two years." After saying that, she sat there shaking her head at the stupidity of those running Toby's high school.
Jane could see the frustration written on Susan's face. Patting Susan's thigh, she told her, "Go. Go home to your husband. Let him calm your soul as only he can do. Just don't wake up your neighbors." The last was said with a cheeky smile, as Jane waited for Susan's reaction to the hint she gave her.
Jane watched Susan's face go from questioning to total surprise. "Why Jane Thompson, you cheeky woman." Susan reached over and took Jane's upper right arm, leaned into her, and in a sultry voice said, "I'll do my best to let them sleep." The two women laughed before standing up and accompanying each other to the library door, where Jane opened the door, allowing Susan to exit the library first, before following her out of the library and closing the door behind her.
Walking to the couch in the living room, Susan picked up her purse and other belongings before bidding Jane a good night; Jane walked to the living room window to make sure Susan left safely. Once Susan's car was out of sight, Jane turned and walked towards the stairs, stopping just inside the living room. It wasn't long before the three were descending the stairs, Charlotte in front, Toby in the middle, and Francis coming down last. They waited for each other before walking into the living room and stopping before Jane. Jane inspected the girl's faces, to make sure they'd properly removed their makeup, then looked at their robes to make sure they hadn't been mistreated. She then turned her attention to Toby, asking, "How have you been feeling today, Toby? You seem to be moving better than you have been. Jill will be here tomorrow to look at your wounds."
Waiting until Jane had finished speaking, Toby replied, "I think I'm doing better, Aunt Jane. My back isn't hurting as much, but my rear end is still causing me problems walking. I tried taking regular steps a few minutes ago and found out that was the wrong thing to do. So until my butt gets better, I'll be walking slower than usual."
As Toby spoke, Jane was nodding her head, indicating she understood what she was being told. "Your body has suffered a traumatic experience, don't do anything to cause a setback," was Jane's reply to what Toby told her. Before dismissing the three, she told them, "Remember, Sherry Daniels will be here tomorrow to speak with all of us. We've all displayed the need to speak with someone in her field, so be open with her. Tell her how you're feeling, what thoughts you're having, and anything else you need to tell her. Also remember, anything you tell her will not be shared with anyone else here. Including me, unless it deals with your life. Understand?" Receiving the only answer she would accept, "Yes Aunt Jane," she dismissed the three and bid them a good night, receiving the same from each of the three.
She watched as they chained their way back up the stairs, always putting Toby in between the girls. As she stood watching the girls and Toby climb the stairs, a realization struck her. Something she'd seen but hadn't seen the entire time Toby had been with them. Other than the times she told the girls to help Toby, they had helped him of their own volition. And it seemed to have started after Charlotte's blow-up at Toby, and his acceptance of her words. The three had formed a bond between themselves. The girls saw a need and filled it, knowing when to help Toby and helping him when he asked. Even Francis has been doing something without being cajoled or threatened by Jane or Marie. That in itself was an excellent sign in Frank's case.
Jane's thoughts had her consumed, so she didn't see Marie until she felt an arm go around her waist. "Come, chère, I've just made some tea. Come and give me your thoughts about Toby. He's turning out to be a remarkable young man, despite what he's done. It would seem there are now two young men whose names need to be cleared. Maybe Ruth and Charles' father should hear of this? Oui?"
Jane was still amazed at Marie's ability to know what was going on without being there to see it actually occur. After sitting down at the kitchen table, Jane recounted what she'd witnessed Toby do after she questioned him about his ability to retain what he read while reading so fast. "Two random pages, Marie, and two random paragraphs recited perfectly. Two random pages and paragraphs within the two hundred pages he read in two hours. After witnessing his performance, it is understandable why Susan becomes so angry when she sees someone like Toby and the abilities he has being wasted at his school."
Marie chuckled after what Jane said. "Chère, it isn't only Susan who gets angry when such a waste is witnessed. You are upset right now speaking about it. It is a tragedy when people such as Charles and Toby are put into a system unfit for their needs, but it isn't something we can remedy. We can only do what we do, where we are at the moment. Others who are involved in those fields will have to come forth and work to change the system. We have our skills and they have theirs, and we each must do the best we can with our given abilities. Now, go to bed, it's late. You can tell Sherry all of these things tomorrow."
Marie watched as Jane nodded her head in agreement. She reached over and patted Marie's hand, before pushing the kitchen chair back, standing and leaving the kitchen. Marie sat alone in the kitchen, the only noise coming from the work the freezer and refrigerator were doing to keep their food cold. Her thoughts, at the moment, were no better than Jane's. She too wanted to take those running their kid's schools and bang their heads against the walls until they realized what fools they've been to hold the three kids back. It wasn't long before she too saw how much she needed to speak with Sherry. She stood up, picked up her and Jane's mugs, took them to the sink, rinsed them out, sat them on the counter, took one more look around the kitchen, then walking over to the kitchen door, flicked the light switch down to shut off the kitchen lights. She checked to make sure the downstair doors were locked before climbing the stairs and making her way to her own bedroom, looking in on the three before finally closing her bedroom door behind her. She had a lot to tell Sherry in the morning.
When Jane came out of her bedroom the next morning and walked down the short hall to the dining room, she heard voices coming from the kitchen. The dining room table had been set, so she took the opportunity to go upstairs and inspect her ward's bedrooms. She didn't expect to find anything amiss in Charlotte's bedroom, because she was an orderly person. She also didn't expect to find Francis' bedroom out of order, ever since Charlotte had a talk with her and what Jane had seen of her bedroom the past few days. After inspecting each bedroom, her thoughts had become reality, both bedrooms were clean and tidy. Toby's bedroom was the real question, though. Yes, it had been neat and tidy the time she looked in on him, but would that continue? As she stepped into Toby's bedroom and closed the door behind her, she put her back to the bedroom door and slowly scanned the room. Just as she found in Charlotte's and Francis' bedrooms, nothing was out of place. Wondering, since she didn't see his pajamas, she walked over to the neatly made bed, lifted the pillow, and found his pajamas neatly folded under the pillow. Was this because of Francis or Charlotte? Her next stop was the en suite. Again, after entering the en suite, she put her back to the closed door and scanned the room. With a practiced eye, she saw towels were hung on the towel bars. The toilet lid was down, and the faucets shut off completely. Taking a closer look at the bathtub, she marveled at how clean it was, given what pain Toby was still feeling. She wondered how he had reached across the tub to clean off any residue left after bathing. Francis? Charlotte? Had they helped him in this? Should she question them on this? Would questioning them serve any purpose? Wasn't one of her purposes to have them learn to keep their living place clean without being told to do so? Hadn't Toby done that? After deliberations, she decided to watch and see if it continued to be done to her satisfaction, as it had been done this time.
Jane had come down the stairs just as Charlotte had placed buttered toast on the table. Charlotte looked up to see Jane walking into the dining room and noticed a puzzled look on her face. "Yes, Aunt Jane," was all she said to Jane, eliciting another look on Jane's face Charlotte knew all too well.
"Yes what, Charlotte?" Jane asked, believing she already knew the answer Charlotte would give her.
"You're wondering how Toby's bedroom was clean and tidy. And why his pajamas were under the pillow." Charlotte knew it wouldn't be wise to chuckle at the expression now on Jane's face, she didn't want to discover what she'd be doing next if that chuckle became public.
Jane's face now had a questioning look about it, as she asked, "How did you know what I was wondering, Miss Thorton?" Jane was now staring at Charlotte, embers in her eyes, even though she knew Charlotte wouldn't wilt under such a gaze.
"I read the expression on your face, Aunt Jane," she said to Jane, wisely hiding the smile she had wanted to display. "You had a puzzled expression on your face, Aunt Jane. It couldn't have been about Francis' bedroom or my bedroom, or you would have laid into us. So it had to be about Toby's bedroom. And yes, we've been helping him keep his bedroom and the en suite clean. He tried cleaning the tub himself but opened one of the wounds on his back. It wasn't bad, but it really hurt. And his rear end keeps him from bending over to reach the other side of the tub. So, Francis and I have been helping him after we finish our rooms."
If Charlotte expected Jane to say more about her and Francis helping Toby, she was disappointed. All Jane said to her was, "I see. Run along, you have more to do in the kitchen." After her exchange with Charlotte, Jane walked over to the big window in the living room. Charlotte's hand was just about to push the kitchen door open when she heard, "And Charlotte, you need to set three more places at the dining room table. Our guests have arrived."
Author's Note: When I first wrote Complicit In a Lie, I had no thoughts, or ideas, to write a sequel. But thanks to a few readers, who asked about a sequel, ideas formed that made writing this sequel possible. It is necessary to have read Complicit In a Lie to understand why Charles is now with Jane, who the boy arriving in Kingston is and how he's involved in Charles' Court case. And to understand where Mr. Corporate, George Strom, fits into this story. This story starts off after Charles says, "When do we start," in Complicit in a Lie. So if you haven't read Complicit In a Lie, the beginning of this story won't make any sense. Hint hint!
Looking out the big window in the living room, Jane watched as three cars came up the drive, parked and a woman exited each car. One of the women saw Jane standing at the living room window and gave her a big wave; the woman also had a big smile on her face. Jane just shook her head, before turning and walking to the front door. Opening the door, Jane stood there and watched as the three women greeted each other with hugs and cheek kisses, before walking side by side and approaching the front door where Jane waited. "I don't remember sending you three a breakfast invitation for today. And I suppose someone made two phone calls and invited the other two?"
Jane's look would have curled the toes of any girl she had in the house, but not these three women. These three kept the smiles they had on their faces, with one even saying, "Oh, Janie. You know anytime I come to your house I have an open invitation to sit for a meal. You told me that your very own self some ancient time ago, Janie." The other two women did their best not to laugh at the banter between her and 'Janie.' "And look at you, Janie, all prim and proper, you need to let your hair down now and then. Ya know? Now, if what I smell tastes as good as it smells, then our early arrival won't be in vain, will it?"
When Sherry Daniels reached Jane, Jane urgently pulled her into a hug, like two long-lost lovers. What Jane said next surprised even the other two women, Susan and Jill. "Damn girl, it's good to see you again. We do need your help."
Sherry was hugging Jane as fiercely as Jane was hugging her. "It's good to be here again, chère, I've missed you. You should have called me sooner about all this Scheisse (crap.). I'd have dropped everything and been here yesterday, last week, two years ago. You know that, chère. For you, anything. How's the boy holding up so far? I've seen the pictures you sent me and read the accompanying file. From the looks of you, you're about to send some friends to deal with the whole thing, right? But you can't get involved without endangering the boy, right?"
Jane pushed Sherry back and looked at her with a surprised look on her face. "Ho... " but she never finished her question, as Sherry beat her to it.
"How'd I know how you're feeling and how you wanted to contact your friends and have them deal with this whole mess? Thompson, I've been able to read you like a book ever since we met all those centuries ago." Sherry then took a hand and rubbed Janie's cheek, saying, "And I'm really glad you didn't go critical in getting involved. You wouldn't look good in orange or looking like a zebra. Besides, I can't bake a cake worth a damn, as you well know from experience."
Jane had leaned into Sherry's hand, then looking at Susan and Jill, she said for them to go on through; to Jill, she said Toby was in the kitchen. After the three women had entered the house, and Jane had closed and locked the front door, she and Sherry, arm in arm, went to the study. Jane opened the study door and let Sherry enter first, before following her and closing the door behind her. "Mess is not a strong enough word to describe what's taking place, Sherry," Jane said, as she walked over to the window at the front of the study. "Marie and I are charting new territory," Jane supplied as she looked out the window. Turning to face Sherry, she said in a voice of exasperation, "We only have one real girl with us, the other two shouldn't even be here. Charlotte, Charles Thorton, is only here to keep him out of Federal Court, where Strom threatened to take him there if Ruth didn't find him guilty. And Toby. He's been so severely beaten it's a wonder he is still sane. Both of those boys are where Marie and I want our girls to be before they leave here. To top it all off, Sherry, two men arrived at the hospital looking for Toby. They wanted to kill him, Sherry. Someone has been killing those kids who were involved in the shoplifting ring and still on the streets. I so wanted Fred and Bill to take care of this whole mess. And I can assure you, they would have found those at the top responsible for everything, and the world wouldn't have known where those people could be found when those two were done. If Marie hadn't been here, they would have been on their way right now."
Sherry had stood stock still in the middle of the study while Jane came very close to shouting while she laid her soul bare to Sherry. "Jane, stop. Take a breath. You are all over the place right now. This isn't you. Get your thoughts together and we'll talk more after breakfast." Sherry walked over to Jane, turned her around, put her arms around her, and held her as she cried on Sherry's shoulder. "You are a slow learner, Janie. You try to carry the world on your shoulders, it's something you've always done. If you don't learn to do what you do best and leave the other stuff to those who do that best, you're going to burn yourself out completely. And boys who need you will be out of luck." Sherry continued holding Jane, feeling the woman's body slowly relax. Pushing Jane back, she told her, "Come on, let's go eat breakfast, then we can talk more. Okay?"
With her arm still around Jane, Sherry steered them to the study door. Using her free hand, Sherry opened the door, pushed Jane through before walking through herself and closing the door behind her. Sherry then steered Jane towards her bedroom, hinting Jane needed to fix her face. After Sherry watched Jane enter her bedroom, she walked over to the big window at the front of the living room. She'd known Jane Thompson for more years than she could remember, and knew she was a 'tough-as-nails' woman. So for something to cause her this much distress, it must be extremely bad. As Sherry looked out the window, she sensed someone standing beside her. Turning to her left, she saw a very pretty girl standing there. "Aunt Jane has really been hurting since this whole thing started. It's gotten worse when she found out they were killing the kids who were involved with the shoplifting. Oh, I'm Charlotte, by the way, Charles Thorton in my normal clothes. Francis and I have done all we can to help Aunt Jane, even forcing her to go riding with us. It helped at that time, but only during that time. Why do some people take on the sins of the world, but can't do anything about what's causing them such distress?"
Sherry gave Charlotte a blank look before chuckling. "Janie said you were an interesting young man, Charles Thorton. And now I can see why. You asked one heck of a question. My short answer? They have an abundance of love and care for others. When they see things such as all I've learned occur, they want to do something, see someone deal with the situation. They know, deep down, they lack the skills to get involved, so they develop a sense of being powerless. They also know, deep down, if they did get involved, they might be in trouble or lose everything they've worked for. Again, feeling powerless. But she isn't powerless when it comes to changing behaviors and attitudes, something she forgets sometimes during something like this. I'm here to help her remember all the good she's done, all the boys she's put on a better path. You and Francis should be commended for the help you've given Jane, it's rare for two of her girls to do something like that."
Charlotte laughed, then said, "That was your short answer? If that's your short answer, I'd hate to hear your dissertation."
Laughing, Sherry told Charlotte, "I can get wound up, Charlotte." Then leaning towards Charlotte, and speaking in a conspiratorial voice, asked, "Is breakfast ready yet?
Answering in the same quality of voice, Charlotte replied, "We're just waiting for Aunt Jane. And why are we whispering?"
A booming voice caused Charlotte to jump and Sherry to turn her head towards the voice. "BECAUSE, CHARLOTTE. IT'S A CHARACTER FLAW SHE'S HAD FOR YEARS. AND, ASK HER A QUESTION AND YOU GET HER DISSERTATION. Now come on you two or our breakfast will get cold." Jane chuckled as her dear friend stuck her tongue out at her. She also chuckled after causing Charlotte to jump, likely for the first time since she'd been at Seasons House. She still had the touch!
Just as Charlotte and Sherry turned to walk through the living room and into the dining room, Jill and Toby slowly came down the stairs; Jill had taken Toby up to his bedroom to examine his wounds, and treat any needing to be treated. Jill was behind Toby but had her left hand on his left shoulder, helping to support him as he slowly took one step at a time down the stairs. Toby was concentrating on the steps, so didn't see Jane and Jill make eye contact or Jill nod her head to Jane; Toby's wounds were healing nicely.
Despite his slow movements, Toby again assisted in seating Jane, Jill, Susan, Sherry, and Marie when she finally came out of the kitchen. Not one of the ladies said a word about his slow movements in assisting them, they just thanked him for his help. A silent question passed between Sherry and Jane concerning his helping the ladies to sit at the table. With raised eyebrows, Sherry was asking Jane, 'Has he done this since he's been here?' Sherry received an unspoken answer from Jane as she nodded her head. Sherry returned the gesture, indicating she was impressed with Toby and what he was doing, given his condition. Sherry watched as Toby stood until Francis and Charlotte were seated, then sat down himself. She threw another silent question towards Jane when Toby bowed his head after sitting down. Jane put her palms together, her fingers pointing straight up and she bowed her head at the same time, telling Sherry Toby was saying a prayer of thanks before eating. This time Sherry mouthed 'WOW' in response to Jane's silent explanation.
Sherry had read the file Jane had sent her on Toby, the official report and Jane's report. The official report stated Toby was an angry, arrogant, and disrespectful young man. It also told of the injuries discovered on his body when he was required to change his clothes while in jail. And the lack of parental consent so his injuries couldn't be treated. While Jane's report started with the same initial belief, and her thoughts on how she'd deal with Toby, she amended those thoughts after observing Toby when he arrived at the train station. The amendment also included her observations of Toby since his arrival at Seasons House, which dramatically contradicted the official report. She had a feeling he'd be an interesting boy to speak with. Her thoughts were interrupted when she heard someone call her name.
"Earth to Ms. Daniels. Would you please bring your spacecraft back to Earth, Ms. Daniels?" Not only was Jane looking at Sherry, knowing she was lost in thought, but so were the others; the girls were trying not to laugh because of what Jane said to Sherry.
As everyone watched, Sherry shook herself, then said, "Sorry, I was lost in thought." Then while looking at Jane she said, "MS Daniels? Come on, Janie. You know I hate it when people address me as MS anything. I'm not that type of girl." After saying that, she gave Jane a smug look, causing the girls and Toby to once again stifle the laughs bubbling in their throats.
Returning Sherry's smug look with one of her own, Jane told her, "But it got your attention, didn't it? I find it's the only way to bring you back down to earth when that pea-sized brain of yours takes you into the void."
"Pea brain? Now you're calling me a pea brain? Was it my pea-sized brain that pulled your fat out of the fire in that restaurant that one time? Let me think, aw yes… " but Jane jumped in before Sherry could go on.
"You wouldn't?" Jane exclaimed. "That's blackmail!"
"Oh, yes I would! And yes it is!" Sherry replied, her face laced with a big smile. As everyone watched, Jane picked up her serviette and waved it in the air, eliciting a, "That's better, Janie," from Sherry.
Marie knew of the deep friendship Jane and Sherry shared over the years and was always amused when they had the time to meet and rekindle that friendship with their bantering. Susan, on the other hand, at first thought the two were at each other's throats over something, but soon realized they were just bantering with each other. She knew it was something only real friends did with each other.
After the two had finished bantering with each other, Jane saw a questioning look on Francis' face. "Francis. You seem to be troubled. Why is that?"
Everyone had helped themselves to the scrambled eggs, bacon, hash browns, and biscuits that had been passed from person to person, and Francis had taken a fork full of scrambled eggs when Jane asked her question. Swallowing the bite, then clearing her throat, Francis answered with, "I was just thinking about my paper on the Dust Bowl. Why would people ever live in those areas? When they were first settled, they'd have to travel a long distance to reach any town. The only thing there when they settled those areas was prairie grasses. I just don't understand why such areas attract people."
Susan chimed in with, "What do you see when looking out through the front windows, Francis? Tall grasses? Trees? And very little else, right? Imagine being given land and allowed to keep it if you made improvements on it in five years. Imagine you had a dream to own your own home and land. You have to remember how those people were living at the time, Francis. Many had arrived in America and were living in major cities at the time. They were paying someone else to live in the owner's apartment buildings, often in terrible conditions; working conditions weren't any better. You also have to remember a lot this started taking place after the Civil War, when the Country was trying to put itself back together. Your living conditions stink, as does the job you have, so what would you do if you were offered a chance to have your own land and build and live in your own house? And all you had to do was make improvements on the land. People saw a chance to get out from under poor and oftentimes terrible living conditions, if not dangerous working conditions. So they took the offer of free land and the chance to start a new life. But as you have undoubtedly learned, they were ignorant of land management. They went too far with the plow and plowed everything in sight, removing the one thing helping to stabilize the land. Those who had herds of cattle overgrazed the land, with the result the same as with overplowing the land. After a while, many had to leave, or left in hopes of finding something better. But many stayed because they liked the freedom the land and the area gave them. They weren't living shoulder to shoulder with the person next to them. The conditions were rough, even hard, but it was theirs to do as they wanted. Do you enjoy the view when you look out of the front window, Francis?" Francis nodded her head in answer to Susan's question
"Those who settled in those areas also liked the view, a view not hampered by tall buildings or streets packed with all manner of people, horses and carts. They could see for miles, and the odd building and the herds of cattle they'd see grazing in pastures belonged to the neighbors who lived several miles away. The air was clean, the sky blue instead of brown and hazy. And what a view of the heavens at night. The sky was lit with so many stars, unseen in the big cities because of the constant lighting and haze. Have been outside at night, Francis, and taken in the sky and its dance of lights? It is a beauty all of its own. Mankind could do nothing to improve on such beauty. Did my diatribe answer your question, Francis? This and other topics will be covered in the American history course I have planned for the three of you. You will also study World history." When Susan mentioned World history, the three teens cringed at the thought of World history. "Oh, come on now, no ugly faces. I'm not going to have you learn who did what when. If you want to know that, you can look it up. No, I want you three to see and understand cause and effect. How decisions of any kind do have consequences, and sometimes lasting consequences like the Dust Bowl."
Susan changed topics with, "Toby. I think with another hour of reading, you'll be ready for the test on the first section of that Physics book. Unless Jane has something for you to do after helping in the kitchen, then I'd like you to continue reading where you stopped. Once you reach the end of the first section, let me know and I'll gladly give you the first test you'll be taking. My gawd, will you stop looking like you just sucked a lemon. I'm not going to stand up in front of you and produce some boring litany of who did what when and why. You are going to teach yourselves. I'm here to let that happen. I'm here to answer any questions you have and to point out ideas or concepts you might have missed or didn't see. I'm here to try and get you to think about what you're reading or working through. You three will not be a captive audience. If you run across something in your reading, all of us will discuss it, not just you and me individually."
The only person who hadn't been eating as Susan spoke was herself. It was Jane who interjected by saying, "I think it's time to let Susan have her breakfast, don't you three agree?" She was looking directly at the three teens who sat opposite her at the table. Jane, Marie, and Jill had seen how intently the three had been listening to Susan as they ate their breakfasts. Now, with something in their mouths at the moment, all they could do was nod their heads to Jane's oral question and her unspoken one. "Toby. I do not have anything else for you after you've done what you are able in the kitchen. So you are to return to the library and continue with your reading." When Jane gave reading assignments to past girls, none had the gleam she now saw in Toby's eyes. He wanted to read, needed to read, had hoped he'd get the chance one day. That day had arrived and he wanted to do nothing but bury himself in whatever book Susan gave him to read. "Girls, you know your research papers are coming due, so you need to work those in between what Susan gives you."
When the last fork had been placed on an empty plate, the three teens asked to be excused from the table, so they could begin clearing the table and finish in the kitchen. As the four women watched, despite Toby's limited mobility, he was moving much faster than he'd done in the past few days. When the three teens were in the kitchen it was Susan who made an observation with, "I think someone is in a hurry to resume his reading. I can't recall any of my past students needing to read as urgently as that boy. I wonder if he thinks it will be taken away from him, so is reading as much as possible?"
It was Marie who added, "Or, he's making up for lost time. Remember, he tried to get put into AP courses, only to be denied. A person that hungry to learn, often overcompensates when they are finally given the chance to do what they've dreamt of doing. According to what I've heard, his speed reading isn't being questioned, it's his ability to retain what he reads that's being questioned. And if my figures are correct, you should be giving him the section test in about 30-45 minutes after he begins where he left off reading yesterday. I suspect he'll read even faster today, so he can continue reading more of that Physics book. I also suspect he'll do the same for any book you give him, Susan."
After the table had been cleared, it wasn't long before Toby came out of the kitchen, walking much faster than when he helped clear the table. As the four women watched, he made a beeline to the library, continuing the same fast-paced walk. Susan and Sherry may have missed it, but Jill, Jane, and Marie saw the grimace on his face with each quick step he took toward the library. "I sure hope he didn't tear anything open walking like that," Jill put in. "Everything is healing nicely, but it only takes one wrong move and he'll tear something open. That kid has more heart than most kids his age. Hell, he has more heart than many adults." Then, speaking more to herself than anyone still at the table, she said, "He can't go back to public education. That place is killing him and his mind." Jill looked up to see all eyes now on her. "Let me guess," she asked, looking at each woman at the table. "You all feel the same? You already discussed some way to keep him out of the public education system? Or at least the school he was attending?"
"We have, Jill," Jane answered. "However, the question can't be answered or another program sought until this entire mess is resolved. Officially, he's to stay here with me, just as any other boy sent to me by the Courts. Unofficially, we are trying to find an institution of learning that fits his needs. But with so many unanswered questions connected to this whole mess, nothing definite can be planned. Plus, when he's released by the Courts, his future is out of our hands."
Marie spoke next by saying, "I'd best get into the kitchen to make sure those two anmaßende Kinder (presumptuous children) are doing what they're supposed to be doing. And my kitchen is still in one piece." Having said that, Marie pushed her chair back, stood up, pushed the chair back under the table, then walked the four steps into the kitchen.
It was Jill who spoke next, saying, "Well, my work here is done. I wanted to make sure there was no more infection and the wounds were healing nicely. I sure hope a plastic surgeon can do something with all those scars, or he'll be answering a lot of questions down the road. The last thing he needs to a constant reminder of what he's been through. Oh, and thank you for the breakfast, Jane. It was as tasty as it always is when I'm here." She then pushed her chair back, stood up, stepped away from the chair, pushed it under the table, before saying her goodbyes to the three women at the table.
It wasn't long before Francis and Charlotte came out of the kitchen, moving almost as fast as Toby had when he came out of the kitchen. "GIRLS! Is there a fire I know nothing about?" Jane's initial word stopped both girls cold in their tracks. "You both know how you are to walk while in this house, unless given special permission, which I don't remember giving you two. So… where's the fire?"
In the past, Francis would have shied away from Jane's questions. It had been a self-imposed habit with her because of past experiences at school. Now, after being with Charlotte and being encouraged by her, and knowing Jane wasn't going to chastise her for speaking, she said, "We're almost finished with our research papers, and wanted to complete them before Susan assigns the work she has for us."
Jane was staring at Francis, a stare which once would have had her hanging her head, thinking she was being humiliated for speaking. But now a different Francis looked back at her, a more confident Francis stood there before her. "It's wise to complete one project before starting another one, but it isn't a reason to act as though you're running a race. By hurrying as you two were doing, you're completely focused on quickly arriving at the library, and wouldn't be able to see something unexpected happening and react to it in time. It's admirable you both wish to finish your projects before starting on the lessons Susan has for you two. But in this house, you WILL take your time walking from room to room unless told otherwise. Is that clear, or do we have to practice by walking the entire house?"
Francis answered for Charlotte by telling Jane, "We both understand, Aunt Jane. We're sorry, Aunt Jane." When Jane flicked her head in the direction of the library, both girls calmly walked the rest of the way to the library.
"I better get in there and get my material ready for those three." She then looked at her watch and said, "If Marie is right, in about fifteen minutes, Toby will be ready for the first section test." This Susan said before pushing her chair back, standing, then pushing the chair under the table.
Before Susan could turn and start for the library, Sherry said, "Susan. After Toby takes his section test, have him come see me. I suspect he's so wound up inside he's about to explode. I'm surprised he hasn't already, because of everything he's endured. He may be with me longer than the rest of you, including you Susan. So you might hold off giving him anything before he comes to see me. Also, tell him if the study door is closed, wait in the living room and I'll come find him. If it's open, he's to walk on in."
Susan nodded her head, turned, and walked to the library, where she lightly knocked on the library door before opening the door and walking into the library. When she closed the door behind her, Sherry turned to Jane and asked, "Well, shall we return to our previous discussion in the study, you're still wound much too tightly. And like Toby, if you haven't already done so, you're a boom waiting to happen."
Jane nodded her head as she said, "Yes, we better return to the study. And yes, I have gone boom already, I'll tell you about it." Both women pushed back the chairs at the same time. Stood, moved away from their chairs, then pushed them under the table. Sherry stepped over to Jane and put her arm around the woman's waist as they started walking to the study. Jane let Sherry take control as it was Sherry who opened the study door and guided Jane into the room first. Stepping into the room after Jane, she closed the door before telling Jane, "Let's sit at the table by the window. It's a lovely view out there today." As the two walked towards the table near the window, there was a knock on the study door. Both turned towards the door and watched as Marie entered carrying a tray laden with a tea teapot covered with a tea cozy and two cups on two saucers. As she walked over to the table, they also saw a plate on the tray with an assortment of cookies on it. Marie was silent the entire time she was in the study, but hugged Jane and kissed her on the cheek before leaving the study. Jane was now looking out of the window and missed what Sherry saw as Marie walked to the study door. Even with her back towards Sherry and Jane, Sherry saw Marie first use her right hand to wipe her right eye, then her left hand to wipe her left eye. 'I will talk to that lovely woman after Toby,' Sherry told herself. 'She hides it well, but she too is hurting because of this mess,' she added to herself. Shaking her head, she walked over to the table and all but commanded Jane to sit down.
Author's Note: When I first wrote Complicit In a Lie, I had no thoughts, or ideas, to write a sequel. But thanks to a few readers, who asked about a sequel, ideas formed that made writing this sequel possible. It is necessary to have read Complicit In a Lie to understand why Charles is now with Jane, who the boy arriving in Kingston is and how he's involved in Charles' Court case. And to understand where Mr. Corporate, George Strom, fits into this story. This story starts off after Charles says, "When do we start," in Complicit in a Lie. So if you haven't read Complicit In a Lie, the beginning of this story won't make any sense. Hint hint!
Sherry had sat down in one of the three seats at the table near the front window of the study. Jane was still standing, looking out of that same window. "Jane, please sit down and talk to me. We've known each other for quite a while and have never kept anything from each other. Jane, P-L-E-A-S-E SIT down and talk to me. You're letting this mess eat you alive. I don't want to see a dear friend burn out before they know it's time to retire. So, Janie, SIT YOUR ASS DOWN IN THAT CHAIR. Sherry was now pointing to the chair across the table from her. She had learned during her years of practice, that it was sometimes necessary to fight fire with fire. Jane was a domineering woman, she had to be in order to get her girls to do what they were told. So, Sherry had reasoned, it was time to be a more domineering woman than Jane.
Jane laughed outright before turning to face Sherry. "The mouse that roared, I believe would be an apt description. Where did you learn to be so vocal?"
"Well, let's see… I remember that guy who kept pestering you and had a terrible time understanding when you told him to go away. Then, in a rather forceful voice, you told him to find a quiet corner and masticate his own excrement. We walked away from him then, but when he finally figured out what you told him to do, he tried to get physical with you. That's when he ended up on his knees clutching his jewels and you yelling at him, 'WHICH PART OF LEAVE ME THE FUCK ALONE DON'T YOU UNDERSTAND?' Of course, you had grabbed his hair and pulled his head back before you yelled that, but it was effective. He never bothered us again that night. I think it had more to do with getting his butt thrown out of the bar than what you told him."
Jane bent over, put her hands on the table, leaned as far as she could in Sherry's direction, and told her, "You breathe a word of that Daniels, and they won't ever find your body."
"Pfffttt… what? You're going to sick Fred and Bill on me? Little 'o me? Those two know which side of the street to walk on when I'm around, I kicked their butts enough times when we were growing up. You know darn well my brothers aren't going to do squat to me. So sit your ass down in that chair," and she pointed to the chair Jane was leaning over, "and quit avoiding talking to me. Or there might be an immediate public meeting to air your dirty laundry. To... E-V-E-R-Y-O-N-E."
Jane's serious expression slid into a look of resignation, as she pulled out the chair and sat down. "You're one cruel bitch, Sherry Daniels, using blackmail to get your way. I hope your allergies act up and you start sneezing just as you have a bad case of diarrhea."
It took Sherry a few minutes to compose herself, as she started laughing over Jane's attempt at getting back at her for making Jane sit down. When she finally stopped laughing, she told Jane, "Flattery will get you nowhere, Thompson. You should know that quite well by this time. It didn't work before and it sure isn't going to work now." The atmosphere took on an authoritative tone when Sherry asked, "Why are you so bent to hell trying not to talk with me? We've always confided in each other when something was eating at us. Why start shutting me out now?"
Sherry watched as Jane's expressions changed with each thought she had. Finally, and seeing Jane's resignation face again, Jane told her, "Because I'm angry with myself. Okay? I've been taking my anger out on the girls. If Marie hadn't been there the one time I was so mad, I'd have reamed both girls new trous de cul (assholes.). Thing is," and her voice became softer, "they were just concerned about me and my welfare. And I almost made the biggest mistake I could have made by jumping down their throats. I had just learned from Jeb, Charles' father, that someone had started killing the kids who were involved in the shoplifting and still on the streets. I had to get away and chose to go riding. When I came out of my bedroom after changing my clothes, both girls were sitting on the couch with Marie, instead of being in the library working on their assignments. Marie saw my anger and told me not to take my anger out on the girls. They weren't the ones I was really angry at, but they were almost the ones I directed it towards."
Sherry reached across the table and took Jane's hands in hers. "Damit, Thompson! How many times do you have to be told not to try and become Charles Atlas? That statue shows him carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders… as a punishment. Why are you trying to punish yourself by trying to take on the weight of the world? I've no doubt Marie has told you as much. I've no doubt she's told you to concentrate on what you two do here at Seasons House, what you're both good at doing. Jane, my beloved friend, I've seen people go completely insane when they try to do what you're doing. They think they have to do it all, until they lose themselves and their minds. And no amount of talking will convince them otherwise. They simply refuse to believe they don't have to take the weight of the world on their shoulders. Jane, look at me." Sherry squeezed Jane's hands, then told her again, "Look at me, Jane." When Jane raised her head to look at Sherry, Sherry went on with, "I know you've walked a mental tightrope most of your adult life. I know it stems from the care and concern you have for young lives. Because of that care and concern, and I suspect love, you are damn good at guiding the boys who come here back on the path each should be walking. But you can't take on something you aren't suited to take on. Yes, I know you could get Fred and Bill to find and take care of those at the top of this mess, but what would that make you then? Both are eternally grateful for what you did for them when they were here in their early teens. They wouldn't listen to me when I told them where they were headed because of the things they were doing. But you and Marie turned them around. You two forced them to examine their lives by the way you made them live while they were here. Now, if you put them in women's clothing, they both would be butt ugly. I saw the pictures of them while they were here, and they both were really cute. You did that Jane Thompson. You and Marie. Let those trained in sniffing out the crap do their jobs, and you do yours. And Jane, thank you for giving me my brothers back."
Jane had tears running down her cheeks. She remembered the two men and their times with her. She wanted to slap the shirt out of Fred the first day he was with her; Bill was almost as bad but not slapping bad. But deep down, both boys were honorable, and even though they whined and complained, they did what she told them to do and eventually saw what she was trying to instill in them. "But they're killing kids, Sherry. How can anyone not want to stop it any way they can? That hurts worse than having Charles or Toby here, or those trous de cul (assholes) at their schools holding them back."
"Sweetheart, I'm not saying don't care about what you know is taking place. Only a callus person wouldn't care. I once had a client whose partner was beating the hell out of her; she eventually left him. I saw the pictures the hospital took of her injuries. I wanted to find that bastard and give to him what he gave to his girlfriend, but knew if I did, I'd be in the wrong and likely to be arrested. I had to concentrate on what was right and what was wrong, and for me to go after that guy would have been wrong. The judge gave him six months the first time, for my client. But he got life when he beat his next girlfriend to death. And why did he beat her? She spilled his beer when she was bringing it to him and he had to teach her a lesson. He went too far and will now spend the rest of his life behind bars. I knew a few guys inside and thought to put out the word to them. But again, it wasn't the right thing for me to do. I'd make me no better than that piece of crap. Can you see what I'm telling you, Jane? Be concerned when something bad happens, that's how a caring person should feel. But recognize your skills aren't up to the task of personally taking care of the problem. Recognize there are those who've dedicated their lives to that type of work, just as you've dedicated your life to helping young boys."
"But it hurts so bad knowing it's happening, Sherry."
"I know, sweetheart. I've been there many times over the years while helping others. The hurt shows how much we honestly care about it, Jane. That we aren't uncaring monsters. And Jane, we aren't alone in this. You talk to anyone working on this case and you'll find they are hurting too. You'll also find they have their own ideas about what should happen to those killing those kids. I've got a feeling it has to do with a flashlight, a map, and a shovel. With plenty of open country, the bodies of those people might never be found. What's funny, or sad, depending on how you look at it, there are a lot of people who'd agree with what they'd want to do. But they won't because it isn't the right thing for them to do, just like you and me."
There was silence in the study for some time before Jane said, "Thank you for all of that, Sherry. I guess I needed to just sit and listen to someone else for a change. You're right in that Marie has told me almost everything you've said. I guess I needed someone outside of this house telling me the same thing. I better go and make sure the house hasn't fallen apart."
Jane tried to pull her hands back, but Sherry held them firmly. "Jane. After you make sure the house hasn't fallen apart, go ride. Take your mare out and listen to what this world has to tell you. I understand you were taken out for a ride once before; very commendable of those two girls. Go again. And listen, really listen to all the sounds you hear. See what your eyes are showing you. Realize even out in the world, those things in the world only take care of what they're equipped to deal with. Go on… go ride, my dear sweet sister." While they still held hands, as awkward as it was, they both stood up, walked to the end of the table, and embraced.
"I love you, Sherry."
"I love you too, Janie. Now go."
Jane left the study door open as she left the study. As she walked through the living room towards the library, she saw Toby sitting on the couch. "Did you take your section test, Toby?"
Jane waited a moment as she watched Toby slowly stand up; he winched a few times during the movement. "Yes, Aunt Jane. I finished it about ten minutes ago."
"And?" Jane prompted.
Jane could see Toby was trying to answer her question without trying to brag about his score. "Susan said I scored a 100, Aunt Jane. I'm not trying to sound pompous about the score, but I am proud of the results. My first AP test and I scored a 100 on it."
Jane watched as Toby's whole face lit up as he talked about his first AP test. "You should be proud of your accomplishment, Toby. Just remember there's a huge difference between being proud and prideful. The latter makes you arrogant. I think Sherry is ready for you now, you best go in."
"Yes, Aunt Jane. And thank you very much for the opportunity."
Jane stood aside so Toby could walk directly to the study without making any detours around her. While he kept a brave facade, she could tell he was still experiencing pain as he walked. After Toby closed the study door, Jane continued to the library, where she knocked on the door before entering. After closing the door behind her, Jane turned and was pleasantly surprised when she heard, "Bonjour, tante Jane. C'est agréable de te revoir (Hello, Aunt Jane. It's nice to see you again,)," from Francis.
She squinted her eyes as she looked at Susan and Charlotte, both had their hands conspicuously over their mouths. Then looking at Charlotte, she said, "Alors, comment se passent tes cours, Francis (So, how are your classes going, Francis?)?"
Without missing a beat, Francis replied with, "J'ai terminé mon document de recherche, il est sur la table de la salle à manger. En ce moment, nous étudions le français. Comment vais-je, tante Jane (I finished my research paper, it's on the dining room table. At the moment we are studying French. How am I doing, Aunt Jane?)?"
Jane's questioning look to Susan was asking, 'What the heck.'
The look Susan returned was saying, 'Impressive, isn't she.'
"You are doing remarkably well, Francis. Take care with your pronunciation, though. You sometimes don't quite accentuate a word correctly, but that will come with more practice. Vous êtes un jeune homme remarquable ( Vous êtes un jeune homme remarquable,), Frank."
"Merci, tante Jane. Cela signifie beaucoup pour moi (Thank you, Aunt Jane. It means a lot to me.)."
"Girls, Susan, I need to go riding. Marie will look after things while I'm out. Girls, you both know there will be consequences if you fail to do as she tells you."
Both girls answered in the affirmative with, "Yes, Aunt Jane," before Jane turned and walked back to the library door, opened it, and left the library. Closing the door behind her. She turned left and walked the short distance to her bedroom, where a few minutes later she came back out dressed in her riding clothing. She didn't see Marie in the living room when she reached it, so walked to and entered the kitchen. Again, she didn't find Marie. Deciding Marie must be up in her bedroom, Jane left the kitchen and walked down the hallway leading to the backdoor of the house. She thought it strange Marie wouldn't be available as she opened the backdoor, stepped onto the small porch, closed the door, and started the short walk to the stable. As she rounded the corner of the opening to the stable, Jane was taken aback as she saw Marie standing there holding the reins of Jane's mare. The mare was saddled and ready for Jane to ride. "How did you know?" She asked Marie as she slowly walked through the stable and out the other end.
Marie shrugged her shoulders before saying, "A little bird told me. Now come on. This one," and she nodded towards the mare, "is more than willing to be ridden. And you're not to come back until you've solved yourself. Oui?"
Her throat tight, Jane walked up to her dear friend, hugged her tightly, then releasing her, mounted the mare, and gave her horse its head. Marie stood and watched as the mare took Jane out towards the pond. "God please help that beautiful woman," she whispered. "She needs all the help she can get right now."
As the mare walked on, Jane's thoughts went back to her time at the girl's school. Her time as the headmistress and the disagreements that caused her to leave and start Seasons House. She thought about each boy who'd been sent to Seasons House and what it took her and Marie to finally reach this or that boy. She also remembered the ones who just went through the motions but have helped Seasons House over the years when help was needed. She thought back to the loss of a friend who wanted a daughter instead of a son, who had forged Court papers to have him sent to Seasons House. Those thoughts ran quickly by until they reached the present, and the boys now with her. Anger flared when she thought of the vow she made after it was discovered what Kenneth's mother had done to have him sent to Seasons House. And here she was with two boys who had no business being at Seasons House. Two boys who had been stifled at their respective high schools because of the incompetents who ran them. Two boys, like Kenneth, who had no business being at Seasons House. Unlike Kenneth, though, both boys were being protected while at Seasons House. Charles was here to keep him out of possibly being tried in Federal Court. Toby, who caused Charles to be tangled in the whole mess, was involved in this mess but not of his own volition. The scars on his body showed the vicious efforts used to force him into becoming involved. He chose shoplifting as a means of self-preservation in an attempt to stay the beatings he had endured. But the animals had done worse to him after he'd been arrested at Taylor's department store for shoplifting. And now… and now they'd quadrupled their efforts by killing those kids still on the streets who'd been part of a threesome shoplifting teams. All in an attempt to save their own skins.
Sherry had told Jane to go riding. To listen to the world and all that was in it, and not come back until she had sorted herself out. But from the minute Jane gave the mare its head at the stable, she'd become so lost in her thoughts she'd neither seen nor heard anything during the ride. It wasn't until she felt a sharp pain in her left leg did she emerge from the thought-inducing trance she'd been in. In fact, Jane didn't even realize the mare had stopped walking and was now looking at her with its left eye. "What the hell?" Were Jane's first words as she reached down to rub a spot on her lower left leg. She looked into the mare's left eye, an eye looking directly at her, and asked, "Did you just hit me?" Her voice was sharp, laced with anger, as was the expression on her face. "Why the hell did you hit me?"
Felines growl. Canines growl. Even Homo Sapiens growl, at times, but horses aren't known for growling. Until now. Jane thought she'd heard every sound a horse could make during her time having horses at Seasons House. Jane could only interpret the sound the mare was now making as a growl, and leaned forward until she was almost touching the mere's left eye before asking, "Are you trying to growl at me?" The mare turned its head forward and snorted as it threw its head up and down before turning its head back to look at Jane. "Why the hell are you growl… " but she never finished what she was going to say. She was suddenly struck by a familiar feeling--they weren't moving. The mare had stopped walking. Jane looked down at the ground, then abruptly sat up, looking all around her before she realized where they were. They were at the pond and they weren't alone. She closed her eyes, dropped her head, and said out loud, "Oh, God. I've done it again." She lifted her head and looked into the mare's left eye, saying, "I took my anger out on you. You were only concerned for me." The snort wasn't as pronounced as it had been at first, and neither was the head nodding. Jane dismounted the mare, walked around in front of her, wrapped her arms around the mere's neck, and told her, "I'm so sorry. I'm so so sorry." The mare laid its head on Jane's shoulder, its way of telling Jane it was okay, things would be okay. She whinnied softly, causing Jane to let go of her neck and look at her. The mare threw its head to the right, towards the bench not more than five feet from them. It wasn't until Jane looked towards the bench that she caught sight of not only the ducks, frogs, and deer sitting near the bench, but the mated skunks, the raccoon, and the two porcupines. All were waiting patiently for her to sit down on the bench. Jane rubbed the big mare's muzzle before walking slowly over to the bench and sitting down. She looked around at all the animals around her, asking, "So… are all of you going to tell me the same as others have told me? How I'm trying to take on the weight of the world on my shoulders, instead of letting go and allowing others to do what they do best?" All remained silent; the mare had wandered off to graze. Jane looked at the small herd of deer to her right. Then down at the mated pair of skunks sitting within a hand’s reach to her left. Then at the frogs and ducks sitting at the pond side of the path into the forest. And the two porcupines sitting almost on top of her feet. As if on queue, the wind started blowing, bringing with it the scents of the world.
It suddenly dawned on Jane how close the creatures were to her now. When she and the girls were last here, when the girls forced her to ride, the frogs had sat at the edge of the pond, the ducks just in front of the frogs, the mated skunks further to their left, and the small herd of the deer further to their left. Even the porcupines stood further away from them. Now, it's as though they wanted to be as close to her as they could be without actually touching her. Then it hit her, as though she'd been slapped in the face. They were hugging her in their own ways. They were trying to comfort her as the others were comforting her. The subtle scent of Lilacs, mixed with the scent of grasses, was now being brought to her by the wind. She inhaled the mixed scents deeply, remembering calmer times, times when the weight of the world was shared by many others. That thought stayed with her, sharing the weight of the world.
A massive ripple broke the calm surface of the pond, causing Jane to look in that direction. It continued to expand until it covered the majority of the pond's surface before dissipating. As she continued watching the pond, those who caused the ripple risked beaching themselves as they came as close to the pond's edge as possible, while bobbing up and down in the water. Jane analyzed what she'd just witnessed, looking at the fish still bobbing up and down in the water, each causing a small ripple around themselves. She put her right arm across her chest as she brought her left elbow down on her right forearm. The fingers of her left hand then covered her mouth, moved around her mouth, pressing down on her upper lip as she continued analyzing the animal's positions and now what the fish had just done.
There was a sudden weight on her shoulder, a snort causing her left ear to ring. She turned and tilted her head to look up at the mare. "So, you think I understand what all of you are trying to tell me? Or are you ready to go home?" Her questions resulted in a soft snort and a head shake, meaning yes to the first question and no to her last question. As Jane gently rubbed the mare's muzzle, she told the mare, "I will tell you, my friend, I finally do understand what all of you are telling me." She looked at each group before her, saying to them, "What all of you are telling me. Let those around me be near me, be open to them. Keep my central calmness and let the ripples wash over me. Don't become the ripples. Thank you, my friends, all of you seem to know what I need and when I need it." She'd been rubbing the mare's muzzle as she spoke, now asking her, "Shall we go home now?" The mare lifted its head off Jane's shoulder, took several steps backward before whinning and throwing its head up and down. Jane watched as the fish vanished. Followed by the ducks and frogs. The small herd of deer had already stood, turned, and were slowly walking towards the forest with the porcupines and the mated skunks on their heels. Even the wind calmed into a light breeze, though the fragrances remained. Jane rose from the bench, walked over to the mare, hugged her before mounting her back and turning her towards home. This time, as the mare had been given its head, Jane was aware of her surroundings. She watched as Red Wing Blackbirds danced lightly on tall blades of grass. She saw a covey of Quail sprint across their path, each in a hurry to bury itself in another mass of tall grass. She felt alive again, not burdened by that which she could not do anything about. She knew her mission in this world, and she was damn good at it. She would continue her work, showing wayward boys another way to behave and live. And she would let those with the necessary skills do what they did best.
Author's Note: When I first wrote Complicit In a Lie, I had no thoughts, or ideas, to write a sequel. But thanks to a few readers, who asked about a sequel, ideas formed that made writing this sequel possible. It is necessary to have read Complicit In a Lie to understand why Charles is now with Jane, who the boy arriving in Kingston is and how he's involved in Charles' Court case. And to understand where Mr. Corporate, George Strom, fits into this story. This story starts off after Charles says, "When do we start," in Complicit in a Lie. So if you haven't read Complicit In a Lie, the beginning of this story won't make any sense. Hint hint!
Toby turned and saw Sherry sitting at the table in front of the window at the front of the study; he laughed when he saw Sherry hold up a thick pillow. Sherry patiently waited as Toby made his way slowly towards the table, taking the offered pillow before pulling out the chair opposite Sherry, placing the pillow on the seat, and sitting down. He scooted the chair in, then sat up straight, least he leaned back against the seatback, placed his hands in his lap, and looked straight at Sherry.
"So, how do you want to do this? Do I just start talking, telling you about everything bothering me? Each of those I previously spoke with had their own methods, which could be confusing when talking with each of them. Or do you want to wing it, let things play out as they play out?"
Sherry had been watching Toby ever since he walked into the study. It wasn't lost on her of the pain Toby still felt as he walked. She also noticed he wasn't leaning back in the chair, leading her to conclude his back still pained him if he leaned back into anything hard. "Would you like me to get something soft to put behind you, Toby? So you don't have to look like some cadet at an academy sitting in that chair?" Sherry approached Toby in this fashion to help put him at ease and in the hopes he'd be completely trusting of her.
"I think I'd like that, Dr. Daniels," he told Sherry, as he kept sitting up but so wanted to lean back in the chair.
Sherry held up a finger, then told him, "I'll be right back." She pushed her chair back, stood up, and walked across to the study to the door. She opened it, stepped through, and closed the door behind her. No sooner had she left, then she was back, carrying a thick quilt. After closing the door, she walked over to stand behind Toby. Unfolding the quilt until it was doubled up, she then placed it over the chair back, telling Toby, "See how that feels."
She stepped to the end of the table so she could observe Toby's face; she saw the strain on it as he tried to keep sitting up straight. He might not have realized it, but his face showed he felt much better now he could lean back without experiencing pain from his back being against a hard surface. To accompany his face, he sighed and told Sherry, "Oh, that's much better. Thank you, Dr. Daniels."
Sherry was still standing watching him as he spoke. As she took the two steps to reach her chair, she told Toby, "Enough of the Dr. Daniels, Toby. While we're in here, or in private elsewhere, it's Sherry. Got it?"
Sherry watched as Toby nodded his head before saying, "Yes, ma'am. I got it."
Chuckling, Sherry slowly shook her head while telling Toby, "After everything you've endured, you still retain a gentleman's politeness. That is exceedingly commendable, Toby. Externally, you exhibit proper manners, you've taken responsibility for your actions, something few would do. But I'm more worried about your internal condition, Toby. You've been through hell and came out the other side with your integrity intact. That takes a lot of heart Toby... a lot of heart. You asked how we'll be doing this. Would you believe I always wing it, Toby? I never have a concrete idea of how I'm going to proceed with those speaking with me. I find it works better that way. So, we're going to talk, just talk. You won't see me writing anything down, I don't have to. I remember everything I hear. Does winging it work for you or will another way work better for you?"
While it was true Sherry didn't have a step-by-step process written down on paper, she did have one in her mind. And she just started using it with Toby. "I think winging it will be the best, it became rather boring talking to the others and their seemly ‘by the book’ procedures."
"Okay, then. Winging it is what we'll do. How are you really feeling right now? How much pain are you in?"
Sherry watched him wince as he tried to get more comfortable sitting in the chair. "Jill told me everything is healing nicely, but it's all still rather tender. I never knew how much my butt played in walking until this happened. I still find it uncomfortable to lean back against anything with a hard surface or try to reach for something too far away. I think I'm going to be flat on both sides as much as I've been sleeping on my sides. Wonder if it will make me taller?"
Sherry laughed at Toby's attempt to lighten the mode in the room. She also knew it was a defense mechanism in an attempt to deflect her questions. "Ah, no. I don't think you'll become flatter on both sides or taller. Let's start by you telling how things were before all of this started, before your mom left home. Tell me how everyone was acting towards you."
Toby got a frown on his face, which Sherry took to mean he was thinking back to that time. "Hmm… well, everything seemed to be okay. Mom was working for some business as a secretary or assistant or something like that. Dad was one of several plant foremen at this company. Except Tylor wasn't beating on me, I don't remember him being around too often. I seem to remember him often asking my parents for money, and then explaining to him they could only give him a few dollars. I remember one time him asking for money and getting really upset when my parents told him there were bills they had to pay, so weren't able to give him money at that time; he stormed out of the apartment. I'd be in my bedroom doing school work and hear my parents argue, I don't know about what. But when I came out to see what was going on, mom wouldn't say a word to me as she stormed right by me going to their bedroom. Dad, on the other hand, would tell me I shouldn't be worried by what I heard, when I asked him why he and mom were shouting at each other. He said everything was going to be okay."
When I got out of school, I stayed with Aunt Terri until my dad came to pick me up to take me home; Aunt Terri's apartment was close to dad's work. One day after dad picked me up and we got home, mom was standing in the living room with two suitcases sitting beside her. The minute dad and I walked through the door, she started in on dad, telling him she couldn't live like this anymore. How she was tired of watching those at work driving into the underground parking in BMWs, Audis, Mercedes, Volvos, Lexus, and several others, and wanted to be able to own one of those cars. She also said she wanted a luxury home and not a flea trap of an apartment. Because dad and I were still standing near the front door, we heard a car horn honk. Dad opened the front door and we saw a Mercedes parked at the curb in front of our apartment; the guy driving had got out and lifted the trunk open. He called mom's name while standing at the trunk, causing mom to lift her suitcases and walk out of the apartment without another word. She wanted a better life, a brighter life. She might have found it, I don't know. But dad heard about a year after, she had become a junkie, living on the streets turning tricks to get enough money for her next fix. Dad never told me how she got hooked, but I thought it was strange how dad was really late picking me up from Aunt Terri's one day. And when he showed up, his hands were kind of bloody, cut up. When Aunt Terri asked him about it, he told her there was a problem at the plant he had to help fix. From the look on Aunt Terri's face, I don't think she believed him. Having seen those types of cuts since, I think dad had been in a fight. Actually, I think dad went after the man who picked up mom that day. I think dad believes he's the one who got mom hooked on drugs. Whatever dad did, nothing happened afterward, no police or anyone else came looking for dad."
"Dad was making good money, or to my nine-year-old self, it seemed he was. We had food, he paid the bills, or so dad told me he was; Tylor was hardly around anymore so dad couldn't tell both of us. But I guess we were really scraping by and dad was keeping it from me. When dad picked me up from Aunt Terri's one day, he told me he was taking another job for a little while, just until we caught up. He never explained caught up to what, but I saw that in later years, he was trying to catch up with the bills he could only pay the minimum on at the time. That's also about the time Tylor started in on me. He got really mean when he asked dad for money and dad would tell him there was none to spare, and that he should look for a job to earn money. After dad left for the security guard job he took, Tylor would get really loud about needing money. I made the mistake the first time and asked him what for. He backhanded me so hard my feet came off the floor. All I remember is landing on my back, my head hitting the floor. And that's when I woke up, lying on the floor. I was dizzy when I sat up and sat there for several minutes until the dizziness went away. When my eyes cleared, I could see how Tylor had gone crazy. Stuff was thrown around in the kitchen and living room. My bedroom was torn up, even dad's bedroom was a mess. Looking back, I think Tylor was looking for money."
After I cleaned myself up, I cleaned up the apartment the best I could. I don't think I got everything back where it belonged because dad woke me when he got home and asked me what happened to the apartment. I told him I didn't really know because Tylor backhanded me so hard when I asked why he needed money that he knocked me out. I told dad I tried putting everything back like it was, but couldn't remember where some of it went. He told me not to worry about it, he'd take care of it. Ya, know, Sherry, when I think back to that time, Tylor was never around when dad was home, and came home when dad was gone. It was after Tylor had torn the apartment apart that he started in on me. I think it made him mad when I didn't cry the next time he slapped me. Or when he continued slapping me in an effort to make me cry. I believe it was then he decided to start using the razor strop on me, and whatever else he could find. All in an attempt to make me cry. But I never did. I'd cry out, but never once did I give him the satisfaction of crying."
Sherry watched as Toby hung his head, before reaching up and wiping his eyes. He abruptly looked up and in a fierce voice told Sherry, "BY DAMN, SHERRY, THAT BASTARD WASN'T GOING TO MAKE ME CRY. I WAS A BETTER PERSON THAN HIM AND I PROVED IT."
Without it showing on her face, Sherry was happy to see Toby get angry. He needed to get the anger out, express it before it ended up consuming him. And what she was about to do would either cause him to fold in on himself or get even angrier. "Were you really better than him, Toby? You did, after all, begin shoplifting. You were even caught and arrested for shoplifting."
As Sherry watched, Toby's face took on a grotesque appearance, before he stood up so fast he knocked his chair over backwards. Then, he literally ripped his shirt off, pulled his pants and underwear down, turned his back to Sherry, and shouted at her, "AND JUST WHAT THE HELL WOULD YOU BE WILLING TO DO TO KEEP THIS FROM HAPPENING? COME ON, GIRL SCOUT, TELL ME WHAT YOU'D DO TO KEEP FROM BEING BEATEN LIKE THIS EVERY NIGHT?"
The floodgates opened and Toby collapsed to the floor, bawling with such an intensity unlike anything Sherry had ever heard. It was anguish and hurt and anger all in one. It was as though a soul was being ripped apart. She got up quickly, knocking her chair over in the process, rushed around the end of the table, pulled the quilt out from under Toby's overturned chair, and wrapped it around him while she held him as he bawled. The position she was sitting as she held Toby gave her a clear view of the entire study. It was during this time the study door opened and Jane stepped into the study. The two women exchanged looks, Sherry's telling Jane she wanted to strangle someone and Toby was okay. And Jane's telling Sherry she understood how Sherry felt. Jane's last unasked question asking if Sherry was okay, was met with a continuous nod. Jane nodded once, then silently opened the study door and left. All Jane needed was a flashlight, a map, and a shovel.
"That's okay, baby. You let it out, let it all out, baby. You've held this in far too long, let it out, sweetheart. I've got you." Sherry spoke softly to Toby as he continued wailing, holding him all the while. "You're an extremely brave individual, Toby Camber, enduring more than a person has the right to endure. Let it out, sweetheart, let it all out."
When Jane had left the study, she'd stopped at the entrance to the living room and stood listening to Toby's bawling. She'd had boys cry before, but none as Toby was doing now. To her, his cry was of a soul that had reached its limit of endurance, one on the edge of becoming nothing. Her tears were visible, her crying was silent, reaching all the way down to her very soul.
The sound coming from the study was from a tortured soul, overflowing with sorrow and anguish. It was so loud and sorrowful enough that it even caused Marie to come out of the kitchen to see what was happening. Even the girls and Susan in the library, heard it, causing them to almost come running out of the library. The four ended up standing next to Jane, each putting their arm around the waist of the other. The four stared at the study door, tears not absent from them all. "Is there anything we can do, Aunt Jane?" It was Francis posing the question, her voice shaking as she spoke.
"Right now, Francis, no. Nothing. What must be must be, he's kept the hurt captured far too long, and now it must be released. What we can do, when we can do something, is be there for him. Let him know we're there for him when he needs us."
Charlotte spoke next by saying, "The last time I heard such a mournful cry was after a dog had been hit by a car. I hoped to never hear that sound again. I never knew it was possible for a person to make the same sound. I don't want to hear that ever again."
"Chère, the only way you'll never hear a sound like that again is to become deaf. It is excruciating to hear, but a sound those with soulful wounds can and will produce. It is the most mournful cry you will ever hear, chère. Don't shy away from the sound, understand the reason it's heard. Understand you hear it because a person's soul has been torn, and they have no other way to express the hurt they feel." Marie went quiet after saying this, reaching up with her free hand to wipe tears off her cheeks.
No one kept track of how long they stood there listening to Toby pour out the pain he felt in his wounded soul. No one cared how long they were there. They only cared about Toby's welfare and the hurt each felt knowing they could do nothing for him at the moment. Eventually, the soul-wrenching sound they'd been hearing subsided into normal crying, the winding down of the pain Toby had kept captured all of these years. Then it happened, the study went quiet. The four women stood for several more moments before Jane instructed the girls to return to their lessons with Susan. Marie wiped her eyes one last time before turning and walking back to the kitchen. Everyone but Jane went back to their previous tasks. Jane resolved to stay until Toby came out of the study, no matter how long it took.
An arm went around Jane's waist, causing her to look to her left. "Mon amour. Vous ne pouvez pas attendre qu'il quitte le bureau. Allez, calmez-vous comme vous savez le faire. Laissez-la vous emmener là-bas." Marie kissed Jane's cheek, then using the arm around Jane's waist, steered her to her bedroom so she could change to go riding.
After Marie watched Jane leave the house by the backdoor, she went into the kitchen and filled a pitcher with water and ice. She took two glasses from the cabinet, put everything on a tray, and took it to the study. She quietly entered the study, walked to the table near the window, set the tray down on the table, turned, and walked as quietly out of the study. She then went up to her bedroom, where she cried in private.
Marie had set the tray down near the edge of the table, close enough for Sherry to reach. Reaching up with her right hand, Sherry poured one glass half full, before setting the pitcher back on the tray and taking the glass of water. Toby's crying had turned into moans, moans just as tormenting to hear. When his moans stopped Sherry said, "Here, sweetheart, drink some water." Toby never let go of Sherry, though he did lift his head off her chest and drink some of the water; Sherry held onto the glass of water. When she gauged the time was right, she urged him to drink more of the water, which he did. When he'd drank the glass empty, she placed it back on the tray and wrapped her right arm back around Toby.
She knew it was a good sign when she heard Toby ask, "May I have more water please?"
"Yes you may, sweetheart, all the water you want." Sherry repeated her first action to pour half a glass of water into the glass Toby had been offered. As before, he never let go of Sherry but lifted his head and this time, drank the entire half a glass of water. "More?" Sherry asked, getting a head nod from Toby. She repeated this action five more times before Toby shook his head no.
"I'm sorry about this," Toby said into Sherry's chest. "It all hit me at once and there was nothing else I could do."
Before Sherry replied, she had to tamp down the anger she felt for a boy thinking he had to apologize for releasing the anguish he'd kept bottled up all of these years. "You owe no one an apology for what just occurred, Toby. I'm amazed you went this long before breaking down as you just did. You needed this. You needed to get it out of your system. You needed to let it all out in order for your soul to begin healing. Don't you ever apologize when you find it necessary to cry for any reason. It's the way we humans express ourselves beyond what words can convey."
She knew what she was going to do next might be too early to do, but Toby's mind was open and the memories might be clearer for him to recall. "What are your dreams like since this all started? How soundly have you slept?"
Sherry felt Toby tense and then relax before he started speaking. "Well… at first, I'd wake up screaming, at home and at Aunt Terri's. The first time it happened at home, my brother came into my bedroom, told me to shut up, and proceeded to slap the hell out of me; I think he actually knocked me out that first time, I don't really remember. After that, at home, after my brother slapped the hell out of me the first time, I think my subconscious mind kept me from waking up screaming, though I jerked awake several times after that. According to my Aunt Terri, I woke up screaming several times while I was at her home. Guess my subconscious knew she wasn't going to physically abuse me. What I can remember of my dreams, are those times I'd be getting beaten by whatever my brother could find and fighting with my brother and the man as they dragged me to the two pipes and tied me to them. I would just start getting beaten and jerk up in bed, wide awake. Or at Aunt Terri's, find myself being held by her as I had been screaming, or so she told me. It seemed after those dreams, at home and at Aunt Terri's, I'd have no trouble sleeping soundly the rest of the night or what was left of the night. The only dreams I remembered when I woke the next morning were those dreams of being beaten, as I still remember them now."
Like Jane, Sherry had to fight her own monster to keep it from taking her out and finding Toby's brother and the man, and give them a taste of their own medicine. "And now that you're here at Seasons House? How well are you sleeping?"
Toby was quiet for several minutes before he said, "While I've been here, I can't remember having any of the dreams about being beaten, Sherry. In fact, I can't remember a single dream I've had. That's a good sign, isn't it?"
Nodding her head, Sherry answered with, "Yes, it's a good sign. It means your subconscious knows you won't be physically abused while you're here at Seasons House. But you won't always be here, you'll eventually leave and return home or wherever it's decided you'll live and with whom. That's when you may start experiencing those bad dreams again, either jerking awake or waking up screaming. Toby, you have been through an extremely traumatic experience, something similar to a woman being beaten by her husband or boyfriend. It is going to take time for you not to let what happened to you be the central part of your life and dreams. Even when you're able to put it all aside, you may find something triggers those memories and causes you to have those dreams again.
Toby was nodding his head as Sherry spoke. When she became quiet, he said to her, "Yeah, I know I won't always be here, but I can't go home either. Not back to where it all started, there are too many bad memories in that place. Too many memories that might actually cause me to kill my brother this time. I've already vowed to never let him beat me again, by whatever means necessary. And if that means killing him to stop him, well… " Toby had gone silent. A short time later he said, "If I go back there, Sherry, and have to stop my brother from beating me using whatever means necessary," and he looked up at her, "I'll become no better than he is Sherry. I don't want to become like he is Sherry, I'm better than that. But I'll be forced to do just that if he tries to beat me again."
Even though Toby's last statement was softly said, she knew the truth of what he said. He would kill his brother if he attempted to beat Toby again. Using her right hand to run her fingers through Toby's hair, she told him, "I don't think you'll have to worry about your brother beating you any time soon. I believe he has his own problems to deal with at the moment. He may even be awarded a new address at one of our finest prisons for several years. And if he was involved in killing those kids, that new address could become his permanent address. What say we get you upstairs to your bedroom so you can shower and put on clean clothes? I don't think Jane would take kindly to you walking around wearing that quilt."
Toby chuckled at what Sherry said. "I think that's a good idea, Sherry. I feel kind of sticky. And Sherry?"
"Yes, sweetheart?"
"Thank you for being here with me. I can't express in words how much it means to me," Toby told her.
Sherry had to wait a minute before she spoke, her throat had tightened up on her because of what she just heard Toby say. "Sweetheart, I'll be here any time you need me. In fact, I'd like to continue seeing you on a regular basis. I want to help you come to terms with everything you've been through. Come on, let's get you upstairs."
Toby sat up after Sherry let go of him. Standing first, Sherry then helped Toby stand, wrapping the quilt around him and helping him to the study door. After opening the door, she let Toby walk through first and after following him through the door, left the door standing wide open. Their progress was slow, but they eventually made it to Toby's bedroom door, where he turned and hugged Sherry for the longest time before turning and entering his bedroom. Sherry stood looking at the closed bedroom door, wiping tears off her cheeks. Soft arms went around her from behind, causing her to turn and cry into Marie's shoulder. "I think I should be next, oui? I can bring the cookies."
That caused Sherry to laugh through her tears. "Well, with an offer like that, you'll have to be next on my visit list." Leaning into each other, the two women slowly made their way back downstairs, Sherri going back into the study and Marie going to the kitchen to get the cookies she promised. She also took a box of tissues with her. They were going to be needed.
Author's Note: When I first wrote Complicit In a Lie, I had no thoughts, or ideas, to write a sequel. But thanks to a few readers, who asked about a sequel, ideas formed that made writing this sequel possible. It is necessary to have read Complicit In a Lie to understand why Charles is now with Jane, who the boy arriving in Kingston is and how he's involved in Charles' Court case. And to understand where Mr. Corporate, George Strom, fits into this story. This story starts off after Charles says, "When do we start," in Complicit in a Lie. So if you haven't read Complicit In a Lie, the beginning of this story won't make any sense. Hint hint!
Sherry had stepped into the study, then stopped, thinking of something all of a sudden. She turned around and walked to the library, knocking softly on the door before opening it and entering the library. She stood in the doorway and observed three sets of eyes looking at her, and said, "I helped Toby up to his bedroom to clear up and put on clean clothes. It might be good for one of you to be there when he comes out of his bedroom so you can help him down the stairs. I'll be in the study with Marie." She didn't wait for a response, but stepped out of the library and closed the door behind her. She started for the study just as Marie came out of the kitchen carrying a plate of chocolate chip cookies. She quickly caught up with Marie, took a cookie off the plate, and asked Marie, "How'd you know these are my favorites?"
After chuckling, Marie said, "I've known many who find these a favorite. Why should you be any different? Besides, the girls made them. And they taste unlike any chocolate chip you've ever tasted."
Sherry bit into the one she'd taken. Marie watched as Sherry's eyes lit up as she chewed the bite she'd taken. "Ohf, mif. gawdf. Whaf dhey pud intof dhese tings?"
Laughing, Marie told her, "I'll tell you later. Right now though, we need to talk."
Marie walked into the study first, Sherry following her and closing the door behind her. "Why don't you go ahead and have a seat, um, maybe after standing up the chair on the left. I want to make a phone call before we get started."
Waiting until Marie had uprighted Toby's chair, Sherry dialed a number and waited while it rang. "Hi Ruth, it's Sherry. Do you have a minute?...You do, good. Has anyone discussed where Toby Camber will be living after he leaves Seasons House?...It's been discussed? Good, because he can't go back to that apartment...Two reasons: He'll kill his brother if he tries to beat Toby again. If he goes back to that apartment, he's going to relapse. He had a rough first session with me a few minutes ago. It was rough, but necessary for his well-being...No, it was a start, but I plan on seeing him for the foreseeable future...Okay, let me know when it's set in stone...Thanks, Ruth...Bye." After hanging up the phone, Sherry sighed, shook herself, turned to face Marie, and asked her, "Did you have a good cry up in your bedroom?"
Marie cocked her head, giving Sherry a 'how did you know' look, before Sherry laughed as she walked over to the table, righted her own chair, sat down and told Marie, "How did I know? Well… you didn't come up the stairs behind me and Toby, so you had to be already upstairs. Plus," and looked at Marie with a soft loving look, "your eyes are still red. So… why the crying jig? Are you like Toby and bottle everything up until it gets too much for you to handle?"
It was Marie's turn to laugh, saying afterward, "Vous feriez une excellente détective (You would make an excellent detective,), Sherry Daniels."
Sherry shot back with, "Je suis déjà un excellent détective, mademoiselle Marie (I am already an excellent detective, Miss Marie.). You're as bad as Janie. Now stop evading my question. Why the crying jig?"
Marie became very somber, and quiet for several minutes. She stood up, turned, and took two steps until she was standing in front of the study window. Watching Marie, Sherry calmly waited. "Why did I have to go to my bedroom and have a good cry? I'd only heard such a soul-wrenching sound once before, at my father's funeral. It came from my mother, God rest her soul. I've seen loving couples over the years, but none as devoted as were my parents. They would finish each other's sentences. They knew what the other was thinking before either voiced their thoughts. And they never wavered when it came to discipline or punishment, they were together on both." Marie laughed at a memory and told Sherry, "Once, I tried going to my mother because my father was punishing me for something I did. I thought my mother would be more reasonable. That was the first time and the last time I tried that trick. She ended up giving me more of what my father had given me. But, I deserved everything I earned."
"My father was at work one day, I guess I was fifteen or sixteen, it was a long time ago. He was meeting with several clients and in the middle of his presentation, he suffered a major heart attack. They tried to revive him, were doing CPR on him until Paramedics arrived. They tried shocking his heart, several times but got no response. They continued working on him as they took him out of the building and on their way to the hospital. But he never revived. Dad's work called mom, who came and got me at school, and we rushed to the hospital." Marie chuckled yet again, then said, "We had a police escort to the hospital when the policeman who stopped mom for speeding found out why she was speeding. The policeman had to slow mom down, she was talking so fast. But once he learned what was going on, we were doing 60 the entire way to the hospital. Mom called dad's brother, and he and his wife arrived shortly after. We must have been there for an hour before the doctor came out and told mom there was just too much damage to dad's heart, and he never regained consciousness. Of course, you can imagine mom was devastated, and collapsed to the floor. Me and dad’s brother lifted her off the floor and sat her on the couch in the waiting room; a nurse brought her some water. I held her and so did dad's brother as she cried, as a person would after suffering a loss."
"Toby's wailing brought all this back to me, especially the time at the cemetery. Up until that point, mom had just been sad, unhappy at the loss of her husband. Her beloved partner was gone and now she was alone. Oh, she still had me living with her, but it wasn't the same thing. She'd spend time crying, and I'd hold her, but it was different the day of the funeral. I think she'd cried herself out by then, or so it seemed. She was stoic at the church, and on the drive to the cemetery, but when dad's casket was being lowered into the ground… Toby's wailing brought it all back. He sounded just like mom did as dad was laid to rest. Dad's brother and I had to hold her back because she tried to get on top of dad's casket as they lowered it into the ground. But that gawd awful sound she made, I never wanted to hear another human make such a sound again as long as I lived."
Sherry could hear the anguish in Marie's voice as she recounted her father's story. She felt in her gut what Marie was about to do, so had pushed her chair back, stood up, walked around the table, and put her arms around Marie, who turned and began crying on Sherry's shoulder. While holding the crying woman, Sherry told her, "It's okay, Marie. Even big girls have to cry sometimes, especially when they really care about something and know they can't do anything to help."
Slowly, Marie's crying subsided, allowing her to tell Sherry, "You must be a mind reader, Sherry Daniels. That is exactly how I feel at the moment." Marie straightened up, took a tissue out of the box she'd brought with her, wiped her eyes, then said, "Ich muss schrecklich aussehen (I must look terrible)."
Reaching up, Sherry wiped more tears off Marie's cheeks, telling her, "Es ist nichts, was man nicht reparieren kann (It's nothing that can't be fixed)." The shocked look on Marie's face caused Sherry to laugh. "Why the shocked look, Marie? You act as though you've never heard German spoken before."
"Ja, I've heard German spoken before, but not from YOU," and she poked Sherry in the chest with her finger. "How long have you been fluent in German? And where did you learn the language? It wasn't in this Country, was it?"
Guiding Marie back to her chair, Sherry poured water into an unused glass and offered it to Marie. She debated with herself how much to tell Marie about learning to speak German. Deciding she didn't need to know everything, she said, "I was fortunate enough to do my graduate work in Germany. After that, I spent several years there, almost staying there to practice. I worked on my PhD while I was there, finishing it when I came back to the States. It's such a beautiful country, that in itself was enticing. Because I was studying and living there at the time, I had to learn the lingo if I was going to get around, have some fun, and help those in need. I don't know why, but German seemed easy for me to learn. I got so good speaking it, that I'd fool tourists who thought I was a native German and ask directions to something they wanted to see."
Sherry saw the twinkle in Marie's eyes, then heard, "Donc, vous parlez allemand. Et français? Parlez-vous français aussi couramment que l'allemand ? Et l'italien ou l'espagnol (So, you speak German. And French? Do you speak French as fluently as German? And Italian or Spanish)?"
Marie had a big smile on her face, she was enjoying herself. Sherry dropped her head, shook it, then decided if this was war, then it was going to be war. She lifted her head, sighed, then told Marie, in Italian, "Parlo fluentemente tedesco, francese, italiano e spagnolo. Me la cavo parlando russo e polacco, anche se ricevo sguardi strani quando parlo quelle lingue (I speak fluent German, French, Italian, and Spanish. I get by speaking Russian and Polish, although I get strange looks when I speak those languages). An' 'o 'op i' all off, I even do a grea' cockney, love. And summit else ter tickle your fancy is cockney rhyme Matheson Lang. How did we get off on me? We're supposed to be concentrating on you," and she pointed to Marie.
Marie almost fell out of her chair with laughter, after Sherry's antics. When she finally wound down, she asked, "Where did you learn cockney? I've not heard that spoken in years."
With an impish smile on her face, Sherry said, "Well… I did say I had some fun while I lived in Germany. I spent a couple of weeks in the UK, having some, um, fun. And boy was he fun!"
The laughter from the two women filled the study, until the study door opened and Jane stepped into the study, still in her riding clothes. "Are we alright in here?" The expression on Jane's face said she wasn't sure what was occurring, but it didn't sound clinical.
Marie laughed before saying, "We're as wite as Pleasure and Pain me sweet. Sherry just reminded me of something I haven't heard in years."
In a dull voice, and before Marie could go on, Jane said, "Yes, I heard. Cockney rhyme. Eh gads, my house has been invaded." Jane shook her head, turned, and walked out of the study, causing Sherry and Marie to break up with laughter again.
Marie reached across the table and taking Sherry's hands, told her, "You might not realize how much you've just helped me with your foolishness. And listening to my story. Listening to him wail like that made me feel so helpless, and made me remember. Something I thought I'd buried. Seems we all have something to face and deal with this time around."
Sherry squeezed Marie's hands, telling her, "You aren't helpless. You are there when he and those other boys need you and Jane. Where would they all be today if not for the work you and that woman do here at Seasons House? Toby might be dead right now. Francis might be living on the streets, or worse. And what about all the other boys you and Jane straightened out? None of us can be helpful one hundred percent of the time. We each can only be helpful in our corner of the world. Never lose sight of that, Marie. We both know how he affected both of us, and what we'd like to do about it, but can't for various reasons. It's going to hurt, sometimes, it's part of being human. At least a caring human. If you don't want to feel the hurt anymore, go buy yourself an island and live there by yourself. It won't be much of an existence, but at least no one will hurt you again. Except maybe yourself."
A puzzled look came over Marie's face, causing her to ask, "How could I hurt myself living on a deserted island? Aside from the physical possibility. But emotional? How?"
"Marie, humans need others around them, even for short periods of time. Some people have to have others around them constantly, they never learned how to be alone with themselves. And if they have no one around, their soul starts to crumble. If that continues too long… " Sherry shrugged her shoulders, watching as Marie nodded her head, showing she understood what Sherry left unsaid. "Hurting because we care helps us realize we're alive. Helps us realize we are breathing, thinking, and feeling. Never shy away from your feelings, Marie. Embrace them, deal with them, don't let them control you." She released one of Marie's hands, reached up, and wiped a tear sliding down Marie's cheek. "You and those like you, dedicating your lives to helping the young of our population, specifically boys, are unique, Marie. You aren't unique because you're helping these boys, but because unlike some, you truly care about their welfare. You care about the life they live and what the best for each one. Like me, you know the hurt and disappointment possible in the work you do, but you continue anyway. Because you CARE."
In a voice not far above a whisper, Marie said, "Thank you for that, Sherry. Sometimes it's good to hear others praise the work you do. Sometimes it's possible to become lost in the process and lose sight of the person." Marie looked up at the clock, saying, "I'd better get to the kitchen, the animals will be getting hungry about now."
Both women stood after pushing their chairs back. They held one hand as they did so, that hand then going around the other's waist as they moved away from the table. Marie turned towards Sherry, hugged her before opening the door of the study and heading towards the kitchen. Sherry watched her as she walked to the kitchen, thinking back to everything Marie said, before she disappeared when the kitchen door swung closed behind Marie. 'That is one strong woman,' Sherry thought to herself. 'Another woman would have folded in on herself years ago,' she added to herself. Leaving the door open, she walked over to the window and peered out, thinking through what she'd experienced so far. Hoping her advice would produce the positive results needed.
As she looked out the window, she heard a knock on the open study door. Turning, she sees Toby standing there, much cleaner looking than a few minutes ago. She starts walking across the study towards Toby, asking as she's walking, "Toby, is everything alright?" Sherry sees Toby trying to organize his thoughts and stops two steps in front of him and waits.
Toby became frustrated the minute he stepped into the study, after planning out everything he was going to say while taking a shower. "I… I… aw hell. I had it all planned out what I was going to say to you, and now that I'm here, I can't even remember what I was going to say."
Sherry smiled at the frustrated boy before telling him, "Just say what you feel. It doesn't have to be a research paper or elaborate. Just speak from the heart."
After hearing what Sherry said, Toby had a 'deer in the headlights' look on his face. He then laughed, shook his head, and said aloud, "I keep forgetting how simple 'simple' works the best." His face then took on an appreciative look before he said, "I, um, just wanted to thank you for being there for me earlier. I was really a mess right then. I'm not sure I'd have made it through that time if you hadn't been there. I'll always remember that of you." Toby shrugged his shoulders, then added, "That's all I wanted to say."
Sherry placed her hands gently on Toby's shoulders, telling him, "Young man, it was my pleasure to be there for you. You had dammed up your soul far too long with that poison and it needed to be released. I was not going to leave you to handle it yourself and maybe drive yourself insane. I still want to meet with you, once everything is settled, and I'll come to you wherever you end up living if you can't come to me. Today was just the beginning of your healing, there's still a lot of work to do before you remember it all as a distant memory. You need to learn how not to let those events rule your life, as they will for a while. Now, maybe you better head to the library and see what Susan has for you, right?"
Toby nodded his head at Sherry's suggestion of going to the library. Before he left the study, he stepped into Sherry, put his arms around her, and quietly said, "Thank you very much. I won't ever forget this." He broke his hold on Sherry, causing her to release him, turned, and slowly made his way through the living room and to the library.
Sherry was about to turn around and return to her solace at the window when Jane suddenly appeared before her. "Are you alright, Sherry? Things have been rather intense so far."
"Janie, why are you three so stubborn? Toby had a good reason to hold everything in, his back is a testament to his reason. But you and Marie? Why couldn't you have picked up the phone and called me, Janie? You know I would have dropped everything and come running." Jane put on her best headmistress look, only to have Sherry tell her, "Oh, gads, Janie. That headmistress look has never worked on me and you know it. It's your damn way of avoiding an issue. You aren't Supergirl, ya know. In fact, despite what you think, you're probably the most sensitive one in this whole house. You wear your heart on your sleeve, hidden behind that headmistress look." Sherry stepped forward, and gently took Jane's hands in hers before telling her in a soft voice, "I don't want to see my most dear friend end up in some hospital because she tried to take on the whole world all by herself, as you often do. I'd really be pissed at you if that happened. Call me, come to me, let me in so I can help when you get tied up in knots." It was Sherry who stepped into Jane and held the woman. "I love you too much to stand by and watch you destroy yourself because you refuse to get the help you need," Sherry whispered in Jane's ear. She felt her right shoulder getting wet. When the two women separated, Sherry said, "I'd like to speak with Charlotte next. Would you send her to me, please?"
Wiping her eyes, Jane nodded her head, before turning and walking towards the library. Watching Jane walk away, Sherry said under her breath, "Damn that woman."
Sherry was again standing at the window when there was a knock on the open study door. Turning, Sherry saw Charlotte standing at the door. "You wanted me in the lion’s dens next, Dr. Daniels?" Charlotte asked, a smile playing on her face.
"Come in, Charlotte. Close the door and come take a seat." She watched Charlotte close the door, then pause at the bookcase, starting to reach for 'the book' on the second shelf. "Hard to break a habit, isn't it? Forget 'the book' and come and sit down. I want to hear your story."
As Charlotte was walking over to the table, Marie came into the study with a tray of clean glasses. After setting the tray down on the table, Marie shocked Sherry by putting her arms around her, kissed her on the cheek before she turned and left the study. It was Sherry's turn to have the 'deer caught in the headlights' look on her face.
"Marie must think a lot of you, Dr. Daniels. That isn't something she normally does to anyone other than Aunt Jane. That's high praise from her." Charlotte pulled out the chair Sherry pointed to, sat down, and watched as Sherry walked around the table and sat down opposite her. "Will Toby be alright, Dr. Daniels? It sure hurt listening to him."
The first question out of Charlotte really impressed Sherry. She didn't ask Sherry how they would be proceeding or what questions Sherry had for her. No, she was worried about Toby. Thinking to herself, 'Is this the real Charles Thorton? Does he always think of others before himself? "Before we proceed, Charles, it's Sherry when we're alone like this. And why are you asking after Toby instead of yourself? He isn't your responsibility, is he?" She was taking a chance pushing Charles' buttons, but she had to know the real boy. But she wasn't expecting what happened next.
Charlotte was silent for a heartbeat, before s/he started laughing. The laughter continued long enough to cause tears to start flowing from Charlotte's eyes. There were times when Charlotte was laughing but no sound could be heard. Charlotte's laughter had started to abate until she saw the puzzled look on Sherry's face. It was several more minutes before her laughter finally ended. Sherry was not pleased, to put it mildly. With an edge to her voice, Sherry leaned towards Charlotte across the table and asked, "You think these talks are funny, Charles? You're as messed up as Toby, Jane, and Marie. Are you trying to insult what I'm trying to do here in helping all of you? Your actions so far are totally disrespectful."
Sherry could see how her words had stung Charles, causing him to sober quickly. "Ah, no, Sherry. I wasn't being disrespectful to you or what you're trying to do for us. I, ah, was laughing because I recognized you were trying to push my buttons to get me to react. I'm… sorry for making you think I was being disrespectful."
Before Sherry could respond, Charlotte pushed the chair back and stood up. "I'm sorry I upset you, Dr. Daniels," Charlotte said before she turned and started walking across the study and to the door.
"Just where do you think you're going, Mr. Thorton? I haven't given you permission to leave, so get your ass back here and sit down." Sherry's words froze Charlotte in her tracks. "Do you always run away from things you don't want to face?" Sherry asked, as she pushed her chair back, stood up, and began walking towards the frozen Charlotte. "You do, don't you? You'd rather run away than face something you find unpleasant, right?" She reached Charlotte, put her arms on her shoulders, and gently turned her until she was facing Sherry. "Why, Charles? Why do you shy away from things instead of facing them?" She then put an arm around Charlotte's shoulder and started walking her back to the table. As they walked, Sherry said, "Talk to me, Charles. I want to help you, not bite your head off."
She guided Charles to the chair everyone else had used, before walking around the table and sitting down in the chair she'd been using. She watched as Charles put his hands on the table, fingers laced together, and stared at his hands. "Why won't you talk to me, Charles? I can't help you if you're unwilling to speak with me. As I said, when it's a physical confrontation, you stand up and deal with it. But not emotional situations. Why?"
Sherry remained silent, watching Charles stare at his hands, his fingers doing an intricate dance as they lay on the table. After several silent minutes, Sherry said in an almost exasperated voice, "Okay, let's do it this way. You were at Taylor's department store to buy your mother a necklace for her 35th birthday. That Conner guy put his hands on you and you put him on the floor with your knee in the back of his neck and his arm twisted up behind his back. Then you were taken to the store's holding room where Conner again inserted himself into the situation by locking you and him in the holding room. He tried intimidating you with a collapsable police baton, but you got ahold of it first. He tried lunging across the table to grab you only to have you break his left clavicle with that baton. Because he had all of his weight on his left shoulder, he collapsed onto the floor, where you then tried leaving the room, only to have him grab your leg. You then took that baton and broke both the ulna and radius in his right arm. How'm I doing so far?" Charles never reacted to Sherry's question.
"Then, when Judge Ruth and the Prosecutor determined there was no evidence to prove you were involved in the shoplifting, Ruth was going to dismiss the charges until Strom threatened to take you to Federal Court and add additional charges. Right so far?" Charles didn't answer Sherry's question. He just stared at his hands, still dancing their intricate choreography. "So you were sent here in order to keep you out of Federal Court, where you volunteered to become one of Jane's girls. Am I right so far, Charles?" This time Charles simply shrugged his shoulders. To Sherry, that was something at least.
"As Jane does with all of her girls, she took you to the Mall so you could experience what other girls experience. And you did, thanks to a jerk who didn't understand what 'go away' meant. So, when he took exception to how you spoke to him, and tried to hit you, you smashed his nose against the store window where you were standing. Bet that surprised his butt." This time Charles snorted, remembering the look on the guy's face when his nose hit the glass. Sherry saw the small smile on Charles' lips, wondering if he wasn't reliving the experience. "When the security guards asked if you were okay, and after confirming you were, you pointed out how that boy was a slow learner and was after another girl. Your help got that boy banned from that Mall and he is now attending an all-girls school as one of the girls. You actually saved any number of other girls from that piece of crap, didn't you?" Again, a shrug of his shoulders.
"Then, while you were looking at the display in another store window, four boys blocked you in the store entrance. After telling them to let you leave, one moron tried to stroke your cheek, only to find himself down on his knees with his wrist bent backward. Of course, he didn't take kindly to what you did, and when the security was dealing with the other three boys, that boy attempted to hit you. His attempt failed, and for his troubles, you struck him and knocked him out cold. Oh, and that first boy was waiting for you outside of the Mall, and was dealt another blow when he tried to punch you and ended up having Jane speak with him. And once again, he got his head handed to him. Not only by Jane but his parents, who read him the riot act before packing him into their car and taking him to the girls school. And it just so happened as he was getting reamed by his parents, the three creeps he'd been hanging with showed up. Creep one and two took exception to how you and Jane spoke to them and tried to do something about it. You put the toe of your kitten heel shoes into the stomach of creep one and coldcocked creep number two. Do I have the gist of the action right so far?" Once again Charles simply shrugged his shoulders.
"Then after you were 'perttified' at the salon, Jane took you to the Mall again. She told you reactions would be different this time because you looked different. She wasn't wrong, was she?" Another shoulder shrug. "You met the queen bitch and her hangers-on, a real ignorant queen bitch. She thought she was something, didn't she? Wasn't she dumber than a sack of rocks? And when she tried to slap some manners into you, you grabbed her wrist and applied a bit of face-cringing pressure to that wrist. Then, didn't you ask her if she wanted things to get real ugly? Then she called you a female dog, right? And you showed her the itch you had on your nose, correct?" This time, the shrug Charles gave to Sherry's question was substantially less than his previous ones.
Now Sherry waited for Charles to speak, say something to her that she could use to help him. But he remained silent, sitting in the chair staring at his hands. When the silence in the study became a weight on their shoulders, Sherry finally broke the silence with, "You aren't going to talk with me, are you? You're just going to sit there like a lump of clay, and stare at your hands, aren't you?" Sherry then slammed the palm of both hands down on the table, causing Charles to jump and look up at her. "I said, you aren't going to talk with me, are you? That's a question, Charles, in case you don't remember the form of a question."
Then, as Charles continued looking at Sherry he said, "What's to say? You got the gist of each situation. What do you want me to say?"
"I want you to tell me what's in here," and Sherry reached across the table and thumped Charles’ forehead, as you'd flick a fly off of something. "I want to know what you're thinking about everything that's happened to you. I want to know why you run away from emotional situations." Sherry sat back in her chair and continued looking at Charles, who sat there looking at her.
In a voice pitched to almost a growl, Charles told Sherry, "You don't want to do that again."
Sherry immediately sat up, leaning over her arms sitting on the table. "Why not? Or, maybe I should ask, or what? Does Snookums not like getting his head thumped?"
Charles' hands shot out, in an attempt to grab Sherry's arms. She saw it coming before it ever happened, and moved back at the same time Charles' hands flew forward. "You shouldn't telegraph your moves, Charles. That was sloppy." Then, before Charles could react, Sherry had reached out and captured his hands at the wrist. "I have years more training than you do Charles, training from people who can do things some think are impossible. Don't try getting physical with me Charles or I'll deal with you like you dealt with the boy whose nose you smashed against the store window."
Sherry watched Charles' face as he tried to pull his hands back; she held onto them tightly. No matter how hard he pulled, he couldn't break Sherry's grip. He tried twisting his arms, only to be prevented by Sherry's grip. She watched as he started getting frustrated, and how his eyes started getting moist.
"Talk to me."
"Let go of me."
"Then talk to me."
"Let go of me."
Tears were not streaming down his cheeks, "GET YOUR DAMN HANDS OFF OF ME!" Charles now shouted, more frustrated than when Sherry first grabbed his wrists.
In a soft voice, Sherry told Charles, "Then talk to me, Charles."
Now he started crying while saying, "PLEASE, let go of me."
Sherry now understood why Charles wouldn't talk to her, he, like Toby, had experienced something in his past he was hiding. "Talk to me Charles, tell me about it."
Charles was now bawling, close to wailing. He slid off his chair and only Sherry holding his wrists kept him from falling to the floor. "PLEASE... PLEASE... PLEASE... LET ME GO!!
Sherry released his left wrist, but held onto his right wrist, as she quickly stood up and made her way around the table to reach Charles. Once Sherry had released the tension on his arms, Charles had slumped to the floor, now in a complete meltdown. Letting go of his right wrist, Sherry all but threw Charles' chair back before she gathered Charles up in her arms and held him while he bawled. "Oh, babe, I'm sorry. You let it out. Get it out of your system. Get it all out."
While Sherry had been in a position to see the study door while holding Toby, she wasn't while holding Charles, so didn't see the door open and Jane come into the study. Jane ventured no further than just inside the door, watching as Sherry rocked Charles and talked to him as she did. 'What else is Charles hiding?' Jane thought to herself, and she turned a left the study, quietly closing the door behind her.
Charles' breakdown wasn't as intense as Toby's, but it was bad enough. As Toby had done, Charles ended up bear-hugging Sherry, bawling into her chest. "It's okay, Charles. No one is going to hurt you, it's alright, baby."
Since Sherry wasn't watching the clock, she didn't know how long Charles bawled before it turned into crying. Or how long he cried until it turned into whimpering, and finally silence. His hold on Sherry was fierce, but gradually started to relax. When Sherry felt his hold start to relax, she asked, "What is i, sweetheart? What set you off? It's okay, you can confide in me. I'll tell no one unless you give me permission."
Silence lingered in the study for several minutes before Charles started speaking. "I was seven, and in the boy's bathroom at school. Two older boys came into the bathroom and as I was starting to leave, they grabbed me. I asked them to let me go but they just laughed and started slapping me and punching me in the stomach. Then, when I was crying, while still holding me, they forced my head into one of the toilets. One of the boys was holding my arms behind me by my wrists, and they kept dunking my head into the toilet. A teacher came into the bathroom after hearing all the noise, and grabbed both boys by the back of their necks. I had to follow the teacher and the two boys to the principal's office, dripping wet from having my head dunked into the toilet. My parents were called, as were the two boy's parents. When the parents arrived and saw how wet I was and the reason why I was wet, if the principal hadn't stopped the boy's dads, they would have slammed their sons through the wall. From what was said, this wasn't the first time they'd done something like this or had been warned to not do it again. The principal told the boy's parents that both boys were suspended for two weeks. The following year, after I turned eight, it happened to me again, and the boys were expelled because they'd caused problems before.
"Oh dear Lord! And you've kept this buried all of these years? Did you speak to anyone about it? Is that why you started Martial Arts training, to protect yourself?"
"Mom and dad wanted me to talk with someone, but I lied to them and told them I was alright. I just wanted to forget about it all. And, yeah, it's why I started Martial Arts and Self Defence training, so I could protect myself from then on. But when you grabbed my wrists, it all came rushing back to me. The slapping, being punched in my stomach, and having my arms held behind me by my wrists and my head dunked into the toilet. And I couldn't stop it from happening at the time. I feel so foolish breakdown as I did. I should have been able to control myself."
Charles didn't see Sherry look up to the ceiling and close her eyes, mentally kicking herself for causing Charles' breakdown, even though he needed to get it out of his system. Had she known about the attacks he suffered, she would have handled things differently. But how would she have known? He never gave anyone the slightest hint of the help he needed. "Are you feeling better now? How about we get you back into your chair?" Charles nodded his head, and with Sherry's help, stood, Sherry pulled his chair back to the table, and Charles sat down. Sherry poured a half glass of water, handed it to Charles, and watched as he drained the entire contents. He asked for more, 'please,' and stopped asking after three half glasses of water.
Waiting until Charles had his fill of water, Sherry then asked, "Why didn't you want to talk to anyone, Charles? They would have helped you come to terms with what happened to you, so it wouldn't have been waiting to bite you in the butt. Were you embarrassed because of what happened, or afraid to talk to someone about what happened?"
After asking her questions, Sherry could see Charles was thinking about the questions she asked. "Well… I was embarrassed, because the whole school eventually found out what happened. Some felt bad for me, others thought it was funny and they should have done it more. Some even thought it'd be fun for them to do it to me, but they ended up getting suspended for several weeks. Oh, their parents were not happy with them. When they came back to school, they were different boys. I also think I didn't want to talk with anyone because, after a while, I sort of forgot about what happened."
"So why didn't you break down during your training? Surely you had your wrists grabbed then, it was part of your training?"
Again Charles thought about Sherry's questions. She saw the minute he had an answer, as s/he said, "I think because it was training and didn't trigger the right memories. I knew my wrists would be released by the move I was learning or for whatever reason. Sitting across from you, I didn't know if you were going to release my wrists. Because of that unknown, those memories came flooding back to me. I feel so foolish."
"You have no reason to feel foolish for breaking down. Older people than you have had breakdowns because of something they experienced during childhood or because of some recent experience. You needed to get that out of your system, it might be the reason you walk away when things get to the emotional level. I believe that may have changed today. I think you'll stand your ground from now on. Have some more water."
Author's Note: When I first wrote Complicit In a Lie, I had no thoughts, or ideas, to write a sequel. But thanks to a few readers, who asked about a sequel, ideas formed that made writing this sequel possible. It is necessary to have read Complicit In a Lie to understand why Charles is now with Jane, who the boy arriving in Kingston is and how he's involved in Charles' Court case. And to understand where Mr. Corporate, George Strom, fits into this story. This story starts off after Charles says, "When do we start," in Complicit in a Lie. So if you haven't read Complicit In a Lie, the beginning of this story won't make any sense. Hint hint!
For the rest of the time, and to give Charles time to calm down, they swapped training stories, only certain stories, as both had stories they were sworn not to reveal. When Sherry gauged Charles was calm enough, she told him, "I'd like to speak with you again. Next time I want to talk about this mess you were dragged into. Right now though, I think you might need a shower and clean clothes before going back to the library. Ask Francis to come and see me, if you would please. Leave the door open on your way out."
Sherry watched Charles nod his head, push his chair back, stand, finish the water in the glass before he started walking across the study. He was about halfway across the study when he stopped, turned, and walked back to Sherry. He threw his arms around her neck and told her, "Thank you. I can tell I needed that." He turned around and completed his walk across the study, stopping to open the door and walking out of the study.
After Charles left the study, Sherry laid her forehead on the table and lightly banged it against the tabletop. "You stupid girl. You stupid girl," she admonished herself. "You could have totally lost him."
"I don't think you're a stupid girl," a voice to Sherry's left said, causing Sherry to abruptly sit up. Marie put her arm around Sherry's shoulder and repeated herself. "I don't think you're a stupid girl. He never shared any of his school experiences with anyone, so how were you to know? Did you know Toby was going to have his meltdown? Do you feel stupid for not knowing it was going to happen? You didn't act like you felt stupid, so why now when the information wasn't in his file? You helped two boys Jane and I couldn't or wouldn't have been able to help. So stop kicking yourself for something happening because the information wasn't there." Marie squeezed Sherry's shoulder before she removed her arm, turned, and began walking towards the study door.
Before Marie had a chance to leave the study, Sherry called out, "Marie? How'd you know? How'd you know I was angry with myself?"
Marie had turned at hearing her name called. After Sherry asked her question, Marie smiled, then laid a finger on the side of her nose, winking her left eye, before turning and leaving the study. Shaking her head, Sherry softly said to herself, "She's a freaking psychic, she has to be."
Sherry once again was standing at the window, collecting her thoughts when she heard a knock on the open study door. Turning, she saw Francis standing there, looking as though she was about to wet herself. "Please come in, Francis. And close the door behind you." As Sherry walked closer to Francis, she saw Francis was shaking, just as though she'd been in Jane's crosshairs. When she reached Francis, she gently put an arm around Francis' shoulder, and in a soft voice told her, "There's nothing to be afraid of, Francis. I'm not Jane and you haven't done anything wrong. We are just going to talk. There'll be no assignments, no books to read, we're just going to sit and talk. Okay?" Sherry asked, looking down at Francis. Still shaking some, Francis nodded her head and allowed Sherry to guide her to the chair used by the others.
"Francis, calm down," Sherry said softly to the girl. "This is not an inquisition. There won't be any thumbscrews or cat-o-nine tails. It's just you and me talking. And… unless I have your permission, no one learns what's said during our talk. Okay?" It puzzled Sherry why Francis was scared to be with her. 'Is she afraid of divulging something meant to be kept secret?' This thought played through Sherry's mind in an instant, giving her a possible approach in talking with Francis. "Entonces. Entiendo que eres bastante bueno con los idiomas (So. I understand that you are quite good with languages.). ¿Descubriste esto en la escuela o alguien te ayudó a aprender que tenías esta habilidad (Did you discover this in school or did someone help you learn you had this ability?)?"
The questions appeared to calm Francis, as she responded with, "Supongo que fue un poco de ambas cosas. Tuvimos que estudiar un idioma en la escuela y cuando empezó la clase, pareció entenderlo rápidamente. Además, había una vecina que descubrió que podía hablar español y siguió trabajando conmigo (I guess it was a little of both. We had to take a language in school and when the class started, I seemed to catch on quickly. Plus, there was a neighbor lady who found out I could speak Spanish and kept working with me.). Et depuis que Charlotte est là, elle m'apprend le français (And since Charlotte has been here, she's been teaching me French.)."
"Wow, I'm impressed, Francis," Sherry told her. "Your pronunciation is spot on in both languages. Did your Aunt Angus know you could speak Spanish?"
Francis got a nasty look on her face before saying, "Aunt Agnus, that's a nasty word to say. She got pissed off when I was practicing my Spanish for homework. She said, and I quote, "Don't want to hear no Spic language in my house. Them Spics were dirtier than dirt itself." So to practice my Spanish, I had to tell her I had something to do for school with a classmate, and left HER house. She laid into one of my Mexican friends when she came over to work on a school assignment and spoke to me in Spanish." At this point, Francis laughed. "Oh, that really pissed off my friend. She told my Aunt in as sweet a voice as she could, 'Vete a joder con el palo de una escoba (Go fuck yourself with a broomstick.).' My Aunt then asked me what she said, and I told her she said she didn't mean to upset her. It's now a running joke with me and my friend."
Despite herself, Sherry had to laugh. Francis' Aunt Agnus was the epitome of ignorance, one of those who made rocks look extremely intelligent. "Did your Aunt ever learn what your friend really told her? Or is she still as ignorant as ever?"
Laughing, Francis told Sherry, "Nooo… she's still ignorant. And when my friend comes over, she forgets on purpose and speaks Spanish. When Aunt Agnus gets upset, my friend uses variations of what she told her the first time. Of course, she uses the sweetest voice she can while saying it. One time that neighbor I mentioned was visiting Aunt Agnus and my friend was there and said something in Spanish. The neighbor knew Aunt Agnus hated to hear anyone speak anything but English in the house, and almost wet herself when my friend used another variation. I thought she was going to die right there on the spot when Aunt Agnus asked me what my friend said. I told Aunt Agnus my friend said she forgot not to speak Spanish in her home. That neighbor told Aunt Angus she had to go, and after leaving I could hear her laughing all the way to her home. The next time I visited that neighbor, she baked me a mess of chocolate chip cookies, and gave me a high five."
It took a good five minutes for the two to stop laughing. When they stopped laughing, Sherry said, "You know that's kind of cruel, right? I mean, what if she ever finds out what your friend really said to her?"
"Cruel? What's cruel about putting a bigot in their place? She treats anyone speaking anything but English the same way. I was in a store with her, one time, and two ladies were speaking Hindi while trying to decide on what they needed for the evening meal."
"Wait wait wait… how'd you know what they were saying? Do you also speak Hindi?"
Francis shrugged her shoulders, then told Sherry, "I don't know. I just knew what they were saying. And no, I can't speak Hindi. I used my hands to show them how sorry I was for my Aunt's behavior, and I think they caught on to what I meant. Because the younger lady basically to my Aunt, in Hindi, to do the same thing my friend told her to do. When my Aunt asked what the younger woman said, the older woman told my Aunt she was apologizing for upsetting my Aunt. My Aunt didn’t see me smile big after she said it, but the two women did. I gave them a thumbs-up behind my Aunt's back. After the tongue lashing my Aunt gave them, she thought she'd taught both women a lesson. We passed the two women a few more times as we shopped. Each time we passed them, they'd laugh at my Aunt, knowing she never understood a word they'd said. And each time we'd pass them, I'd give them a thumbs up. When I told my friend that story, she laughed so hard, she did wet herself. Gads, my Aunt is so stupid."
Now that Sherry had Francis relaxed, she dove into the reason Francis was scared when she came into the study. "Frank, I need to ask you why you were scared when you came into the study. You had to have talked to Charlotte, so knew I wasn't a monster."
Another shoulder shrug escaped Francis. As Charlotte had done, s/he was looking at her hands lying on the table. Sherry reached across the table, placed the fingers of her right hand gently under Francis' chin, lifted it, and said, "Francis. You are my client. As such, I can't tell anyone what you say to me. Not even your bigot of an Aunt. No one, understand?"
"Yeah, I understand how it works. I'm just afraid you're going to be like my Aunt. She'd ask me a question, then criticize me for the answer I gave her. And instead of letting it drop, she'd continue criticizing me the rest of the day. It was the same thing if she told me to do something, and I did it as she said. When she checked on what I'd done, she'd go crazy because I did what she said. She'd then jump all over me, telling me I shouldn't have done it that way. When I pointed out she told me to do it that way, she'd grab my ear, pull me to her, and tell me not to lie to her. When I'd tell her I wasn't lying, she'd get right in my face and tell me I was a liar. After each one of these episodes, she'd send me to my room and lock the door. The first time she did that, I thought she'd let me out for supper, but she didn't. I even banged on the door to tell her I had to go to the bathroom. All she said was, 'Too bad.' Fortunately, I had two windows in my bedroom. So when I learned she was going to leave me in my room until morning for school, I'd climb out one of the windows and go to the neighbor's house. When I told her my story, she looked into doing something but found out she'd need proof. And because she didn't witness any ill-treatment on my Aunt's part, she couldn't do anything. She did tell me to come over if my Aunt locked me in my bedroom again. I'm really grateful for that lady."
Sherry was shaking her head after everything Frank told her. "Frank, did you tell your Uncle what your Aunt was doing? Surely he would have helped you?"
Frank shook his head, "I tried telling him one time. He didn't believe me. He said his wife would never do such a thing. And when he was around, she didn't. I found out I shouldn't have told him anything. He asked my Aunt if what I told him was true. Of course, she denied everything. She told him I was just upset I couldn't live with Penny. I don't have any marks on my body like Toby, but when my Uncle left for work the next day, Saturday, my Aunt proceeded to slap me around. She again locked me in my bedroom and left me until morning. I spent the day and night at the neighbor's. She took pictures of all the hand prints on my face and the red places when my Aunt slapped me through my shirt. She called someone and was again told she couldn't do anything because she didn't actually witness it happening. Even when the CPS lady came by, my Aunt was peaches and cream, though I suspected something was going on between my Aunt and the CPS lady. But who'd listen to me, a kid angry because I had to live with my Aunt Agnus?"
Reaching across the table, Sherry took Francis' hands in hers. "Frank, I don't think you'll have to worry about your Aunt Agnus anymore. Things are in the works to place you somewhere else." She let go of one of Frank's hands, held up her hand as Frank was about to speak. "No, I wasn't told any specifics, just that you're not going back to that woman's house." Sherry knew more about Aunt Agnus but was not permitted to say more.
Taking Frank's hand again, she watched as tears of relief streamed down his face. It wasn't long before he started crying with relief. As she'd done to Toby and Charlotte, Sherry let go of Frank's hand, stood up, and hurried around the table. She held Frank as he cried, telling him, "It's over, Frank. They'll be no more Aunt Agnus. She now has her own problems to deal with. Let it out Frank, get it out of your system." She didn't think Frank heard her when she said Agnus had her own problems to deal with but felt it necessary to put Frank's mind at ease.
When he finally calmed down, Sherry had him drink several glasses of water. After having his fill, he told her, "Oh gawd. I'm so glad to hear I won't be going back to that bitch. If I had to go back to her, I would have run away again. And this time, stay gone. Oh gawd oh gawd oh gawd… what a relief."
After making sure Frank was alright, Sherry returned to her chair. Looking at Frank from across the table, Sherry giggled then said, "Tu vas devoir refaire ton maquillage, raton laveur (You'll have to redo your makeup, raccoon.)."
Frank chuckled then said, "Je n'en doute pas. C'est déjà arrivé plusieurs fois auparavant (I don't doubt it. It's happened several times before.)."
Smiling, Sherry again reached across the table and took Frank's hands. "I think we've accomplished a lot for this session. Next time we talk, I want to hear how you feel about the lessons you're now taking. But right now, I think you need to go clean up before going back to the library, raton laveur (raccoon)."
Francis smiled, nodding her head, then squeezed Sherry's hands, telling her, "Thank you for listening to my story. And for the news, I won't be going back to that woman. Vous êtes une dame spéciale (You are a special lady.)."
Squeezing Sherry's hands one last time, Francis pushed the chair back, stood up, and began walking to the study door. She'd put her hand on the doorknob when she heard, "You can leave the door open, Francis." Nodding, Francis opened the door and turned to go up the stairs to her bedroom.
Sherry sat there for a few more minutes, trying to understand why someone would treat Frank as they'd treated him. He didn't deserve it. She pushed her chair back, walked around the table, and over to the window, where Jane found her when she'd quietly walked over to her. Sherry never acknowledged Jane's presence, before saying, "Did you know Franks' whole story, Janie? He needs to bring charges against her for what she's done to him. That woman needs to be drop-kicked right off the edge of a mountain. How can people do things to these kids and get away with it? After hearing Franks' story, I want to go and give that woman better than she gave to Frank." She then turned and put her arms around Jane and cried on her shoulder.
As Jane held Sherry, she was looking out of the window. Saying more to the air than to Sherry, she said, "This time, there are a lot of people who need to be drop-kicked off the edge of a mountain." When Sherry calmed a bit, Jane said, "Come on. Our evening meal is almost ready, so you'll have a few minutes to fix that pretty face of yours."
Sherry, with her head still on Jane's shoulder, told Jane, "Flatterer. You think you can suck up to someone and get what you want. I know your game, Janie. I've known you during some questionable times in your life."
"Is this an attempt at blackmail, Daniels? Because if it is, I have pictures also. Do you remember that time on the beach? And that one boy?"
Sherry stood up straight, looked at Jane, and asked her, "You wouldn't? You couldn't? Besides, I got more pictures than you do, and some real juicy ones."
Smiling, Sherry watched Jane's face turn into stone, before she brought up, "You may have more pictures than I have, but I kept that video of you and what's his name."
"WHAT? You said you were going to burn that video. That's low, Thompson."
As both women kept trying to play one-upmanship, a voice brought them back to Earth. "Hey, dudettes. You want us to throw your share of the grub to the hogs? 'Cause it's on the table, right now."
Jane and Sherry turned around as a unit, after hearing what Jill almost yelled at them. While they both looked at Jill's smiling face, Sherry asked Jane, "Do you always have to put up with that girl like she is right now?"
In a dramatic sigh, Jane replied with, "Unfortunately. I think she was born that way."
"Hey, I resemble that remark. Now come on, foods on the table." And with that, the perky doctor disappeared out of the study.
As the women slowly walked across the study, Jane told Sherry, "I'm glad you and that crazy lady were around in my younger days. You both pulled me out of more than one fire pot."
Sherry knew not to ask Jane for any details between her and Jill. Like the memories she and Jane shared, those memories Jane shared with Jill were not for discussion with anyone unless Jane decided to do so. And right now, Sherry didn't see a need for Jane to share the memories she and Jill shared.
When Jane and Sherry left the study, Jane went to the dining room while Sherry retrieved her purse from the couch and went into the downstairs bathroom. She emerged from the bathroom just in time to watch Toby and the girls set plates of food on the table. She then marveled at Toby, as she watched him seat Jane, Marie, Susan, and Jill, and he was now standing at her seat waiting on her. She hurried to her seat at the table and allowed Toby to seat her, thanking him afterward. After being seated, it was only then she realized Charlotte and Francis were still standing. Puzzled at first, she finally realized the girls were waiting on Toby. Only after he seated Charlotte and Francis, did he take his own seat, bowing his head after sitting. Jane started in just as their food was being passed around.
"So, Francis. How are your lessons progressing?"
Francis had just taken a spoonful of mashed potatoes and was just passing the bowl when Jane asked her question. As she took a slice of roast off the plate she'd been passed, she told Jane, "I don't think fast enough, Aunt Jane. I seem to be absorbing everything given to me. And it all seems rather easy." She was holding the plate of roast when she asked Jane, "Why do those advanced courses seem easy to me, Aunt Jane? Aren't they supposed to be somewhat difficult? But I find them easy, and easy to remember."
Jane was looking at Susan when answering Francis' question. "I can't answer why you're finding the advanced courses easy, Francis. And yes, they are meant to be somewhat more difficult. Maybe Susan can answer your question concerning the ease with which you're working your way through the courses."
Susan raised an eyebrow at Jane's question, but told Francis, "I don't have an answer for you, Francis. Francis, have you ever taken an IQ test at school? Did your counselor or teacher ever suggest taking one?"
Everyone watched as Francis thought about Susan's questions. "Um, no, Susan, I don't remember anyone suggesting I take an IQ test. Why would they, I wasn't thought to be very smart based on my grades. If they weren't going to let me take AP courses, why would they think I needed to take an IQ test?"
Francis watched Susan shake her head as she said, "They're fools, Francis. A student's low grades are a signal there's something wrong, not that the student is stupid or needs remedial classes. Because you are picking up the subjects quickly, I think there's a lot more going on in that mind of yours, and I'd like you to take a certified IQ test. I believe Sherry has the certification needed to administer such a test," and she looked at Sherry while finishing her statement, "so no one else has to be sent for." She again looked at Francis and said, "And I'd like you to take it tomorrow."
Susan and Sherry looked over to Jane, who replied, "I see no reason why you can't administer the test tomorrow, Sherry. It might be best to do so before Francis takes any more AP courses. Perhaps the AP courses she's taken right now are nothing but remedial courses to her… if they seem so easy. Toby, Charlotte, how do you two find the AP courses? Do they seem easy to either of you? Be honest with us, we're trying to determine what level all three of you should be studying."
The five women watched the two teens as the face of each one showed they were thinking about Jane's question. "If I'm completely honest, Aunt Jane," Toby began, "everything Susan has given me I've gone through like a hot knife through butter. All of it has been an easy read and easy to understand. Nothing has caused me to slow my reading or reread anything for comprehension. Sorry Susan, I'm just being honest."
"You don't need to apologize for anything, Toby. Jane asked for your honest opinion and that's what we wanted to hear. We aren't those deaf boobs at the schools you three attend, we listen. Charlotte, how about you? Do you agree with Francis and Toby?"
Jane could see the consternation on Charlotte's face after Susan asked her question. "Why the consternation Charlotte? We are asking the question to ensure you're being challenged by the material you're studying. No one's feelings will be hurt, and you most CERTAINLY won't incur my wrath for the answer you give." Charlotte had dropped her head when Jane spoke directly to her. "Charlotte, look at me. Look at me Charlotte." Charlotte slowly raised her head until she was looking at Jane. "Now, tell me. Why are you hesitant to give us your opinion? Does anyone look angry because of what Toby and Francis told us? Do they Charlotte? If you think they look angry, it's because you three were denied the classes you three should have been taking at your respective high schools. That's where the anger you perceive is being directed, Charlotte. Not at the three of you. Charlotte, cards on the table here and now. Marie and I have never had another boy here at Seasons House with such a thirst for knowledge as you three have. If those AP courses Susan is giving you, right now, are nothing more than regular high school classes to you three, then we need to know that so we can adjust the lessons. And we can't do that unless all three of you are completely honest with us. So, Charlotte, are the courses you're currently taking too easy for you? Are you not being challenged by the material?"
It was silent in the dining room until Toby put his arm around Charlotte's shoulder, telling her, "They aren't going to bite your head off if you tell them the truth. You're working through that material almost as fast as me and Francis. And I'll bet the tests you've taken prove none of it is challenging. If you've done like me, you've aced every test Susan has given you. And if I understand what that means, it means the material is too easy. Either that or you're absorbing the material as fast as Francis and I are absorbing it. Either way, just screw up that courage you keep buried and give them both barrels."
It was almost comical as Charlotte slowly turned her head to look at Toby. "Give them both barrels? Are we at Yorktown or something?"
"Actually no," Toby started off with. "You see, at Yorktown, they would have had muskets, not double-barrels. Double-barrel shotguns weren't developed until 1875 and improved upon during the years. But you already knew that, didn't you?"
Susan, Jill, Sherry, Marie, and even Jane, all had their hands over their mouths, concealing or holding back laughter which resulted from what they all could easily see Toby doing. With a deadpan expression on her face, Charlotte said to Toby, "You're doing it again, aren't you? You're blathering along in order to get me to get out of my comfort zone. You know I can't help but react to all the blathering you do. Because it gets… annoying. You cochon (pig)."
Despite trying their hardest to remain serious about Jane's question, the five ladies could no longer hold back their laughter. Toby gave Charlotte one of his biggest smiles and received a swat on his arm for his efforts. When the laughter died down, Charlotte said, "Alright, alright, le cochon (the pig) won again; how he does it I'll never understand." Looking from Susan to Jane as she talked, Charlotte told them, "Yes, I agree with Toby and Francis. The material seems no more difficult than the regular classes we were taking at our respective high schools. Maybe the sentence structure and words are more advanced, but that's about all. I've scored perfect papers when given tests over what I've read. So either it is that easy or it's actually hard but easy for the three of us." In a parting shot, Charlotte turned to Toby and gave him a 'so there' look.
Not finished yet, Toby told her, "See, I knew you could do it. You just needed to be properly motivated."
And before Susan started to speak, Charlotte finished with a hearty, "Tu es vraiment un cochon (You're such a pig.)." It was now Toby's turn to laugh.
"Okay, that settles it. All three of you are taking the IQ test tomorrow. If the AP material I'm giving you three would bog down a normal high school student, and it's easy for the three of you, then there's more to each of you than the AP courses can deal with. And I need to find out what that is."
It seemed a time for announcements, as Jill said, "Toby, after we finish eating I want to examine you." Because Toby had a bite in his mouth, he nodded his head in understanding.
"And Jill," Sherry said, a smile on her face as she turned to face Jill. "After you've examined Toby, I'd like to meet with you in the study. You're the only one I haven't talked with concerning this mess. And from what I heard, a talk will do you good."
Jane had known Jill long enough to know her impish look meant she was about to say something rather crude. "Jill," Jane addressed Jill with a sweet look.
And with just as sweet of a look and a voice, she replied, "Yes, Jane."
"If you say what you're about to say, you won't be talking to Sherry tonight. You'll be swimming in my pond, and you know I can make it happen." Jane drilled her eyes into Jill's eyes, never once causing the smile on Jill's face to fade.
"Ya know something, Thompson? You can be a right killjoy sometimes."
Seeing the predatory smile on Jane's face, both Sherry and Jill knew it was time to rethink anything they had or were planning. Or in Jill's case, going to say. "Yes, I can be, can't I… Peters?"
Author's Note: When I first wrote Complicit In a Lie, I had no thoughts, or ideas, to write a sequel. But thanks to a few readers, who asked about a sequel, ideas formed that made writing this sequel possible. It is necessary to have read Complicit In a Lie to understand why Charles is now with Jane, who the boy arriving in Kingston is and how he's involved in Charles' Court case. And to understand where Mr. Corporate, George Strom, fits into this story. This story starts off after Charles says, "When do we start," in Complicit in a Lie. So if you haven't read Complicit In a Lie, the beginning of this story won't make any sense. Hint hint!
For the rest of their evening meal, Jane asked for snippets from the courses Susan was having them work through. She found their snippets interesting but above her educational experiences. All too soon, the main meal was over and dessert had been consumed. The three teens asked to be excused, were granted permission and they began clearing the table. Toby lingered longer in the kitchen this time, almost until the kitchen work was complete. But the girls could see the pain he still felt and 'shoved' him out of the kitchen. When he abruptly came out of the kitchen, the eyes of five women turned to face him. With an exasperated look on his face, he told them, "Those two pushed me out of the kitchen. They said I'd done enough and Charlotte literally pushed me out of the kitchen."
Marie broke out laughing, telling Toby, "Cher, I know the feeling. Those two threw me out of my own kitchen as well. They claimed I needed to rest. Me, needing to rest. Can you imagine that?"
"I need to sit down," Toby said, as he shifted his weight from one foot to the other. "The ol' caboose isn't up to one hundred percent yet." Wincing, he made his way to the couch, where he gingerly sat down. He didn't realize it, but he let out a sigh heard by the five women after getting seated. "Aww… that feels better."
Jill got up from the dining room table and walked over to the couch, sitting down next to Toby. "Hey, I hate to do this, but let's get you upstairs so I can see how you're doing. Then you can come back down and get comfortable again."
After giving Jill an 'oh brother' look, he nodded his head and waited until Jill had stood so she could help him stand. With her left hand gently gripping Toby's right forearm, Jill assisted Toby to the stairs. Jane turned to watch the two make their way slowly up the stairs and out of sight, before asking Susan, "So, what can you do because of the ease with which they're going through the AP courses?"
Nodding her head at Jane's question, she replied, "I've been thinking about that Jane. If the IQ tests reveal what I believe they're going to reveal, I may have to move all three to college-level courses. It might even be better to have them continue as they're doing now, using those courses and introductory courses to the college courses. Basically like what occurs in college, where the freshman year is the basic courses of someone's major, then the more advanced courses the sophomore year, and so on. But that isn't what really worries me, Jane. What if the college-level courses are just as easy for them? What then? What could I possibly give them to challenge them? It's all going to hinge on the IQ test results, Jane."
Sherry spoke up saying, "While I realize you want the best for those three kids, just be careful not to expect more than they can give at the moment. Agnus is fresh in Francis' mind. Toby and Charlotte are embroiled in this shoplifting mess, which is so fresh it smells like something you stepped in. All three still have hair triggers that can be tripped unexpectedly."
Marie chuckled, then said, "Well, if you want to give them a challenge, and teach them at the same time, teach them Latin then teach them in Latin. It was once done that way many years ago at the best colleges."
The four women were quiet for several moments, broken by Jane saying, "There is only one problem I can see. Those three teens aren't going to be here long enough to get through any super-advanced course you set up, Susan. Toby may have to go into hiding, if it turns out there's still a price on his head. Charlotte will go back to her family, and that retched high school. And Francis will be leaving soon, if not when Toby and Charlotte leave. Going three possible ways is not conducive to holding a class, Susan. They should be attending a private school whose curriculum is as Marie suggested. And yet… " Jane became thoughtful before saying, "And yet, there's so much to be settled before their educational institution can even be discussed."
Their roundhouse discussion ceased when a bedroom door being closed was heard. Shortly, the slow, rhythmic cadence of footsteps could be heard descending the stairs. Sherry stood up just as Toby and Jill reached the ground floor. She watched Jill help Toby to the couch, helped him sit down, then said, "Oh Jillyyy. You and I have an engagement in the study. Come this way," and she waved her hand towards the study door.
Jane saw the impish look again on Jill's face and said one word, "DON'T"
Seeing the look on Jill's face caused Jane to school herself else she'd laugh at her dear friend. "Aww, Thompson. You're no fun."
Jane just smiled at Jill as the woman followed Sherry to the study. She was extremely mature by sticking her tongue at Jane as she walked by Jane. Susan could see the interplay between the two women and asked, "How long have you two known each other?"
Watching Jill's retreating back, Jane responded with, "Ever since the Earth came into existence. She saved my life several times during my younger days." When Francis and Charlotte came out of the kitchen, and Marie went into the kitchen, to make sure it had been cleaned properly and was still standing, Jane told the girls and Toby, "You three may take the rest of the evening for yourselves. Bedtime is still at the usual time."
Sherry waited until Jill had entered the study before closing the study door behind her. "So," Jill began, "what do you want to talk about?" The impish look lingered on her face, her eyes dancing with mischief.
Following after Jill, who was walking backward toward the table, Sherry asked, "You really love winding Janie up, don't you?"
"And what about you?" Jill shot back. "Calling her Janie all the time. I remember a boy in college who called her Janie once, but only once. I thought he was going to walk funny the rest of the semester. He thought he was the best thing any girl could have, until he called Jane Janie and she gave him such a shot between his legs. Every guy in that cafeteria cringed when they saw her kick him in his jewels. Those guys may have cringed but the girls were all smiling."
Sherry became somber as she told Jill, "Like you, I've earned the right to tug at Supergirl's cape. We both have been there during some of Jane's nastier times, and stayed with her, helping her get through them."
Her impish expression gone, Jill replied, "Yeah… they were times I wouldn't want my worst enemy to go through. So, what'd you want to talk about?"
Indicating for Jill to sit down, Sherry sat down in her customary chair before speaking. "You got rather upset in the library when you told Jane and Marie to talk to me. Why? You even told them if they didn't speak to me you'd be, and I quote, 'you'd be pissed at them,' unquote"
Jill let her head drop back, brought it back up, shook it, then said, "Do you always ask questions you know the answers to? You know why I got so blasted upset."
"I know why I'd get upset, but I want to know why you got upset."
Jill got up and stepped to the window. "How many times did you pull Jane out of the gutter, so to speak? Likely more times than you remember, right? Well, same here. There was one time I didn't think she'd ever pull herself together. DAMN THAT WOMAN!"
Sherry shoved her chair back, walked around the table, and behind Jill, putting her arms around the crying woman. Jill leaned back into Sherry, then reached up and clasped Sherry's arms. Through her sobs, Jill said, "Damn that woman. I told her she was burning the candle at both ends and everywhere along its length. But she wouldn't listen to me. I thought I'd lost her several times."
In a soft voice, Sherry added, "Yeah, I know. I've got the tee shirt to prove it. She latched onto me after you went off to medical school. She went through one particular nasty period, wouldn't let me call you. I didn't know how to help her, so I just stayed with her, did what I thought was best for her. She made it through, but it was a rough time."
"And I owe you both my life," Jane said, her voice coming from the direction of the study door.
Jane's voice caused both Sherry and Jill to suddenly turn around, releasing each other. "Damnit, Janie," Sherry began, "this is a private session. You have no right to be here."
Still standing by the study door, Jane's voice had an acrid sound to it as she replied, "This is my house, I go where I please." But it softened as she added, "And I pleased to be here, now, with the two of you. With the two who never turned away from me, who were there when I was a complete mess. I owe both of you my life, and I can never repay that debt."
Jane had started walking as she spoke her last statement and was now standing in the middle of the study. Her words set Jill off again, as she started walking towards Jane, saying, "Damn you Thompson. I told you you were burning that candle the entire length, but you wouldn't listen." She'd reached Jane as she continued with, "DAMN YOU THOMPSON, I thought I'd lost you." Jill threw her arms around Jane's neck and cried on her shoulder. Jane put one arm around Jill, then motioned with her other arm for Sherry to join them.
Stepping into Jane's free arm, and putting her arms around Jill and Jane, Sherry said, "She's right, Janie. Damn you, I thought I was going to lose you several times."
The three women were crying on each other's shoulders and didn't notice when the study door quietly opened. Holding the door by the doorknob, Marie looked in and smiled at seeing the three holding each other. She nodded her head, stepped back, and silently closed the door behind her. As she walked back into the living room, she said to herself, "Est ut sit. Ita semper debet (It is as it should be. So it should always be.)."
None of the three realized the amount of pent-up emotions they had from that time, a time when Jane could have become no more. A time when Jill and Sherry did all they could to keep her safe. A time when Jill and Sherry had to put their own lives on hold because of Jane's immediate needs. A time when Jane saw the path she's still on today A time that made Jane Thompson the woman she is today, and formed a life bond between the three women.
After several minutes, their crying stopped but they continued holding onto each other. "Looking back," Jane said softly, "I don't know why you two stayed with me. I was such a mess, anyone else would have kicked me to the curb."
It was Sherry who asked the question, "Why does Judge Ruth send boys to you, Jane?"
Jane was silent for a moment, before replying, "Because she sees redeeming qualities in them."
"That's why we didn't let you self-destruct, Jane," Jill supplied. "We saw redeeming qualities within you. We saw what you could become if you only saw it yourself. You finally saw it yourself after Sherry got you away from that jerk and sat up with you all night. That one scared you straight, and when you had time to reflect, you decided what you were going to do with your life. So in a way, that jerk helped you decide the path you were going to take. It took some time, but you made it. Just look at all the good you've done because of your choice."
Jane pushed back from Jill and Sherry, reached up, and stroked both women's cheeks. After what Jill had just said, Jane's throat was too tight to speak. She nodded her head, turned, and left the study, leaving Jill and Sherry in the middle of the study with their arms still around each other. Clearing her throat, Jill said, "Well, that was cathartic. I didn't realize I had so many bottled-up emotions from that time."
Turning Jill around, Sherry guided Jill back to the table, pouring two glasses of water and offering one to Jill. "That's the problem with emotions, you never realize they're all jumbled up until someone or something comes along and pulls the cork holding them back. Then you either explode with anger, cry yourself a river, or explode and cry yourself a river. The explode and cry yourself a river is the one occurring lately around here, you just happen to be its latest target." Sherry then pointed to the seat Jill had used, before sitting down herself.
Jill drank half the water in the glass before saying, "Yesh? And what do you call what you did? Faking it? I seem to remember you blowing up before flooding the carpet in this room. I remember you being just as upset as I was back then. If that time didn't bother you, why all the fireworks and waterworks then?"
With a smirk on her face, Sherry told Jill, "You know, if you don't have a license to become a practicing Psychologist, you can get into a lot of trouble." Then, to punctuate her point, she stuck her tongue out at Jill.
Shaking her head slowly, Jill retorted, "There you go again, avoiding the issue. And that last bit was sooo mature for a practicing psychologist. Seriously, though, Sherry. Why are you avoiding the issue? I remember you being as torn up as I was back then when that damn woman wouldn't listen to either of us about that skuzball."
Sherry sat her glass of water down, then looked down at her hands before speaking. "Because I was ashamed of myself back then. And I still am."
"What do you have to be ashamed of? How many nights did you sit up with her while she went through that hell?"
Sherry sighed before saying, "It wasn't about the number of nights I sat up with her. It's because I wanted to kill that jerking bastard. I wanted to drug him, take him out to some secluded spot, and make a nice flat 'V' between his legs. Then shove everything right down that gawd awful maw he called a mouth. And leave him there to bleed to death." With tears streaming down her face, Sherry choked out, "I wanted to kill him, Jill. I wanted to hurt him as much as he was hurting Janie. I'm ashamed I ever entertained the idea. That's why I avoid the issue… because I'm ashamed of myself."
Jill shocked Sherry by starting to laugh, and she kept laughing until tears were sliding down her cheeks. She laughed so hard she fell out of her chair, and continued laughing while lying on the floor. Angry over what she thought was a terrible slight, Sherry stood up so fast that her chair fell over backward. She all but ran around the end of the table, stood over the still laughing Jill, and demanded, "Alright, Peters! What's so damn amusing about what I just said?"
While still laughing, Jill looked up to see the angry expression on Sherry's face. It was only then she realized what she'd done and started to cry. Seeing Jill now crying, Sherry realized something else was going on with her sister, and as she dropped to her knees, picked Jill up from the floor, and held her, her anger dissipated. Jill stuttered out through her crying, "I…I'm…sorry…She…Sherry. I…di…didn't…mean…t…to…m…make…yo…you…an…angry.” I…was…wasn't…laug…laughing…at…y…you…b…b…but…bec…because…of…wh…wh…what…y…you…wa…wa…wanted…to…to…do…to…th…th…that…pie…piece…of…cra…crap." Her crying lessened after that, replaced with the two women sitting on the floor holding each other. The silence that had lasted several minutes was broken by Jill saying, "When you told me what you wanted to do to that slimeball, it reminded me of the paper I wrote, with steps and diagrams I made when I first arrived at medical school. Oh, it was brilliant, Sherry. It had ten steps I was going to follow, with each step detailing what I'd do to that prick and when. What I'd use on him and where it'd be applied. I was going to make him suffer so much that he'd beg me to shoot him; that was one of the ten steps, Sherry. I was fuming because of what he did to Jane. I wanted to hurt him sooo much, Sherry. I wanted to make him pay ten times more than he'd hurt Jane. If it hadn't been for my roommate, who kept pestering me to attend a support group on campus, Dr. Jill Peters wouldn't be Dr. Jill Peters but another person in prison today. I only made it through medical school because of that support group. And that roommate of mine, both helped straighten out my head back then."
"And why are you two ladies sitting on the floor holding each other?" Jane's voice startled both women so much they jerked around to face her, a 'deer caught in the headlights' expression on both of their faces. Softly, Jane said, "I heard what you both said, and I would have been upset if either of you had gone through with what you'd planned. I would have lost the two closest friends I had back then and still to this day. And, as you put it Peters, I would have been pissed at both of you. He ended up getting what he deserved, though. I heard some time later that he killed his then-girlfriend and will die in prison from old age. Now! Will you two get up off the floor, you're giving Seasons House a bad name." Jane extended her hands to Sherry and Jill. As each woman took one of the offered hands, Jane stepped back and pulled at the same time, helping each woman to stand up. She didn't let go of their hands but held them tight, saying, "Thank you both again for being there for me. If you need anything from me you have only to ask."
Sherry saw it as well as Jane, the impish look on Jill's face. "Well, now that you mention it, Thompson. Got any roast beef? 'Cause I could really go for a roast beef sandwich about now. Got any horseradish mustard, Thompson? Ya know, it goes real well on roast beef. Oh, and some of Marie's tasty homemade bread. Oh, and a tall glass of iced tea. Got any of that, Thompson?
Sherry had the fingertips of her free hand pressed tightly against her mouth to keep from laughing as she looked at Jane. Jane looked back at her with a deadpan expression on her face. Then, they both looked at Jill, who still had an impish expression on her face, along with a big smile. It was Jane who finally said, "And here I thought I only had petulant children in my house. Only I discovered I have an adult one too. If you must stuff your face, Peters, then we better adjourn to a more appropriate location."
Jane having said that the three women dissolved into laughter, holding each other and wiping the occasional tear off each other's cheek before they left the study and walked to the kitchen. Only to find three roast beef sandwiches laden with horseradish mustard on Marie's homemade bread, and three tall glasses of iced tea waiting for them. "I knew it," Jill said, as the three had stopped just inside the kitchen door when they saw the three sandwiches on the table. "I knew that woman had to be a psychic of some kind."
Laughter caught Jill's attention, and looking up from the sandwiches, she saw Marie quietly sitting at the end of the kitchen table. As Jill watched, Marie pointed to the open cabinet and the monitor setting within the cabinet. "It's called modern technology. Or for the slower ones, a psychic's friend."
Jane and Sherry had watched Jill as Marie spoke. When Marie burst Jill's psychic bubble, Jill looked up, rolled her eyes, then told Marie, "That's dirty pool, Marie." Sherry, Jane, and Marie all started laughing, but Jill didn't care as she walked over to the kitchen table, pulled out a chair, sat down, pulled one of the sandwiches to her, and began eating. With a mouth full of food, she asked, "You fwo ust gonna tand dhere?" After swallowing the large bite she'd taken, she turned to Marie and told her, "This is delicious, Marie. A-b-s-o-l-u-t-e-l-y delicious." She looked back at Sherry and Jane, and using her free hand, indicated the two sandwiches remaining on the kitchen table. Still holding each other, Jane and Sherry walked over to the kitchen table, each pulling out a chair before sitting down and starting in on their own roast beef sandwich slathered with horseradish mustard.
Looking at the clock on the kitchen wall, Marie turned off the monitor, closed and locked the cabinet doors before leaving the kitchen to sound the bedtime bell. Marie returned a short time later with Susan in tow. "Oh, look at you three, stuffing your faces while one of us was slaving over your kids, trying to teach them the difference between two plus two and the possibility the answer could be six."
Marie immediately caught on to the reference Susan was making, while the advance of Jill's sandwich had stopped just inside her mouth. Sherry gave Susan a quizzical look at first, but finally caught on to what Susan was saying. Jane calmly kept eating her sandwich, waiting until Jill asked the inevitable question, which arrived after Jill set her sandwich down on the plate. "What do you mean by that statement, teaching them the difference between two plus two and the possibility the answer could be six? How in the hell do you get two plus two being six?"
Jill looked at Susan as she asked the question, seeing only a deadpan expression on her face. She looked at Sherry, then at Jane, then at Marie, each wearing the same deadpan expression. Sherry broke the silence with, "And you call yourself a doctor. Did you skip the day one of your courses met or do you always keep your legs together at home?"
Jill was still confused by Susan's and Sherry's statements. "What do you mean keeping my legs together at home? What's that got to do with what Susan said?"
As Jill watched, Sherry shook her head, then held up the first two fingers of each hand. Then, turning those fingers sideways, she meshed one set between the other set, slowly repeating it for Jill's benefit. The laughter started slowly as they watched the sudden understanding form on Jill's face. She turned to face Susan and told her, "Gawd… you're as disgusting as those two," pointing at Sherry and Jane.
The ruckus laughter was interrupted by a knock on the kitchen door, followed by Francis coming into the kitchen. Having a worried look on her face, Francis said, "Oh, I'm sorry to have interrupted."
She had turned to leave the kitchen when Jane said, "Francis, you're not interrupting. What is it chère?"
Turning back around to face Jane, Francis said, "We're ready for bed, Aunt Jane. I just want to let you know." After Jane thanked Francis for letting her know, Francis left the kitchen, more at ease than when she'd entered the kitchen.
"Ladies, if you'll excuse me for a few moments," Jane told the four women, before setting her sandwich on its plate, pushing her chair back, standing and walking out of the kitchen. As she walked through the dining room, she could already see the three teens standing in the middle of the living room, each dressed in their particular night clothes. "Well, let's have a look at you three." Jane stood close to Charlotte and Francis, checking to make sure they'd removed all of their makeup and had used the moisturizer on their faces. Satisfied with Charlotte's and Francis' efforts, she turned her attention to Toby, noting the slight pain on his face. "Toby, are you alright? You look as though you're in some pain."
Toby had been shifting his weight from one foot to the other before Jane asked her question. Still shifting his weight, he told her, "I'm doing better Aunt Jane, at least my back and legs are. My butt is still causing some pain, I guess it was worse than I suspected."
Jane's monster began whispering in her mind again, only going quiet when Jane again told it to shut the hell up. "I'll have Jill come up and look at you Toby once you're in bed. She may be able to give you something or put something on your rear end to help alleviate the pain you're feeling. You three are excused, sleep well." Jane received 'good night' from each of the three, and stood still until the three had disappeared up the stairs. She went back into the kitchen, sat back down in her chair, picked up her roast beef sandwich, and told Jill, "Toby's still experiencing some pain in his butt. I told him I’d have you look in on him when he got into bed and maybe you could give him something for the pain. He says his back and legs are feeling better, it's just his butt that's bothering him. After seeing what a mess it was, I can understand why it's still bothering him."
Nodding her head, Jill wiped her hands off on the napkin lying next to her plate, and told Jane, "I'll look in on him then head home." After pushing her chair back, standing, then pushing the chair under the table, she walked around to stand next to Jane, bent down, and put her arms around Jane's neck. Putting her right cheek next to Jane's left cheek, she said, "I love you, you damn woman. I'll be back in a couple of days to check on Toby. Call me if he needs me sooner." She then kissed Jane on her left cheek, having Jane then put her arm around Jill's head and pull her even closer.
The two stayed together for several moments until Jane said, "I love you too, you crazy lady. And thank you for my life. Get yourself relaxed tonight."
Jane's last statement caused Jill to straighten immediately. "Thompson, you are a crude woman deep down… but a wise one." Jill bent back down and kissed Jane again on her cheek, before bidding the other women a good night.
Susan was the next to say, "I'd better be going as well. After today, I think getting myself relaxed is excellent therapy. Good night to you all." She was wished ‘good night’ by Marie, Jane, and Sherry, the three watching as Susan left the kitchen.
"Well, Jane. After the results of today, I'll be coming every day for the rest of this week and maybe next week; it will depend on how each of you progresses. I think the worst is now out in the open, it's now a matter of how to deal with it from day to day. I'm not so worried about you and Marie, you both are better at handling this on a daily basis. It's those three upstairs I'm more concerned about. They're going to be thinking of this constantly until it's over, and need to learn how not to let it control them. I think I'll join those other two and get myself relaxed tonight, I can really use it." After saying that, she leaned over and kissed Jane on her left cheek, only to have Jane pull her head in closer for a few moments.
Sherry felt a tear slide between her and Jane's cheek, before Jane said, "I never knew until today how much pain I caused you and Jill. I can't go back and undo my stupidity, I can only offer you my heart-felt apologies, and the knowledge you can ask anything of me and I'll grant it."
"You damn woman, I love you so much," Sherry told Jane before kissing her on the cheek and quickly getting up out of her chair before leaving the kitchen. Never wishing Marie or Jane a ‘good night.’
Jane was looking down at the sandwich she held in her hands. "I hurt those two badly with my actions all those years ago, Marie. And I didn't know how badly until tonight. I was such a fool back then."
Marie walked over to stand behind Jane, putting her arms around Jane's neck. "Chère, that time has passed. Today is today. We all have done something years back we wished we hadn't done. But that isn't a reason to let the actions of yesterday influence the actions of today. Put yesterday where it belongs, learn from it, but only let the lessons learned guide your way today. ‘Good night,’ chère. I'll check the downstairs before checking on the kids." She then bent down and kissed Jane on the cheek.
Jane watched Marie leave the kitchen before finishing her sandwich, thinking back to all the happenings of the day with each bite she took. As she took the last bite of her roast beef sandwich, she reflected on the last words Marie had said. Marie's words were true, but truth doesn't explain how to leave the past in the past or not influence today. She finished her iced tea, rinsed off the plate and the glass out, before looking around the kitchen one last time, walking to the kitchen door and turning off the kitchen lights as she left the kitchen and headed to her bedroom.
Author's Note: When I first wrote Complicit In a Lie, I had no thoughts, or ideas, to write a sequel. But thanks to a few readers, who asked about a sequel, ideas formed that made writing this sequel possible. It is necessary to have read Complicit In a Lie to understand why Charles is now with Jane, who the boy arriving in Kingston is and how he's involved in Charles' Court case. And to understand where Mr. Corporate, George Strom, fits into this story. This story starts off after Charles says, "When do we start," in Complicit in a Lie. So if you haven't read Complicit In a Lie, the beginning of this story won't make any sense. Hint hint!
When Marie came out of her bedroom the following morning, she was surprised to find Toby, Charlotte, and Francis standing by their bedroom doors. Giving them a suspicious look, she said, "So you think by being outside of the rooms I won't inspect them as I always do in the morning?"
Francis spoke up saying, "Not at all, tante Marie. We wanted to be ready to go to the kitchen with you to get breakfast ready. Nothing more."
Marie had to hide how proud she felt with Francis, and her having the courage to speak up. But appearances had to be upheld, and she told them, "I will still inspect each of your bedrooms to see for myself, shall I?" She received her second shock as the three opened their bedroom doors and stood off to the side to await Marie's inspection. Ever since the inception of Seasons House, no girl, or boy, had ever invited Jane or Marie into their bedrooms as these three had just done. Giving the three one more puzzled look, Marie entered Toby's bedroom and did her usual inspection. As she had found the previous times inspecting his bedroom, nothing was out of place or untidy. She followed the same routine for Charlotte's and then Francis' bedrooms, again finding nothing out of place or untidy. She slowly walked out of Francis' bedroom, stood where she could see all three, then asked, "What is going on, Mes amours (my lovelies?)? Why are you doing this? Someone please explain it to me, now."
Stepping away from the wall and facing Marie, Charlotte said, "Every morning you come in and wake us, telling us to hurry and you seem frustrated when you do. So, we decided to be up and ready, helping to keep you from becoming frustrated with us this early in the morning. That's all there is to it."
Marie looked at each one before saying, "J'apprécie ce que vous avez fait. Vous êtes vraiment spéciaux tous les trois (I appreciate what you've done. You three are indeed special.). Viens. Nous avons un petit-déjeuner à préparer (Come. We have breakfast to prepare.)."
With smiles on their faces, Charlotte and Francis waited for Toby to reach them before they walked to the stairs and descended them together. Jane had just come out of her bedroom and saw Marie step off the last step and onto the first floor. She heard the three teens descending the stairs and gave Marie a raised eyebrow. Marie told her, "Stabant extra cubicula sua exspectantes me (They were standing outside their rooms waiting for me.)."
Jane asked, "Et conclavia eorum (And their rooms?)?"
Answering Jane, Marie said, "Mundus et luculentam solito (Clean and tidy as usual.)."
By then the three had reached the first floor and continued walking to the kitchen. Toby was the first to return from the kitchen, carrying a stack of plates. He was followed by Francis, who began placing the silverware in its proper place. Marie and Jane watched as the two worked, looking at each other and having the same unasked question. 'Where's Charlotte?' Their unasked question was answered when Charlotte came out of the kitchen wearing an apron and asked, "Tante Marie, what did you plan for breakfast? Oh, good morning Aunt Jane. Uh, no, I haven't done anything but take care of the mugs left by the sink, if you were wondering. Tante Marie, if you didn't have anything specific in mind, how do pancakes and sausage sound? And fruit? I know a really good pancake recipe, if you'd like to use it, that is." Charlotte then looked at Jane then back to Marie, and back to Jane, who had a puzzled look on her face. She slowly started walking towards Jane, stopping when she was two steps in front of her. "Have I done something wrong again, Aunt Jane? Or have we done something wrong?"
Jane became even more puzzled as Francis laid the silverware down on the table and she and Toby walked over to stand next to Charlotte. "What's going on here?" Jane asked, looking from one to the other, then back at Charlotte. "Francis, why have you and Toby come to stand next to Charlotte? One of you needs to explain this to me right now."
Toby cleared his throat before telling Jane, "Well, Aunt Jane, if the three of us have done something wrong, then the three of us will stand together and accept the consequences."
Jane looked at Marie again and received a Galic shrug as an answer. "No, you three need to back up and explain why you were standing outside of your bedrooms and waiting for Marie. And why you are getting ready for breakfast on your volition. Which of you would care to explain?"
"Aunt Jane, we aren't trying to trick you or Marie. We knew what we had to do in the morning and did it. We felt there wasn't any reason to just sit in our bedrooms waiting for Marie, so when we were ready, we stepped out of our bedrooms and waited for Marie so we could get started preparing for breakfast. That's all there is to it, Aunt Jane." Francis had taken one step forward before she spoke, and now took one step back to again stand next to Toby and Charlotte.
This time it was Charlotte who stepped forward one step and said, "Aunt Jane, you and Marie have shown us what you expect in the morning when we first get up and how to set the dining room table for our meals. Marie has shown us what we need to do in the kitchen, though we only do that now when she's in the kitchen with us. You and Marie taught us those things, why should we wait to be told to do them when we already know what needs to be done? This way you and Marie won't be so upset or frustrated by needing to tell us every time something needs to be done, unless it's something new to us."
Jane had schooled herself to appear not quite angry but not quite pleased either, to maintain her dominance over the three. Inwardly, she was so pleased with the three it was hard for her not to show it. In a voice of a neutral tember, Jane said, "Then I think the three of you need to return to your work. Charlotte, you will assist Marie with making pancakes using the recipe you spoke of using. Sausage and fruit are acceptable. Please proceed."
Jane received another shock as Toby bowed and the girls curtsied as they replied, "Yes, Aunt Jane," in unison before turning and resuming their duties.
Jane watched the three walk back to their previous duties, looking at Marie and shaking her head. "Credis hoc, Marie (Do you believe this, Marie?)? Adhuc solliciti sunt de nobis (They are still worried about us.)."
Marie smiled and replied, as she slowly walked toward the kitchen, "Non vis hoc (You don't want this?)? Est bonum sic (It's good like that.)." She disappeared into the kitchen before Jane could say more.
Jane stood mesmerized as she watched Francis and Toby going in and out of the kitchen as though they'd done the work for years, never once complaining as they worked. She shook her head once more then walked to the study to check her emails and see if any faxes had arrived. Before she had walked through the living room, she heard, "Aunt Jane, wait. I brought you a cup of tea," Francis told her, walking up to Jane where she'd stopped and turned to the voice after hearing her name. Francis walked up to her and held out a saucer holding a full cup of tea. "We thought you'd like a cup of tea until breakfast is ready."
Marie caught her attention, standing in the frame of the kitchen door, holding the door open enough so she could look out. Marie smiled and shook her head once before going back into the kitchen. Redirecting her sight onto Francis, Jane reached out and grasped the saucer, telling Francis, "Thank you, Francis. That's very thoughtful of the three of you."
Francis curtsied and said, "You're welcome, Aunt Jane. If you'll excuse me I need to return to the kitchen." When Jane nodded her head, Francis turned and made her way back to the kitchen.
Jane stood in her spot for a moment longer before turning and walking the short distance to the study door. As she put her hand on the doorknob, she said to herself, "Remarkable. Simply remarkable," before opening the study door and entering the study. After closing the door behind her, Jane walked over to her desk, sat down, and turned on the computer. It had just booted up when the fax machine chimed, signaling a fax was ready to be printed. Jane entered her computer password, then stood up and stepped to the fax machine, where she entered a code and waited until the machine printed out the new fax. Taking the printed fax off the machine, she stepped back to her chair, sat down, she began reading the fax.
From: Jeb Thorton, et al.
To: Jane Thompson
RE: Mysterious Woman
Jane,
The police and our investigators have identified the mysterious woman Strom has been seen with, it's his mistress. They are now trying to find out if she is involved and if so, how deeply is she involved. They've started doing a background check on her and so far, it appears this isn't the first time she's been associated with this type of crime. However, when previously investigated by another law enforcement agency in another state, they couldn't definitively prove she was involved or if she was, how deeply involved. Also, before the other law enforcement agency could get too deep into their investigations, that shoplifting gang dissolved without a trace. To let things die down in the other state, it's believed they moved into our area and resumed their operations, since she is now in our area. In the year and a half the shoplifting gang operated in that state, it's estimated they shoplifted very close to fifty million dollars worth of merchandise. The undercover group has her under surveillance 24/7 wherever she goes and whomever she meets with.
Another note for you. The statements taken from those arrested are bearing fruit in two ways. While doing a background check on Strom's mistress, law enforcement in the other state was able to find several who transported the shoplifted merchandise for the shoplifting gang to our area, leading to the discovery of additional warehouses in our area. There was quite a debate on how to handle this new information, with some wanting to go in and determine if what was discovered came from the other state. Cooler heads prevailed, though, pointing out they were trying to find concrete evidence of Strom's and the woman's involvement. So, in the dead of night, concealed security cameras were placed around and in those warehouses, plus the warehouses they already knew about.
You may tell Frank he has nothing to worry about with his Aunt Agnus, she won't be around for several years, due to her scheme with the CPS agent initially charged with Frank's case. Both women will be out of circulation for some time. Because of what Frank's former caseworker had been doing, an investigation has been undertaken of the entire CPS department. And so far, two other caseworkers have been discovered to be taking kickbacks much like Frank's former caseworker.
When her husband was presented with the evidence against his wife, he was in total denial. He couldn't believe his wife could do such a thing, until she turned on him, accusing him of being too stupid to see the pile of 'shit,' her words, he was about to step in. He then remembered what Frank told him and that denial vanished, as will their marriage after he files the divorce papers. On a good note for Frank, a new CPS caseworker has been assigned to Frank's case, and she can't see any reason he can't live with Penny Willows again, now that her cancer is in remission. And if her cancer does return, it will be up to the Willows whether Frank can stay with them, and not the CPS.
It's uncertain how much longer it will take before there's enough evidence against Strom, and possibly his mistress, to arrest both of them and be sure of a rock-steady case assuring a conviction and prison time. If they can't be arrested for the shoplifting spree in our area and the other state, then because of how sloppy the killings were, and Tylor being left alive, and if enough evidence can be found linking them to the murders and the attempted murder, they'll be charged with those crimes and never see the outside world again.
Please give our love to Charles, and tell him we wait for the day he can come home.
Regards,
Jeb
As was her custom, Jane reread the fax, looking for anything hidden within the words other than their obvious meaning. She picked up the phone on her desk, dialed the kitchen, and asked Marie to send Francis to her; she needed to hear the information for her immediately. She hung up the phone before pushing her chair back, standing, and walking to the window. It was a clear morning, the sun still low enough that her house cast a shadow in its light. When she heard the knock on the study door, she yelled out, "Come in" and resumed gazing out the window.
Jane heard the study door open and then close, and Francis asking, "You wanted to see me, Aunt Jane?"
'The book' sliding off the bookshelf caused Jane to say, "Not right now, Francis. Come stand with me." She heard the book being replaced on the bookshelf and then the soft steps of Francis as she walked over and stood by Jane. "Francis I'd like to know where you'd like to live if your Aunt Agnus was out of the picture. If you'd never see her again. Where would you like to live?"
Jane had put her arm around Francis' shoulder as she asked her question. She felt the tension in Francis' shoulder come and go, likely because Francis believed she was about to be punished for something she'd done wrong. "Why would Aunt Agnus be out of the picture, Aunt Jane? How is it possible I'd never see her again?"
"Let's sit down, Francis," Jane told her, before turning Francis and leading her to the chair at the table she wanted Francis to use. Walking around the table, Jane pulled out the chair opposite Francis and sat down. Jane looked Francis in the eye and told her, "Francis, the Willows wanted you to come back and live with them when Penny's cancer went into remission. That didn't happen because your CPS caseworker was getting a kickback from your Aunt Agnus. As long as you stayed with your Aunt Agnus, Aunt Agnus was giving your caseworker half of the support money she was being paid to take care of you. And your Aunt never used that support money for anything to do with you. There were some bugs put into certain people's ears and after investigating the caseworker and your Aunt, their scheme came to light. Your Aunt Agnus will now have another experience, she didn't expect, behind bars. She's going to prison, Francis, and you might be of age before she is released."
Jane watched as Francis thought about what she had just told her, knowing Francis as she did, expecting a question because of the expression now on Francis' face. "Aunt Jane, if Aunt Agnus was only keeping me for the money, why did she treat me so horribly? Wouldn't someone after money in this manner want to keep the person around so they would continue getting the support money? Instead, she treated me like dirt, actually worse than dirt. She made it unbearable to live there by locking me in my bedroom, constantly belittling me, and not feeding me. That's no way to treat a person if you're depending on the money you receive for housing a person."
Jane shook her head and replied, "Francis, your Aunt wouldn't have been able to treat you as she did had the CPS caseworker assigned to your case been an upstanding person. As it was, that caseworker looked the other way so she could continue getting her cut of the money your Aunt was receiving for your care. As a result of her actions, an investigation is being conducted of the entire CPS department, and so far, two other caseworkers have been discovered to be receiving kickbacks as your former caseworker was receiving. You now have a new caseworker who sees no reason you can't return to live with the Willows. And, should your Aunt Penny's cancer return, whether you remain living with the Willows will be solely up to the Willows, not the CPS."
Watching Francis closely, Jane hoped her news wouldn't set Francis off as she had before when she had her meltdown. This time though, while tears were sliding down her face, she also had a huge smile on her face. "Oh, Aunt Jane, that's the best news I could ever receive. Just knowing Aunt Agnus won't be in my life anymore is wonderful to hear. And that she will finally pay for her actions is even better to hear. I do, though, feel bad for my Uncle. He's a real nice guy who didn't deserve to be treated as my Aunt treated him. I'm guessing he's divorcing my Aunt?"
Nodding her head, Jane answered, "Yes he is, Francis. He didn't believe what he was told at first, but when he remembered what you told him he finally accepted the evidence."
There was a sudden knock on the study door before it opened and they heard, "Hey, Janie. These hungry animals out here told me to tell you they want to eat. Are you two coming?"
Francis knuckled her eyes, then chuckled as she watched Jane shake her head, look toward the ceiling, then say, "Oh, the people I have to put up with." Jane turned to face Sherry, still standing with only her head in the study, and said, "What did you tell me the other day about private sessions and not interrupting them?"
"Yeah, okay, Janie. You two coming to breakfast? It's getting cold."
Looking at Francis' smiling face, Jane asked her, "Shall we go to breakfast so the savage animals can obtain sustenance?"
Francis couldn't help herself and laughed out loud, telling Jane, "Maybe we should, Aunt Jane. I could use some of that sustenance myself."
They both pushed their chairs back, stood up, and with Jane's arm around Francis' shoulder, they both walked out of the study; Sherry had left the study door open.
When Jane and Francis walked out of the study, they saw everyone but Toby standing behind their chairs. Toby was standing behind Jane's chair, waiting to seat her first. "Et qui a toujours insisté pour que le petit-déjeuner soit pris chaud (And who always insisted that breakfast be eaten hot?)?" Marie asked, as Jane and Francis reached the dining room table.
Jane looked at Marie with her dragon glare as Toby helped seat her, telling Marie, "Je crois que nous avons déjà discuté de votre situation en matière de logement (I believe we have already discussed your housing situation.)."
As Toby seated Marie next, Sherry, Susan, Francis, and Charlotte, had their hands over their mouths, trying not to laugh at the two women's antics. Marie laughed as she said, "Oh s'il te plait. Vous ne sauriez pas quoi faire en cuisine sans moi. Et vous le savez (Oh please. You wouldn't know what to do in the kitchen without me. And you know it.)."
The next thing said came from Toby, who was standing between Jane and Marie. Looking from one woman to the other, he said, "La seule équipe de comédie que j'ai vue mieux que vous deux est Abbott et Costello (The only comedy team I've seen better than you two is Abbott and Costello.)."
The statement Toby made, and the look Jane and Marie gave him, caused the others to burst out laughing. Sherry dropped to her knees because she was laughing so hard. Susan had to hold onto the back of her chair as she laughed. And Charlotte and Francis were holding each other up as they laughed. As Toby walked around to Sherry's chair to help her sit down, Jane and Marie's stares followed him as he walked. Toby stood looking down at the still-laughing Sherry, before looking back at Jane and Marie. The look he saw on both of the women's faces told him volumes. He turned and slowly walked back to stand between the two, put his arms around the shoulders of both of the women, telling them, "You two are two of the best friends I've ever seen. Please, don't ever change, it would be a tragedy." He then kissed each woman on the cheek before walking back to Sherry's chair and finally being able to help seat her. He then seated Susan before moving on to Francis and Charlotte. After seating himself, everyone waited as he bowed his head for his short prayer.
Everyone looked at Jane and Marie as they both took a few moments to clear their throats, after what Toby said to them. When Jane was finally able to speak, she said, "Thank you for those kind words, Toby." She then reached over and grasped Marie's hand. "True friendship is a rare find, and should be maintained once it's found." Jane then reached over and grasped Sherry's hand, giving both hands a light squeeze. Letting go of Marie's and Sherry's hands, she told the teens, "I believe Susan said Sherry would be administering IQ tests to you three today. Sherry, I believe the study would be adequate for that purpose, so Susan may continue in the library. While one of you is taking the test, the other two should be working on the lessons Susan has given you. That's after Marie is satisfied with your endeavors in the kitchen. And that's after you three don your work clothes and deal with the stable. Toby, adequate work clothes will be lying on your bed once you finish in the kitchen. Do what you are able but don't overdo it. Understand, young man?"
More laughter was suppressed as the expression on the faces of Charlotte and Francis turned to one of disbelief upon hearing they'd have to muck out the stalls in the stable. Toby not knowing what they'd be doing asked, "What are we going to do?"
In a deadpan voice, Charlotte told him, "Muck out the stalls in the stable. I hope you can hold your breath for a long time."
There was some laughter before Toby said to Charlotte, "Horses? I finally get to see the horses? They're beautiful animals, Charlotte. Their excrement is unique to them. I've been around them before and it isn't that bad. Now if you want flying killing stench, work around pigs. The animals don't stink, but their excrement would gag a maggot."
Jane cleared her throat, getting the three teen's attention. She gave them her 'you've forgotten something' look, causing the three teens to say in unison, "Yes Aunt Jane."
Dishes were passed from person to person, each taking the portion they wanted. Jane's inquiries into the lessons Susan was giving them turned into a round-robin of questions and answers and discussions before their breakfast had come to an end and the kitchen work began. When the teens were all in the kitchen, Sherry told Jane, "You know Toby paid you and Marie a very high compliment? And he thinks the world of you two, right?"
Jane nodded her head and replied with, "Yes I do, Sherry. It means a lot to both of us, coming from one of our wards. Something of that nature only occurs, if it occurs, several weeks into our girl's stay. Marie and I will miss those three when they leave, they are the epitome of the boys we want all of our boys to become before leaving us."
Author's Note: When I first wrote Complicit In a Lie, I had no thoughts, or ideas, to write a sequel. But thanks to a few readers, who asked about a sequel, ideas formed that made writing this sequel possible. It is necessary to have read Complicit In a Lie to understand why Charles is now with Jane, who the boy arriving in Kingston is and how he's involved in Charles' Court case. And to understand where Mr. Corporate, George Strom, fits into this story. This story starts off after Charles says, "When do we start," in Complicit in a Lie. So if you haven't read Complicit In a Lie, the beginning of this story won't make any sense. Hint hint!
An hour and a half later, Jane was in the kitchen rinsing out her mug when movement caught her eye through the kitchen window. "What in the World?" She exclaimed, as she looked out the window.
Marie got up from her chair at the kitchen table, walked over, and stood by Jane, saying, "Oh, dear. They appear to have immersed themselves in the work." Jane and Marie were watching as the three teens slowly walked back to the house from the stable, each trying to brush the other off, looking as though they'd been playing in the mud. The three were covered from head to toe in… everything they'd taken out of each horse stall. "This should be an amusing explanation, I think," Marie chuckled, as she turned, along with Jane, and made their way out of the kitchen and to the back door of the house.
Sherry and Susan were still sitting at the dining room table when Jane and Marie came out of the kitchen, both chuckling as they walked. "Susan, you and Sherry should come with us. Those three are going to have an interesting explanation as to why they are covered from head to toe in horse manure and straw," Jane told the two women.
Both women smiled at the prospect of hearing the explanation and wasted no time getting up from the chairs and following Jane and Marie to the back door. When they reached the back door, Jane opened the door and stepped out onto the small porch, stepping aside to allow the other three women to do the same. When the three teens reached the porch, Jane asked, "Why do you three look as though you've been playing in the mud? Charlotte, you and Francis have been shown how to muck out horse stalls, and at no time did those instructions include appearing as you now appear. So, who would like to explain why you are as you appear in front of us?"
The three took a moment to look at each other before saying in unison, "Pinto."
Jane looked at the three with her dragon face before telling them, "Toby, you're new to Seasons House so don't know I require more than a one-word answer when requiring an explanation." She then looked at Francis and Charlotte and said, "But you two have that knowledge. You two also know I do not like repeating myself, and there are often consequences if I must repeat myself. So, girls… try again."
"Aunt Jane," Toby said, getting Jane's attention. "They can't explain how it started because they were in your mare's stall still cleaning it out. Guess I better start at the beginning."
"Yes, Toby, that's always the best place to start," Jane told him, still looking at the three with a stern look on her face.
"When we first got ready to clean out the mare's stall, we found out the three of us and the cart was too many objects in the stall. So we decided the girls would pull everything out of the stalls and I would shovel it into the cart. I positioned the cart so it was between the mare's and Pinto's stalls, that way I would be out of the way so the girls could go into and out of the mare's stall easily. I had just put one shovel of stuff into the cart when I was pushed from behind. I lost my balance and ended up face down in the pile of straw and other stuff. I must have cried out because Francis and Charlotte came out of the mare's stall to see if I was alright. They came around behind me so they could grab me under my arms when they cried out and both ended up lying next to me in that pile."
"I better continue, Aunt Jane," Charlotte said. "Both Francis and I had been pushed from behind, like Toby. I pushed myself up and looked back at Pinto, who had her lips folded back and was whinning as she shook her head up and down. Aunt Jane, I think she was laughing at us. I finally was able to get up and out of the pile, then walked over to her and stood in front of her. She still had her lips back, whinning, and nodding her head up and down. When she stopped I asked her if she pushed the three of us into the pile. She looked at me for a moment, then pulled her lips back, started whinning, and nodded her head up and down. She admitted pushing the three of us from behind and causing us to fall into the pile. By then, Francis had gotten herself out of the pile and was having a hard time helping Toby back up, so I went back over to the pile and helped her get Toby out."
Francis continued with the story by saying, "We tried brushing each other off but we were only able to get the straw off. Toby changed positions so he was facing Pinto and Charlotte and I went back into the mare's stall to finish cleaning it. We weren't in there very long before Toby cried out again, and Charlotte and I found him once again lying face down in the pile. We asked him what happened and he told us he'd been pushed from behind again. Charlotte and I looked at the mare but she ignored us, acting as though she knew nothing about what happened. Even when I stood in front of her and asked her if she pushed Toby, she ignored me, which I found unusual."
"Let me guess," Aunt Jane said, "as you two tried getting Toby out of the pile, you two were pushed from behind again?"
Nodding her head, Charlotte replied, "Yes, Aunt Jane. We were pushed from behind again. And when I looked back at the mare, she acted like she knew nothing about us getting pushed from behind. But Pinto was laughing again."
"Okay, that explains why your front side looks as though you fell into a mud puddle, but not the back of you three. How did that happen?" Jane asked.
Susan and Sherry excused themselves and went back into the house. When the back door closed, even with the back door closed the two could be heard laughing. When they had it out of their systems, they came back out onto the porch and, as the mare had done, acted as though nothing had happened. Jane looked at the two with a stern look on her face; both women covered their mouths again.
Turning back to the three teens, Jane said, "Well… I'm waiting for an answer."
The women watched as the three teens looked at each other before Toby spoke. "After getting pushed into that pile twice, we decided I would watch the mare while Charlotte and Francis finished cleaning her stall. Then after her stall was ready for her, we'd put her back into the stall before picking up the pile and starting on Pinto's stall. With me watching her, she behaved herself, even going calmly into her stall. The three of us then picked up the pile and the cart emptied without a problem, though we stayed near the mare's stall as we picked everything up. I stood with Pinto as the girls pulled everything out of Pinto's stall. I was standing facing Pinto's left flank, the girls had just turned to go back into the stall, when Pinto stepped to her left and knocked all three of us backward into the pile. And yes, she was laughing at us again. Charlotte and Francis were able to get out and helped me up, only to have Pinto step to her left and knock us backward into the pile once again. This time Charlotte and Francis crawled out of the pile toward the mare's stall, then pulled me out in the same direction. The three of us then raked the pile more toward the mare's stall so Pinto couldn't knock us into it again. I stood in front of Pinto this time as the girls finished cleaning Pinto's stall. As I look back, I believe the mare was laughing each time Pinto knocked us into the pile, but when I looked at her, she ignored me. We didn't touch that second pile until Pinto was back in her stall."
Francis chimed in with, "We tried brushing each other off the best we could, but were only able to get the straw off, much like we were doing as we approached the house."
The three were now silent as Jane stared at them. Marie nudged her, causing her to look at Marie. Marie nodded her head toward the stable then the three dirty teens. Jane was confused until Marie said, "Showers."
"Oh, wie vergesslich von mir (Oh, how forgetful of me.). I neglected to show you girls but there are showers out in the stable. If you go into the equipment room and open the door on the left as you enter the room, you'll find enough showers for each of you to shower. You'll find shampoo, conditioner, bath soap, and towels in a cabinet to the left as you enter the shower room. Girls, clean your faces well, you'll have to reapply your makeup after you return to the house. And if Toby needs your help, please help him. After taking off your dirty clothes, please put all of them into a trash bag you'll also find in the cabinet. Toby, I hope you don't mind, but we'll bring your robes to wear back to the house until you get to your bedrooms and put on clean clothes."
Toby shook his head, telling Jane, "No, Aunt Jane. I don't mind. The robe would be better than shocking anyone watching us. Sherry, I think we need to talk about how I need to deal with others seeing all the scars I have and will have after I'm completely healed."
Sherry was nodding her head as Toby addressed her. "Toby, I believe Jill is bringing someone with her tomorrow when she comes to examine your back. She may have a solution to get rid of those scars or to reduce their appearance. But we'll talk about it as you want. However," and she laughed, "right now I think it best you three go take the shower Jane told you about."
The four women watched as the three teens walked back to the stable. "Those two horses must really like those three to play with them as they did. But it is funny what they did to those three," Susan said. And with that, the snorts and chuckles became full-blown laughs.
Marie went into the house and upstairs to each bedroom, gathering the three robes and three sets of slippers she'd take to the stable. As she walked into the house and back out, and to the stable, she chuckled as she thought back to the teen's story and how they looked as they walked back to the house. When she reached the stable, she stopped at the mare's stall, asking, "Why were you such a méchante fille (bad girl?)? Do you like those three that much?" At first, the mare ignored Marie's question, but her last comment caused the mare to nod her head up and down. "Well… next time think of some other way of showing how much you care for them, oui?" Rubbing the mare's muzzle, Marie went into the supply room, then into the shower room where she said in a raised voice over the running water, "I have brought your robes. They will be placed with Toby's on the left as you face them, then Charlotte's, then Francis'. I have also brought your slippers, so it will be not so much pain on your feet as you walk back to the house. Do not linger or you may soon be showering in ice-cold water, as Jane will turn off the hot water. And Toby, you will meet with Sherry first. So hurry." Before she left the stable and returned to the house, Marie stopped at Pinto's stall, eyeing the mare who seemed to be smiling at Marie. "So, you started the Spielereien (shenanigans?)? You must care a lot for our wards." As Marie said that, Pinto nodded her head up and down, then laid her head on Marie's shoulder. "Now now, no one is angry with you. We all thought it was very funny and clever of you. But you should not make it an every-time game with them, oui? They come to keep your stall clean for you so you are comfortable. You wouldn't like it if they stopped coming because you keep playing games with them, would you?" Pinto lifted her head off Marie's shoulder, looked Marie in the eye, then shook her head from side to side. "Charlotte was right, you do understand what's said to you." Rubbing Pinto's muzzle one last time, Marie left the stable and returned to the house, again chuckling to herself as she walked.
Marie and Jane were standing at the kitchen window when the three teens came walking out of the stable. "They are much cleaner than before," Marie commented. "Hopefully they smell much better," she said before looking at Jane.
Jane slowly turned her head to Marie, giving Marie a stink eye she knew didn't affect Marie, and asked her, "Are you suggesting I should smell them after they return to the house? Are you not capable of doing such a thing?"
Chuckling with a gleam in her eye, Marie answered, "Oui, I am able to test their aromas, but you are the head of the house and as such, you decide what aromas you want inside your home."
Jane narrowed her eyes as she looked at Marie, telling her, "Alte Frau. Eines Tages wirst du zu weit gehen und die Konsequenzen tragen (Old woman. One day you will go too far and suffer the consequences.)."
Marie belly laughed as she replied, "Jane Thompson. Das haben Sie mir gesagt, seit wir Seasons House gegründet haben. Aber ich bin immer noch hier. Gehen Sie jetzt hin und sehen Sie nach, ob sie sich richtig gereinigt haben (Jane Thompson. That's what you've been telling me since we started Seasons House. But I'm still here. Now go and see if they have cleaned themselves properly.)." Marie then kissed Jane on her cheek, before watching Jane turn and leave the kitchen.
Jane waited by the stairs for the three teens to enter the house. When they finally entered the house, Jane stopped them next to the bench in the hallway. Walking over to them, she told them, "Before you three enter further into my house, I want to make sure you properly washed yourselves. I will not have you three make a mess of my home." Jane watched as all three sucked their lips inside their mouths, suspecting they were trying not to smile at what she just said. She walked around them closely, looking for anything still 'hanging' from their hair, face, or arms. She had almost told them to remove their robes, only to change her mind as she felt she would have gone too far this time. She also took deep breaths as she walked around the three, determining if the stench of the stable had washed off with the other material. Determining the three in a fit state to be in her home, she told them, "Francis, Charlotte, you two cleanse your faces well before using moisturizer and reapplying your makeup. Toby, after you are dressed, you are to meet Sherry in the study for your IQ test. You two, Francis and Charlotte, after you are dressed will return to the library where you will continue your studies with Susan. Are there any questions?" Jane didn't give them time to ask any questions before saying, "No, good. Then off you go." The three had taken the first step on the stairs before Jane asked, "Ah, Toby. Does that robe bother you?"
The three stopped climbing upon Jane's question to Toby. Francis and Charlotte looked at Toby as Toby looked at Jane. Toby surprised Jane by answering, "Why should it Aunt Jane? It's just a robe." Francis and Charlotte looked at each other, giving the other a raised eyebrow. They looked back at Jane and saw her nodding her head at Toby's answer, before waving them up the stairs.
As Jane watched the three climb the stairs, she couldn't help but wonder, 'Would he feel the same if he was completely dressed as a girl?' Sherry was in the study getting the material ready to administer the IQ tests. After Jane walked into the study, she told Sherry, "Toby should be down in a few minutes. The girls will be in the library with Susan, so you can send for them when needed. With your permission, I need to check for any pertinent emails and I see the light on the fax machine blinking so a fax has arrived."
Sherry had looked up as Jane came into the study. After listening to Jane, she told her, "I don't see any reason you can't check your emails or print out the fax before I start testing Toby. However, once I start testing Toby, or the girls, I will require everyone to be kept out of the study until the test has concluded. What they see out of the window won't be as detracting as someone in the room."
Jane nodded her head at Sherry's statement, before putting in a code that allowed the fax to be printed. Once the fax had been printed, she took the fax then sat down at her desk and turned on her computer. After logging in on her computer, she pulled up her emails, spotting one sent from Ruth. She opened it and started reading.
Jane,
Further discussion took place with the Willows and they are adamant in having Frank live with them again. They learned everything Agnus did to him and Penny's husband had to calm Penny down because of what she wanted to do to Agnus. Frank's new caseworker is already preparing the necessary paperwork and will have it all in place by the time you release Frank back to me. I must confess that I too had my own thoughts about what Agnus should suffer, but since she'll have an interesting experience in a few months, I'll let that give her what she deserves. I wonder how her fellow inmates will take to her attitude. Something tells me they will have a way of showing Agnus the mistakes she'd made.
Please give Frank the concrete news he deserves to hear.
Ruth
Jane smiled at the news from Ruth. "Good news I hope," Sherry said, seeing the smile on Jane's face.
"Yes it is, Sherry. When Frank leaves Seasons House he'll be living with the Willows, it's written in stone. Nothing was certain before when the Willows wanted Frank back with them, but he was still hopeful it would happen. Well, it's happened."
Sherry smiled upon hearing the good news, "You better sit him down before you break the news to him. Try not to be the dragon when you have him sit down, or he'll take it as a sign he's in trouble."
"Oh, so I'm supposed to waltz into the library all smiles and radiating a syrupy grin?"
Sherry rolled her eyes as she looked up at the ceiling. "Geez, Janie, you know what I meant. Don't go in there blowing smoke and with your fangs bared. Treat him as you've learned to treat him so he gains a better sense of himself. But don't go in there like a Pixie high on pixie dust, that'll scare the hell out of him."
"Yes, mother," Jane replied, just before looking toward the study door as someone knocked on the door. "Come in," she said and watched as the door opened and Toby entered the study. She got up from her chair and walked around the desk, intercepting Toby in the middle of the study. "So, feeling better after a shower and clean clothes? How are your injuries? Nothing opened, did it?"
Toby reached Jane as the two reached the middle of the study. "Oh, gads yes I feel better. Not only was I grimy and smelly, but itching too. I guess it was a combination of my wounds healing and the staw down my shirt. As far as I know, nothing broke open while doing the work, at least there wasn't any evidence of it on my shirt or underwear. And surprisingly, I seem to be walking much better as well."
As they talked, there was a noticeable clearing of a throat coming from the direction of the window. "I do mean to break up your hen party so I can get the testing down today instead of next year," Sherry said in a sarcastic voice.
Jane and Toby looked at Sherry as she cleared her throat, then looked back at each other after what she said. An unspoken word passed between the two, and they turned to face Sherry before they both stuck their tongues out at her. Sherry just shook her head before waving Toby over and pointing to the chair opposite her. She shook her head again as Jane and Toby high-fived each other before Jane left the study and Toby walked over and sat down in the indicated chair. "Are you ready to begin or are you going to continue being s-o-o-o mature? You're as bad as Jill can be."
Toby smiled at Sherry, telling her, "I'm sorry, Sherry. I'm just so excited to finally be able to take this type of test. If I didn't like you so much, I wouldn't act as I do with you sometimes." He reached across the table and took Sherry's hand. "And I want to thank you for helping me, I never realized how close I was to fully losing it." He gently squeezed her hand before adding, "Thank you very much."
Clearing her throat, to give her time to calm herself, she replied, "You're very welcome, Toby. I'm glad I could help you get through it and get it out into the open. Now, let's get you tested, shall we?"
And so it began. Toby was in the library 90 minutes before Francis took his place. When 90 minutes passed, Charlotte took her place. When the testing was over, Charlotte returned to the library where she collapsed on the couch, letting out a big sigh. "I do NOT want to take another test like that one ever again," she exclaimed as she let her head fall back against the top of the couch.
Toby chuckled before he told her, "Aw, it wasn't that bad. We aren't going to be graded, there's no homework, and no one will yell at us or make fun of us if our scores are just above what a pumpkin would score."
Charlotte had slowly raised her head and was now looking at Toby. "Relax, Charlotte. He's just doing it again. He knows full well a bag of rocks could score higher than a pumpkin," Francis said to Charlotte.
Charlotte had been looking at Toby and the wide smile on his face. But when they heard what Francis said, they both slowly turned their heads to look at her. "Et tu, Brute?" Toby asked, picking up a pillow and throwing it at Francis; Charlotte had once again laid her head back on the back of the couch. Now it was Francis' turn to have a wide smile on her face, until there was a knock on the door and Jane walked into the library.
Right away, Susan recognized the neutral expression on Jane's face for what it was. However, the three teens thought Jane's neutral expression meant they'd stepped into it again. Susan covered her mouth with her hand after seeing the 'deer caught in the headlights' look on the teens' faces. Jane looked at Francis, who was still holding the thrown pillow, then at Charlotte and Toby. In a neutral voice, Jane asked, "Francis, why are you holding a pillow that belongs on the couch? Charlotte, why is your head leaning back on top of the couch instead of your person sitting up straight?"
Wincing, Charlotte sat up straight before telling Jane, "That test gave me a monstrous headache. It feels like someone is playing kettledrums inside my head." After saying that, she resumed her initial position, her eyes closed, and pain bouncing on and off her face with each pounding in her head.
And Jane's response? "I see. And the pillow, Francis?"
Francis looked at Toby, who looked back at Francis, who looked back at Toby, both trying to get the other to explain about the pillow. "If you two are finally finished looking at each other, somebody tell me about the pillow," Jane came close to shouting.
"When Charlotte came in the library after finishing her IQ test," Francis started. "She said she never wanted to take another test like that. After she said that, Toby tried to cheer her up, as he tried at the dinner table that one time, by saying our scores might be just about the score a pumpkin would get if it took the test. Then I said a bag of rocks would get a score higher than a pumpkin, and that's when Toby threw the pillow at me, which I caught, and it didn't get hurt… Aunt Jane."
Again Jane replied, "I see." After Francis stopped speaking, Jane noticed Charlotte had raised her head, her face still wincing with the pounding in her head, and she was looking at Jane. Toby and Francis were also looking at her, the three having an expression that told Jane they thought they'd crossed a line.
Before Jane could say anything more, there was a knock on the library door and Marie entered the room carrying a tray holding a pitcher of iced tea, five glasses, and a bottle of aspirin. After setting the tray on the table, Marie picked up the aspirin bottle, popped the lid off, and told Charlotte, "Hold out your hand, chère." Once Charlotte held out her hand, Marie shook two tablets from the bottle before replacing the cap. Setting the bottle back on the tray, she picked up a glass of iced tea and handed it to Charlotte. "Drink plenty so you make sure they go down."
They all watched as Charlotte popped the tablets into her mouth, took a sip of the iced tea, swallowed, then took a longer drink. Francis' natural curiosity made her ask, "How did you know Charlotte could use the aspirin, tente Marie?"
Everyone was still looking at Charlotte, so Francis missed Jane and Marie looking directly at Charlotte. By the looks on both women's faces, Charlotte knew they were asking her not to say anything about the cameras she knew were scattered around the house. So instead she said, "Francis, when doesn't Marie know what anyone needs? She's psychic." Both Jane and Marie gave Charlotte a small smile as thanks for keeping quiet about the cameras.
No one had a chance to say any more, as they heard a knock on the library door. After the door opened, Sherry stepped into the library and asked, "Jane, may I speak to you and Susan in the study?" She didn't wait for an answer, or close the door behind her, she simply turned and left the library. Jane and Susan exchanged looks, Susan shrugging her shoulders before she stood up from the couch.
Looking at the three teens, Jane told them, "You three have work to do and are to be on your best behavior, or else. And Francis, please return the pillow to the couch." Jane turned after speaking to the teens, hoping Francis would realize she never said how she was to return the pillow to the couch. Just after closing the library door behind her and Susan, she heard an, "Hey," from Toby, and a giggle from Francis. Francis had figured it out!
Author's Note: When I first wrote Complicit In a Lie, I had no thoughts, or ideas, to write a sequel. But thanks to a few readers, who asked about a sequel, ideas formed that made writing this sequel possible. It is necessary to have read Complicit In a Lie to understand why Charles is now with Jane, who the boy arriving in Kingston is and how he's involved in Charles' Court case. And to understand where Mr. Corporate, George Strom, fits into this story. This story starts off after Charles says, "When do we start," in Complicit in a Lie. So if you haven't read Complicit In a Lie, the beginning of this story won't make any sense. Hint hint!
Sherry was standing in the study by the opened door, her hand on the inside doorknob. The minute Jane followed Susan into the Study, Sherry abruptly closed the door and started in with her diatribe. "Those three canNOT go back into public education. It's killing their intellect, it's stifling them to the point they've almost completely given up trying to do their best. Those buffoons running those schools should be barred from every school in the world. They can't see their butts from a hole in the ground. They've got three students who aren't being challenged by a curriculum those three consider mundane. Toby's already admitted to doing only the bare minimum to get by in his classes, and you two have seen what he's capable of doing just by observing him in the library. What'd he score on the first section test, Susan? A 100, right? Think about what he'll do on the rest of the tests you're going to give him. In every subject you'll have them study. GAWD, I want to go to each of those schools and kick a few heads so far up their asses they'd be able to see what they're eating at the moment."
Sherry finally ran down, turned, and walked over to the study window, crossing her arms across her chest. Because of the deep friendship the two women shared, Jane knew if Sherry had her arms crossed across her chest, and she was tapping her foot, she was super pissed off. Susan could sense Jane was about to say something, and put her hand on Jane's right arm, causing Jane to look at her. She held up her left palm, signaling Jane to wait a moment. "Sherry," Susan said the woman's name, as she slowly walked toward Sherry. "You are in good company about public education, exceptional company. Many renowned educators have voiced their opinions of today's public education, and how it's wasting the time of those students attending public schools. They have reams of facts showing how public education is failing those attending the schools. Even though they have facts to back up their opinions, those running the schools don't care, can't care or they risk losing their jobs. School boards are dictating how the schools will be run, and have made it clear what will happen if those working at those schools don't toe the line. You have teachers who don't agree with the current policies but like the administrators, if they deviate from those policies, they risk losing their jobs. Many want to teach, but too many fear losing their jobs to revolt against the current garbage."
She reached Sherry, put her arms around her, and turned her to face her. "You aren't the only one who's blown up over the stupidity coming out of the school boards. But the public won't listen, or don't care. School board after school board has faced angry parents, only to have those 'disruptive' parents removed from the meeting. Those boards don't want to hear the truth, a truth that shows how badly they've screwed up the public school system." She pulled Sherry to her, held her, and finished with, "Until every member of a school board is removed through elections, nothing will change. We'll still have students like Toby, Charlotte, and Francis, sitting in classes they shouldn't be in. And we'll end up with what we have now, adults who aren't prepared for the world they're going to live in. Adults who make rocks look smart."
Susan's last statement was meant to make Sherry laugh, and it did. "Smart rocks, I like it," Sherry said, laughing despite the anger she was still feeling. "How do you do it, Susan? How do you associate with an entity that's full of morons too stupid to be dumb? I've seen some morons in my field, but they don't last long after they get called out. Are people that ignorant not to see how their kids or other kids are turning out? Or is it the 'they're not my kids' attitude keeping those without kids voting for the assholes over and over again? Maybe they're the ones who need the butts kicked up between their shoulders. Maybe they need to be the employers trying to hire people who aren't ready for the workforce."
Sherry let go of Susan, walked past her, and looked at Jane. "You've been quiet throughout this whole exchange. I know you have your opinions about all of this, so give."
Jane walked up to Sherry, put her arms around her, and pulled her close. She put her left cheek to Sherry's right cheek and softly said, "I've been told several times to concentrate on what I'm good at doing, and leave those events bothering me to those having the ability to deal with them. I agree with you about your assessment of the public education system, and with you about those three not returning to that cesspool. However, I lack the education and position to affect any meaningful changes where they need to be made. The only changes I can possibly make within that cesspool are at the ballot box, where I can vote out those who don't belong on the school boards or are trying to social engineer our school systems. Marie and I do what we can here at Seasons House, and we're damn good at what we do. If that is the only way I can help provide a boy with a quality education, then it will be my contribution toward fixing the problem." Jane lifted her head off Sherry's cheek, kissed her cheek, then looked Sherry directly in her eyes. "You are a damn fine psychologist, Sherry Daniels. Besides helping all of us here at Seasons House, I have no doubts you've helped others who are as grateful as we are for all the help you've given them. Continue doing that Sherry, be that wonderful, caring psychologist who steps in to help when it's needed. Help fix a problem outside your field where you can without going off the rails. Now. You got yourself all worked up only after those IQ tests, why?"
"Thanks for all of that, Janie. You could always be level-headed when you wanted to be." She kissed Jane on the cheek, then said, "Let me show you why I got all worked up." She let go of Jane, turned, and walked over to the table where her evaluation papers of the tests lay. She picked up the papers, then turned to face Jane and Susan. "Given what the two of you have seen of those three, which one would you expect to come out on top?"
It was Susan who spoke first by saying, "Well… given what I've seen of Toby, I'd have chosen him."
"So would I," Sherry responded. "Jane, who would you have expected to have the highest score?"
Jane gave Sherry a funny look before answering, "I have a feeling you're not talking about Charlotte, are you?"
"No, I'm not, Janie. Not by a long shot. That quiet young man you've had with you before Charlotte and Toby came scored a 139 on his IQ test. Charlotte and Toby each acquired a 138. Now you see why I was so angry, Janie. Those three can't be returned to a public education system not suited for them. They need a higher level of learning. I've no doubt Charles would do his best no matter what educational institution he attended, it's who he is. But if Frank and Toby go back to those dungeons, they'll only do enough to get by, and their grades will reflect it. Even though we know they can do better and want to do better. Look how Toby and Francis reacted when they learned Susan was going to be giving them AP lessons. Look how excited they both were to be given the opportunity. Hell, Susan, look at what Toby's done with that AP physics book you gave him. Those two want to learn, they need to learn, it's who they are deep down inside. And they aren't going to get that back at their respective high schools."
Susan walked over to Sherry, put both hands on Sherry's shoulders, and told her, "Welcome to the club. Jane, Marie, and I, have discussed this very topic, but knew it would have to wait until the other garbage was resolved. We agree with you one hundred percent, they can't go back into the public education system, a system that's stifling them intellectually. It was even suggested I could continue teaching them. There's only one problem with that suggestion, where they'll live after leaving Seasons House. Charles will go back to his parents. Frank will go back to the Willows, where he wanted to live before it went south for him. And Toby will go back to his dad, and a better life, we hope. I can't be in three different places at the same time, and they can't stay up here because there aren't any accommodations for those three teens. We hope to find a private school with a challenging curriculum where those three can thrive." Susan's chuckle drew a questioning look from Sherry. "Marie said if we wanted to truly challenge them, then teach them Latin and teach them in Latin, as was once done at major Universities." She sighed, then said, "But… until Toby is safe, and Charles' name is cleared, all our wants and wishes are just smoke in a room. Now if you want to get angry at something, get angry at that bastard Strom who put Charles here, and Toby's brother, who beat Toby into submission and forced him into shoplifting."
Susan felt a hand on her shoulder as her voice increased in anger. "Easy, Susan," Jane said. "We've gone this route before and it's done none of us any good. Sherry's been kind enough to point it out to us, among other things. So, Susan, what are you going to do now you know their IQ scores? Your knowledge evaluation gave you a starting point, which you've had to adjust. Will you have to adjust their coursework again because of what you've now learned?"
Susan dropped her hands from Sherry's shoulders and walked to the study window. She was silent for several minutes, before saying, "Toby and Charles have a lot of knowledge but still need the basics before moving on. I'll have to reexamine their knowledge evaluations to see what can be changed and where they lack basic knowledge. But I won't keep them from learning at their own pace, which could cause a problem if I don't emphasize their individual learning isn't a competition. And Francis, our seemly language savant? If he finds the current lessons that easy," and she threw her hands up in the air. "I'll have to go back over his knowledge evaluations to see if he has the basics or needs to work on them, though I doubt it."
Sherry chuckled before saying, "Excuse me for a moment. I need to speak with Francis." Susan and Jane looked at each other, before watching Sherry leave the study. She was gone only a few moments before returning and seeing the questions on Jane and Susan's faces. "I had to ask Francis for permission to tell you about his Aunt Agnus. The woman is a major bigot, big time. She hates to hear anyone speaking anything other than English."
"Frank had a Mexican friend from school over at his Aunt's house to do schoolwork. She said something in Spanish to Frank and his Aunt proceeded to ream her butt for speaking Spanish. In her sweetest voice, she told his Aunt, in Spanish, to go fuck herself with a broomstick. When the Aunt asked Frank what she said, Frank told his Aunt she had said she was sorry for upsetting her. And each time the girl was over at the Aunt's house, and spoke Spanish, and the Aunt blew her gasket, she'd use variations of her original insult. Of course, when the Aunt would ask Frank to interpret, he'd say something like she forgot not to speak Spanish or some other thing."
"He and his Aunt were at the grocery store one day and they walked by two Hindi women who were speaking Hindi, discussing what they needed for their evening meal. When his Aunt heard them speaking Hindi, she threw a fit, telling them to only speak English. Now here is where it gets strange. Frank doesn't speak Hindi, but when the older woman basically told his Aunt the same thing as Frank's Mexican friend had initially told her, Frank understood what she'd said. He even gave her a thumbs-up behind his Aunt's back. When I asked him how he knew what they'd said, his reply was rather interesting. He said he just knew what the woman had said to his Aunt. It's as though his mind can interpret other languages with ease, even though he may not be able to speak the language."
Sherry had to pause after telling Jane and Susan each of the stories Frank told her, due to their laughing hysterically. After telling both women the stories, Sherry asked Susan, "How do you deal with a mind like his, Susan? And with his thinking the AP courses you're giving him are easy?"
Jane added to Sherry's questions by saying, "One night at dinner, we discovered he spoke fluent Spanish. When I asked where he learned it, he said it came easy at school and a neighbor worked with him. At one point I asked him in German if he spoke German. His reply was to tell us he thought I was asking if he spoke German, even though he didn't speak German. I then asked him something in French, and because Charlotte had been teaching him French, he answered my question in flawless French, though his pronunciation of some words needed work. He has a gift for languages, something that can be quite useful in the world."
There was a knock on the study door before it opened. Marie stuck her head past the door and asked, "How many for our evening meal, the girls need to know how many places to set."
Jane looked at Sherry, then Susan, both nodding their heads. "There will be seven for dinner, Marie," Jane told her. "Have they behaved themselves in our absence, Marie?"
Marie laughed before saying, "Oh, oui, they have. Toby's almost read through the physics book. Charlotte is plowing her way through her book, and Francis is on their heels. Susan has given them an opportunity and they are taking advantage of it. Dinner will be ready in half an hour." With that said, Marie pulled her head out of the study and closed the door.
"Ladies," Jane addressed Sherry and Susan, "I have a fax needing to be read. If you two will pardon me I will read it before dinner." Jane walked over to her desk, pulled out the chair, and sat down. She picked up the printed fax lying on the desk and began reading.
From: Jeb Thorton, et al.
To: Jane Thompson
Re: Police surveillance paying off
Jane,
The undercover agents who've been following Strom's mistress have finally discovered where she's living. A debate took place on whether or not to infiltrate her home to see what could be found or discovered. I brought up the fact if that was done without a warrant, whatever case they built against her could be thrown out of court because of fruit of the poisonous tree, namely, entering her home without a warrant. Myself, the District Attorney, and the Chief of Police have a meeting scheduled with a judge we believe will side with us after we lay out all the evidence we have so far. We believe, after presenting our evidence, she will grant us a warrant we can then use to search her home.
Our problem stems from not wanting her to know we searched her home but not violate the law pertaining to search warrants. We want to find out if she has anything in her possession pertaining to the shoplifting spree both in our area and the other state, and the murders of those kids. Because the undercovers have seen her scouting out groups of kids, we think she may be the one killing the kids and is after any still on the streets who were involved with the shoplifting. The undercovers have taken pictures of the groups she's watched and are in the process of showing the pictures to the kids still in police custody. It's hoped they can identify any of the kids in those pictures who were involved with the shoplifting and if they can, then the police can get them off the streets for their safety. Because of what she's currently doing, the police discussed using a decoy to try and force her hand, if she is the one killing the kids.
That's all I have at the moment, I'll send you more information when it's available. Give our love to Charles.
Jeb
Sherry and Susan were standing at the study window, quietly talking to each other. Their conversation ended when they heard Jane say, "You sure Fred and Bill wouldn't like to make some fast money, Sherry?"
The two women turned to face Jane before Sherry asked, "What is it this time, Janie?" Holding out her hand, clutching the fax, in Sherry's direction, she was inviting Sherry to read the fax. Sherry walked over to the desk, took the offered fax from Jane's hand, and began reading. As Susan and Jane watched, Sherry shook her head every so often, mumbling to herself as she did so. After she finished reading the fax, Sherry let out a sigh, gave the fax back to Jane, then told Jane, "Yeah, after reading that," and she pointed to the fax in Jane's hand, "I can see why you'd ask after Fred and Bill. And if it was the right thing for us to do, hell, I'd pay them myself. I'd even supply the map, shovel, and flashlight. I share your exasperation, Janie, we all do. But let Jeb and the police deal with it. We need to stay out of it or we could foul up any plans they have in place. And… possibly screw up the court case against Strom and that woman. I'm hungry, let's go eat."
Jane barked out a laugh before asking Sherry, "What is it with you and your stomach when something like this arises?"
After Jane's question, Sherry had an expression on her face that caught Jane off guard. "Janie, I'd rather feed my stomach on this side of the bars, than do what I'd like to do and feed it behind bars."
She stared at Jane for a few moments, before shaking herself and walking toward the study doors. Jane quickly got up from her chair and almost ran to catch up with Sherry, grabbing her from behind and embracing the woman. "What have you been telling me about calming down, Sherry?" Jane asked Sherry, as she felt the woman relax in Jane's embrace.
Sherry gave out a soft chuckle before telling Jane, "What doctor ever follows their own advice, Janie? But thanks for the reminder." Squeezing Sherry once more, Jane released her and opened the study door, motioning for Susan to follow them out of the study.
During dinner, the women tried to compliment Marie on the excellent pot roast, carrots, potatoes, and gravy, but were rebuffed as Marie told them, "Vos éloges sont mal orientés. Ils devraient être adressés à notre jeune cuisinier (Your praise is misdirected. They should be addressed to our young cook.)."
When the four women looked at Charlotte, she was again trying to sniff the contents on her plate. "Charlotte, please sit up," Jane told her. After Charlotte sat up, Jane asked, "Why do you find it so hard to accept praise so rightfully deserved?"
Chalotte continued looking down at her dinner plate, feeling all eyes on her. Toby reached over and put his arm around Charlotte's shoulder, telling her, "There's nothing wrong with accepting praise if you deserve it and you've done your best. Any time you do something, I've only seen you do your best, you never take shortcuts of any kind. I've eaten pot roast before, but none as good as what I'm eating now. This pot roast is more tender than anything I've eaten. You deserve the offered praise; your Uncle would be proud of your culinary skills. You should think about passing on those skills."
Everyone had to strain their ears to hear Charlotte tell Toby barely above a whisper, "Thank you. It isn't hard to do with the right ingredients."
Sherry picked up Jane's initial topic with, "You haven't answered Jane's question, Charlotte. No one here will think anything less of you if you tell us why praise is so hard for you to accept. We are concerned about you, Charlotte."
The four women could see the argument Charlotte was having with herself, it was written on her face. She pursed her lips before sighing, then looking up at Sherry, said, "You remember my telling you what those two boys did to me in elementary school? When they dunked my head in the toilet? We had a contest at school and I entered it. It came down to me and one of those boys, and I won. He wasn't happy he lost and swore I'd regret winning. Everyone else was happy I won and said so for the rest of the day. I was in the boys' restroom when those same two boys came in as I was peeing." Charlotte suddenly became deathly quiet, again looking down at her plate.
Softly and with as much compassion she could put into her voice, Sherry asked, "And, what'd they do, Charlotte?"
Tears were sliding down Charlotte's face, a soft weeping sound escaping her lips. Francis got up out of her chair and walked around to Charlotte's right, while Toby put his arms around her shoulder from the left. "It's okay, Charlotte," Francis whispered, "We're here for you."
Looking up at Sherry, her eyes red and face wet with tears, she said, "Back then, the urinals were a long fixture that we peed in, unlike the single ones today." Charlotte started crying before saying in a distressed voice, "Both of them picked me up, one grabbed my feet, and the boy I beat in the contest grabbed my shoulders, and they put me into that urinal. Like the time they put my head in the toilet, with my crying and the noise they were making, laughing and calling me names, a teacher came into the restroom to investigate and discovered what they'd done. Because water is constantly flowing in those types of urinals, I was soaked worse than before. Our parents were called, and my parents were asked to bring me a change of clothing. I was taken to the nurse's office so I could take off my soaked clothes, and was given a smock to wear until my parents brought me a clean set of clothing."
Charlotte's crying had slowed but she was still upset. "After all of our parents had arrived in the principal's office, the principal told their parents what they'd done to me and that both boys had caused too much trouble before and she was expelling them from school. I remember the smile on the faces of both boys, until one of the fathers leaned down and asked his son if he remembered what he was told the last time he got into trouble. His face went white after what his father said. The father explained to the principal what they'd told their son after he got into trouble the last time. He was going to a military school, a girls military school. He was going to become just another girl at the school. The mother of the other boy leaned down and told her son not to laugh, he was going to a private girls school. He was going to become just another girl at the school. Both gave it one last try by acting brave and saying they'd run away from the schools. The same mother grabbed her son by his left ear and told him he wouldn't get the chance; she never let go of his ear and she marched him out of the principal's office. The father of the other boy did the same, only he pulled the boy's ear up harder, causing the boy to almost walk on his tiptoes as they left the principal's office. The parent staying behind filled out the required paperwork removing their sons from the school. Both of those parents apologized to me for what their sons did, though it didn't mean anything to me right then. So, ever since that day, I get upset anytime someone offers me praise or a compliment for something I've done. It brings back that unpleasant memory."
Charlotte became silent after her telling, looking down at her hands in her lap. Sherry got out of her chair and walked over to Charlotte. She pulled Charlotte's chair out from the table with Charlotte still sitting in it, then kneeled in front of her. "Sweetheart, why didn't you tell me about that horrible event? Were you ashamed of what happened to you?"
Still looking down at her hands in her lap, she nodded her head. "The whole school found out what they'd done to me and I started getting teased. Even when I went into the restroom and other boys were there, one of them would ask if I wanted to get into the urinal again. Mom had to start sending extra clothes with me because I ended up peeing my pants. I'd run out of the restroom after they'd say things like that and never got to pee."
Charlotte started crying in earnest, leaning forward and grabbing onto Sherry. Charlotte couldn't see the looks on all of the faces of those sitting at the dining room table. And none of those looks were kindly looks. Sherry held Charlotte as she cried, wondering why schools waited until a trauma took place before taking drastic action. She believed when such events happened, those causing the problem should be removed from the location immediately, taking them away from those who wanted to be in those schools. And yet, as she had told those around the table, she could only do what she could do in her corner of the world.
Sherry addressed Charlotte, but also meant for those around the table, "Sweetheart, don't let those memories rule your life. They have happened, they can't be changed or altered. Accept them as just the memories they are, and move on with your life. When you experience one, tell yourself it's just a memory as many times as necessary to let it wash over you and not control you. I know what I'm telling you is harder to do than it sounds, but you can do it. Anyone can with practice. Come on, let's get you upstairs so you can fix your face."
Saying that to Charlotte, Sherry helped Charlotte out of her chair and held her as they walked through the living room, up the stairs, and into her bedroom, where Sherry and Charlotte talked more before Charlotte cleaned her face before reapplying her makeup. The entire time Sherry and Charlotte were upstairs, the only noise being heard were forks attacking the food on the plates. Each person lost in thought to a time when in school at the age of Charlotte's trauma, though two more recent than the rest. Thirty minutes later Charlotte and Sherry returned to the dining room table. Before Charlotte sat down, Jane saw what Charlotte was about to do and told her, "Charlotte, you owe no one an apology for what took place. I for one am glad you felt secure enough to finally talk about the experience, tragic though it was. Never apologize to anyone around this table for talking about something bothering you from your past. We're all here to help you and each other."
Seeing the slight smile on Jane's face, Charlotte chuckled and answered, "I seem to apologize for a lot of things, don't I? I'm not yet that comfortable talking about my past, it all seems so fresh." She then looked at Sherry and added, "But I'll try." She pulled out her chair, sat down, and continued eating, feeling a bit lighter than she had in a long time.
Jane realized the teens would not be in any mood to continue working on their lessons, and maybe needed to be with Charlotte. That realized, she told the three teens, "After the kitchen is done, you three may have the rest of the evening before bed to yourselves. I think Charlotte could use the company for this time."
Charlotte looked up from her plate before telling Jane, "Thank you, Aunt Jane."
Author's Note: When I first wrote Complicit In a Lie, I had no thoughts, or ideas, to write a sequel. But thanks to a few readers, who asked about a sequel, ideas formed that made writing this sequel possible. It is necessary to have read Complicit In a Lie to understand why Charles is now with Jane, who the boy arriving in Kingston is and how he's involved in Charles' Court case. And to understand where Mr. Corporate, George Strom, fits into this story. This story starts off after Charles says, "When do we start," in Complicit in a Lie. So if you haven't read Complicit In a Lie, the beginning of this story won't make any sense. Hint hint!
When Charlotte pulled her chair back in and began eating again, Toby and Francis reached over and each one squeezed one of Charlotte's arms, smiling at her as she looked at each one. When the meal was finished, the three teens asked to be excused, and after being given permission to leave the table, began to clear the table. It was forty-five minutes later when the teens walked out of the kitchen and walked into the living room, where they sat together on the couch, huddled together with Charlotte in the middle. Watching the three, Sherry asked Jane, "Have you ever had such comradery with your past Girls, Jane? I realize this is a special situation, so my question might be redundant."
Shaking her head, Jane replied, "No, your question is not redundant, it's a legitimate question. We have had two boys here at one time, a new boy, like Toby, and a boy like Francis, who was with us before the new boy arrived. There was concern by the 'old' boy, but not to that extent," and she nodded to the three teens sitting on the couch. "Toby and Charles came with an abundant amount of compassion for others, while Frank may have had the same compassion for others, but shut it off because of his Aunt Agnus. If I were to make a guess, it was Charlotte who helped him rekindle the compassion he hid. But as to having previous boys with so much compassion as those three, no. We've never seen that before. And as you said, Sherry, this is an unusual situation. And being an unusual situation, what can we honestly compare it to from the past? Nothing."
The rest of their time sitting at the dinner table was taken up with Sherry offering Jane and Susan information about the three teens. Susan was questioned about her planned lessons, and whether they'd meet the needs of the three teens after learning of their IQ scores. "What they are doing now would be considered the foundation classes at a college or University. I believe the current course of action is the proper way to go before they start classes a college or University sophomores would take." Susan softly chuckled, then said, "Toby is a few pages away from finishing that physics book and the last section test. He's the one I'll have trouble keeping up with. If he has a question about something, and we discuss it as a group, I'm afraid Francis and Charlotte will not have the needed grounding to contribute in a useful way. Of course, they might surprise me and know more about Toby's question than I realized, I'll have to wait and see how it works out. I am certain about one thing, given the speed Toby reads, and his ability to retain what he reads, he could obtain a BS in a few months, instead of the normal four years. And I believe Charles and Francis wouldn't be too far behind him."
Sherry and Jane nodded their heads in agreement with Susan's assessment. It was Jane who brought up the one thing the three women failed to mention. "Everything you said seems to be true, Susan. The only problem we've discussed deals with where they would be allowed to learn at their desired pace. I believe they'd desire you as their teacher, Susan, but the constant traveling would be a burden for you. We know the type of school they need, but making that determination right at this juncture is not prudent. The current situation has to be resolved before anything else can be determined. Until then, this is a central location where you can meet with them."
Sherry had been quiet while Jane spoke, her hand lying on the table with her fingers intertwined. Separating her hands, she now started sweeping invisible crumbs off the table, something Jane had seen her do in years gone by. "Okay, Sherry. Every time you've swept invisible crumbs from the table, you've had something to say but didn't want to intrude in the conversation. So, give, what's on your mind?"
Sherry was now using the palm of her hand to sweep it back and forth across the tabletop, a kin to a kid shuffling their foot in the dirt. "Well… I was thinking. Have you thought about hosting those three after this whole mess is over? You have plenty of rooms available, and as you said, this is a central location where Susan can meet with them. Or, if Susan can locate another location, they could live here and attend school with Susan there. You would have to evaluate the impact on your normal activities. Of course… it's just a thought, Janie. You understand?"
Throughout Sherry's suggestion, she kept sweeping her hand back and forth across the tabletop, never looking at Jane. Jane reached out and put her hand on the back of Sherry's hand, stopping the movement and causing Sherry to look over at Jane. "Your suggestion has merit, Sherry, and one I've not considered. Marie and I would have to discuss the idea in depth before it could be considered and brought to the guardians of those three. What we do here is based on isolating the boy so we can have complete control over everything he does without outside influences. Seeing three other boys here could interrupt our control and make it harder to guide him in the direction we want him to proceed. However, as I said, Marie and I will discuss the merits of the idea before any decision can be made."
"I understand, Janie, and I wouldn't want my idea to make your work harder than it already can be. It's the reason I added finding another place Susan can meet with the three kids. But… that's then, the mess is now and must be dealt with first."
Jane patted Sherry's hand, telling her, "I know, Sherry. You know the importance of the work Marie and I do here at Seasons House, and you would never want us to interrupt that in any way. Still, your idea does have merit." Jane then turned her attention to the teens still sitting on the couch. "Girls, Toby, it's time you three get ready for bed. Girls, you know the routine with your faces, so I don't need to remind you."
The, "Yes, Aunt Jane," was more solemn than previous answers, likely because of the news Charlotte shared at the dinner table. They stood up from the couch together and even walked to the stairs together.
Sherry shook her head and said, "They still hurt after hearing what Charlotte went through. Too bad we all can't be that compassionate with each other. I better go, Janie. I believe I want some compassion when I get home."
"I'll walk you out, Sherry," Susan said, "I think the idea of compassion tonight is warranted. Thank you again for the meal, Jane. That young man is going to melt a girl's heart with his cooking."<?p>
Jane arose from the dining room table and walked to the front door with Sherry and Susan. After opening the front door, she hugged both women and waited until they were safely in their cars and leaving before she closed and locked the front door. No sooner had she turned to walk back into the living room, when she saw the three teens descending the stairs. She waited in the usual spot in the middle of the living room until the three reached the first floor and walked until they were two steps in front of her. Jane had to keep her facial expression neutral this time because of a first for Toby. He, along with Francis and Charlotte, was wearing the girls robe over his pajamas. "Toby," Jane addressed Toby. "Why are you wearing that robe this time? You do know it's a girls robe, correct? And that you aren't required to wear it?"
Toby had a small smile on his lips as he replied, "Yes, Aunt Jane, I know it's a girls robe. And I know I'm not required to wear it, but I started thinking I might be a bit immodest just wearing my pajamas. In searching the closet in my bedroom, this was the only robe I found, so it will have to do. As I said before, it's just a robe."
Nodding her head, Jane told him, "While I didn't find you to be immodest just wearing your pajamas, I understand your reasoning and applaud you for it. I also applaud your attitude toward wearing it." She then turned her attention to Francis and Charlotte. "Let's have a look at your faces, girls." Jane leaned close to each girl, examining their faces for any trace of makeup. "You both have done an excellent job cleaning your faces. Now off to bed, the three of you."
After receiving three, "Yes, Aunt Jane," she also received three hugs and three "Goodnight, Aunt Jane," from the three before they chained themselves back up the stairs to their bedrooms. Marie came out of the kitchen right then and stood by Jane, watching the last of Francis disappear up the stairs. "Those three think the world of you, you know. We must make sure to get the backstory of the next boy sent to us so we treat him as is appropriate. I'm not saying we don't establish our authority, but as we discovered about Francis, he may have reasons why he took the wrong path."
Jane put her arm around Marie's waist, saying, "You're right on both counts, Mein lieber Freund (My dear friend.). While some may need our normal routine, someone like Francis would need a special program. I also believe Sherry and Susan should be involved with our next boy. Sherry because she could give us insights into the boy's mind and nature. And with Susan's help, we'll know what courses the boy needs to be given. We've learned much during this unusual situation, knowledge we can put to good use next time." Jane turned and kissed Marie on the cheek before bidding her a good night. Marie returned the gesture before checking the doors and lights on the first floor, then venturing to her bedroom. Both would mull over everything they had learned before sleep finally took them away.
Jane came out of her bedroom at seven in the morning. She had just reached the dining room when she heard a 'shave and a haircut, two bits' knock on the front door. She shook her head and murmured, "That crazy woman." She knew there was only one woman who'd knock that way and discovered she was correct after unlocking and opening the front door.
There, standing in front of three other people, with a smile too big for that time of the morning stood Jill. "Hey ya, Thompson. What took ya so long to answer the door? We've been standing out here since last night, ya know. What's for breakfast?"
Behind Jill stood a man. Behind him stood Susan. Behind Susan stood Sherry, and all three had a hand over their mouth, trying not to laugh. Jane looked at the three and told them, "It's fine, go ahead and laugh at this crazy woman. She's usually this way after too much coffee or something she took out of her office."
"Whoa, there, Thompson. You know darn well I never take any loopy stuff from my office. Not when I can get it directly from you."
Jane gave Jill a death glare, telling her, "Now it's you who are to hold on. You know very well after that one time I gave up all of that. Now if we're going to be spreading rumors, I remember that time on the beach with you and that cute guy."
Jill's smile abruptly vanished, replaced with a horrid expression. "Please, Jane, not that one. Please, Jane, don't." Jane saw tears in Jill's eyes, and heard her say, "Not that one."
Jane saw the frightened, pleading, look on Jill's face. She didn't hear the anguish in Jill's voice, but Sherry did and pushed her way past Susan and the man. When she reached Jill, she could see Jill shaking. Putting her arm around Jill, she looked at Jane and in an almost angry voice told her, "Sometimes, Janie, you go too far without realizing you've gone too far. We'll be in the study." With her arm still around Jill, Sherry led Jill past Jane and to the study.
The man held out his hand and introduced himself to Jane. "Ms. Thompson, I'm Thomas Glean. A plastic surgeon Jill consulted about Toby Camber. I hope you and Jill haven't had a falling out, she speaks highly of you."
Jane had a puzzled look on her face after what Jill had said. She was puzzled because she didn't know what she said that had upset Jill or Sherry. She did recover though, when Thomas introduced himself. "Mr. Glean, it's a pleasure to meet you. And it's Jane. Please, come in. And you too, Susan. No sense you standing outside this early in the morning."
Laughing, Susan said, "Why that's magnanimous of you, Jane. I feel so special."
"Careful, Toliver, the stable stalls need to be mucked out today. The girls and Toby can teach you how it's done."
Putting on her best Southern drawl, Susan said, "Oh please, Miss Jane. Not mucking out the horse's stalls. I just can't tolerate the putrid aroma of those places. You wouldn't want me retching the entire time I'm here teaching your darlings, would you, Miss Thompson?"
Thomas did his best not to laugh, but asked Jane, "Are they always like this? And it's Thomas, Jane."
"Thomas, you don't know the half of what I have to put up from those three. Please, go with Susan, she'll show you around the first floor. I need to go see why Jill is so upset. If you'll excuse me."
Jane turned and quickly made her way to the study, disappearing after opening the study door and walking into the study. "She's extremely worried about Jill, isn't she, Susan?"
"Yes, Thomas, she's extremely worried about Jill. Jill and Sherry go way back with Jane. Together, they kept Jane from self-destructing. Those three are closer than three sisters could ever be. I will tell you something else. Jane hasn't a clue what she said that upset Jill, and that bothers her. Come on, I'll give you the nickel tour before breakfast." Susan closed and locked the front door before showing Thomas around the first floor. She refrained from giving Thomas any information about Seasons House true purpose, believing Jane should make that decision.
When Jane entered the study, she saw her dear friends in the middle of the study, with Sherry holding a crying Jill. Jane walked over and put her arms around Jill from behind. "Jill, I'm so sorry for upsetting you with what I said. And yet, I don't understand why what I said has upset you."
Jane felt Jill reach up behind Sherry's back and put her hands over Jane's hands. In a crying, stuttering voice, she said, "It…It's…no…not…you…your…fa…fault…Janie. I…I…nev…never…tol…told…either…either…of you." Sherry had moved her arms so they now were around Jane's back and pulling her closer; Sherry and Jane had sandwiched Jill between them. Sherry and Jane remained quiet as Jill's crying finally eased, waiting on Jill to speak when she was ready. The warmth they felt for each other only intensified by their physical closeness at the moment, listening to Jill take shuddering breaths as she slowly relaxed while being between the two women. "It had to do with that boy who was with us that day on the beach near those rocks. You two had gone into the ocean while that asshole and I stayed on the beach. He told me he knew of a small alcove in the rocks that had some beautiful crystals embedded in the rocks, and asked if I wanted to see them. I was so stupid I didn't suspect anything. The crystals were there, alright, and when I bent down to take a closer look, he came up behind me, grabbed me around the waist with one hand, and reached between my legs with the other, and started rubbing me hard. I told him to let me go but he said he could tell by the way I looked at him that I wanted it. I tried pulling his hand from between my legs but he only got rougher. Finally, I stomped on his left instep as hard as I could, and that caused him to let go of me. I turned around and faced him, and before he knew it, I'd kicked him as hard as I could right in his balls. I was so mad at what he'd done, that while he was still on his knees, I gave him a roundhouse kick to the side of his head that knocked him out cold. That's when I came and told you two we needed to get back to the hotel to get changed so we could get to the restaurant before it got crowded."
Sherry had brought one hand out from behind Jane and was now gently stroking Jill's hair. "Why didn't you tell us, sweetheart?"
"Tell you, Sherry," Jill all but shouted. "I knew exactly what you two would have done to him had I told you what he tried to do to me. You two would still be in jail and I'd have been alone back then."
"Did you ever see him again?" asked Jane.
Jill nodded her head, then chuckled, before saying, "Yeah, I saw him again, but he didn't see me. He was with a different girl at that club we went to the next night. When I saw her go into the ladies, I followed her and told her about him. She took my hands in hers, then with a feral look on her face, she told me she hoped he tried it with her. She found me the following night we went to that same club, and it was delicious. She was all giggles, as she told me he tried to rape her while they were at a secluded place. When I asked her what she did to stop him, she laughed and said she put him into the hospital, called the police, and pressed charges against him for attempted rape. When word got around about what that woman did to him, and he was being charged with rape, several more women came out and told of being raped by him or him trying to rape him. He got himself in a heap of trouble, plus several broken bones." Jill got quiet for several minutes before adding, "I'm sorry I didn't trust you two enough to tell you back then. But I didn't want either of you to be arrested because of what you'd have done to him. And knowing your states back then, you both would have hurt him something fierce."
It was Jane who spoke for both her and Sherry by telling Jill, "I'm glad you didn't tell us then, Jill. We would have killed that son-of-a-bitch. Back then, no one hurt one of my dear friends without paying dearly for their actions."
There was a light knock on the study door, but the door remained closed. Jane knew Marie would have come into the study after knocking, so it had to be one of the teens. "Come in," Jane said loud enough for the one on the other side of the study door to hear her.
When the door opened, Toby stuck his head into the study just enough to tell Jane, "Aunt Jane, breakfast is ready." When Jane thanked Toby for informing them, he pulled his head out of the study and quietly closed the door.
Jill let out another shuddering sigh before Jane asked, "Well, girls. Anyone for breakfast?" When both said yes, Jane then said, "Well, I guess we can't go to breakfast as we are. We'll have to let each other go."
Jill turned her head as far in Jane's direction as she could, and told her, "No shit, Sherlock. How long did it take you to figure that problem out?"
Jane glared down at Jill, telling her, "You do have a crude way of putting things." She then leaned down and kissed Jill on the cheek before adding, "And don't you ever change, Doctor Jill Peters."
Jill let go of Sherry, turned around, and put her arms around Jane, pulling Jane tightly to her, and put her head on Jane's chest. "Damn you, Thompson, you say the nicest things." She abruptly let go of Jane, looked up into Jane's stern face, and said with a huge smile, "Right, I'm hungry, let's eat."
Jane looked up toward the ceiling, shaking her head. Sherry laughed and let go of both Jane and Jill. Together, with Jill in the middle, the three women walked to the study door hand in hand. When they reached the study door, Sherry stepped forward and opened the door, watching as Jill and Jane walked out of the study still holding hands. Under her breath, Sherry said, "Gawd, I love those two women." She stepped through the open door, closed it behind her, and made her way to the dining room, where she found Toby waiting to seat her.
Toby was the last to sit down at the table. After bowing his head, he looked at Jill and asked, "Are you okay, Jill?"
Jill looked at Toby, a concerned expression on his face. "It's sweet of you to ask, Toby. I'm better now, just a bad memory I neglected to tell my friends about."
Toby smiled and replied, "I've got an extra tee shirt you can have."
A burst of laughter escaped Jill before telling him, "Naw, I've got enough of those tee shirts, more than I need. Toby, the gentleman sitting next to you is Dr. Thoman Glean, a plastic surgeon. After I make sure you haven't done anything to set back the healing process, he's going to give you a good once-over to see what he can do to lessen all of the scars you have. And trust me when I tell you, he's an excellent surgeon."
Toby held his hand out to Thomas, which Thomas took. "It's nice to meet you Dr. Glean," Toby told the man. "I hope there's something you can do because I'm a right mess."
Thomas smiled at Toby and told him, "Toby, and to everyone around this table, it's Thomas. There's no need to be stuffy." Thomas had looked up at everyone around the table when he said that. "As to you being a mess, as you say, I've brought some before and after pictures, you'll be surprised at what I can do, Toby." Thomas then looked at Jane and said, "Everything I can do for Toby is pro bono. You and Marie helped my younger brother many years ago, and my family is truly grateful. He went into law and started his own firm; they help those who've been abused. He's built a reputation that causes other lawyers to cringe if they have to meet him in court. He's never forgotten your lessons, Jane. He preaches them to any kids he defends, and they seem to listen to him."
Jane smiled after hearing about Thomas' younger brother. She remembered Steve Glean, and how long it took before he finally came around to what Jane was trying to teach him. She gave Jill another stern look when Jill said, "Jaanniiee, can we p-l-e-a-s-e eat now? I'm hungry."
The woman just had a meltdown and here she is with another big smile on her face as she asked her question. "How can you only think about your stomach, Peters? There are other important things to be considered." Jane had schooled herself as she faced Jill's huge smile, a smile Jill knew always got to Jane.
With a gleam in her eyes, Jill asked, "Do you want the simple answer or the clinical answer?"
Jane shook her head, saying, "Neither... let's just eat our breakfast."
The table broke out in laughter when Jill fist-pumped the air and exclaimed, "YES!"
Sherry turned to look at Thomas before telling him, "Thomas, you'll have to forgive our diminutive friend. When her body is deprived of protein, her mind wanders into the void." Sherry gave Jill a big smile when Jill looked past Susan and gave Sherry a dirty look.
Jill then slowly turned to look at Thomas, when he said, "Yes, Sherry. I've noticed when her nutritional level is low she becomes a bit spastic." He smiled at Jill as she gave him a dirty look.
Looking at Thomas, Jill said, "Et tu Brute? What is it, kick Jill Day? You two do know revenge is best served cold, right? See if I steer any more patients your way, Thomas. Spastic indeed!"
The teens could no longer hold their laughter, and caused the entire table to start laughing when they led the way. They laughed even harder when Jill sniffed the air, then picked up the bowl of scrambled eggs and put a spoonful on her plate before passing it to Susan.
Jane sat back in her chair and examined her little family. She watched as they each took what they wanted before passing it to the next person. She listened to the talk as it started while each served themselves. She watched the teens and was proud of them for the way they were helping each other through their school work and adversity. When she looked at Marie, she saw Marie looking at her. Marie laid her left hand on the back of Jane's right hand, lying on the table, before saying, "Tout va bien, n'est-ce pas (Everything's fine, isn't it?)?"
Nodding her head, Jane said one word, "Oui (Yes.)."
Author's Note: When I first wrote Complicit In a Lie, I had no thoughts, or ideas, to write a sequel. But thanks to a few readers, who asked about a sequel, ideas formed that made writing this sequel possible. It is necessary to have read Complicit In a Lie to understand why Charles is now with Jane, who the boy arriving in Kingston is and how he's involved in Charles' Court case. And to understand where Mr. Corporate, George Strom, fits into this story. This story starts off after Charles says, "When do we start," in Complicit in a Lie. So if you haven't read Complicit In a Lie, the beginning of this story won't make any sense. Hint hint!
When everyone had eaten all they wanted, Jane cleared her throat to get the teen's attention. They looked at Jane and heard, "After you three have reassembled the kitchen to Marie's satisfaction, change into your work clothes and clean out the stalls. If I might suggest, only take one horse out at a time and wait to pick up what's removed from their stalls until you return them to their stalls. In doing so in this manner, you run less of a risk of looking as though you three have played in the mud."
Jane watched as the three teens looked at each other before Francis spoke. "Um, Aunt Jane, thank you for the suggestion, we appreciate it, but we already decided to do it that way. Toby will mind the horses while Charlotte and I clean out the stalls. Once we have new straw in their stalls, food and water placed for them, and they're back in their stalls, then the three of us will scoop up everything and put it into the cart. We thought it would be quicker if three of us picked up everything instead of Toby doing it alone." Almost timidly, Francis added, "At least that is our plan."
Jane looked first at Francis, then at Charlotte and Toby in turn. "You three have devised an excellent plan, an excellent plan. But first, the kitchen. Go!" To the teens, Jane's 'Go' was the same as being excused from the table, and they wasted no time clearing the table and getting the kitchen work done. With a smile on her face, Jane directed her question toward Jill by saying, "Jill, why don't you take Thomas out to the stable and show him around? You two can use the time to watch Toby and assess his current condition."
Jill nodded her head, telling Jane, "That's not a bad idea, Janie. It beats sitting around this mausoleum waiting for those kids to return to the house."
"A mausoleum, is it? I'll have you know, Peters, this house is in excellent condition for its age. It's in better condition than your broken-down body."
With an indigent snort, Jill replied, "Broken down body? Broken down body? I'll have you know, Thompson, my body is far from… " but she never finished her sentence, as she looked at the four women and Thomas, all doing their best not to start laughing. "I should have known what you were doing, Janie. I should have known. Come on, Thomas, let's go look at the stable and leave these misfits to themselves." She abruptly got up from the table and hurried out of the dining room and through the living room to the backdoor, never waiting for Thomas. Just as she reached the backdoor, she heard laughter break out from Thomas and the four women. Smiling, she said to herself, "That damn woman. She gets me every time."
Jill stood on the porch for the backdoor, waiting for Thomas before walking to the stable. She didn't wait long, as the backdoor opened and Thomas stepped onto the porch. "Ready, Thomas? Did you get it all out of your system in there with those misfits?"
Thomas chuckled, then told Jill, "They think the world of you, don't they? It's the only reason they'd keep pulling your leg."
Noticing Jill's somber expression over what he said, he watched as she used the steps to leave the porch and start walking toward the stable. He hurried to catch up with her only to have her tell him, "Yeah, Thomas, we're close, really close. Sherry and I kept Jane from self-destructing back in college. And she almost did when I was away at medical school. If it hadn't been for Sherry… " and Jill wiped her eyes and cleared her throat, "If it hadn't been for Sherry, Jane Thompson wouldn't be here today. And I don't think Sherry or I would be where we are today. Jane's death would have devastated me and Sherry. I couldn't have completed medical school and Sherry might have dropped out of college. Jane meant that much to both of us."
Thomas was silent a moment longer as they walked. "You know, even if she had died, she might have wanted you both to continue your studies and get where you are today. She seems to be that type of person."
"Yeah, you may be right, Thomas. But I'm damn glad we didn't have to find that out." Jill remained quiet as continued their walk but became animated when they reached the stable. "Well, here we are, Thomas, the horsey barn. That black one there is Jane's mare. And that one over there, is the infamous Pinto, the stinker. The one who helped make those three teens look as though they'd been playing in the mud."
Thomas reached out and started rubbing the mare's muzzle, only to feel the mare press her muzzle up into his hand. "She's beautiful, Jill. Is Jane the only one who rides her?"
"As far as I know, Thomas. Those two have a bond I've seldom seen between a horse and the rider. She knows exactly what Jane needs and how Jane is feeling any time they're together."
As Thomas started walking toward Pinto, the horse started stepping backward into her stall. When Thomas reached the door to the stall, Pinto had backed herself into the corner where Charlotte had first seen her. Turning to Jill, Thomas asked, "Has Pinto been abused by someone? She seems scared."
A new voice coming from the entrance to the stable answered his question. "Yes, Thomas, she was abused before Jane purchased her. The man who previously owned her mistreated her using a bridle. She has scars at the corners of her mouth and pulled back because she equates you with that man."
Thomas turned and saw the three teens standing at the entrance to the stable. "Was that man punished for his mistreatment of this fine animal?"
Charlotte walked over to stand next to Thomas, who was standing in front of Pinto's stall. "Aunt Jane never said, but someone should have taken a bullwhip to him for what he did to Pinto."
Francis chimed in with, "Aunt Jane and Marie worked for three months to put Pinto at ease, and Miss Horse Whisperer standing next to you got her to come up to her in about ten minutes. Those two have been best buds ever since. After yesterday, I wish they weren't."
Thomas looked down at Charlotte and asked, "What happened yesterday?"
Pointing at Pinto, Charlotte said, "That stinker thought it'd be funny if she pushed all three of us into the muck we took out of the mare's stall. We pulled both horses out of their stalls, and started cleaning the mare's stall. Because the wasn't room for all three of us and the cart, Toby and the cart were outside of the stall and he would shovel the muck into the cart. He had shoveled one scoop into the cart when that stinker," and she pointed to Pinto, "Push him from behind, causing him to lose his balance and fall face first into the pile of muck. When Francis and I heard him cry out, we came out to see what had happened, only to find him lying face-first in the pile of muck. Francis and I went around behind Toby so we could help him up by lifting him by getting under his arms. That's when that stinker," and she pointed to Pinto again, "Pushed Francis and I and we ended up face down in the same pile of muck."
"Oh, but that was just the beginning. Toby went around to the other side of the pile of muck and had just put another shovel full of muck into the cart when he was pushed from behind again. Of course, he fell face down into that pile of muck again. His cry brought us out of the mare's stall, seeing him once again in the pile of muck. Francis stood in front of the mare and asked her if she pushed Toby from behind. But she ignored Francis, she looked completely over Francis' head, acting like she knew nothing about what just happened. So this time, we finished the mare's stall, put her back in her stall, then the three of us scooped up the pile of muck from the mare's side of the pile. We then started on Pinto's stall and had just pulled a large pile of muck from her stall. The three of us were between Pinto and the pile, when Pinto sidestepped to her left and knocked all three of us into that pile, causing all three of us to land on our backs in that pile. Francis and I pulled Toby out of the pile in the direction of the mare's stall, before the three of us scooped it all into the cart. That way, the pile would be gone and Pinto couldn't push us into it again. And the kicker?" Pointing at Pinto a third time, "That stinker was laughing at us the whole time. She was having the time of her life." Then looking at Pinto, Charlotte asked, "Weren't you?"<./p>
With her lips back, Pinto whinnied and threw her head up and down. Thomas couldn't help himself and was laughing loud and long. When he could speak again, he said, "I'm sorry, Charlotte for laughing, but that's a funny story. I bet you three looked a mess when you finished in here."
Charlotte, nodding her head, told Thomas, "We were such a mess, Aunt Jane had us take showers out here in the stable; there's showers through another door in the tack room. She even made us put our clothes in a plastic bag. Marie brought our robes to us to wear to the house." Charlotte turned her attention to Pinto by saying, "Why are you still standing in that corner? This man isn't the man who hurt you, he's here to help Toby. You remember Toby, right? You pushed him into the muck a couple of times." She then held out the apple she'd held below the top of the stall door. "She this? If you want it, you'll have to come and get it. I don't fancy having you push me and make me fall into your muck." Like a kid who was told to do something, Pinto dithered where she stood, stepping forward and then stepping backward. Handing Thomas the second apple she'd been holding, below the top of the stall door, she wiggled the apple she held out to Pinto. A kin to a kid stomping his feet then doing what he'd been told, Pinto stomped her feet, dropped her head, shook it, snorted, then slowly walked to Charlotte and gently took the apple out of her outstretched hand. Pinto stepped forward so Charlotte could rub her muzzle. "See, he isn't a monster, and he isn't going to hurt you."
Slowly, Thomas raised his hand holding the second apple. "I've another apple if you want it," he told Pinto. "I have two horses at home, not as big as you, but just as pretty." Pinto leaned back when Thomas raised his hand holding the apple, still unsure about him. When Thomas only held out the apple to Pinto and didn't try anything else, Pinto hesitantly leaned forward and took the offered apple. Thomas then gently stroked the side of her muzzle, telling her she was a pretty pinto. His gentle manner with Pinto won her over, as she stepped right up to the stall door and placed her head on his shoulder. "No one should have treated you as you were treated. You're too gentle of a spirit to be mistreated." What happened next caused Charlotte and Thomas to smile, as Pinto used her muzzle to rub Thomas' cheek.
"Charlotte, you gonna play with that misfit or help us muck out the mare's stall," Francis called. "The sooner we get this done the sooner we can return to our studies." When Pinto heard Francis call her a misfit, she lifted her head off Thomas' shoulder and slowly turned her head to look at Francis. After staring at her for a moment, she snorted then neighed at her. Francis just looked at Pinto and said, "Yeah? Well right back at you. We were a mess after you had your little bit of fun. See if I give you an apple any time soon." Pinto pulled her lips back and whinnied, shaking her head up and down. Francis walked over to the basket of apples, took one, then walked over to Pinto. Holding the apple out to Pinto, she told her, "Here you go, you crazy horse." After Pinto took the apple, she laid her head on Francis' shoulder, causing Francis to say, "Oh, now you're trying to butter me up, huh? Trying to get me to forgive you for the other day, huh?" Francis put her arms around Pinto's neck and added, "Well, I guess I can forgive you this time." Pulling back to look Pinto in her eyes, she told her, "But it better not happen again."
There was a gleam in Pinto's eyes that Francis missed but was seen by Charlotte and Thomas. "Francis, Pinto is like that pixie sitting over there on the haybale," and Charlotte pointed to Jill sitting on the haybale. "She'll always think of something when you don't expect it."
Jill was sitting on the haybale now, but the three missed her falling off the bale while laughing so hard at Pinto's antics. "Hey, we resemble those remarks," she called out. "It makes life more interesting."
Toby had walked over to stand next to Francis, telling Jill, "We'll bring both horses out of their stalls and muck out the mare's stall. Then you can start scooping the muck into the cart with your back facing Pinto. I'm sure Pinto would love having a fresh target to hit." The five stood there and watched as Pinto pulled back her lips, and started whinnying while throwing her head up and down. "See, even Pinto agrees with me." Just then the mare, who'd been standing at her stall door, whinnied and started throwing her head up and down. "Even the mare agrees with Pinto. They both want a chance to push you into the pile of muck." Looking at Francis and Charlotte, he asked, "Are we going to get all of this done today or do you two want to stretch it out through next week?"
Charlotte chuckled, then said, "Yeah, we better get this show on the road." They followed the plan they outlined to Jane, bringing out the mare, completely cleaning out her stall, laying down a good bed of straw, making sure she had food and water, before putting her back into her stall, and then scooping up the muck and putting it into the cart. They followed the same plan with Pinto's stall, and no one ended up face down or on the backs in either pile of muck. They were sweaty, and a bit smelly, but they didn't look as though they'd been playing in the mud.
When they finished with the one stall after Pinto's, there was no doubt they needed a shower and clean clothes. As the three started for the house, they called after Thomas and Jill. Jill told Charlotte, putting a big smile on her face, "You three go ahead, we'll wait for a moment until the air isn't so… pungent." The look Charlotte gave Jill made her laugh for a few moments until the three had turned and started for the house. "Everyone here will miss those three when they leave, Thomas. They're like a breath of fresh air and sunshine rolled into one. I can't remember three teens who've bonded quite like those three. It might have something to do with how Toby had been treated, or their misconception of him. I do hope there's something you can do for him, Thomas, otherwise, he may never take his shirt off in public ever again. Or let any girl he befriends and they become a couple ever see him naked. He may seem brave, Thomas, but deep down, it's the scars on his back he's self-conscious about."
Thomas sat looking down at the ground as Jill spoke. At her last statement, he nodded his head and told her, "We've had several patients who've been extremely self-conscious about their scars, especially burn victims. Some have had to see someone while we treated them, to accept the scars on their bodies. And some have accepted them and moved on with their lives. Based on what I've seen of Toby so far, I think he falls in the latter camp, though you may be right Jill. I think we've given the air enough time to clear and they should be clean by now. Let's go see what I can do for Toby, shall we?"
Before leaving, Thomas picked up three apples, giving one to each of the three horses. He and Jill chit-chatted as they walked back to the house, checking the soles of their shoes before stepping one foot into Jane's house. Jane and Susan were sitting at the dinner table going over some papers when Thomas and Jill walked in. With a questioning look on Jill's face, Susan pointed to the library, where the three had gone to resume their lessons. Walking to the library door, Jill lightly knocked on the door before opening it and she and Thomas walked in. After closing the door behind them, Jill said, "Toby, Thomas would like to look at the scaring you have to see what he might be able to do to lessen them." Toby stood up from the couch and started to remove his shirt when Jill added, "He'll need to see all of you. As in, birthday suit, naked, au naturel, peeled, unadorned, bare, in your nothingness, déshabillé (undressed), you get the picture. So we'd better go to your bedroom, because I don't think Jane would appreciate you flashing anyone going by that window," and she pointed to the big window in the library.
Toby had pulled his shirt up to his armpits but pulled it back down after Jill made it abundantly clear Thomas would need him undressed. The three looked at each other, all three rolled their eyes, then looked at Jill with Francis saying, "Gosh, Jill. You sure took your time telling Toby he had to be naked for the exam. I'd have offered him five bucks just for a peek." Charlotte and Toby slowly turned their heads to look at Francis, who sat there with an innocent look on her face. As Jill and Thomas watched, a pillow sailed in Francis' direction and was deftly caught by Francis. Francis then looked at Jill and Thomas, who were laughing at the teen's antics, and told her, "If this keeps up, I could play baseball. Now if I could only hit the ball." Having said that, Francis launched the pillow back at Toby, who wasn't paying attention, and it hit him in the head.
The pillow hitting Toby caused Thomas and Jill to laugh even more. "Alright, you monkies," Jill said, breaking the current joyful mood. "Toby, come on, let's get you naked and let Thomas have a gander." Nodding his head, Toby launched the pillow again at Francis, before following Jill and Thomas out of the library.
Toby had his hand on the doorknob to pull the door closed, when the pillow hit him in the back of the head. When he looked back at Francis, she appeared to be reading her textbook again. Giving Francis a death glare, Toby told her, "Vous allez payer pour celui-là, espèce de seau de crottes de porc (You're going to pay for this one, you bucket of pig shit.)." Being the mature person Francis was, she just stuck her tongue out at Toby, who laughed before closing the library door behind him.
Jill and Thomas had waited on Toby before walking to the stairs. As they walked by Jane and Susan, still looking over a set of papers, Jane said, "Toby, Bitte achten Sie in meinem Haus auf Ihre Sprache (please watch your language in my house.)."
Chuckling, Toby said, "Sorry, Aunt Jane." Jane just nodded her head and continued going over the papers with Susan.
With a gleam in her eyes, and as mature as she is, Jill stuck her tongue out at Jane. "I saw that, Jilly," Jane told Jill. "Very mature of you." But Jane had never once looked up from the papers she was examining.
Jill and Thomas followed Toby up the stairs to his bedroom, Jill keeping an eye on Toby as they ascended the stairs. When they reached his bedroom, Toby opened the bedroom door, then stood aside to let Jill and Thomas enter first. As Toby stepped into his bedroom, and closed the door behind him, Thomas asked, "Would you be more comfortable having Jill wait outside, Toby?"
Toby all but laughed, before telling Thomas, "Thomas, Jill has already seen me naked several times. I was naked the first day after I arrived here, napping, but naked."
A puzzled expression crossed Thomas' face, and he asked, "Why were you naked after you arrived?"
Toby pulled the chair by the closet door over to the bed, turning it so it faced the bed. He motioned for Jill and Thomas to sit on his bed and asked Thomas a question. "Have you ever heard of Petticoat Punishment, Thomas?" When Thomas shook his head no, Toby continued explaining. "Petticoat Punishment is used to alter a boy's behavior by having him dress and act as a girl. He wears everything a girl might wear, from a bra and panties to a garter belt and stockings, to slips, dresses, and heels. He's also taught how to apply makeup and eventually has to apply his own makeup. The mistress uses the boy's ego against him, asking for his word of honor to do what he's told without complaining. Here at Seasons House, Jane welcomes the boy after a long train trip, treating him to lunch and a small glass of wine to welcome him. What the boy doesn't know is that his small glass of wine is laced with a sleeping potion, which after the long train trip, makes him extremely sleepy. The boy is shown to his bedroom so he can nap after his long trip. During his nap, Marie goes into his bedroom and removes all the clothing he brought with him, including whatever he is wearing as he naps. After a couple of hours, Jane goes into his bedroom, wakes him, and if the boy is as most boys are at his age, he becomes embarrassed having a grown woman seeing him naked. Of course, after realizing he's naked, he uses the bed coverings to cover himself before Jane tells him she wants to see him in the study in a few minutes. It's at that point the boy brings up the fact he hasn't anything to wear, and Jane points out the robe lying over the back of the chair in the room; a chair like the one I'm sitting in. The boy tells Jane the robe is a girls robe, and Jane counters by asking him if it isn't clothing. The boy doesn't realize Jane never said anything about it being a girls robe, just that it's clothing. The question only has one answer and it's the one the boy gives, yes. Jane then tells the boy to wear the robe and slippers beneath the chair or come naked, it doesn't matter to her. Again, a boy that age would be embarrassed to sit in front of an adult woman naked, so he puts on the robe and slippers and goes down to the study. By wearing the robe and slippers, he has taken his first step into the world of Petticoat Punishment."
"There's already one of Jane's girls in the house when the boy arrives, and her job is to instruct the new boy, such as knocking before entering any room if the door is closed. This helps the new boy after being told to meet Jane in the study, as he knocks on the study door and waits to be told to enter or come in. He's told to sit on the bench near the backdoor until Jane can see him, causing his anxiety to build. After being allowed to enter the study, he's directed to sit in the high-back chair directly in front of Jane's desk. It's uncomfortable and meant to be, to keep the boy uncomfortable and wanting to get out of the chair. Jane will then explain she requires his word of honor to do what he's told and not complain no matter what he's told to do. And if he can't give her his word of honor, then she'll send him home on the train dressed just as he is in the robe and slippers. What he doesn't know is that she won't do that because it would be trouble for her if she did. Once he gives her his word of honor, she's got him, hook, line, and sinker. Marie then takes him upstairs and teaches him how to wear the girls clothing, which he has to learn quickly. There's a trip to the salon for hair and makeup, and a few other things, then he's taken to the Mall, so the boy can experience what genetic girls go through. He even gets to be a clothing model at a clothing shop in the Mall. If at any point he balks or refuses to do what he's told, Jane throws his word of honor in his face. It may seem strange, Thomas, but I would have liked to have gone through the experience. But as you're about to see, I wouldn't have been able to have the experience."
Standing up, Toby moved the chair back near the closet door before sitting down and removing his shoes and socks. He removed his shirt then his pants, saving his briefs for last. He walked over to Thomas and Jill, turned around, and told Thomas, "See why I couldn't have the experience, Thomas?"
Toby heard the intake of air from Thomas, before Thomas asked, "My word, son. Who treated you in this manner?"
In a soft voice, so soft Thomas almost didn't hear Toby's answer, Toby said, "My brother, Thomas. He started slapping me around after our mother walked out. Then it graduated to beating me with anything he could get his hands on. He did it all to force me to become involved in the shoplifting ring he belonged to. The newer marks are because I got caught the last time I shoplifted, and was arrested. He and the man that ran things drug me to two pipes in a warehouse, tied me spread eagle to those pipes, and my brother did what you see. I passed out after the third blow, so I don't know how many times he hit me." Toby reached up and wiped the tears hugging his eyes, causing Jill to get off the bed and hug Toby from behind. Toby reached up and held onto Jill's arms, using her to support him as he cried.
Jill held Toby tight, telling him, "It's okay, Toby. Everything will be okay." She held him until he stopped crying, then asked, "Better?" When he nodded his head, she let him go and sat back on the bed.
Thomas patted Jill's leg before asking Toby, "Toby, would you please step back a bit?" Toby took one step backward and heard, "That's good, Toby. Toby, do I have your permission to touch you?" When Toby nodded his head, Thomas then said, "I'll try to be gentle, but let me know if my touching hurts, okay?" After hearing, "okay" from Toby, Thomas began feeling the scars on Toby's back, working down to his butt, then to his legs. "Toby, may I have your permission to take pictures of your back, butt, and legs? I want to show them to my team so we can decide the best course to help you." Again, Toby nodded his head, then heard, "Would you take a couple of steps forward, that's good, thank you, Toby." Thomas pulled out his cell phone and began taking a series of pictures, long shots, and closeups. "Okay, Toby, you can get dressed. We'll see you downstairs and talk some more." He and Jill stood up and left Toby's bedroom, talking as they descended the stairs and walked into the living room. Thomas sat down hard on the couch, asking Jill, "Who in the hell treats a person like that, Jill? They could have killed him if the beating had lasted much longer. His body wouldn't have been able to endure the shock of the beating. I have my own opinion on what should happen to people who do that to kids, and it isn't nice."
Jill sat down beside Thomas, putting her arm around his shoulder. "Thomas, you're in good company with the thoughts you have on how to deal with those types of people. Some of us think a map, shovel, and a flashlight, are how to deal with those people. But rest assured, they are about to get what they deserve. Oh, and Toby's brother? The one who gave Toby those newest scars? They tried to kill him. Two policemen found him near the door of a warehouse they'd been using, he'd been shot three times. So in a way, he got what he deserved. He'll get more, of course, since he was involved in the shoplifting, but how much more depends on whether or not he cooperates. Ah, here's our Toby now."
Author's Note: When I first wrote Complicit In a Lie, I had no thoughts, or ideas, to write a sequel. But thanks to a few readers, who asked about a sequel, ideas formed that made writing this sequel possible. It is necessary to have read Complicit In a Lie to understand why Charles is now with Jane, who the boy arriving in Kingston is and how he's involved in Charles' Court case. And to understand where Mr. Corporate, George Strom, fits into this story. This story starts off after Charles says, "When do we start," in Complicit in a Lie. So if you haven't read Complicit In a Lie, the beginning of this story won't make any sense. Hint hint!
Thomas indicated for Toby to sit next to him on the couch. "Toby, I find it unconscionable that someone would do such a thing to another person, much less someone your age. You'll understand if I'm angry because of what you experienced, and I hope I haven't taken my anger out on you in some way."
When Thomas finished speaking, Toby shook his head and told Thomas, "Thank you for caring, Thomas, but you haven't taken your anger out on me. You've been compassionate the whole time, something I appreciate."
Thomas smiled and replied, "Thank you for that, Toby, I can sometimes get a little overzealous when I get angry. Now, in examining your scars, and those recent ones, your body has a great deal of healing to complete before we can do anything. I'd like to see them look like old scars before we start treating them. My knee-jerk reaction is to not start with surgery. Your body has undergone a severe shock due to the beatings, it doesn't need any more brought on by surgery. My first thought is to use a good scar cream to see if that would lessen those scars. The cream may work better on your legs than your butt and back, but we'd have to wait and see. That is just my initial thought, though my team may have other ideas. Do you have any questions for me?"
"How long would the cream treatment last? And if surgery was necessary, how would you deal with all of my scars?"
Thomas had nodded his head at Toby's questions, answering, "The cream I'm thinking about isn't toxic at all, so it could be used as long as we wanted it used. As to surgery if necessary, I can't answer that question, Toby. My team and I would have to meet with you to get crisp pictures of the scars. We'd then have to sit down and decide the best approach without causing any more scars. But how about we wait on that solution until we see if the cream does the trick? I think it will, but before anything is done, all ideas have to be approved by my team. We have to reach a consensus on the best course of treatment. However, we need to let your body completely heal itself before we do anything, so don't fret over what we might decide. Oh, and just so you know, everything I'm doing is pro bono, so that's one worry you can throw out."
Jill chimed in with, "If you don't have any more questions, Toby, it might be best if you head to the library. You don't want to get behind in your lessons."
Toby shook his head when asked if he had more questions, and snorted when Jill hinted at getting behind in his lessons. "I've no more questions right now, I may have more later when a course of treatment is decided. Get behind in my lessons, Jill? Ha! If anything, I'm ahead of the lesson plan Susan had for me. She gives me a textbook and I'll be halfway through it before she turns around. And I've aced every test I've been given. I think her hair is getting thin."
Insinuating Susan was pulling her hair out over Toby, caused Jill to laugh. "You better go, Toby, before Janie comes in here and gives you what for."
Holding out his right hand to Thomas, after Thomas took his hand and shook it, Toby told the man, "Thank you for what you're doing, Thomas. If I'm completely honest, I was worried about what my back, butt, and legs would look once everything has healed. At least now there's a chance they won't look too bad."
Pumping Toby's hand again, Thomas told him, "You're more than welcome, Toby. I'm glad there's something we can do to help you. I think I see Jane coming out of the study."
Toby turned his head to look toward the study, watching as the door opened and Marie walked out of the study, closing the door behind her and heading toward the kitchen. "I better go," Toby announced, before getting up from the couch and heading to the library. Jill and Thomas heard him knock on the library door, then the door opened and closed, the voices being heard cut off as the door closed.
Thomas was looking down at the floor when he said, "That's a fine young man, Jill. He's gone through hell and came out the other side without losing himself. Whatever he does with his life, others will benefit. I think I've done all I can today and better go. Are you coming, Jill, or do you have more you want to do?"
"Ah, no, Thomas, I'm all through. I just wanted to check Toby to make sure he didn't break anything open. It all looks good so far. We better go find Janie and talk to her before we leave, she'll want to know what you've decided or are planning. She's funny like that."
They got off the couch together and walked over to the study. Jill knocked on the door, opened it, and after sticking her head through the opening, asked, "Janie, you got a minute?"
Jane was on the phone but waved them into the study. Jill led Thomas into the study before closing the door behind her. Jane held up a finger, then pointed to the table near the window. They walked over to the table but sidestepped it for the window itself. "Ever since my wife and I moved up here, I always marvel at the beauty of the area. It gets colder than a witch's tit in a brass bra in winter, but the spring, summer, and fall, make up for it. They'll bury me up here, Jill."
Jill was silent for a moment after Thomas spoke, then said, "I never looked at it that way until I came back to practice. Now, I couldn't live anywhere else."
Arms encircled Jill as the voice added, "Thomas has it correct. The spring, when everything starts to wake after a long cold time. The summer, when everything is in its full splendor. And the fall, when everything is getting ready for a long sleep. Then you have to tolerate the cold so you can witness it happening all over again." While still holding Jill, Jane asked, "So, Thomas, what's your initial assessment? Will you and your team be able to help Toby? He's brave, but I suspect worried about his appearance once his body is healed."
Thomas turned and walked around the table before pulling out a chair. He waited until Jill and Jane did the same on their side of the table and sat down. After sitting down, he began outlining his findings. "As I told Toby, Jane, nothing can be done until his body is completely healed. Not having consulted my team, my initial thinking is to use a scar cream on his back, butt, and legs, before considering surgery. His body had experienced one hell of a shock being beaten like that, Jane, and to opt for surgery right off, before his body is over the shock of being beaten, could cause him more problems. And there's the fact it involves his entire back, not a patch or two. If surgery would be called for, we'd have to come up with a way to remove those scars without making him look like a patchwork quilt. But right now, he needs to heal completely and I need to consult with my team. I will tell you something, Jane. That's one fine young man staying with you. He's going to be a benefit no matter what he does with his life."
Jane looked at Thomas a moment before she spoke. "Thank you for the initial assessment, Thomas. Even I could see it would be difficult in dealing with all of those scars. He surprised us when he arrived, Thomas. We'd been led to believe he was an arrogant and rude individual, only to find the young man you met. Would it surprise you to know he wants to become a psychologist? He's worried it won't happen because of his involvement in the shoplifting spree. That outcome depends on the prosecuting attorney, whether they accept he had little choice if he didn't want to continue being beaten."
Thomas slowly shook his head at Jane's words. "They can't be that stupid, Jane, not to see he had little choice in stopping the beatings." He then added, "Yeah, given his demeanor, I can see him as a psychologist, an outstanding psychologist. Well, if you don't have any more questions, I better be going. Jill will keep me informed about Toby's progress, then we can get to work helping him."
Jill put her arm around Jane's shoulders, leaned into her, and kissed her on her cheek. "I better go too, Janie. I have two appointments this morning and need to get ready for them. I like how well he's healing so will see him again in three days. If he still looks good then, I'll stretch out the days. As usual, if anything comes up, call me immediately. Otherwise, don't let him do anything that over-stretches his skin." She gave Jane another kiss before the three stood up and Jill and Thomas followed Jane to the study door. Jane opened the door and allowed the two to exit the study first, closing the door behind her after walking out of the study. She walked with them to the front door, unlocked it before opening it and bidding the two goodbye. Jane watched until they got into Jill's car, and Jill backed out of the driveway. Jane and Jill waved at each other before Jane closed and locked the front door, happy something could be done for Toby.
Before Jane had a chance to turn around and return to the study, a pair of arms went around her waist and she felt a chin rest on her right shoulder. "So, will Thomas be able to do something for Toby? Or, as I suspect, it's too early to form a working plan?"
Jane leaned her head into Sherry's left cheek, and reached up with her right hand to gently stroke Sherry's right cheek. "Let's go into the study and discuss what Thomas told me," Jane said to Sherry, stroking her dear friend's right cheek again. Sherry lightly kissed Jane on her right cheek, lifted her chin off Jane's shoulder, and took her hands from around Jane's waist. After letting Jane turn around, Sherry took Jane's left hand and they walked together to the study.
Opening the study door, Jane pulled Sherry into the study with her, stopping to let Sherry close the door behind them. Jane began speaking as they walked over to the table. "Right now, there's nothing Thomas can do until Toby's body has completely healed," she told Sherry, pulling out a chair on the window side of the table and sitting down. As Sherry pulled out a chair on the opposite side of the table, directly across from Jane, Jane told her, "Because of the severity of the scarring, he doesn't want to opt for surgery right off because they'd have to come up with a way to deal with his entire back. He's worried surgery would cause Toby to end up looking like a patchwork quilt. His initial assessment is to use what he called scar cream, it's specifically made to help lessen the appearance of scars. But as he said, Toby's body would need to completely heal, and he'd have to present his assessment to his team."
Jane had her hand folded in front of her on the table as she spoke. Sherry reached across the table and took Jane's hands, asking, "So, love, how are you doing? Do you still want to go bastard hunting, or are you content to let the experienced hunter lead the way?"
Jane smiled at Sherry's hunting reference, replying, "If I let myself, I'd be happy to hunt down those bastards and remove them from the face of the Earth. But what would happen to those boys Ruth sees who are redeemable if I did that? She'd have no choice but to send them to juvenile detention, where they'd be sucked deeper down the wrong road. No, Sherry. I've decided to let the experienced hunters, as you put it, take the lead and do what they do best, while I do what I do best. Though I will admit something to you, I feel lost."
Sherry gave Jane a questioning look before asking, "Lost how?"
Jane took a deep breath, sighed, then explained her feelings to Sherry. "Sherry, when Marie and I have a new boy with us, we have to get him to do what he's told when he's told without complaining. As you can imagine, being told he's going to be presenting as a girl, wearing all girls clothing, every type of girls clothing, will shock him. And naturally, he will balk, complain, or dig in his heels and flatly refuse to do so. He learns all of this only after I have acquired his word of honor to do what he's told when he's told and not complain. So, when he throws a fit because he's about to be presenting as a girl, I throw his word of honor back into his face, challenging his ego with it. I also threatened to send them home dressed as they are, you can imagine how that went over with them. That usually had the desired effect, and we had little to no trouble with that boy doing what he was told. However, some of our boys did complain even after giving us their word of honor, which resulted in consequences for that boy, usually more of the same but a touch worse."
Just as Jane was about to continue her explanation to Sherry, the study door opened and Marie walked into the study carrying a tray on which sat a pitcher of water and several glasses. She sat the tray on the end of the table, reached out and patted the women's hands, turned, and left the study, closing the door behind her. Sherry had watched as Marie walked across the study, sat the tray down on the table, then left the study. She shook her head, then told Jane, "You know, the way she always shows up when she's needed, does make it seem mystic. And, if I didn't know better, I would believe she is psychic."
Jane chuckled before saying, "Well, let's keep our secret between us. We don't want our boys to learn they are being watched."
"Okay," Sherry began, "You have explained how you normally work, so what's got you feeling lost?"
Sherry watched as Jane pursed her lips, knowing this was a sign Jane was organizing her thoughts. "When Frank arrived, Marie and I began our usual program. When I awoke Frank, I could tell he was scared, but only recently discovered why he was scared; being sent back to Agnus scared him. Because Frank was scared, it became easy to have him give me his word of honor and do what he was told when he was told. But he just went through the motions, he seemed dead inside. Nothing Marie and I tried sparked him in any way. Then Charles arrived, which started to anger me because I'd swore never to have another Kenneth in my home, though Ruth explained she had little choice except to let Strom take him to Federal Court and add additional charges. Charles spotted Francis as a Frank right off, thanks to his being given dispensation to take an Anatomy and Physiology course at a University near his home. Plus, he already knew about Pettycoat Punishment because of a paper he had to write for a class and came across the reference. Do you see that chair over there," and Jane pointed to the straight-back chair sitting against the far wall. "When our new boys come into the study to meet with me, I have them sit in that chair I then have sitting in front of my desk. Oh, Sherry, that's the most uncomfortable chair you'd ever sit in. The seat is completely flat, like sitting on a board. The back is completely straight, making the boy sit up straight. You might tolerate it for a few minutes, but my time with the boy is calculated to last long enough so he starts to find the chair uncomfortable. At that point, he wants nothing more than to get out of the chair, so getting him to give me his word of honor is his way of doing just that."
Jane stopped talking and reached for the pitcher of water, pouring water into two glasses. She offered one to Sherry before taking the other and taking a long drink. "After a few minutes, Frank was squirming while sitting in that chair and quickly gave me his word of honor. But Charles was different, the uncomfortable nature of the chair didn't phase him. All through our talk, he sat there ramrod straight, never once fidgeting or squirming. I also found it interesting how he looked me directly in the eyes, never once shifting his eyes away from mine. As we talked, he said something I could latch onto and use to my advantage. His parents told him experience is the best teacher, and I milked it for what it was worth. I pointed out how being one of my girls was an experience he'd get nowhere else, unless someone had a costume party, and he ended up going as a girl. I kept emphasizing that point, and he eventually decided to become one of my girls. And then he did something a student would only do to their sensei, he gave me a ritual bow, pledging his honor to me. Since that time, he has never refused to do what he was told, though, at the salon and The Style Shoppe, he was scared when he found out what he'd be doing; afraid he'd be seen for a boy dressed as a girl. Fortunately, Carolyn at the salon, and Gale at The Style Shoppe, reasoned with him, asking if he wasn't perceived only as a cute girl when he was at the Mall. He couldn't deny it, as the reaction of a few proved they thought he was a cute girl. Oh, Sherry, I do have something you must see, and I hope you're a wise woman who carries a spare pair of panties with you. Because after watching the video, you may need them. And if you spread what I'm about to tell you, you and I are going to the pond and you're going swimming. After watching Charlotte walk the runway dressed in all-black lingerie, I so wished Art was here when I got home."
Sherry laughed with a surprised look on her face. "Why, Jane Thompson. You mean to tell me one of your girls got your motor running after she did her best doing what you told her to do? Oh, this I gotta see.
They both pushed their chairs back, stood up and Sherry followed Jane to her desk. Jane sat down in the high-backed chair, pulled out a set of keys, and unlocked the security drawer. Pulling the drawer out farther than normal, she removed a panel that appeared to be the back of the drawer. Reaching into the opening, she extracted a long wallet-type case. After opening the wallet-type case, it turned out to be a thumb drive storage case. Taking out the highest-numbered thumb drive, Jane inserted it into a USB port in the computer, opened a file labeled, Charlotte, found the video she wanted, and started it playing. As Sherry watched the video, while standing behind Jane, she watched as Charlotte modeled several styles of dresses and swimwear before she watched her model lingerie. When it came to the part Jane told her about, Jane smiled when Sherry said, "Oh, my, gawd! Where did she learn to work a runway like that? Wait, I know that movement, and that one. She's doing Katas as she walks. My, gawd, she is so hot doing that."
"Look at the women in the audience. And the men and boys watching from the Mall. She that woman there," and Jane pointed to a woman in one shot of the video. "See how she's fanning herself while others are sitting calmly? See that boy right there," pointing to a boy who had just grabbed himself before rushing off toward the men's room. Or those two men there," pointing out two men not exactly grabbing themselves but not exactly not grabbing themselves either, before they too rushed off. More women were fanning themselves, and more men and boys grabbing themselves, but they were out of the camera's frame. That was the most sensuous walk any of my girls have ever done, and it had some profound effects on the viewers."
When the video ended, Jane heard Sherry say, "Oh, damn it," before Sherry hurried out of the study. She came back several minutes later, only to find Jane laughing when she came back into the study. "I'm so glad to be one of those wise women you asked about, I couldn't believe how wet I got watching the last of that video. If you spread what I'm about to tell you, we'll see who goes swimming in the pond. But I'm going to need some copious amounts of TLC when I get home, regardless of the time."
Jane started laughing again, before telling Sherry, "Don't say I didn't tell you so. Brenda told me after the show was over, she needed some loving when she got home. And I've no doubt several women in the audience had the same thought as Brenda, given how they reacted to what Charlotte was doing on the runway."
Sherry walked over to the table, poured more water into her glass, and drank three-fourths of the water before sitting down in her chair. "Whew… that was some video, but let's get back to Frank. You said he was just going through the motions before Charlotte arrived. How did things change when Charles arrived?"
Sherry watched as Jane removed the thumb drive from the computer and returned it to the storage case. After Jane closed the case, she put it back into the compartment built into the drawer, returned the panel before she closed and locked the drawer, then pushed her high-backed chair back and stood up. As she slowly walked toward the table, she began telling Sherry the effect Charles had on Frank after his arrival. "After Charles accepted my proposal to become one of my girls, Marie took him to his bedroom and gave him girl instructions. We ran him through our usual routine, having her come back to the study for my inspection. It was also our routine to have the girls walk five circuits of the study with a book balanced on their heads, needing to start the count over should they let the book fall to the floor. Charlotte had little trouble with walking the study and became better with time presenting as a girl. He even did well during his first visit to the salon, even giving Sandy better than she gave; he angered Sandy more than once. He picked up on Frank's emotions and attitude and talked with him about his attitude toward me and Marie. He read Francis the Riot Act about how he'd been treating me and Marie. About keeping her bedroom clean as a guest should do, and about doing the best she could regardless of what she had to do. Charlotte got through to Francis when Marie and I couldn't, and we couldn't because she thought of us as her Aunt Agnus. I'm ashamed to admit it, but I never considered how our treatment of her might have reminded her of her Aunt Agnus. It wasn't until Charlotte came to me and explained it all. Because of Francis, Charles, and Toby, our next boy will be vetted extremely well. We will know the circumstances leading up to his being with us. We will know his family background and how he was treated by his family. You and Susan will be involved, so we don't repeat the mistakes we made this time. While we will begin with our normal routine, and establish our authority over the boy, we will be very careful next time not to remind him of anyone who caused him to act out and be sent to us." Jane chuckled before saying, "And I said the same thing when Kenneth was with us, and here we are again with two boys who don't belong here. Maybe I should wait and see before getting out a hammer and chisel and carving our plans in stone."
Sherry reached across the table again and took Jane's hands. "Janie, could of, should of, and would of, are regrets everyone runs through. Some get so hung up on those regrets they never move forward. Others see them as learning experiences and continue with their lives. You have to decide how you'll treat your regrets and whether you'll let them mire you down or move you forward. Knowing you as I do, I don't think you'll let them hold you back. You may piss, moan, and groan, about them. And you may even get angry when even with your best efforts, what you don't want happens anyway. You're wiser than you were three weeks ago before Charlotte arrived. You've made a plan to counter any injustices with the next boy sent to you, but that doesn't mean things will go as you planned. Janie, sometimes you are so narrowly focused, you miss the little things standing right in front of you. You need to open yourself up and observe everything around you, especially the little things. Charlotte showed you how to see not only with your eyes but also with your heart. Question why a boy isn't responding as you want. Observe his behavior, his attitude, then ask yourself why. And if your head can't find an answer, use your heart. You're afraid to show others your big heart because you believe it will diminish your authority. Trust me, Janie, you radiate authority, so no one will dismiss your authority if you show them you also have a big heart. Whether you realize it or not, you've done that very thing with Francis and she still recognizes your authority, though I suspect it's better to say she respects you, respect you earned by not being her Aunt Agnus."
"Janie, didn't you tell me Charlotte asked you why she is here? Why fate put her here at this time? Look at everything she's accomplished since coming to Seasons House. She helped pull Francis out of her shell. She helped you see why Francis was just going through the motions. She helped a girl named Barbara when she was Carolyn's makeup model. She has helped Toby in ways I don't think either of them realizes yet. How many girls who visit the Mall do you think she saved from those assholes? Marie may not admit it, but she's even touched her as well. You, Marie, Francis, Toby, and everyone else she's encountered, have all been affected by her one way or another." Sherry looked into Jane's wet eyes and asked in a soft voice, "And hasn't it worked out as you wanted, developed as you hoped it would? Isn't Francis where you want all your boys to be before leaving you? If Charles hadn't come to Seasons House, you would still be Francis' Aunt Agnus. Francis would still be going through the motions. Barbara would still be a pariah because of her acne, Sandy would still be a terror to your girls, Charles would never have questioned his manhood when he didn't get aroused as he saw three beautiful girls naked, or have saved countless girls from those pigs. And what about Pinto, a horse you and Marie couldn't get to trust you two? And it took Charlotte, what, a few minutes to gain her trust?"
Jane dabbed her eyes as Sherry drank her water, then refilled both glasses. She waited until Jane had a drink before continuing. "Everything everyone has been experiencing is cause and effect, Janie. Think about it. If Toby's brother hadn't been involved in the shoplifting ring, he wouldn't have beaten Toby. If Toby hadn't been forced to shoplift, he wouldn't have been arrested at Taylor's department store. If Toby hadn't been arrested, he wouldn't have seen Charles and falsely accused him of being involved in the shoplifting, and Charles wouldn't have been sent to juvenile court. If Strom hadn't threatened to take Charles to Federal Court if Ruth didn't find him guilty, he wouldn't be here now. If Frank had been left with the Willows, he wouldn't be here now."
"You and Marie were frustrated with Frank's progress. You needed something but weren't sure what you needed. Carolyn needed something to help Barbara but wasn't sure what she needed. Sandy needed someone who wasn't afraid of her to give her better than they got. And it's likely the Mall staff were frustrated with those boys at the Mall but didn't know what they needed to stop them. However, Frank had to live with Aunt Agnus. Toby was beaten and forced to shoplift. He was arrested at Taylor's department store and falsely accused Charles. Ruth had to find Charles guilty to keep him out of Federal Court. And Charles was sent here where he chose to become one of your girls and an answer to the problems all of you were facing. Cause and effect, Janie. And if Charlotte hadn't gone ballistic, I wouldn't be here now to help all of you. Because you wouldn't have needed my help. Cause and effect, Janie."
It was Jane this time who reached across the table and took Sherry's hands in hers. "I never thought to look at current events that way, Sherry. It does, though, answer Charlotte's question to me. We needed her here at this particular time. We needed her skills and the heart she wears on her sleeve. Even I needed her counsel with how Marie and I were treating Francis. How can one person be the center of a pinwheel and have such an effect on the blades of the pinwheel? And from one so young, Sherry?"
Sherry gently squeezed Jane's hands, telling her, "Age has little to do with needs, Janie. All of you were in need, and Charlotte had all the qualifications needed to effect change. It's… that simple, Janie."
Author's Note: When I first wrote Complicit In a Lie, I had no thoughts, or ideas, to write a sequel. But thanks to a few readers, who asked about a sequel, ideas formed that made writing this sequel possible. It is necessary to have read Complicit In a Lie to understand why Charles is now with Jane, who the boy arriving in Kingston is and how he's involved in Charles' Court case. And to understand where Mr. Corporate, George Strom, fits into this story. This story starts off after Charles says, "When do we start," in Complicit in a Lie. So if you haven't read Complicit In a Lie, the beginning of this story won't make any sense. Hint hint!
Jane let go of Sherry's hands and sat back in her chair, looking at Sherry intently. "All of the events leading up to our current state had to have occurred at just the right time and in the right order. With your cause-and-effect idea, Sherry, you sound like a higher power set up everything. I'm dubious of that idea, Sherry."
With a gleam in her eye, Sherry answered, "Be dubious all you want, Janie. But we both know the events happened just as I laid out. 'A' led to 'B,' which led to 'C,' which led to, well, you know the rest. What if it hadn't been his mom's 35th birthday and he hadn't been at Taylor's that day? You want me to run through what wouldn't have happened again? I can if you want." Sherry laughed when Jane waved her hands back and forth in the air, signaling Sherry not to repeat her flow diagram. "I thought not," she replied to Jane's hand waving. "Janie, whether it was a higher power, fate, Karma, the stars aligning correctly, or anything else you want to site, the events lined up in the correct order for Charles to end up here with you. And provide the help you all needed at the moment it was needed."
Jane leaned forward, reached across the table, and took Sherry's hands. "You make a strong case, Sherry, the results can't be denied. However the events aligned, I'm thankful they did and we received the help we unknowingly needed. But right now, my love, I must see if my home is still standing." Jane looked deeply into Sherry's eyes, telling her, "I am still profoundly grateful for everything you did for me when I was a total mess. I'm profoundly sorry for what I put you through during that time. I can only offer you my undying love and eternal respect, and be there any time you are in need."
They both reached up and wiped the tears off the other woman's face. When Sherry could speak, she told Jane, "I couldn't let anything happen to you back then, Janie. You were a need I had to have at the time, a life-saver if you will. I may not have shown it then, but I was a real mess inside. Needing to keep you from self-destructing helped me pull myself together enough to finally be rid of the mess inside of me. I don't think Jill would have gone on to medical school if it hadn't been for your needs. She may never tell you, but she was messed up more than I was. Caring for you, being there for you, helped her focus on someone besides herself. And in that moment, she had a realization that helped her pull herself together. We may be even more grateful to you and you are with us. We're never going to leave you, Janie, until our times come. If you need us, we'll drop everything and be here as quickly as we can." They again reached across the table and wiped the additional tears sliding down their faces.
They were silent for a few moments, staring into each other's eyes as they held hands across the table. Jane finally broke the silence by saying, "Well, I better go inspect my home. No telling what those kobolde (goblins) have been up to."
Still holding hands, they rose from their chairs together and continued holding hands as they walked to the study door. When they reached the study door, and before Jane opened it, they turned to each other and embraced. Looking into each other's eyes, they told each other, "I love you so much," before kissing the other on the cheek. As Jane released Sherry, turned, and opened the study door, Sherry said, "Would you please have Toby come and see me? He's worried about how to handle what people think of his scars." Jane nodded, then left the study, leaving the door open and Sherry standing at the door.
Sherry was lost in thought when she felt a light tap on her arm holding the doorknob on the study door. Shaking herself, she saw Toby standing in front of her, a big smile on his face. "I've only seen that look on someone's face when they are mulling over something they've said, and whether what they said was the right thing to have said. Care to talk about it? It might make you feel better?"
The smile on Toby's face was infectious, causing Sherry to smile. "Hey! I'm the psychologist here not you, at least not yet," and she gently tapped Toby on his nose. "Get in here and go sit down, you rapscallion." Sherry kept talking as Toby walked over to the table and as she closed the study door. "Do you realize everything about the current state of affairs has been cause and effect?" Sherry asked, as she started walking over to the table, sat down, and looked at Toby, who had waited until she sat down before he pulled out his chair and sat down. "It all started with you and your brother."
Toby gave Sherry a puzzled look, asking, "Me and my brother?"
"Yes, you and your brother. Think about it, Toby. If your brother hadn't been involved in that shoplifting gang, he wouldn't have forced you to help by beating you." Toby nodded his head. "You wouldn't have started shoplifting to save yourself from more beatings." Another head nod from Toby. "You wouldn't have been caught at Taylor's and falsely accused Charles." Another head nod. "And you and Charles wouldn't be here now. Neither would there be a price on your head. Cause and effect Toby."
Watching Toby closely, Sherry watched him grind his mental gears until the light came on behind his eyes. "And if all of the things you described hadn't happened, Charles wouldn't have helped everyone he's helped since he's been here."
Despite herself, Sherry clapped her hands, then said, "You got it in one, Toby. Francis would still be going through the motions instead of being open as she is now. Those boys Charlotte tangled with would still be running amuck at the Mall. If you didn't know, the girl she helped at the salon would still be hiding in the back because of her terrible acne. And your two guardians would still be treating Francis as they normally treat their girls."
She saw more gears grinding in Toby's mind before he said, "But… "
Leaning over the table, an excited smile on her face, Sherry said, "Go on. But what, Toby?"
He got a constipated look on his face before going on with, "But that would mean events would have had to happen in just the right order and at just the right time. Are you trying to say there was divine intervention involved?"
Hearing Toby state a logical conclusion, Sherry threw her hands up, clapped, cheered, laughed, and threw herself back into her chair all in one motion. In a sardonic voice, Toby asked, "Are you okay? You act like you just won a million-dollar jackpot or a trip around the world."
Laughing, Sherry threw herself forward, reached across the table, and took Toby's hands, the excited smile still showing broadly. "You are the million-dollar jackpot, that trip around the world, Toby. Given the little I told you, you reasoned out that events had to occur in a specific order, and at a specific time."
"Yeeaahh… okay so? Anyone could have figured that out."
Shaking her head, Sherry countered with, "No they couldn't, Toby. Most people don't think in a linear manner. Their thoughts are all over the map. It's like they're in one of those glass tubes on a games show, trying to grab as much of the wind-blown money as they can. They may eventually get there, but only after struggling to find all the pieces. You, on the other hand, saw all the pieces, and after carefully examining them, came to the only logical conclusion possible. If those events I described never happened, I wouldn't be here, you wouldn't be here, Charles wouldn't be here, and those having been helped would still need help. Now, as to your divine intervention question, who's to say? What are the odds of everything lining up and falling into place at the right moment and… at the right time?"
Answering, Toby said, "Probably as likely as flipping a quarter into the air and it landing on its edge and not falling over. But it all sounds so, I don't know, mysterious. If you watch life around you, it's chaotic, unorganized, random, unpredictable. Oh, some things can be predicted, and are accurately predicted, but for the most part, it's like throwing a handful of confetti into the air and trying to determine where every piece will land, during a strong wind."
Still smiling, Sherry said, "Good analogies, Toby, but for whatever reasons, things came together at the right moment, and at the right time, it all did happen. And personally, I think there was a big hand involved." Toby smiled after Sherry gave her personal opinion, then heard, "I'm afraid I got us sidetracked from the reason I want to speak with you. You wanted to know how to deal with people who question all the scaring on your body."
Sherry watched as Toby presented an uncomfortable expression on his face. "What do I tell them when they ask? I could be rude and tell them it's none of the damn business, but I couldn't be rude to someone asking an innocent question. Do I tell them the truth, make up a story, or just ignore them? I've seen my back. I know no matter what Thomas and his team can do for me, I'm going to have scars on my back. And… " Toby paused, looking down at his hands being held by Sherry. "And what do I tell a girl I might want to be with? Will those scars turn her off? Will I be a Quasimodo to her?"
Sherry reached up and gently wiped the tears now staining Toby's cheeks. Taking his hands again, she told him, "Esmarelda learned the truth about Quasimodo, the big heart he had despite his deformities. She looked past the ugliness others saw and saw a heart of gold, and a mind to match. He wasn't allowed to use his mind because it was equated with his ugliness. Many girls will take one look at the scars you have and go running into the night, screaming as they run. But the girl meant for you will be your Esmarelda. She will look past what your body holds and see the heart and mind you possess. And, how handsome a young man you are. Again, it's my personal belief I'm telling you now, but I believe we all have that special someone waiting for us, and waiting to meet us. But sometimes, because of something happening in our lives, we miss that appointment and the opportunity to meet that person. We allow what happened to us limit our actions. We hide ourselves away, letting life pass us by. Missing opportunity after opportunity until it's too late."
Sherry stopped speaking, picked up her glass of water, and took a long drink before she continued speaking. "Toby, it isn't about the assholes who'll be rude and ask rude questions about your scars. Or about the innocent questions you'll receive or those who stare from a distance. It's about you, Toby, and how you choose to handle all of this. You can hold your head up and tell the assholes where to go. You can be kind and explain it to the one asking the innocent question. And those who haven't learned not to stare, you can ignore them and go on about your business. Or, you can let others see how self-conscious you are about your scars whenever you're out in public. They may see the scars on your legs if you're wearing shorts, but unless you walk around without a shirt, or you're an exhibitionist and go buck naked, no one will see your back or butt. Except, maybe… that one girl who becomes your steady. The one meant just for you. Have I answered your questions, Toby? Have I helped you see how it isn't about others and their responses, but your choices that matter? There are plenty of people who've lost arms and legs, or the ability to walk, or have terrible burn scars, who have got on with their lives despite their losses or appearances. You can do the same, Toby, if you choose to do so."
Toby was quiet after what he heard from Sherry, the occasional tear sliding down his cheeks. Then, softly, he said, "You make it sound so easy, Sherry. Just as water rolls off a duck's back."
Reaching across the table again, she took his hands then replied, "Oh, no, sweetheart. No no no no, that's not what I'm saying. I've counseled many who were in your position, and I know it won't be easy. What I'm telling you is that it's your decision how you'll respond or how you'll carry yourself. Toby, I've seen an extremely confident young man the entire time I've been here and around you. Like Jane exudes authority, you exude confidence. People see it in you, you practically radiate confidence. Why, your confidence radiates so brightly, you could walk down the street on a moonless night and not need a flashlight."
Sherry chuckled when she watched as Toby rolled his eyes and shook his head. "Gads, Sherry, you want me to get you a wider brush? The one you're using is a tad small."
Smiling, Sherry playfully swatted Toby's right hand, replying, "Yes, I know I'm laying it on thick, Toby. But it's all true. Jane, Marie, Jill, Susan, even the girls would agree with me. You. Exude. Confidence." Sherry punctuated each word by gently tapping Toby's left hand. "You may be shaking on the inside, but outside, no one notices. I'll tell you something to drive the point home. Not too many days ago, Jane was going through a rough patch. She was sent riding and her mare took her to the pond. She was explicit in telling Jane to get off and sit on the bench at the pond. It was the fish that got Jane's attention with their antics, as they made ripples in the pond, then ducking back under the water afterward. It was their way of telling Jane to let the ripples pass over her and continue on with her life. Let those who have no real interest in your life say what they want. Let their words pass you by and continue on with what you're doing. Choose not to care what they have to say, but neither let them walk all over you."
Toby let go of Sherry's hands, stood up, and walked around the table to stand in front of the window. "You've given me a lot to think about, Sherry. So much, in fact, it's making my head hurt."
Getting up from her own chair, Sherry stepped behind Toby, gently put her arms around him, before saying, "I'm sorry, Toby. I know I gave you a lot of information to process. But I have faith in you, Toby. I know, if you choose, you can stand tall and walk through another hell storm and come out the other side even stronger. Come on, we better get you back to the library, or wherever Jane wants you to go."
Sherry walked Toby to the study door, her arm around his shoulder. "For now, Toby," she said as they walked. "Before you go off the deep end with worry, wait until you see how Thomas' treatment helps you. You may discover you have nothing to worry about from others. I know, I know, it sounds easy, doesn't it? It can be if you decide to let it be easy." When they reached the study door, Sherry opened it and asked, "Would you please ask Charlotte to come and see me?" Nodding his head, Toby walked out of the study and to the library. Talking to herself after Toby left her, she told herself, "A lot of things are easier said than done, aren't they, Sherry?"
Brightening as she saw Charlotte walking toward her, Sherry called out, "Are you ready for another session with me, Charlotte?" Charlotte answered Sherry's question by giving Sherry a Galic shrug before she walked into the study. Sherry closed the study door and followed Charlotte to the table. After the two sat down, Sherry asked, "Do you have any more ghosts in your past, Charlotte? Anything from school or elsewhere?"
Watching Charlotte think about her questions, Sherry picked up her glass of water and took a long drink. She filled her glass, then poured a glass of water for Charlotte. Because of previous sessions with Charlotte, Sherry could tell that Charlotte was ready to give her an answer. "Sherry, except for those two times I finally got out into the open, I can't think of anything else from school hiding in the shadows. I do, though, feel sort of bad about what I had to do to James Conner the day this whole thing started. Even though I know I was only defending myself, I hate it when I have to hurt someone."
Sherry heard a creaking sound in her head, a realization Charlotte had just opened a door for her. "And how do you feel about the boys at the Mall you hurt? Do you regret what you had to do to them?"
Frowning, Charlotte sat there examining her feelings about what she had to do to those boys at the Mall. She looked at Sherry and said, "I wish it didn't have to happen, Sherry. But I was just defending myself and Aunt Jane."
Boring into Charlotte's eyes, Sherry said, "That isn't what I asked you, Charlotte. I asked how you 'feel' about what you did. You're evading the question again, Charlotte. Why?"
Charlotte didn't try to pull her hands away when Sherry reached across the table and took her hands. That episode in her life had been brought out into the open and she no longer feared someone holding her hands. "You told me you'd been trained by people I'd never heard of, so I imagine during your training they taught you to disassociate your feelings when dealing with an attacker?" Watching Sherry nod her head, Charlotte continued. "I was taught the same during an attack. While my senseis sparred with me, during the times they wanted me to learn not to let my feelings dictate how I fought, I got my butt kicked multiple times because I'd get mad while we sparred. Even after the sparring ended, I'd be furious because I couldn't do what I wanted to do as we fought. Then one night, my dad was there watching as I sparred with one of my senseis and saw how mad I got as we sparred and afterward. After I'd changed and we were leaving the dojo, he chuckled after I walked right by him and out of the dojo, still fuming over my failure that night. We didn't go right home but stopped off at an ice cream shop; dad knows I'm a sucker for ice cream when I'm angry. After getting our ice cream, we sat down at a table and because I was still mad, I was eating my ice cream like tomorrow wouldn't come. Dad reached across the table and put a hand on my right hand, stopping me from putting the next spoonful in my mouth. Then he told me something I hadn't considered. He said, 'You're trying to run before you've learned to roll over. A baby lies on their back for a long time, then one day, they do something that helps them roll over. The parents put them on their back the next time and they roll over again. Now when they're put on their back, they roll themselves over and lie on their stomach. Then one day, they do something and they end up on their knees. Of course, they fall down the first few times but eventually stay on their knees. Then one day they move an arm or a knee and bring the other arm or knee up to steady themselves and end up slowly moving from place to place on their knees. They just learned to crawl. Then one day they find a couch or chair, and pull themselves up to a standing position. (The first time you did that, you let out a happy squeal before plopping down on your butt.) The baby plops down over and over until they finally get the hang of keeping their balance. Well, once they discover their balance, they have to be watched like a hawk because they then start using whatever they can hold onto and start walking everywhere. Then one day they discover they no longer need the support of a couch, chair, or anything else because they learned to balance while walking unaided. That's when the fun really begins. It starts slow at first, but eventually, they're running all over the house, and they're fast, Charles. And because they now can walk, anything you don't want them getting into has to be locked or put away where they can't get into it. Charles, you're trying to run before you've learned how to roll over. I was the same way during my first several court cases. It wasn't until one of the older partners in the firm I was with, sat me down and explained what I've just explained to you. As I started practicing rolling over when I entered the courtroom, I got better as a lawyer. Then the day I learned how to run, the minute I entered the courtroom, I'd left my personal feelings and attitude out in the hallway.'
"I thought long and hard about what dad told me that night, about how it all made sense if you needed to be completely focused while doing something. It was hard at first, I'd still got mad, but gradually, over time, I learned to run. So the only answer I can give you to your question about my feelings over what I did, can only be after it was all over. Because when someone attacks me, I lock my feelings away and become focused solely on the attacker. I just wish I didn't have to hurt them at times. I wish they'd listen to me as I try to talk them into going away. I tried to do that to the kid I eventually slammed into the window of that store. Or when those boys blocked me when I was looking in a store window. He tried to touch my face, then got mad because of what I initially did to him and tried to punch me. We tried to reason with Peter and those other two boys outside the Mall that one time, but all four didn't like some girl, or woman, telling them what to do. So, they got hurt."
Letting go of Charlotte's hands, Sherry reached up and wiped the tears Charlotte was shedding. Sitting back in her chair after wiping tears from Charlotte's cheeks, she looked at the hurting boy sitting in front of her presenting as a girl. Her mind was racing, looking for a way to approach Charles to make him see it wasn't wrong to hurt someone in defense of yourself or another person. She thought of an idea and decided to see if it would work. "Charles," Sherry said softly, "Let's go over what you had to do and see if there was another way you could have handled those situations, okay?" Seeing Charles nod his head, she began. "James Conner put his hand on your shoulder without identifying himself and you put him on the floor with your knee on the back of his neck and his arm twisted up behind his back. Instead of just putting you into the holding room, he shoved you in the room and followed you, closing and locking the door behind him, intent on making you confess to your involvement in the shoplifting. He thought he'd intimidate you with a police baton, which you eventually used to not only break his left collarbone but the ulna and radius in his right forearm."
"Now you're here at Seasons House, volunteering to be one of Jane's girls. She takes you to the Mall so you can experience what many girls your age experience from the pigs that roam such Malls. The first pig is deaf and ends up being slammed into the window of a store you were in front of. He tries it with another girl and you point it out to the Mall security guards. The next boy tries to touch you, only to end up on his knees with his hand painfully bent backward. He doesn't like that, does he, so when the security guards are busy with his two friends, he tries to punch you, only to have you knock him out. Then the first boy is waiting for you outside the Mall, where he tries to attack you as you exit the Mall. He didn't count on Jane dealing with him, did he, and he again ends up on his knees with his hand in a painful position. Then the boy's so-called friends show up, and you and Jane deal with them, with you kicking one boy in the stomach, causing him to drop to his knees, with breathing troubles. So why were those boys assaulted by you and Jane?"
Having a stern frown on his face, Charles told Sherry, "We didn't assault anyone. We defended ourselves. And when I'm with Aunt Jane, no one is going to attack her."
Sherry's idea had worked, she got Charles to admit he was defending himself and Jane. "So, there wasn't another way you could have stopped those boys? You had to assault them?"
"Damn, it, Sherry! I told you, we defended ourselves! And, no, unless we wanted to be hit by those boys, there was no other way." Charles shot back.
Charles saw the smirk on Sherry's lips just as she said, "So, you hurt those boys to keep from being hurt, right? Nothing you could have said would have prevented them from hitting you, right? And neither you nor Jane instigated the conflict initially, right? Those boys chose how to react, right? They instigated your responses, right? You had to hurt them to end their assault on you and Jane, right? Neither you nor Jane went to the Mall to get your jollies off hurting those boys, right? It was you or them, defend yourselves or get hurt, right?"
Sitting back in her chair again, Sherry watched Charles mull over everything she just asked him. She chuckled when she saw his face drop, look at her, and tell her, "Ya, know. You're a sly piece of crap, Sherry. You wind me up, then push me in a direction that makes me see the point you're trying to make. Damn, you're good, woman." Sherry laughed for a few moments before Charles continued speaking. "I see your point, Sherry. We couldn't have said anything to those boys to stop their attacks on us, their egos had been assaulted by a girl and a woman. They couldn't let the assault on their egos go unchallenged, so they attacked us, causing us to defend ourselves. They got hurt, but it was their own doing, they bit off more than they were able to chew. And because we hurt them while defending ourselves, we, rather I, shouldn't feel bad they got themselves hurt. Right?"
"That's right, Charles. You got it in one. You were not taken to the Mall to kick ass and forget about names, though had you done that, you might have had to deal with one angry tiger, and I feel you could have dealt with that tiger. But it's what happened while you were there. So you have no reason to feel sad because someone attacking you was hurt during the attack. However, if during those attacks, you accidentally hit someone not involved in the attacks, then feeling sad they were accidentally hit would be a justifiable reaction. And you should feel sad. But you have no reason to feel it was unjust to hurt someone when they attacked you."
Taking a drink of her water, Sherry broached another subject. "Now, I have another question for you. Thinking back to the two times in elementary school, when those two boys shoved your head into the toilet and put you into that urinal, were you angry at those boys for what they did to you?"
Throughout her career, Sherry had honed her observation skills to the point she could determine what a person was thinking about after she asked them a question if she'd met with them more than once. As she watched Charlotte after her question, Charlotte's expression told Sherry she was thinking back to the time in elementary school. After that expression was one telling Sherry Charlotte was talking to herself, asking herself the question Sherry asked. And now came the expression that told Sherry she was ready to answer the question. "I'm not sure, Sherry. I wasn't happy about what they did to me, though in the end, they paid the price. But I can't remember being angry with them. Why would you ask such a question, Sherry? Have I been acting angry because subconsciously I'm still upset over what happened?"
Looking at Charlotte with a critical eye, Sherry asked, "Have you? Are you aware of recently acting angry? Do you feel angry at times because something reminds you of that time? And what made you bring up your subconscious? Is that an area you're interested in pursuing?"
Again, Sherry watched as the expressions portrayed by Charlotte told her how she was thinking and about what. Then Charlotte's 'I'm ready to speak' expression arrived, followed by Charlotte saying, "I don't think I've been acting out because of being angry over what they did to me at that time. I was angry at Toby when he first arrived, all because he lied about my involvement in the shoplifting at Taylor's. But after seeing what he'd been going through just to survive, I lost what anger I originally had. As to bringing up my subconscious, yes, it's something I'm interested in pursuing. I want to attend medical school and specialize in psychiatry, it's a strong desire I've had for a number of years. When I'm not reading ahead in my classes while in the library, or reading material I'd take in my sophomore, junior, or senior years, I read what the library has on psychiatry. I've even gone through everything the library has on medicine. As I once said, I received a dispensation from our local University to take Anatomy and Physiology, so if/when I get to University, those two courses are out of the way. And before you ask, I received straight 'A's' in both courses. Would you care to hear my dissertation about those two courses?"
Laughing, Sherry relied, "Gawd, no, I had to work my butt off to get through both of those courses. I aced them, but have no want to remember them. So, psychiatry, huh? Why not psychology? You won't rack up a huge debt, and you'll be practicing much sooner. With psychiatry, you have what, four years at University, another four or five years of medical school, then your residency? So it will be what, nine or ten years before you start practicing?"
Charlotte shook yer head, saying, "More like twelve years. There are four years of college or University, four years of medical school, and then four years in a Psychiatry residency program; I looked up the requirements when I realized I was interested in that field. But I don't think it will take me that long to get through University and get my degree. You see, I looked up the courses I'd need to take at our local University to get my BS. Then, during the summer, I'd go to our public library and check out what books they had for those courses. And if the library didn't have those books, dad would go with me to the University library or the University bookstore and we'd buy the books I'd need for those courses. Sherry, I honestly believe I could test out of almost all of the courses I'd have to take to get my BS. There are some I'd have to take because of labs being involved. But the bookwork classes, I could test out in all but a handful of courses because I couldn't find the required books anywhere."
Sitting quietly after what Charlotte told her, Sherry planned her next set of questions. When she spoke, her first question was, "Do you think it wise to rush through school to obtain your BS? I've no doubt, given what I've seen you do here, you could test out of those courses you've already studied. But what about being in a class and allowing others to hear your ideas and answers? Ideas and answers they never considered or ideas and answers that might help them at some point. Then there are the individual professors and instructors. Might you learn something from what they have to say on the subject they're teaching?" Sherry leaned across the table before saying, "And why in thunder are you in such a rush to get where you want to go? You want to go into a field dealing with people's lives by delving into their minds. If you rush through your higher education, you might miss something critical you may need in helping someone one day. Charles, education isn't only about bookwork and/or labs, it's absorbing knowledge through observations. I've seen how observant you are and how well you can read a situation. Use that ability as you attend your schools, learn about behaviors by observing behaviors. Watch your classmates, your instructors, life as you walk between classes, when you're at the student union, or in the cafeteria. You'll learn just as much, if not more, by observing the people around you."
Leaning back in her chair again, she watched as Charlotte thought about everything she'd said, then chuckled and said, "Jeeze, Sherry. You think I could answer one question before you act like a Gatlin gun with more questions?"
Before Charlotte could say more, Sherry leaned across the table and asked, "So you want one question at a time, huh? Okay, first question. When you defended yourself from those three boys, did you think of them as the two boys who stuck your head in the toilet and put you into the urinal?"
Charlotte sat quietly for a long time before saying, "Thinking back, I don't remember thinking that, Sherry, but if I did subconsciously, I wouldn't know, would I?"
"No, Charlotte, no you wouldn't. But it is something you need to guard against. There something called a Root cause, ever heard of it?" When Charlotte shook her head no, Sherry started explaining it to her. "Let's take your not wanting praise because of what happened to you in elementary school. You were embarrassed over what those two boys did to you so you shied away from anything you'd do where someone would praise you. The Root cause of you shying away from praise of any kind are the events that took place when you were in elementary school. You never dealt openly with them so they stayed buried, influencing everything you did in your life afterward. But we've dealt with them, brought both out into the open so you had no choice but to face them head on. While you seem to be handling being pulled into the shoplifting mess okay now, the more you talk about it with me the less of a chance it'd become your next Root cause for something that could happen later on. Now, to my next question, Charlotte, about rushing through higher learning. What are your answers to my previous questions, knowing the field you'll be entering?"
Author's Note: When I first wrote Complicit In a Lie, I had no thoughts, or ideas, to write a sequel. But thanks to a few readers, who asked about a sequel, ideas formed that made writing this sequel possible. It is necessary to have read Complicit In a Lie to understand why Charles is now with Jane, who the boy arriving in Kingston is and how he's involved in Charles' Court case. And to understand where Mr. Corporate, George Strom, fits into this story. This story starts off after Charles says, "When do we start," in Complicit in a Lie. So if you haven't read Complicit In a Lie, the beginning of this story won't make any sense. Hint hint!
As Sherry watched, Charlotte's contemplative look said she was trying to come up with answers to Sherry's school questions. Sherry had a speculative feeling what Charlotte would tell her, when she told her, but right now the answers eluded Charlotte. As Toby had done, Charlotte got up from her chair, walked around the end of the table, and walked the short distance to the study window. She stood there silent, hands clasped behind her back. Sherry got up out of her chair, stepped to the window, and silently stood to Charlotte's right. "Kind of hard to answer questions when you don't know the 'whys' yourself, isn't it?"
The two stood there silently for several minutes, until Charlotte said, "Yeah, it is. And to tell you the truth, Sherry, I don't know why I want to get through everything as quickly as possible. I can't come up with a valid reason, I just feel this need to rush, Sherry. I can't see where it comes from, but it's there."
Turning to look at Charlotte, Sherry asked, "Aren't you rushing through the AP courses Susan is giving you? Couldn't that be the need you're feeling, unless you've always had the feeling? The need to get through as many AP courses as possible before going back to your high school?"
The study was again silent, the two gazing out the window. Sherry didn't have to see Charlotte's face to know she was again thinking about her questions. Charlotte leaned her head against Sherry's left shoulder, asking, "Can't you ask me simpler questions? Like the possibility of two plus two equalling more or less than four? Or if a rock has more mass than the earth? Or how it feels when you slam your toe into the leg of a chair? Ya, know, simple questions."
Sherry put her left arm around Charlotte's shoulder, pulled her toward her, then replied, "I might ask you simple questions if you were a simple-minded person. You are not a simple-minded individual, so you don't get simple-minded questions. I give you questions that require thought, which you are quite adept at doing. You may not have an answer because you're too close to the reason and can't see it. And it stems from the horrid schools the three of you attend." Charlotte looked up at Sherry, giving her a questioning look. "The three of you have asked to take AP courses at your respective high schools, only to have those morons tell you no. So now, when you have the opportunity to take AP courses, you three are flying through as many as you can before going back to your respective high schools, and the boring classes you're forced to take. I see that in all three of you. Only you, Charlotte, haven't stopped with just the AP courses, you're extending the need to rush through your courses to the University, and I dare say, Medical School, a place you can't rush through no matter how hard you try. You won't be allowed to rush through your medical or psychiatric residency because you'll first have to become a doctor before you can specialize in psychiatry. And you won't be allowed to rush through your psychiatric residency because you'll have a lot to learn in dealing with various mental problems. So, my eager friend, do what you can while you're here, but slow down after leaving Seasons House. Use every experience at the schools you attend to learn your craft. But for now, let's get you back to the library so I can snag Francis." With her arm still around Charlotte's shoulder, they both turned around and headed to the study door, where Sherry opened the door and together they walked to the library. Looking at each other and smiling, they both reached up and knocked lightly on the library door, before Sherry opened it and allowed Charlotte to walk into the library. Standing in the doorway, Sherry said, "Francis, how about you and I congregate for a few moments in the study? I'm sure you have some fascinating tales to tell me."
Frowning when Francis didn't look up from the book she was reading, Sherry started to walk over to Francis, only to hear Toby say, with a big smile on his face, "Hé, cerveau à l'égout, la dame te parle (Hey, brain down the drain, the lady is talking to you.)." Even his playful insult didn't stir Francis. However, when the pillow hit Francis in the head, she suddenly had a reason to look up from the textbook she was reading.
Looking up from the textbook after her head was pelted by the pillow, Francis first frowned then said, "What do you mean my brain is down the drain, you seau de guano de chauve-souris (bucket of bat guano?)?" When Toby pointed to Sherry, Francis, said, "Oh, hi Sherry. I didn't see you come into the library, I was rather busy, until that," and Francis pointed to Toby, the big smile still on his face, "interrupted me."
Despite herself, Sherry was laughing at the two teen's antics. When Francis had spoken to her, she asked, "You had your nose buried in that book and didn't hear me calling your name, or Toby speak to you. But after he got your attention with that pillow, you remembered what he'd said to you. How? Most people lost in what they're doing, as you were, can't remember anything someone says to them."
Francis gave Sherry a puzzled frown after she asked the question. Francis then looked at Toby and Charlotte, watching both shaking their heads no. "They can't? Hmm, that's weird. I've been able to do that as far back as I can remember."
Shaking her head after what Francis told her, she then said, "That's a remarkable ability, Francis. But right now, what say ye we doth venture forth to the room of the study?"
As if it had been rehearsed, all three teens groaned before face-palming themselves. Not wanting to miss a given opportunity, Toby asked, "Sherry. Doth thou partake immense quantities of The Bard as you sojourn the day? Should that be so, perhaps the métier (job) you engage in serves all better?"
Giving Toby her best Jane Thompson look, Sherry told Toby, "Thou presents thyself near close to the precipice and a fall. Thou should present your studies with as much interest." Then doing the mature, adult woman act, she stuck her tongue at Toby, before telling the laughing Francis, "Come on, Francis. Let's go blather, and leave these droll specimens of humanity." Francis was laughing so hard she couldn't stand at the moment.
Charlotte barged in with, "Hey! I'm just an innocent bystander here. Don't include me in with the âne déguisé en chèvre (donkey disguised as a goat.). We did not collaborate on the 'dothing.'"
What Sherry did next, caused Charlotte and Toby to laugh, and kept Francis laughing. She bowed as a Shakespiring male actor would bow, taking a step backward with one leg, bending over at the waist, while taking off his head covering. "Oh, malady, I beseech you to forgive this humble servant for believing thou to be in league with the âne déguisé en chèvre (donkey disguised as a goat.). I humbly excuse thou from any blame in the matter."
Then Toby did something to cause even Sherry to break out in laughter. Lifting his feet off the floor, he said, "It's getting mighty thick in here. You two better go before it spills out into the hallway."
Still laughing, Sherry waved for the still-laughing Francis to come with her. "Come on, Francis," Sherry said as she laughed. "Let's go have our talk." Sherry's laughter slowed to chuckles, as did Francis' laughter, as the two left the library."
As the two walked past the dining room, they heard chuckles coming from the kitchen. Francis then said something taking Sherry completely by surprise. "Guess they watched and heard our whole exchange in the library."
Sherry said nothing until they were in the study with the door closed. As they walked to the table to sit down, Sherry asked, "What did you mean by what you said just now, Francis?"
When she reached the table, Francis poured herself a glass of water, sat down, then drank half the water in the glass. Shrugging, Francis told Sherry, "Aunt Jane has cameras and microphones in the rooms her girls would use. I discovered them the first day I was here. I was sitting in my bedroom looking around the room when I spotted something odd near the ceiling of one corner of my bedroom. To get a better look at the odd thing near the ceiling in the corner, I acted as though I was inspecting my bedroom as I walked around the room."
Taken aback, Sherry asked, "And you never let on you knew about the cameras and microphones? Why?"
Shrugging again, Francis pursed her lips before saying, "When I first saw Aunt Jane at the train station, I could see her concern for me in her eyes. Even though she acted sternly, there was compassion shining in her eyes. Also, I was away from Aunt Agnus, thank goodness. Those two things helped me to respect Aunt Jane right off. Even after she used me against myself, and I ended up as Francis, this is her house, and because she is concerned about us, she has every right to place whatever she wants to look after us. And, I didn't want to upset her by letting her know I knew about the equipment."
Sherry admired the boy for thinking of the welfare of someone else, but he'd opened a door Sherry would gladly use. "But didn't you upset Jane by just going through the motions before Charlotte talked with you? If you initially recognized the care Jane had for you, shouldn't you have done your best for her before Charlotte came?"
Nodding, Francis asked, "What's the saying, Sherry? Hindsight is 20/20? I see now how I should have acted before my talk with Charlotte. But even though I respected Aunt Jane right away, she started reminding me of Aunt Agnus by the way she was treating me at the time. And my time with Aunt Agnus was a fresh open wound memory."
Recognizing there was a whole different side to Francis, Frank, she sat back in her chair and stared at the boy/girls sitting across from her. "Have you always had concerns for others, Francis… um… Frank?"
Shrugging again, Francis told her, "I don't go out of my way to hurt anyone, Sherry. I try to do what mom and dad told me when I do something. I try to consider how someone else will feel when I'm going to do something, or if I know something."
"You mentioned your mom and dad, Frank. What is it they told you?" Sherry saw the tears build up in Frank's eyes as she mentioned his mother and father. She sat up in her chair, reached across the table, and gently took Frank's hands. "It's okay, Frank. Tell me when you're ready. You obviously loved your parents very much, so it's no shame to cry when you think about them." And cry he did, causing Sherry to get out of her chair and walk around the table to take Frank in her arms. "It's okay, Frank. Let it out. I'm here for you."
The study door opened, and Jane stood looking at Sherry holding the crying Francis. Jane cleared her throat to get Sherry's attention, wanting to know if Francis was okay. Hearing the sound Jane made clearing her throat, Sherry turned her head to look at Jane. Understanding Jane's silent question, Sherry nodded, then mouthed, parents. Nodding her understanding, Jane quietly stepped out of the study and silently closed the door behind her. As Jane walked to the kitchen to speak with Marie, she became resolute in her decision to have their next boy speak with Sherry and to have Susan determine the boy's level of knowledge. They would also get a complete picture of the boy's life before coming to Seasons House. They were not going to be caught flat-footed again.
Back in the study, Frank had started to calm down, though still feeling the loss of his parents. It wasn't long before he told Sherry, "Yeah, I miss my parents, Sherry, and loved them an awful lot." He was quiet for a few more minutes before saying, "Mom and dad always told me to consider the feelings of others before I did or said something. They said I should put myself in the position of someone else and try to imagine how I'd feel if someone did or said something that'd hurt me. And I've always tried to do that Sherry, it's why I haven't told Aunt Jane I know about the cameras and microphones."
"You are a remarkable young man, Frank Winslow. In fact, all three of you are remarkable young men," Sherry told the boy still cradled in her arms. Marie had left the box of tissues sitting on the table from her visit with Sherry. Sherry reached over and removed two tissues, handing them to Frank so he could wipe his eyes.
Frank chuckled as he wiped his eyes. "Calling me a young man right now seems kind of silly, don't you think Sherry? I don't look anything like a young man right now. Although, when I leave Seasons House, I'll be that young man you spoke of."
Laughing, Sherry said, "Maybe you're right Frank, but you're still a remarkable person no matter how you look. Are you feeling better now?"
Nodding, Frank answered, "Yeah, I think so. There are times I miss my parents so much, Sherry. I often wonder how things would be if they hadn't been murdered. I know I wouldn't be here now, I wouldn't be Francis, not that it's been that bad. Being Francis is nothing compared to the ordeal Toby experienced. It's like the saying about having no shoes until the person sees a person with no feet. Their complaint then falls flat, just like any complaint I'd have about being Francis."
"Sometimes, Frank, it takes us witnessing something worse than what we're experiencing to remind us we aren't experiencing anything so bad. Something we haven't discussed, Frank, is your goals after high school. Do you know what you'd like to do with your life? Is there anything interesting to you at this point in your life?"
Seeing Frank's thinking face, Sherry waited until Frank was ready to answer her questions. When Frank was ready to speak, he began hesitantly before acting excited. "I have an interest in biochemistry, Sherry. I read an article on biochemistry I really enjoyed, then because of that article, I went through what the library at school had on the subject. I'd go to the public library when I could and read what was there. I had some questions after reading that article, and some ideas, but not enough education in chemistry to answer the questions or bring my idea forward. I tried to find answers, but I must be asking questions no one else has asked. Because of that article, I'd like to go into biochemistry so I can get answers to my questions and see if I can't bring my ideas forward."
Moving back to her chair, and looking at the once quiet boy, Sherry was impressed with his life choice. "Are you taking chemistry at school?"
Francis shook her head, saying, "Naw… I was told I'd have to take biology as a Freshman. When I asked when I could take chemistry, they said I might not be able to because of my grades. They didn't think I'd be able to handle the course in my Sophomore year. At the time, when I wasn't allowed to take any AP courses, and because of 'that woman,' I just didn't care anymore. So I did just enough to get by in all of my classes. As much reading as I've done on chemistry and biochemistry, I think I could test out of the chemistry class at our high school. Buutt… I don't think they'd even give me the opportunity."
Calming herself down, she told Francis, "Don't give up, Francis, you'll make it into biochemistry down the road. Things are in the works for the three of you. Is there anything else you'd like to discuss?" When Francis shook her head, Sherry let her leave, asking her to have Susan come and see her.
After getting up from their chairs, they walked to the study door. Just as Sherry started reaching for the doorknob, Francis turned toward Sherry and hugged her. Telling her, "I'm so glad you're here Sherry. You've really helped me deal with a lot of things."
Returning the hug, Sherry smiled as she told Francis, "I'm glad I could help you, Francis. I think once you got it all off your mind, you were able to do a lot better with your studies. Now, get going, and don't forget to ask Susan to come see me." Opening the study door, Sherry watched as Francis walked across part of the living room to the library. She had to calm herself down again, after hearing about Frank's school roadblocks.
Susan had a smile on her face as she walked toward the study, seeing Sherry waiting for her in the doorway. "Have you shaken all the cobwebs out of their heads?" Susan asked, reaching the study and walking through the open door.
After closing the study door, Sherry answered, "I think the worst of their problems are now out in the open and they're better able to deal with them. But I wanted to ask you, do you have any ideas about schooling for those three? I know the shoplifting mess has to be settled first, but I just thought… well, you're the educator and might have some ideas."
Instead of walking to the table and sitting down, Susan walked to the window and stood there looking to the outside world. Sherry walked to the window and stood next to Susan, waiting for Susan to answer her question. Susan did something she'd only seen little kids do when they've been caught doing what they shouldn't be doing, sliding a foot around on the floor. Still, Sherry waited. When Susan did answer her question, it came out like a little child trying to explain why they did something they knew shouldn't be done. "Weell… I've been talking to a few people, people I've known for some time. People in a position to make things happen. One person is on the State Board of Education, the other a member of the Board of Regents at a University. After I sent them the IQ scores you acquired, and my test results, they were more than a little pissed. And when I told them how the three had been treated at their respective high schools, a few times I had to pull the phone away from my ear. Or when I told them about Toby asking to be tested and being refused because it would upset the class dynamics. My friend at the University told me she'd give them full scholarships when they finished high school, she was that interested in those three. My friend on the State Board of Education thought it was time to have a talk with the principals at their respective high schools, maybe even make a few personnel changes. I cautioned them not to do anything at the moment, due to an ongoing police investigation into another matter. Warning them if they did anything at the moment, it could compromise the investigation. I said I’d keep in touch, letting them know when it was safe to do something for those three."
Sherry digested what Susan told her, asking, "Can you trust them not to say or do anything right now? Toby's in hiding, so any information gets out about his whereabouts, and they may send people here."
Susan turned to look Sherry square in the eyes. "Yeah, Sherry, I can trust them. It happened years ago when we were in college together. We went to a Frat party and a couple of guys… um… they were drunk. No, they were beyond drunk. Cornered me in the kitchen. They wouldn't let me leave. They… um… they started pawing me, feeling me up. I… I tried fighting them off but they were a lot bigger than I was. I must have screamed, or something, because the next thing I knew, both of them were lying on the floor out cold. When I looked up, my two friends were standing there, each holding a metal pot in their hands." Susan chuckled before saying, "Those two hit those two in the head so hard they dented the bottom of the pots. And then, as I watched, those two crazies completely undressed those two pigs and took their clothes with us as we left the party. Oh, yeah, and one of them wrote 'pig' on their chests with her lipstick." Susan turned back to the window and resumed looking at the outside world. After a few minutes, she said, "Yeah, Sherry, we can trust them."
Putting an arm around Susan's shoulder, Sherry said, "Oh, Susan. I'm so sorry to hear you went through something like that. Did you talk to anyone afterward, or did you report them to anyone?"
"Yeah, I reported them to the Dean of Students the next day. He told me it'd be my word against theirs, until I told him about my two witnesses. Once he heard their stories, he had no choice but to take action. Word got around what I'd done, and more women came forward to tell their stories about those two pigs. Not only did they get expelled, but the police had to be called because those two raped several of the women who came forward. Last I heard, both were sentenced to prison and labeled as sexual predators. I haven't a clue where they are today or what they're doing, but it was satisfying to know they served prison time." Silence lingered again before Susan said, "I did talk to someone, my mom. She was like you, I mean, she was in the same field as you. You know how angry you got when you found out the boy's IQs? I thought dad and I would have to tie her down after she heard what they'd done to me. She made even Jane's anger seem tame. If those two boys had been there after I told mom what they did, they'd be sitting down to pee the rest of their lives. Oh, Sherry, she was beyond angry. I'd never seen her so mad. I do miss her, though. You two would have got along famously. It was cancer, before you ask. Took all of us by surprise. Three months after she found out, she was gone. I think dad died of a broken heart, mom's death hit him hard. You would have liked my parents, Sherry. Those two would put Jill's pranks to shame. They were two peas in a pod, they were, Sherry."
Sherry kept her arm around Susan, as Susan let tears slide down her cheeks. Sherry wracked her brain for something to put Susan at ease, but came up short. They just stood there in each other's company, thoughts of lost ones running through their minds. There was a knock on the study door, causing both to turn at the sound. They watched as the door opened, and Jane stepped into the study. "Is everything alright, ladies? I wanted to inform you our noon meal is ready, if you two wanted to eat."
Sherry nodded her head, then told Jane, "Yeah, we're okay, Jane. Just going through some painful memories. We'll be out shortly." Nodding her head in understanding, Jane stepped backward and closed the study door behind her. Looking at Susan, Sherry asked, "You doing better? Want to go eat or talk more?"
Taking a shuddering breath, Susan answered, "Yeah, I'm okay. It was good to get that off my chest. We'd better get out there or they won't eat until we do." With Sherry's arm still around Susan's shoulder, and Susan's arm around Sherry's waist, they walked to the study door, opened it, and made their way to the dining room table.
Author's Note: When I first wrote Complicit In a Lie, I had no thoughts, or ideas, to write a sequel. But thanks to a few readers, who asked about a sequel, ideas formed that made writing this sequel possible. It is necessary to have read Complicit In a Lie to understand why Charles is now with Jane, who the boy arriving in Kingston is and how he's involved in Charles' Court case. And to understand where Mr. Corporate, George Strom, fits into this story. This story starts off after Charles says, "When do we start," in Complicit in a Lie. So if you haven't read Complicit In a Lie, the beginning of this story won't make any sense. Hint hint!
When they reached the dinner table, Toby was standing by their chairs, everyone else had been seated. Toby pulled out Sherry’s chair, helped seat her before pulling out Susan’s chair and seating her. He then walked to his chair, pulled it out, and sat down, bowing his head after sitting. Before Jane had a chance to speak, Sherry said, “If I may, Janie,” looking at Jane as she said it, “I have something I’d like to say.” With all eyes on her, Sherry told them, “After meeting with each of you several times, and seeing the progress you’ve all made, I believe it’s time for me to return to my practice. That isn’t to say I won’t be back to speak with each of you, just that I believe all of you are in a better place than before. I plan to come back once a week, or until you three,” and she pointed to the teens, “have gone home. If you need me urgently, I’ll come back sooner; Jane knows how to contact me. Evaluating all of you together, I find you’ve developed a little family, a family deeply concerned for each other. And you, Janie,” Sherry put her right hand onto Jane’s left hand, “have shown those three your heart without losing your authority and their respect for you.” Jane turned her left hand over and intertwined her fingers with Sherry’s. “The memories you have are just that, memories. Good or bad, they happened. They can’t be changed or altered, they are now part of you. Savor the good ones, let the bad ones wash over you, and get on with your lives. Don’t let the bad memories you carry with you rule your lives, all of you have so much to give to others. Now… how about we eat, I’m hungry.”
In the history of Seasons House, Jane’s dining table had always been one of decorum and proper etiquette. Young ladies sat up straight while they ate. They didn’t shovel food into their mouths, but took small bites and waited until they swallowed what was in their mouths before taking the next bite. Polite conversation carried on while they ate, specifically about the lessons they were working on. And for the first time in Seasons House’ recorded history, decorum, and etiquette were thrown to the wind in favor of hurling balled-up napkins at Sherry. Who either deflected or deftly caught them, knowing the meaning behind them and causing her to wipe her eyes. Jane gently squeezed Sherry’s hand, before letting go and beginning the meal by serving herself and passing the dish along. Sherry sat back and watched as the interplay occurred between them. Marie caught Sherry’s eye, nodding to her, silently telling Sherry she highly approved of the work Sherry had been doing while she’d been at Seasons House. The smile on Sherry’s face vanished as she got an elbow in the ribs from Susan, who sat there looking at Sherry with a smile on her lips and holding a plate of fried chicken.
“So, Susan. How are my wards doing with the lessons you’re providing? Have there been any problems?” Jane already knew how fast the three were moving through the lessons Susan was providing, it’s why she smiled at Susan after asking the question.
Susan’s right hand, holding a spoonful of broccoli, froze between the bowl of broccoli and her plate. Putting the spoonful back into the bowl, and setting the bowl on the table between herself and Sherry, she asked Jane, “Problems? What problems could there possibly be with my lessons?” Sherry eyed the bowl of broccoli sitting on the table next to Susan, and then Susan, as Susan spoke to Jane. Knowing it would be impolite at Jane’s table to help herself to the broccoli before Susan, Sherry sat there and stared at the oblivious Susan. “Aside from the fact my overall lesson plans were blown out of the water by the speed those three,” and she pointed to the teens, “flew through each course, and I’ve missed some much-needed sleep and some… um… other things. What possible problems could there be?”
Sherry looked from Susan to the bowl of broccoli sitting on the table next to Susan. She kept this up until Susan got annoyed and asked, “What in thunder are you doing?”
Face-palming herself, Sherry replied, “I’m waiting for you to stop blathering and help yourself to that broccoli, unless of course, you don’t want any.”
Susan’s face dropped at Sherry’s explanation. “Well, why didn’t you just help yourself while I spoke to Jane? And I don’t blather. I speak.”
Sherry shook her head, telling Susan, “Because, at Janie’s table it’s impolite to help yourself to a dish until the previous person has helped themselves or declined the dish. And you do too blather.”
Susan saw the smile on Sherry’s face and realized what she was doing, and decided to go along with Sherry, she answered, “I told you I don’t blather. I communicate, converse with, speak to, but I definitely don’t blather.”
Marie, Toby, Charlotte, and Francis, had a hand clamped over their mouths, trying not to laugh at the antics of Sherry and Susan. All four watched as Jane put her hand to her head, as she looked down while shaking her head from side to side, saying, “My gawd, I have two adult children sitting at my dinner table.” Looking up and dropping her hand, Jane said, “SUSAN, please take a spoonful of broccoli and pass the bowl on to Sherry. SHERRY, please take a spoonful of broccoli and return the bowl to the middle of the table. SUSAN, please take some of the bread sitting to your left and pass the plate to Sherry. SHERRY, please take some bread and return the plate to the middle of the table. Do you two understand my instructions, or do either of you need a detailed flow diagram to help you?”
Marie cracked first with a snort. The teens followed with first a snort then outright laughter. Those four were joined first by Susan then Sherry. And Jane sat there with a stony look on her face. When the laughter died down, Jane asked, “What did I do to deserve all of this at my dinner table?”
The six started looking at each other, a silent message passed from one to the other. At an unvoiced signal, they told Jane in unison, “Because we love you, Aunt Jane.”
As they all watched, Jane picked up her napkin and wiped her eyes, catching the tears ready to slide down her cheeks. It was Sherry who said, “Janie, have you ever read Callahan’s Crosstime Saloon©? If you haven’t, you should, because that’s what you have right here at this table at the moment. He helped a bunch of regulars become so comfortable with each other, they started opening up to each other. You have a group of people around this table, of various ages, who’ve become so comfortable with each other, that they opened themselves up to everyone. And from experience, I assure you, that’s an extremely rare occurrence. Savor it Janie, let it feed you, replenish you. Bask in its nurturing power.”
Reaching toward Jane with her right hand, Sherry took Jane’s left hand and intertwined their fingers. Jane sat silent for several moments, still wiping her eyes. When she was finally able to speak, she said, “We’d better eat, our food is getting cold.” She squeezed Sherry’s hand before letting go and eating the food in front of her. When Sherry looked around the table, Jane wasn’t the only one wiping her eyes. Smiling, she took the bowl of broccoli from Susan, helped herself, and sat the bowl of broccoli in the middle of the table.
When Jane was able to speak without a catch in her voice, she asked Francis, “Francis, I understand you’re taking a math course right now. How are you doing?”
Still chewing a bite of fried chicken, she swallowed the bite, then told Jane, “I’m doing better than I thought I would, Aunt Jane. When I’ve run into trouble with a problem, Susan and Charlotte have been helpful walking me through the thought processes of solving the problem. I’ve applied the same processes with other problems and have been able to work through the math book rather quickly. When I compared the help they provided to the help my high school math teacher offered, I realized my high school math teacher didn’t provide any help. When someone asked them to explain how something was done, because they didn’t understand what had been said, our teacher used the same explanation she initially used. Between Susan and Charlotte, I received two different explanations that pointed to the process of solving the problem.” Francis chuckled before continuing. “It was like the time I had trouble with the math you gave us, Aunt Jane. I didn’t understand factoring, so I asked Charlotte for help. Instead of using the problem itself, she asked me to list every combination that added up to 45. As I listed all the combinations, it suddenly dawned on me I was factoring 45. Once I realized that, I had no further problems working the problems in the book.”
Nodding her head, Jane told Francis, “I’m happy to hear that, Francis. And of the other courses you’re taking, how have they been?”
Jane again caught Francis with a bite of food in her mouth. After swallowing, Francis answered, “I’m halfway through World History, though it isn’t my favorite subject. I learned there was more stupid stuff that happened than good. I mean, why kill thousands of people just to take over as king, emperor, or warlord? Those still alive will hate the person because of what they had done, and will want that person dead. And if that person is killed or when they die, it starts all over again. It’s just so dumb, Aunt Jane. Then there’s the slavery. People are forced to work but treated like they’re nonhumans. Why, Aunt Jane? Those people were worked to death in most cases, causing more slavers to be sought. Again, doing this only angers those in slavery and causes them to plot against the slavers. And what’s the garbage of killing people because they are different in some way? It sounds like black and red ants killing each other.”
Jane was nodding her again, partly with understanding and partly with acknowledging Francis’ complete explanation. “I have to agree with you, Francis. History, no matter its form, can be dull if a person doesn’t have a burning interest in it. I also agree with you on the stupidity of killing thousands just to become the leader. You are also correct in your assessment of the attitude of those left alive. More than one leader was killed after a plot was devised, partly because of what the person had done and partly because the person was a terrible leader. Those who killed the leader didn’t count on a worse leader taking over. It became a vicious cycle, Francis. As to the killing of those who are different? It’s a mindset and a ploy, Francis. Some simply can’t tolerate someone who is different, and they only think of one way to deal with that hate. It’s also used as a ploy to churn up others so that person can eventually rise to power. If a person can get the majority of a society on their side, they have no trouble taking over, and doing whatever they want. What good did you discover during your reading?”
Francis brightened as she said, “Mathematics, science, clarification of the universe, cures for various diseases, a better understanding of the human body, an understanding of genetics, flight, all sorts of things we take for granted today. Many of those who dared to devel into those areas were shunned, arrested, or killed, all because those condemning them were ignorant of the work those people were doing. They also believed those explorers were going against what they believed God created. I wonder if ignorance isn’t more dangerous than someone wanting to take over, it sure seems like it is.”
Sherry spoke up after hearing Francis’ last question. “Francis, ignorance is more dangerous than the most dangerous person wanting to conquer the world. Gregor Mendel is considered the father of genetics, due to his experiments with peas. However, because the church didn’t approve of his work, he was banned from further experimentation and they destroyed all of the data he’d gathered. They believed it wasn’t necessary to understand what God created, it should just be accepted. Even Christopher Columbus was ridiculed when he told the church the world was round, not flat as they believed. Even after demonstrating how a toy ship didn’t fall off a globe of the world, but moved from view around the globe. Francis, ignorance has caused numerous problems throughout history. And it still causes problems today.”
There was silence around the table, as thoughts ran through the minds of those sitting at the table. It was Marie who noticed how the three teens each started pushing their food around their places. She caught the eyes of the other three women, nodding her head toward the teens. When the other three women looked at the three teens, Marie said, “Toby, Charlotte, Francis, vous trois semblez avoir quelque chose en tête (you three seem to have something on your minds.). Pourriez-vous s'il vous plaît nous dire ce que c'est (Would you please tell us what it is?)? We’re concerned about the three of you.”
They looked at each other, each egging the other on to say what they felt. With three shoulder shrugs, they said in unison, “School.”
“My Aunt Agnus,” Francis said.
“My brother,” Toby put in.
Charlotte remained quiet until Sherry asked, “Charlotte. What is it, sweetheart?”
Charlotte looked at Toby then Jane, but continued shifting food around her plate. It was Jane who then asked, “Are you worried if you say something, you’ll hurt someone, Charlotte?”
Knowing Jane hated her girls to shrug their shoulders, she did it anyway before answering in a soft voice, “Yes, Aunt Jane.”
Pushing her chair back and standing, Jane walked around the dining table, pulled Charlotte’s chair out with Charlotte in it, kneeled before her, and pulled her into a hug. Trying to keep her own tears in check, Jane said to Charlotte, “Sweetheart, we all have learned something about ourselves since you’ve come to Seasons House, even me. You’ve helped others when they needed help. They may not have thanked you, but they were thankful for your help. You’re worried if you say something, you’ll hurt me and Toby, aren’t you?”
Charlotte began crying with her head on Jane’s shoulder. Two more sets of arms went around Charlotte as she cried, those of Toby and Francis. “Charlotte, none of your words can possibly hurt me more than I’ve already been hurt. I’m thankful for the support you’ve given me, even when I felt you shouldn’t have. So just say what you’re afraid to say.” After speaking, Toby reached up and wiped his eyes.
Sniffing her nose as her crying ceased, Charlotte told them, “Being in this whole crappy mess. I’m sorry, Aunt Jane, I don’t mean to hurt you, but I hate being here. I want this whole mess to be over with.”
Jane had to tighten the chains holding her monster back after what Charlotte said. “Sweetheart, we all want this mess to be over,” Jane told Charlotte. “And sweetheart, I’m not hurt or offended by what you said. I want my girls to be ready to leave Seasons House, and the three of you are more than ready. Unfortunately, we have a roadblock and a few decisions to make after that roadblock is removed.” Jane then looked at Francis and told her, “Francis, you may be angry with me, but while you are ready to meet with Judge Ruth again, I’ve kept you here because I think you’re as much help to Charlotte and Toby as they’ve been to you.”
As the three other women watched Francis, she was shaking her head after what Jane told her. “Aunt Jane, I’m not angry with you for not letting me leave. In fact, if you tried to send me back now, I’d break my word of honor and tell you to stuff it. I wouldn’t let you send me away right now, not until Charles and Toby can leave. We are all for one and one for all.”
There was a mixture of snorting, admiration, and a feeling Francis had stepped over the line from the other three women, due to what Francis just told Jane. Jane held Francis’ steady gaze, thinking back to the first time Frank arrived and before Charlotte arrived. Standing before her was no longer the timid young man she first saw or existed before Charlotte. Standing before her now was a very confident young man, willing to stand up for someone beside themselves. With a stern look on her face, Jane said, “You think I’d tolerate someone speaking to me like that, young lady? You think you’d have the right to speak to me in that manner, young lady?”
Jane was pushing Francis to see if she’d back down or stand her ground. Francis did something Jane wasn’t ready for, she bent down, kissed Jane on the cheek, then told her, “You may not like it, Aunt Jane, but it’s what I’d have to tell you. Plus, I’d have to tell you, I love you, Aunt Jane.” She kissed Jane on the cheek again, causing Jane’s eyes to water. As Jane was trying to collect herself, Francis and Toby put their arms around her and held her, causing her watery eyes to release the moisture they’d been holding. Charlotte was no longer crying, but also holding Jane.
The four stayed like that for some time, basking in the love they had for each other. Finally, Jane said, “We’d better finish our meal, girls, Toby. You three still have kitchen duties to deal with, plus we have an appointment at the salon for the three of you.”
Jane’s announcement of the salon appointment wasn’t well received. But it wasn’t because of Sandy or her treatment of the girls, it was the girls’ concern for Toby. “But is it safe for Toby to go there, Aunt Jane?” Francis asked.
“Aren’t people still trying to find him?” Charlotte asked.
Trying to put the girls at ease, Jane told them, “Let’s all return to our seats and I will explain.” The three teens released Jane and the three returned to their seats at the table. “Now,” Jane began, after she was back in her seat. “We are going today because Carolyn told me today is always slow. She only has three clients scheduled and will be finished with them by the time we arrive.”
So concerned with Toby’s safety, Francis butted in with, “But will Toby be safe, Aunt Jane? What if Sandy says something to someone about you being with two girls and a boy instead of three girls?”
Jane and Marie looked at each other, the smiles large on their faces. It was Marie who told Francis, “Francis, votre inquiétude pour Toby est admirable et n'est pas déplacée (Francis, your concern for Toby is admirable and not misplaced.). Sandy has been made quite aware by Carolyn and others, who can deal with her should she say anything, how urgent it is to ignore the boy with Jane. We don’t know what the others said to her, but we are told Sandy may be quite subdued today. So let’s finish our meal and get you three to the salon.”
It was Francis who voiced Charlotte’s thoughts. “I hope she’s more subdued today. After what she said to me the last time we were there, I’d just as soon not go unless Carolyn was doing my hair.”
With an almost animalistic look in her eyes, Jane told Francis, “Francis, you won’t have that problem ever again with Sandy. Carolyn and I made it crystal clear she stepped over the line, and the consequences should it happen again. However, if we don’t finish our meal, and the kitchen work isn’t completed to Marie’s satisfaction, we will never arrive at the salon to discover how subdued Sandy is today. Will we?”
The three teens knew the current expression on Jane’s face meant business, and wasn’t to be questioned. So they gave Jane the only answer they knew she’d accept, and in unison said, “No, Aunt Jane,” and resumed eating their meals. The three teens never saw the smirks and smiles on the four women’s faces, as they too resumed eating their meals.
When the last bit of cherry pie had disappeared from everyone’s plate, the three teens asked and were granted permission to leave the table. They wasted no time clearing the table and getting on with the kitchen work. While Jane, Sherry, and Susan, were still sitting around the dining room table, the three teens came out of the kitchen and Francis and Charlotte proceeded to head to their bedrooms without being told. Toby, on the other hand, had started walking to the living room, before Jane spoke to the three. “Girls, where are you going?”
Answering for Charlotte, Francis said, “We’re going to get ready to leave for the salon, Aunt Jane.”
A slight smile appeared on Jane’s face before she replied, “Very well, continue.” Getting up from the table, Jane turned to Toby and told him, “Toby, please come with me. I have an idea to adapt your appearance somewhat.” With Toby following her, she went upstairs. At the top of the stairs, Jane turned to her left and walked to the second door on her right. Opening the door, a second set of stairs could be seen. Jane climbed the four initial steps to a small landing, turned to her right, and continued climbing those stairs. Reaching the top step, Jane opened another door that closed off the attic from the stairs. After entering the attic, Toby closed the door behind him before following Jane to a series of storage trunks sitting toward the front of the house. “Now, I want to change your appearance by having you wear different clothing, and an accessory or two. I want you not to be quite dapper, though having a more casual look other than tee shirts and jeans. I think nice dress pants and a sports shirt would do. Also, a pair of used-looking dress shoes, a coordinating belt, and a pair of color-coordinating socks. We’ll recomb your hair to form another style, and I think a pair of clear-lensed glasses should give your face a different appearance. But first, we have to locate everything we need. So, let’s start by opening these chests,” and Jane waved a hand from the chest to her right down the line of the three other chests to her left. “If you’ll start at that end, Toby, I’ll start here and we’ll meet in the middle.”
After walking to his left, and stopping in front of the last chest, upon opening it, Toby found it filled with dress pants of all colors, textures, and types, all enclosed in plastic bags. He moved to his right and opened the next chest, a chest he found to contain dress shirts of all colors, styles, and fabrics, those too enclosed in plastic bags. Stepping toward where Jane was now standing, after opening her two chests, Toby saw that chest contained a vast array of male shoes, neatly arranged by style, color, and size. Glancing at the first chest, Toby could see socks, belts, and other accessories. “Well,” Jane started her question, “did you see any pants or shirts that caught your eye? We don’t want any outlandish combinations, the idea is to make you blend in. And of course, they need to be in your size, but I don’t think that will be a problem.”
They walked to the first chest Toby opened, which contained the dress pants, and upon closer inspection, Toby discovered there were three sizes of each color and style. Sorting through the pants, Toby found a pair of cloud-colored twill pants, a neutral light gray color, in a 28x30-inch size. Carefully removing them from the plastic bag, he held them up at his waist to gauge the length on him. “What do you think, Aunt Jane? These seem long enough, stopping at the tops of my shoes. And with the color, almost any color shirt would coordinate with them.”
Jane had Toby turn to face her so she could gauge the length herself. “I believe you are correct, Toby, both about the length and the ability to combine them with several different colored shirts.”
Carefully draping the pants across the mouth of the pants chest, he then stepped to the chest holding a vast array of colored shirts. He dismissed outright the highly patterned shirts or the brightly colored shirts and settled on a light-brown cotton shirt in a medium size. After carefully removing it from the plastic bag, Aunt Jane took the shirt from him, had him turn his back to her, and held the shirt up against Toby’s back from shoulder to shoulder. “This shirt appears to be a good fit on you, Toby,” Aunt Jane told him. “However, we won’t know if it fits you well until you try it on. So now is a good time for you to undress to your underwear and put on this shirt and the pants you’ve chosen.”
Jane had been mindful of the color of pants Toby chose, and as Toby was getting undressed, looked in the trunk with belts and other accessories, and found a brown patterned belt she felt would look good on Toby. She then stepped to the trunk holding underwear and socks, and eyeing the color of the shirt Toby chose, found a coordinating pair of socks in a light brown. Jane laid the belt across the trunk filled with shirts, and the socks on top of the belt, then turned her attention to shoes. “Toby, what size shoe do you wear?” Jane asked, eyeing a tan pair of shoes in the shoe trunk.
Toby turned to face Jane at her question. “I wear a 7 or 7 ½, Aunt Jane. It all depends on the shoe. I take a 7 in some shoes and a 7 ½ in other shoes, Aunt Jane.” After putting the belt on, Toby sat down and put on the socks Aunt Jane had chosen. “Does everything look alright so far, Aunt Jane?” Toby asked, facing Jane in his stocking feet.
Looking up from the shoes she’d been picking through, Jane used a critical eye to evaluate Toby’s overall look. She had him turn around to make sure the pants and shirt fit his backside equally well. Satisfied with what she saw, she had him turn back around and returned her attention to the shoe trunk. Finally finding a size 7 tan pair of shoes, she handed the shoes to Toby for him to try on. Sitting down on the edge of the shirt trunk, Toby first put the left shoe on then the right, tying the laces before testing the fit by walking around the attic. “How do they fit, Toby?” Jane asked. “Is there room for your toes as you walk?”
Jane saw Toby think about her questions as he walked. “My toes aren’t bunched up at the toes of these shoes and they don’t feel loose as I walk. I think these shoes will do fine, Aunt Jane,” he told her as he walked up and stood before Jane.
Handing Toby a pair of horn-rimmed glasses in a light brown, Jane told him, “I want you to try these glasses on. They have clear glass in the frames, so you won’t have any problems seeing while wearing them. I think a pair of glasses with help change the look of your face, maybe enough so you aren’t recognized by anyone looking for you.”
When he put on the pair of glasses Jane gave him, the temples were too long, causing the glasses to slide down his nose. Taking those glasses off Toby’s face, Jane found a second pair of the same color and handed those to Toby. When Toby put on that pair of glasses they stayed up on the bridge of his nose, but were a bit loose behind his ears. Taking the glasses off, Toby bend the end of the temples down a bit before putting them back on. “I believe these will fit, Aunt Jane. Do they look alright?”
Jane backed away from Toby so she could see him from a distance. After appraising him from the front, Jane had Toby turn first to the left and then to the right, gauging his profiles. “I believe wearing those glasses gives your face an entirely different look. From a distance, I believe it will be hard for any of your pursuers to recognize you. We are done with your clothes, let’s go sort out your hair.” As they walked to the attic steps, Jane put her arm around Toby’s shoulders and told him, “If I was several years younger, Toby, I’d be pursuing you.”
Toby put his arm around Jane’s waist and told her, “Aunt Jane, if you were several years younger, I’d be pursuing you.”
Laughing as they reached the attic door, Toby opened the door and allowed Jane to descend first. Closing the attic door after taking a step down the stairs, Toby followed Jane to the second floor of the house. Jane was waiting for Toby when he reached the second floor and closed the door to the attic behind him. They walked together to Toby’s bedroom, where Toby again opened the door and allowed Jane to enter first. Jane had Toby sit in the vanity chair, before opening one of the vanity drawers and taking out a brush and comb. Once she was satisfied with the work she’d done, she spritzed a bit of spray on his hair, using that to help hold his hair in the style she just formed. “Alright, young man, stand, and let’s have a final look at you before we go,” Aunt Jane said, as she backed away from the vanity, giving Toby room to stand. After standing, Jane again appraised Toby from the front, sides, and back. Satisfied with the views, she told him, “One day, Toby Camber, you are going to be inundated with young ladies throwing themselves at you. Just make sure to choose the one meant for you. Come on, our appointment is gaining near, and I don’t want our young ladies waiting any longer than has been necessary.”
After leaving Toby’s bedroom, Jane told him about Sandy. “Sandy will likely be trimming your hair. She’s had a rough time a few years ago and still harbors ill will toward men and boys. I allow her to keep my girls on edge by how she treats them but don’t allow her to cross the line. She is likely going to question why you are with me and the girls, possibly questioning why you’re not one of my girls. Our story is that you’re staying with me while your parents are dealing with a family emergency. If she asks about the nature of the emergency, you don’t know, your parents didn’t explain things to you. I give you free rein to verbally, and if necessary physically, handle Sandy. I might suggest subtly delving into her past abuse, causing her to shift her focus off you and onto herself. We’ve seen how you’ve helped Charlotte and Francis, and I believe you can do the same with her. If you must defend yourself physically, please don’t break anything, Carolyn needs Sandy as much as Sandy needs Carolyn.
Author's Note: When I first wrote Complicit In a Lie, I had no thoughts, or ideas, to write a sequel. But thanks to a few readers, who asked about a sequel, ideas formed that made writing this sequel possible. It is necessary to have read Complicit In a Lie to understand why Charles is now with Jane, who the boy arriving in Kingston is and how he's involved in Charles' Court case. And to understand where Mr. Corporate, George Strom, fits into this story. This story starts off after Charles says, "When do we start," in Complicit in a Lie. So if you haven't read Complicit In a Lie, the beginning of this story won't make any sense. Hint hint!
Francis and Charlotte had been sitting on the couch in the living room when Jane and Toby descended the stairs to the first floor. When the girls saw Toby coming down in front of Jane, and the way he was dressed, they looked at each other and the fun began. "Oh, my," Charlotte said, putting a bit of a Southern drawl into her voice, and plastering a big smile on her face. "I do declare what my eyes reveal to me at this moment is the most astonishing young man I do believe I've ever laid my eyes on."
Francis sat there trying not to laugh out loud while Charlotte spoke. When Charlotte finished speaking, she said, "He does look good enough to eat, don't you think? Or at least play with."
Toby stood at the entrance to the living room with a 'ha ha very funny' look on his face after the girls spoke. Jane, on the other hand, standing behind Toby, schooled herself not to laugh. After the girls quit laughing, Toby said, "Oh, you two think you're sooo funny, don't you? I was going to escort you two to the car and into the salon. But now, after the way you two have acted, I'll let you follow me to the car and into the salon."
As Toby turned to his left and took a step toward the front door, Charlotte and Francis jumped up off the couch, hurried over to him, and Charlotte still in her Southern drawl said, "Oh, please kind sir. You cain't leave two damsels in distress. We need a strong and handsome young man of your stature to help us as we meander from this abode and into a styling shoppe. Oh, kind sir, won't you reconsider your decision? Please?"
When Charlotte stopped speaking, she fluttered her eyelashes at Toby. He dropped his shaking head before lifting it, looked at Charlotte and Francis, and told them, "Aunt Jane doesn't need to grow any corn with you two around. You're full of it." Gesturing with his head to 'come on,' Charlotte and Francis rushed to Toby's sides, with Charlotte on his left and Francis on his right. Using her right arm and Francis her left, they put their arms under Toby's upper arms just as Toby crooked each arm. Together, the three started walking to the front door, stopping to allow Toby to open the door and let Charlotte and Francis walk outside first.
Jane had stood silent the entire time the three ran through their antics. She sensed she was being watched and turned to see Marie watching from the kitchen door. "Glaubst du, dass sie jemals miteinander auskommen werden (Do you think they will ever get along?)?" Marie asked, a smile standing on her face.
Just as drole, Jane replied, "Man würde hoffen, dass sie sich irgendwann sorglos einigen würden (One would hope that at some point they would come to an agreement without a care in the world.)." They both chuckled before Jane turned and followed the three teens out of the front door. As she closed the front door behind her, then locked it with her key, she put on her stern face and told the three, as she walked to her car, "When we reach the salon, I expect you three to be well-behaved. There will be none of your antics or ideas for any antics. Also, I believe you three have come a far ways, so nothing Sandy says to either of you should upset you, correct, Francis?"
Francis kept her head up, looked Jane directly in her eyes, and told her, "Ripples on the pond, Aunt Jane."
Jane unlocked the car doors with the car’s key fob, then told Francis, "That's right, ripples on the pond. Alright, let's go."
Opening the front passenger door, Toby helped Francis enter the car before shutting the door and opening the rear passenger door. After helping Charlotte enter the car, and closing the rear passenger door, he then walked around to the driver's door, opened it, and helped Jane enter her car. After Jane thanked him, he closed the driver's door, opened the driver-side passenger door, and got into the car, closing the door and putting on his seatbelt.
Unknown to Jane, as she backed out of the driveway, two guardian angels were monitoring her and the teens from a thousand yards away. The two had started monitoring Jane, the teens, and Seasons House ever since the attempt on Toby's life. It was Jeb who reached out to the two and asked for their help to keep an eye on them until the shoplifting case was settled. Jeb and the two men went back to their military days, saving each other's lives several times over during their deployment. That type of debt doesn't have a time limit on repayment. They left their hiding place and shadowed Jane as she drove into Kingston, keeping an eye out for any tails Jane may have acquired. Finding an out-of-the-way place across from the salon, the two settled in and watched the salon while the four were inside.
They were both startled when the back passenger door opened and a voice said, "Easy, boys. I have a 1911 and I know how to effectively use it." Marie climbed into the backseat, the hammer of her 1911 ready to slam home on the round in the chamber. "Now, boys, why don't you explain why you're following Jane and the kids before it gets messy in this car?"
Both men laughed, with the passenger saying, "Boy, Jeb said you were good, but didn't say that good. After the threat on Toby's life at the hospital, Jeb reached out to us and asked us to keep an eye on all of you and the house. So if you wouldn't mind, lower the hammer on that cannon and make it safe," the driver told Marie.
Looking at the two men, Marie asked, "Why would Jeb reach out to you two? What does he have on the two of you?"
Holding up his hands in plain sight, the driver turned to face Marie and the barrel of her 1911. "The three of us owe the others our lives. Years ago, when the three of us were deployed, we saved each other's lives more times than I can remember. Because of that, we made a pact to come to the other's aid when they called. No questions asked. Someone saving your life under those conditions can never be repaid in full during one lifetime." He then reached up and gently pushed the barrel of Marie's 1911 aside, watching as she held the hammer with her thumb, squeezed the trigger, and lowered the hammer with her thumb. She then slid the safety lever to safe and laid the handgun in her lap. Letting out a sigh, he said, "Thank you, Marie. We feel much better now."
They chit-chatted for a bit before Marie asked, "So, how long you boys staying around? I'm just asking so we don't meet like this again or worse."
Both men chuckled at Marie's last statement, before the front passenger replied, "We're in it for the long haul, Marie. We'll stay until this whole crap mess is settled, and Toby can go home to his dad. It's not so bad out here, the pretty country and all, makes it easier to blend into the background while we watch. Oh, and pass this along to Jane. If anyone she doesn't know comes to the door, tell her to stay back in the doorway. If things go south, I'd hate to mess up her pretty face with splattered blood."
Marie asked one more question before she vanished. "How far?"
With a dead serious look on his face, the front passenger replied, "A thousand yards if it's a fly, longer if it walks on two legs." Nodding her head, Marie grabbed her 1911, opened the rear passenger door, and was gone just as she had appeared. Mysteriously. The two men looked at each other after Marie disappeared. Looking out the windshield at the salon, the front passenger said, "I'd hate to have her after me. She's like a fricking ghost."
The driver, also looking out the windshield, scanning left and right, replied, "I think that's what she did in another life, if my information is correct. And yeah, you didn't want her after you."
Inside the salon things were much different than they'd previously been. Because trimming Toby's hair would take less time, he was first with Sandy. "So," Sandy said quietly, "I understand you've been through hell and back. Did you deserve it?"
Toby smiled, then replied, "Yeah, I went into hell and came out the other side. scarred, but still alive. I understand you went through your own hell. Did you deserve it?"
Sandy bristled before answering, "No, I didn't deserve it. He was a nasty drunk, treated me like his very own punching bag. How about you?"
Toby was silent for a few moments, trying to think of a way to tell Sandy what he went through without being specific. "Well… my brother wanted me to get involved in something I wanted nothing to do with. It started just after our mother left for brighter lights, she ended up a junky. So, when I told my brother no, he started beating me, using whatever he could grab. In order to stop the beatings, I went along and did what he wanted, and when I got caught, he and the man running things tied me spread eagle to a pair of pipes and my brother took pleasure beating me. I passed out after the third hit, so I don't know how long he hit me or how many times. But my back, butt, and legs are now scarred. Dr. Jill doesn't know how I survived after such a beating, but here I am, having you trim my hair."
Sandy was quiet as she worked on Toby's hair after what he told her. Several moments later she said, "Damn, kid, no one should have done that to a kid like you. Is there anything that can be done about those scars?"
Sandy pushed Toby's head forward before she started on the back of his hair. "Yeah, Dr. Thomas says they may be able to use a cream made to lessen scars, he wants to try that before considering surgery. You know, Sandy, no one had the right to use such an attractive lady for a punching bag. Have you spoken with someone about what you went through? You know, a psychologist or someone like that? Do you know Sherry Daniels? You might want to contact her and make an appointment. She's really good, she's helped all of us at Aunt Jane's house, even Aunt Jane and Marie. You need to get what happened out of your system so you don't relive it every day. You are reliving it every day, aren't you? Sherry can really help."
Sandy couldn't understand why Toby was easy to talk with about what she'd experienced. She felt he honestly cared about her. "Yeah, Toby, I relive it every day, even when I sleep." Then, with her scissors poised to trim a quarter inch of Toby's hair in the back, something registered that Toby said, something he said about her appearance. "Did you say I was attractive? Did you mean honestly mean that? You think I'm attractive?"
Sandy had placed her hands on Toby's shoulders before she bent down and softly asked him the question, intending it only for Toby's ears. Toby reached up with his right hand, gently taking Sandy's hand on his left shoulder, and gently pulled her around the chair until she was facing him. He didn't whisper as she had or even lower his voice, when he told her, "Yes, Sandy, I think you're an attractive woman who didn't deserve to be treated as you were. If you don't believe me, ask Charlotte or Francis." Sandy turned her head so she could look at Charlotte and Francis. What she saw stunned her, as both were nodding their heads. "See, even they think you're attractive. Please, contact Sherry, let her help you. You deserve to be happy instead of hurting all the time."
Jane and Carolyn had been watching the interaction between Toby and Sandy. What they witnessed next both shocked and pleased them, as Sandy broke down and started crying right where she was standing. Toby got out of Sandy's chair and pulled her into a hug, followed by Charlotte and Francis. The three held her as she cried, even wiping their own eyes a few times. The teens didn't see it, but Carolyn seemed to have something in her eyes as well. Staging whispering, Carolyn told Jane, "I see it but don't believe it, Jane. Even after all the things Sandy said to Francis, she's even holding Sandy. In all the years you've brought your girls to this salon, I've never seen anything like that."
Staging whispering back, Jane said, "In all the years I've been doing this, I've never seen such a wonderful sight myself. It all started when Charles arrived and continued with Toby's arrival. We've all learned something since those two have been here, including myself. May I use your phone, I need to call someone Sandy needs to meet."
After making the call, Jane sat back down next to Carolyn. In a low voice, Jane told Carolyn, "You know, Carolyn, nothing about this current session has been as we've conducted our past sessions. It started normal enough with Francis but began to change when Charles arrived. It took Charlotte's explanation of why Francis was only going through the motions, for me to change how I treated her. And look at her now. When Toby arrived, it took his explanation about Charlotte for me to reevaluate my treatment of her. She'd never been treated in such a way and finally revolted. Oh, Carolyn, sometimes I think it's time Art and I go away and enjoy the rest of our lives together, instead of what we're doing now."
Frowning, Carolyn put her right hand on Jane's left thigh and told her, "Jane Thompson, do you how many men right here in Kingston who are grateful for the work you do? Or all of those you've helped who live elsewhere? I've seen the respect they have for you every time you're out with your girls. Just think where most of those men would be today if not for the work you do. Don't be discouraged because you didn't spot why Francis wasn't responding to your ministrations. Or why Charlotte blew up on you. You may have experienced 'not seeing the forest because of the trees.'" Jane gave Carolyn a questioning look, causing Carolyn to add, "You were so focused on your program, that you lost sight of other possibilities. Your program has worked for so long so you believed it would continue to work on those three over there," and she pointed to the three teens. "I believe Toby said Sherry even helped you and Marie, did he not? Maybe your program was upset when Charles and Toby arrived because it needed a new perspective. Maybe it took both of them to show you how something added doesn't ruin the program you already have in place. You're discouraged because things are different this time around, different from your normal program. But aren't you after results? Aren't you after a change in the attitude and behavior of the boy sent to you? Haven't you seen exactly that this time around? It wasn't according to your normal program, but it did occur. Jane, your program is a means to an end, a useful end. Adding to your normal program has resulted in more than a change in those three," and she pointed to the teens again. "It's helped some who weren't involved in your program. You should see Barbara now. Her face is clearing up and she and Patty and Mel have become good friends, all because of Charlotte. What about what happened at the Mall? And you saw what happened just now with Sandy. How long have we watched her dish hate and anger toward your girls or any man she encounters? And it only took one boy who knew what she was going through to reach her. Jane, you've been shown something that doesn't diminish your program, but adds to it, strengthens it. It's something you'd never considered on your own."
Just then the door to the salon opened, and Sherry came inside. The girls turned to see who'd entered, offering their, "Hi Sherry," greeting as she walked by them. Even Toby offered his, "Hi Sherry," when she stopped in front of Sandy's station. Sandy looked up after Toby spoke, recognizing Sherry as one of her clients. "I know you," Sandy offered. "You're my Thursday at 2 appointment."
Smiling, Sherry said, "Yep, that's me. Your 2 girl."
As the teens let out three groans, Toby said to Francis and Charlotte, "You girls better lift your feet, it's starting to get thick in here."
Carolyn started laughing as Jane told Sherry, "Sherry, please don't give up your day job. You're much better at it than trying to construct a pun."
Sherry turned to face Jane before telling her, "Janie, Jill was right. You are a killjoy." Then Sherry did the mature thing, she stuck her tongue out at Jane, causing Jane to chuckle.
While Sherry was still standing in front of Sandy's station, Toby said, "Sherry, this attractive woman behind me is Sandy. Sandy, the attractive woman standing before us is Sherry Daniels, the woman I told you about."
Charlotte and Francis looked at each other and smiled, they both saw the look on Sherry's face and knew what was about to happen. Carolyn and Jane looked at each other, both knowing what Toby was in for. "Well, listen to Romeo will you?" Sherry said, as she sauntered over to the left side of the chair, swaying her hips as she walked.
With a smile on her face, Sandy saw what Sherry was going to do and moved to the right side of the chair before replying, "Oh, I'll say. He's quite the handsome Remeo."
Using her right hand, Sherry reached over and placed her hand next to Toby's left ear, then slowly drew her hand down until she swiped his chin. Sandy, using her left hand, mimicked Sherry on Toby's right cheek. Then the two women looked at each other, a gleam in their eyes, as they bent down and did more than give Toby a peck on each cheek. By the time they were done, and standing up to admire their handy work, Toby had two perfect lipstick lip prints on both cheeks. And as everyone watched, Toby turned a lovely strawberry red. Of course, Francis and Charlotte were laughing. Laughing so hard, they were leaning on each other to keep from falling out of their chairs. After seeing what had just occurred, Jane and Carolyn were no better, both wiping tears out of their eyes as they laughed.
It was Sandy who gently placed the fingers of her left hand under Toby's chin, turned his head to face her before telling him, "And don't you dare ever change. The girl meant for you better consider herself lucky to have a boyfriend like you." She then bent over and this time, gave Toby a peck on the cheek.
Still smiling, Sherry asked, "Are you finished with this handsome young man, Sandy?"
Smiling back at Sherry, Sandy answered, "Yes, with his hair, anyway."
More laughter ensued as Toby slowly turned his head to look at Sandy, a stunned, questioning look on his face, only to receive a Cheshire cat smile in return. She gently tapped him on the nose before removing the cape he'd been wearing. "Then how about we go talk, just the two of us?" Sherry asked Sandy, who nodded her head in return. After putting her equipment away, and folding the cape, Sandy walked from behind the chair, put her arm around Sherry's waist, and with Sherry's arm around Sandy's shoulder, the two women walked to the back room where Carolyn held her makeup classes.
Standing up, Carolyn asked, "Okay, girls. Who wants to try their luck with me first?" As Jane and Carolyn watched, Charlotte and Francis looked at each other before they did rock, paper, scissors. Charlotte lost.
Meanwhile, in the back room, Sherry walked around to the other side of one of the tables, before pulling out a chair and sitting down, she didn't want to make Sandy feel she was trapped in the room with Sherry. Sandy pulled out a chair and sat across from Sherry, asking, "Is there any specific way we do this, or do you ask me questions and I give you an answer?"
Sherry listened intently to Sandy's questions, nodding her head as Sandy spoke. "I will ask you questions, Sandy, but I don't have a script I go by. I prefer to just talk to the person, listen to what they have to say. I found a script doesn't work for every session, so I fly by the seat of my pants. I find it better to formulate my questions based on what the person tells me. In that way, I believe I help the person better. Now, we aren't in any hurry. You can tell me as much as you want or nothing at all. You can leave at any time, though I hope you'll stay and let me try to help you. Also, because you are my client, without your permission I won't discuss what you tell me with anyone. Now, I've only heard you went through a rough patch some time ago, but none of the details. Do you feel up to filling in those details? It's okay if you're not, but from experience, some rather recent, you'll feel better if you do."
Sherry sat patiently waiting for Sandy to speak. While watching Sandy, Sherry saw an expression on the woman's face that she felt meant Sandy was thinking about something. The expression didn't last long, as it was replaced by one of uncertainty. An expression of resolve crossed Sandy's face, before she pushed her chair back, stood up, and walked to the back room door. She opened the door and walked out of the room, leaving the door open. Sherry could see and hear Sandy without any trouble, as she saw Sandy stand before Jane and ask, "Jane, if it's alright with you, I'd like Toby to be in there with me. I'd… um… like his support."
Jane turned her head to look at Toby and asked, "Toby, would you be willing to give Sandy your support while she speaks with Sherry?"
Toby stood up when Jane called his name, slowly walking toward Jane and Sandy. With a smirk on his lips, one not lost on Jane and Sandy, he said, "I don't know, Aunt Jane. She did leave a lasting mark on me." As he finished speaking, a huge smile broke out on his face, as he was now standing directly in front of Sandy. Sandy playfully swatted his arm, before he reached out with his right hand and gently touched Sandy's left cheek, telling her, "Of course, I'll come and support you." Then with a twinkle in his eyes, he added, "And maybe get another lasting mark on my cheek."
Sandy again playfully swatted his arm, telling him, "You're not only a handsome young man, but a cheeky bugger too."
It was Sandy's turn to have a huge smile contort her face, as she reached up and took his hand in hers. Just before they started for the back room, Jane reached up and took Toby's left arm, causing him to look down at her. "Thank you for doing this, Toby."
Reaching with his left hand, Toby gently took Jane's right hand, telling her, "You're more than welcome, Aunt Jane." As Sandy led Toby to the back room, he said loud enough for everyone to hear, "I do hope I'm not about to be ravaged by these two beautiful women." No one heard the retort from Sandy or Sherry, as he closed the door behind him after stepping into the back room.
When Jane looked at Carolyn, she noticed that Charlotte had raised her feet off the footrest attached to the salon chair. She turned and looked at Francis, who had also lifted her feet off the floor. She was puzzled for a moment, but just for a moment, as she remembered something Toby had said earlier. In as stern a voice as she could muster, she told the girls, "That boy is becoming a bad influence on you two."
With smiles on their faces, the girls looked at each other before turning to Jane and in unison saying, "We love you too, Aunt Jane."
With a stern look on her face, Jane said, "Petulant children." It didn't work. Not only did the girls start laughing, but so did Carolyn. And after a few moments, so did Jane.
Author's Note: When I first wrote Complicit In a Lie, I had no thoughts, or ideas, to write a sequel. But thanks to a few readers, who asked about a sequel, ideas formed that made writing this sequel possible. It is necessary to have read Complicit In a Lie to understand why Charles is now with Jane, who the boy arriving in Kingston is and how he's involved in Charles' Court case. And to understand where Mr. Corporate, George Strom, fits into this story. This story starts off after Charles says, "When do we start," in Complicit in a Lie. So if you haven't read Complicit In a Lie, the beginning of this story won't make any sense. Hint hint!
Sandy's grip on Toby's hand told him she was frightened. He stopped walking, causing Sandy to stop and look at him. "Sandy, there's nothing to be frightened about. Sherry isn't a monster who'll eat your firstborn or breathe fire if you don't give her the right answer to a puzzle. She, we're, here to help you. Until I came here and later met with Sherry, almost every night I'd dream about what my brother did to me. Until I talked with Sherry, I'd wake up in the middle of the night drenched in sweat. It got to the point I became afraid to go to sleep, fearful I'd dream about being beaten." Toby looked at Sherry, smiled, then continued with, "And ever since sitting down and talking with her, I've been able to sleep through the night, no longer afraid to go to sleep. Francis, Charlotte, and I, know how hard it is to talk about what we experienced, but though it was painful to recount our experiences, Sherry made it easier to do. I imagine trust is something you find hard to do because of what you experienced, but I can tell you from first-hand experience, you can completely trust Sherry."
Toby reached up and gently wiped the tears from Sandy's cheeks. She tried to say something but it caught in her throat. When she could finally speak, she asked Toby, "Why do you care so much about me? We just met today. Neither of us owes anything to the other."
Toby reached up and cupped Sandy's left cheek, saying, "I care about you, Sandy, because it's the right thing to do when you see someone hurting because of a terrible experience. And we all do owe something to each other called concern. Too often we ignore those we see who are hurting because we think there's nothing we can do. Well, we may not all be professionals, but we can just be there and listen."
Sandy nodded her head in understanding, then pulled Toby into a hug and thanked him for being there with her. She wiped her eyes, then sat down in the chair she first used, watching as Toby pulled out the chair next to her and sat down. There was a knock on the door before it opened and Jane brought in three bottles of bottled water. After setting them down on the table, she patted Toby on the back before turning and leaving the room, closing the door behind her. To lighten the mood a bit, Sherry turned her attention to Toby, asking, "So, young man. You fear being ravaged by two beautiful women, is it? Are you afraid you can't handle to beautiful women at the same time?"
Huge smiles formed on Sherry and Sandy's faces, watching as Toby's strawberry red coloring started to return. "Um… well… I… uh… I've never been with any girl, so I wouldn't know what to do if it happened."
After saying that, Toby hung his head, his eyes looking at his hands folded together on top of the table. It wasn't until Sherry saw his tears drip onto the tabletop that she realized her quip had hit another sore spot with Toby. She reached across the table and placed both of her hands on top of Toby's hands, saying, "Oh, Toby, I'm so sorry. I was trying to lighten the mood with my quip and never realized it would hurt you so much." When Sandy saw Toby's reaction to Sherry's quip, she'd put her arm around Toby's shoulders, leaning into him for support.
Shrugging his shoulders, Toby responded, "It's not your fault, Sherry. I had bigger problems to deal with besides not ever being with a girl." And as Sherry and Sandy watched, Toby raised his head, a beautiful smile forming on his face, as he said, "But I'm with two beautiful girls now, aren't I?"
Her own tears slowly sliding down her face, Sandy told him, "Yes you are, Toby. And if we were several years younger, we'd both teach you a thing or two. We'd make it a moment you'd never forget."
When Toby looked at Sherry he saw she was nodding her head, agreeing with Sandy. "Toby, you possess all of the qualities many young ladies look for in a boyfriend. You're concerned for the welfare of others. You're kind to a fault. You aren't boastful, and you know how to treat girls with respect, as you've shown on several occasions since you've been here. You are also not afraid to stand up with your friends, no matter the consequences. Those are all qualities young ladies with heads on their shoulders are looking for in a boyfriend."
In a soft voice, Sandy added while looking at Toby, "Toby, one day you're going to bump into a girl who's going to fall hard for you. She's going to see you as the boyfriend she's been waiting for. And you, young man, are going to fall hard for her. And when that happens, we want to meet her and be invited to your wedding, because there will be a wedding." Sandy and Sherry chuckled at the shocked look on Toby's face. When Toby looked at Sherry, she too was nodding her head at what Sandy said. Feeling much better than she had at the beginning, and after kissing Toby on the cheek, Sandy turned to Sherry and said, "I think I'm ready to tell you my story, Sherry, since we've now got Romeo headed in the right direction." Toby playfully swatted Sandy's arm before putting his arm around her shoulders as she began telling Sherry about the painful experience.
"I met him when I went into an investment firm to start an investment portfolio with some money I'd saved up. He was a dream come true, Sherry. He was extremely handsome, rugged looking, and had a smile that'd melt butter. And he knew his stuff, guiding me through the maze of investments. He showed me the best stocks to invest in as a new investor and was right about the choices because my investment doubled within the first thirty days. I guess he was taken with me as well, because he called a few days later to ask me out on a date. He was like you are now, Toby, kind, considerate, caring, and respectful. After about a month, he asked if I'd move in with him, and was so taken with him, I immediately said yes. The first two months were wonderful, Sherry. We couldn't get enough of each other and did everything together. Then things started to change the third month we were together, just little things at first. Where he'd once been immaculate in everything he did, he started becoming sloppy. He started coming home late, telling me he was dealing with overseas investors. I was familiar with the time differences so didn't suspect anything. Then, one night during the fourth month, he came home dead drunk. I had fixed something he really liked, but he threw a fit when he saw what it was. He picked up his plate of food and threw it at me, narrowly missing me. I had fixed a mixed salad, which he picked up and threw it as well. I forget what he said after that, but he left and I didn't see him again until the next day when he came home and acted like nothing ever happened."
Opening one of the bottles of bottled water, Sandy took a long drink before she continued with her story. After setting the bottle down, she continued with, "When he got home that night, I asked what had bothered him the night before, telling him he came home dead drunk. After I said that, he looked at me as though I had two heads or something. He denied coming home drunk the previous night, told me he'd been dealing with overseas investors the entire night. I even showed him the dent in the wall where his plate hit it after he threw it at me. Again he denied it, saying the same thing he'd said before. I decided not to push it, just agreeing with him I must have been dreaming. Three days later he again came home dead drunk, and again started throwing the plates of food around. This time he hit me on the arm with one of them, when I saw it coming, and raised my arm to protect my face. I had a bruise on my arm for a week after that. He left again, only to come home the following afternoon as though nothing had happened. He asked about the bruise on my arm when he saw it, and I just told him I banged it against the kitchen cabinet when I reached for something. He just said I needed to be more careful."
Toby was rubbing Sandy's back as she told her story, wiping his eyes every so often. He and Sherry watched as Sandy drank the rest of the water in her bottle before she continued speaking. "I knew he needed to see a doctor for the lapses in memory, but if he didn't remember doing them, how was I going to convince him to go? I stopped putting food on the table because I never knew what state he'd be in when he came home. And the nights he came home stinking drunk, I headed to our bedroom to keep out of his way." Sandy's voice had started getting thicker the further into her story she ventured. Her tears were ever present, also getting more intense as she spoke. "One evening, about two weeks after I was hit with one of the plates he threw, he again came home blotted. I'd been sitting on the couch reading a book, and when I realized he was beyond sober, I put the book down and got up off the couch, intending to go to the bedroom." It started becoming more difficult to understand what Sandy was saying due to her crying while talking. Sherry reached across the table and took Sandy's hands, gently squeezing them, encouraging Sandy to continue. "I just turned to my left when he grabbed my hair from behind and threw me to the floor, causing me to land flat on my back and hitting the back of my head on the floor. I was woozy after that and had a hard time breathing. But he wasn't done, oh, no, not by a long shot. He reached down, grabbed the front of my blouse, and pulled me up. Then while holding me up, he began slapping me first with an open hand, then he'd backhand me. At one point, he slapped me so hard, he knocked me onto the couch. I don't know what happened after that because I must have passed out. When I came too, the apartment was quiet, I was lying on my side on the couch, my feet dangling over the edge of the cushion. I slowly sat up, feeling woozy again, and listened to make sure he'd gone out as he usually did. I was finally able to stand up and make my way into the bathroom, I had tasted blood in my mouth. When I looked in the bathroom mirror, I didn't recognize myself because my face was swollen. My left eye was almost swollen shut, I had a shinner under my right eye, and my lower lip was split."
Sherry pushed one of the unopened bottles of bottled water over to Sandy, who, with shaking hands, opened it and down half the water in the bottle. "After rinsing my mouth out, spitting out blood, I took a hand towel and made my way to the kitchen, where I got an ice pack out of the freezer, wrapped it in the towel, and placed it against my left eye. I made my way to the couch and lay down, shifting the ice pack around my face every so often. When I was feeling somewhat better, I took a shower and went to bed in the other bedroom which had a deadbolt on the door and a lock on the door handle. For good measure, I wedged a chair under the doorknob, I didn't want that bastard getting in the room. The next afternoon, when that bastard came home, I was standing in the living room holding the biggest butcher knife I owned. When he saw my face, and the knife I was holding, he asked me what happened to my face and why I had the knife. I couldn't believe it when I told him he did this to me and he denied it. Telling me he'd never do anything like that to me. He stepped toward me, only to have me tell him to stay back or I'd gut him like a fish. He said I was crazy. He said I should see a doctor. I laughed and told him it was him who needed to see a doctor because of his memory lapses. He laughed, telling me he didn't need to see a doctor, and his memory was fine. I told him supper was in the oven before going to the other bedroom and locking myself in for the night."
Sandy's crying had lessened, somewhat, but intensified as she told the last of her story. She had just begun continuing her story when she felt two pairs of arms encircle her from behind. Looking to her right, she saw Francis standing there. Looking to her left, she saw Charlotte. Francis told her, "It's okay, Sandy, we're here for you."
Turning back to Francis, Sandy stated, "After everything I've said to you over these past months, and you're here for me. You are a dear, sweet, young man Frank Winslow. Don't you ever change!" Sandy was quiet for several minutes, gathering her thoughts and the courage to relive the worst part of her nightmare. Taking a deep, shuddering breath, Sandy continued. "It seemed his memory problems hit him every two weeks, so after two weeks, I was on edge, waiting for the evening he'd come home plastered out of his mind. The swelling on my face had gone down by then, though I still had a bruise under my right eye." Sandy's tears increased, and her voice thickened, as she said, "It was on a Wednesday of the second week when he came home blasted out of his mind. He was so drunk he smelled up the living room. I was again sitting on the couch reading my book and when I stood up to go lock myself in the bedroom, he grabbed me and began punching me in the face. He kept calling me a bitch whore, as he punched me. I tried blocking his blows, but he'd punch me in the stomach when I did, causing me to drop my arms to my stomach."
Sherry and Toby had gotten out of their chairs and joined in holding the extremely distraught woman, who was close to wailing, as she spoke. Even though her words were thick, they understood her. "At one point, he punched me so hard I fell backward and landed on the floor. With a malevolent look on his face, he straddled me on the floor and continued punching me with his fists. I don't know how long I lay there on the floor, but when I came to, he wasn't around. My face hurt something fierce, as did my chest. I managed to crawl to the phone and pull it off the end table. I dialed 911 and told them my boyfriend had just beaten me and I needed help. I was later told when they found me lying on the floor, I was still holding the phone. When I came to, I discovered I was in the hospital, a doctor standing over me and a nurse next to him; an IV in my right arm. I tried to speak, but was told by the doctor not to, they had to wire my jaw shut. He went on to explain that my left and right cheekbones had slight fractures and I had three broken ribs, which they'd taped. I guess I fell asleep at that point, because when I awoke, it was the next day." Sandy reached out and took the opened bottle of water and drank the water left in the bottle. Still crying, and now shaking, she continued with her story. She chuckled a bit when she told them, "The next morning when they brought my breakfast, it was a glass of some green stuff with a straw in it. I was told I couldn't eat anything solid until my jaw healed; the green stuff was pretty tasty. It was while the doctor and nurse were there that he came into the room, causing me to flip out. With my jaw wired shut, I did my best to tell them to keep him away from me and to get him the hell out of my room. I guess I was going nuts, 'cause the doctor had to hold me down while the nurse pushed him out of the room before she got on the phone and called security. And just like before, he didn't remember beating the hell out of me. When I'd calmed down, I told the doctor everything about his memory lapses. How he'd come home stinking drunk, go into a rage, leave the apartment, then come home the next day like nothing ever happened. When the two security guards came into the room, they took one look at me and while one called the police, the other made sure he didn't go anywhere; he was still trying to get into my room."
By this time, Jane and Carolyn had come into the back room, Carolyn had first locked the front door, turned the 'open' sign to 'closed,' and pulled down the shades over the front windows. They both reached in and helped hold Sandy, now wailing as she spoke. "When the police arrived, the doctor left my room but the nurse stayed, as did one of the security guards. A woman officer came into my room and I heard her exclaim, 'Oh, my gawd,' after she saw me. She started asking me questions, and I told her everything as best as I could with my jaw wired shut. I later learned the doctor had somehow convinced him to undergo a brain scan, and that when the scan was complete, it was discovered he had a brain tumor that was so advanced there was nothing they could do to remove it. They told him he had about three more months to live. The officers asked if I wanted to press charges against him, but how could I do that and deprive him of what time he had left to live? I told them he was already under a death sentence, so no, I wasn't going to press charges. I was discharged a few days later, they'd called my parents to inform them what had happened to me. On the day I was discharged both mom and dad were there to help me. They even took me back to the apartment and helped me pack up everything before they took me home."
With her story concluded, Sandy had a major meltdown, The six held her for all they were worth, none of them having a dry eye. Her wailing was worse than anything heard at Seasons House during the sessions with Sherry. Nothing at the moment mattered but being there for Sandy. Time wasn't important, lessons undone weren't important, absolutely nothing was important at that very moment, but Sandy and her welfare. Ratons laveurs (Raccoons) and Toby held Sandy as her wailing lessened to crying to eventually soft whimpers, her breathing coming in shudders after all the anguish she released. Eventually, that too regained its normal pattern, the pile of used tissues increasing in the middle of the table, many containing black smudges. Slowly the room became quiet, only the soft ticking of the wall clock breaking the silence. Then as abruptly as Sandy's wailing had started, she suddenly said, "Oh, crap. I have to pee," causing everyone to either snort, laugh, or chuckle. She must have had to really go, because she almost took Sherry and Toby with her as she quickly stood up, turned, and headed for the restroom in the salon. The others had released Sandy and stood back to let her out of her chair, finding it amusing as Sherry and Toby were suddenly sitting on the floor.
They all started laughing when Toby, sitting on the floor facing Sherry, and with a big smile on his face, said, "I guess going was rather urgent."
Charlotte had picked up the used tissues and threw them in a nearby trashcan, taking a seat next to where Sherry had been sitting as she held Sandy. The others did the same, finding seats on the opposite side of the table or either side of where Sandy had been sitting. Sandy caused more laughter after coming back into the room and saying, "Ho, boy, that was a close one. And me without any spare panties."
Before Sandy returned Toby and Sherry had picked themselves off the floor and were again sitting in their seats. Upon hearing Sandy's statement when she returned, he face palmed himself, shook his head, and announced, "TMI TMI TMI," forgetting Francis and Charlotte were also boys under their clothing, who, like the others, started laughing as Toby's pretty strawberry color returned.
Smiling because of what Toby said, and his now red coloring, Sandy sat down in her chair facing Toby. Sandy put a gentle hand on his left shoulder, asking, "Did I embarrass my prince Charming with my talk of panties?" As Toby nodded his head, Sandy saw the tears forming in his eyes, suddenly remembering their earlier talk. "Oh, my gawd, Toby. I'm so sorry," she told him as she pulled him sideways into a hug, his tears now flowing freely down his cheeks. "Oh, my sweet boy, I'm so sorry." Sherry quietly explained about the conversation when they'd first come into the back room, helping everyone understand why Toby was upset and Sandy's apology.
Carolyn hadn't seen Sandy pull Toby into a hug, but she heard Sandy's apology and Sherry's explanation, as she'd gone to get more bottles of bottled water. She did, however, see Sandy holding Toby as she returned to the back room, setting a bottle in front of everyone. Walking to stand behind Toby and Sandy, Carolyn laid a hand on Toby's back, leaned over his right shoulder, asking, "Will you be okay, Toby? If you want to talk about it we'll listen."
Toby's head gyrated in several plans before he shrugged his shoulders and answered, "Yeah, I'll be okay. It's just a wish I've had for some time."
Sandy and Jane knew Carolyn had a wicked sense of humor if she had the right opening. Both women knew what the big smile on Carolyn's face meant, and they weren't disappointed when she asked Toby, "What, getting into a pair of panties?"
Sherry, Francis, and Charlotte suddenly caught on to what Carolyn had asked, knowing she asked a question having a double meaning. Those three leaned over so they could see Toby's face, while those on the opposite of the table just looked at his face. As they watched, Toby frowned for several moments before realization showed on his face. He sat up, breaking Sandy's hold on him, slowly turned his head to the right, and seeing Carolyn's huge grin, said, "You do realize that's a double entendre question, right?"
Nodding her head like a bobblehead toy, she replied, "Yes, yes I do. You gave me the perfect opening and I just had to take it." Shaking his head several times, he thanked her before lightly kissing her on the cheek. Ruffling his hair, she told him, "Any time, kid. I hate seeing such a wonderful kid like you hurting."
Sandy looked at the women around the tables, saying, "I guess I don't have to ask how I look, I can see how I look." There were chuckles all around. Then Sandy got a serious look on her face and told them, "I can never thank all of you enough for being here for me. I've never had anyone show as much love and concern as all of you have shown me." Turning to Sherry, she said, "If you let me know when you have an opening, I'd like to continue talking with you for a while." She then turned back to Toby, gently stroking his cheek. "Toby, don't you give up hope finding the girl for you. She's out there, you two just haven't met yet. And don't you ever change who you are," and she playfully tweaked his ear. "Or I'll hunt you down and kick your butt, got it?"
Smiling, Toby answered, "Got it. And I'll be sure to invite you to our wedding."
Looking at the clock on the wall, Sandy sighed then said, "Well, looks like I closed the salon for today. I'm sorry about it, Carolyn."
Reaching across the table and taking Sandy's hand, she told Sandy, "Ah, no, I closed the shop. You are much more important than more clients today. But I am kind of hungry. How about you and I get cleaned up and go out to eat? Your treat."
Seeing the smile on Carolyn's face, a shocked Sandy jerked her head in Toby's direction and said, "He isn't the only cheeky bugger around here." The room erupted in laughter.
Jane pushed her chair back, she started walking around the table before telling the girls and Toby, "Girls, Toby, I think it's time for us to return home. We all need to clean up before supper." Jane stopped behind Sandy, placing a hand on her left shoulder. Sandy reached up and held Jane's hand as Jane told her, "If you need anything, anything at all, call me." Sandy's throat tightened at Jane's offer, so she nodded her head in response. Carolyn followed Jane, the girls, and Toby to the front door, unlocking it before hugging the four and letting them out of the salon.
Looking through a small pair of binoculars, the passenger said, "It must have gotten emotional in there. Jane would never allow herself to look as she does now."
His partner used his own binoculars, and replied, "Oh, you got that right. She was always sticky about that point."
Lowering his binoculars, the passenger asked, "How do you know that?" Realization hitting him, continued with, "Wait. You were her guest, weren't you? Oh, I'd like to hear that story."
The driver replied, "Yep, got the tee-shirt to prove it. We'll have time later for my story." They waited until Jane drove away, then started shadowing them, watching as another car pulled out from behind the salon and headed toward Seasons House.
The drive back to Seasons House was somber, everyone's thoughts on Sandy's welfare. Francis and Charlotte, in particular, realized they'd not had it that bad compared to what Sandy and Toby had experienced. When they arrived at Seasons House, Toby was his usual gentlemanly self, helping first Jane then the girls out of Jane's car. The three quiet teens followed Jane up the sidewalk to the front door, and waited until Jane unlocked and opened the front door before following her inside her house. Turning to the three teens, Jane said, "Please shower and put on clean clothing. Girls, make sure you clean your faces thoroughly before showing." Their 'Yes, Aunt Jane' responses were also somber, there thoughts still on Sandy.
As the three started the short climb to the second floor, Francis turned and asked, "Aunt Jane. Will Sandy be alright? She was so upset then."
Proud at the concern Francis had for someone else, Jane asked, "Did you feel better after talking with Sherry? Do you feel better, now that you faced the hurt you carried? Don't you Toby, Charlotte, feel better now that you've faced your demons?"
With a synopated reply of 'yes,' the three teens turned and continued ascending the stairs. Marie came out of the study, turning to watch the teens disappear out of sight on the second floor. When three bedroom doors were heard closing, Jane asked, "Well?"
Marie turned to face Jane and told her, "Jeb sent them. Or maybe it's better to say he asked them to come and watch over us. Seems the three of them have a life debt, helping each other with no questions asked. They aren't leaving until it's all over."
Nodding her head, Jane asked, "How far?"
Smiling, Marie answered, "A thousand yards, if it's a fly. Longer if it walks on two legs. Oh, and if it goes south, the passenger said for you to stay away from the door opening. He didn't want your pretty face to be splattered with blood." Chuckling, Jane turned and started for her bedroom and a shower. She was part way through the living room when Marie said, "Oh, and Jane," causing Jane to stop and turn to face Marie. "The man driving was one of our girls some years ago." Jane nodded her head once, smiled, then turned and continued walking to her bedroom.
Marie was in the kitchen, gathering the ingredients for their supper when the three teens entered the kitchen. Right away, she could feel the atmosphere in the normally bubbly kitchen drop to somber, as the three went about their tasks mechanically. Francis and Toby were about to leave the kitchen to set the table when Marie ordered, "Everyone stop what you're doing and sit down at the table." She watched as the three sat down before asking, "Who wants to tell me why you three look as though someone took the last piece of your favorite pie?"
She had tried to lighten the atmosphere in the kitchen but saw it had no affect. She almost laughed as she watched the three look from one to the other, each playing a mental game of rock, paper, sissors. Francis sighed, then said, "We're worried about Sandy, tante Marie. She went through something even worse than what Toby experienced." Marie looked at Toby, the boy sitting in a chair, nodding his head. "She became even more upset than the three of us did when we talked with Sherry. The guy she was with ended up being Dr. Jeckle and Mr. Hyde because of a massive brain tumor. And Sandy happened to be there when Mr. Hyde was around. He beat her several times, not remembering he'd done anything when Dr. Jeckle was present. Tante Marie, the last time Mr. Hyde came out, he beat her so bad he almost killed her. She ended up in the hospital, then with her parents help, they moved her back home so she could get away from him and let her body heal."
Marie placed her left hand on both of Francis' folded hands on the table, trying to offer her some comfort, as she watched tears escape the girls eyes. "Francis, I think you'll find Sandy has become a much stronger person because of her experience. You may have heard the saying 'What doesn't kill you, makes you stronger?'" And Marie looked at each of the teens as she recited the saying. "Aren't you three stronger because of the recent experiences you've had? All three of you faced your demons with Sherry's help, and you came out the other side. Don't you feel stronger because of that? It is admirable you three are concerned for Sandy's welfare, Jane and I would be disappointed if you weren't. But her burden isn't your burden, and you can't carry it for her. You can help where you are able. You can be concerned as you currently are, but you can't let it take control of your life. Understand you did what you could do when she needed you three the most. Now, you must get on with your lives and have faith Sandy will be okay. Do you understand what I'm telling the three of you?"
In unison, the three nodded their heads, with Charlotte adding, "Yeah, but it still hurts to see Sandy hurting, tante Marie."
Smiling, Marie told the teens, "Yes, it hurts, chère. It hurts because you care. It will always hurt if you truly care about someone's welfare. Now, perk up, know Sandy will be alright, and get about your tasks or supper will be late. And you know Jane hates a late meal for no reason." The three teens chuckled, then did perk up because of Marie's last statement, getting up from the kitchen table and going about their usual tasks to help get supper ready. Marie stood back and watched the three teens work, cooperating with each other like a well oiled machine. She once again took her own words to heart, as she tamped her own hurt down once again, knowing those three would be alright in the end.
Talk at the supper table that evening centered around Sany, brain tumors, their treatments and the effect the turmor can have on the brain and a person's actions. Charlotte was able to provide some information because of the physiology class she'd taken at the nearby University, but it wasn't until the following morning, when Jill arrive to check on Toby, that a better explanation would be heard at breakfast.
Seasons House took on a normalcy unlike any Jane and Marie had had in the past. For the next two weeks, the teens kept their bedrooms clean and tidy, without being told. They were out the backdoor at 6 a.m. to muck out the stalls in the stable, trying not to play muck-a-boo with the mare and Pinto, without being told. They then showered and after getting dressed, helped Marie get ready for breakfast. Their time until lunch was filled with Susan's lessons, an activity causing Susan to plan much further ahead because of the speed the teens covered the lessons. They would then help get lunch ready, followed by more lessons until supper time. All of this done without being told to do so. Jane would have to tell them to relax after supper or they'd be back in the library studying. They also had the weekly trips to the salon, where the first thing the teens did was to make sure Sandy was doing okay, something she greatly appriciated. Much to their surprise, she was doing better than fine, as they found out she was as much of a practical joker as Carolyn. They also discovered her puns were more poignant, if not pungent.
Jeb had been quiet of late, not sending Jane any undates about the shoplifting case. It was the Monday of the third week after helping Sandy, that two events occurred simultaneously. Jane and Marie were sitting at the dining room table after breakfast, and Susan and the teens were in the library studying, when the phone in the study rang and there was a knock on the front door. After getting up from the table, Marie went to the study, while Jane checked the monitor near the front door. The camera watching the front door showed two men dressed in workman's clothes. Both wore a blue work shirt with a company name and logo above the left breast pocket. The man in front carried what looked to be a toolbox, while the man behind him carried a roll of Romex insulated electrical wire. Both were wearing workbooks. With a practiced eye, Jane could tell neither man bore the marks of someone in the electrical trade.
Jane immediately went to the living room, pulled the rolling ladder over to the exact spot she needed, climbed it, took out the fake book spines, opened the small safe behind them, and took out her Glock, closing the door of the safe but did not lock it. After replacing the fake book spines, she climbed down the ladder and returned it to its storage location. She pulled the slide on her Glock back just enough to make sure a round was chambered, before quickly walking to the library and barging in, telling Susan, the girls and Toby to follow her and ask no questions. They followed Jane into her bedroom, where she stopped at a door near the far wall. After inputting a code on the keypad next to the door, she opened the door then told them, "At the bottom of these stairs, you'll find a panic room. After entering the room, turn the large wheel on the inside of the door, that will throw bolts around the parameter of the door into the door frame. Then pull down the bar at the top and bottom, both helping to secure the door. You'll be safe in that room, as there is food and water and fresh air will be pumped in after you secure the door. There are two phones in that room, a red and white one. The white one is a house phone, while the red one is a direct line to the police and sheriff office. I will call you on the house phone, the white phone. If I tell you 'bingo clear' you can exit the room and return upstairs. If I tell you 'Charlie bingo' pick up the red phone and tell the sheriff and police that Seasons House needs help, they'll understand. If the white phone rings and you don't hear my voice, or Marie's voice, pick up the red phone and tell them we need help. Got it?" When they all nodded their heads, Jane then said, "Alright, go. I'll stay here until I hear the bolts thrown on the door."
After hearing the bolts on the panic room door go home, Jane closed the door and quickly made her way to the front door, seeing Marie standing at the study door with her 1911 in her hand and the hammer ready to start a delivery. "That was Jeb," Marie told Jane. "Ask those two which side they butter their toast on. They should answer, 'the side you put cinnamon sugar on.'"
Jane thumbed the safety on the Glock off, then pulled the hammer all the way back, before putting her right arm behind her back and walking to the front door. After turning the knob pulling the bolt back, she opened the front door and stood next to the open door with her left hand on the doorknob. "Yes, gentlemen. How may I help you two?"
"Good morning, Ms. Thompson. My name is Robert Thomas and my partner is Jerome Roberts. We're with the District Attorney's office and have been sent here to interview Toby Camber."
Jane evaluated the man's statement for any lies or deceit. Satisfied he was telling the truth, she asked, "And which side of the toast do you butter?"
Jerome smiled before replying, "The side you put cinnamon sugar on, Ms. Thompson."
Giving both men a small smile, and dropping her right arm, she watched the surprised look in both men's eyes at seeing her 9mm. "Please, come in gentlemen," Jane told them, backing to her right so she was out of Marie's line of fire. "You may put your props there," and she pointed to a spot about five feet from the front door.
After setting the toolbox and Romex roll on the floor, it was only then they saw the 1911 Marie was holding. It was Jerome who said, "You ladies seem to have had a spot of trouble," as he pointed to the Glock and at Marie.
Jane looked Jerome in the eyes and replied, "Indeed we have, Mr. Roberts. It's why we are taking precautions. Do either of you have any material you need to acquire?"
It was Robert who told Jane, "All we need is in the toolbox. If I may?" He asked, not wanting to know what it felt like to be shot.
Nodding her head, Jane said, "Slowly, Mr. Thomas. No sudden moves, please. It'd be a shame if I had to have these floors replaced because of spilt blood." Robert did exactly as Jane said. He slowly flipped the two latches before opening the lid by holding the side of the lid. He took out two business folders, handing one to Jerome. After he stood, Jane said, "If you two gentlemen will follow Marie's instructions, I'll bring Toby to you in the study. You gentlemen understand Marie will be in the room the entire time you’re with Toby, for Toby's protection. And I would advise you to follow her instructions to the letter. She isn't always as patient as I am and might do something regreteable."
A statue in place, Jane waited until Marie directed the two men into the study before she headed for the library. Once in the library, she picked up the phone and dialed a two digit number, saying, "Bingo is clear. I say again, Bingo is clear." After hanging up the phone, she went into her bedroom, standing where she could watch her bedroom door and the door to the panic room. It wasn't long before the secure door opened and the four came into the bedroom. "Toby, please come with me. There are two gentlemen from the District Attorneys office who want to ask you some questions. You're not to worry, though, because Marie will be in the study the entire time. And if anything goes wrong, drop to the floor, don't hesitate. Just drop. Understand?" When Toby nodded his head, Jane then told the others, "You three can return to the library. I will be in the dining room, sitting at the table. If anything happens, I'll come and get you and you'll head to the panic room again. No questions asked. Do you understand me?" She watched as all three nodded their heads, before she led them out of her bedroom. She stopped Toby once they reached the library, giving the three time to enter the library and close the door behind them. She walked Toby into the study and over to the table near the window. Seeing that the two men were sitting on the bookshelf side of the table, away from the window, she said, "Gentlemen, please move to the opposite side of the table, I want Toby out of sight of anyone outside." After the men moved to the opposite side of the table, and Toby sat down opposite them, Jane told the two men, "And you need not worry about anything you say or discuss leaving this room. Marie only watches, not listens." After both men nodded their heads in agreement, Jane left the study, closing the door behind her before heading to the kitchen.
During the two hours of questioning, the men started by asking Toby how he became involved with the shoplifting. When they questioned the part where Toby talked about being beaten in to submission, he stood up, tore off his shirt and pulled down his pants and underwear before turning around and asking, "Do all of these scars look like bullshit to you? Would you like to see the pictures they took right after I arrived at Seasons House? Those would give you a better perspective of what I went through. Shall Marie have Aunt Jane bring them to us?"
Marie had reached the table just as Toby finished speaking. He was pulling up his underwear and pants and putting what was left of his shirt back on. She put an arm around his shoulders then said with a kind voice, "Beruhige dich, Schatz (Calm down, darling.). They mean you no harm. It they can't believe what you tell them, no one will believe what you tell them." Then turning to the two men, she told them, "This young man has been through hell and has only just come out the other side. Take that into account with your questioning. I will have some water brought to you." Marie walked backward to the study desk, picked up the phone and dialed a two digit number. "Would you please bring water and glasses to the study. Thank you." Without looking for the straight back wooden chair, Marie backed up until her calves hit the chair stretchers and she sat down, never taking her eyes off the two men. It wasn't long before Jane walked into the study, not bothering to knock on the study door. She offered Marie a glass of water from the tray she carried, before taking the rest to the table, all the while staying out of Marie's line of fire.
She backed her way to the study door before opening the door and backing out of the study. Once free of the study, Jane returned to the kitchen to monitor the study through the hidden cameras placed in the study. She had to fight the urge to storm into the study and pistol whip both men because of some questions they asked. But she understood the reason for the questions, since Marie had already explained it to Toby. At the two hour mark, both men decided they had enough information, and told Toby with the information they had in his own voice, he likely wouldn't be called to testify. Jane shut down the monitor and closed and locked the cabinet, before leaving the kitchen and taking a seat at the dining room table. When the study door opened, and the two men emerged, Jane stood up and walked toward the study. Toby and Marie had followed the two men out of the study, Marie sent Toby back to the library. As Jane reached the two men, she asked, "Did you gentlemen get everything you needed or wanted? If you must return, please advise us several hours before arriving, it eliminates a great quantity of stress. And the possibility of needing to replace the flooring in my house because of unwanted liquids."
Both men agreed before Robert opened the toolbox and returning the two business folders inside. He then took the large coil of Romex and placed it inside, giving anyone watching the impression their work had been completed. Jane opened the front door and closed it after both men had left, going to the living room window and watching as both men got into a work truck branded with the same company logo as was on their shirts. Once they were gone, she pulled the rolling ladder over to the right spot, lowered the hammer on the Glock and safteying it, she climbed it and set aside the fake book spines, before opening the safe and placing the Glock inside. Locking the safe this time, she replaced the fake book spines before climbing down the ladder and moving to its storage location.
Jane then walked toward the study, just as Marie came out of the study empty-handed. "I'll let our friends know we're okay," she told Jane as she started up the stairs. Jane nodded her head once, before turning and walking to the library, where she knocked on the door before opening it and giving everyone the all clear.
Marie turned left once she reached the second floor, walking to the door leading to the attic. Once she reached the attic, she pulled out her keys and unlocked a trunk near the front wall of the house. Taking out a spotter's scope and an led flashlight with a strong beam, she walked over to a small window, opened it and used the spotter's scope to find their friends. Once she spotted them, and saw the passenger was sighting in on the house, using Morse code, she told them they were okay and the men were from the District Attorneys' office. The passenger messaged back, 'Thanks, Marie.'
The days went back to what had become normal for Seasons House this time with girls in her house, and Jane was in the kitchen rinsing out her mug at the sink when she spotted the teens gengerly walking back to the house wearing bath towels that were kept in a cabinet near the showers in the stable; they were barefooted this time. Without turning to face Marie, she said, "I wonder what their explanation will be this time." Curious, Marie got up from the kitchen table and looked out the window, laughing as she was the three towel-wrapped teens gently walking back to the house.
"Their explanation should be good this time," she chuckled, before following Jane out of the kitchen and onto the deck off the back door.
Hiding their amusement, both women put on their stern looks, Jane asking the teens when they reached the steps to the deck, "Well, who will explain why you had to shower at the stable instead of your own bedrooms?"
The teens looked at each other before Charlotte let out a sigh and said, "It was the mare."
Then Francis let out a sigh and said, "It was also Pinto."
The teens saw the looks on Jane and Marie's faces, knowing they were still waiting for an explanation. It was Toby who took up the story as he said, "We followed the steps we'd always used, taking one horse out of its stall, pulling everything out, cleaning it completely, putting down fresh straw and returning the horse to its stall before picking up the muck and putting it into the cart. And that's what we had done this morning until the three of us were knocked from behind into the piles of muck first by your mare, Aunt Jane, then by Pinto. Both had been put back into their stalls and the doors latched, only those two have figured out how to undo the latch and push open the doors to their stalls. And when they want to, Aunt Jane, they can be super quiet.
The teens saw the surprised looks on Jane and Marie's faces, as they suddenly felt unexpected weight on their shoulders. All three teens jumped in various directions, away from the weight, only to discover the mare and Pinto standing there, their heads lowered. The teens also didn't expect to be standing in front of Jane and Marie in their birthday suits, as they'd dropped the bath towels they held closed around them. It was too much for Jane and Marie, as both women broke down in ruckus laughter, holding each other up as they did so. The first thing the teens did was to snatch up their bath towels and cover themselves. They then walked over to the two horses and hugged both, telling them it was okay, that they were okay, "Just don't do it again," from Francis.
As all of them watched, both horses turned around and walked back to the stable, Jane saying, "You three go finish drying off and fix yourselves, I'll check on those two," pointing to the two retreating horses. Jane and the teens passed each other as Jane stepped down off the deck while the teens climbed the steps to the deck.
Marie had just put her hand on the back door doorknob when the four heard Jane chuckle. Turning, they saw her shaking her head, chuckling each time as she did. Shaking her own head, Marie finally said, "Come, you three. We still have breakfast to prepare and you must be dressed properly before that can happen."
As the three climbed the stairs, they could hear Marie chuckling as she walked toward the kitchen. It was Toby who said somewhat saracastically, "I'm glad we could be their source of amusement this morning."
Charlotte nodded her head in agreement, but it was Francis who said, "It's better to be their source of amusement than the alternative they could have had us doing." That statement caused Toby and Charlotte to stop on the stair tread they were on, trying to picture what alternatives they could now be doing.
As the three resumed their climb, Charlotte saying aloud, "I'd rather have Aunt Jane and Marie laughing then have them upset with me."
When Toby reached the second floor, he stopped and turned to faced Charlotte and Francis, who were one and two steps from the second floor. "You got to admit, it was kind of funny, being outsmarted by two horses." That caused all three to laugh, as they made up lost time by rushing to their respective bedrooms.
When Jane reached the stable, she was still chuckling, but witnessed something that totally surprised her. The stall doors were up against the wall, but before Pinto and the mare went into their stalls, each took a foreleg and placed it behind the bottom edge of the doors. They then pushed each door away from the wall, using the bodies to move the doors until there was enough room for both of them to enter their stalls. After turning around, they used their chins to pull the doors shut, causing the latches to engage. Looking at both sternly, Jane asked, "Okay, that's how you both returned to your stalls, how did you both get out?" Jane had watched as the teens looked at each other, appearing to have a silent conversation before one of them spoke. But she'd never observed her horses doing the same, as after looking at each other, they both lowered their heads, and using their teeth, lifted the latch and pushing against the inside of the door before both doors swung open, allowing both horses to walk out of their stalls. Shaking her head, Jane told them, "That's clever of you both," first walking her mare back into her stall and then Pinto, closing the stall doors afterward. "But you shouldn't just get out when you want, you could hurt yourselves and we wouldn't know about it until we came out to check on the both of you. So please, no more. Agreed?" Pinto and the mare looked at each other again, before both nodded their large heads, receiving an apple each from Jane; Jane’s other mare wasn’t left out of the apple giving. While she was there in the stable, she walked into the shower room to inspect it after the teens had showered. As their bedrooms and en suites were clean and tidy, the teens had left the shower room clean and tidy. They'd wiped down the shower curtains, cleaned the floor of any muck they tracked in, and their soiled clothing, which would have to be thoroughly rinsed before they could be washed, were in separate plastic bags sitting near the door. Jane chuckled again, until she realized how much she'd miss those three and reached up and knuckled her eyes.
Taking the bagged clothing with her, Jane returned to the house, dropping the bags off in the laundry room. From the laundry room, Jane went into the study to check her emails and the fax machine. After going into the study, and closing the door behind her, Jane saw the ready light on the fax machine blinking, an indication a fax was ready to be printed. After inputting a code on the fax machine's keypad she waited for the fax to print, then turned on the computer, entered her password, and opening up the email program. She had just started scanning the emails when the fax chirped, an indication the fax had been printed. She got up from her high-backed chair, took the two steps to the fax machine, and took the printed fax off the outfeed side of the machine. Sitting back down in her chair, she started reading the fax.
From: Jeb et al.
To: Jane Thompson
RE: Killer has been caught
Jane,
Great news, the person killing the kids involved in the shoplifting spree has been caught. The police used a decoy and let it be known where the "kid" lived, hoping to flush out the killer. It was on the third day when the bait was taken, and the killer surprised the decoy in a stakeout house. I was told she was more surprised by all the police who jumped out and forced her to give up, after the decoy coaxed her into telling why she was going to kill him, and they had it all on tape. Turned out to be Strom's mistress, probably not a surprise, since she was involved in the shoplifting spree in the other state.
They discovered where she was living, and after executing a search warrant, hit paydirt. She must have thought she'd never be found out, because they found mountains of documents, items from the other state with the sticker price still on them stored in two of the four bedrooms. They also found enough evidence on Strom to have him arrested, a big surprise when the police arrived at his home with the warrant.
The gun she was caught with, including the silencer attached to it, were rushed to ballistics, and placed at the top of the list of guns to be tested. Every bullet taking from the dead kids, and the three taken out of Tylor, matched a test fired bullet from her gun. And the nail in her coffin, the only finger prints found anywhere on that gun were hers, even though she tried to claim it wasn't hers.
Because this case involved killing kids, the Distric Attorney emphasized to the police the necessity of dotting every 'I' and crossing every 'T,' she didn't want any defense lawyer to find a flaw that you get her off. After seeing the evidence they had against her, if her attorney doesn't have her pled guilty instead of having a jury trial, that attorney has more guts than brains. Even if she requests a jury trial, killing those kids will get her a life sentence, plus however many years the judge adds on to the sentence.
As to Toby and Charles, Toby won't have to testify due to the recording Robert and Jerome made during Toby's questioning. With Strom in custody, and unable to following through with his threat to take Charles to Federal Court, and Toby's testimony, Ruth and dropped all charges against him, and expunged his record. As to Toby and his involvement in the shoplifting spree, the Distric Attorney has decided not to charge him with anything, deciding there are extenuating circumstances due to his being beaten into submission. I won't repeat exactly what she said when she saw the pictures of Toby when he first arrived at your home, but it also included a map, shovel, and a flashlight.
Not knowing how Toby feels about his brother, you might want to speak to him alone about his brother. Tylor did turn States evidence, but the DA is going to try and charge him as an accessory to the murders, Strom as well. Even if the accessory charges are denied, both are going to prison for a minium of ten years, no time off for good behavior; the DA whats them to spend every bit of the ten years behind bars.
The DA spoke with the DA of the city in the other state where all the previous shoplifting took place, and he agreed the charge of murder carried more weight than any shoplifting charge he could bring. So, Strom's mistress is all ours!
Now a personal favor. Toby's dad has been in contact with me, asking after Toby. Seems he has some good news and wants to meet with Toby to give it to him in person. It has something to do with getting a new job in your area, a much better paying job, and he's excited to move up there. Also, now that Charles has been cleared, Lynn and I would like to come out and break the news to him and take him home. Please let me know your decision soon, Toby's dad has a time limit before needing to report to work.
Give Charles our love,
Jeb
Jane sat the fax on the desk then leaned back in her chair, mulling over Jeb's request. She found the main portion of the news satisfactory, but allowing Jeb and others to come to Seasons House? That bothered her. She picked up the phone, dialed a two digit number, then said, "We need to talk," then hung up the phone. A moment later the study door opened and Marie came into the study, a worried look on her face, not that she left the teens in the kitchen, but because of Jane's tone of voice.
Jane picked up the fax and handed to Marie, who was now standing in front of the desk. She got up from her high-backed chair and walked to the window, her hands now clasped together behind her back. Marie slowly walked toward the window, reading the fax as she walked. "I think a map, a shovel, and a flashlight is the best for Strom and the woman. Tylor? Let him rot in prison, or let me teach him a lesson. Any brother who treats their brother as he did deserves no less. He cared nothing for his brother, so we should care nothing for him."
Jane released her hands behind her back and placed her left arm around Marie's shoulders, feeling Marie's anger from the tension of her shoulder muscles. "I agree with you about Strom and the woman, but I think the courts should administer Tylor's punishment and not you. You would be a bit too, um, enthusiastic in administering his punishment, and we would only want him to learn a lesson, not end up in a grave."
Marie chuckled after Jane's last statement. "Oui, je serais trop enthousiaste à l'idée d'administrer sa punition, car je me souvenais de ce que j'avais vu après avoir déshabillé Toby (Yes, I would be too enthusiastic in administering his punishment, as I remembered what I saw after undressing Toby.). I do not, though, see a successful outcome in trying to link him to the murders, having almost been murdered himself."
Jane listened quietly to her friend as the spoke, nodding her head in agreement in regards to Tylor being linked to the murders. "I am more concerned with Jeb's personal request, something we've never done."
It was Marie's turn to place an arm around Jane's shoulders, after Jane dropped her left arm and once again held her arms behind her back, her hands clasped together. "Chère, nothing we've been doing is anything like what we would normally do. Oh, we started our normal routine, and carried it out until Toby arrived and brought something to our attention. Even Charles brought something to our attention that gained us the results we were after. Look how they stand shoulder to shoulder if punishment is to be delivered. And you can't deny we've all gained much more this time than we've ever gained in the past. But the question you're asking yourself, the real question you're asking yourself, is whether to let Jeb and Toby's father actually see what we do here by how we have our boys present themselves. And if we let two see for themselves, shouldn't there be a third in the Willows? Perhaps instead of you and I answering this question, we should ask those who it would affect more?"
Jane released her hands behind her back and put her left arm around Marie's waist. "Keeping you around has been a wise decision, one that warms my heart."
Marie chortled before replying, "You keep me around because you can't boil water, and you know it."
Their decision made, the women turned as a unit and walked across the study arm in arm toward the study door. Opening the door, Jane let Marie leave the study first, and after closing the door behind her, they resumed their arm in arm walk across the living room and to the kitchen. When the teens saw Jane and Marie enter the kitchen, they froze, believing the boom was about to be lowered. "Charlotte, Toby," Jane addressed the two teens first. "Your fathers have important news they want to deliver personally by coming here. Francis, if we allow Toby and Charlotte fathers to come, we are thinking of allowing Penny to come as well. I want you three to think on the matter, not only your wanting to see your guardians, but in what manner you see them. We will discuss it more as we eat, so carry on with our breakfast preparations."
Having said that, Jane abruptly turned and left the kitchen, the teens still frozen in place. Francis broke the silence with, "Why is Aunt Jane upset, tante Marie? Is it something we've done?"
Marie shook her head, telling the three, "No Francis, it isn't anything you three have done. Come, sit down and I will explain, we have time to talk." After the three teens sat down at the kitchen table, Marie told them, "It isn't about your father, Charlotte, or yours, Toby, coming to Seasons House. It's about whether or not to let them see what we do here at Seasons House. Many in this area know what we do, and how we do it. Those who've been here are grateful for what we do, others not so much. Toby, it wouldn't be a problem for you because you haven't become one of Jane's girls. Your father would only be concerned with the scars he likely want to see. Francis, you and Charlotte are another matter. Jane is asking herself if we let your guardians see you as you now are or return you to the boys you are. She is worried how each of your guardians will react if they see the two of you as you are now."
Marie watched as the realization dawned on the faces of the three teens. "Aunt Jane is worried they'd go back and tell what they saw, isn't she Marie?" Toby asked as he stared into Marie's eyes. "And she's worried there'd be terrible repercussions, isn't she?" He added, his face now etched with worry.
"Yes, cher she is," Marie said, addressing Toby's concerns.
Charlotte chuckled before saying, "My parents would think it was a once in a lifetime experience, and glad I stood up to it. Plus, knowing my parents, it wouldn't be there story to tell, but you might gain additional wards because of it, if Jane explains everything to them."
Marie then looked at Francis, who was still mulling over what she heard Marie say. Finally getting the 'I'm ready to speak' look on her face, she told Marie, "I don't think Penny would be upset. I think she might even believe it was good for me to have this experience. I think she'd believe it'd help me be more cognizant of a girl's feelings and what girls often experience."
After hearing Francis use the word 'cognizant,' both Toby and Charlotte slowly turned their heads to look at Francis. "Where in the world did you dig up that word?" Charlotte asked, causing Francis to take on a haunting, upstart appearance.
Sniffing her nose, and trying to use a British accent, she replied, "In a book, peasant. You should try reading one once in a while."
Toby turned to look at Charlotte before saying, "Lift your feet, Charlotte. It's getting thick in here." All four then broke out in laughter, the tense atmosphere lightening considerably.
Marie stood up before saying, "Think about all of this as you continue getting breakfast ready. It's important Jane knows how you three feel about this."
When breakfast was on the table, and Toby had seated the ladies then sat down himself, bowing his head after doing so, Jane and Marie could see the concerned looks on the three teens faces. Jane said nothing at first, taking a helping of scrambled eggs before passing the bowl to Marie. She then took a helping of hash browns, then bacon, passing each bowl or plate to Marie, who would then pass it to Charlotte. Once everyone had been served toast, Jane broke the silence with, "I can see you three have been thinking about what I told you. I can also see you have concern on your faces. Who would like to tell me why you are so concerned?"
The three looked at each other before Toby spoke. "We're concerned about you and Marie, Aunt Jane. Charlotte's parents may not say something about way she's dressed, or Francis' Aunt Penny. But I'm worried what my dad might say if he sees how they are dressed and what he might do to you and Marie, Aunt Jane. Charlotte and Francis feel the same."
Jane calmly took a bit of her hash browns, dabbed her mouth with a napkin, then said, "I'm honored you are thinking of Marie and myself before yourselves. That shows great maturity on the part of you three." Jane then noticed the look on Francis' face, concern and something more. "Francis, you have something else to add?"
Francis pursed her lips several times, each time trying to say something but shaking her head each time. Jane was patient, knowing now how difficult it was for Francis to organize her thoughts to say exactly what she wanted to say. Finally, she nodded her head and said, "Aunt Jane, if more people learn what you and tante Marie do here, I'm worried they might try and stop you two. Even have you both arrested for something they perceive as abuse. I've heard the whispers when we've been at the Mall and other places, how many of the men who've been here are glad you and Marie were here," She chuckled before continuing. "They weren’t happy how you straightened them out, but they're grateful you did. And while I will admit I'm not thrilled how you showed me a better way to behave and think about things, I too am grateful for the work you and Marie do. I just don't want to see anything happen to both of you." Picking up her napkin, Francis dabbed her eyes, then looked down at the plate in front of her.
Jane and Marie had to clear their throats after what Francis said. Both had to dab their eyes as well. It took several minutes before both could say anything, to the teens or each other. It also took several sips of water from their glasses before Marie told the three, "Never before have we had any of our wards be more concerned about Seasons House than themselves. Many were grateful, as you said, Francis, but not about Seasons House itself." She looked at Jane, who gave her a barely preceptible nod, before she added, "To put your fears at ease, Francis, some important people were with us in their youthful years, and have never forgotten us. So anything happening to Jane and myself over the work we do is slim. There are many out there who've been our guests over the years, and not all from this state. If they felt someone not totally understanding what we do were to make waves, they might step in and help explain things to them. That doesn't mean we still don't have to be watchful of some overzealous person who would take acception to what we do and try to hurt both of us. I'm so proud how much you three have matured as not only individuals but as a trio together. You embody the 'all for one and one for all,' line of the Three Muskateers."
Charlotte face palmed herself as she saw the gleem in Jane and Marie's eyes, before saying, "Oh, no. You wouldn't? You can't! Would you?" Toby and Francis looked at Charlotte like she was crazy, neither understand what she was going on about.
Frncis was about to ask Charlotte what she was talking about when the realization hit her like a slap in the face. She slowly turned her head to face Jane and Marie, and said in an unbelieving voice, "Oh, you got to be kidding me. You two wouldn't?"
Toby was looking between the two girls, trying to determine what had them questioning Jane and Marie. When Charlotte and Francis saw how confused Toby was, they said in unison, "'all for one and one for all'."
Toby was still for a moment, digesting what they told him. Then his eyes went wide, his head whipping around to look at Jane and Marie, seeing the big smiles on their faces. "Aw, you can't do that to us. Do you know what something like that will do to us if it gets out? All the questions we'll have to answer by those who know the story?"
Both women were nodding their heads as Toby spoke, their smiles remaining. Jane finally spoke, saying, "Didn't you three stand before me as one when you thought one of you was in trouble? Haven't you helped each other while you've been here, not asking anything from each other in return? And didn't the mare and Pinto pick on all three of you? Even they see the bond you three have formed with each other. And calling you The Three Muskateers is so wrong? You should be proud if someone calls you three by that name, you've earned it."
The teens looked at each other, then at Jane and Marie, then each other again before saying together, "Eh," and continued eating as though nothing had just taken place.
Jane caused the teens to pause as forks were in various positions of picking up food from their plates or putting food in their mouths. "Just to put your minds at ease, you three, your parents or guardians know what we do here at Seasons House. Judge Ruth asked to speak with all of them and explained what Marie and I do. She had a few with her who'd been with us, each telling where they'd be today if not for Ruth and Seasons House."
Francis was about to put a fork full of scrambled eggs into her mouth before Jane told them about what Ruth had done, her mouth hanging open. Closing her mouth, she shook her head then said as if she didn't have a care in the world, "If it isn't the mare or Pinto, it's Aunt Jane or Marie." As if she hadn't said anything, Francis opened her mouth and put the fork full of scrambled eggs into her mouth, an innocent expression on her face as she chewed. Toby and Charlotte did a slow turn of their heads to look at Francis. Jane and Marie had humorous shocked looks on their faces. And Francis was oblivious to it all, until balled up napkins came flying from Jane and Marie's direction; decorum again put aside at the dining room table.
The other four resumed eating their breakfast, decorum finally returning to the dining room table. When everyone had finished eating their breakfast, Jane saw the three teens about to ask to be excused, causing her to hold up her hand and tell the three, "You three haven't given me you opinions about your parents or guardians coming to Seasons House and seeing you as you are now. Because they know what Marie and I do here, I'm not worried they would tell a story that isn't there's to tell. However, seeing you, Francis, and you, Charlotte, as you are currently dressed, things could become... dicey. If you two believe your parents, Charlotte, and Penny, Francis, wouldn't be upset seeing you as you are now, then it would be Toby's dad we'd be concerned about."
Breaking the silence brought on by Jane's comments, Francis to Jane, "Aunt Jane, Penny would only be happy I'm going to live with her family again. She may be surprised, but would accept it as part of giving you my word of honor to do as you say. She's like you in that regard, Aunt Jane. If someone says they will do something, or not do something, she holds them at their word. And… I'd like to see how she would react seeing me like this," and Francis waved her hand from her head to her waist.
Charlotte snorted after what Francis said, adding, "My parents are the same, Aunt Jane. If I give someone my word, they expect me to see it through no matter how unpleasant it might be. And in a way, I feel the same as Francis. I'd like to see how they'd react to seeing me now. I'd also like to see how true they are to their words about new experiences. If they truly believe in what they say, then I believe they'll be proud of me for going through with this."
Toby had sat in silence, listening to Francis and Charlotte give their opinions. It was only then he realized all eyes were on him, causing him to clear his throat and try to speak. "Aunt Jane, my dad used to be a stickler for someone keeping their word. But ever since mom walked out on us, and his working three jobs to keep a roof over us, and food on the table, I don't know any more. I believe I was told he was shown the pictures of me when I first arrived here, so he may be more worried I'm okay, and want to see what Tylor did to me. He also used to be a live and let live kind of a person, but now, again, I don't know."
Both Jane and Marie were nodding their heads as Toby spoke, Marie waiting until Toby was silent again before asking him, "Then maybe it's time to let him see you and the girls for himself. Maybe he's still the man you remembered and will only be concerned about your welfare. You may discover he's more upset with himself for not paying attention to what your brother was doing and doing to you, than upset with you or how Francis and Charlotte are dressed. We always fear the unknown, fearful of something that has yet to occur. You three may discover your parent or parents or guardian are proud of you three for passing through this phase of your lives and emerging on the other side better than when you entered. Because of you three, Jane and I have learned something we will carry forward with out next girl."
When Marie finished speaking, she and Jane could see from the look on Toby's face that he was having an argument with himself. It was Jane then asking, "Toby, you're worried about how you dad with accept Francis and Charlotte, aren't you? You don't know whether to say yes or no to his coming because Francis and Charlotte have chosen to allow Penny and Charlotte's parents to see them as they are now."
His throat tight, and tears welling up in his eyes, Toby croaked out, "I don't want him to say anything that will hurt Charlotte or Francis. And I'm scared he might."
Francis and Charlotte leaned into Toby and held him, as his tears finally overflowed his eyes, slowly sliding down his cheeks. Jane understood how Toby was feeling, but also knew he had to overcome his fear or would question himself for the rest of his life. "Toby, it's alright to be scared of not knowing an answer to a serious question. But if you give that fright control over your decision, you'll continue questioning yourself for the rest of your life. It's better to face your fear headon instead of playing 'what if' for the rest of your life. If your father has a terrible reaction to Francis and Charlotte, then Marie and I will deal with him sternly. He will be made to realize the error of judging others without knowing the whole story. Though I still believe his sole focus will be on your welfare, and what occurred to you."
Wiping his eyes, then clearing his throat, Toby told Jane, "Alright, Aunt Jane, I see your point. It still scares me, but I'll agree he should be allowed to see Francis and Charlotte as they now appear. I can always kick him in the shins if he says anything derogatory." Toby's last quip brought not only smiles but chuckles. And it arrived just as they all heard the 'shave and a haircut, two bits' knock at the front door.
They all laughed out loud after Jane said, "Oh, gads! The child is here. Francis, would you be a dear and let the child in, please. And if you can, be as formal as possible. I want to yank her chain a bit." That last statement brought snorts and chuckles from everyone but Francis, who seemed to have converted herself into a stern looking young lady.
After opening the front door, and speaking loud enough to the four still sitting at the dining room table could heard, Francis addressed Jill by saying, "Ah, Miss Jill. So nice to see you once again. I do hope you haven't been thrown out of another outhouse again because of causing a stink. Please, won't you come in. And if it's necessary, please remove your shoes. Aunt Jane would not want any muck to mar her beautiful floors."
Toby and Charlotte were holding each other up, trying their best not to laugh out loud. Jane had closed her eyes and dropped her head, shaking it from side to side. And Marie? Marie had put both elbows on the table and was now resting her chin in the palm of both hands, waiting to see how Jill reacts to Francis' outlandish welcome. And it didn't take long, as Jill gave Francis a strange look before marching into the dining room and asking, "What the hell was that all about, Janie? Have you been force feeding her old TV programs, or something?"
When Jill marched off after Francis' welcome questions, she forgot she left Sherry and Susan standing behind her. Francis motioned for them to quickly come into the house, their faces aglow with quiet laughter. Both patted Francis on the back, a big smile hanging on her face. She held up a hand, then put a stern look on her face and quietly walked after Jill until she was right next to the excited woman. Jill was so intent on getting an answer from Jane, that she never realized Francis had quietly walked up and was now standing to her left, facing her. Jill did a bug-a-boo scare move when, Francis, in her best Lurch imitation voice asked, "Would madam care for a cup of tea."
Jill had jumped, turned, and crouched all in one motion. She was now looking up into the stern face of Francis, her eyes wide with fright. She only caught on what was occurring when Sherry walked over, looked down at her crotch, then told Susan, "Ah, nope. She didn't pee her panites. Now pay me the five bucks."
They all somehow knew Francis wasn't done yet, as she held out her hand and asked using her Lurch imitation voice, "Would madam find it more comfortable sitting at the table rather than the floor?" It was then everyone died laughing, as Francis helped Jill stand.
Jill saw Jane attempting not to laugh, but failing miserably. Jane had got her again, by proxy this time. "Thompson, one of these days, I swear, one of these days." After Francis seated Jill, she turned to her and told her, "You know, you're down right scary using that voice, and yes, if you please, I'd like a cup of tea." She then looked at Jane, a scowl on her face, telling her, "So, you can't do your own dirty work. You got to send one of your girls to do it for you. That's really low, Janie, even for you."
Putting on a haunting expression, Jane sniffed before replying, "I'm quite capable of doing my own, um, dirty work, as you put it. I simply asked Francis to answer the front door. Whatever she did was purely her own improvisation, I gave her no direction or instructions."
Francis returned from the kitchen carrying a try holding three cups on saucers, each filled with steaming tea. She served Jill first, giving her a kiss on the cheek then telling her, "I never do that to people I don't care a great deal about."
After Francis moved around the table to give Sherry and Susan their tea, Jill reached up and felt the place on her cheek where Francis had kissed her, only realizing right then what Francis had meant by what she said. She had looked down at the table in thought after what Francis had told her, and when she looked up to find Francis, she saw all eyes were looking at her. Francis had laid the tray on the sideboard and returned to her chair. Jill looked over to her and softly said, "Thank you, Francis. That's very kind of you."
Jill watched as Francis shook her head before saying, "No, Jill. It's us who should be thanking you for taking care of Toby. You not only helped him medically but helped keep him safe at the hospital. And when those men came to the hospital, you put his safety before your own by getting him out of there and to here with Aunt Jane and tante Marie."
Jill had a questioning look on her face as she watched Toby push his chair back and get up from the table. He walked around to where she was sitting, stood behind her and bent down, put his arms around her from behind, giving her a kiss on the same cheek as Francis before saying, "If it wasn't for you, twice, I might not be here right now to watch these people pull your leg as often as they do. You do realize, people only do that to someone they value and consider a true friend, don't you? I owe you whatever life I have left in this world, and all you have to do is call and I will be there, no questions asked. And if I do become the psychologist I want to become, any patient you need help with I'll do pro bono for you and you alone."
After wiping tears out of her eyes, she reached up and held onto the arms encircling her. "You are a sweet young man, Toby Camber. Don't you ever change that about you. And I'll hold you to your promise when you do become a psychologist. And I'll bet a hell of a good one." She turned her head in his direction and kissed him on the cheek, patting his arms, before he released her and returned to his place at the table.
Serious once more, Jane asked the three, "So we are in agreement? It will be Francis and Charlotte who will be seen and not Frank and Charles?"
All eyes turned toward the teens, as they waited for their responses. The three teens looked at each other, a silent agreement passing between them. Charlotte spoke fir with, "I agree, Aunt Jane."
Toby went next with, "I too agree, Aunt Jane. And we'll deal with any fallout then."
Now the eyes were on Francis, including Toby and Charlotte. As everyone watched, Francis wiped tears out of her eyes before saying, "If it wasn't for being sent here, I've no idea where my life would be right now. I owe each of you for being where I am today. I can do nothing more than agree too, Aunt Jane. If we run into muck when they arrive, then we'll get the tools and cart out and deal with it. But I'm done hiding from those who might object to my appearance or words. I no longer fear standing up for myself when necessary."
No covert signal was given. No signal of any kind could be detected by the women watching the three teens. But as one, Toby and Charlotte pushed their chairs back stood up, and both went over to Francis and put their arms around her, hugging her for several minutes until they'd felt she'd calmed down again. When the two returned to their places at the table, Jane then addressed Jill, Sherry, and Susan. "I'd also like you three ladies to be here day after tomorrow. Jill, because you can explain to Martin your first observations of Toby, his subsequent treatment, and what Thomas has said about treating Toby's scars. Susan, consider it a parent/teacher conference. Plus, I believe you'll have something of your own to broach the parents and guardian with? Sherry, for the obvious reason if everything goes south, I'd like you there to help calm everyone down. Help explain what you've learned during your sessions with the teens. And what your initial testing showed. I believe together with Susan, you two could make a strong case against the three being sent back to the hell holes they were attending."
Susan was nodding her head after Jane's last statement. When Jane stopped speaking, she said, "I've put a bug into the right ears, Jane. I have a feeling those hell holes, as you call them, are about to have a change of leadership and attitude. In fact, I think those I spoke with have had enough of the foolishness they've been hearing about and are bring in others who can do something about those on the school board who are pushing all of the crap. Anticipating being here when the parents and Penny arrive, I have their files ready to be presented. And yes, you are correct. I will have something to say day after tomorrow, but the final decision rests with Penny and the parents."
Satisfied with what she was hearing, Jane nodded her head before returning her attention to the three teens. "I take it by how clean you three were when you returned from the stable, you three had no more trouble being mucked yourselves?"
She watched as Francis and Charlotte looked at Toby, nodded their heads, and listened as Toby spoke. "No, Aunt Jane, we didn't have any trouble." He then paused, looking first at Charlotte, then at Francis, both nodding their heads again. "I don't know if you'll believe what we witnessed, but when we reached the stable, all three horses opened their own stall doors and walked out of the stable at the far end. I swear it's the complete truth, Aunt Jane. And when their stalls were ready for them to be put back into their stalls, they walked back into their stalls and closed the doors behind them. Again, I swear I'm not making this up, Aunt Jane. But Pinto picked up a dandy brush lying on the hay bales and gave it to Charlotte. She wanted to be brushed. So Francis went into the tack room and brought out two more dandy brushes and we groomed all three horses. And Aunt Jane, I swear all three were purring as we brushed them."
The worried look on Toby's face was replaced when Jane told him, "I believe you, Toby. You three have made quite the impression while you've been here, and not just with the people around you. Now, if no one has anything more to say or add, you three may be excused to attend to the table and kitchen. After, Toby, I believe Jill wants to check you healing progress, and then you three are to be in the library with Susan. And unless I miss my guess, Sherry is wanting to have a word with each of us." After Jane said that, they all saw Sherry nod her head. As the teens pushed their chairs back and stood, Jane added, "Oh, and tomorrow we go to the salon to get you three ready for the day after. Carolyn and Sandy will also be here the day after to get you, Francis and Charlotte, ready to go home. Now, off you three go." Knowing they were dismissed, Francis and Toby started clearing the table while Charlotte headed into the kitchen, leaving the women to talk amongst themselves. As the teens took care of the table and kitchen, Jane excused herself and went into the study to make a phone call, letting the person on the other end of the line know about the teen's concerns. He assured her there would be no problems from anyone.
While the girls headed to the library with Susan after they all were finished in the kitchen, and Marie had pronounced it to her satisfaction, Toby and Jill went to Toby's bedroom upstairs, where Jill pronounced Toby's progress as excellent. Even though his body was doing well healing his wounds, it would yet be some time before he'd need to see Thomas.
Sherry did pull each person into the study to have a chat to see if they were having any problems or to continue where they'd left off the last time they'd spoke. She covered more of the field of psychology when it was Toby's turn to visit her, giving him tips he could use in getting reluctant patients to open up and speak with him. She also told him not to be hesitant to be firm with his patients, getting them so upset they'd open up if only to get him to stop being firm with them; she didn't tell Toby, but she used the same application to get Charlotte to open up to her. Tody did tell her he was worried how his dad would react seeing to boys dressed as girls, hoping he'd understand the reason for it being done. She assured Toby that Jane had already thought of that and had planned for anything he might do or say. Jane would not let his dad hurt Francis or Charlotte. When she and Francis met, she asked more questions about the ideas and questions Francis had concerning biochemistry. She had to stop her and ask for the simple version when Francis went into great detail using more scientific terms than she was familiar with. In the end, she dearly hoped the right company would snatch up Francis and release her ideas to the general public. She and Charlotte mostly spoke of how Charlotte went on about her school life after the two restroom events, with Charlotte saying most kids went on to the next big event and forgot what'd happen to him. While they talked, she asked what he hoped to accomplish by becoming a psychiatrist, listening as she explained some of her reasons. Her main reason was due to a boy he knew in school who'd gone off the deep end after being taunted so much at school because of his looks. Even after speaking with the school counselor, and those taunting him were punished by a two week suspension, the taunting continued by another group of students, only out of sight of teachers and school staff. His parents were of no help, they kept telling him not to listen to what others said, something hard for a thirteen-year-old kid to do. His parents found him in their basement, a note sitting on a table nearby. It took his death for the school to make drastic changes in how they handled those who bullied others. The expulsion for bullying change came too late for him, but it did help others through the years.
Jill still had Sherry's ears over what had been done to Toby, and her want to do something in revenge. But as Sherry pointed out to her, if she did anything it would make her no better than the man who beat Toby. Jill saw her point, but still stewed over what occurred. Susan too was still upset, but over the teens denial of advance classes at their respective high schools. Still, as she told Sherry, the change in that situation was in the works. As to what she discussed with Jane and Marie? It was the teens, and how much they'd learned from them and would apply that learning to the next boy sent to them. They both individually confessed how they would miss having the three teens around. They always brought sunshine with them, even though they may be having a bad day. They each would like to see everyone get along and support each other as the three had been doing. Then as Marie sat with Sherry, it was Sherry's turn to tell tante Marie her troubles, a tale that never left Marie's lips for the rest of their lives.
The established routine continued at Seasons House. Lessons for the teens, with a break after two hours, a forced break. More lessons until it was time for lunch. A distraction by Jane, usually taking the girls on a ride, since Toby was still unable to sit on a hard surface for long. A shower for the girls after their ride, then back to lessons until supper. In the evening, Jane gave them their own reins on what to do, usually finding them in the library hard at work on their lessons. When she'd find them there, she wished every student was as enthusiastic about learning as those three. But then, not every student thought the advance lessons they were taking would be snatched away from them when they left Seasons House. Then, at 9 p.m., it was bed time. And as the teens got ready for bed, later coming down to bid Jill, Susan, and Sherry a goodnight, Jane would assess the girls faces and inquire how Toby was feeling. After the teens left for their bedrooms, the five women sat around talking, with Sherry, Jill, and Jane reliving some of their antics for Susan from years agao; Jane actually correcting Sherry and Jill as they embellished their stories a bit. At around 11 p.m., Jane bid her three friends a goodnight, as she and Marie then put Seasons House to bed, thoughts of the day after tomorrow constant in the minds of both women.
Things didn't go quite as planned the next morning with the teens cleaning out the stalls in the stable. All three horses had again opened their stall doors and calmly walked out into the paddock, waiting until they could get brushed and go back into their stalls. But as the teens were about to pick up the muck from the stall of Jane's third horse, the teens suddenly found themselves face down in that horse's pile of muck. When the three turned their heads to see if it was Pinto or the mare who had knocked them into the pile of muck, Jane's third horse was standing their with what appeared to the teens as a smile on its face. And to show they weren't mad because of what it had done, after helping each other out of the muck, they stepped up to the horse to reassure it they weren't mad. With the three standing directly in front of the horse, Pinto let out a snort and the horse stepped forward and turned sideways, knocking the three teens again into the muck, causing them to land on their backs.
Marie was alone in the kitchen and standing at the sink when the three teens again came gingerly walking over the ground with bare feet, towels wrapped around them. "Oh cher. Ils l'ont encore eu (Oh dear. They got it again.)," she chuckled, shaking her head as she walked across the kitchen, pushing through the kitchen door and walking to the study. She opened the study door and told Jane, "Ces trois-là l'ont encore eu (Those three got it again.)," chuckling again as she spoke. Leaving the door open, Marie walked down the short hallway to the backdoor, followed shortly by Jane. As Jane and Marie stood on the small deck outside the backdoor, both tried to keep serious expressions on their faces, even though it was hard to do while watching three teens, who looked like wet rats, walked toward them. When the three reached the deck, Jane asked, "Who was it this time, Pinto or my mare?"
Both women were a bit confused as all three said at once, "Neither one."
Then Francis added, "But Pinto was in on it."
It dawned on the two women, with Marie asking, "You don't mean… ?"
Before Marie finished her question, the three replied as one, "Yes!" Then Charlotte told the entire story, including Pinto's role in the drama. Even telling how the three horses walked over and looked down at the three lying in the muck, their upper lips pulled back in what could only be described as a smile, before the mare and Pinto walked into their stalls and closed the doors behind them. It was at that point Marie and Jaen's stern facade broke, and both held onto each other as they laughed. The three didn't wait to be told to go and get dressed. They walked past Jane and Marie, still laughing and holding onto each other.
As their laughter died down into snorts and chuckles, Marie told Jane, "I will miss having those three here with us. Their presents has been a joy to experience." Nodding her head, Marie and Jane turned and reentered Seasons House, Jane back to the study and Marie to her kitchen.
The teens arrived back downstairs a few minutes later, the girls able to pass Jane's inspection and Toby smartly dressed. They were somber, something Marie picked up on as the three entered the kitchen to help get breakfast ready. Before Marie let Toby and Francis out of the kitchen with the plates and silverware they were holding, she had all three sit down at the kitchen table and told them, "Okay, give. Why do you three act as though you lost the last dime in your pocket?"
As Marie had seen before, the three looked at each other, holding a silent conversation between them before Charlotte said, "We're going home, tante Marie."
Marie puzzled over Charlotte's statement. Seeing the quizical look on Marie's face, Francis told her, "We won't get to see you or Aunt Jane again, tante Marie."
"Or get to do Susan's lessons, Marie," Toby added.
Marie sat down at the head of the table, capturing the three teens gazes. "Oh, no no no no no. No one ever said you couldn't come back to see me and Jane. We'd like to see you three again, hear how you're doing and what you're doing. It may not be for several years, but you are always welcome to come for a visit. Plus, you can visit your mucking buddies while you're here."
Toby caught the gleem in Marie's eye after her last statement, saying, "Double entendre, Marie." Francis and Charlotte understood what Toby referred to and all four burst out laughing.
Then they heard a shout from the dining room. "I heard that," coming from Jane. The kitchen door swung open and Jane asked, standing there holding the door open, "Might I suggest you four get off your brains and get breakfast ready. We do have an appointment to attend to today." She stepped back, letting the kitchen door swing shut, smiling as she heard laughter occur because of what she told them.
She sat down at her place at the table, watching as first Toby carrying plates came out of the kitchen, followed by Francis with the silverware. As each one placed their holdings at Jane's position, each gave Jane a kiss on the cheek before telling her, "Good morning, Aunt Jane." The two didn't notice how Jane had something in her eyes, since they'd returned to the kitchen.
As they finally sat down to breakfast, Marie caught Jane's eye and nodded toward the teens. Frowning at first, Jane observed the three, noticing how quiet they were and rather melancholy. Setting her fork on her plate, she asked, "Alright you three, why the horse faces?" Marie bit her lip after Jane used the expression, wondering if the teens would understand its meaning.
Francis looked a bit green as she said, "Aunt Jane, please don't talk about horses right now. I'd like to forget how we were beat by them again."
Toby had seen Charlotte drop her head and was now shaking it. "Is something wrong, Charlotte? Why are you shaking your head?"
Charlotte lifted her head, rolled her eyes, nodded once, then asked Toby, "Don't you understand what Aunt Jane was asking by using horses faces?" When Toby shook his head, Charlotte told him, "She's asking us why the long faces. Horses faces, long faces, get it?"
Jane and Marie had sat there with the left arms across their chests, supporting their right arms, with their right hands over their mouths trying to hold back both smiles and laughter at the teens antics. Jane realized, not for the first time, how much she would miss having those three with them at Seasons House. Marie and Jane almost lost what control they had as they heard Toby utter one word, "Oh."
Charlotte wiped her eyes with her napkin before telling Jane, "We've come to think of this place as our second home, Aunt Jane. We'll miss you and tante Marie, the house itself, and our mucking buddies in the stable." Jane almost completely lost it when she heard how Charlotte referred to the horses, and pressed her hand harder over her mouth. "It's like we've become a family, Aunt Jane, and going home is like saying goodbye to family members you've enjoyed being with." She wiped her eyes again before going quiet.
Charlotte's word caught in Jane's throat, rendering her mute for several moments. When she could speak again, she told the three, "Marie and I feel the same, Charlotte. We too feel as though we've developed a small family, and will miss not having out family members with us. However, as with other families, you may visit when it is convenient for you three to do so. And I require each of you to keep Marie and I up to date on your lives after you return home. Now… our breakfast is getting cold and we have an appointment at the salon after breakfast. So, eat." Jane's words lifted the teens a bit, but only a bit, as they then believed they'd be returning to the hell-holes of their respective high schools.
As they had done since arriving at Seasons House, they asked to be excused after everyone had finished eating breakfast. After being given permission to do so, Charlotte headed into the kitchen while Toby and Francis started clearing the table. The thought of leaving Seasons House weighed heavy on the three as they took a bit longer getting the kitchen squared away than they'd normally take. Without being told, the girls went to the bedrooms to freshen their faces, while Toby waited in the living room, already dressed casually smart. Even the footfalls of the girls coming back downstairs was subdued, each one taking one step at a time as in slow motion. Jane thought it best not to say any more as she did a quick inspection of the girls before the four walked out of Seasons House and were aided into Jane's car by Toby.
The cheerfulness of past rides was gone during this ride to the salon, each teen lost in thought of what they'd miss being away from Seasons House. Scheduled clientele at the salon had been taken care of, so when Jane pulled her car in front of Marisha Chalet salon, no one was there to question Jane being with two girls and one boy. The atmosphere in the salon even changed, as the three teens walked through the door. Even Sandy and Carolyn could see something was bothering the usually boisterous teens. Both women met the four at the reception desk, with Sandy asking, "You three look like your pet rat has just been eaten by your cat. What gives?"
Both women snorted as they watched the teens form a mental picture of a cat eating a rat, and the expression it caused to form on the teen's faces. Then, after wiping her eyes, Francis told the two women, "We're going home tomorrow. We won't be coming here anymore."
Happier than she'd been in years, the real Sandy came out when she enthusiastically said, "But that's a good thing, right? You'll be with your families again, see your friends, you'll be yourselves again."
Toby spoke up by saying, "All you say is true, Sandy. But we won't get to see you and Carolyn, Aunt Jane and tante Marie, or Seasons House. Plus, we won't be able to take Susan's classes, we'll have to go back to boring classes."
The teens were standing shoulder to shoulder, with Charlotte on the left, Toby in the middle, and Francis on the right. Sandy walked around behind the three, put her arms around Charlotte and Francis' shoulders and pulled the three tight together. "Listen you three goof balls. Who said you can't come back and see it all, especially me and Carolyn? I bet Jane even told you she was more than fine with you coming back to see her and Marie, and that mausoleum she lives in." The three teens snorted when Sandy called Seasons House a mausoleum, which was Sandy's intention. "Carolyn and I owe you three so much and will give you the best hair cuts you've ever had on the house when you come back to see us." Sandy had looked at Carolyn as she said, 'on the house,' seeing Carolyn nod her head in reply. Dropping her arms, Sandy walked around to stand facing the three teens, looking into the faces of each one, and telling them, "If it hadn't been for the three of you, I'd still be tied up in knots inside. You three helped untie those knots and for the first time in years, I'm truly happy with life. I am going to dearly miss the three of you and the enthusiasm you always bring with you. But just because we'll be apart, doesn't mean you can keep in touch with Carolyn and myself." Then she tapped each teen in the chest with her right index finger and told them, "And I expect to see that sheep skin when you three graduate from the University or College you'll attend. You will bring it back here so we can have us a little party," and she winked at the teens, causing them to chuckle at her antics. "But for now, Toby, I'll butcher your hair first, so off you go to my station and into the chair."
Jane and Carolyn had stood back and let Sandy's true nature try and brighten the teen's mood, which it had, somewhat. Sandy looked first at Jane then at Carolyn, shaking her head slightly, before going to her station to trim Toby's hair. Stepping up beside Carolyn, Jane whispered, "I'm not sure those three truly grasp what they've done for Sandy. They've only seen her for a few months, not the number of years as you and I have, so they may not realize the torment she suffered all of those years. I believe even your customers will appreciate the new Sandy working on them." The two women stood and watched as Toby and Sandy carried on with an animated conversation while Sandy trimmed Toby's hair.
Their attention was redirected as both heard a whistle, and Francis say loudly, "Hey, how does a person get service around here?" When both women looked past Sandy and Toby, who were also looking toward Francis, they all saw Francis sitting in the chair at Carolyn's station, waving her hand at them.
Jane felt her ire rise, and took only a step before Carolyn put her hand on Jane's arm. "Don't. We all needed that. Look at Charlotte's reaction." As Jane looked, even Charlotte was smiling for the first time that day, rolling her eyes, shaking her head, but she was smiling.
Jane nodded, then said, "I believe you're correct, so I'll not say anything this time. But, only this time."
Shaking her head, Carolyn told Jane, "Jane Thompson, will you lighten up for once? Stop trying to be so stoic when the three best kids you've ever had are about to leave you. Let them see how much you're going to miss them, 'cause I can see it in your eyes."
Jane turned to look at Carolyn, a smirk playing on her lips. "Put you best 'angry' look on your face and follow my lead," Jane told Carolyn, as she put on her dragon face and started slowly walking toward where Francis was sitting, her hands behind her back. Unknown to both women, Charlotte had heard what Jane had said, and knew what was coming would not go as Aunt Jane planned.
Toby and Charlotte had taught Francis well, so she wasn't fooled by the angry looks on Jane and Carolyn's faces. She had a big smile on her face as both women stopped in front of her as she sat in the chair at Carolyn's station. "Since when does a young lady act like a drunken construction worker when she's out in public?" Jane asked Francis, trying to put as much venom into her words as she spoke.
"And I don't find it appropriate for a customer to make a scene in my salon," Carolyn, she too trying to sound upset over Francis' actions.
But the big smile on Francis face didn't falter, it got even bigger, as she told the two women, "You both forget I've see you both angry and upset. I've observed your body language and facial expressions when you both are angry and upset. While you are doing an adrimalably fine job looking angry and upset, your eyes say something altogether different." Looking at Jane, Francis said, "I love you too, Aunt Jane," then held her arms out wide, inviting Jane into a hug.
Jane shook her head before softly saying, "Damn," and stepping into Francis' embrace, wrapping her arms around Francis. Holding Francis tightly, Jane asked her, "So you think you know me, do you?"
With a thick voice, Francis replied, "Better than when I first arrived, Aunt Jane. Words alone can't convey the gratitude I feel for everything you've done for me. You have a heart bigger than Olympus Mon on Mars." Francis pulled her head back far enough and kissed Jane on the cheek, telling the woman, "I'm going to miss you and Marie and everything about Seasons House. And if you'd let me, I'd like to consider you one of my real Aunts. Because I'd like to come back and see you like I would one of my real Aunts."
Because Francis was facing away from the mirror behind the chair, she couldn't see the tears freely falling from Jane's eyes or the look on Jane's face. But Carolyn could, and was surprised when Charlotte, then Toby, both walked up and joined Jane and Francis. The two were standing to the right of the chair, and when Jane realized they too were holding her, she took her right arm and placed it around the two teens, pulling them in as far as the chair allowed. Then Toby told Jane, "What Francis said, Aunt Jane," and the four stayed as they were until their tears ran dry.
It took Carolyn a moment to realize what she took as a face of anguish reflected in the mirror, was actually a face of unexpected joy. She watched as more tears of joy made their way down Jane's cheeks, before Jane gently untangled herself and stroked the cheeks of each teen before saying, "Well, yes… yes, well… " then slowly walked toward the door for the back room. With her hand on the doorknob, she turned to look at the three worried looking teens and again said, "Well, yes… yes, well," before opening the door and walking into the back room, closing the door behind her.
Carolyn stepped up to the three teens, pull all three into a hug, then told them, "To answer the worried looks on your faces, no, you did nothing wrong. And yes, Jane is alright, just very surprised by your request, Francis.” Releasing the three, she stepped back then told them, "You three must understand how Jane has to run Seasons House when she has boys sent to her. You, Francis, must know that better than Toby and Charlotte, you know how she was when you first arrived. It has to be that way for her to gain the control she has to have if she is to start that boy in the direction she wants him to go. But then you, Charlotte, came along and did something she's never had a boy do. You volunteered to become one of her girls. Then, Toby, you arrived, and everything she was told about you turned out to be wrong. And because of you two," and she pointed to Charlotte and Toby, "Things as Seasons House changed, and changed for the better. Not just for you three, but for Jane and Marie also. Neither one had to do what they'd normally do to get the boy to do what they wanted, you three did it without being told. You gave them both the respect they deserved and acknowledged their authority without making them exert their authority over you. You also did something neither one expected, you showed them love and that you honestly cared about them. This is something neither one expected. Understand, you three, they both care deeply about the boys sent to them for help, but both have a hard time expressing that care because of how they have to run their program. And when you three openly showed your love and care to them, they don't really know how to react. You three are actually the best thing to happen at Seasons House in years. Now, Charlotte, go pester Sandy while she does your hair. Toby, Sandy did a nice job on your hair. Get yourself something to drink and/or snack on from the front case, if you want. You get to sit and wait on these two," and she waved a hand at Francis and Charlotte. "And Francis, I'll be with you in a few moments."
The three watched as Carolyn turned and headed toward the back room, opening the door, walking into the room before closing the door behind her. They were so focused on the door to the back room that they all jumped when they heard, "Hey, short dude! How does a gal get a customer around here to get his ass into her chair?" Regaining their wits, Toby and Charlotte turned around to look at Sandy, while Francis bent down while sitting in the chair at Carolyn's station, trying to look around Toby and Charlotte.
All three saw Sandy standing there, hands on hips, a big smile on her face, standing behind the chair at her station. Then, taking her left hand off her left hip, she pointed a finger at Charlotte, turned her hand over, then using her left index finger, made rapid movements with that finger, telling Charlotte to 'come here.' She then moved her left hand until it was above the chair, then made a pointing motion with her hand several times toward the chair. Then, looking at Toby then Francis, Charlotte asked, "Ya think she's enjoying herself a bit too much?"
Francis nodded her head before saying, "Yeah, just a bit too much."
Toby shook his head, saying, "Naw, I don't think she's even started yet."
As the three watched, Sandy started to slowly walk toward them, her hands behind her back, a mischievous smile on her lips. Francis was still bent over while sitting in the chair, as Sandy reached them. "So, you two think I'm enjoying myself too much, eh? And you," and she pointed to Toby, "Think I haven't started yet, eh? Well...." And as quickly as she could, and as awkward as it was with Francis sitting in the chair, Sandy threw her arms around all three and pulled them into a hug, hearing the protest, groans, and muffled cries, all the while laughing. Releasing them suddenly, she stepped back, a huge smile on her face, and laughed. The three watched as her smile faded before she told them, "If it wasn't for you three I wouldn't be enjoying myself right now. If you three hadn't been here, I'd still be taking my anger and hurt on every boy who is sent to Seasons House. Now, because of you three, I can once again enjoy my life, be myself, and have some fun with the next boy sent to Jane instead of being the ogre I was." This time when she stepped up to them, she gently hugged each one before kissing them on the cheek. She then put an arm around Charlotte and said, "Come on, let's go make your hair look purrttyy." As Toby and Francis watched, the two walked to Sandy's station, Charlotte's left arm around Sandy's waist.
It wasn't long before the door to the back room opened, gaining everyone's attention. As they watched, Carolyn came out first, followed by Jane. After Carolyn closed the door, she put an arm around Jane's waist and started walking her to the waiting chairs near the front of the salon, where Toby currently sat. As they passed Francis, Jane gently patted Francis' knee, garnering a smile from Francis. She did the same as she passed Charlotte, gaining not one but two smiles as she and Carolyn continue walking. When the reached Toby, Carolyn forcibly turned Jane and sat her down in a chair next to Toby, giving her orders not to move. When Toby gave Carolyn a questioning look, she told him, "She had other ideas on her mind, but I talked her out of them." With a final, "Stay put," to Jane, Carolyn turned and headed to her station and Francis.
Ever present concern for his Aunt Jane, Toby, still looking at Jane, asked, "Care to talk about it? I'm all ears, well, mostly all ears. Well, not mostly, but I listen well."
Despite how she was feeling at the moment, Jane chuckled anyway, telling Toby, "One day you will be a find psychologist, young man. I was, am, feeling extremely embarrassed after what you three did for me a short time ago. I wanted to leave, then come back to pick up the three of you. I was chastened and reminded I'm your guardian and couldn't leave you three to the wilds of those two women."
Joining in the conversation, Sandy said, "We ain't wild, Jane Thompson, we're just plain crazy."
As if they had rehearsed it, Jane and Toby said together, "Don't we know it," causing as six to burst out in laughter. Toby put his arm around Jane, causing her to lean into him. Then, the three pairs continued in their own worlds with laughter and talk.
Across from the salon, and in an out of the way place, the two angels sat in the car and watched. The rear passenger side door opened and the car rocked slightly as a person got into the backseat, closing the door afterward. Without looking around, the driver said, "Thanks for meeting us, Marie." Shortly after Jane and the teens left Seasons House, Marie received a telephone call. The caller's message for short and to the point, "Meet us, same place," before he hung up. "We just wanted to let you know we'll be leaving after Jane and the kids return to Seasons House. Seems the bitch who put out the contract on Toby is now unable to finance the deal, seems she got her butt in a big sling and is now without finances. So the players who had wanted a payday are going elsewhere, even the crazy ones. According to what we were told by Jeb, she'll end up as dust in prison. So no one will be bothered by her again. Also seems that last State wasn't her only racket. Seems three other States had a problem with her, but like the last State, couldn't prove anything. Seems she liked to kill her partners, the ones who tried to take over from her. Strom was smart, he just became her 'yes man' and is still living. When everyone found she was killing kids this time, they sent all the evidence they had from her time with them, especially the bullets and casings they kept as evidence. Stupid woman kept the gun and silencer she'd been using, and everything matched that gun. Stupid bitch! So… after today, you, Jane, and the kids, should be safe until the key is turned one last time on her."
Marie chuckled after the driver told her they should now be safe. "Oh, it wouldn't be us you'd have to worry about being safe. It'd be those who tried anything who would be the ones to worry about. Me and Betsy and Jane and her little friends can do quite nicely when need be."
Incredulously, the passenger asked, "Betsy? You call that cannon you carry, Betsy?"
Sniffing, Marie told him in a haunting voice, "Yes, I call her Betsy. Like any good woman, she remains quiet until you piss her off. Then she gives you her opinion loud and long. So, what do you can that slug thrower you use, Jack or some other ominous name?"
At that point the passenger became super quiet. The driver turned and glared at Marie, inpreceptiously shaking his head. An erie silence hung in the air like fog when conditions are right for it to form. Then, "We were on deployment, two days until we'd be sent back to the states. We'd just returned from a nasty mission, and were kicking back waiting for the next assignment. I was told the commander wanted to see me, I was thinking it was another mission right away. He said my wife and son had been killed during a home invasion. Seems the two shitheads weren't content to just rob us, but one took my wife into our bedroom and the other had a thing for little boys." He nodded his head toward the driver before continuing with, "When I got back to the tent, he and Jeb had to basically sit on me because I was going back out to do some more, serious, killing, my way, the way I'm good at. When the commander found out, the three of us were sent back earlier, him," and he nodded to the driver again, "and Jeb to keep me under control. When I viewed their bodies, they looked worse than any I'd seen while on patrol."
"Oh, dear Lord," Marie said, before putting a hand on his shoulder. He reached up with his right hand and took Marie's hand and held it. "Thanks, Marie." Then, reaching into the right breast pocket of his shirt, he took out a business size card with his left hand. Pushing it into Marie's hand, he told her, "Any time you need us, no questions asked. We'll be there, even Jeb if it's necessary; his words, not ours."
Marie sat back in the rear passenger seat and looked at the card she'd been given. When she turned it over, all she saw was a phone number. "Day or night, Marie, any trouble, call," the driver told her.
Patting the passenger's shoulder, Marie told him, "You know how to reach me if you want to talk. I'll show you my tee-shirt sometime." When the passenger nodded, Marie opened the rear passenger side door and got out of the car, causing the car to rock slightly before she closed the door and was gone.
Looking at his friend, and saw the silent tears slide down his cheeks, the driver told him, "You should take her up on her offer. If she's got the 'tee-shirt,' then she knows how you feel."
The only response the driver heard was, "Yeah, I'll think about it." They watched as Jane and the kids came out of the salon, and watched as Toby opened the doors for the women. They both chuckled when Jane looked at them, nodded her head at them before getting into her car and having the driver's door shut by Toby. They were really shocked when after opening the driveside passenger door, Toby looked at them and signed 'thank you' before getting into Jane's car. Both men chuckled, afterward the passenger saying, "Gawd that kid is preceptive. Sure hope he gets to follow his dream. Maybe we should pay a visit to the Prosecutor or that judge, Ruth, I believe is her name."
Shaking his head, the driver replied, "Naw, from what Jeb said, with Toby's voice testimony and the way he was forced to shoplift, neither one is going to do anything but nothing to him. They should be far enough ahead, let's go, we got things to pack." And in no particular hurry, the driver started their car and shadowed Jane and the kids back to Seasons House, then where they uncovered their spotters nest and put everything into the car. A glint from Seasons House caught the passenger's eye. He pulled out the spotter scope and read it as it flashed. Picking up a powerful flashlight, he flashed back, 'You're welcome, Jane.'
When they'd returned to Seasons House, Jane told the teens to shower and put on clean clothes, she did it to give them something else to think about. When Francis and Charlotte returned to the first floor, Jane carefully inspected everything about them, not really needing to reestablish her authority but making sure both girls were okay. Toby arrived just as Jane had thrown her head in the direction of the kitchen, since it was close to noon. Toby caught the last of Charlotte entering the kitchen, so without Jane saying anything to him, headed for the kitchen, running into Francis as she came out of the kitchen with untensiles laying on the top plate of the pile of plates she was carrying. Taking the utensils, Toby followed Francis, laying forks, knives, and spoons, everywhere Francis placed a plate. They then returned to the kitchen for the drinking glasses, which they placed at each place once they'd exited the kitchen.
As Jane watched, she realized they were only going through the motions, lacking the gusto they previously had while setting the table. She realized something had to change, so after getting up from her place at the table, she walked over to the kitchen door, pushed it open and in a firm voice said, "You three, couch, living room, NOW! Jane stood back and watched as the kitchen door swung open and the three teens, led by Toby, came out of the kitchen. She followed Francis into the living room, and waited until Francis had sat down on the couch before she began. In the past, when she'd be standing in front of them, they'd be looking at her intently. But now, all three were inspecting something they found on their hands. "Please, look at me," Jane said to them, trying to sound authoritative but sympathetic as the same time. When Charlotte had finally lifted her head and was looking at Jane, she continue speaking. "Look, I simply cannot have you three acting like you're about to have your last meal and are heading to the gallows. That simply won't do." Jane kneeled in front of the three teens before continuing. "We have explained to you three how you are welcome to return and see us. We insist upon it. We want to know how you're doing, not only in your studies but once you start your careers. Yes, Francis," Francis was about to say something, but Jane already know she was going to bring up leaving family, once more. "We have formed our own little family, and Marie and I are going to miss all three of you. But it isn't going to be forever. Think of how much all three of you have changed by your visit here. Think of how much you'll have to tell us when you come to visit. Think about all of the new adventures you're about to embark on once you leave Seasons House."
When Jane stopped to take a breath, Toby said in a depressed voice, "We know all that, Aunt Jane, and we will come back, we want to come back to see you and Marie, and those mucking horses. But it's going back to our high schools and being bored out of our minds. I can, the three of us can, learn more on our own rather than sitting through all of those boring classes."
Realization struck Jane like a hammer, and she reached up and grabbed Toby's chin, hard. She kept her dragon caged for some time, but it was out now and spiting fire. "You listen to me, Toby Camber, all three of you. None of you will drop out of school. I don't give a damn how bored you are at your high schools, you will stay there and face the situation you're in with the same determination you've face situations while you've been here, however unpleasant they were at the time." Releasing Toby's chin, and caging her dragon again, she went on with, "If you drop out of school to pursue your own learning program, it may give pause to any University or College you apply to. They'll see you as someone who might quit at any time, and feel you aren't worth their time, when there are others who endured the grind of high school." Jane paused for several moments, choosing her words carefully, hoping to play on the teen's desire to return to Seasons House. "Marie and I will be deeply disappointed if you three give up and walk away from your high schools, from you possible futures. And we'll have to reconsider your being welcomed back to Seasons House." She let her last statement hang in the air, as she stood and stepped back a step from the couch. "Now, no more of the sad faces. You're returning home tomorrow, starting the beginning of your future careers, careers I demand you be the best you can be while in that career. But for now, there's a lunch to prepare, and I'm getting hungry. So, off you three go, help Marie where she directs you."
Jane watched the three teens look at each other before getting up from the couch. When they did, they didn't start directly for the kitchen, they took a small side trip. A side trip that had them hugging Jane, with Toby on Jane's right, Charlotte in the middle, and Francis on Jane's left. She pulled them tightly to her, squeezing her eyes tightly shut or the tears she felt would escape. Before they saw the water inching its way out of her eyes, she said, "Yes… well, off you go. Marie wants your assistance."
Releasing the three teens, she watched as Francis and Charlotte headed to the stairs, not the kitchen, likely to repair their faces. Toby, by contrast, wiped his eyes as he slowly walked to the kitchen, his head down, a hand wiping his eyes a second time. Jane was about to tell him, 'chin up,' but realized the words had caught in her throat. Jane then headed to her bedroom.
Conversation during lunch was like searching for a Yeti, hard to do, frustrating when nothing proved its existence. Even when asking about their studies, their answers were less than enthusiastic. Jane tried another tact, saying, "Enduring something you don't like is part of growing up. You will find times during your lives where you have to do something very distasteful, but it must be done. But by enduring it, you're proving you have the fortitude to take something on and see it through, you can be counted on to complete what you start. Yes, the three of you hate your high schools. Yes, you're bored out of your minds, but you study on your own when you have free time. But only one of you is doing the best you can do given the garbage you're given, and that's you, Charlotte. Francis, Toby, you two slack off because you don't want the attention you deserve. You two are worried what others will say if you ace your tests, speak up in class, and prove you have what it takes to take AP classes. If you two only do the minimum to get by, what do you think those at University or College with think when they see your lackluster grades? You might be questioned as to why you think you have what it takes to study the fields you two want to enter." Jane had no intentions of telling the three teens they wouldn't be going back to the idiots at their respective high schools, she'd let them think that until they heard it from Susan tomorrow. She was trying to impress on them to do their best no matter the circumstances, to always do their best even when they were given crap to work with. After targeting Francis and Toby, and the possibility they might not be allowed to pursue their field of choice, she saw a spark in their eyes, as though they'd never considered the possibility they'd never reach their goals because of their grades. Jane also saw both had made a decision, causing her to smile inwardly, knowing now they'd do the best they could and to hell what others thought or said. "Susan will be here after lunch to continue your classes. I expect the three of you to be as diligent in your studies, now, as you shown yourselves to be in the past few days. You will not slack off because you believe this is the last time you will have the opportunity to take AP courses. Do I make myself clear?"
As Jane watched the three teens, she wondered if they understood what she just told them without telling them anything specific. Judging by the expressions on their faces, it was possible all three fully understood what she had told them. The realization first hit Charlotte, who's face lit up just as though she'd realized the solution to a problem. The same expression occurred on Toby's face then on Francis' face, their enthusiastic "Yes, Aunt Jane," telling Jane they understood what she had told them without being specific. Their enthusiasm was back, as was evident as they when they'd finished their desserts and asked to be excused from the table. Jane had to remind them how they are to act while in her house, slowing them down some, but not enough to dampen their desire to get back to their studies.
Marie had sat silent throughout their lunch, only now asking Jane, out of earshot of the teens, "Why didn't you just tell them outright? Was it wise to tease them as you did? If it falls through, they'll be crushed."
Jane patted her dear friend's hand lying on the table, telling her, "Charlotte will do her best no matter the situation, her currect grades prove that to be true. Francis and Toby needed the reminder of what minimal grades might not get them. As to teasing them, didn't you see their faces light up at the realization of my statement to them? All three realize they have more AP classes in their future. Besides, it won't fall through, Susan has told me it's set in stone and I wanted her to be the one to explain it all to them. She also has another surprise for them, one which depends on them finishing high school."
The kitchen door didn't exactly blast open, but it opened a bit harsher than either Jane or Marie cared to have happen. Just as all three teens had entered the dining room from the kitchen, it was Marie who came close to hollowering, "STOP! Was denkt ihr drei, was ihr da tut, wenn ihr so aus MEINER Küche kommt? Ihr wisst, dass das KEINE akzeptable Art ist, MEINER Küche den Rücken zu kehren. Geht zurück und versucht, MEINE Küche ordentlich zu verlassen (STOP! What do you three think you're doing coming out of MY kitchen like that? You know that is NOT an acceptable way to remove yourselves from MY kitchen. Go back and try leaving MY kitchen properly.)."
Not one of the three hung their heads, instead, they looked Marie directly in the eye, then at each other, then they lined up next to the sitting Marie, and one at a time, told her, "Sorry, Marie," bent down and kissed her on the cheek before going back into the kitchen. This time when they came out of the kitchen, they did so as they'd done countless times, before going into the library, Charlotte closing the door behind her after entering the library.
Marie was semi-shocked after what the three teens did. Sitting at the dining room table, she had a questioning, curiously puzzled, look on her face. "I've lost my touch," she softly said. "I've lost my touch," she repeated, looking at Jane. "I no longer can put the fear of God into our wards, Jane. I'm losing it!"
Just as Marie finished speaking, there was a knock on the front door. Jane patted Marie's hand as she started pushing her chair back, telling her, "No, my sweet friend, you haven't lost it. You've gained their respect, something more precious than gold." Patting Marie's hand again, Jane stood up and walked to the front door, checking the monitor for the camera watching the front door. Surprised, she stepped to the front door, unlocked it, and opened it, finding Susan and Sherry standing there. "Ah, a surprise guest, I see," Jane said to the two women, both smiling at Jane. "And what bids you visit today, Sherry?"
Stepping aside, Susan and Sherry entered Seasons House, as Sherry said, "Well, those three are leaving tomorrow and I wanted to make sure they were okay. They seem happy being here and leaving might cause them to be unhappy, anxious, sad, scared, pick the word you want."
Jane chuckled, then said, "I believe all of the words you just used will suffice. But I'll let them explain it to you. They're in the library."
Jane followed the two women after closing and relocking the front door. As they reached the dining room, three cups of tea waited for them on the dining room table, courtesy of Marie, who welcomed Susan and Sherry. Knocking softly on the library door, Susan opened the door and walked into the library, followed by Sherry and Jane. As expected, as was their habit by now, the teens had looked up from their work to see who was coming into the library. Sherry saw their faces brighten before it faded, replaced with a melancholy look. After Susan sat down on the couch, next to Toby, and Jane had closed the library door and stood by the door, Sherry walked to the table, sat her cup of tea down and asked, "Okay, who wants to be the first to tell me why you three look like you lost your best pair of underwear?"
Toby and Charlotte snorted, Francis face-palmed herself before saying, We're leaving tomorrow, Sherry. No more mucking horses, or Aunt Jane and Marie, and Susan." She quickly put in, "Or you," which wasn't missed by Sherry.
Smiling, Sherry told her, "Oh, gee, thanks, Francis, for remembering me last. I'll miss you too."
Charlotte saw the hurt expression on Francis' face, elbowed her in the ribs and told her, "She didn't mean it like that, you dingbat. She's pulling your leg… again."
And Francis’ response, as usual, "Oh."
Sherry pulled an empty chair around to the head of the table and sat down, asking, "So, you're leaving tomorrow. Shouldn't you be happy about that. I understand both you, Charlotte, and you, Toby, are free birds with the Courts, so that should make you both happy, right?"
Toby and Charlotte exchanged looks before Charlotte said, "We are happy that's no longer hanging over our heads, but it's like Francis said, we won't be here anymore. We're going to miss this place and Marie and Aunt Jane, oh, and the mucking horses."
Sherry turned so she could see Jane, who looked up once then shook her head in resignation. While looking at Jane, she asked the three teens, "Hasn't Jane told you three you can return to visit? Hasn't she said it's like leaving a relative's home after a long visit?" Seeing Jane nod her head, Sherry turned back so she could look at the teens. "Well, didn't she say that? Didn't Marie say the same thing to the three of you?" Getting a mornful, 'yes' from the three, she continued by saying, "Look you three. This is not a hotel where you can stay for as long as you like by paying your bill. Think of this as a summer camp, you come, you go, at the right time, and the time for you three to leave is tomorrow."
In a saddened voice, Francis told Sherry, "Yeah, but no more Susan either. And no more AP classes." The usual observant teens missed Susan biting her lips, or the knowing look that flashed across Sherry's face.
Exasperated, Sherry tried another tact with the three. "Haven't you three ever heard the expression, 'make lemon aid out of lemons?' Haven't you three had to do things while you've been here you haven't liked? Such as mucking out the horse's stalls? Or helping get your meals? Or, Charlotte, Francis, being models for Carolyn and The Style Shoppe? Has any of that harmed you in any way? Toby? Look what you endured at the hands of your brother? While it harmed you, you survived, didn't you? Aren't you three stronger for those experiences? Hasn't it given you a new perspective, a different way to view events, actions, life in general? Toby, Charlotte, I can tell you from experience that the fields you two have chosen are not easy fields to survive in. You both will hear the troubles of those who come to you, expecting you to come up with some clever words to help the person get through a difficult time. But who do you tell your troubles to when it all gets too much? And how will you handle it when you lose one by their own hands? Life is full of unpleasant situations that must be endured or they won't get accomplished. Those boring classes you three have to take are easy examples of what much be endured if you are to reach the goals you've set for yourselves. And… you have to do the best you can do regardless of how you feel, how you make others feel, or what you're told." Sherry let everything she said hang in the air, as she got up from the chair, replaced it where it had been and walked toward Jane, who had opened the library door and stepped out of the library.
Closing the library door behind her, Sherry said to Jane, "That will give them something to think about for the rest of the day. Now, how about you, Marie, and I go have a chat. My tea has gone cold."
Chuckling, Jane led the way into the kitchen, where Marie already had more water boiling for fresh tea. The three sat down at the kitchen table and rehashed the feelings about the three teens leaving Seasons House. Jane and Marie went on to explain to Sherry all they'd learned by having the teens with them, unlike previous times. They wanted to include her and Susan as part of their program with the next boy sent to them. After what Sherry had witnessed, she felt her involvement could be beneficial but only after Jane and Marie had established their authority over the boy. By doing this first, he might be more willing to speak openly to Sherry and at the same time, help himself. But Jane made it abundantly clear, they would not change their overall program, they would still use Petticoat Punishment as a means to get the boys attention and establish their authority. But they would also listen to Sherry after she'd spoken with the boy. Their talk then focused on the adults who would arrive tomorrow, and the steps they'd put in place to deal with any unexpected events. Jane and Marie didn't feel there'd be any real problems, since the adults arriving tomorrow had already been told about Seasons House, but Jane and Marie were prepared just in case. Jane reminded Sherry that her presence was requested, as was the presence of Jill and Susan, the latter already confirming they'd be there for breakfast, and Sherry now doing the same. With the important matters taken care of, the three women then sat and chatted about all of the unimportant things they could think of, mostly of the antics of the three teens and again, that Marie and Jane were going to miss them.
Sherry left Seasons House after about an hour, telling of patients she had scheduled. She left Jane and Marie with a final thought, telling them, "After those three leave tomorrow, you two should take a break. Go somewhere for a while, do something you've wanted to do, just don't dwell on missing those three after they leave. Reflect on everything they've unexpectedly taught the two of you. And, when you're ready for me to get involved, call, you have my number." And with that, she hugged both women before disappearing from the kitchen.
Jane and Marie looked at each other, similar thoughts running through their minds. They needed to stay busy or risk total breakdown. Jane suddenly remembered work she needed to do in the study, while Marie suddenly realized she had something to get read for supper. They hugged before going their separate ways, neither one seeing the other wipe tears out of their eyes.
The rest of the afternoon was nothing to write home about, because nothing special happened. It was just another afternoon at Seasons House, with Jane in the study, Marie in the kitchen, and the teens in the library frustrating Susan with how fast the were completing their lessons. The usual for Seasons House.
The kids were somewhat more lively when getting the table set and helping Marie get their evening meal ready. Their jovial banter had returned, but with an untone of melancholy they couldn't shake. Instead of Jane drilling them on their lessons, Susan took up the mantle and was merciless in her questions and required answers. Even when she asked a few questions incorrectly on purpose, she wasn't disappointed when the three corrected her and not only said what the question should have been, but gave the answer to the question. The speed at which the questions were asked and answered, made Jane and Marie feel they were the audience of a game show, and the teens the contestants. Soon, though, supper was finished, the table cleared, the kitchen cleaned to Marie's satisfaction, and no sooner had the three been allowed the evening to themselves, it was time for showers and bed. The regular pre-bed inspection was more than somber, as tears flowed as each of the teens hugged Jane before wishing her a 'good night.' Jane did her best to keep herself composed during this time, but the teens could see how wet her eyes were. What they didn't see after they'd climbed the stairs and entered their bedrooms, was the tears that freely flowed as Jane slowly walked to her bedroom. Or Marie's eyes, as she checked the house before climbing to her bedroom, stopping at each bedroom door and muttering, "Portez-vous bien, petite, dans votre vie renouvelée (Be well, little one, in your renewed life.)," before going into her bedroom at the end of the hall. They never saw all the tears she shed as she readied herself for bed.
As usual, Marie entered each bedroom to make sure the teens were up, their beds made, they night clothes folded nicely and under the pillow, except for Toby, who's pajamas were neatly folded and lying on top of his other clothes in his open suitcase sitting on his bed. With a sigh, Marie headed downstairs and to the kitchen, taking a detour after hearing a knock at the front door. After checking the monitor, she opened the door to the three women standing there, a mixture of expressions on their faces. The usual boistres Jill asked somberly, "Where are they?" Before she hugged Marie and made room for the others to follow by going into the living room. She never saw each of the other two ladies hug Marie as they entered Seasons House, or the wet eyes each tried to hide.
Marie followed Susan after closing and locking the front door. Jill had turned around to look at Marie, waiting for an answer to her question. Marie chuckled then said, "They're out with the horses, performing their morning duties, and likely saying their goodbyes." As Marie walked past Jill, she told the three women, "Come into the kitchen and have some tea while I start breakfast. No one is expected until 9 o'clock anyway."
The teens had been up much earlier than Marie had believed, and had gone riding without telling anyone, a big no no. But it was something they needed, and as Jane watched the three ride off toward the pond, she wished them well. Only something had occurred neither Jane could see or the teens expected as they entered the stable. All three of the horses were standing outside of their stalls, Pinto holding her halter and the mare and other horse holding their bridles. "Well," Francis said to the air, "It looks like we're going riding before we clean their stalls. I'll get the brushes."
After showing Toby how to brush down the other horse, Francis brushed down the mare while Charlotte brushed down Pinto. "This is the last time we'll get to do this, 'ol girl, we're going home today. I guess this is goodbye," she said before dropping the brush and desperately holding onto Pinto's neck as she cried. Pinto rested her head gently on Charlotte's shoulder, doing her best to comfort the teen as she cried. Finally regaining herself, somewhat, Charlotte pulled her head back and told Pinto, "I'm going to miss seeing you every day. And those stupid antics you keep trying to pull." When Charlotte said that, Pinto snorted the whinnied, her lips pulled back in what seemed to be a smile.
With all three horses brushed, and a halter on Pinto and bridles on the other two horses, the teens led them out to drink their fill at the water tank, while they went to the tack room and got blankets and saddles. Charlotte and Francis helped Toby blanket and saddle the third horse, helping him to mount and making sure his butt wasn't bothering him, before saddling their horses. As they left the corral, all three horses jerked their heads hard enough to jerk the reins out of their rider's hands, making Francis and Charlotte realize they were not doing the driving that morning. Gripping the reins, but keeping them loose, the let the horses slowly walk them to the pond, where they saw another unexpected sight. Usually, when someone needed reassurance, they'd sit on the bench near the pond and wait for the animals to come to them. On this morning, the day of departure, the animals were waiting on the three teens. The deer were lying in their usual location. The skunk and racoon the same. The frogs and ducks lining the edge of the pond and the fish bobbing up and down a short ways off shore. And the porcupines, sitting within an arms reach from the bench, all just waiting. The teens didn't need coaxing to dismount as the horses stopped near the bench, they did so without saying a word. All eyes watched them as they walked the short distance to the bench and sat down, as soft, unknown, voices were brought to them on the suddenly gusty wind.
The teens took the time to look at each group of animals, lingering on them as though listening to each group was speaking to them individually. Then, as happened previously, when the message had been delivered, all of the animals slowly made their way back to what they'd been doing, leaving the teens sitting on the bench by the pond. Even the wind died to a soft breeze. Francis and Charlotte leaned over onto Toby, who'd sat in the middle. They put their arms around each other, having become much closer than they wanted to admit. They knew it was time for them to leave, and get the stalls cleaned, as each one felt a muzzle push them from behind. The ride back was much the same as it was on the way out, except now they had to muck the stalls. They took care of the horses after the ride, before starting on the stalls, leaving all three in the corral. They were quiet as they worked, saying one last goodbye by giving each horse an apple after returning them to the stalls. As they walked back to the house, they walked with arms draped over shoulders, silence speaking louder than they did as they walked. No one greeted them as they entered the house, or reminded them about removing their shoes before entering the house. Thirty minutes later, the three made their appearance in the kitchen, greeting the four women before going about the duties they done a number of times. Neither of the three said a word as they worked. Jill interrupted Toby after he'd helped set the table, by telling him she needed to see how well his body was healing. He never replied, never said a word, as he silently left the kitchen with Jill behind him and together they climbed the stairs to his bedroom. When they returned, Marie tried to get the teens to respond by telling them in a stern voice, "Ach… ihr drei seid heute Morgen nutzlos. Setzt euch ins Wohnzimmer (Ach… you three are useless this morning. Go sit in the living room.)."
As the four women watched, the teens just nodded their heads, before slowly walking out of the kitchen. It was Jill who quipped, "Wow! Tough crowd this morning, Marie. They're really taking leaving hard, aren't they?" Marie nodded before turning back to their breakfast.
Jane then came into the kitchen, shaking her head as she walked. Addressing Marie she asked, "You know they went riding this morning, though I don't think it was their idea."
Nodding her head, Marie replied, "Yes, I knew, but it was something they needed to do. Also, you are right, it wasn't their idea. After leaving the corral, all three horses jerked the reins out of their hands, actually taking those three to the pond. When they arrived at the pond, they had quite the reception waiting for them. Those three have made lasting impressions while they've been here."
Suddenly, Jill jumped up and asked Marie if she had a small paper bag. Marie pointed to a lower cabinet, then stood and watch Jill, as did the other three women. She pulled out four paper bags before finding the size she wanted. With a mischievous smile on her face, she gathered the top of the bag then blew it up the bag. She then walked to the kitchen door, quietly pushing it open and looking out. "Oh, this is perfect," she said, then quietly left the kitchen. Jane, Marie, Susan, and Sherry, didn't sit on their thumbs as the all tried to position themselves at the kitchen door so they could see what Jill was up to. The teens were sitting on the couch, looking down, wiping there eyes at times. Jill quietly walked through the dining room and into the living room, stopping when she was right in front of the teens. She turned her head to look at the four heads watching her, then raised the inflated bag in front of her, and with all the force she could muster, slammed her left hand into the bottom of the bag, causing a loud BANG to occur. Jill's antics had the desired affect, as all three suddenly jumped where they sat, then fell off the couch. When they regained their wits, they looked up to see a smiling Jill standing in front of them. As they watched, she waved at them then said, "Hi," before walking back to the kitchen.
The teens were still sitting on the floor as laughter broke out in the kitchen after Jill's return. The women laughed even harder when Charlotte yelled, "You'll pay for that, Jill. You wait and see if you don't."
After the laughter died down, Jane pushed the kitchen door open and watched the teens. She bit her lip when she heard Francis say, "Aw, crap. I need to go change my panties."
That was followed up by Charlotte adding, "Aw, jeeze, so do I."
After Charlotte and Francis stood up and took one step each, Toby chimed in with, "I can't believe it! Hey, wait up you two. Someone should teach that menacing imp a lesson."
The teens were so focused on their wet undergarments, they didn't notice Jane watching them. They did, though, hear the laughter start again as they were walking up the stairs.
Jill's antics had changed the mood of Seasons House that morning, and it continued throughout breakfast. Even through clearing the table and the kitchen, the teens were more jovial. It wasn't until the Grandfather clock struck nine, and a knock was heard on the front door, did the teens finally returned to their somber moods. Jane sent the teens into the library, telling them to wait until she came to get them. As they walked off, she called after them, "Thinks will work out, wait and see."
Jeb had sent Jane pictures of everyone who'd be coming to Seasons House to take their boys home. As Jane looked at the monitor for the front door, she saw only those who were to be coming to Seasons House that morning. Marie came out of the study, her hands behind her back, her 1911 held in her right hand, thumb on the hammer, finger on the safety lever, and one in the pipe. As Jane looked at her, she nodded her head once, telling Marie it was safe to open the front door. Taking the step to the front door, Jane unlocked the door and pulled the door back so she was standing out of Marie's line of fire in case her line of fire was needed. "Jeb Thorton," Jane said to the man standing at the head of the line. "Welcome to Seasons House. And who is this lovely women who puts up with you?" A smile crossed Jane's lips as she said it.
In mock anger, Jeb replied, "Jane Thompson, you are nothing but a scallywag, always have been, always will be. And this lovely lady who puts up with me is my wife Lynn. Lynn, this is Ms. Jane Thompson. And the other lovely lady, though rather deadly, you see standing there with her backup behind her back, if I'm not mistaken, is Marie, the other cohort of the duo." Hearing what Jeb just said, Marie smirked and nodded her head, confirming Jeb's guess.
After shaking Jeb's hand, Jane shook Lynn's hand, telling her, "It's finally nice to meet the better half of your duo." Both women laughed as Jeb went along with the gag by acting shocked at Jane's words. "Please, come in the both of you." Jeb then hugged Jane, whispering in her ear as he did so.
As the two walked toward Marie, Lynn asked her husband, "What did you just say to Jane back there?"
Jeb put his arm around Lynn's waist and said, "I thanked her for taking care of Charles." Lynn smiled, then leaned over and kiss him on the cheek.
When they reached Marie, she and Jeb stared at each other, stern expressions on the faces. Lynn saw the looks and started to become uneasy until both broke out in grins and Jeb stepped up to Marie and hugged her tightly. Marie still holding her 1911 in her right hand, hugged Jeb with her left hand. She looked over to Lynn and asked her, "How in the world do you put up with this 'ol war horse. The last time I saw him he needed a bath desperately."
Lynn laughed, then replied, "I remember that time, and you're right, he smelled horrible. But I fell in love with him that very day, and it's only through love that I endure."
Looking incredulous, Jeb said, "Hey, what is it, roast Jeb day?"
The three heard a voice behind them say, "Children! Please play nicely. I don't want to have these floors replaced because of spilt blood." The all looked at Jane, who was looking at them with a smile on her face.
Jane turned back to the lone man standing in the door way, Martin Camber, Toby's dad. "Martin, welcome to Seasons House. Toby is a wonderful young man you should be extremely proud of. I'm only sorry we're meeting under these circumstances."
Martin stood a good 6'8" or 6'9" and weighed around 265. His hand enveloped Jane's hand as they shook hands, Jane being told, "I blamed myself for how things turned out. Had I known what Tylor was doing to Toby… well, let's just say I might have found it necessary to make sure Tylor was never found. He may be my son, but no one treats another person the way he treated Toby, or the trouble he got Toby into."
Looking into Martin's eyes, Jane told him, "Many of us had the same thoughts about Tylor after we saw what he'd done to Toby. However, Martin, we knew we couldn't do that as it'd make us no better than he was, then they were. Be proud of a boy who went through hell and emerged on the other side a stronger person. Please, come in." Jane then gestured toward Marie, telling Martin, "The woman standing there is Marie, my partner in crime."
Jane turned back to the door as Martin walked up to Marie and shook hands with her, her helper then being held in her left hand behind her back. As Martin had walked toward Marie, he could tell she was packing, and was not to be trifled with when it hit the fan. As they shook hands, Martin leaned toward Marie and softly said, "Oorah," then straightened and gazed into her eyes. He watched as she slowly nodded her head several times, before directing him toward the living room.
As Martin was greeting Marie, Jane had returned her attention to the couple standing in the doorway. "And you must be Penny Willows, the wonderful woman Frank spoke about."
The two women shook hands before Penny told Jane, "Ms. Thompson, this is my husband, Tom."
Shaking Tom's hand, Jane told him, "It's a pleasure to meet you, Tom. Actually, a pleasure to meet the two of you. There's a lot the two of you need to be told. Please, come in. The woman you see there," and Jane pointed to Marie, "Is my cohort, Marie. Please, please, come in." After Penny and Tom entered the house Jane closed and locked the front door, something not lost on Tom.
"You seem to take security seriously, Ms. Thompson," Tom told Jane.
Jane looked from Tom to Marie, seeing Marie nod her head once. "We do, Tom. We've had a few, um, experiences in the past that made us very cautious. And please, it's Jane and Marie. There's no need to be so formal."
Tom and Penny walked over to Marie, both shaking hands with her before being directed to the living room. When Jane reached Marie, they exchanged a look, before Marie stepped into the study, returning with both hands empty. After Marie returned from the study, Jane said to everyone, "If you will make yourselves comfortable around the dining room table, we'll get started with the explanations you all need to hear." After everyone had taken a seat at the dining room table, Jane stood behind Jill and introduced her. "This woman is Dr. Jill Peters. Martin, she and the hospital treated Toby and kept him safe." She saw Martin was about to ask a question, and held up her hand, telling him, "Please hold you question, Martin. All will be explained in a moment." Moving behind Susan, Jane told the group, "This is Susan Toliver, the tutor who worked with the boys." Stepping behind Sherry, Jane said, "This is Dr. Sherry Daniels, a licensed psychologist, who has been instrumental in helping all of us deal when this unusual situation."
"I understand it has been explained to all of you what Marie and I do here at Seasons House. so I'll forego the entire explanation again. The method Marie and I use, Petticoat Punishment, is used to drastically snap the boy out of his current thought processes by having him live as a girl in every way physically possible. He is dressed as a girl during his entire stay, even participating in those activities many girls might participate in. We use his own ego against him, his fear of being discovered as a boy dressed as a girl. The boys sent to us are deemed redeemable by Judge Ruth Walinkiewicz, a juvenile court judge. Frank was just such a boy, Penny, Tom. Did either of you hear why Frank couldn't return to your family after your cancer was in remission, Penny?"
As Jane looked at the couple, Tom's face started turning red with anger. Penny laid a hand on his arm, telling Jane, "Frank's case worker said they were concerned the cancer would return and they'd have to go through the whole process again of finding Frank a place to live. So staying with Agnus was the best solution."
Even though Penny had calmed Tom, he said through gritted teeth, "It was a bunch of BS, pure and simple. The doctors told us there was zero chance the type of cancer Penny had would return. We even showed that cow the doctor's reports."
Jane didn't tell the couple she'd also seen the reports, but went on with, "There was a simple reason the case worker wouldn't allow Frank to return to your family, she was getting kickbacks from Agnus. Agnus was giving her half of the support money she received for Frank. None of that money was ever used for Frank's living expenses. Agnus was only keeping Frank for the money. If it hadn't been for a neighbor lady, I don't believe Frank would be with us today. It was also the neighbor lady who contacted the right people to get an investigation started. It was discovered that not only Frank's case worker was receiving kickbacks, but several other case workers were doing the same. Agnus and the others are now spending time behind bars, contemplating their misdeeds."
Jane paused while Marie sat cups of tea before everyone sitting at the table. Once Marie returned from the kitchen, Jane continued. "I want Susan to speak next on her and Sherry's discoveries, you might be surprised and angry once they're finished telling you what they discovered."
Susan gave Frank's folder to Penny and Tom. Toby's folder went to Martin, while Charlotte's folder went to Jeb and Lynn. "Jane and Marie have a fine educational program set up while a boy stays with her. It's a much better program than he'd find in the school he'd been attending. When I was called in to help them, my first step was to have the three fill out an assessment paper." Susan chuckled before saying, "I had to repeatedly remind them it wasn't a test, just an information paper for me so I know what they knew or didn't know. When I saw the results of those papers, I knew something wasn't right, given their school grades, except for Charles, who we discovered would do his best even if he hated every minute of it. Toby and Francis, we discovered later, were bored to death with the classes they were taking at their respective high schools, but their assessment papers told a different story. If you'll look at the IQ test scores in your folders, you'll see what Sherry discovered after we had her give them an IQ test. We later learned each of them had asked to take AP courses, but were turned down because the administration didn't want to upset the social structure of their entire class."
It was Martin's turn to speak through gritted teeth, asking, "You mean to tell me with an IQ that high, those dic… um… morons wouldn't let Toby take any advance classes? Did those as… um… dopes even test him?"
There were smiles around the table, as everyone realized what Martin was about to call the administration at the schools, catching himself in time. "Martin, we've use worse words to describe the administration at those schools, but thank you for trying not to be so, crass." Susan thanking Martin caused him to chuckle, even apologizing for almost crossing the verbage line. "To answer your question, Martin," Susan continued. "No, they didn't test him, they wouldn't test him. Toby told us they said his grades didn't warrant him being tested. So, he did the bare minimum of school work to get by. However, during his free time at school, he'd go to the library and read those textbooks used in the AP classes, and any he could find the library had on psychology, a field he wants go enter. It is my feelings, and I believe Sherry's as well, all three of those boys could test out of high school without any problems. We don't recommend it though, for one glaring reason. If they tested out of high school and entered University or College, they'd be the youngest students attending those schools. Research has shown that while young students do well in the higher learning atmosphere, they are social pariahs, often harassed by the older students. Sherry and I have tried to impress upon those three not to give a toot to anything anyone says if they do the best they can. We've especially tried to make that point with Frank and Toby, since both were doing only the minimum to get by. The school might not like it, but they need to blow the doors off the Bell Curve and not care if it bothers anyone."
Susan nodded to Jane, who took over with, "Thank you Susan. As I told all of you, this time at Seasons House has been most unusual. Marie and I usually only have two boys with us at one time, the experienced boy helping the new boy. This time, we had three boys, one who had walked through hell and come out the other side without losing who he was going in. If you would, Jill."
A moment of anger passed over Jill's face before she began speaking. "Martin, in all my years of practicing medicine, I've never come across another person who was beaten more severely than Toby. All of us who saw Toby's condition when he first arrived wanted to deal with Tylor using a map, flashlight, and a shovel. But as Jane said, it wasn't our lot in life to be like those people. That morning, after seeing Toby for the first time, I couldn't understand how he was still alive. Many of his wounds were infected, and the new ones were deep, almost bone deep. He was rushed to our hospital where we cleaned out the infection and put him on a heavy dose of antibiotics, keeping him sedated throughout the procedure. Once we removed the sedation, he finally came around the following day, when he told Jane everything. I was told you were shown the pictures we took, Martin," and when he nodded, Jill went on with, "Well there was more. Jane was told those animals had started killing the kids who were involved in the shoplifting, probably to shut them up. Our police department had received a heads-up that an attempt would be made on Toby's life. They worked with the hospital and set up a plan to deal with anyone coming into the hospital asking for Toby. Toby would have stayed in the hospital longer, if not for the two men who came into the hospital acting like his Uncles and asking if he was there. Those two never knew what hit them, as the hospital and police's plan worked perfectly. Both were discovered to be armed, with one having a silencer on him. When the alert had gone out in the hospital, two of the hospital's best security gurads, both vets, stayed in Toby's room until the all clear was given. But I was still worried others would come so I called Jane and told her I was bringing Toby to Seasons House, where I knew he'd be safe. And he's been here ever since, and his body is healing nicely. Also, a plastic surgeon I know, Dr. Thomas Glean, has volunteered to treat Toby, pro bono, after his body is completely healed. Martin, pictures don't display what you'll see with your own eyes, he'll need Dr. Glean and his team's help."
When Jill looked at Jane, Jane said, "Sherry, you're up to bat."
Sherry took a sip of her tea before she began to speak. "Except for Toby, how much to you, Jeb and Lynn, and Penny and Tom, know about what Charles and Frank have been through? Penny and Tom, are you aware what Agnus did to him while he stayed with her? Locking him in his bedroom for the day? Refusing to let him use the bathroom while he was locked in his bedroom? Refusing to let him out for meals? Or the times she slapped him around?"
Penny's face took on an expression that would make statues cringe. It was Tom who put an arm on his wife's arm as she said with restrained anger, "She did all that to him? Not feeding him or letting him use the bathroom?" Calming down a bit, she then asked, "What’d he do for food or when he had to use the toilet? No one said he had to be hospitalized for malnutrition, so he must have eaten. And using the toilet, what'd he do?"
Sherry smiled then replied, "Your Nephew is a resourceful person, Penny. Agnus forgot his bedroom had two windows, and he took the screen off one of them and went to the neighbor lady's house. She let him use the bathroom, even showering, and fed him too. If it hadn't been for her, he'd have been in a world of hurt. And as we said previously, it was she who contacted the right people who found out what was going on between Agnus and the case worker. But there's more, Penny, Tom, much more. Frank bottled up his feelings about what he was being put through, which came out during one of our talks. It's out in the open now, but I'd like to continue meeting with him on a regular basis."
She then looked between Martin and the Thortons, taking another sip of her tea before saying, "The same applies to Toby and Charlies. Martin, you already know what Toby went through, but he too bottled up his feelings and they emerged much like Frank's did during our talks. Jeb, Lynn, do you remember what happened to Charles in elementary school? The time two boys forced his head into the toilet, then the time the same two boys put him into the urinal because they were suspended from school because of the first incident?"
Lynn looked thoughtful for a moment, then said, "Yes, I remember those incidents. But it didn't seem to bother Charles at the time. He seemed to have shrugged it off."
If was Jeb's turn to look thoughtful as Lynn spoke, saying, "I remember something about it, but because Charles never made a big deal out of it, I just put it aside. I take it he was still harboring feelings about what happened?"
Nodding her head, Sherry told him, "Yes, Jeb. He was still harboring feelings about what those two boys did to him. During our first talk, he kept answering my questions evasively, always trying to counter my questions with a critique of my attempts to get him to talk to me. He finally broke down when I grabbed both of his arms from across the table, and his bottled up feelings surfaced. I never again want to hear boys cry the way those three cried when they let their bottled up feelings out. It's a sound you'll never forget once you've heard it."
Marie had just poured more tea into Sherry's cup, just in time for Sherry to take another sip. "Toby is outgoing, while Francis chose to remain quiet because of his experiences at school. Charles is the more intellectual of the three, though he has started opening up more while he's been here. Martin, now that Toby doesn't have to fear Tylor, I think you're going to find you have a much different son than the one you remember. Penny, the same goes for Frank. But beware, he has a sense of humor that'll take you unaware. Jeb, Lynn, you've done a wonderful job raising Charles, but don't let him close himself off again, he can be as bad as Francis if he wants. Also, I'd like to set up a schedule to meet with all three of the boys at least once a month. Given what each one has been through, I'd like to make sure they don't revert to their former selves."
Sherry nodded her head to Jane, who then said, "Okay, why don't we take a break before the boys come out to see everyone. We've a bit more to cover before they'll need to change to go home. There's a restroom there," and Jane pointed to the door for the downstairs restroom.
Most of the adults took advantage of the break to use the restroom, others talked amongst themselves. They watched Marie carry a tray holding three glasses and a pitcher of water to a room, knock on the door before opening it and going inside. The same door opening caught their attention, and they watched as Marie came out of the room carrying an empty tray.
After the restroom break was over, and their tea cups had been refreshed, Jane got everyone's attention before she told them, "I've explained how Marie and I get the boy's attention by having them dress and act like girls while they're here. Frank was the first sent to us, so he was Francis, and very convincing dressed as a girl. Charles came next, though he already knew about Petticoat Punishment. So I gave him a choice to stay himself while he was here, or have an experience he'd likely never get an opportunity to have anywhere else. He chose the experience and became Charlotte, and more than convincing dressed as a girl. Toby, for obvious reason, could never have the experience, but he was very supportive the entire time he has been here. Marie and I are very protective of our girls, so if any of you says or does anything to make Frank or Chalres feel more anxious than they are already, you WILL be bodily thrown out of my house." Giving Martin a stern look, she answered his silent question with, "Yes, Martin, I can do it without any trouble. Don't test me!"
Giving the Thortons, the Willows, and Martin, one last stern look, Jane walked to the library, knocked on the door before opening it and going into the library, closing the door behind her. It was a few moments later when the library door opened, causing Jeb, Lynn, Penny, Tom, and Martin to stand, watching as the teens filed out of the library. Martin reacted first, rushing over and picking up Toby in a bear hug. "Oh, God, Toby," he said, sobbing as he spoke. "I'm so sorry son, I'm so so, sorry. I should have paid more attention to what Tylor was doing."
Tears were streaming down Toby's cheeks, as he held his dad tightly. "Dad, it's okay. You had to keep a roof over our heads and food on the table. I'm so proud of you for doing that after mom left." Martin then carried Toby back to where Martin had been sitting, sat down and sat Toby in his lap, never letting go of him.
Lynn and Jeb stood in front of Chalotte, Lynn placing a hand over her mouth. "Oh, my. Jane was right. You do make a very cute girl." She then kneeled and held out her arms, which were quickly filled with Charlotte's presence, as she too cried on her mom's shoulder. Jeb stood next to the pair, his arms hugging both his wife and son.
Penny had done the same as Lynn, put a hand over her mouth in surprise. Francis stood there, tears welling up in her eyes, saying, "You're ashamed of me, aren't you? Ashamed I'm dressed this way, aren't you?"
Then, to the parents and Penny's surprise, Charlotte said, "Oh, gawd, not again." Not only did she stand up and walk over to Francis, but Toby got off his dad's lap and walked over to Francis. "You dope, they aren't ashamed of you. Can't you see how happy they are to see you, no matter how you're dressed," Toby told Francis as he and Charlotte took Francis' by the arms and led her over to where Penny and Tom were standing.
Kneeling in front of Francis, and wiping her eyes, Penny told Francis, "Francis, Frank, we are not ashamed of you in any way. Tom and I are just happy you're alright and are going to be living with us. We've also talked about adopting you, that is, if you'd like us to adopt you."
Trying to comprehend what her Aunt just said, Francis asked, "You want to adopt ME? ME? Why? I've been such a mess and I still could be."
Tom kelt in front of Francis and told her, "Yes, Francis, we'd like to adopt you if it's what you'd want. As to why? If we make you our legal son, no one can take you away from us ever again. And judging by what I've seen right now, I don't believe we have to worry about you still being a mess. If I might also say, like Charlotee, you're cute dressed as a girl." With tears in her eyes, Francis fell into the arms of Tom and Penny, crying as they held each other."
As the teens became reacquainted with their adults, Jane and Marie heard a knock on the front door. Looking at each other, Jane walked to the monitor by the front door, while Marie made a quick trip into the study. When Marie came out of the study, Jane told her, "It's Carolyn and Sandy, right on time." Making another quick trip into the study, Marie emerge empty handed, and stood near the stairs, waiting to take Sandy and Carolyn up to Francis and Charlotte's bedroom. After unlocking the front door, and letting Carolyn and Sandy into the house, she quietly told them to follow Marie, she'd take them up to the bedrooms where they could set up. Both women remained quiet as they walked to Marie and followed her up the stairs to the girl's bedrooms.
After closing the front door and locking it, Jane rejoined the group in the dining room, waiting a few more minutes before they continued. She wasn't Sherry, but even she could see that those three boys were deeply loved and would do fine when they returned home. Getting their attention, Jane said, "I think Jeb has something he like to say at this time."
Standing up, Jeb opened a business case he'd been carrying, taking out several sheets of paper. Addressing Toby first, he said, "Toby, you're voice testimony was invaluable to the District Attorney. That testimony, and what you suffered at the hands of your brother, the District Attorney has dropped all charges against you. You're record is clean once again." At that point he handed Toby an order by the Court and one from the District Attorney, both exclaiming the charges against one Toby Camber were dismissed. He then turned to Charlotte, saying, Charles, or, um, Charlotte, Judge Ruth, Terry, and the prosecuting attorney knew everything against you was a lie. But Strom threatened to take you to Federal Court if Ruth didn't find you guilty. Like Toby, all of the charges against you have been dropped, as stated in these two papers. And like Toby, your record is clean once again." Jeb closed the case then sat down, taking Lynn's hand after sitting.
With smiles on their faces Toby and Charlotte high-fived each other, until Charlotte said, "We may be free of the courts, but we have to return to our schools."
Letting out a groan, Francis said, "Do we have to? That place is so boring it's more fun watching paint dry. Or watching grass grow. Or...,"
Francis never finished her third comparison, as Toby told her, "We get it, pea brain. It's super boring."
Looking at Toby, Francis asked, "Who you calling pea brain, muck for brains?"
Charlotte shook her head before saying, "Oy vey! They're at it again." Turning to her parents she said, "Francis does have a point. Even though I was getting 'A's', it was boring. I can handle it, but they," and she pointed to Toby and Francis, "Need another school."
Clearing her throat, Susan said, "I think I can help with that small problem." She then pulled out six pieces of paper, handing two to each teen. "The top sheet is an acceptance letter from a private high school not far from here that will fit the needs of all three of you. They're offering full tuition, room and board, books, and meals. All you three have to do is work at your studies. The second paper is a letter from a University offering all three of you a full ride when you graduate high school. And, that University offers majors in each of the fields you three want to pursue. It's all up to the three of you and your parents."
The three teens were standing together comparing their papers, talking excitedly. Martin cleared his throat, stood, and said, "Toby, I, um, lost those three jobs I had. Because I was offered a job not far from here as a manager in the field I first started in. We'll be moving up here, out of that city and into God's country."
Toby stood dumbfounded, until Francis and Charlotte took him over to his dad. "You're not just saying that are you? You really got a job in this area?" Toby asked, still stunned over the prospect of moving into the area, living not far from Seasons House.
Martin pulled Toby into him, telling him, "Yes, son, it's the truth. I've already found us a nice place to live. It even comes with a few animals."
Toby was hugging his dad when Jane spoke up. "Francis, Charlotte. Carolyn and Sandy are waiting for the two of you up in your bedrooms. You'll also find all of your clothing lying on your beds. So you best go and not keep them waiting."
Jane never told the girls which woman would be in their bedrooms, though Sandy chose to undo Charlotte. As hard as the tears flowed downstairs, they flowed just as hard upstairs, as prosthetics were removed, makeup thoroughly removed, and this time hair cuts given instead of stylings. One last shower and Frank and Charles were ready to once again face the world. Last hugs to Carolyn and Sandy, with promises to come and see them, and the two boys, carrying their suitcases, made the last trip from their bedrooms to the first floor. As if on cue, when Toby saw the two boys, he said, "My gawd, you two clean up nicely." Frank and Charles looked at each other, a silent message passing between them. Charles started walking around the head of the dining room table while Frank started walking around the end where they'd sat for so many weeks. Looking between the two boys, malice on their faces, Toby said, while holding up his hands, "Joking, I was only joking," and had backed himself up against the wall next to the kitchen door. The two boys looked at each other again before both grabbed Toby and started carrying him toward the back door, Toby yelling all the way.
Marie was standing by the back door, opening it as the three reached her. "Thank you, Marie," Francis said as the two boys carried the still yelling out the back door and toward the stable.
Everyone followed the boys out of the back door and onto the back porch, while Frank and Charles carried the still yelling Toby into the stable, Martin asked, "Have they always been that close, Jane?"
Thinking back, Jane replied, "No, Martin, not always. Only when they decided to be open with each other and support each other, did they become that close," and she pointed to the three disappearing into the stable. Then Jane added, "I don't think we'll have to worry about Toby needed another shower. I think they're just going to say goodbye one more time."
Jane was right, it was a last goodbye to the horses by the three boys. Frank and Charlotte set Toby down, then the two walked over to the basket holding the apples and each took one. Charles walked up to Pinto's stall, the horse giving him a questioning look before Charles spoke to her. "Yeah, you crazy horse, it's me, back to being Charles. Here, one last apple before I leave. You be nice to Jane and Marie, and help the next boy sent to Seasons House, you hear?" Pinto accepted the apple, then as Charles hug the horse's neck, Pinto laid her head on Charles' shoulder, whinnying softly, her way of saying goodbye and thank you.
Francis told the mare much the same, and received the same response as Charles received. Toby, not having ridden but the one time, gave the third horse her apple and thank her for the nice ride, getting a cheek rub by that mare. Looking around one last time, arms around each other, the three walked out of the stable and back to the house for the last time as teens; everyone was still on the small back porch, waiting on the teens to return.
When the boys reached the porch, Jane said, "So, it was goodbyes and not mucking?"
Looking happy and sad at the same time, Francis answered with, "Yes, Aunt Jane, just saying our goodbyes one more time. And we're not dressed to be mucking anything or anyone," and he looked at Toby who held up a fist in Francis' face, causing all three to laugh.
Toby sighed before saying, "Well, if we're going home, I guess we better get going. If I remember right, it's a long trip."
The three took a step toward the porch, then looked at the smiling faces of everyone standing on the porch. "Okay," Charles began, "What is it you all know that we don't? It's as though we've been left out of a gag of some sort."
Susan stepped off the porch and put a hand on Franks and Charles' shoulders, who were standing to Toby's left and right. "Well, boys, you aren't going home. At least not right away. You're going to school right after you leave Seasons House." The three had blank looks on their faces, then looked at the faces of their parents, each on nodding their head. "You remember that paper I gave you about being accepted to that private high school? Well, they meant for you to attend starting today, not after you go home."
"But we're still enrolled in our other high schools," Toby said, looking to his dad, who was shaking his head.
Looking at his son, Martin told him, "When Susan got confirmation from that high school, she contacted all of us. And we withdrew the three of you from your high schools, and basically told them where to go at the same time. The five of us came in a van pulling a trailer, with all of your things inside. We are going directly from here to that school, and help you three move in. Plus, they've put you three in the same dorm room, so you'll still be together to help each other when needed. And Toby, Jill will still want to see you, and will contact the school when it's time."
When Martin finished speaking, Jeb spoke up with, "And boys, we've set up a schedule where you three will meet with Sherry twice a month. And you will speak with her, won't you Charles? Oh, and Charles? I think you'll be glad to know you won't get to slack off on your training. We've been told they have a sensei on staff, she teaches the math courses."
Smiling, Charles answered, "Yes, dad, I will speak to her. And it's good to know I can continue my training, though I might be a bit rusty."
Turning, the adults went back into the house, and continued on toward the front door, Jane and Marie following the three boys. When they reached the front door, Sherry, Susan, and Jill stood off to one side, while the parents saw what was needed and continued out to the van. None of the boys could speak, but they did hug all five women one last time before running out of Seasons House, wiping their eyes as they ran. The five stepped outside and waved as the van pulled away from Seasons House, Marie suddenly saying as the van disappeared down the road, "I believe tea and cake would be the order of the day right now." Her voice was raspy, but no one disagreed with her either.
Strom's mistress, the mastermind of the shoplifting ring, received life in prison plus 150 years, without the possibility of parole.
Strom, because he'd supplied her with pictures of the kids she killed, was deemed complicit in the murder's and given life without the possibility of parole.
Don Obler, the former store manager of Taylor's Department store, was given ten years in prison for his role in the shoplifting. As was James Conner, the former head of security at that store.
Tylor Camber, because he turned state's evidence, had his ten year sentence cut in half to five years, with the possibility of parole after serving three years.
Mary Myles, the woman corporate sent to that Taylor's Department store as assistant manager, and who helped uncover the truth about the store, was voted by the board of directors to become the new CEO of the Taylor's Department store chain.
The State Board of Education investigated the claims made by the parents of the three boys. As a result of their investigation, all of the administration and counselors at the three school were summarily fired, and replaced with people who cared more about academics than the social structure of the schools. And the administration of those three schools, fired any teacher who refused to follow the new program to bring back academic excellence - teachers who felt social structure was more important than academic excellence.
After the State Board of Education finished their investigation, and replacement of administrations, the State School Board ordered all eighteen school board members of the three high schools to report and answer allegations against all of them. In the end, the State School Board didn't like the answers given by all of the eighteen school board members, and removed them from their school board positions on the spot. There were angry shouts from the former school board members of lawsuits, but their lawyers told them they'd have zero chance of winning in court, as they had brought it all upon themselves.
And the boys, Frank, Charles, and Toby? Just as they drove Susan to frustration over the speed they learned the material she gave them, they did the same at the private high school they were attending. Upon graduation, there were three valedictorians named, Frank Willows, Charles Thorten, and Toby Camber. The three did receive a full scholarship from that University. Studies at the University slowed them down a bit, but only a bit. Sherry was right when she told Charles he wouldn't be allowed to speed through the medical school, but he turned out to be number two upon graduating from medical school. Frank and Toby went on to get their Masters then their PhDs. As luck would have it, Frank was offered a job at a chemical manufacturing company being built by a major chemical corporation, not far from where Toby and Charles opened a private practice together, about twenty miles from Kingston, and after their intern periods. And one more small fact about the boys. There is now a Mrs. Beth Willows, Frank's wife. Toby met and married Tina Moore, a sharp young lady from Kingston. And Charles? He acquired his high school sweetheart, Sandra Glean, (yes, Thomas Glean's daughter) while attending the private high school, they married after Charles graduated medical school and they're expecting their first child in seven months.
Dr. Thomas Glean and his team worked with Toby after his body completely healed. The scar cream they used slowly started reducing the severity of the scars after three months. After a break of two weeks, and a bit of tweaking of the cream, they continued the treatment. Given the results of the tweaked cream, they believe when his treatment is completed, all that will be seen are white lines where the horrible scars had once been.
And when time permits, the mare, Pinto, and the other mare, guide the boys to the pond, where the animals are always waiting for them to arrive.
Crossroads
Crossroads: The point at which two or more travel ways converge; a point at which a life altering decision must be made; two or more given parameters used to resolve a problem recently discovered.
I’m at a Crossroads. I must make a decision that may change the rest of my life, and who I become. My name isn’t important to my story but my age, 14, is. It’s important because certain physical changes that should have started, haven’t. It's why I'm at a Crossroads.
I've tried to keep something from my parents for the past three years. But discoveries are made which force me to make a decision about my life.
I’m a freshman in high school, a straight B student but I could be a straight A student if it wasn’t for the tests we have to take; I know the material but just can’t take tests.
I thought about sports, but at almost 100 pounds, wet, with rocks in my pockets, football was out. I thought about baseball or tennis, but couldn't hit the ball even with my eyes open. Wrestling? Nope, not enough muscle mass. Track or cross-country? I can run, just not fast enough. And at 5’6”, volleyball and basketball were out. So, I just became a student.
I never developed any real friendships because I wasn't a popular student. Oh I’d help someone having problems in some of my classes, and built a reputation as the guy to go to in the freshman class if you had an academic problem, but that’s all I became. Which, in a way, allowed me the freedom I needed at times.
I needed to be friend free because at times, I didn’t need someone coming around the house to see me. I needed that time, when mom and dad were gone for a few hours, to do what I’ve been doing for the past three years. I needed the freedom of being friend free so I could dress and become Joni.
I don’t remember why I started wearing girls' clothing, whether it was curiosity or a dare or something I had to do. But the first time I put on a pair of panties, I was in heaven. When I saved more of my allowance, I bought more panties and a bra. I also read several articles on wearing panties to discover why the panties didn’t fit me right. Once I started tucking, the panties fit me like a glove.
As time passed, and my allowance increased, and I saved more and more, I purchased other lingerie, dresses, skirts and coordinating blouses, and makeup that complimented my skin tone; I had read several articles that helped me a great deal in my makeup choices.
The main problem I had was when I could become Joni. I could only become Joni when my parents would be gone for several hours and I knew when they’d return. At first, with just the panties and bra, it didn’t take but a few minutes to put them on. But when other pieces of clothing were added, it took longer to get dressed. And time increased even more when I started adding makeup.
My girls’ clothing continued to slowly accumulate over the years. I even added three different styles of sleepwear to my collection, though I could only wear them and not sleep in them. Then yesterday, mom told me she and dad were going to see her mother, my grandmother, while I was on Christmas break. Because I had so much homework to do over Christmas break, we decided I’d stay home and get it done for the
Monday after New Years, when I returned to school. If I had gone along, we knew I’d get nothing done because my cousins would want me to hang out with them. While I’d miss seeing grandma, I’d have three whole days to be dressed as Joni. And… and I’d finally get to sleep in my girls’ sleepwear.
By now, you may be questioning parents who left their child at home while they were gone for hours or days. The answer is simple, I earned their trust. I never got into trouble or caused any trouble; I never wanted to cause my parents any trouble. You might think I was a poster child for purity, but I wasn’t. I made bad, ignorant, decisions that got me reprimanded. But nothing that involved the police or school officials. I guess every kid makes bad decisions because of ignorance.
I was up bright and early Monday morning, January 1st, to see my parents off to grandma’s. I knew our routine when traveling to see grandma. We’d hold off eating breakfast for an hour until we reached a small town with a restaurant that makes the best waffles, pancakes, and French toast. After breakfast, it was another three hours before we reached grandma’s house.
So, I had my breakfast and waited until eight o’clock before I got busy getting myself dressed; I was anxious to try a hair style I read about in a magazine article.
I took my time, I wanted to get everything just right. After my shower, I toweled off my hair then wrapped it in a smaller towel. While the towel did its job, I did my makeup. I laid everything out, then going by all the articles I read, I applied my makeup in order.
Once my makeup was done, and set, I retrieved the magazine with the article of the hair style I wanted to try and followed the steps shown. When I was finished, I compared my work with the final picture in the magazine. While my efforts weren't perfect, they were as close as it was going to get without more practice.
I left the bathroom just wearing one of the robes I purchased, returning to my bedroom where I got into one hiding place and removed the lingerie, dress and shoes I wanted to wear during the day.
Slowly, I stepped into the panties, tucking before pulling them up to just below my waist. Then came my bra and the breast inserts; I didn't want to glue any artificial breast forms on my chest in case something happened to the solvent (several stories I read had that exact problem happen to the main character).
I debated about wearing a slip, but lost the debate as I let the slip drop over my head. I soon discovered it would have been easier had I put on my thigh high stocking before my slip. Oh, well, live and learn. Next came the sundress, which proved a bit of a challenge to zip up the back. I ended up taking it off and looping a piece of string through the zipper tongue then pulling the string straight up after putting the dress back on.
I got into another hiding place and took out clip-on earrings, a bracelet, a necklace, and a watch. I stepped into my kitten heels, closed my bedroom door, and marveled at the teenage girl staring back at me from the full length mirror mounted to the back of my bedroom door. She was really cute, lacking any semblance of my boy self. As I gazed at my reflection in the mirror, I realized no one would recognize me if I left the house, the change was that profound.
I had to consciously pull myself away from the mirror, before grabbing my backpack and heading downstairs to the living room and starting on my homework. I had lunch about noon, studied more, then around a quarter to four, went back to my bedroom to change into one of my dressier dresses for the evening. I even redid my makeup for a more evening out look; I had to follow one of the articles in the same magazine where I got my hair style. Once redressed, I went back downstairs and fixed myself some supper before going back to my studies.
About nine in the evening, I started having trouble keeping my eyes open, and decided to stop fighting sleep and get ready for bed. It may have seemed early to go to bed, but I had to allow for the time it would take to undress, put my clothes away, get out the sleepwear I was going to wear, and remove my makeup. Plus, my eyes were tired after a day of nothing but homework. I thought I'd have trouble getting to sleep, being excited about tomorrow. But I must have dropped right out once my head hit the pillow.
As I was about to learn, Tuesday wasn't going to be anything like Monday. It would be a day of discoveries.
It felt strange waking up Tuesday morning, I felt extremely rested and relaxed. I followed the same routine as yesterday, after taking off the cami and tap pants I'd slept in. I showered, then did my hair and makeup a bit differently, dressed in a similar order as yesterday, except putting on my pantyhose before dropping a different slip over my head; I didn't slide off my bed this time. Once my dress, shoes, and jewelry were on, I headed downstairs for breakfast. I had learned how much lipstick comes off and transfers to a drinking glass, so I made sure to wash that glass until I couldn't imagine any lipstick was on the rim of the glass. After refreshing my lipstick, I settled on the couch to try and finish a book I was reading for a book report I had to do for my English class.
I'd been reading my book since about a quarter till nine this morning. I glanced at the clock and saw it was now eleven fifteen. I set my book down and did a big stretch, not hearing the garage door as it opened.
I had just picked up my book to continue reading when I heard the door from the kitchen to the garage open, and my mother saying something to my dad. I froze! I couldn't move! My parents were home! They weren't supposed to be home until Thursday!
The kitchen and living room were an open floor plan, no walls separated the two rooms. If you stood at the front door, or at the garage door in the kitchen, you could see straight through both spaces.
My brain finally started working again, and as I dropped my book onto the floor, I bolted off the couch and headed for the stairs. I got maybe three steps when I heard, “John? JOHN! STOP!” It was my mom.
“John, sweetheart, turn around and face me,” mom ordered me, as I stood there shaking, just like I'd been outside in below zero weather. No… that's not right. I was shaking so bad I could hardly stand up. This shaking was worse! I was shaking so bad as I turned to face my mother that the charms on my charm bracelet were hitting each other and creating a rattling sound.
After completely turning around so I was facing my mom, I heard her say, “Oh sweetheart,” in a loving voice, before I felt her arms around me and being pulled into her. “Oh, John, sweetheart, you're not in trouble, you're NOT in trouble.”
My arms went around mom’s waist and I began to cry on her shoulder. I did sort of hear my dad say,” What's with all the shouting and cr…,” but he never finished what he was going to say. After a few moments, and my crying turning into silent tears, my dad said, “Oh, my! John?” I nodded my head and soon felt my dad's arms around me. He too told me I wasn't in trouble but he and mom wanted to talk with me.
I nodded again before mom pushed me back, gently lifted my chin, and told me, “You should go and fix your face. Your mascara has run down your cheeks.” I nodded again before being let go and heading upstairs to the bathroom. I was no longer shaking on the outside, but was still shaking on the inside.
Thirty minutes later, after redoing my makeup, and feeling apprehensive, I went back downstairs, finding my parents sitting on the couch. They had stopped talking when I reached the bottom of the stairs, and mom patted the vacant space between her and dad. I was scared!!
Slowly, with trepidation, I walked over to the couch, smoothed the back of my dress before sitting down between my parents, crossing my legs after doing so. I was looking down at my hands lying in my lap, but caught mom and dad looking at each other out of the corner of my eyes. What did their looks mean? I was scared!!
"Yo… yo… you weren't supposed to be home until Thursday,” I barely whispered.
With love in her voice, mom said, “Mom's sister got sick, she had to go help take care of her. So, dad and I came home early.”
I felt mom's right arm go around my shoulders, then felt dad's left arm do the same. Even as scared as I was, their arms felt reassuring. Another hand joined my hands, as mom put a tissue in my hands. “You may want to catch those tears about to fall out of your eyes or you'll have to redo your makeup,” mom told me with a smile in her voice. I did as she suggested, gently blotting each eye.
“John… wait!,” my dad exclaimed. “I can't call you John when you're dressed this way. What name do you use when dressed like this?,” my dad asked, his voice holding no recriminations. I was scared!!
I was silent for a few moments, feeling my heart racing as I sat there between my parents. They didn't rush me, they waited. Then, just above a whisper I said, “I'm Joni, when dressed like this.” Again, out of the corner of my eyes, I caught mom and dad looking at each other, each raising one eyebrow. What did that mean, I wondered? I'm still scared!
“Sweetheart,” mom began, “why didn't you tell us about your dressing? We would have helped in any way possible.” I used my tissue again, before letting silence prevail for a time.
“I… I… was scared,” I said, barely above a whisper, finally defeating the silence in the room. “I read articles where boys caught dressed by their parents, or their dad, were beaten so badly they ended up in the hospital, or dead. Other stories told of the boy being beat up while his mother threw his clothes into a bag and he was kicked out of the house. Fortunately for him, other relatives took him in and let him live with them. After reading those stories, I was scared of what you two would do to me if I told you.”
I felt a hand under my chin and my head was turned towards my dad before he said in an angry voice, “Joni Mechelle Miller, don't you EVER doubt for one minute the love your mother and I have for you! We love you very much and would have helped you in any way we could if you'd told us when you first started dressing!!” I couldn't help myself, and threw my arms around my dad's neck and cried. I held onto him as he held me tight, he was crying too.
So much for the tissue I was still holding.
We held each other for what seemed like an hour, but it was only for a few moments. When we let go of each other, I giggled and I said, “I got your shirt wet and rubbed makeup on it.” I used the tissue I was holding to try and remove the makeup, but with little success.
Dad smiled at me, tear tracks lining his face, and told me,”Don’t worry about that. It will wash out.” Mom handed dad a tissue, then had me look at her and used another tissue to wipe off the dark tear tracks running down my cheeks.
“I must look a mess,” I said as mom gently wiped my cheeks.
She smiled at me as she kept wiping and told me, “It’s not that bad. We’ll have to get you some waterproof mascara.”
When mom said that, or maybe because of what dad said, I was no longer scared. I felt loved. I felt… abundantly loved.
Then it hit me, and I pulled away from mom’s ministrations to look at dad. “Joni Mechelle Miller?,” I questioned dad, adding a questioning look to my face.
Mom put her hands on my shoulders from behind me, leaned near my ear and said in a soft voice, “That was going to be your name had you been born a girl. Interesting that you should name yourself Joni, don’t you think?” Mom kissed my cheek before getting off the couch and going into the kitchen. She came back a few minutes later with water for the three of us. And the questions resumed.
We were quiet for several minutes before mom asked, “When did you start dressing in girls’ clothing?”
My answer came quicker this time as I replied with, “It’s been three years now. I started with just wearing panties at home. Then, when I saved enough of my allowance, I bought a bra. I bought more panties and bras until my allowance increased. Then, as before, when I saved up enough, I bought my first dress. A sundress. Over time I bought another sundress, two dressy dresses, hosiery of different styles, two garter belts, three sleep sets, shoes, and makeup that complimented my skin tone.” After all that, my mouth was dry and I drained the glass of water mom had given me.
This time, I actually saw my parents look at each other, each again raising an eyebrow. “Weren’t you a bit embarrassed buying all that clothing?,” my dad asked.
I giggled before answering, “At first, but it got easier each time. I did get some looks as I paid, but also a lot of smiles. Once, when buying the first sundress, I confessed to the sales lady that it was for me. She'd asked if I was being punished or just wanted to know how it felt to wear a dress. I told her the second reason. She was really nice, and wrote down my measurements as she measured me. Then as I paid, she gave me the paper with my measurements on it and offered more advice. After that, I saw her for everything else I bought.” This time I got up from the couch to get more water; mom and dad still had water.
When I got to the refrigerator, I sat my glass down on the counter and then my head. I guess the stress had gotten to me because I started crying. It wasn’t long before I felt mom rubbing my back. Finally cried out, I took the tissue mom held over my shoulder, wiped my eyes, then said, “I’ll bet I look terrible right now.”
Still rubbing my back, mom told me, “Every girl has cried her eyes out at some point. And we can look a fright afterwards. Come on, let’s go redo your face, and I’ll let you use my waterproof mascara.” As we leaned into each other while leaving the kitchen, I saw dad wiping his eyes, and he mouthed, ‘it's okay’.
We went upstairs to the bathroom, where mom had me sit on the toilet seat and began cleaning makeup off my face. As she cleaned my face, then started reapplying my makeup, I ask her about dad's outburst. She was silent for a moment before sighing and telling me dad’s story. The gist of dad’s story was growing up without knowing about love until he met mom. No one ever said they loved him or showed anything he could consider loving. He wasn’t abused or anything like that, he just never felt loved by his parents. After mom’s story, she had to clean my face again and start reapplying my makeup, again. But she had to wait until we were both cried out.
Back downstairs, we sat on the couch again as we’d began, with me in the middle. I leaned into dad, wrapped my arms around him and told him, “I love you daddy.”
He laid his head on my shoulder, I could feel my shoulder getting wet, before he said, “I love you very much pumpkin. I will always love you.” A tissue appeared over my shoulder, which I was thankful for.
“At this rate,” mom began, “we’re going to run out of tissues.” Dad and I chuckled at mom’s quip.
It was dad who replied with, “But it’s worth it.”
When dad and I finally let go of each other, mom and I looked at each other and laughed. Some of our makeup had run and we both looked like we planned to audition as clowns for a circus. I started to stand up, but mom put her had on my arm and told me, “Later.”
More tissues were handed out before dad finally said, “Joni, mom and I have been worried about you. John hasn’t started puberty, or is going through puberty, as other boys. Your mom and I want you to get a complete physical, blood tests included.”
“And based on what we learned today,” mom added, “we want it done by Dr. Tills, my OBGyn.” She watched me after speaking, trying to gage my reaction, I guess. My reaction should have been obvious, because mom reached over and gently pushed my mouth closed.
When the shock lessened, I said, “B… bu… buutt… Dr. Tills is a woman doctor! She’ll see my… my… m…”
Mom reach over, turned my head to face her, then said,”...Your genitals. That’s right. Because we’re speaking with Joni right now, I think she’s the best to advise us right now.”
I turned my head back and started looking at my hands for several moments before sighing deeply, then, while looking at mom, said in a low voice, “In for a penny, in for a pound. Dr. Tills it is then.”
I got a funny feeling when she smiled then softly said, “And there’s something else we’d like you to do. I'd like you to do.” I gave her a ‘what now look’, and she continued with, “I’d like to take you to my hair salon to get your hair and nails done.” Mom reached over, again, and pushed my lower jaw up until my mouth was closed.
Mom had a pleading look on her face, as did dad when I looked at him. I rolled my eyes, shook my head, then said, turning to look at mom, “If my hair falls out, I’m blaming you.” Just then, I knew how an animal felt being squeezed by a Boa, as mom pulled my into a hug, thanking me for agreeing to it.
I jumped when I heard, “OKAY,” from dad. “We've made decisions, it's time to make a couple of calls. Why don't you,” and he pointed at me, “go upstairs and put Joni's face back together while mom and I each make a phone call.”
Thirty minutes later, with my face straightened, I went back downstairs. I walked back into the living room and heard in stereo, “You have an appointment…,” but didn't understand anything more my parents said. I held up my hand and said, “PLEASE! One at a time.” Yes, the three of us laughed. Turned out, I had a 2 p.m. hair appointment today and a 9 a.m. appointment with Dr. Tills tomorrow morning, January 3rd. The surprising part about my appointment with Dr. Tills? Dr. Tills wanted to see Joni.
“Well,” mom suddenly said,” let's get some lunch before your hair appointment.”
Conversation during lunch centered around me. Mom and dad asked probing questions about my feelings being Joni, had I considered being Joni at school, etc. Soon, too soon, it was time to leave for my hair appointment. And too soon, I started shaking again as mom and I walked into the garage. Mom pulled me into a hug and whispered, “No one will see anyone but Joni. Trust me, hmm?” ‘Hadn't I said that myself on Monday?’, I thought to myself. I soon nodded and got into mom's car. ‘Ho boy’, I thought. ‘I hope the ground opens up and swallows me’, the thought continued.
As we drove to the salon, mom told me about Doris, the owner of the salon. She and mom had been close friends since high school. Mom reassured me that Doris and the girls working at the salon wouldn't embarrass or humiliate me while I was there. She even said one of the girls started out like me and was now living as a girl. Mom even said Doris had other ‘girls’ come in for appointments.
Even though I was apprehensive, mom was right. After taking a deep breath, I followed mom into Doris’ Salon. I'll save you the two hours of hair and nail treatment I received, and just say that Doris and the three girls working there were as mom described. They reassured me it would be okay, that I was safe there, and I was brave giving Joni a try. I was also able to get a hair style I could wear to school as John.
Afterwards, mom took me shopping. And shop we did, for the next three hours. With a very confident me! It took us two trips to get our things into the house when we got home. Dad sat on the couch and received quite the fashion show from me.
I'm no longer scared, because mom and dad did their best to put me at ease the rest of the evening. I got ready for bed, following the same steps as last night. Dressed in a robe over my nightshirt and panties, I went downstairs and said good-night to mom and dad. Mom handed out the tissues. I don't remember falling asleep after getting into bed.
Mom woke me at 6 a.m.. I followed the same routine I did yesterday morning. This time, though, I waited to put on my lipstick until after breakfast. At 8:30 a.m. we made our way to the garage, dad was coming with us. It was dad who reassured me this time as I froze at the door to the garage. We did make it to Dr. Tills office without me melting down.
We didn't wait long after the paperwork was completed. The nurse called my name and mom and I followed her to an exam room. She instructed me to step behind the screen and completely undress, then put on the gown I'd find behind the screen. Now I was scared!
Dr. Tills came into the room just as I walked from behind the screen. She and mom hugged like old friends do. Then she looked at me, came over to me and took my shaking hands in hers. “Joni, you're safe at my office and in this room. I just want to help you find out what's going on inside of you. Okay?” Her words helped and I just nodded. My height and weight were taken, then she had me sit on the exam table and lower my gown.
Then came what I was dreading, as she had me lie down and put my feet in the stirrups. Mom held my hand as Dr. Tills examined my genitals with her gloved hands. With an, “Okay, all done,” I was allowed to lowe my legs. She then pulled the top of my gown further down, smeared a cold cream on my abdomen before running a wand over the area. After the area was wiped off I was allowed to sit up, pulling up my gown after sittingt up. Dr. Tills left and the nurse came in and took three vials of blood.
After getting dressed, we met Dr. Tills in her office, where we learned my testicles hadn't drop, as they should have by now. My weight was a bit low for my height, but I was small boned. We also learned the sonogram was inconclusive and I had an appointment for an MRI tomorrow at the hospital. Mom filled dad in as we drove home. I hope I can sleep tonight.
Surprisingly, I did sleep and slept well. Breakfast had to wait as per instructions. We arrived at the hospital, where they checked me in. Then, shortly, I was taken to Imaging, where I was given a gown and shown where to change. I won't bore you with the actual MRI, except to say I had to lay very still.
A week later we received a call to be at the hospital at 3 p.m. that day. Mom and dad believed it was serious or they wouldn't have made the appointment that quickly.
Mom, dad, and I were sitting on a park bench eating our favorite bowls of ice cream. I finished first and got up to throw my bowl in the trash. I looked out over the park as I stood by the trash can.
My testicles were absent. Testosterone levels were extremely low, with estrogen levels higher but not high enough for a girl my age. I had a real penis and female internal organs, with an incompletely formed vagina.
I'm at a Crossroads. With the information we were given, I have to decide if it will be John or Joni from now on. John or Joni? John or Joni? I watched a group of girls sitting on another bench not far from us, talking and laughing with each other.
I walked back to my parents. “Mom, dad. How does Joni enroll in high school?”
Stogger Bay made up the corners of five Counties, with each meeting in the middle of the Bay. Because of its emensity it had been argued the Bay should be reclassified as an inland sea, though only the officials had those thoughts. The constituents had other ideas, and expressed those ideas at the election polls, as each official who fought to have the Bay reclassified was voted out of office.
The problem then became one of how to survey where the County lines ran into the Bay, a daunting task as all five County Engineering departments and several registered surveyors had to come up with a way to accurately locate the exact point where all five Counties met in the Bay. After several brainstorming sessions, and consultations with others who faced similar situations, a method was devised and after several months, that exact point was located. They’d already contracted for a special marker to be made, one which would be placed at the bottom of the Bay at that exact point. It would be made out of alloys which could resist damage while being submerged under water. The idea was to drill a shaft which would accept the pipe the marker would be attached to, then pump special hydraulic cement down the pipe through an opening left in the center of the marker. Because the shaft would be a few inches wider than the pipe, and only inches deeper, they’d pump until the cement completely filled the shaft around the pipe. Then a GPS marker would be placed in the center of the marker to not only seal up the opening but allow the marker to be easily located. A marker buoy would then be attached by a chain made of the same type alloys as the marker, that contained a solar panel which would then power lights that would come on at dusk and flash throughout the night. The other thing they did was to place lighted boundary marker poles at the shoreline around the Bay which made it easy to know where the boundaries of each County ran into the Bay.
Some years ago the five Counties got together and agreed on a plan to put a wide two lane highway, with wide shoulders, circumnavigating Stogger Bay. They also included campgrounds, picnic tables, rest stops, and General Stores which would be stocked to serve activities which would occur around, and on, Stogger Bay. The stores were needed because if a person started from point ‘A’ and drove either clockwise or counterclockwise around the Bay, they would arrive back where they started five hours later.
One shoreline alone was 100 miles long, having within it a 20 mile long 200 foot high vertical cliff, which slowly descended at both ends until it rejoined the water level shoreline. The top of the cliff was completely flat, and extended some four miles away from the Bay before it too descended and joined the land beyond. Scattered on top of the cliff were rock outcroppings, which geologists believed were remnants of huge rock walls which had once ran down into the Bay. But time and weather had destroyed these huge walls and left craggy piles of rocks at the base of the cliff and out in the Bay.
Jenelle Conner was sitting on top of the rock outcrop near the picnic table her family was using for the picnic lunch. She thought how easy it would be to stand up and pretend her feet slipped out from under her, and allow herself to slide off the outcrop and onto the craggy rocks 200 feet below. It would only be a moment and then the fear, pain, and anger she felt for so long would be gone. She had just given her legs the command to stand, when another thought muscled its way into her mind, asking one question. ‘What about Patty?’ The muscled in thought then stood back and watched Jenelle’s reaction. And hoped.
Patty is Jenelle’s eight-year-old sister, who at five years of age had been diagnosed with Leukemia. Jenelle had been nine at the time, but that didn’t stop her from being there for Patty at every turn in her treatment. Julie, their mother, couldn’t comfort Patty the way Jenelle could, and it was Jenelle, over the doctor’s objections, who was always with Patty, at Patty’s demand, when a chemo treatment was given. Or held Patty when the pain was so great all Patty could do was cry. Or after a chemo treatment, or when radiation was given, was with Patty when she was vomiting into the toilet. Nurses and doctors alike often found Patty curled up in Jenelle’s arms during the night, the only way Patty found to sleep as soundly as she could. And it was Jenelle who was with Patty when the family learned Patty had come out the other side victorious. And she’d continued being victorious these past three years.
‘What about Patty?’ It was a thought Jenelle hadn’t considered. During her time in the hospital, she and Patty had become closer than most sisters. They told each other things only a sister would tell their sister, and Patty knew about Jenelle. The experience with Leukemia had caused Patty to become an adult much faster than the years would allow, and her questions to Jenelle often went unanswered by Jenelle since they were questions only an adult might ask. Even questions about Jenelle herself.
‘What about Patty?’ Who would look after her as Jenelle had done? Could she find someone who’d let her ask the questions she often asked? Without criticizing her or making fun of her? Would Patty feel comfortable enough to talk with their mother as the two girls talked to each other? Oh, sure, one day there would be the mother/daughter talk, but not the talks the two girls often had. The muscled in thought stood back and hoped a decision was about to be reached, if only for Patty’s sake.
And the muscled in thought jumped for joy, as much as a thought could jump, as it watched Jenelle’s initial decision fade into the void. It was no longer needed, so it too faded away, but not into the void. It faded into the recesses of Jenelle’s mind.
Jennel had been so lost in thought the sound carried by the wind was lost to her. Even when the sound occurred again, her thoughts closed her ears to it. It wasn’t until a gentle hand was placed on her shoulder, and gently shook her, did she hear, “John, son, come on, we’re packing up our picnic lunch so we can get to that movie you wanted to see.” It was Jenelle’s dad, Dale Connor, and it was John’s twelfth birthday.
Dale helped his son down from the rock outcrop, then put his arm around the boy’s shoulders as they started walking back to the picnic table. John was shocked when his eyes met his mother’s eyes, and she openly nodded her head, yes. His face went into a puzzled look, but Julie’s head only nodded yes more vehemently, as their eyes met again. John’s abrupt halt to their walk caused Dale to also stop, and look down at his son. John looked up to his dad and asked the man, “Dad, can we talk?”
Dale saw tears forming in John’s eyes, some of which had begun their downward journey on the boys’ cheeks. Dale moved until he was kneeling in front of his son, and gently reached up to wipe the tears off the boy’s cheeks. Dale also saw the fear in his son’s eyes, and the pain, and told his son, “John. You can talk to me about anything. I’ll never make fun or embarrass you for what you say. You are my son, my expression of the love I have for your mother.” More tears slipped out of John’s eyes, and the look of fear in the boy’s eyes increased. Dale decided to take a chance and asked, “Are you afraid what I might do to you if I found out you’re really a girl inside? Are you afraid I’d throw you out of the house? Or beat you within an inch of your life. Or send you somewhere so you could get your thoughts straight?”
The look of surprise on John’s face caused Dale to chuckle, and John to ask, “H-ho-how did you find out?” Dale put both hands on John’s shoulders and told him, “Patty was worried about you, she told your mom and I. She thought you’d do something to hurt yourself permanently, today, at this spot. After everything you’ve done for her over the years, she was scared for you.” The dam broke. John threw his arms around his father’s neck and cried on his shoulder. As John cried on his father’s shoulder, Dale softly told his son, “You never have to worry about being thrown out on the streets. You are our child, and all of us will be there for you. Never be fearful when you and I need to talk, I’ll help you anyway I can. I love you, Joh...I can’t keep calling you John. Have you chosen a name for yourself?”
It took several minutes for John to calm down before he pulled back and looked his father in the eyes. Through a thick throat, he said, “Jenelle Amber Connor.” Father and daughter were close enough to Julie and Patty for the two to hear everything being said. So when Julie and Dale started laughing, Jenelle looked at the same confused Patty, who merely shrugged her shoulders in response. Dale had been laughing so hard that he’d put his head on Jenelle’s chest. And when both parents stopped laughing it was Julie who said, “Had you been born a girl, we were going to name you, Jenelle Amber Connor.” It took Jenelle and Patty a few seconds to realize what their mother had just said, but when the strangeness of John’s chosen name struck them, they too began to laugh. Which of course caused their parents to start up again. With tears still in her eyes, and a chuckle still in her voice, Jenelle threw her arms around her father’s neck, pulled herself in close to him and told him, “I love you daddy!” It took Dale a few tries to clear his throat before he told Jenelle, “I love you too, sweetheart. And I always will.”
My name is Michael Briden, an eighteen-year-old senior at Walter Ridge high school. Today is Friday, the last day of my incarceration, the last day I'll ever have to attend this sad excuse for a high school because tomorrow afternoon my class will walk across the stage and receive our high school diplomas. And Sunday will begin a new life for me and my two siblings. It will be the day Mark and I, die.
Neophyte Note: Writing has always left me with a warm and fuzzy feeling, when I didn't have to do it. The two of us have been nemesis for as long as I can remember, which is considerable. But on occasion I do have to write emails, or letters, which is okay, since I know exactly what I'm asking or want. But when it comes to writing stories, well, most times something gets lost in the translation between my brain and fingers. Perhaps this time the connection wasn't broken, and you the reader might find this story enjoyable, maybe even like it, I do hope so. And thanks to LadyDragon this story might even be readable; she even suggested it be posted. So a thank you goes out to her. I had thought to post this story in four parts, with two chapters per part. But after reading a few posts in the FAQ section, decided the KISS principle would be much safer until I get my feet under me--AKA learn how to post on this site. So, if you like my story, please post a comment. And if you find my technique a bit lacking, send me a PM. Enjoy.
Thirty years ago a political psychologist was hired by a failed candidate to discover why he lost his bid for a Congressional seat. It was a simple request, requiring interviews and polls and deduction to learn why the candidate lost the election. What no one knew at the time, and the psychologist discovered, would cause an upheaval that would turn lives upside down. That is until a group of
"misfits" learned the secret behind the new phrase, "For the Greater Good."
My name is Michael Briden, an eighteen-year-old senior at Walter Ridge high school. Today is Friday, the last day of my incarceration, the last day I'll ever have to attend this sad excuse for a high school because tomorrow afternoon my class will walk across the stage and receive our high school diplomas. And Sunday will begin a new life for me and my two siblings. It will be the day Mark and I, die.
A family of five has become the standard since that jackass psychologist made his discovery before I was ever a gleam in my parents' eyes. It became a contention of pride if all the children were males because as everyone knew, they were far superior to females—I wish I could have been there to kick the jackass in his crotch. And my family was no exception, thanks to Mumsie dear.
Raymond and Marge Briden are the parental units, my parents; my dad is really a cool guy. Mumsie, on the other hand, is our resident zealot to the "For the Greater Good" catchphrase, which has made my life and my younger, um, brother, Mark, a living nightmare. Kelly, our older brother, and a sophomore in college had it much easier throughout his life; he was already a male. While I'm about to graduate, Mark, a high school sophomore, has two more years of our beloved institution to endure, though he is far ahead in every one of his classes due to his doing independent study—he was bored with what the sods were presenting and decided to study on his own. His studying paid off as he really screwed up the Bell curve. You would think they'd advanced him in grade because of his grades, and the intelligent tests we had to take, but no, that wouldn't be "For the Greater Good."
I'm sorry for my rant, but as I grew older and learned more about the "For the Greater Good" catchphrase and who the main beneficiaries happened to be, I became another in a long line who finally saw what those "misfits" all those years ago were talking about. And because of my dear Mumsie, it reigned supreme in our home.
Maybe I better calm down and explain how I happened to be attending Walter Ridge high school in the first place; my story might make more sense.
Almost forty years ago, before my parents decided it was time to have children, or the five-member family unit, thanks to that crappy "For the Greater Good" catchphrase, my dad started with a manufacturing corporation, at the bottom, as everyone who worked for them did. Within five years of his employment, he had become familiar with each and every assembly line within the plant. And because he had an ability to actually listen to what people were saying, and recognize problems with the machinery, he started helping the other lines when it was discovered he could fix their problem—the plant manager, Tom Charles, was the last to discover his abilities.
It all started when my dad overheard a few men from one of the other lines complaining about a problem they were having with their line. According to my dad, he walked over to the men, asked a few questions, went back with them to their line, looked it over and instantly spotted several problems with that line. What my dad proposed caused a lot of the men to almost lynch him because it wasn't company procedure, but dad explained how his method would increase their productivity. They were very skeptical, but followed his advice and marveled when the next line foreman started complaining because they were producing more than his line was ready for.
This, of course, didn't go unnoticed by Tom when he was reviewing the numbers for the month. Every assembly line but the one my dad talked too was meeting their projected output for the month. The line my dad talked to had exceeded the projected output by thirty percent, and that was against the Corporation procedures. Dropping the printouts, Tom made a beeline to the line that was producing more than procedures dictated; hopefully saving his job in the process—"damn that 'For the Greater Good' crap" he thought to himself. When he arrived he grabbed the line foreman, chewed him up one side and down the other, spouting "For the Greater Good" and several other things which burned my ears at dads' telling, then had to back off when that entire line threatened to walk out because of the treatment their foreman was receiving.
Dad and everyone around him couldn't help but overhear what was being said because of all the shouting. So, dad, being dad, went over to see if he could help. Dad stepped between the two men and started explaining to Tom that it was he who had made the improvements to not only the machinery but the procedures since said procedures must have been designed by someone who had an affinity for Alice in Wonderland. Dad then went on to explain that he had just finished doing the same for his line and two others, causing Tom to turn a lovely shade of white than pink. Again, dad being dad, went on to explain how his changes would triple the output of the plant if he would be allowed to do the same for the rest of the factory. Without saying a word, Tom turned and stomped off towards his office; dad figured he was hoping the mucky-mucks didn't notice the increases and fire him for cause.
Well, the mucky mucks at Corporate did notice the increases and sent two headhunters down to the factory to see what was going on, and why. To shorten dads' story, they dropped in unannounced, shocked Tom, who thought he was going to be fired when they said they liked what they saw, called my dad to the office and offered him the job of plant troubleshooter. Dad and three others, worked in that plant for another two years until every line had been reconfigured, new procedures were written, and the factory output had tripled as my dad said. And it didn't stop there. My dad and his three guys were then given the job of being corporate troubleshooters, going from factory to factory to improve that plant's output.
Some of the plants only took a few months to transform, but others took years; they were that big. And we moved along with my dad, with the Corporation offering several houses for my parents to choose from, buying the house they chose and then signing it over to my parents. They would then buy our house from my parents and put it on the market in the hopes to make a profit; yeah, this arrangement seemed screwy to me as well, but it was their money.
And here we are today, thirty-nine years and a few months later where my dad is working on his last factory due to his impending retirement after forty years. And Mark and I are attending Walter Ridge high school.
In our history class at school, (much of what they were feeding us was so not right—thank you internet) we learned there was once something called Political Correctness (PC), which relabeled designations some people found offensive. For example, before PC a person with mental problems was called retarded. But when PC kicked in, this person was called mentally challenged. Actresses became just actors, and the list was, well, endless. And as we learned, not everyone was in favor of all this PC crap because some of it was just so petty. But this all changed thirty years ago when a political psychologist was hired by a failed candidate to discover why he lost his bid for a Congressional seat for his State. It was a simple request, requiring interviews and polls and deduction to learn why the candidate lost the election. What no one knew at the time, and the psychologist discovered, would cause an upheaval that would turn lives upside down. That is until a group of "misfits" learned the secret behind the new catchphrase, "For the Greater Good."
This psychologist learned that he could get more people to do what he wanted if he played on their emotional guilt. It didn't matter what it was, he just had to phrase his words so the person felt guilty if they didn't comply. And after six months he reported back to the candidate and gave him a bomb which when the elections came around again, rocketed him into that Congressional seat. And as is said, the rest is history, and "For the Greater Good" shoved PC right out the window.
The "misfits" were a group in a think tank who did their own research, polls, and observations on "For the Greater Good" and discovered it was far more sinister than PC had ever been. And for one very good reason, it only benefited the person saying the catchphrase, not everyone as it had been touted. When they published their findings there were loud cries of unfounded accusations, shoddy research, and anything else the proponents could imagine in an attempt to discredit this particular think tank. But the proponents didn't count on other think tanks getting involved, conducting their own research to either verify or debunk the original research. That's when all hell broke loose because think tank after think tank came up with the same conclusion. "For the Greater Good" only benefited the one using the catchphrase. And over the next ten years "For the Greater Good" started to be used less and less, until there was a small group of hardcore zealots who basically told everyone they were wrong. "For the Greater Good" benefit everyone, and they refused to drop the catchphrase, which leads me back to my dear ol' Mumsie.
When I was about ten, I guess, I started noticing the boys at school were different than the boy Mumsie said Mark and I were. They had something neither Mark nor I had between our legs. When I asked Mumsie about this, she simply said we'd get ours in a few years. And she was right, three years later we did get our thing between our legs.
Mark and I came home from school, one day, to find a "thing" lying on our beds; there was also a banding material which we found out went around our upper chests—girl talk never occurred so what were the bumps on our upper chests? Mumsie in her usual false cheer, and her "For the Greater Good" attitude told us we were now old enough to get our own "thing" between our legs. Both Mark and I told Mumsie how dumb it was to put something between our legs and received several angry slaps across both our faces. Mumsie was NOT pleased with our attitudes. When we still lacked the "right" attitude, Mumsie brought out the razor strap and proceeded to put welts on our butts and backs; our attitudes changed after that, grudgingly.
And so the next day at school, Mark and I had the usual boy bulge characteristic with, um, boys our age; Mumsie removed them once a week and made sure we cleaned ourselves thoroughly. This indignity festered over the next several years until it reached a crescendo on my eighteenth birthday. Enough was enough and this crap was going to stop one way or another. Period!
I would like to say I spent that Friday, my final day of incarceration, chatting with friends, telling each other what our plans were after we graduated. But I couldn't, I couldn't because I had no real friends thanks in whole to Mumsie! On the first day my freshman year I was making friends left and right, and enjoying their company. But that changed once they came over to my house to visit, study, or game with me. With each and every friend who came over, Mumsie found excuse after excuse why they weren't good enough friends for me. And friend after friend was insulted to the point where no one wanted to come over or having anything else to do with me; it happened to Mark as well. They weren't outright hostile to either of us at school but they kept their distances, acting more cordial and sympathetic, knowing it wasn't our fault we lived with a "For the Greater Good" zealot. Still, Mumsie had done it all, adding more to the festering wounds she started years before.
And what was Mumsie's reasoning? She said it was all "For the Greater Good." What it really turned out to be was each and every friend Mark and I brought home happened to be in the "to hell" with "For the Greater Good" group. At least their parents were of that group. Plus, none of the families were in the social upper crust Mumsie imagined herself in when she attended Country Club parties and meetings.
Because everyone was cordial I had no one to tell what my plans were after graduation; well not my plans, but Mumsie's plans. I had no one to tell that my Mumsie had already enrolled me in pre-med, a subject that didn't interest me in the slightest. Oh, I had good grades in the sciences and mathematics but had no desire to go into the medical field. My love, my passion was art, painting and sculpting mostly, but the entire field of art. I fell in love with the paintings and sculptures I saw during a field trip my art class took to the City Museum. How the masters used color and shading to produce some of the most beautiful works, how someone could take a bit of clay and turn it into something which could be cast in bronze with very intricate detailing. It was amazing, simply amazing, and I loved it all.
And when I shared all of this with my Mumsie and dad, dad had to pull Mumsie off me or she might have beaten me to death. All the time she was beating me, she kept yelling, "you're NOT going to ruin MY plans for success!!"
Dad told the school I had acquired the flu while on the field trip, so he could keep me home until the cuts and bruises healed. That was the first time in my eighteen years I ever saw my dad get violently angry with Mumsie. He actually grabbed her and dragged her into their bedroom, telling her to stay there until she cooled off. He then carried me to my room and spent the rest of the evening and into the early morning hours sitting by my bed applying cool compresses to the bruises and ointment to the cuts. That was dad being, dad. And I loved him for it!
So the plans I was told about were dealing with me attending University for the pre-med program. My grades had won me a full scholarship and with living at home, Mumsie's words, not mine, SHE would save a lot of money. What I didn't tell Mumsie, but did tell dad, since I knew he wouldn't say anything to Mumsie, was that I talked to my school counselor when Mumsie first told me she pre-enrolled me into a pre-med program. My school counselor just laughed, telling me Mumsie didn't have the authority to do that, and that she could help me get into the program I wanted, art. And so she did, right then and right there, my school counselor called the University and canceled the pre-med enrollment and I was then pre-enrolled into the University's art program.
But Mumsie's plan for me living at home depends on her reaction this Sunday, the day Mark and I die. It will be the day the world will no longer see the persons of Mark and Mike, the day all the festered wounds are going to be unveiled, the day the three of us tell our Mumsie, "GO TO HELL!!"
On good days, Mark and I walked home from school, and this was one of those days. As we walked, Mark and I went over our plans for this coming Sunday, what we were going to wear, the time it would break loose, and what we'd take with us if it went as we believed it would. We had to have talks like these outside the house since Mumsie forbid any topics except the ones SHE wanted to discuss. This included talking to Kelly, the one who actually started the ball rolling by letting us know Mumsie's crap had to stop, period. He consulted with an attorney about our problem, even showing some of the videos we kept over the years. After taking one look at some of the videos, Kelly was told no Judge in their right mind would disallow an emancipation decree for Mark; Kelly would then become, um, his guardian.
We killed our conversation as we neared the house, no sense giving Mumsie any ammunition to start one of her rants. And it was only two more days anyway, so we could tolerate it. As I walked into the house, followed by Mark, there was Mumsie, false smile plastered on her face; "I'd like to plaster her," I thought to myself, as I waited to see what the zealot was on about. "There they are, my sweet boys," Mumsie gushed, plaster and all. And as we neared to where she was standing she performed, and it was a performance, a social air kiss to each of us near both of our cheeks. That performance made me feel like I'd stuck my finger down my throat, guess I still could but would I feel better? "Aren't you excited Mike, graduating tomorrow I mean?" Mumsie again gushed, acting like it was another feather is a cap so filled with moth holes it barely held together.
"Yeah, I guess so," I said, with as much monotone in my voice as I could manage; I didn't want her to know how thrilled I actually was, she might have dreamed up other plans. "Now dear, that's no way to be, you need to be more excited, cheerful. Your big day is tomorrow and then the after graduation party." She must have seen something in my face she didn't like because she stepped right up to my face, grabbed my shirt collar, and growled, "RIGHT?!" To twist the blade a bit more I simply replied, "Yeah, I guess so." Before I could turn away and go to my room I received a vicious slap across my face, knocking me backward and leaving her hand print on my right cheek; I later saw it in the bathroom mirror.
"RIGHT…?" Mumsie growled again, grabbing me again by the shirt collar and pulling me close to her face. It would have been so easy right then, right there to have decked the pig and not have felt any remorse for doing so. But I didn't, I held myself in check. I could wait until Sunday and let all out once and for all.
I reached up and rubbed my right cheek and told her, "right."
"There, see, you can have the right attitude," the syrup dripped off her tongue as she said those words. "I knew you had it in you, I just needed to help you realize it." And with that statement, she released my shirt collar, smoothing it out now that she wrinkled it.
"I've laid out your clothes for graduation and the after graduation party. Hang them up on the bedroom door so they don't get wrinkled." This is some of the crap we've had to put up with for far too long. She selects all our clothing, but we have to hang it up on the door so it doesn't get wrinkled. "Are her hands broken" has been the question I think to myself every time she does this.
As I start walking towards the stairs I tell Mumsie, "I don't have any plans to attend the after graduation party. There isn't anyone there I want to see." But my walk suddenly came to an abrupt halt as Mumsie grabbed the back of my shirt collar, from behind, and all but spit in my ear, "THE HELL YOU SAY??"
"Listen to me, you little brat! You're going to that party! You're going to have fun! You're going to look for a nice girl you can start dating or so help me you'll need skin grafts when I'm through with you! DO YOU UNDERSTAND?" Talk about the proverbial chill down the back of your neck? She gave me one right at that moment, and I knew she was deadly serious. Thankfully about that time dad walked into the room, asking why all the shouting; he was not at all pleased to see the hand print on my right cheek.
"Yes, MOTHER, I understand," I told her and jerked out of her grasp and ran up to my bedroom.
"Understand what," my father asked Mumsie.
"Oh, nothing, dear," that sick pig lied to my father.
"If it was nothing then why were you shouting?" Have you ever seen someone when they bite into a lemon, how their face puckers up from all the tartness? That's exactly how Mumsie looked in trying to come up with a reason why she was once again shouting at me. So she stuck to the partial truth.
"Oh, Mike didn't want to attend the after graduation party. We discussed it and I felt it was "For the Greater Good" that he attends."
"Well if he doesn't want to go he doesn't have to go, it's his choice."
Like the rest of us, my dad was on the verge of pulling his hair out if he heard one more lame excuse to use "For the Greater Good" to guilt trip someone into doing something they didn't want. Little did he know that "For the Greater Good" was my not wanting to need skin grafts after Mumsie used the razor strap on me, again. I knew if she did, this time she'd make sure dad, and anyone else, was out of the house. And the next time I might not survive.
"But dear, he might meet some girl he could start dating, a girl he might marry one day." When Mumsie said those words my dad couldn't believe his ears.
"Marge, what in the HELL has gotten into you. Mike dating a girl then marries the girl? Are you that flippen stupid? Or that flippen blind?" Dad was really pissed, so pissed that he threw his hands up into the air, turned around and stomped into the study, slamming the door after him.
Mumsie looked at the spot where dad had stood with a weird 'I don't get it' look on her face. And she didn't get it! There was no way I was going to date some girl then ask her to marry me, I didn't swing that way. But Mumsie's mind was made up, her little boy was going to find a girl at the after graduation party and end up with her being his wife, the wife of a doctor—at least in Mumsie's mind.
I had planned to laze Saturday morning until about noon, and then get ready for the graduation ceremony and party afterward. Boy, was I mistaken! So instead of sleeping till noon, Mumsie bounced into my room at 7 o'clock in the morning.
"Come on, sleepy head, wakey-wakey," Mumsie said as she slapped my butt. "You don't have time to lay in bed on this special day; we have lots to do and very little time to get it done." As she said this last bit, I feel the covers ripped off me and thrown down to the foot of my bed.
I guess I didn't move fast enough for her because she then grabbed my hair, yanked me up so that we were eye to eye and in a cold growl said, "Get up now, you little bitch. You're not going to ruin my plans for today." She was pissed, no, beyond pissed, and I felt it in the awkward way she had pulled my head up to her face. If her actions hadn't pulled my neck muscles I'll be very lucky; I had to see a doctor a few months ago for something similar and ended up wearing a neck brace—the pictures are still in storage.
So much for my sleeping in, not now because I was wide awake thanks to Mumsie. The pig only had one more day before hell would descend on her head, all of our combined years putting up with her zealot crap.
Seeing that she had my attention, undivided attention at that, she proceeded to lay out my time from now until noon, when I would be getting ready for the graduation ceremony and make sure I had my clothes for the after party. But first, WE were going to her salon, to get me ready for the day—I have no idea what she meant by "get me ready." I've been treated like a boy for the past eighteen years, had she changed all of a sudden? Yeah, right, like that's going to happen to Mumsie. She had plans for her son, the doctor!
As it turned out I basically had my hair styled, to Mumsie's taste. They did a bit of shaping of my eyebrows and did my nails then added a clear coat to make them look nice. Mumsie even had them make sure my face was as smooth as a new baby's behind. All the while telling anyone who would listen that her son was going to be a doctor one of these days. Judging by the looks the stylist gave me, and I agreed with the look, she would have preferred Mumsie shove a sack of cement into her mouth, though that's not where I'd prefer she shove it.
When the stylist and manicurist were finished, Mumsie was ecstatic at what the two ladies had accomplished. And both rolled their eyes while standing behind Mumsie, making it very hard for me not to laugh out loud. And I agreed with their sentiments, though. I did try to tell Mumsie the clear coat on my nails was a bit too much, as no other boy I'd seen every had a clear coat on their nails. Mumsie just shook off my complaint with a look that told me all I need to know if I continued to complain.
"Nonsense, dear," she said instead of being violent about her displeasure, "it makes your nails look beautiful, perfect, they're sure to catch the eye of a lovely lady at the party." Right then I knew the argument was over, or else. Or else when we either got to the car or home, she'd lay another hand print on my face; and she isn't particular where it lands, so I clammed up.
The wait at the salon, and the time it took to make me "handsome" brought it to half past eleven in the morning. We had time to get home, have lunch and then get Mark and me ready for the graduation ceremony. Mumsie had even phoned home to make sure Mark's trumpet had been polished, even though, um, he tried to tell her it had been done when he came home from school yesterday. No use, she told him to polish it again; though if I knew Mark, he'd have a rag which looked like it had just been used to polish his trumpet. No fool that one!
What's there to say about my graduation? Not much, if you've ever been to a high school graduation. The band played music before the event started, played the usual dredge as the senior class walked in, played during a few special vocals, and played again when it was finally over. There were also the obligatory special speakers plus the Valedictorian and Salutatorian rambled on about how we could and would make a difference in the world. They were right about making a difference in the world, my world; that was going to begin a 2 o'clock tomorrow, Sunday.
With all the happenings during graduation, the ceremony ended around four thirty—it started at three. We had been told ahead of time that the after graduation, dinner would begin at five and the party at six. Thank goodness no parents were permitted at the party or it would have been worse for me, Mumsie would have seen to that. Except for Kelly, who had a previous engagement he couldn't break, the four of us sat down to the dinner and three of us had to endure the mouth that was my Mumsie. She never stopped talking about the plans SHE made, telling anyone and everyone who wasn't fast enough to "have another engagement to get too." Both dad and Mark were not amiss at all the sympathetic looks we received while Mumsie splattered on.
After dinner, I was given a not so subtle word to get changed for the party; and a word in my ear about what was waiting if I didn't find a girl tonight. I was also told by both parents to have fun but don't stay too late; another look from Mumsie told me not to worry about what time I got home as long as I found a girl SHE would approve of.
And so the party, minus parents, started, and I did my best to make myself invisible. One of the local well-known bands played for half the night then was replaced by another local band. Both were very good, though a bit loud for my tastes. A buffet had been set up, along with an assortment of beverages; even though no alcohol was provided since we were underage, some did "slip" into one of the communal watering barges at some point. Some from my class did stop by and talk for a bit, a couple of girls even asked if I wanted to dance. But I kept my distance, fearing Mumsie would help ruin any chance I would have had for friendship with these few classmates.
I stayed until about 2:30 a.m., knowing my parents would have gone to bed around midnight; I also didn't want to face Mumsie when I got home. I also knew once Mumsie fell asleep, nothing quiet would wake her. So I was very quiet when I entered the house and started up to my room.
"How was the party?" The quiet voice of my dad asked me, causing me to almost crap my pants.
I stepped down off the stairs, went over to him, and hugged him as tightly as I could; he did the same to me. "It was okay," I whispered to him as we hugged. "I stayed until I knew Mumsie would be in bed sound asleep, I couldn't face another of her rants." After telling dad this I could feel tears running down my face, dad must have felt them because he gently pushed me away from him and wiped them from my face.
"I know, Punkin, I know," was all he said as he pulled me to him again.
I didn't want dad to be caught flat-footed tomorrow, Sunday, so I was going to take a chance by telling him what we had planned.
"…dad?"
"What is it Punkin?"
"About tomorrow," I started, hesitant at first.
"What about tomorrow," he replied softly.
"The three of us are going to confront mom tomorrow afternoon. Her crap has got to stop." I said all of this in one breath, hoping I could still breathe after telling my dad.
"What do you plan to do?" Was all he quietly asked me, never giving me the slightest hint that he was upset with our plans.
"Well, you know Kelly has been interning with a large architecture firm don't you?" I asked as quietly as I could.
"Yes, dear, I do know, Kelly and I had a nice talk away from home a short time ago. And he explained everything that he was working on for you and Mark. He even showed me the house he's buying, a house large enough for three people to live in."
I pushed myself away from dad and looked up into his face with an astonished expression on my face. "And you never told Mumsie?"
"Honey, I know why you do it, but try not to call your mother Mumsie. And yes, I never told your mother, for various reasons. One reason I never told her because I knew what she'd do to you and Mark. I knew how much harder she'd make your lives."
"Is that why you never left, to keep Mark and me safe," I hesitantly asked dad as I looked into his eyes.
"Yes pumpkin, that's why I never left or opposed your mother, to help keep you and Mark safe." After my dad told me that, my love for him grew even stronger. He could have been so much more if he had gone on without Mumsie pulling him back into her clutches. He was offered a much better job within the corporation, but that job didn't fit into Mumsie's plans for Mark and me.
"Do you approve of our plan?" I asked, hoping he would after everything Mumsie had done to him as well.
"Yes I do, Punkin, and I agree it has to stop." Was all he said as he took my hand and led me up the stairs to my bedroom.
We entered my bedroom, I turned on the light, closed the door behind me and we sat on the bed. "Punkin I've known for a long time what your mother was doing had to stop. But not being around as much as I needed, kept me from making sure she didn't go overboard." Just then we heard a light knock on my bedroom door and Mark's head appeared around the edge of the door.
"Can I come in?" He asked, coming in any way.
As Mark walked over to the bed, my dad held out his arms and Mark fell into them. Both of us could hear Mark sobbing as my dad held him close, pushing him away to wipe tears from his cheeks.
"It's alright, squirt, it will be alright tomorrow." My dad told Mark, who immediately straightened up and shot me a look.
"It's okay Mark, Kelly told him everything. And he agrees with us." My telling Mark that caused him to relax and go back to hugging dad, something he's needed to do for a long time, but something Mumsie forbid.
It was going on 3 a.m. and dad suggested we get to bed, tomorrow was going to be a very trying day. Dad gave Mark a kiss on the cheek and saw him off to bed, lingering with me a few moments.
"You know she's not going to take it well, if at all," dad said, as he pulled me close.
"Yeah, I know, that's why Kelly talked to a lawyer." Dad let me go, I kissed him on the cheek, which he returned, said his goodnight and left me with my thoughts about tomorrow. SHE was NOT going to like it one bit. What we were going to do would put a severe crimp in HER plans for everyone. Plans none of us cared one iota about.
The church we were forced to attend "For the Greater Good," started at 10 a.m., so we'd leave the house by 9:15 a.m.; it was about a twenty-minute drive if traffic wasn't heavy. Mumsie usually made sure we were up by 8 o'clock in order to have time for breakfast, a shower, and a bit of Mumsie time before leaving for Church; Mark and I so loved to hate Mumsie time when she got on one of her rants, which was always.
After church, we'd go to a restaurant for dinner, then come home and rest in the afternoon. Then we'd leave the house by 6:15 in the evening for the 7 o'clock evening service, again, "For the Greater Good." Today was no different in Mumsie's mind, her plans for Sunday WERE going to be carried out, regardless. But we were going to put a crimp in those plans starting at 2 o'clock this afternoon. And one way or another, Mark and I would no longer exist.
It was 1 o'clock when we arrived home from the restaurant, and as usual, Mumsie sent Mark and me to our bedrooms to rest. But rest wasn't what Mark and I had planned, and we had but an hour to get changed. Tucked in the back of both our clothes closets were several dresses covered with plastic that Mark and I had smuggled into the house when Mumsie was out and about. We had picked them out during one of our secret meetings with Kelly, and his girlfriend, Carla, while we were at the Mall. Carla was as mad as Kelly when she heard what Mumsie had been having Mark and I do, so she was more than happy to play mom and help us with lingerie, shoes, and a few dresses that a girl needs to have.
Mark and I couldn't take the clothes and everything else home, so Kelly had kept them for us until we knew when Mumsie would be out, then we'd called him and he'd rush over with the dresses, shoes, and lingerie. It was nerve-wracking at times when Mumsie would pick out our clothing for the next day, believing she'd find our stash and go berserk. Thankfully it never happened.
I had locked my bedroom door after entering my bedroom and begun stripping off the clothing I'd been forced to wear for the past eighteen years. I wasn't rough removing the clothing, and I didn't care how they looked after I removed them or that they all landed up in a pile in the corner of my room. After the outer clothing was removed, the undergarments came next, particularly the binding Mumsie forced Mark and me to wear so our breasts would be hidden. And was I glad after I took that off because the pain had been getting progressively worse over the years.
Once I'd unbound my breast it was time to tackle the "thing" Mumsie made Mark and I wear between our legs. I pulled down the boy briefs I'd been forced to wear, tossed it onto the pile in the corner, and retrieved a bottle of solvent I had hidden away that Kelly had purchased for us at a local shop. The shop owner told Kelly how to use the solvent and Kelly told Mark and me how to use it, and use it we did; I took off that "thing" and it joined the rest on the pile in the corner of my bedroom. For the first time in five years, I could look upon myself in the mirror as I should have been allowed when I was born a girl eighteen years ago. And today was the day Michael was going to die and Michela would be born. It was also the day Mark would die and Marissa would be born. Today was the beginning of our new lives, lives we should have been living from the day we both were born eighteen and sixteen years ago.
After admiring how my body looked naked, I walked into my closet and chose the light blue skater dress from among the three we'd purchases while at the mall. I then pulled out the sack which contained the lingerie and the low heeled shoe purchased at the same time as the dress. I picked up one more sack, the sack containing the modest makeup we'd also purchased; thankfully Carla helped Marissa and I learn how to apply it moderately. I walked out of the closet, sat both sacks on my bed, and hung the dress up on the closet door.
Hugs and kisses to Carla for helping us learn how lingerie was supposed to be worn or we both might have looked pretty foolish. I put on the bikini panties then the bra, both of the same color. Then sat down to put on the hosiery Carla said would look good with what we'd choose to wear. Then it was time to put on my first dress, something we'd practiced at Kelly's apartment with Carla's help; she even gave us tips on how to easily zip up the zipper by ourselves. I couldn't help myself and walk over to the full-length mirror on the inside of the closet door. There, for the first time in her life, was a very attractive young woman staring back at me. And I loved what I saw. I glanced over at the clock and saw it was 1:55 p.m., time to get the show on the road. I walked over to my shoes, and having practiced with Carla, had no trouble putting them on while standing up. Showtime!!
Mumsie and dad's usual rest spot was sitting on the sofa. So neither Marissa nor I was worried she would be coming up to check on us, as we met just outside my bedroom door. Marissa looked lovely, despite the short hair, wearing a maroon skirt which hit her about mid-thigh, a white silk blouse with a stand-up collar and a ruffled front, and two-inch pumps which coordinated with her skirt. She looked every bit like the other your women we'd seen at school. And she looked very nervous.
Taking her hands in mine I told her, "don't worry, we have everything ready to go if 'it' throws a hissy fit." The nervous look faded, somewhat, but I could feel her hands trembling. The downstairs clock chimed 2 o'clock, so it was time we started down the stairs. Just as Marissa and I reached the bottom step, Kelly walked in through the front door with a satchel in hand. Both Marissa and I took the final step down and were met with hugs from Kelly, whispering how beautiful we both looked. "Let your hair grow," was the other thing he whispered.
Walking three abreast, we walked into the living room, and the temperature immediately rose to the flowing point of lava when Mumsie saw how Marissa and I were dressed.
"WHAT THE HELL DO YOU TWO BRATS THINK YOU'RE DOING?" Mumsie shouted as she got up from the couch. "GET YOUR ASSES BACK UPSTAIRS AND PUT ON PROPER CLOTHES." She yelled at us before turning her attention to Kelly.
"AND WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING HERE?" She yelled at Kelly.
"What does it look like?" I responded, knowing I'd just pushed the major 'you will never talk back to me' button. And I was right because her hand came up and started forward and was aimed at my face when Kelly caught her wrist and forcibly walked her back to the couch, where the back of her knees met the couch and caused her to sit down.
"YOU. WILL. NEVER. AGAIN. HIT. MARISSA OR MICHELA!!" Kelly growled into Mumsie's face, with a ferocious look on his face which even surprised dad.
"YOU. WILL. NEVER. AGAIN. FORCE. EITHER. TO. DRESS. AS BOYS!!" Kelly told Mumsie and forcibly released her wrist. Oh was she pissed now, smoking pissed.
Before Kelly could step back Mumsie tried to get up off the couch, but dad put an arm across her chest preventing the effort. "Just sit down," he told her, if a bit frosty.
Mumsie gave dad the coldest look I'd ever seen her give him, but stayed put, though still in a huff. "So! What's all this about?" Mumsie asked, trying to regain control of this situation, and giving us the opening we hoped we'd get; if Mumsie was anything she's predictable. And I took it with a full head of steam.
"This 'For the Greater Good' crap will stop and it will stop now," I told her with all the venom that had built over the last eighteen years.
"Mark and Mike are no longer going to be seen by anyone ever again," and I was getting louder too. "THEY BOTH DIED TODAY!!" Maybe I was too loud but that's how I felt right now.
"Marissa and Michela are the two the world will see from here on out," I basically spit out.
"You lay a hand on either Marissa or me and I'll have you arrested for assault. DO YOU HEAR ME??" I was beyond pissed now and I let the bitch know it.
"For eighteen of my years, and sixteen of Marissa's years, you've had us prancing around like two of your sons. Well, dammit, we are girls, females, and we've had enough of you and your precious, 'For the Greater Good!'"
"The greater good you always threw at us only benefited you, no one else. And in case you haven't realized it, MUMSIE, that catchphrase has gone out the window, taken a powder, left the planet. Mumsie! No one uses it anymore!" It all was coming out, everything I had to hold in the last eighteen years.
Mumsie had gone from red in the face to crimson to purple, she was that mad. Thankfully dad still held his arm across her chest, preventing her from getting off the couch. And he was listening in his 'listen to what they are saying' way, the way he did when troubleshooting a problem; his face gets this particular look when he's just listening.
"You ungrateful brats, look at everything I've given you!" Mumsie spewed, spitting the last part.
"Why without what I've done, 'For the Greater Good', you'd have nothing!" She basically spits out, emphasizing the 'For the Greater Good'.
"Marge," my dad started saying, "the only thing you and 'For the Greater Good' gave these girls is grief. And every friend they ever made or had. Your 'For the Greater Good' was only intended to benefit one person, you. It brought nothing to this family as a whole."
Mumsie's eyes went way wider than they should have, as she slowly turned her head to face dad. "Oh yeah, I know everything you've done to Marissa and Michela. I know about the beatings you gave them when I wasn't home. And how you justified everything you did by using that stupid catchphrase."
Dad looked at me when he said, "I also know how you tried to pre-enroll Michela into a pre-med program without her okay. I also know she's now pre-rolled in the University's art program, as she wanted, thanks to her high school counselor. And Marge, the only reason I stayed this long with you, putting up with the crap you were spewing, was to protect Marissa and Michela."
Mumsie's mouth fell open at dad's last revelation, and her eyes squinted almost completely closed, as she turned back to face the three of us. "So what, you brats think you will get your way while you're living here? Think again, you ungrateful bitches." Mumsie took her free hand and wiped the spit off her mouth.
"Yes we do, Mumsie," I told her, with an air of smugness, as I held out my hand to Kelly for the papers he had the lawyer prepare.
"These are papers Kelly had a lawyer prepare for just this reason," I told Mumsie as I held them up for her to see. "The top one is an affidavit from the lawyer attesting to the videos he viewed of you during you rant periods over the past years. This next one is an affidavit from a doctor attesting to the fact that both Marissa and I had been severely beaten over the years—he had child protective services come in and view what he was seeing. And this piece of paper is an emancipation declaration for Marissa since she is of legal age to have one filed for her."
I stopped there and watched as Mumsie digested what I had just told her, it didn't register in any way on her face. She didn't get it, didn't understand what I was telling her.
"Mumsie, we have enough evidence to have you arrested for child abuse, and have you put in jail," I said as firmly as I could, I was shaking that much. That did it, Mumsie went berserk, throwing off dad's arm, getting up off the couch and heading straight for me. Mumsie hadn't taken two steps when dad tackled her, causing her to fall face first with a sickening thud—broken nose?
The three of us never moved a muscle after Mumsie hit the floor, we didn't care if she broke her nose and any other part of her face; we hated her that much. Dad helped Mumsie to her feet then back to the couch, where he took out his handkerchief and gave it to Mumsie. Holding it to her nose, Mumsie tried her best to threaten us with every manner of punishment for spoiling her plans.
When she died down I told her, "You're WRONG, Mumsie, you'll not do any of the things you just said. As I told you, we have enough evidence on you to have you put in jail for a long time. We also have plans to file the emancipation declaration paper and have Kelly made Marissa's guardian." I let that sink in while dad went to the kitchen and came back with some ice wrapped in a towel.
"Marge," dad started, "I think it's a good idea you do not stay here tonight. Go check into a hotel and think about what you've been told, and decide whether or not you wish to amend your ways and stay with us, or go your own way."
Even with the ice pack on her nose, Mumsie's fiery look was still evident. "THE HELL YOU SAY!" Mumsie growled out, "THE HELL IF I'M LEAVING TONIGHT OR ANY OTHER NIGHT!" She growled again but was stopped cold by what dad told her next.
"Marge, if you don't go and check into a hotel, tonight, and think about everything we've said, and if you don't want to amend your ways and stay with us, then I'll have my lawyer file the abuse charges I had him prepare just for this occasion." When our dad was serious as a bullet, his posture and facial expression said 'don't mess with me'. And Mumsie knew it because that's what she saw as she gave dad an incredulous look.
"You wouldn't dare, how could you?" Mumsie told dad, her furry still present but more of a huge smolder.
As Mumsie watched, dad pulled out his cell phone and asked Mumsie, "do I call or do you leave for tonight." Right then she knew he was dead serious, would file the charges, and would protect his girls. As we all watched, Mumsie took the ice pack off her nose, it had stopped bleeding and didn't look broken.
"Alright, you win this round, I'll leave for tonight, but I'll be back and all of you will pay for what you've done. All of you may think you've ruined my plans but you're wrong. Dead wrong!" Mumsie told us as she got up off the couch and started for their bedroom.
Before she'd taken two steps dad spoke. "Marge," and Mumsie turned back to face him. "We aren't kidding about filing charges, the four of us. I've keep videos, they've keep videos, we have doctors' reports from over the years, enough to have you arrested and sent to jail." Mumsie just scoffed at what he just said, turned and before she started to strut down the hall to their bedroom dad raised the stakes a bit higher.
"Marge, I've also had my lawyer prepare the papers for a divorce," was all he said, which stopped Mumsie for a brief moment.
The four of us remained silent while waiting for Mumsie to pack whatever she would need for the night. Twenty minutes later she came down the hallway pulling her suitcase and carrying a makeup bag. As she reached the living room, dad stood up, reached to help her with her luggage but was told with a cold growl, "don't you dare." The four of us watched as Mumsie walked out of the house, watched from the window as she placed her luggage into the trunk of her car, get in the car, back out of the driveway and drive down the street. None of us were happy how this had to be played, but it had to be played if we all were going to remain sane. Yes, Mumsie had to be forced to make decisions she wasn't prepared to make, but it was better than thinking about visiting her in prison.
The silence after Mumsie left was short lived when dad told Marissa and me, "you girls look beautiful. I only wish this could have been years ago." It didn't take Marissa or me long to wrap dad in a hug which threatened to crush the life out of him after what he just said, as Kelly watched on with a bemused smile on his face. When we finished with dad we attacked Kelly in a like manner, and he returned the same to us.
"Well, that went better than I expected," dad said to no one in particular after our hug fest had ended.
I looked at dad as he said that and saw both a worried and relieved look on his face; he looked older than I remembered. "Do you think we did any good?" I asked dad as I walked over to him and gave him another, gentler, hug.
"Punkin, I'd like to think so, but I have a feeling she won't budge an inch in her belief that 'For the Greater Good' is the only thing that matters," he said as he kissed me lightly on top of my head while hugging me close to him. After putting up with her crap for eighteen years, I had a suspicion he was right, she'd never change.
While dad and I were talking, Kelly had wandered off towards the kitchen, mumbling something about needing something to eat. Knowing he was a bottomless pit, the three of us just chuckled and followed him.
I think all four of us were completely drained after our showdown with Mumsie because we hardly spoke as we dined on this and that which had been pulled from the fridge and cupboards. I think, too, we were thinking about what had just happened and how it would eventually end. And when we looked at each other, it was plain by the look on our faces that we all had to same belief that Mumsie had just paid us her last visit, that this was the last time she'd ever be in this house with us as a family.
After cleaning up our mess, Kelly said his goodbyes, kissing and hugging Marissa and me, and hugging dad before leaving. We insisted he takes the papers with him in case Mumsie tried something during the night. Afterward, the three of us sat and actually got to know each other better, dad asking most of the questions. It then got serious with dad asking about the papers Kelly had and Marissa and I asking about the possible divorce. It wasn't a happy discussion, but it was necessary. When dad saw that the two of us were having trouble staying awake, he said we should get to bed, each of us receiving a kiss and hug then a gentle push towards the stairs. Marissa and I hugged outside my bedroom door before we each went into our rooms. It had been a very trying afternoon.
I think I fell asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow because I don't remember falling asleep. But whoever was beating that drum was doing so way too early in the morning. I groggily lifted my head and look at the clock on my night table, 7 o'clock, Monday morning, way too early for that drum. Thankfully the drumming stopped, and I laid my head back down but then heard very angry voices coming from downstairs. Mumsie was back, along with someone else, and she was boiling over.
It didn't take me long to throw back the covers and grab my robe, with the intention of going downstairs to see what was going on, when there was a soft knock on my door and Marissa stuck her head in.
"Mumsie's back, she has someone with her," Marissa said, coming over to me and grabbing onto me. "She's yelling something about getting me away from the freaks." I felt tears falling onto my shoulder as I held her and her me. I pulled Marissa closer to where I'd laid my cell phone, picked it up and dialed Kelly's number.
"…hello," he said in a very sleepy voice.
"She's back, she's pissed and has someone with her…," was all I said.
Those few words snapped him out any sleepiness because all he said in a very angry voice was, "we'll be right over." And he hung up.
What Mumsie never knew, never found out, that Carla was a practicing attorney, the same one who drew up all the papers Kelly brought over yesterday afternoon. What Kelly hadn't told us, or showed us, but we found out a bit later, he'd also had Carla draw up a restraining order just in case it was needed. And from the sounds we heard coming from downstairs, it just might be needed.
Taking Marissa's hand, I lead her out to the landing of the stairs, where we could hear but not be seen, yet. Mumsie was her usual 'For the Greater Good' crappy self, and so was the person with her.
"WHERE IS SHE, WHERE'S THAT BITCH?" We heard Mumsie yell. "GO GET THAT BITCH AND BRING HER DOWN HERE!! SHE NEEDS TO LEARN A LESSON SHE WON'T FORGET!!" There could only be one person she was talking about and that was me, the bitch who needed to learn a lesson.
"NO ONE IS COMING DOWN HERE UNTIL YOU SETTLE DOWN AND ALSO EXPLAIN WHO, THAT, IS!" We heard dad shout back, a bit icy. In past years we'd heard dad when he was angry, frustrated, and in shock, but never as he was at this moment. At this moment his voice even scared me, with that knife-edge honed to diamond sharpness.
Mumsie did calm down a bit, but only after she heard the ice in dad's voice, and the look on his face. "This person," she pointed to the man standing beside her, "is from the Country Club, one of our 'For the Greater Good' group.
Marissa and I looked at each other for a second before our heads fell and met in the middle. We couldn't believe it; Mumsie brought support from her group, someone who had no business being here at all.
"Yeah so, why's it here?" Dad asked Mumsie with a voice that was still tinged with ice.
"It's…He's here to prove that I've been right all along, that all of us should be doing what needs to be done 'For the Greater Good,' Mumsie said with an air of smugness.
"Hey, WHAT THE HEL…," we heard just before the front door slammed shut.
"WHY DID YOU DO THAT? YOU HAD NO RIGHT TO THROW HIM OUT," Mumsie bellowed, as Marissa and I fought hard not to laugh out loud.
"Another damn moron is NOT going to prove anything to this family, especially from that DAMN group!!" Dad was really pissed because he rarely swore.
We heard the front door open and close then from Mumsie, "WHAT THE HELL DO YOU WANT AND WHOSE THAT PIG?"
Kelly had just arrived with Carla, we guessed, and just after Mumsie uttered those words we heard a fierce SLAP. "You'll pay for that you pig!" Mumsie said, only to receive another SLAP from Carla we guessed. Now that everyone was here I felt we'd better join the party and deliver the final blow.
Holding tightly to Marissa's hand, I lead her down the stairs and into the living room, stopping just at the entrance to the room; I wanted to keep some distance between us and Mumsie. "So there's the bitch that ruined my plans, plans that were going to raise me up in the eyes of the club members," Mumsie growled as she started a slow walk towards Marissa and me. She might have taken two steps before dad grabbed her arm and forcibly yanked her back.
"You're not going anywhere near the girls," dad told Mumsie with a mixture of steel and ice in his voice. Mumsie just glared at him and stood stock still. I had pushed Marissa a couple of steps back when Mumsie started towards us but pulled her back now that dad had stopped Mumsie.
"You were supposed to think about what we told you yesterday afternoon, but I see you just stewed about being thrown out for the night," dad told Mumsie as he walked closer to where Marissa and I were standing; likely to stop Mumsie if she made another play for us.
Very indignantly Mumsie said, "THERE was NOTHING to think over, all of you were WRONG and I was RIGHT. The club members said so."
Five mouths dropped open after hearing her declaration. Five sets of eyes looked at each other, not believing what they just heard. I think we'd all start laughing if the situation wasn't that serious.
"You were right and we were wrong, said your club members?" Dad queried Mumsie.
"That's right, that's what they said. They said I needed to teach that bitch a lesson and take the other son away from you freaks." We couldn't believe what Mumsie just said, again. She didn't realize how stupid she was sounding for what she was saying.
"So you're not going to come back to the family and leave the 'For the Greater Good' in the gutter?" Dad asked Mumsie, as he was shaking his head, knowing what was coming next.
"Why should I, it's the right way to think," Mumsie retorted to dad's question.
Dad held out his hand to Kelly who handed him a piece of paper. "This is an application for divorce, take it to a lawyer and have them get with the lawyer's name at the top of the sheet," dad told Mumsie as he handed her the piece of paper.
He again held out his hand to Kelly and received another piece of paper. "This is a copy of the declaration of emancipation that will be filled for Marissa, removing you as her parent." Again dad handed the piece of paper to Mumsie. "You'll note the time and date when you have to be in court for both of these actions." He said and stepped back towards Marissa and me.
"And this," Carla began, as she stepped towards Mumsie, handing her another piece of paper, "is a restraining order that mandates you not to enter this house without an invitation, not to be on the property unless invited, and you are not to have contact with Marissa or Michela in any manner." When she finished, she stepped back to stand once more by Kelly and looked into his eyes. "And to answer your first vulgar question, I'm Kelly's fiancée." Oh wow, our brother is getting married, and to a very nice girl, I thought to myself, but now was not the time to celebrate.
Mumsie's face dropped, as she looked at the papers she'd just been given, she knew she'd been beaten. "Marge, you can get what's his name and go pack what you can carry today and get out of this house. We'll schedule another time when you'll be allowed to come back and remove the rest of your things, any personal items you bought with you when we married. But nothing else leaves this house, no bedding, furniture, appliances, kitchen equipment, or anything else which belongs to this house," dad said these words in a much gentler manner than he first spoke to her. I think he still loved her but could no longer put up with the crap she was involved in and what it was doing to us.
The five of us watched as mom slowly walked to the front door, opened it and beckoned what's his name into the house. They had a few words before coming back into the living room and start the walk to my parents' bedroom. As what's his name followed mom, he glared at us the whole time until he was out of sight. Thirty minutes later mom and what's his name reappeared with four more suitcases and headed towards the front door without saying a word. Again as we watched through the front window, mom put three of the suitcases in the trunk and the fourth in the backseat, got in her car, backed out of the driveway and drive down the street. Perhaps now it was over and the four of us, plus Carla, could now become the family we should have always been.
During our talk with dad after mom left, Marissa told about the assessment test she should have taken because of her grades, and that Mumsie had put the kibosh on it being given. The very next day, Tuesday, dad, and Marissa went to the high school where dad questioned the Principal about the assessment test which had not been given to Marissa. Dad was told that Mrs. Briden had told the school that it was 'For the Greater Good' that Marissa stay in high school and graduate with her class, and that was why the test was never given. When dad heard 'For the Greater Good' being used to withhold a test, he almost flew off the handle, but instead, dropped his head in disbelief.
"What needs to happen for Marissa to be given the assessment test?" Dad asked the Principal once he, again, collected his wits.
"It's a simple process," the Principal said, "I call the test center and see when they could administer the test. And because the school has let out for the summer, they should be able to do it right away. If you'll wait for a few moments I call and get a date."
As the Principal picked up the phone to call the test center, dad and Marissa stepped out into the hallway to get some fresh air, and for dad to cool down a bit more. It wasn't long before the Principal stepped out of his office and told dad that the test could be administered tomorrow morning, if they were available. Dad said they were, and the Principal slipped back into his office and confirmed the date and time for the test with the test center.
"The test will be given Wednesday morning, tomorrow, starting at 9 a.m.," the Principal told dad. "Marissa won't have to bring anything with her, everything will be provided," the Principal said as he then shook dad's hand, offering his profound apologies for all the trouble this has caused. Dad had cooled off to the point that he graciously accepted the apology before he and Marissa left the school.
The following morning, Wednesday, dad drove Marissa to the high school for the assessment test. The tester told dad it would take about four hours for the test to be taken, and he should come back at that time. An hour and a half later dad received a call from Marissa saying she'd finished the test and would he come and pick her up. Needless to say, the tester was flabbergasted. The tester was even more flabbergasted when he learned that Marissa had aced the test, scored 100% across the board in English, Math, Science, History, and Social Science, and a couple other areas used to determine if the advanced placement was warranted. When the testing administrator learned of Marissa's score, he instantly gave dad a call. He'd checked past test scores and no one had EVER made a perfect score in all seven sections of the test, on in such short time. His conclusion, Marissa cheated.
When the administrator told dad that no one had ever scored a perfect score on the test and that he thought Marissa had cheated, dad hit the roof. "Listen to me, you stupid jackass, my daughter didn't cheat, my daughter studied on her own after becoming so bored in that school that she practically fell asleep every single day. So you think she cheated," dad told him as Marissa and I walked into the kitchen, "let me put you on hold for a moment and consult Marissa," dad told the man as he pressed the receiver to his chest.
"That STUPID jackass…he thinks you cheated, Marissa," dad told Marissa as the two of us looked on. "You received a perfect score in all the sections and this JACKASS has the gall to say you cheated!" Dad was now red in the face as he spoke.
"Dad…? Tell the jackass I'll take the test again, and he can sit in while I take it. And tell him I'll complete the test in an hour this next time."
This last sentence peaked dad's interest.
"If you're going to complete the test in an hour, why did it take you an hour and a half the first time?" A puzzled dad asked Marissa.
"Oh, I had an itch I couldn't get rid of and had to keep scratching it," was all Marissa said, which made dad give us a real deep belly laugh.
Dad got back on the phone and told the jackass that Marissa was willing to retake the test and would finish it in an hour this time. And that the administrator was welcomed to sit in while Marissa retook the test. Apparently, the reply didn't please dad because his face became a deep shade of violet,after which he slammed down the receiver. "Stupid moronic jackass," was all he said as he walked out of the kitchen, shouting over his shoulder, "the retest is tomorrow."
There's no need to go into a lot of detail about Thursday morning, the day Marissa retook the assessment test. She finished the test in the hour she promised, dad had sat outside the room waiting. The administrator did sit in on the test, and he even had the key with him so the test could be scored before Marissa left the room. She aced it again! She scored 100% across the board, again. The administrator had dad called in and told dad that he didn't know how, but Marissa had cheated again. In all his years of being the testing administrator, no one had ever scored 100% across the board on this test.
Dad had almost spent forty years as a corporate troubleshooter and knew road apples when he heard it. "Okay," dad started, in his very gentle voice, the voice we'd learned to fear most of all in this type of situation. "What I'm going to do is contact my lawyer and have her contact your lawyer and my lawyer is going to read your lawyer the riot act because of your stupidity. Then I'm going to have my lawyer call your boss's lawyer and ask why they hired such a moronic jackass who couldn't find his own butt with a map. Let's go, Marissa," dad finished as he took her hand and they walked out of the room, leaving the moronic jackass floundering for words.
Dad received a call that Saturday from his lawyer. The two lawyers she spoke with agreed something wasn't right and agreed to look into the situation but it would be Monday or Tuesday before they had any answers. Dad's lawyer told dad and the fence post, both lawyers thought that administrator was a joke, and they'd had complaints about him in the past. That he'd been warned by his boss not to try and use 'For the Greater Good' to hold students back. "Sun of a bitch…," dad said as he hung up the phone.
Marissa and I were standing right there during dad's last few words, "what dad?" I asked, not liking the color of his face. Dad pulled out a chair from the kitchen table and sat down hard.
"That stupid, moronic jackass is a member of the DAMN 'For the Greater Good' club Marge belongs to. DAMN IT ALL TO HELL!!"
Dad was shaking because he was that mad. Both Marissa and I went over and hug him until he had calmed down and stopped shaking. "Thank you girls, I so needed that," he told us as he put an arm around each of our waists and pulled us in close.
It was early Monday afternoon when dad received a call from his lawyer. Marissa and I wanted to leave him alone so he could talk but motioned us to stay, his face becoming brighter and brighter as he listened and spoke. After a few minutes, he hung up the phone and started laughing, and kept on laughing until tears were running down his face. "They fired that SOB, flat out fired him because of that stunt he pulled with both of your tests, Marissa," dad told us when he calmed down and could talk again.
"They had warned him several times in the past about using 'For the Greater Good' and this was the straw that broke the camel's' back. He was fired for cause, and he's not getting any severance pay." Dad said and started laughing again. I walked over and pulled a few tissues out of the tissue box and gave then to dad so he could wipe his eyes.
"The two tests you took Marissa were evaluated by that jackass's boss, and she saw no evidence of any cheating by you or anyone else. She even interviewed the tester and was told exactly how you acted during both tests. Next Monday you are going to receive your high school diploma!"
It took a few moments for what dad just said to sink in but when it did there was pandemonium in our kitchen. Dad even called and left a message for Kelly to let him know what had happened. Dad even invited him and Carla over Saturday for a celebration. It looked like we were going to have a very good summer.
Dad took Marissa up to the high school the following morning where she received her high school diploma, plus a few parting gifts from the Principal; he wished her the best for her future. Dad and Marissa then drove to the University where they spoke with a counselor who pulled up Marissa's records and the results of the assessment test. To say the counselor was impressed was an understatement, and she helped them both get Marissa pre-enrolled into the Architectural program, with a double minor in Mathematics and Engineering. She even helped them apply for a full scholarship based on Marissa's records. And yes, two days later dad received a call saying the University was granting Marissa a full academic scholarship. Now, the two of us were set for University in the fall, and dad was happier than we'd seen him in years.
The summer progressed without any unusual happenings, with Marissa and me finding part-time jobs to help keep us busy. And dad was the happiest we'd seen him in years; that might have something to do with his retiring after reaching his forty years with the corporation, and them wanting to hire him back as an independent troubleshooter at whatever rate he wished; they thought that much of him.
Dad's divorce was finalized and we never saw mom again. Dad was very generous with the division of assets, even giving her more than the decree directed. Oh, we heard about her and that club but were never again bothered by 'For the Greater Good'. That professor had it all wrong, using 'For the Greater Good' wasn't meant to award the person using the catchphrase, but the group as a whole. And had mom used it correctly maybe she'd still be with us today.
And that was the key to the catchphrase, the group as a whole. If something didn't benefit the whole then the part was also going to suffer, as we had over the years. If "For the Greater Good" was applied properly to a family it would help make for a stronger, more loving family unit. Because what's more important than a stronger and more loving family who will stand by each other through thick and thin, good times and bad. Isn't that, "For the Greater Good?"
I often come down to the jetty, like I have now, when I have important things to think about, as I do now. I'm sitting on the lake side of the jetty; my legs hanging over the side of the jetty; my forearms on the bottom railing of the railing running around all of the jetties; one palm on that railing, the other palm on the back of that hand and my chin on my hands.
I like the atmosphere here on the jetty; the smell of the lake water; the sounds of water lapping against the rip-rap laid on the lake side of all the jetties; the wind singing through the nearby trees and the sights out on the lake.
And speaking of the lake, it's only five miles wide and ten miles long. There are eight coves, each taken care of by eight small towns. At each cove there is a marina, each run by a different family. There's also a bait and tackle/general store run by those families. Each cove is rated by the water depth in that cove. Ours, the one where I am, is rated for boats no longer than thirty feet, since the water depth here is only fifteen feet.
The jetties came about because the insurance companies that insure the boats at this lake, got fed up with paying out big bucks after big storms came through this area and sank or severely damaged many of the boats. Several years ago, during one big storm, a flat bottom skiff was torn from its moorings and with the help of strong winds, ended up on the roof of one house that had been built a few hundred feet from the lake shore.
Guess I should explain more about this area and the lake. The eight towns around this lake have permanent populations of around three hundred people. But surrounding these towns are maybe another two hundred, scattered here and there. Like that one house I mentioned, several bought property near the lake shore and built homes a little over a hundred feet away from the shore.
There are also cabins for rent, camping areas for trailers and RVs, complete with all the necessary hookups. And during the summer those small towns suddenly become big towns with the influx of vacationers. The cabins soon fill up, as do the camping areas. The biggest change is all the water craft that appear once summer arrives.
The jetties, as I said, came about because insurance companies got tired of paying out big bucks. Reps from each company went to each town council and almost demanded that something be done to try and mitigate the damages done in the coves. Once the misunderstanding was clarified, it was decided to call a meeting at the high school gym for everyone. (Forgot to say there's a high school with an attached middle and elementary school for the entire area.)
That meeting turned out to be a three ring circus, with a whole bunch of clowns in attendance. When this type meeting is scheduled, all eight town councils attend, with one person from any of the councils chosen as moderator. Once the meeting was called to order, and the insurance reps stated their positions, which was between higher rates or cancelations, if something wasn't done to the coves, the clowns crawled out of the woodwork.
There was shouting, threats of lawsuits, threats of violence, and words I won't repeat. Old man Charlie caught my attention as he stood. I had a feeling what he was about to do so I put my fingers in my ears. As I watched, old man Charlie put his thumbs in his ears, his little fingers in his mouth, and cut loose with the most shrill and loud whistle you've ever heard. Those within ten feet of him instantly covered their ears, others shied away from the sound. While those further away turned towards the sound. But, the gym became silent.
"What is the hell are you morons getting all excited for?" Old man Charlie asked. "Them people never said it was going to happen but might if somethin' wasn't done at the coves. Now it seems to me, mind you, that the next thing to figure out it what to do." Then he sat down, and the clowns again crawled out of the woodwork.
It became a three ring circus, with people shouting out suggestions on top of each other. Old man Charlie stood up again, I already knew what he was about to do, so again stuck my fingers in my ears. You would think people would learn the first time to quiet down when old man Charlie stood, put his thumbs in his ears and little fingers in his mouth. But the don't. At least everyone stopped talking and yelling.
Old man Charlie stood there for a moment, with all eyes on him. Then after looking around at everybody, he said, "There ya'll go again. Shouting out crap when none of you know your butts from a hole in the ground what needs done at the coves. Maybe someone should look into contacting a marine engineering firm. Find out what they'd charge to come out and look over the situation; all eight towns and insurance companies could go in together to cover the cost. When a firm is found, ask them for three possible solutions that would last." And old man Charlie sat back down.
Oh and it got even worse when the firm they used came to the next meeting. They spent several days looking over the lake, the coves, the weather patterns, and what the insurance companies had paid out and why. That firm even tested their ideas in their lab. When they presented models of their three ideas, they explained the pros and cons of each one. Two would initially cost less to build, but there'd be constant maintenance. The third one, the one I'm sitting on, would initially be expensive to build, but would be basically maintenance free; upkeep of the railing around the edge of the jetties was considered peanuts.
Someone just had to ask how much the third one would cost to build. But when old man Charlie stood up, all the shouting and yelling suddenly stopped. They're learning. "How many of you moor a boat in the coves or put a boat in the water at the marinas?" Almost every hand went up after old man Charlie asked his question. "And figure the number doing the same during the summer," he said. "Charge everyone who moors a boat or puts a boat into the water twenty-five dollars a month. Charge those who come every so often fifteen dollars. If a boat goes to a cove other than their own, charge them ten dollars. Then when the jetties are paid off the fees end. And the towns and insurance companies help pay." Old man Charlie said his piece and sat down. Funny, but a pin could have been heard hitting the floor.
The moderator looked at all the town council members, the insurance reps, saw them all nod their heads, then asked, "All in favor or old man Charlie's idea say yea." The number of people saying yea almost sounded like a huge choir. "All opposed say nay." When the few said nay, everyone looked at them. One guy, a Mr. Walter's, was so tight you couldn't pull a thin piece of wire through his butt crack. "Motion carries," the moderator said, then went on with, “Those of you who voted against will have to pay or you won't be allowed to use your boats in this lake. Everyone understands, these fees last only until the jetties are paid off. Are there any questions?"
Of course that question had to be asked, and it was Mr. Walter who asked, "And who's going to stop us from putting out boats into the water?" Mr. Walter never thought past dollars and cents, so when the eight families who owned the marianas stood, he sort of turned a lovely shade of green. You see, the coves were the only places to put boats into the lake, since most of the land at the water’s edge was privately owned. Or rose too high above the lake.
There's a year left to pay off the bill for the jetties.
I'm looking out over the lake and spot one of the hydrofoil water ferries that get people across the lake quicker than driving around the lake. I watch as a sailboat glides silently by a few hundred feet out. I cringe as a water skier hits the water hard after being thrown off balance while trying to cross the tow boat wake as the boat turns to its right. She comes up, waves her hand to let those in the boat know she's okay. Hitting the water that hard is going to sting for some time. I should know, I have the t-shirt to prove it.
A horn blows off to my right, grabbing my attention and causing me to sit up and look to my right. It's a sailboat under power leaving the cove. Those on the boat wave and I wave back;I've seen them around but don't know their names. I watch the sailboat motor away from shore before the engine shuts off and the sails go up.
Cheerful yelling gets my attention off to my left. I'd put my chin back on my hands so just rotate my head until I can see where the yelling is coming from. The cheerful yelling is coming from three guys in a bass boat.
One man is waving a camera around. One man is holding a dip net. And one man is pulling up hard on a fishing pole; that pole is bent so far towards the water it seems it'd snap at any moment. As I watch he dips the rod down as he furiously cranks the reel, before pulling up again. He does this dance five more time before the man with the dip net sticks it in the water and when he lifts it up it's really wriggling. He then carefully reaches into the net and pulls out what looks like a nice size bass; they're too far away to tell if it's a large or small mouth bass. The fisherman and the dip net man both hold the fish and the guy with the camera takes their picture. Then the guy with the dip net takes the hook out of the fishe’s mouth before leaning over the side of the boat and releasing the fish. Then as I watch, the fisherman becomes the cameraman, cameraman becomes dip net man, and dip net guy becomes the fisherman.
I look back out over the lake and let my mind start wondering. The decision I have to make will make the path I'm on more complete, make me more whole, as I'm told. And yet as I'm also told, it doesn't have to be done. As I'm looking out over the lake, watching boats of several variety, I smell the fragrance of flowers which don't grow in this area. It's my mother, I know without having to look.
She sits down beside my, exactly how I'm sitting, then asks, "A penny for your thoughts." I don't answer right away, and she knows I wouldn't. We both look out over the lake, both cringing as a water skier bites the dust. After about fifteen minutes I say, "I'm trying to decide if the operation is right for me. Once it's done, there's no going back. As you know, they've said it isn't required, but might cause social issues I'd have to deal with."
"True," mom says, before we're quiet again. The guys in the bass boat get excited again and we watch as the new fisherman pulls another good size fish into the boat. I can tell mom's about to say something, cause she's starting to fidget. "And what will you tell Geoff? Is he willing to have a wife who has the same type of plumbing? What brought all this on? Has someone said something to you? Has that old crow been at it again, as if she has anything to talk about. Her son caught her in bed with that young kid, twice. And her husband stayed with her. Talk about the pot calling the kettle black."
I'm quiet after mom asked her questions. Finally I say, "No, she hasn't said anything since her husband read her the riot act. Including about keeping her legs together unless it was him. And no, no one else has said anything. And I haven't spoken to Geoff about this, so I don't know how he'd feel--though based on how he's acted I think I know how he'd feel.
"No, mom, it hit me like a ton of bricks, that once it's done, it is forever. I've been this way for twenty-one years. I had it for that same period of time, and have been seen that way. If I finally have the operation how will I be seen? Will it be different than now? Sure, I know how I'm seen now, what some think when they see me undressed in locker rooms. What will they think when they see me after the operation? Will I be able to tolerate the stupid ones enough to keep from slapping some sense into them?"
I stopped speaking and continued watching the action on the lake. Mom reached over and pulled me to her, causing me to rest me head on her shoulder. After several minutes I heard her say, "Sweetheart, Geoff spoke with me. He wants you with or without the surgery. He wants YOU, all of you. He said the decision is up to you, and he won't try to talk you into having it. He said he'll take time off to go with you and be there to help with your recuperation. He's very much in love with you, snookums. And whether or not you have the surgery, he won't go anywhere."
She was quiet again and just held me. I felt tears slide down my face, I also felt safe in my mom's arms. I'd been scared Geoff would run off if I didn't have the surgery, if I wasn't able to please him as a natural woman could. But hearing what mom just said eased those fears. A bit choked up, I asked mom, "Are we still scheduled to fly out on Friday?" I could feel mom nod her head and say, "Yes, at ten in the morning. We'll arrive there Sunday and they'll operate on Tuesday. Monday they'll do all the necessary work before the surgery."
We were quiet again. Two sailboats passed in front of us going in opposite directions. Another hydroferry zipped by heading to the left end of the lake. I hugged mom tighter then said, "Good, I can't wait until it's done."
A Snack
By Jamie Lee
Elaine sat on a wooden bench that afforded her a wonderful view of the pond situated on the back half of her parent’s land. She relished in its solitude, its serenity, and its sheer beauty of existing. A loon gave a melodious call somewhere near the other side. A bullfrog pinned for a mate. Dragonflies danced their own dance, copulating as they flew, only to dive to the water to empty their reservoir of eggs. Most gained the pleasure to dance again, some were taken by those beneath the water’s surface whose mouths large enough to take them in. The breeze carried its own perfume as it passed her by, flowers which couldn’t be seen but making their presence known.
”Hey, Elaine, what’s ya doin’?” The intruding sound scattered the bullfrog, who’d find another gathering of reeds to do it pinning. “HEY, ELAINE, WHAT’S YA DOIN’,” came the voice again, only louder this time. The ducks she’d been watching calming swimming near her shore quacked in anger that their enjoyment had been so rudely interrupted by such a noise, as they too sought a quieter place to swim. “Hey, Elaine, ain’t ya gonna answer me? I asked, what’s ya don’.”
Timmy was Elaine’s six-year-old brother, who was as curious as he often was a bother. “Timmy,” Elaine said, with a bit of an edge to her voice, “you have spoiled another symphony yet again. And it was truly beautiful.” Timmy took what Elaine said literally, and looked around for the instruments he knew were used to make music. “I don’t see no instraments. And what’s a sympany anyway?” Elaine sighed, shook her head and said, “It’s symphony, Timmy. Not sympany.” Timmy frowned, then asked, “Okay, but what’s a sympany?” Exasperated in her efforts to try and teach Timmy anything, she replied with, “It’s music produced by a large group.” Again Elaine confused him by saying music, and he looked around again for any instruments. After turning in a complete circle, he said, “But Elaine, there ain’t no instraments out here. There’s just you, me, and a whole lot of notin’.”
Elaine forced the scream that threatened to escape her down as far as she could, then looked at Timmy and asked him, “Timmy, be specific, tell me what you see around us.” Timmy gave Elaine a confused look before asking, “What does speaficic mean?” Elaine took several deep breaths, it was better than what her mom would kill her for doing, then looking at Timmy said, “Timmy, tell me everything you see around us.”
”Weell...I see trees, an’ water, an’ bugs, an’ a bunch of weeds, an’ grass, an’ dirt, an’ the sky, an’ clouds, is that what you mean?” Nodding her head, Elaine answered, “Yes, Timmy, that’s what I mean. Now, if you sit calmly, quietly, and listen, all of those things produce their own symphony, their own beautiful music.”
Timmy looked at his sister with a curious expression on his face. He looked in front of him, looked behind him, looked left and right, but didn’t see any instruments that were used to make music. “Elaine, I think you been out in the sun too long. There ain’t no instraments out here for making music.” Elaine shook her head, “Timmy what is music?” She asked, trying to get him to reason it out for himself. “Weell...it’s a bunch of real pretty noise,” he replied. Elaine continued. “And what makes that pretty noise?” By his silence, Elaine knew her little brother was thinking, it’s what he often did when asked a question that required him to think before answering. She had him confused, ‘cause everyone knew music was made by instraments, and said so. “But you said it was noise, pretty noise. Can’t noise be made by other things too?” Now she really stumped him, and she knew it too, as he sat down on the bench beside her and had his chin in his hands.
Several minutes went by before Timmy said, “Weell...a lot of things makes noise. Momma dropping a pan on the floor makes a heck of a noise. Slamming that screen door makes a noise. Daddy’s car makes a noise when he starts it so we can go som’where. I guess noise is everywhere. But that don’t make it music? Doesn’t it?” Elaine had him where she wanted him to go, wondering what was and wasn’t music. “Timmy, do you hear that bullfrog croaking? Did you just hear that Loon call? Hear the ducks quacking? Isn’t that pretty when it’s put together? And when you hear it all right here, at the pond, it becomes magical. Don’t you think?”
They both sat in silence for a long time, Elaine taking in the music of nature and Timmy trying to figure out if what Elaine said was music. She smiled when she heard, “Weell...it ain’t like no music I ever heard, but I guess it is kinda pretty to listen too.”
”WALTER TUCKER!” Timmy cringed when he heard their mother’s voice. “Uh, oh, you’re in for it now Elaine.” Timmy looked around and saw their mom beating a hot path where the two sat on the wooden bench. “And Timmy Tucker, what in Sam Huston are you doing out here? You know you aren’t strong enough to resist temptation. Get your butt back to the house, and yesterday.” Elaine didn’t watch Timmy run faster than the wind back to the house, she was too busy listening to nature’s music.
"Now you, missy. How many times have I told you not to be out here when you’re Elaine? You know good and well what you do to any of those boys who catch you sitting out here. That last time with that boy was a real close call, it took me some time to find just the right snake so I could claim he was laying in the straw when he got bit on the neck by that snake.”
Elaine sighed, listened to the symphony end, thanks to her mom, before telling her mom, “Oh, mom. You and I know he’s going to be all right in a few days. He was just a light snack. And I was hungry.”
Jack Winslow, for all intense and purposes, appeared to be a normal ten-year-old boy to all the adults who saw him outside his family. He didn’t mind playing sports, when the other boys let him. He even explored his neighborhood, the wooded areas around town, and even fished a bit, but mostly by himself. You see, it was the kids who saw Jack as something different, someone who while nice was a bit…off in some way. And because he seemed off they seldom went out of their way to do anything but say hi. But as they were about to find out, Jack Winslow was going to teach them lessons that would stick with them for the rest of their lives. Lessons only one kid could teach another kid, lessons which would apply to Jack himself.
Jack Winslow, for all intense and purposes, appeared to be a normal ten-year-old boy to all the adults who saw him outside his family. But to those in his family, his twelve-year-old sister Marcy, his eight-year-old sister Tracy, his thirty-five-year-old mom Irene, and his just turned thirty-five-year-old dad William, he was anything but normal. In fact, they became worried at times because of Jack’s lack of concern about the opinions of others. Oh he got along very well with his sisters, better than the family heard about other brothers and sisters, and he never gave his parents a bit of bother, always obeying them and listening when they spoke to him. No, his problem dealt with not caring what others thought he should and should not do, and his innate ability to beguile the biggest bully into leaving him alone. As a child psychiatrist employed by the cities Children’s Hospital, Irene did her best to indirectly try and help Jack break out of his apparent shell, as did his dad, a psychologist in private practice with two others. Normal, Jack? Hardly! He was his own little man and politely knew it.
Outsiders comparing Jack to other boys his age would see a boy slightly shorter than boys his age, around 48-50 inches tall. They would also notice he was slimmer than other boys, weighing around 45-50 pounds, and would comment, to themselves and their friends of course, that Jack seemed a bit sickly. This same thing hadn’t gone unnoticed by the other boys, especially the larger boys. Nor did it go unnoticed when at recess he was always last to be picked when they chose up sides for various games. But still, even though outsiders questioned his stature they had to admire his manners and his spirit, for he was always polite and always put everything he had into whatever he was doing. He was also somewhat of a folk hero at school for the way he dealt with the “hippo” when the “hippo” decided Jack was going to be his next target.
Dylan Thomas Williamson was the new boy in school due to his father being transferred by the company he worked for to their plant in town, and the boy outweighed every boy at school by at least one hundred pounds; he was also taller by about twelve inches. And leave it to kids this age but it wasn’t long before Dylan became known as the “hippo.” This moniker must have been used before because the first boy to call him that got picked up and put into the nearest trash can. Of course no teacher saw it happen so, it didn’t happen. But the kids remembered what they saw, and they gave Dylan a wide berth anytime he was around, all except Jack.
One day on the playground Jack saw Dylan starting to push a boy around until the boy fell down. Every time the boy got up Dylan would push him down again. The boy kept telling Dylan to stop but Dylan only laughed and pushed the boy down again. As the kids watch, Jack walked in between Dylan and the boy lying on the ground and holding out his hand said, “Hi, I’m Jack Winslow. I bet you get real mad when people call you names instead of using your name.” No one could believe what Jack had just done. He had put himself right in the cross-hairs of the biggest boy in school, and he just stood in front of Dylan with his hand out waiting for a hand shake. If the other kids thought this was life ending, Dylan was totally confused. Never in his life had he had another kid act as Jack was doing right at this moment, offering Dylan kindness instead of the hate and teasing he always received because of his size, and he seemed to know the hurt Dylan always felt when he heard the word “hippo.”
“Ah…hi, I’m Dylan Thomas, it’s ah…nice to meet you.” Dylan told Jack as he shook Jack’s hand. A collective sigh went out of all the kids watching because Jack was still in one piece. “Ah, by your name, I’d guess your folks really like his poetry and music,” Jack said to Dylan in an attempt to calm him down and redirect his attention to himself; the boy on the ground wasted no time being somewhere else. Dylan just chuckled, a first for everyone listening, before telling Jack, “Oh yeah! They’re big fans. Maybe you can come over some time and listen to his music with me?” There must have been ten kids watching and waiting to see Dylan make paste of Jack, but they didn’t expect to see or hear what they just witnessed between Jack and Dylan. They also didn’t expect the next thing they heard when Jack replied, “Sure, sounds like fun.” They learned a few things that day thanks to Jack, even though they didn’t realize it at the time. Jack was not the brainy nerd everyone pegged him for, just because he always did better in class than everyone else. They also learned how to treat someone who was vastly different than they were, because they really were no different. Word got around about Jack and Dylan, and while there were some holdouts, most of the other kids saw those two in a very different light. So much so that “hippo” and “nerd” became a thing of the past, with Dylan and Jack becoming the present.
Two months later a new girl came to school and right away made it very clear to the other girls her age that SHE was the head queen bee. Sally Hanson was arrogant, self-centered, and a downright nasty piece of work; attributes which caused all of the girls to make sure they were nowhere near her, except in class, when they were in school. It took a few days before it occurred, but it was Jack who once again broke the ice because he had been watching Sally and understood what she was really doing.
One of the younger girls in school was trying to tie her shoe, and getting upset because she couldn’t get it done, when she asked Sally if she could help her tie her shoe as Sally walked by her. Having watched Sally the past few days Jack knew exactly how Sally was going to react and guessed what she was going to say, “What’s a baby like you doing in school if you can’t tie your own shoes,” Sally screamed at the younger girl before telling her, “I never help babies with anything,” which caused the girl to start crying. “That’s right baby, cry like all babies do,” she told the girl before turning and running smack into Jack. “Hi, I’m Jack Winslow, it must be hard to make friends when your dad gets transferred so much,” he told her as she starred down at his outstretched hand, expecting a handshake from her. “Guess it hurts losing the friends you do have only to be the new kid over again. Bet it gets real lonely too, huh?” Jack said while still extending his hand for a handshake. But she was really floored when Jack said, “I’d like to be your friend.”
Sally’s dad was in the military, and in the last nine years they had moved six times, sometimes moving again when they’d only spent a year in their new home. The first few years she had attended schools which had been on the post so kids coming and going was no big deal, but her last few years had been in public schools where she had been treated like the outsider to kids who had grown up together. Because of how they had treated Sally, and because of the very few friends she did make and lost, Sally developed an attitude to insulate her so she wouldn’t feel the hurt and loneliness she felt every time they moved. Unknown to her, Jack picked up on this and that was why he was now standing before her with his outstretched hand and a big smile on his face. She also didn’t know that Jack understood what it meant to be lonely and the outsider, though it was his preference in most cases. As Sally stood there ready to give the boy standing before her the what for, she saw something in his eyes she’d not seen from kids at the other public schools she attended, genuine concern for her, a genuine want to be her friend for as long as they could be friends here and now. As Jack had befuddled Dylan with his demeanor, so he befuddled Sally in the same way.
“H…h…hi, I’m Sally Hanson,” she told Jack and she shook his hand. Because of Sally’s attitude the other kids stay way clear of her, but because she screamed at the younger girl, it was very easy to hear what she said; and to watch as the younger burst into tears. They also watch from their distances as Jack did what he had done to Dylan by standing in front of the girl and extending his hand for a handshake; they guessed he said something to her as well because after they saw her shake Jack’s hand she burst out in tears and watched as Jack took her into a hug. As they watched, when Sally stopped crying she turned around, knelt down said something to the upset younger girl and helped her tie her shoe. She must have said something else because the younger girl pulled Sally into a hug as Jack had done. Over the next few days Sally went around and apologized to the other girls for how she acted, being open and telling them about her past. It came as a surprise to many that other girls knew exactly how she felt, and it wasn’t long before most of the girls had befriended Sally for as long as they could here and now. They noticed a big change in Sally, when she came to school one day, she had learned the night before that her dad was retiring and they were going to live right where they were. Sally wouldn’t have to go to another new school only to be treated like the outsider again. She could finish growing up where she was and make all the friends she wanted. She was also never going to forget the strange boy who helped her break out of her shell.
Jack’s parents and sisters knew Jack never became upset when something happened out of the ordinary. If he dropped something while helping with the dishes and it broke, he’d apologize then would get what was needed to clean it up. Instead of ranting when he couldn’t find something, he simply kept looking until he found it. He never bounced off the walls until his parents would have to put an end to it. He was the same way at school. His first few days seemed to be the worse, given his stature he became the butt of several, so called, jokes. But after his first few replies of, “Is that how you want others to treat you,” or “do you want someone to say that to you,” and other rebuttals, the kids left him alone; they got the point. In his own quiet way Jack taught without actually teaching. He shamed the kids into doing the right thing without actually shaming them outright. He also had more than one kid ask if he could help them with their school work; many a time he’d have two or three kids at his house helping them with their homework. Jack suddenly became the go to kid if you were having trouble with your school work. But Jack’s life was about to change and challenge every kid in school, including his friends Dylan and Sally.
Because Jack often kept to himself his parents thought it might be good if Jack tried some activities outside his perceived comfort zone, which would challenge him in ways he’d not challenge himself. The Community Center had a kid’s art program which met every Saturday from eight in the morning until noon, and because they knew Jack would do anything they asked of him, they wanted him to decide to go each Saturday to the program. Irene and William sat him down and told him about the art program and why they thought it’d be good if he participated. They told him the whys, wherefores, and how it might help him later in life. As they watched, and as he always did, Jack mulled over everything his parents said before telling them, “Sure, it might be fun.” Neither realized they were crossing their fingers until they looked down at their hands.
Jack usually got up around 8 a.m. on Saturday, but today, the Saturday of the art program, his alarm went off at 7 a.m. He never lolled in bed once he awoke, but got up, made his bed then used the bathroom for everything he needed to do. Afterwards, he’d get dressed and go downstairs for breakfast where he usually helped his mother as she made breakfast; this also occurred on school days. When William and his sisters came down for breakfast they thought nothing of seeing Jack helping Irene get breakfast ready before taking Jack to the Community Center. Usually on Saturday, Jack and his sisters would clean up after breakfast, but since Jack was going to the Community Center his sisters were left to clean up—William did help a little, he wiped off the kitchen table.
During the fifteen minute drive to the Community Center Irene tried to get a feel for Jack’s real desire to try the art program by asking him, “Do you think you’re going to like creating art?” The Jack mull took over before he replied, “I don’t know, I’ve never taken an art program before.” Irene knew that was true, and also knew any further questions about his likes or dislikes would be met with the same response. So it was a quiet fifteen minute drive to the Community Center.
Once they arrived at the Community Center Irene did all the usual mother things when dropping off a child. “I’ll pick you up at noon, you have a good time, I love you sweetie,” followed by a kiss on the cheek before she and Jack parted. During the four hours the instructor, a Mrs. Mary Swan, had them try a few different Medias just to see what each might like to continue with, and to get a feel for the abilities of each child. It was eleven-thirty and they had been using paints when Mrs. Swan told them it was time to clean up and take their supplies to the supply closet. That’s the time Jack’s life took a different turn than anyone expected.
Timmy Brown was in the art class just to get away from his parents for part of the weekend. Even if Timmy had nothing to do with it, he was always blamed for whatever happened. Even if his older sister broke something, when everyone was watching, Timmy would get the blame; they’d make up some lame excuse why it was Timmy’s fault. Their verbal abuse had gotten so bad Timmy was actually glad when he could go to school; likewise, he hated when the weekend came. Because of their verbal abuse, Timmy had a very poor self-image, so when he reached the spot where Jack was sitting, he bumped into Jack when Jack pushed his chair back to get up. As Timmy came to a sudden stop the paints he was carrying didn’t and spilled all over Jack’s shirt and pants; the paints even soaked through into his underwear. “OH MY GAWD OH MY GAWD,” Timmy repeated several times before breaking down into sobs. “I’m so so so so so sorry,” he said between wracking sobs and just stood there crying. Mrs. Swan had seen it happen and knew it was an accident, knew it was no one’s fault, but Timmy was not reacting as though it was just an accident, something else was going on with him. She grabbed a roll of paper towels and walked over to where Jack still sat and had him wipe as much of the paint off him before telling her aid, Marsha, to take Jack down to the locker rooms and help him clean off better. By the time the two got near the locker rooms, the paint in Jack’s underwear had run down his pants leg and into his socks. “Whoa there kid,” Marsha told Jack as he was about to walk into the men’s locker room, “I am NOT going in there because there are men’s programs here today and the men will be going in and out. So come on,” she said as she led him into the lady’s locker room; Jack never said a word.
Marsha looked him over closer and saw the paint had soaked more places in the short time it took to walk to the locker rooms; he even had paint on the back of his pants. She had him take off one of his shoes only to see not only had it soaked his socks, but the inside of his shoes as well; she told him to put his foot back in the shoe. “Jack, I will have to go find you something to wear home, your clothes and the inside of your shoes are soaked with paint, and I don’t think your parents will want paint in the car. It looks like the outside of your shoes are clean, so take them off once you’re in one of the shower stalls and set them were they won’t get wet—maybe your parents can clean the insides. Then after you pull the curtain, undress and try to rinse as much paint out of you pants, shirt, and socks. Afterwards use the soap you’ll find in the shower stall and wash real well, okay? Then use one of the towels on the bench to dry off and wrap it around your waist. I’ll be back as soon as I find you something to wear.” Jack watched as Marsha walked off then did as she instructed.
Jack was sitting on a bench with the towel wrapped around him when Marsha returned. Besides the clothes she carried, she also had a plastic garbage bag. “All clean,” she asked as she walked up to Jack. Jack nodded his head as Marsha sat the clothes down on the bench then walked over to the shower stall Jack had used and put his clothes and shoes into the plastic garbage bag. She then came back to Jack and sat beside him put her arm around him before saying, “Um…Jack, we may have a bit of a problem. I couldn’t find any boy clothes in the lost and found only girl clothes.” As she spoke Marsha watched for any adverse reaction to what she just told Jack, but saw none and decided to continue. “I found a pack of panties, a skirt, a blouse, some knee high socks, and a pair of shoes that might fit.” Again she looked for any bad reactions but saw none. “So, you can try on what I found or keep that towel and wear it home, the choice is yours.” This time his reaction was one she recognized because she’d seen it before, he was thinking, and in no time he said, “I’ll wear the clothes.”
Marsha picked up the pack of panties then asked Jack, “Are you sure this is what you want to do? The other kids might laugh at you.” She watched as Jack thought again then simply nodded his head; Marsha then opened the pack of panties. “Okay, Jack, I’ll turn my back so you can remove the towel and put on one of the panties. Let me know when you’re done and I’ll help you with the rest of the clothes if you need it.” Marsha turned her back to Jack and heard the crinkle of the plastic pack and a moment later heard, “Okay,” form Jack. Jack had already taken the skirt off the bench and had pulled it up to his waist. As she watched he tried to fasten the button and pull up the zipper as he would a pair of pants. “Here, let me help you with that skirt, the button and zipper go in the back. Turn around for a minute.” Jack turned around as Marsha held the skirt then fastened the button and pulled up the zipper. “There you go,” she told Jack as she watched him picked up the blouse. It took him a moment to realize that the buttons were on the left instead of on the right on boy’s shirts, but once he figured that out he had no trouble buttoning the blouse; Marsha did button the cuffs on the long sleeves. Jack then picked up the socks and sat down on the bench, only to have Marsha tell him, “Whoa there kid, stand up a minute. When you’re wearing a skirt you have to straighten out the back of the skirt under you before sitting down—it keeps the skirt looking nice, and, um, helps keep others from seeing your panties.” As she watched, Jack straightened out the skirt then sat down, keeping his legs together, something she never told him; she thought to herself that this kid has done this before. “Um…Jack, have you worn girl’s clothes before,” she asked him and getting an immediate shake of his head. Looking into his eyes Marsha could tell he was telling her the truth. For a boy who had never worn girls’ clothes before he seemed every bit a girl with those clothes on. Marsha even noticed how Jack put on the knee high socks without exposing the panties he was wearing; maybe she should talk to Mary about what she’s seen, she told herself. Jack picked up the girls’ shoes, Mary Janes, placed them on the floor, put his feet in them and tried to buckle the strap. Marsha could see he was having trouble doing the buckles, so she knelt down before him and buckled them for Jack. Marsha also noticed how Jack watched intently as she did the buckles. “Well,” Marsha said, “Guess that will get you home. We better go and finish cleaning up your work space and pick up you other things to go home,” she told Jack as she picked up the plastic garbage containing Jack’s painted clothes and walked him back to the classroom.
When Marsha and Jack walked into the classroom there were a few snickers, but only a few before Jack told them, “There just clothes and my mom would not have been happy if I got paint all over her car. How would your mom feel if this had happened to you?” The mention of the other kid’s mom got them to thinking, and quieted them down. Jack saw Mrs. Swan sitting on the little couch holding Timmy, so he walked over and told Timmy while at the same time rubbing the boy’s shoulder, “Hey, it was only an accident, no one was at fault.” Timmy looked up at Jack with red eyes and tears smeared cheeks and said, “Thanks.” Mrs. Swan smiled at Jack for what he just did and watch as he walked over to his work area and cleaned up his materials. She thought it strange how much of a ten-year-old girl he looked in those clothes, and how much he walked like one.
While Marsha had taken Jack to get cleaned up, Mary Swan had picked up the crying Timmy and carried him over to the small couch in the room and sat down while holding him in her lap. Between sobs she heard Timmy say in an extremely agitated voice, “They all blame me for everything, everything that happens, and I’m not even there when it happens. Why are they blaming me,” before he would once again cry in earnest. Mary was torn between trying to help and not getting involved until Timmy reached up with his right hand to wipe tears out of his eyes and the sleeve of his long sleeve shirt fell back revealing several old scars and one still healing near Timmy’s wrist. Seeing those scars, and the one still healing, Mary suddenly realized what Timmy had been saying and worse yet, what he’d been trying to do. Mrs. Mary Swan was no longer undecided, seeing those scars had cemented her decision, as she reached into her skirt pocked, took out her cell phone and made a call.
“Hi, it’s me. I’m fine and so are Steve and the kids.”
“Listen, are you busy, good because I need you here yesterday.”
“Yeah, a ten-year-old boy with wrist scars.”
“No, no others that I saw, no bruises either.”
“Yeah, that was my guess.”
“Oh and I was able to learn he’s left on his own every Saturday from about eight in the morning until around six in the evening.”
“Now is that language a lady should use? Yeah, I know, I feel the same.”
“Yeah, okay, I’ll see you in a few. Bye”
As Timmy slowly calmed down while Mary held him, Marsha and Jack came into the room and Jack was wearing a skirt, blouse, knee socks, and Mary Jane shoes. It struck her as odd that Jack showed no outward signs of being destressed by what he was wearing, although she’d only met the boy today, not once did he show any outward signs of unease while being in the class—which some of the other kids had. She watched as Jack came over to her and Timmy, told Timmy “it was only an accident and no one’s fault,” before walking over to his work area where Marsha helped him pick up the paints and start heading to the supply closet, when a person coming into the class caught her attention, it was her sister Barbara. Barbara was at home when Mary called her, a twenty minute drive to the Community Center. But Mary had only called her ten minutes ago, so Barbara must have broken a few speeding laws. Barbara came over to her, gave her a kiss then said to Timmy, “Hi sweetheart, how are you doing,” in as soft a voice as she could. While Barbara had a Masters in both psychology and sociology, it didn’t take a lot of effort to see how upset the boy was.
Very softly Mary said, “Timmy, this is my sister Barbara. She works for the department which helps protect kids like you.” As Mary said that to Timmy, Barbara had pulled one of the nearby chairs in front of Mary and Barbara and sat down. “Hi Timmy, it’s nice to meet you.” In a weak, sad voice, they both heard, “Hi…” Mary asked Timmy, again in a very soft voice, “Do you think you could tell Barbara everything you told me?” As the two women waited, Timmy slowly nodded his head then started telling his story. When he finished Mary saw how red Barbara’s face had gotten and that her hand were balled into fists. Over the years, even while growing up, she and their parents knew when Barbara was this red in the face and her fists were balled she was boiling mad. As Mary watched, Barbara pulled out her cell phone and made a call.
“HI…! Sorry, I’m a bit in a snit right now after hearing a terrible story.”
“Yes I would, and could you call Sargent Miller and ask to have an office met us here?”
“Oh, and have a stenographer come as well so we can get the story on tape.”
“No, I think I’ll have Mrs. Swan take care of the boy until we find out more. Okay, bye.”
Barbara turned her attention back to Timmy then asked him in her soft voice, “Timmy, I’m going to let Mrs. Swan take care of you for a while, would you like that?” It took a moment before Timmy nodded his head, telling the two women “yes.” Barbara then explained to Mary what they would be doing once the officer and the stenographer arrived. And because Barbara had the authority within the CPS to make such decisions, Mary would take charge of Timmy until the parents could be contacted to gather more information and get to the bottom of all this.
It was seven-thirty in the evening before Mary heard from his sister again. The phone rang and before Mary could hold the receiver to her ear she heard her sister say things which years ago would have gotten her mouth washed out with soap. As she always did when Barbara was the bull over the phone, Mary let out a very shrill whistle which ended Barbara’s rant stone dead. “Now,” Mary told her sister, “Would you mind coming back down to earth and try to calmly tell me what you just shouted at me?” Even as a child Barbara had been like this when at a full boil and trying to talk over the phone. It didn’t take long before Mary heard, “Um…sorry, again.” Now it was Mary’s turn to come to a full boil from what Barbara told her.
Barbara and the officer had gone to Timmy’s home and knocked on the front door. Timmy’s dad had answered the door and the minute she mentioned Timmy’s name his dad was off and running with, “What’d the little bastard do this time? What the hell did he cause this time?” The other three in the family heard dad yelling and came to investigate. That’s when all four people of that house got involved; recounting all the things Timmy had caused to happen, even when he wasn’t there how things happened. They even had the gall to tell Barbara to her face, “Even when the little bastard isn’t here things happened.” Barbara told Mary she wanted to grab the officer’s firearm and blow every one of those ignorant SOBs away. But the only thing she gave them was a court order to appear in child court and the day—Barbara had taken the time before going to Timmy’s home to speak with a judge and let him hear Timmy’s story. She told Mary she couldn’t repeat what the judge said after listening to the tape or it might get back to their mom.
The attorney with the CPS had done her work, because when the court date came she had summoned as many family members as she could to give testimony as to what they witnessed when Timmy and his family were at family gatherings. Suffice to say that when she was finished, Timmy was made a ward to Mary and her husband. His family didn’t get off Scot free by any means. They all received community service for two years from 6 p.m. on Friday until 6 p.m. on Sunday, every weekend. They were also ordered to pay a substantial monthly amount for Timmy’s support. Plus, three time a week they were to attend an hour session with a psychologist. And, AND, if they refused to comply or tried to skip town a fugitive warrant would be issued and Timmy’s parents and older brother would end up in prison for a least five years while his sister would spend her time until she turned eighteen in juvie then the rest of her time in prison. They were also given a restraining order that forbid them from ever contacting Timmy or being near him without Mary or her husband being there. But the important thing was that Timmy now had a home with loving parents who would help him try and deal with what he suffered through and get him the help he needed. His next appointment was with a Dr. Irene something or other.
As Jack and Marsha walk out of the supply closet Jack turns and looks up at her before saying, “It was nice of you to help me, thank you.” Marsha smiles then bends down and hugs the boy while telling him, “You very welcome Jack.” Marsha watches as Jack walks away from her, still surprised how much Jack looks like a ten-year-old girl in the clothes he’s wearing. As she watches, Jack walks over to Mary where he stops in front of her and politely waits until Mary and the other woman have stopped talking.
Mary had seen Jack coming her way as she and Barbara continue to talk about Timmy’s future. Jack stopped before her and waited until she and Barbara had finished talking before he spoke up. “Mrs. Swan, I want to apologize for the mess and hope it didn’t cause any problems.” Mary had to smile at both the boy’s politeness and his willingness to step up to take responsibility for something that wasn’t anyone’s fault. She reached out and took Jack’s hand before telling him, “Jack there is no need to apologize because it was just an accident. And as to problem being created, no Jack, that accident helped solve a problem which had been occurring for several years. That accident helped give Timmy a chance at a new life. Jack, you helped Timmy have that chance just because you were here today.” Mary had observed Jack for only four hours but it was enough to understand the face he now wore was his thinking face. His only reply was, “Oh, okay.” Then to Timmy’s surprise Jack asked, “Are you going to be here next Saturday Timmy?” When Timmy heard his name he looked at Jack only to have Jack repeat the question. After Jack repeated the question Timmy looked up at Mary and saw she was nodding her head, with a pleading look in her eyes. Timmy turned back to Jack and told him, “Sure, see you next Saturday.”
Barbara had sat quietly watching the exchange between Jack, Timmy, and Mary before she looked at Mary with a question on her face. Mary held up her hand letting Barbara to wait and she’d explain. Both woman watched as Jack walked out of the class and into the hallway before Mary told the whole story which lead up to her being called. Barbara just shook her head before telling Mary how much he looks like a ten-year-old girl.
Irene had arrived at the Community Center at noon to pick up Jack from his art class. It was now ten after and she still didn’t see Jack. As she watched the doors, expecting Jack to walk out any minute, a young girl about Jack’s age walked out through the open door and headed towards she was waiting. As the girl got closer Irene could see she was carrying a plastic garbage bag which contained something inside. Irene’s mouth fell open when she heard, “Hi mom,” before the back door of the car opened and the little girl placed the plastic bag on the floor before closing the door and opening the front door and getting into the car. “Um…Jack?” Irene questioned as she saw it was her Jack dresses in girl clothes. “Yeah mom, it’s me. There was an accident with some paint and this is all they could find for me to wear. My clothes are in the trash bag.” Irene still couldn’t get over how much Jack look like a little girl dressed as he was, but was a bit concerned when she saw he was wearing panties. “Um, Jack, please get out of the car so you can sweep the back of that skirt under you as you sit down. And remember to keep your legs together as you get out and back in.” All Jack said as a reply was, “Okay.” Irene watched as Jack did as she had told him, keeping his legs together when he got out then sweeping the skirt and keeping his legs together as he got back into the car. It was strange watching her son do as she said because to her it seemed he had done this several times before; he even kept his legs together as he sat. She would need to speak with William about what she saw Jack do. “We were going to do a bit of shopping after your art class, but I guess you’d like to go straight home and change?” As Irene asked her question she watched as Jack mulled it over before he told her, “No, it would be a waste of time to take me home to change then go shopping. We should go shopping before going home.” Irene took several minutes to study Jack’s face, to see if there was any fear or distress or anything else which showed he was unwilling to be seen as he was dressed. Seeing none she asked him, “Are you sure? People will see you dressed in girl’s clothing and some might be kids from school.” Again Jack mulled over her question before telling her, “I’m sure, let’s go.” So with Jack dressed in girls’ clothing he and Irene went shopping, and Irene hoped Jacked could withstand what the kids were going to say if they saw how he was dressed.
Their first stop was at the mall, and during the drive over Irene tried to access Jack’s overall stability dressed as he was. “How did you come to be dressed as you are, Jack?” Irene asked her son, amazed at his demeanor so far, his sitting with his hands folded in his lap, and his knees together with both feet on the floor, and listening intently as he related the entire story. Glancing occasionally as she drove while listening to Jack tell his story, Irene could not get over how much her son resembled a ten-year-old girl, even with his hair only down to the bottom of his ears. She could see that if his hair were down to his shoulders he would be mistaken for a girl because of how he was dressed; she would need to speak to William about her suspicions. “…and Marsha could only find girls’ clothes in the lost and found so I thought it was better to wear clothes than a towel.” Jack finished his tale and was once again silent. “Um…Jack…how do girls’ clothes compare to boys’ clothes,” Irene asked to see if Jack had processed the difference. Because the family was used to Jack mulling over questions he’d never been asked, Irene waited as Jack gathered the information he needed. It wasn’t long before Jack told her, “…well, they don’t fit as tight as boys’ clothes, and my legs feel freer than in my pants. I like how much better the panties fit, and the blouse feels real nice. It’s kind of different walking in these shoes but that’s okay too.” As Jack became silent once again, Irene knew he had finished answering her question, but she had one more question to ask. “Um, Jack, would you like to wear girls’ clothes more often, maybe we could buy you more today?” Irene glanced at Jack only to see that his face had his “I’m thinking” look to it so she would wait until Jack was ready to answer her last question. Her wait was extremely long, because Jack didn’t answer until they had entered the mall and Jack pulled her aside before telling her, “I wasn’t sure how to answer your question ‘cause I’d only walked in the clothes out to the car. But now that I walked in them from where you parked the car to the mall, I really like how they feel when I walk. I like how my legs feel without having pants on. And I think I might like wearing these more often, and maybe we could buy more while we’re here?” Irene was not upset by Jack’s answer; she kind of expected his answer. Irene needed to call William right now and talk with him about all of this, and had noticed Jack studiously examining an exhibit just inside the mall entrance. “Jack I need to call you father, why don’t you get a closer look at that exhibit that’s caught your attention?” William needed to know what Jack had just told her, and needed to know his decision to shop with her dressed as he was dressed. And she didn’t need him to hear her side of the conversation so she was relieved when Jack replied, “Okay.”
Irene dialed William’s cell phone number and when he answered, “Hi hon, it’s me, can you talk?” And for the next fifteen Irene explained what she observed when picking Jack up at the Community Center, how he was dress and why. Irene told William about Jack telling her they should “go shopping because it would take too long for them to go home so he could change.” She told him about the questions she asked Jack and his replies, all done in Jack’s usual manner. Then Irene dropped the “bomb” and told William what Jack told her when she asked if he’d like to wear girls’ clothing more often and we could buy him more today. Irene and William had discussed Jack demeanor so often in the past, not to mention his more feminine actions, actions which were hardly noticeable unless you knew what to look for.
William Winslow was almost like Jack when it came to mulling things over, but what Irene just told him was a topic he had been thinking about since the last time he and Irene discussed what to do for Jack. He was also like Irene in that he didn’t want to see Jack hurt if they steered him towards his feminine side, but felt he may be heading that direction anyway. Irene helped William make up his mind when she told him, “Hon, I really think we should let Jack do this and see where he goes with it and how he handles how people may react.” William told her, “I believe you are right, Jack should be allowed to do this since it is something he asked to do. But we need to make sure we monitor him and be there if and when he needs us. And we need to talk to the girls and ask them to help Jack in any way they can.” Irene told William those were her thoughts too before telling him “I love you, see you soon.”
Irene had just hung up after talking to William when she heard, “Hi Jack.” She looked up from where she sat and saw a girl, Kelly Miller from Jack’s class, walking over to her son. She knew this was the perfect time to see how Jack handled others while he was dressed in girl’s clothing. And as she listened she heard, “Hi Jack, why are you wearing girls’ clothing?” After Jack explained everything Kelly asked, “Doesn’t it bother you, aren’t you worried what others might say?” All Jack could answer was, “No it doesn’t bother me, they’re just clothes,” before an older, taller, boy walked up to Kelly and Jack. “Hi Michael, this is Jack Winslow, a boy in my class at school. Jack this is my brother Michael.” Michael was fourteen and a freshman at the high school. He was taller than Jack by about a foot and weighed a lot more than Jack. “That’s a boy?” Michael asked in a very snotty voice. “Michael!” Kelly almost yelled his name, “That is not nice! Jack is a very sweet boy.” Michael only laughed at his sister before telling her, “He’s a faggot, a sissy, a queer.” As Irene watched, Kelly stood right in front of her brother before kicking him hard in his shin. “OW, damn it Kelly.” While Michael was bent over holding his shin Kelly told him in a rather loud voice, “Mom warned you about calling people those names, and you know what she’s going to do if you were caught doing it again. Well, BROTHER, I caught you and now you’re going to get what mom promised.” Irene had to hold her hand over her mouth to stifle a laugh because of not only how Kelly stood up to her older brother but because her brother was as white as a sheet; Irene could tell by the older boy’s face that he was not going to like what his mother was going to do.
But the older boy’s admonishment wasn’t over yet, as Jack took the two steps needed to stand right in front of the older boy. “Did you like it when your friends called you those names when you had to dress up as a girl for Halloween because you lost a bet—and your mom wouldn’t let you get out of it? Does it still bother you after all this time? Because if it still bothers you, why do you think it’s okay to call other people those names? Don’t you think it makes them feel as you still feel? I’m wearing these clothes because of an accident at the Community Center art program, and it would have taken too long to go home and change so my mom could go shopping. I didn’t want to ruin her shopping trip so I just wore these clothes. Now do you understand? Isn’t it better to think of my mom first before myself?” Irene pulled a tissue out of her purse and wiped her eyes after what Jack just said. Irene knew right then that she and William had made the right decision. Irene was about to get up when Michael said, “Um…yea, I’m sorry Jack; you’re right in everything you said. And Kelly, go ahead and tell mom what I said, I deserve it. Sorry, Jack, I was wrong.” Irene had seen Jack put his sisters in line when they went too far, but had never seen him doing it with a total stranger. Jack had shamed Michael without actually making it obvious. He had caused the older, bigger boy, to back down and realize how wrong he had been. And Michael realized he was wrong because he wasn’t trying to get Kelly not to tell their mom what he had said. That young man doesn’t realize it but he’s grown up a lot today. Seeing Michael extend his hand and the two boys shake hands, Irene knew the confrontation was over and time to collect Jack for his shopping spree.
[Side note: When Irene arrived at the Children’s Hospital Monday morning, Mrs. Miller was waiting to speak with her concerning the incident at the mall on Saturday. Carol wanted to apologize for the way Michael had treated Jack, only finding out that Carol had nothing to apologize for because Michael had been the guilty party, and that Jack took it upon himself to straighten Michael out. Irene also found out that Carol and her husband had sat Michael down and explained the consequences should he get caught calling someone those names and that for the rest of the semester at school it would be Michelle or no more sports while he attended high school; with the school’s blessings because of some past incidents involving Michael, Michelle would be attending high school for the rest of the semester; they were also going to make sure no one bullied Michael because of how he would be dressed. Carol then asked Irene if she could make an appointment for Michelle, to see if Irene couldn’t get to the bottom of Michael’s attitude. Irene told Carol she’d be happy too. It was during their first session, several days later, that Michelle admitted that she had told her mom what had been said instead of Kelly. She felt so bad after Jack confronted her that she couldn’t let Kelly be involved. At that moment, like at the mall, Irene saw a young man grow just a bit more that morning.]
Irene watched as Kelly and Jack said their goodbyes before collecting Jack to have a talk with him. After leading Jack over to the ledge of a nearby fountain, and sitting down, she told Jack, “Jack, I spoke with your father and we agree if you want to wear girls’ clothing more often then we will allow it.” Irene watched Jack mull over what she just told him before saying, “Thank you, I would still like to do that.” Seeing that Jack had made up his mind Irene started her mental shopping list for more girls’ clothes for a girl Jack’s age. When she came to dresses and skirts, because Jack was wearing a skirt she felt it should be Jack decision as to which he wanted to wear. “I’m having a hard time deciding whether to buy you skirts, dresses or both. Can you tell me which ones we should buy, Jack?” Irene knew the way she phrased the question that it would cause Jack to ponder the question before answering, but she didn’t expect his immediate reply of, “Can we buy both, would that be okay?” Irene bent down and kissed Jack on the cheek then said, “Of course sweetie, since that’s what you want.”
After lunch at the food court, as Irene took Jack to the different stories which catered to young girls, she explained how to coordinate her clothes, what colors paired well with what colors, what styles looked good on Jack, and all the other things mothers explained to their daughters about clothing. She even had Jack measured at one store and noticed during his being measured something odd about his chest. As a medical doctor she knew boys Jack’s age seldom had much chest development unless it ran in a family or because of a medical condition. Irene knew the history of hers and William’s family and knew all the males on both sides started developing around fifteen-years of age. But Jack showed signs of chest development which only occurred in girls, and at very specific locations on their chests. What Irene thought she was looking at were breast buds, on her son’s chest! As the young woman continued measuring Jack Irene stepped outside the changing room and made a phone call to a colleague who specialized in cases such as she saw on Jack’s chest, making the appointment for Monday afternoon after Jack got out of school. She had to know if her suspicions were correct, and if they were, what they needed to do to help Jack in the coming months. Because if her suspicions were correct, Jack may actually be Jackie, her third daughter; Irene wondered how William was going to take the news when she told him.
They left the mall with so many bags they had to have help caring them to the car. Besides the items Irene came for, Jack now had several very pretty dresses, skirts and blouses, camisoles, panties, slips, socks, hosiery, and shoes. Maybe Irene shouldn’t have been shocked, but she was, when Jack asked about buying bras. When she questioned Jack about it, all he replied was, “Don’t girls wear bras too?” By the look on Jack’s face Irene knew she’d never be a poker player when Jack told her, “Mom, since I’m going to be wearing girls’ clothing then I want to dress correctly.” So, when they left the mall one of their bags contained several training bras, which Jack chose once the right style was selected. It was now about four-thirty in the afternoon as they drove out of the mall parking lot, and Irene wanted a rather quick supper so she could talk with William for as long as need be, so she drove to one of the family’s favorite Chinese take-out place and ordered their usual. Tonight was going to be interesting when Jack walked into the house and the girls and William had their first look at Jack dressed in girls’ clothing. It might get even more interesting when she tells William what she observed concerning Jack’s chest.
Irene and Jack walked into the house with the first load of bags, which they took to Jack’s room. Their arrival home, and the noise caring the bags to Jack’s room, prompted Tracy and Marcy come into the living room just as Irene and Jack walked out the door to bring in the rest of the bags. Irene caught a fleeting glimpse of the girls coming into the living room and let Jack walk into the house first on their final trip from the car. The girl’s squealing and loud, “WOW Jack, you look nice in that outfit,” brought William out of the office and added his own, “Jack, I have to agree with the girls, you look very nice.” Most boys Jack’s age would be looking for the closest place to crawl under had they been seen wearing girls’ clothing. Not Jack, not even after being seen by every member of his family or Kelly and Michael Miller or everyone at the mall. Nope, all Jack told the rest of his family, “Thank you, I was hoping I looked alright.”
Over supper of Chinese take-out, Jack once again told the story how he came to wearing girls’ clothing, and that he thought they both felt nice and made it easier to move; he also admitted he liked having nothing covering his legs. Jack had been a bit careless and Tracy and Marcy were able to see that he was wearing panties, and being the imps they were couldn’t resist asking him, “How do you like wearing panties?” William grabbed Irene’s hand under the table and squeezed it hard, signaling Irene not to say anything. As the four watched, Jack put on his “thinking” face before telling his sisters, “They’re a lot softer than the underwear I usually wear and they fit better. I like them.” Both parents knew that most boys would be stammering and red faced by the question Tracy and Marcy asked, but Jack just took their question in stride and gave them his answer without so much as a red face or stammer. It was then Irene and William caught the look Tracy and Marcy gave each other and knew Jack was going to have sister time after supper and they had done their homework. Because of the look the two girls gave each other, Irene and William knew the kids were going to keep each other company tonight, and maybe Sunday, so they could discuss what was occurring with Jack. The three kids also knew the penalty for causing any problems while mom and dad were together talking.
“Okay,” Irene began, “If everyone is finished then let’s get the table cleared and the dished taken care of, because you three girls have homework to do.” Tracy, Marcy, and William caught the reference to Jack being a girl but didn’t correct Irene. If Jack caught Irene’s reference he didn’t let on, but William did see a very slight smile on Jack’s face and would make sure he told Irene what he saw. Jack got the duty to take the Chinese take-away boxes out to the trash cans, no sense leaving them in the kitchen waste basket to smell up the kitchen. William wiped off the table while Irene and the girls rinsed off what plates and silverware were used and placed them in the dishwasher. When Jack came back into the house, Irene told the three, “Okay girls, homework, go.” This time when Tracy and Marcy heard Jack referred to as a girl they both giggled as they headed to their bedrooms to work on their homework. This time, though, Jack replied, “Okay mommy,” as he headed to his bedroom.
William took Irene’s hand and led her into the office, closing the door before asking her, “Did you realize you referred to Jack as a girl when you told the kids about needing to do their homework while we were at the kitchen table? You did it again just after we finished in the kitchen.” Irene blinked her eyes a few times before realization hit her that William was right, she had called Jack a girl. “Oh my, how did he take it?” Irene asked as she started pacing the small office, worried she might have hurt Jack in some way by her inadvertent choice of works. William stood in front of her on one of her paces, took her hands, kissed the back of each one then led her to the small couch and had her sit down. He kept hold of her hands as he sat down and looked straight into Irene’s eyes, telling her, “Irene, he’s okay, he didn’t bat an eye when you told the “girls” they had homework to do or when you sent them off to do their homework. Tracy and Marcy caught what you said, and I don’t think they would disagree with you if that look they gave each other is any indication.” Irene pulled herself close to William then asked him, “What are we going to do Bill?”
For an hour and a half William and Irene spoke about Jack and this latest development, until there was a knock on the door, and after William saying loud enough to be heard, “Come in,” Tracy, Marcy, and Jack came into the office carrying their homework for their parents to look over. After accepting their homework papers, William told the three, “Tracy and Marcy, why don’t you two go with Jack and let him show you what he and mom bought for him today. Maybe he can model the clothes for you?” Hearing what their dad had just said, Tracy and Marcy’s faces lit up as bright as the sun, and as William and Irene watched, even Jack’s face had an uncharacteristic happy look to it; even his fleeting smile was bigger. The real surprise, though, was how talkative Jack was as the three left the office for Jack’s bedroom. He was extremely animated as he told his sisters what stores they shopped at and all they purchased. Before checking the kid’s homework, Irene told William the one last thing she was holding back, about what she saw on Jack’s chest. William nodded his head at hearing this, and then told her after she told him about the appointment she had made, “I’m glad you went ahead and made that appointment, we need to find out what Jack is starting to go through.” And as they checked the kid’s homework, they weren’t surprised they didn’t need to call any of the three and help them correct some of their work.
As was customary, once the kid’s homework was checked William and Irene would take it back to the kids and sit and talk with each one for a while. This time, because all three kids were in Jack’s bedroom, they could give back homework and sit and talk with all three at one time. When they reached Jack’s bedroom they heard Marcy tell Jack, “Okay now watch me, you gather up on leg then pull it over your foot, pulling it up until it goes just over your knee. Then you do the same for the other leg, and then after you get that leg over your knee you stand up and pull it the rest of the way up until it is at your waist. That’s it Jack, now pull it up a bit further, there, you did it. Now put that dress back on.” Irene and William started to enter Jack’s bedroom until they heard Tracy tell Jack, “Sit down on your bed so I can help you put these shoes on. And hold still while Marcy brushes your hair.” Then they heard Marcy tell Jack, “Now, hold real still so I can put a bit of makeup on you—mom only lets me use a little tiny bit.” William and Irene looked at each other when William mouthed to Irene, “I think we have a new daughter.” As William saw Irene nod, he also saw a tears slip out of her eyes; he pulled her close and kissed her, and then whispered, “I love you.”
Like listening for popcorn to stop popping when it’s being made in the microwave, Irene and William listened until they heard no more conversations, backed up several steps then acted like they were just coming down the hall to Jack’s room. To say they were taken aback would be an understatement, because as they entered Jack’s room they saw a very pretty ten-year-old girl standing before them wearing one of the new dresses, hosiery and one of the new pair of Mary Jane shoes. And the one thing which really caught their attention was the big smile Jack was exhibiting—something they’d hadn’t seen in six years, since Jack was four. Tracy and Marcy were standing next to Jack with a mixture of fear, uncertainty, and excitement on their faces. Fear because they thought they might have gone too far in dressing Jack, uncertainty because they didn’t know how their parents would react, and excitement because they both knew, and had known for some time, they really had a sister and not a brother and were excited at the prospects of what all the three could do together.
Seeing the astonished looks on his parent’s faces Jack asked, “Do I look alright, Marcy and Tracy helped me put everything together, even all the underclothes.” William sat the homework papers down on the desk near the bedroom door before placing his hands on Irene’s shoulders, as he saw tears starting to slide down her cheeks. “Yes, baby, you look alright, beautiful even,” she told Jack before walking out from under William’s hands only to kneel down in front of a very happy Jack. “You look absolutely beautiful, and Marcy and Tracy did a good job helping you choose.” More tears slid down her cheeks as she pulled Jack into a hug and told her, “You’re absolutely beautiful sweetheart.” William had walked over where Marcy and Tracy were standing while watching their mother and new sister hug, put his arm around their shoulders, pulled them close and whispered, “You guys did good,” before giving each a kiss on the cheek. “Thanks daddy,” William heard before receiving two kisses himself. Irene was right in making that appointment, William thought to himself, as he watch his wife bond with their new daughter. As mother and new daughter pulled apart, Jack noticed his mother had been crying and wondered why. “Mommy, why are you crying?” Jack asked his mother as he reached up and wiped the tears away. Irene giggled before replying, “I’m just so very happy for you, honey, so very happy.” Jack’s smile got even bigger as he hugged his mother again before telling her, “I love you mommy.”
William guided Tracy and Marcy to Jack’s bed and sat them down on the bed. He then motioned to Irene to sit on the other side of Tracy before having Jack stand before the four. “Jack you are an unbelievably beautiful little girl, so we can’t keep calling you Jack, now can we?” Jack laughed at that before telling his father, “No, guess we can’t,” and laughed again—another something which Jack did so seldom. “So,” William began, “What name should we use?” The four watched as Jack put on his “thinking” face before asking them, “Would Joslyn be okay with everyone?” As Joslyn watched, first her mom nodded her head yes, then Tracy nodded her head yes, then Marcy nodded her head yes, and William told her, “Yes, that’s a wonderful name, Joslyn.” Four very happy people almost crushed Joslyn as they all pulled her into a family hug, and four very happy people had to wipe their eyes too.
Irene and William both knew there was more that had to be done before Joslyn could be legally recognized, so Irene told Joslyn, “Joslyn, we still have a lot to do before you can become Joslyn all the time. So until then Jack will have to attend school. Joslyn can be at home all she wants, and shopping too, but Jack will need to be at school. Okay?” Their new daughter, standing before them, seemed to have changed in the blink of an eye. Where Jack would have thought about a question put before him, Joslyn simply told his parents, “That’s okay, I do understand.” With that statement, Joslyn hugged and kissed his mother, sisters, and dad, getting the same in return, before William got up to get their homework and return it. Irene glanced at the clock on the wall in Joslyn’s room and proclaimed it was bed time, getting an “Awww…” from the three girls. But “the look” from William got the three moving and a “We’ll help you Joslyn,” from Tracy. Irene and William left the three to get ready for bed and went into the living room to talk, but wasn’t long before the three girls came in to say they were ready for bed. With the girls in the lead, and Irene and William trailing, as each girl went into their bedroom, Irene or William would go in and tuck them into bed, giving each a hug and kiss before the other parent came and did the same. As Irene and William walked back down the hall, they hear their three girls saying goodnight to each other. William heard Irene sniff and noticed she once again had tears running down her cheeks. Seeing William notice her tears she merely told him, “I’m just so happy for her, that’s all.” William knew that was what she wanted him to hear, but knew she held back that she’d miss having Jack around. And so would he. But as he thought about it, their son was now more happier than he had been in years, so maybe this was the best for all of them.
Jack’s alarm started blaring at six-thirty, which meant it was Monday, a school day, the day Jack would be attending school. After shutting off the alarm, Jack got up, made his bed then headed to the bathroom. Once done in the bathroom he got dressed in his Jack clothes, already missing his Joslyn clothes, and headed to the kitchen for breakfast. As Jack entered the kitchen Irene could already see that the pre-accident, pre-weekend Jack had returned, the Jack who seldom, if ever, smiled or laughed, the Jack who never showed emotions or could be insulted because he gave better than he got. That Jack, they later found out, was suffering because he didn’t want to let anyone in the family down. The Jack Irene so wanted to help but could only help as a mother could, not a professional. “Hi sweetie, did you sleep okay?” Irene asked Jack as she had to stifle a catch in her throat as she spoke. She knew for sure Jack had returned when all he did was nod his head, and then sit down at the kitchen table. “Jack, I will come and pick you up right after school for your appointment, okay?” As Irene reminded Jack about his appointment, she saw the question wash over his face, but he only replied as he always did, “Okay.” Tracy and Marcy came into the kitchen a short time after Jack, but all three finished breakfast about the same time, so the three kissed their mom goodbye and headed out of the house to catch the bus for school. Irene watched the kids walk out of the front door and when the door closed, sat down at the kitchen table and nursed her cup of coffee. It wasn’t long before a pair of arms wrapped around her before she received a kiss and a “Morning, have I told you how much I love you?” William’s kiss on the cheek wasn’t enough for her right at that moment, so she reached up and pulled him down and gave him a very lustful kiss. William knew from past experience that Irene kissed him that way for one of two reasons. She either was hornier than a horny toad, or she was hurting and needed his comfort. By the way she pulled his arms tight around her he guessed she needed his comfort right now. William had bent down so his cheek was next to Irene’s before softly telling her, “Sweetheart, he’ll be okay. He’s a lot stronger than either of us knew. We just have to let him be Joslyn as much as we can until she can be Joslyn full time—if that’s what Jack wants.” William felt tears wet his cheek before Irene said in a choked voice, “Yes, I know that, but it still hurts not being able to help him any more than being there when he needs us.” “Irene,” William said as he let go of her then turned her chair around to face him before kneeling down in front of her, wiping the tears off her cheeks and telling her, “Being there when our children need us is what we do as parents. We support them in whatever they decide, but within limits. Finding out about Joslyn and having her with us this weekend, I think we helped Jack much more than any time since he was born. You saw that Joslyn is a completely different person, she’s more open, chatty, she smiles, and she laughs. Oh we’ve seen Jack smile, some, over the years, but nothing like Joslyn did the entire weekend. Sweetheart, we did better with our kids this weekend than we’ve done in the entire time they’ve been with us. Now can we do much more as parents?” Irene bent down and gave William another lustful kiss before telling him, “I hope the kids sleep soundly tonight, I’d hate to wake them at the wrong time.” Giving his wife his own lustful kiss, William knew it was going to be hard to concentrate on work today because of what he and Irene would be doing tonight after the kids were asleep.
Tracy and Marcy watched their brother as they rode the bus to school. Both could see their Jack had returned and they were worried he’d have trouble getting through the day at school, so they made sure to talk with Jack once they were off the bus at school. “Jack wait up,” Marcy called Jack. Walking up to Jack she asked, “Are you going to be okay today in school?” Jack was never one to waste words when an action would suffice, so as he always did, he simply nodded his head. “Are you sure,” asked Tracy, getting another nod from Jack. “If you need help or need to talk come find us at recess, okay?” And as their brother always said when asked this type of question, he simply replied, “Okay.” The two sisters watched as Jack walked off towards his classroom, with Tracy telling Marcy, “I sure hope he told us the truth and he will be okay today.” Marcy put her arm around his sister and told her, “So do I sis.”
The school bell rang a precisely 3 o’clock in the afternoon, signaling the end of the school day. Because of the location of the kid’s classrooms, Jack and Tracy caught up with Marcy as she was standing outside of her classroom waiting for them. Both girls knew Jack had an appointment right after school so they walked with him to where their mother would pick up Jack. Seeing their mother already waiting as they walked out of school, the girls walked with Jack to the car to say high to their mom before boarding the bus for home. What they didn’t expect was for their mother to tell them, “Girls, I’d really like it if you’d come with us.” Both girls could see their mom was worried, and scared, and wondered why, so they did the only thing they would do and that was to tell their mom, “Sure mom, we’d like that.” It was, after all, the truth. Irene had planned to not only have Jack examined but to have the girls talk to a colleague to glean their feelings at seeing Joslyn and to see how they feel about Jack. Irene was scared the girls would balk at the suggestion they talk with her friend and colleague, because she had never mentioned it to them. She hoped, hoped, after seeing how they responded to Joslyn they would be willing to talk for a few minutes. That’s why she had her fingers crossed as she drove them to the hospital.
As the four entered the hospital Irene led them to the elevator, where she pressed the button for the second floor when they were all in the elevator. Once they reached the second floor, and Irene had checked Jack in for his exam, Irene had the three sit before explaining what she’d like the girls to do. It was at this time the three kids saw a woman approach them and their mom and the woman hug before their mom told them, “Marcy, Tracy, this is Dr. Terry Lion. Girls and you can say no if you want, no one will get angry if you do, but I’d like you two to go with Dr. Terry and talk with her while I’m with Jack during his exam.” Terry and Irene watched the two girls as they seemed to have a silent conversation as they looked at each other, before Tracy asked, “What about?” With that question Irene felt certain the girls would talk with Terry so she told them, “About this past weekend and before the weekend.” They had another silent conversation before looking towards Jack, and then their mom and Terry. Both women saw the slight nods from both girls before Marcy told them, “Sure mom, we’ll do it.” It was at that point Dr. Michael Oslow, another one of Irene’s colleague, came to collect Irene and Jack for Jack’s exam. “Jack, this is Dr. Michael Oslow, he’ll be doing your exam today,” Irene told Jack before Dr. Michael said, “Hi Jack, you can call me Dr. Michael and it’s nice to meet you.”
Michael watched Jack as he processed what had just been said, and saw no outward show of emotions. Michael noticed too that Jack’s eyes seemed close to being dead, having no spark which could be used to tell how a person was really feeling. “How about we go back and get your exam started, what’d you say?” Michael wanted to get Jack talking, wanted to get more of a feeling where Jack was currently at in his mental development. Dr. Michael did get Jack talking but got a bit more than he expected. “Hi Dr. Michael, it’s nice to meet you too. Will you be doing a Sonogram, MRI, or CAT scan during my exam?” Jack asked Michael at which Michael raised an eyebrow while looking at Irene only to get a mouthed, “He reads a lot” from Irene. At Irene’s response to his silent question he turned to Jack and told him, “Well, I am going to do a Sonogram on you to see if anything might show up with requires the other to exams. I’m going to look at your body all over,” and here Michael got a bit conspiratory as he leaned in and lowered his voice before saying, “That means you’ll have to take all your clothes off.” Michael watched for a reaction from Jack because of he just told Jack, but saw none and continued telling Jack what he was going to do. “I’m going to check your reflexes, inside your mouth, ears, and nose. I’ll listen to your heart and lungs, and then I’m going to check your boy-parts,” Michael told Jack before Jack said, “You mean my penis?” Michael again gave Irene the raised eyebrow only to see her mouth, “He reads a lot,” again from Irene. In the past, when Michael examined other ten-year-olds, he explained what he was going to do in much the same way he just told Jack. But it seemed he was dealing with a ten-year-old who was more of a college graduate than a ten-year-old grade school boy. Michael chuckled before telling Jack, “Yes Jack, I mean your penis, your genitals. I will also be taking a blood sample, several in fact, so we can see if you have any deficiencies which need to be corrected. And besides your mom being in the room with us, I’ll also have a nurse there as well. How’s all that sound?” Michael had given Jack a lot of information in a short period of time, so when Jack didn’t respond right away Michael gave Irene another eyebrow which earned him a mouth, “He’s thinking.” What was a short time to Irene but an eternity to Michael, Jack finally told Michael, “Okay.”
While Jack, Irene, and Michael went to an exam room down one hall, Terry took the girls down another hall, around a corner and to her office two doors down that hall and on the right. Terry opened her office door and allowed the girls to enter first, before telling the girls sit in whatever chair they wanted. Terry had been evaluating both girls from the time she met the girls until they entered her office. She had to suppress a laugh when Tracy giggled as she sat down in one of the bigger, more comfortable, chairs and it almost swallowed her whole. “Girls, would you like something to drink; water, soda, ice tea, I don’t think your mom would like you having coffee.” Tracy told Terry, “water,” as did Marcy. As Terry gave both girls a medium sized bottle of water, she told them, “Tracy, Marcy, let me say first off neither of you are in any trouble, if that had crossed your minds. Your mom and dad have been worried about Jack for some time, and until the paint incident Friday, and the excellent job you two did helping Joslyn get dressed, they didn’t know how to help him or what to help him with. Your mom had told me that your parents have talked with the two of you about Jack and you did tell them some things, but they felt you were keeping something to yourselves, and thought you might be willing to tell someone else. Do you girls know more about Jack than you told your parents?” Because neither girl reacted with hostility to her question she believed they had withheld some information about Jack and were willing to divulge more. As she watched, they looked at each other until she saw Tracy nod her head slightly before Marcy started to speak. “Dr. Terry, it’s true, we didn’t tell mom and dad everything we thought or saw about Jack because we thought doing so would get him in trouble.” Marcy looked at Tracy again only to receive another head nod, so she continued. “You see, Dr. Terry, when Tracy was about five and I was nine, we started noticing something different about Jack. Not the fact that the other boys hardly ever let him play sports with them, or that Jack was reading most of the time, but just something the other boys didn’t have. And as Tracy and I got older and learned more about girl things, we talked one day and both realized that Jack had more girl mannerisms than boy mannerisms. I mean, you had to really look to see them, but they were there and Tracy and I did see them. And then when Jack came home Friday dressed in girl clothes, Tracy and I believed he had finally told mom about what we believed all along, that he actually wanted to be a girl. I can see by the look on your face that you find some of what I said hard to believe, but how many boys have you spoken too who would sit with their sisters as they looked at their moms’ fashion magazines or be around listening when their girl-friends came over to their house? No Dr. Terry, Tracy and I think we actually have a sister who was afraid to tell her parents for fear he would let everyone down.”
Terry was very impressed with the two girls sitting before her. Their ability to express themselves, given their ages, their deep concern for their brother and parents, and the insight they displayed made them truly remarkable young girls. “Marcy, Tracy, after Joslyn appeared Saturday night with your help, and you saw how your parents reacted, can you now see that had Jack told your parents he would not have been in any trouble? That all your parents wanted to do was help him the best way they could? Have you heard the saying, 20/20 is hindsight?” When both girls showed they didn’t know Terry explained it to them. “It means that we know now what we didn’t know in the past. Like you two believed Jack was actually Joslyn but weren’t one hundred percent sure until last Saturday evening when you two help her emerge. I know for a fact that your mom and dad are really proud of you two for what you did. When you saw Jack Friday you could have made fun of him and even ridiculed him, instead, you accepted him. And Saturday, you two helped him with what he wanted to do. I can tell you not many sisters would have done what your two did in order to help their brother.” As Terry was speaking, she saw a frown appear on Tracy’s face before she heard Tracy say, “But he’s our brother, why would we ever make fun of him?” After hearing what Tracy said, Terry wondered if Irene and William knew just how special these two girls were? Just then Terry’s phone rang. When she answered it, the girls heard her say to the caller, “Okay, we’re about done here. I’ll bring them down.” After Terry hung up the phone she told the girls, “That was your mom, Jack is going to have an MRI done today and I’m to take you girls down to that waiting room where your mom is waiting. So, do either of you have anything more you’d like to tell me? And do you girls mind if I share our conversation with your mom and dad?” Both girls shook their heads before Terry noticed a tear rolled down Tracy’s cheek before she asked, “Are you going to be able to help Jack?” Holding back her own tears, Terry walked over to the little girl, knelt before her, took her into a hug and told her, “We’re going to try sweetheart, we’re going to try our very best.”
Terry stood up, cleared her throat before telling the girls, “Come on, let’s go find your mom.” Terry took the girls to the elevator and down to the first floor, before leading them through several doors and hallways to the waiting room for the MRI and their waiting mom. As Irene noticed the three enter the waiting room, she got up and pulled the girls into a hug before asking, “How’d it go? Was it alright?” After both girls told her it was alright, she told them to go sit down she wanted to speak with Dr. Terry. Terry could see there was worry written all over Irene’s face, so now was not the time to tell her all the girls had said—she suspected Irene wanted to wait until the girls were not around because she may have something to tell her about Jack. Before Irene could speak, Terry told her, “Why don’t you and William come see me when you both have time and we can talk? I think you have other matters on your mind right now.” Terry reached up and wiped a tear off Irene’s cheek before Irene nodded at Terry’s suggestion. “I will tell you something though. Those two girls are something special, and worried about Jack.” She hugged Irene, kissed her cheek, said goodbye to the girls and went back to her office to transcribe her session with Tracy and Marcy—it was a good, and bad, thing she had an eidetic memory so she didn’t have to take the time to write notes during sessions.
The door to the MRI opened and Dr. Oslow came out, walking over to Irene and the two girls. “Irene, they’re going to be about another hour and a half. Why don’t you three go to the cafeteria and get something to eat or drink? I’ll come and get you when we’re done.” At the mention of food, Irene realized she was hungry, and the girls were probably too. “Thanks Michael, I think we’ll do that. How’s he doing?” Michael went on to tell her that Jack was a true trooper, and hasn’t given them any problems. Michael squeezed Irene’s shoulder before going back in the MRI room. Irene took out her cell phone and called William.
“Hi, we’re going to be at least an hour and a half longer.”
“Michael says he’s doing fine.”
“Not yet, we’re going to the cafeteria and get something to eat. Why don’t you pick up something for yourself on your way home, or there are some things in the fridge you can nuke.”
“There doing fine, they talked with Terry for a while.”
“Yeah, I will. I love you too.”
Irene knew Bill all too well. Knowing him he’d get a piece of ham or some left over chicken and eat that with crackers, and call it a meal.
Irene put her cell phone away then asked, “Are you girls hungry?” Getting a nod from both girls, she flicked her head towards the door to the waiting room before telling the girls, “Let’s go to the cafeteria and see what we can find.” Irene hated to leave with Jack going through the MRI procedure, but she had to think about the needs of Tracy and Marcy so she forced herself out of the chair and taking the girls’ hands, headed towards the cafeteria. As they walked down the halls and through several doors, Irene had two thoughts, well one thought and an argument, going on in her head at the same time. The thought was that the cafeteria was usually busy at noon and for the evening meals, so they’d have to wait in line for about ten minutes to reach the serving line—unless the cafeteria was serving something no one liked. The argument was with herself, over whether to tell Tracy and Marcy what Michael told her after doing the Sonogram and why Jack was undergoing an MRI. That argument joined another one that cropped up about asking the girls what they told Terry—she and William were going to meet with her after all.
When they reached the cafeteria there was a long line, so the cafeteria was serving something tasty. As they waited in line, Irene’s internal argument continued, not going unnoticed by both Tracy and Marcy; their moms’ struggle was written on her face. The girls looked at each other and it was decided they’d ask what was bothering their mom after they sat down at a table. As Irene predicted, they reached the serving line after about ten minutes, made their selections, paid for the meals and found a table out of the way of prying ears. Both girls could see that their mom was still struggling with something so Tracy asked, “Mommy, why are you upset?” Irene’s internal arguments with herself had come to a standstill. On the one hand they needed to know so they could help Jack if what Michael suspected was true. On the other hand would they understand what Michael suspected if it was true. Irene thoughts had come to a standstill until she heard Tracy ask her question, a question which gave her the opening she couldn’t find herself.
“Girls, I have something I need to tell you about Jack but I’m not sure you’ll understand. When Dr. Michael performed a Sonogram on Jack he thought he saw something which needed to be examined further. He thought it might be urgent and since there was an opening for the MRI machine, they took Jack in for an MRI. All Dr. Michael said was that it looked like some type of mass or structure, and that the MRI would give him a much clearer picture of what he was looking at.” Irene reached across the table and took Tracy’s hand when she saw tears forming in her little girls’ eyes. “Sweetheart, we don’t know if it’s bad or good so we just need to be brave and hope that it’s good, okay?” Tracy reached up and wiped tears off her cheeks before telling her mom, “Okay mommy.” Irene decided to go for broke by asking the two, “Would you girls be willing to tell me what you spoke to Dr. Terry about and what you told her?” Jack mulling a question over was not as strange as what the girls did. As Irene watched, Tracy looked at Marcy and Marcy looked at Tracy before Marcy nodded her head and Tracy proceeded to tell their mom about the talk with Dr. Terry.
“So you see mommy, we didn’t tell you everything because we thought we’d get Jack into trouble, or something.” Irene was dumbfounded. Here her daughters were only worried about their brother getting into trouble if he told everything that was bothering him. Irene mentally shook her head, because she could not figure what she and William had done to instill in them to think of others before themselves. But here they were doing it for Jack. “Have you girls heard of 20/20 hindsight?” And before she could explain what it meant, Marcy told her what Dr. Terry said it meant. “My dear sweet girls, Jack would not have been in trouble had he told me and his dad. It would have explained a lot and we could have gotten help sooner. Now, you have got to promise me that if either of you need to tell me or your dad anything you do it right away, don’t hide it. Okay?” As if both girls were tied together they synchronously said, “We promise mommy.” Irene reached across the table and took both girls’ hands and squeezed gently before telling them, “I love you two dearly,” and squeezed their hands again. “Oh and girls, what you said about your believing Jack was a girl, well it just might be true.”
A figure coming toward their table caught Irene’s eye and she looked up to see Michael heading to their table; she glanced at the clock on the wall and saw they’d been in the cafeteria a little over an hour. “Hi everyone,” Michael said as he came to a stop at their table, “We’re done and just helping Jack out of the MRI machine. We will be giving him something to drink and make sure he’s okay before we help him get dressed and let you take him home. If you’ll come with me we’ll go see how he’s doing.” Three trays are bussed before the three follow Michael back to the waiting room for the MRI, only to find a nurse sitting with Jack as he sips on a bottle of water. Tracy and Marcy may be future track stars because they reached Jack quicker than the eye can blink. Both hugged him before Marcy asked him, “Well, spill, how’d it go?” Irene, Tracy, and Marcy heard Jack do something he’d never done, he chuckled. In Jack’s short ten years on earth no one, not even William, heard him chuckle. “It was SOOO loud,” he told them before chuckling again. The way Jack told them it was loud got even Irene laughing, and strangely, Jack too.
Irene suddenly realized she wasn’t seeing Jack right now but Joslyn, Jack’s feminine self. She tugged on Michael’s arm and walked a few feet away so the kids couldn’t hear what she said to Michael. “Michael, I think who you’re seeing right now is Joslyn, Jack’s true identity. When the girls helped him dress Saturday he acted almost exactly like he’s doing now. See how he’s more open with the girls, and laughing with them? That’s Joslyn’s personality coming out.” Michael watched Jack for a few minutes before comparing him to the boy he saw before the exams started, and the differences were glaring. Where the boy he first saw was solemn but polite, the boy he saw now was more open and chatty. “Are you getting him counseling?” Michael asked Irene as he saw her nod her head as she watch the three interact. “I’ve asked Terry to become his, or I should say her, counselor. But a lot will depend on the results of the tests. Which will be done when?” Irene asked Michael, getting a, “About two weeks,” from him. “Um mommy, I’m kind of hungry. Can we get something to eat,” Jack asked his mom. “Oh you bet we can hon. Where would you like to go?” Irene hugged Jack and kissed him on the cheek before flicking her head towards the waiting room doors and saying, “Come on gang. Let’s go get something to eat.”
“Would Chinese take-out be okay with everyone?” Jack asked as Irene drove towards many of their favorite eating places. After Tracy and Marcy said they were okay with Jack’s choice, Irene then said, “I’m fine with that choice, Jack, and I imagine your dad will be too, since you three have seen what your father sometimes calls a meal.” That statement caused all four to laugh, not in ridicule but in that one piece of meat and some crackers was considered a meal by their dad and husband. As Irene drove she kept glancing at Jack sitting in the front passenger seat, and saw a more lively, more animated boy than she’d seen that morning; and she suspected why, Joslyn would be with the family tonight.
Five bags of Chinese take-out were carried into the house, placed on the kitchen table before a rocket took off headed towards Jack’s bedroom. Slightly slower but not by much, Tracy and Marcy hurriedly followed in their brothers’ wake, they too heading to Jack’s bedroom to help Joslyn get dressed. The smell of the Chinese food brought William out of the office, where he saw Irene slowly shaking her head all the while having a big smile on her face. “Mmm, that smells good,” William said before hugging and kissing Irene. “Why the shaking head and smile? And where are the kids?” William asked these questions as he started removing the containers from the sacks. Irene said one name, “Joslyn,” before she started helping William then putting the sacks in the recycle bin. “How forgetful of me, after all we want him to be Joslyn as much as he wants at home.” Irene couldn’t let William throw out a statement like that without some comeback, so she told him, “And here you claim to have a perfect memory.”
At Irene’s dig William looked up and Irene saw the imp look in his eyes, and his imp smile on his face. William started to slowly walk toward Irene to which Irene told him, “Don’t you dare, William CHARLES Winslow,” but William kept walking slowly toward her, while she started slowly backing up. “So, I don’t have a perfect memory, huh? And you know I hate it when you say Charles like that. You are going to pay and pay dearly.” And with a squeal, Irene was off around the kitchen table with William hot on her heels. The kids had seen their parents do this before and thought it was funny, as they did now as they watched from the archway to the kitchen. Irene squealed again as William swatted her bottom, before finally grabbing her and pulling her into him only to give her a very deep and passionate kiss. As the kids did in the past, they clapped and cheered when their dad finally caught their mom and began kissing her. Those two adult kids never realized that their clowning around would help their kids see how to do something which kept a fire burning, which helped to keep a couple together. The clapping and cheering got the attention of their parents, and as they did in the past, they both bowed to the kids and simply told them, “Thank you, thank you,” before all five went into a family hug.
The family hug broke up when a stomach rumbled, and Joslyn said, “Can we eat now? I’m hungry.” Tracy and March had stepped back away from Joslyn so she was standing alone facing her parents. And as they watched, both parents kneeled down in front of Joslyn before almost saying together, “You are so beautiful tonight.” The two girls had moved so they could see both Joslyn’s face and their parents’ faces at the same time. The two girls were beaming as they saw the bright smile on Joslyn’s face, and heard an almost whispered, “Thank you,” from Joslyn before she put one arm around their moms’ neck and the other around their dads’ before hugging them both. Tracy went into the bathroom and brought back a box of tissues, they all were going to need them. Even though their parents thought their kids were asleep, the three heard almost everything their parents were doing in bed. They never let on that this wasn’t the first time they’d heard their parents making love, and their parents wouldn’t know for some time how much all their antics and their love making would help their kids cement relationships in their own kids’ marriages. They didn’t realize it, but they were teaching their kids how to love.
The days passed, with Jack going to school and Joslyn being present at home and when they went shopping they talked about Joslyn going to the Saturday art program but decided to wait until the test results came back. Irene was in her office at the Children’s Hospital when there was a knock on her door and Michael walked in; the knot in her stomach suddenly tightened. “Hi Michael,” Irene said with as much strength in her voice as she could manage. “What brings you here today?” Michael sat down in the chair in front of her desk before telling her, “The test results are back. Would you like to hear them now or when William can be with you?” Michael had worked with Irene long enough and could tell by the expression on her face how she was feeling at any given time, and right now she looked worried. “Before you answer, Irene, why not call William and find out when he is free and can be here with you?” Michael saw Irene visibly relax at his suggestion before she told him, “I’ll do that Michael, and get back with you to let you know.” When Michael saw her worried face return he stood up, walked around her desk, gave her a hug, and said, “Relax Irene, it’s all good news.” Michael found out just how wound up Irene had been over her son as she put her head on his shoulder and sobbed. Michael held her until she cried herself out, then told her again, “It’s all good news Irene, All. Good. News.” Irene tried to calm down before she told Michael, “Thank you for that news, Michael, and the shoulder.” As Irene pulled back from Michael, he kissed her cheek before saying, “That’s what friends are for.” He kissed her cheek again before waving bye and leaving her office. The knot that had been in Irene’s stomach was gone, hearing it was all good news had relieved the worries Irene had carried for the past two weeks. She picked up the phone on her desk, dialed an outside line before calling William and giving him the good news. She also told him she needed him again after the kids were asleep, only to squeal because of what William told her over the phone. To anyone who had seen this couple together, it wasn’t hard to tell how much they loved and supported each other.
That evening, while the kids were doing homework, William checked his upcoming schedule before calling the groups’ scheduler to have her contact his next days’ 5 p.m. appointment and reschedule it for the following day. He got a bit of static but reminded the man that he was still on probation and could be let go at any time and for any reason; William wasn’t about to tell the SOB anything about why he wanted the appointment rescheduled; he was also going to speak with Keith and Gerald about that butthead to see if they’d had any problems with him; he suspected they had. That man was starting to think of himself as the owner of their business and William felt it was time to find someone whom he, Keith and Gerald could better work with.
William wanted tonight to be very special for Irene, after all she’d bottled up for the past two weeks waiting for the test results. As they usually did, the couple saw each child to bed before returning to the living room where William sat on the couch first before pulling Irene into his lap. William then began a very soft, sinuous, kiss which Irene returned at first until a hunger overtook her which she allowed to guide her. Her hungry kiss threatened to swallow William down its groping maw, and showed William how hungry Irene was for him. “Let’s check on the kids,” William whispered while he produced a mark on Irene’s neck which would be hidden by her hair. “They’re asleep already, let’s go to bed,” Irene retorted as she felt wetness between her legs. “No, tonight we need to make sure they are asleep,” William told her as he produce another area which her hair would hide.
Irene needed William and she needed him deep within her, so she got up from William’s lap, pulling him up after her, and with her arm around his waist walked from one room to the other, making sure the kids were sound asleep. Seeing their charges dead to the world, William took Irene’s hand and led her to their bedroom and began slowly undressing her after he shut the bedroom door. As William slowly undid each button, unzipped each zipper, he could see a craving hunger in Irene’s eyes he’d not seen since their honeymoon—she really needed to unwind. Irene had started undressing William as he undressed her, but he stopped her and only said, “Wait.” Once his wife was standing before him in all her naked beauty, William then began undressing himself with the same slow steady manner as he had undressed Irene. As he took off each piece of clothing he could see her craving hunger grow in intensity, until he stood before her so she could see he too was ready for her. Irene lunged at him and again threatened to suck him into her hungry maw, with William reaching down between her legs only to find she was ready for him—so he entered her, eliciting a gasp from Irene as he did. As William entered Irene, her right leg went around the small of his back and pulled him tighter to her—William reached back and held onto her right foot. She then tightened her grip on his shoulders to steady herself. When William knew she was fully ready he slowly began sliding in and out of her, all while she ravaged his mouth. It wasn’t long as Irene had started mirroring his motion that William stopped, and let his wife continue to impale herself on his stiff member. Irene increased her pace and when it came it came in a rush, as Irene’s body stiffened and she bit down on his shoulder before letting out a throaty scream. When her body had stiffened Irene had reached under William’s arms and put her hands on his back before pulled him to her with such force William found it hard to breathe for a moment. William supported Irene as her right leg dropped back to the floor and she leaned against him to try and catch her breath. She dropped her hands to his butt and pulled him toward in an effort to push him as deep into her as she could. As Irene caught her breath William whispered to her, “Now, lie down in bed.”
William gently took Irene’s hand a led her to their bed, and gently help her to lie down before going between her legs. Irene had closed her eyes as she lay down only to open them suddenly, and gasped, as William again entered her and began what he told her over the phone. William’s movements were fluid, stead, and gently, and they soon caused Irene to wrap her legs around William’s back. As William increased his rhythm Irene started seeing colors she had never seen, felt such intense feels the likes she had never felt. As William again increased his motion he watched Irene’s face and saw she was on the verge, and with yet another increase in motion Irene sat up in bed and kissed him with such force that his bottom lip was pushed back into his teeth causing a small cut on the inside of his lower lip. She also let out a muffled scream and her body quivered then stiffened as an extremely strong orgasm took hold of her body. Three more times she would feel this before finally falling into an exhausted sleep. William knew Irene needed tonight, needed their closeness, and that she had needed to feel him with her after what they learned about Joslyn. Irene needed him as close as they could possible get and she needed help relaxing.
William had helped Irene relax so much the night before that she found it hard to get out of bed, but she and William had to go to work and the kids had to go to school. She looked at the clock and saw it was just five-thirty in the morning, time for something she’d just thought of to help wakeup William. Very carefully she pushed the bed covers down away from William and very carefully pulled the top of his shorts down before starting to caress him. It wasn’t long before he became hard and Irene took him into her mouth. She felt William’s hand clutch at her hair, as she slid him in and out of her mouth, all the while concentrating on the tip the head with her tongue. Irene could tell, from being with this man for years, that he was coming very close to release, so she increased her actions only to be rewarded with a warm stream hitting the back of her throat and a throaty growl from William as his body went rigid during his release. Irene swallowed him before cleaning him off with her tongue, all the while as William ran his fingers through her hair. With a twinkle in her eye she looked up at William and said, “Morning, it’s time to get up.” It took a moment before William had caught his breath before telling Irene, “That’s the nicest wakeup call I’ve ever had. Let’s throw out the clock, because your way is much more pleasing.” Irene giggled as she slid up and impaled herself on his still stiff member, riding him until they both came together. As Irene collapsed on top of William she heard his say, “Yeah, let’s throw out the clock, this is more my kind of wakeup call.”
Once they were showered and dressed, Irene went into the kitchen to get breakfast started while William went to either wake up a sleepy head or make sure they were getting ready for school. They had discussed the evening before whether to have the kids present when Michael explained the test results, and decided there was no need to keep them away because Jack was going to hear the results and later likely tell Tracy and Marcy. Besides, Michael could answer any questions the kids might have. When everyone was around the kitchen table William told them, “Guys, we’re going to meet Dr. Michael tonight at 5 p.m., and we want you three to be there with us. Your mom and I didn’t feel there’s anything to hide from you, Tracy and Marcy, and Jack was going to hear the results anyway. Plus, if you have any questions, Dr. Michael can try and answer them for you. So, we are going out to eat when you three get out of school. Does that sound like a plan with you guys?” Three nods said they were okay with the plan, and they ate their breakfast before heading out the door to catch the bus to school. William helped Irene clean up the dishes before kissing her, deeply, wishing her a nice day and leaving for his practice. Irene followed a short time later, only after saying a silent prayer that Michael was right and everything was alright with the test. She also said a silent prayer for help that Jack was going to need, that the whole family would need, in order to help Jack if her suspicions were correct.
Irene had picked up the kids from school and William had taken off early so they could meet with Michael at 5 p.m.; the kids had tried to do some homework, but it was hard because they had been told they would be going to meet with Dr. Michael to find out about Jack’s test results. In fact, school had been hard today because of knowing they’d learn about Jack’s tests. At 4:30 p.m. the family loaded up in William’s car and drove the twenty minutes to the Children’s Hospital, where they met Dr. Michael in the lobby before being led to a conference large enough for all six but small enough not to be overwhelming. “If anyone would like something to drink there’s a wide selection on the table over there,” he told them while pointing in the direction of the table. He then turned on an overhead monitor and a laptop sitting on the meeting table.
Seeing that everyone had something to drink, Michael began going over Jack’s test results by starting off with, “First let me say that everything looks good, we didn’t find any malignant masses or anything which would indicate one is growing.” As he finished that sentence he could see Irene’s face visibly relax, as though all worries she had been carrying finally left her. “We did find some deficiencies because of the blood work that was done, but those can be corrected with supplements. That means you’ll have to take a few pills daily for a while, okay Jack?” When Jack just nodded, Michael inserted a thumb drive into one of the slots on the computer, taping a few keys before continuing. “What you see on the monitor is what we saw during the Sonogram.” Picking up a long pointer Michael then told them, “If you look here, here, and here,” Michael said before typing a few more keys then continued with, “And here, you see some things that even we weren’t quite sure of and felt it best to do an MRI on Jack.” Michael typed a few more keys and a much clearer pictured was displayed on the monitor. “The picture you are looking at is of Jack’s chest.” Irene was no stranger to reading MRI pictures and let out a gasp before she said, “OH MY GAWD!” As she stared at Michael he just nodded his head before saying, “That’s breast tissue development.” While William was not a medical doctor, the meaning of that one picture was not lost on him, Jack was developing breasts. The three adults were redirected to the kids when both Tracy and Marcy let out a squeal and began hugging Jack; this action of the two girls caused the adults to smile not only because of the girls’ excitement, but showing their concern for Jack by their hugs.
“Easy there girls, you two don’t want to squeeze the life out of Jack,” Michael told them with a chuckle. “I saved this next picture for last because it’s the most extraordinary,” he told them and tapped more keys on the computer. Irene let out another “OH MY GAWD,” the two girls, even for their age, let out another squeal before again crushing Jack in a hug, and William looked at Michael before asking, “You mean to tell us,” but he never finished before Michael said, “Jack is a real girl, with all the normal female parts. If you look here,” and he used the pointer to point at a specific area on the picture, “You can see a vaginal canal, though with a physical exam the opening is closed. And see these here, here, here, and here, fallopian tubes and ovaries.” This time the squeal emitted by Tracy and Marcy was deafening, causing the adults to cover their ears; though each had a smile on their face. “Girls, please, quiet down, at least a little,” Irene told the girls but with a smile on her face. Irene never stopped looking at the kids after telling Tracy and Marcy to quiet down, though her focus was on Jack. In fact Michael and William were now looking at Jack and waiting to see how he, she, reacted.
It was an excited Marcy who nudged Jack before asking him, “Well, what do you think? You’re a real girl, we’re sisters!” How Marcy said the last part while squealing was one of those mysteries best not explored, but after she said it she and Tracy once again crushed Jack between them. “Well, sister?” Tracy asked as she too nudged Jack. As the five watched, Jack’s face went into his ‘mulling it over’ look and he was quiet for several minutes as he walked up towards the monitor to study the picture close up. He turned to look at the others and saw that each one was nodding their heads. He did this four more times before the realization came to his forefront, and she rushed around the table to hug her sisters. Irene had seen the change in his demeanor and facial expressions that Saturday night when Joslyn first appeared, and she saw it now but oh some much more. Jack, Joslyn, had suddenly come alive, with more light in her eyes than Jack had ever had. There was a glow coming from her whole body and she was no longer confined to being what others thought she had been at birth. Seeing all this in Joslyn prompted Irene to ask, “What about her vaginal opening, and her clitoris; that is what looks like a penis, right? How do you explain that?” Michael sat down next to Irene before explaining, “Irene, those are anomalies, abnormal development while in the womb. But they are correctable and once corrected no one would ever know any different. And her breast development will proceed normally, going by what we saw from her blood work. With corrective surgery, um…” Michael suddenly stopped because he didn’t know what name Jack would now go by. All heads turned when former Jack said loud and clear, “My name is Joslyn, and I’m a girl.” The squeals returned as the three girls went into a jumping hug, before William stepped in and calmed them down, a bit. Now knowing former Jack’s new name Michael continued with what he had been saying. “Thank you Joslyn for telling me your new name. Yes with corrective surgery Joslyn will be fine.” Michael got a real serious look on his face before getting Joslyn’s attention to tell her, “Joslyn, I’m going to recommend to your parents that you meet with Dr. Terry several times a week for an extended period since you’ve been considered a boy for so long. I think she can help you adjust to now being told you are actually a girl, with a few bits we can fix. Then she will decide if you two should continue meeting and when, okay? Now girls, I need to tell your parents some important things they need to do, so can you go sit, quietly, out in the hallway while I talk to your parents?” Irene and William gave their three daughters ‘the look’ before the girls stood up and walked out into the hallway. They knew by the look their parents gave them they better behave or else.
Once the girls had left, Michael explained that it would take a bit more time before the DNA results returned, but in the mean time they would be given copies of Joslyn’s test results, medical recommendations, and explanations of the needed corrective surgeries so they could meet with their lawyer to start the paperwork that would be needed to change the gender on all her records. William and Irene noticed that Michael got an extremely serious look on his face as he told them, “William, Irene, you and your lawyer must do everything you can to make sure the surgeries are allowed. The plastic surgery that will be done to rework her clitoris isn’t as necessary to her physical wellbeing as is opening her vaginal canal. She will start puberty, and she will have periods, and when her period starts if the material can’t be expelled by her body it can become toxic and kill her if not treated immediately. And should you or your lawyer meet someone who says she doesn’t need any surgery then have your lawyer prepare papers to file charges against that person for attempted murder, because that is what they will be guilty if they prevent her vaginal canal from being opened.” When Michael finished his speech he saw something on William’s and Irene’s faces that he would hate to meet in alley on a dark moonless night. Michael’s urgent plea to make sure Joslyn’s vaginal canal is opened turned these two lovely people into two people who wouldn’t let anything stand in their way to get the proper treatment for their daughter. And heaven help the moron who decided it was their duty to stop something being done to a child Joslyn’s age when they felt it really wasn’t necessary; and Michael knew a few who would try, and had tried in the past, but failed. They had been told in very plain, clear, language that their jobs were on the line should they decide to try and take matters into their own hands again. Michael actually felt sorry for these fools should they try it with William and Irene, because a janitor would need to be called to clean up the mess the couple would leave behind. Sitting before Michael were two Kodiak bears who would think nothing of ripping the head off anyone who got in the way of their child’s health and safety, and Michael didn’t blame them one bit.
“Now, I’ve made an appointment with Dr. Keller, the plastic surgeon for the hospital, for 4 p.m. day after tomorrow,” Michael told the couple. “The kids don’t have to be there but it wouldn’t hurt for them to know what he will be doing to help Joslyn. It will then be up to her to schedule the surgery and then you can pre-register Joslyn with the hospital.” After telling them this he again got very serious, “Dr. Keller will have to go through our Chief Surgeon, Dr. Mayson, in order to schedule an operating room, so call your lawyer after you get home and explain the situation to him or her and have him or her prepare all the papers I previously advised you to have made. Dr. Mayson is the person I told you about who takes it upon himself to decide which surgeries are necessary or unnecessary despite all the medical evidence presented to him. I know for a fact Dr. Bowman, the head of Imaging, sent the pictures taken of Joslyn to two other Imaging specialists and they concur with Dr. Bowman’s readings of the pictures, that your once believed son is in fact a girl who has abnormal development which can be corrected with surgery. Don’t be surprised if you’re requested at a meeting with Dr. Mayson, it likely means he’s denied the surgery. If you are called to a meeting, make sure your lawyer is with you and has all the papers necessary to prevent Dr. Mayson from denying the surgery. And don’t be surprised if during that meeting Dr. Bigalow, the hospital administrator, comes into the meeting with me and Dr. Bowman; Dr. Bowman and I have already discussed Joslyn’s case with Dr. Bigalow—Dr. Mayson was out of the loop because it was not surgery related, at the time. I also know that Dr. Bigalow has contacted the two specialists who concurred with Dr. Bowman, so Dr. Bigalow is up to speed with Joslyn needing the surgeries.” Michael stopped and took a deep breath, waiting to see if William and Irene had any reactions to what he just told them.
William took one look to Irene, who nodded her head, before telling Michael in a voice which actually frightened him, “Maybe it would be a good idea for those you just mentioned to all be in that meeting with Dr. Mayson to schedule Joslyn’s surgery. And maybe all of you can make the man see reason, because if we get called into a meeting with him only to find out he’s denied the surgeries, Irene and I will own not only that man’s ass through his malpractice insurance, but this hospital as well. No one at this hospital is going to refuse anything which threatens the wellbeing of our child.” Michael felt a chill course through his body when William stopped speaking; this man was deadly serious and willing to prove it.
“William, that idea was presented to Dr. Bigalow when we presented Joslyn’s case to him. He gave Dr. Keller the okay to call him should Dr. Mayson reject the surgeries. Should it be necessary, Dr. Bigalow, Dr. Bowman, the hospital’s attorney, and the two specialists who will be on a speaker phone, and I, will all be called in to help Dr. Mayson make the right decision. I will make sure I speak with the hospital’s attorney tomorrow and tell her exactly what you just told me. And trust me, she will not let one trumped up pipsqueak ruin this hospital’s reputation because of some egotistical belief of being morally superior.” Michael saw William relax somewhat upon hearing the plans that have been made should Dr. Keller make his call. Michael had another quick thought and told William, “Maybe it would be a good idea if your attorney called the hospital’s attorney so they could coordinate having your attorney present should Dr. Keller make his call. That way Dr. Mayson could see firsthand the trouble he’ll be in by not allowing the surgeries. Should he reject all pleas then your attorney can then present all the paperwork to him at that time—and trust me, whether or not he changes his mind, this case will determine whether or not he’s called before the Board of Healing Arts for a hearing. And with the evidence that has accumulated against him since he’s been here, he’ll lose his license for sure.”
Michael again watched William and saw him nodding his head at the reassurance he heard Michael just give him. (Irene had been silent all through Michael’s talk and her husband’s anger, and Michael knew why. Irene already knew the score with Dr. Mayson, and that he was skating on thin ice after a case that caused a family to take their son a State away to another Children’s Hospital in order to have surgery that Dr. Mayson deemed unnecessary; the doctors at that hospital filed complaints against Dr. Mayson because of his refusal to allow the surgery; she knew a few of those doctors and knew some of the words they used which didn’t make it into their complaints. She also knew of the ass chewing Dr. Mayson received from Dr. Bigalow and his promise of termination should Dr. Mayson pull another stunt like he had done.) Michael saw that William was a lot calmer now and believed it was time to say their goodbyes. “Do either of you have any more questions? I’ll have Dr. Keller contact you to let you know the time of your meeting with him.” And when neither Irene nor William indicated they had more questions, Michael stood up, as did Irene and William, then shook William’s hand and hugged Irene before wishing them a goodnight.
After the family got home, William went into the office to make a phone call, while Irene went into the kitchen to fix them something to eat. Their three girls shot off like rockets to Jack’s old room before coming into the kitchen with Joslyn in tow, catching Irene’s attention as they entered. Irene just looked at Joslyn and still couldn’t believe how beautiful she happened to be. “Okay girls, get aprons on, we don’t want to eat off your clothing.” Irene’s comment had all four laughing as the girls set the table then helped their mother get things ready. Meanwhile, William had called their attorney to see if she could see William at eight in the morning—it was very important; William’s first client wasn’t schedule until ten in the morning. After supper the kids did their homework before starting Joslyn’s training in all things ‘girl’. Soon it was their bed time and after all the necessary preparations each girl was tucked snuggly into her bed. Irene and William checked on them forty-five minutes later, and then went to bed before closing the door to their bedroom and rerunning last nights’ adventures. Little did they know, until many years later, that their three little angels heard that nights adventures and were very happy for their parents.
Two days later the Winslow family met with Dr. Keller and with great patience and care, she outlined and showed exactly what Joslyn’s surgery would entail. What surprised her was the behavior of the three girls, who showed more interest than revulsion at what would be done to Joslyn to correct her deviations. Surprising everyone was the question asked not by William or Irene, but by Tracy, “How long does the surgery take, and how long will Joslyn’s recovery take?” When the three adults gave Tracy questioning looks, she simply shrugged her shoulders and replied, “A friend at school had surgery that lasted four hours and took several months for her to completely heal and recover all her strength.” Dr. Keller looked at William and Irene and told them the surgery would take as long as it would take for her and her team to do the best job they could to ensure Joslyn’s safety and her appearing as a normal girl when they had completed their work. She then looked Joslyn straight in the eye and told her, “Joslyn, you will be laid up in bed, here at the hospital, for several days until we are sure everything we did doesn’t cause any unexpected problems and until you’re healed enough to leave the hospital. You will then be restricted to little or no activities other than walking, sitting, and lying down until you are completely healed. And depending what we find as we operate you may or may not have another activity which you will have to perform every day for several days, but we’ll wait and cross that bridge until after the surgery. Now, does anyone have any more questions?” Dr. Keller asked the five, and seeing five head shakes told the group, “Then after I meet with Dr. Mayson I’ll call you, William and Irene, to let you know when the surgery is scheduled. I realize this will cause Joslyn to miss school but after consulting with others in this area, it was felt waiting was not an option in case Joslyn starts puberty early.” Before the Winslows left the room, Joslyn walked up to Dr. Keller, hugged her then said, “Thank you,” a tear rolling down her cheek as well.
Michael had met with Shelly Keller and had gone over everything he told the Winslow family, so Shelly didn’t go into anything related to the suspected problem with getting Mayson to sign off on the operation and schedule an operating room; William had called Michael the day after they had their family meeting to let Michael know paperwork was being drawn up and would be ready when needed. Dr. Shelly Keller knew something was up when she tried to see Dr. Mayson that day, only to be told he didn’t have any time until two weeks later. She also found out, through the grape vine, that Dr. Mayson knew about the pending surgery and had been heard saying, “It will be a cold day in hell before I sign off on that type of surgery at this hospital.” From Dr. Mayson’s office, Shelly went straight to Dr. Bigalow’s office and gave him the news, only to watch as he called HR and gave them instructions he wanted completed by the following day. She then watched as he made several other calls before asking her, “How would you like to become Chief Surgeon at Children’s Hospital? I ask because this hospital is about to be short one Chief Surgeon tomorrow.” Dr. Bigalow’s question took Shelly by surprise, and she asked him if he’d give her time to think about it. Steve Bigalow told her that would be fine with him, before telling her which conference room and the time a meeting would take place with Dr. Mark Mayson. Steve also asked her to keep everything she just heard and his question to herself for now. Shelly had opened the door to Steve’s office to leave, only to turn and tell Steve, “I’ll accept the Chief Surgeon position when it comes open.” Steve smiled upon hearing the news then commented, “What took you so long to decide?” Shelly blew the man a raspberry before walking out of his office and back to her office to pull everything together that would be needed in the confrontational meeting they were going to have with Dr. Mark Mayson, soon to be ex-Chief Surgeon, and likely ex-doctor if the rumors she heard were true. She knew about the family he refused to let have their son’s surgery here, and about several other complaints that had been filed against him, and the payout the hospital had been forced to make because of Mayson’s decisions. As Shelly’s thoughts were in the clouds, she wondered if she could do the job of Chief Surgeon and plastic surgeon without many conflicts. At least one person believed she could, or he wouldn’t have asked her to take the job.
The next morning Dr. Steven Bigalow called Dr. Mark Mayson and told him to come to his office, now. Dr. Mayson tried his usual “I’m too busy” ploy but Steven reminded him of the thin ice he was skating on and he wanted to see him right now. Fifteen minutes later the door to Steven’s office flew open, banging against the wall and a very angry Dr. Mayson rudely entered Steven’s office and demanded, “What the hell is so damn important I had to come to see you?” Underneath his skin, where Mark couldn’t see, were skin cells which had turned a very deep red due to the insolence shown by Mark Mayson as he came into Steven’s office. Steven got up from his chair, walked around his desk and told the soon to be ex-Dr. Mark Mayson, ex-Chief Surgeon at Children’s hospital, “Come with me,” and led to his guillotine in conference 108.
Mark was now in a rage and as they reached the foyer-lobby of the hospital Mark said in an extremely angry voice, “Just where in the hell are we going? I’m too damn busy for all the bullshit.” Steven stopped, pulled Mark to him by his shirt collar and told him in a vicious whisper, “Any more foul language out of you and I WILL lay you out cold—got it?” Steven angrily released Mark’s shirt collar and continued towards the conference room. When they finally reached the room, Steven pulled the door open and stepped just beyond the door before stopping and waiting for Mark to enter the room. When Mark entered the room he stopped stone cold dead upon seeing all the people sitting at the conference table. “Take a seat, Mark,” Steven commanded, waiting to see which of the two vacant places Mark would take; those in the room, including Steven knew which chair Mark would take because his ego always made him think he was always in charge of any meeting. So it was no surprise when Mark walked arrogantly to the chair at the head of the table; Steven sat down in the chair next to Dr. Shelly Keller. “Dr. Keller I believe you are to start this meeting?” Shelly opened a folder before standing and opened with, “Dr. Mayson, I tried to speak with you the other day in order to schedule an OR for a necessary operation on Joslyn W…” “Yeah, yeah, I know all about that case, it’s another case I determined was another unnecessary operation,” Mark spit out, interrupting Shelly before she even present a fraction of the case. “As I was saying, Mark, given this girls’ family history it’s likely she WILL start puberty much sooner than what the average predicts. And when she starts pub...” “His family history has no bearing on this case. He doesn’t need any surgery and he isn’t going to have an early puberty—I’ve checked all the journals pertaining to this case.” Mark sat back and arrogantly crossed his arms daring Shelly to try and cross him to get what she wanted.
“Hey Markie, is that you, old boy?” a voice on the speaker phone asked. “You get your tit in a wringer again—you were always putting your foot in it, never knew when to keep your damn mouth shut.” Mark’s brows furrowed a bit before saying, “Ah it’s you Sabastian, still the lowly image tech that you were always destined to be?” “Oh no Markie, I’m head of Imaging at the hospital I’m at and three surrounding ones. Oh and Markie, let me guess. You tried to read the MRI pictures and made up your own damn conclusion based on your gross inexperience at reading MRI pictures, right?” Sabastian had been in medical school with Mark Mayson, and knew he hated being called Markie. Mark was an ass in medical school and he’s being an ass now so Sabastian baits him by calling him Markie. “Listen you bassackward fool, you couldn’t read MRIs in school and you still can’t. Joslyn Winslow has two ovaries, two fallopian tubes, a uterus, a cervix, a vaginal canal, no vaginal opening, and a malformed clitoris. I’ve seen first years who could read those pictures better in their sleep than you can awake.”
“Thank you Dr. Cruz, that was very informative,” Steven told Sabastian in order to keep Sabastian from really getting wound up after he heard about Mark. “Mr. Mayson…” Steven started before being interrupted with, “That’s DR. Mayson,” a ruby faced Mark blared out. “As said, Mr. Mayson—if you speak again while I’m speaking you will need medical attention after I kick your ass—got it?” Steven was barely holding his temper in check, just barely, as he continued, “Mr. Mayson this meeting is to inform you that the surgery for Joslyn Winslow will be scheduled and will be done by Dr. Keller and her team. I believe Mr. Morgan has something he wishes to say—Mr. Morgan.”
“Mr. Mayson,” Gerald Morgan started but was interrupted by a very angry Mark Mayson who yelled out, “What in the hell! When any of you address me you will address me as Dr. Mayson, not Mr. Got it??” Everyone in this meeting had purposefully goaded Mark into this exact position, and everyone watch and Gerald Morgan stood up, picked up a brown folder, walked over to Mark and handed his a white envelope, telling him, “This is a letter stating your license to practice medicine has been suspended by the State Board of Healing Arts. And before you say something stupid, this suspension was also sent to the Federal Board of Healing Arts and becomes effective Nationwide.” Gerald Morgan removes another white envelope from the folder and as he hands it to Mark he explains, “In that envelope is a subpoena which requires you to appear before the State Board of Healing Arts for a hearing into your removal from medical practice. And before you tell me we don’t have a case,” Gerald pointed to the man who sat beside him who was not holding up a folder that was about three inches thick. “Martin is holding up a folder we’ve had to make because of all the complaints from doctors, patients and hospital staff concerning your behavior. That folder represents about a year and a half of complaints. But after we reviewed this case, and heard what you said about it, we felt it was time to burn your shingle, Mr. Mayson.”
Mark looked like a rabid dog because of the foam that had formed at his mouth, and the snarl that he emitted when he spoke. “YOU son of bitches can’t keep me from practicing medicine, or kick me out of this hospital—I know too many important people. When I’m done with the lot of you I WILL own this hospital and every one of your bank accounts.” “Aww Markie, is da wittle boy throwing a temper tantrum,” Sabastian sing-songed to him; Sabastian was playing his part beautifully and coming in right on cue. As everyone in the room watched, Mark arrogantly tore up the two envelopes and told Gerald Morgan, “Fuck you prick.” The room heard a throat clear and Anthony Arnold, the hospital’s attorney, stood and faced Mark before telling the angry man, “I’m afraid you’ve got it wrong, Mr. Mayson. Now why don’t you be a good little boy and sit down and keep your DAMN mouth shut until you are given permission to speak? Or like Steven told you, you will need medical attention after I kick your ass up between your shoulders—read me asshole??” The look in Anthony’s eyes told Mark he best do as the man said, at least for now. “Thank you, Mr. Mayson, and as I was saying you have it wrong, and you should have read your contract closer for you would have seen that you can be fired if your actions, or inactions, endanger the health and welfare of any patient coming to or in this hospital.” As Anthony finished talking, he took an envelope from his briefcase, walked over to Mark and told him, “This envelope contains your immediate termination notice, your salary up to the end of business today, and two week severance pay. This envelope…” and he hands Mark another one, “…is a restraining order barring you from being on Children’s Hospital property without obtaining permission and a security escort. In other works Mr. Mayson—you’re fired!”
“Mrs. Shylow I believe you have something you’d like to say?” Mark didn’t know that Sabastian wasn’t the only person on that conference call, but so was the DA for the city, who had been listening in the next room. As Steven mentioned Carol’s name, Will Talbert and two uniformed police officers entered the conference room. “Thank you Steven, I do have a few things to say to Mr. Mayson. Mr. Mayson, I’m Carol Shylow attorney for the Winslow family.” Carol slowly walked over to Mark as she introduced herself, carrying a folder in her hands. “Mr. Mayson this is a paper giving you notice of a lawsuit being filed against you for willful neglect of your duties as a doctor, the attempted murder of Joslyn Winslow by willful inaction, and a restraining order barring you from interfering with the operation to be performed on Joslyn Winslow.” “Excuse me Carol, may I cut in here?” District Attorney Will Talbert asked. Carol nodded her head as she walked back to her seat and sat down before Will began, “Mr. Mayson, I’m District Attorney Will Talbert and I’m here for you.” He lifted three envelopes out of his inside suit coat pocket, and as he now stood next to Mark handed them to him one by one and explained, “This is a Court order barring you from practicing medicine at this hospital until it can be determined your fitness to practice medicine. This one is a restraining order telling you to have no contact whatsoever with the Winslow outside a court room. And this one,” and Will motioned to the officers, “Is a warrant for your arrest for attempted murder of a child, one Joslyn Winslow.” The officers motioned Mark to stand up and then handcuffed his hands behind his back, before leading him out of the room. Never one to admit defeat, Mark screamed as he was led out of the room, “ALL OF YOU ARE GOING TO REGRET THIS, MARK MY WORDS!!”
After Mark had been taken out of the room there was an appreciated silence, before Sabastian was heard to say, “Aww, man, did we do good or did we do good? Bye you all,” Sabastian told the group before hanging up his phone. “If I might have your attention, please,” Steven asked of the group. “I have an announcement which I think you all will enjoy. Dr. Shelly Keller has agreed to become the new Chief Surgeon of Children’s Hospital, as well as our Chief Plastic Surgeon. I know where her concerns lie and those who’ve worked with her do too. There will be an announcement tomorrow so be my guest and spread the word, I’m sure it will be gladly accepted.” There was a round of applause before Steven asked, “Is there anything else we need to discuss about this meeting?” When the three attorneys and the two from the Healing Board shook their heads no, as did everyone else, Steven told the group, “Then I guess this successful meeting is adjourned.” The first thing Shelly did was to check the surgical calendar and reserve the first open OR for Joslyn’s surgery. The second thing she did was to call the Winslow’s to give them the good news. Two weeks from today Jack Winslow would become, fully, Joslyn Winslow, a ten-year-old girl. While she talked to the Winslows she discovered they had a fax machine so she faxed everything they would need for Joslyn’s school and their attorney so she could file name change and gender papers with the Court. She also asked about counseling, to which William told her that Michael had spoken with Terry Lion and she agreed to meet with Joslyn several days a week until she felt they could cut back on their meetings. Goodnights were said, Shelly left for home, and William and Irene made sure the kids were asleep before closing their bedroom door. That was another time their sharp eared kids would talk about with their parents sometime in the distance future.
Irene was waiting for the kids when they arrived home after walking from their bus stop and announced, “Let’s go shopping,” the minute the girls entered the house. Law enforcement used devices to confuse and confound suspects they want to arrest when they have to enter a dwelling, but nothing they had could measure up to the screams and squeals all three girls emitted when they heard that one word, “shopping.” The reason for all the excitement was simple. Tracy and Marcy would be shopping with their new sister, Joslyn. “Joslyn go get dressed,” Irene said to the back of her already rushing daughter as she rocketed to her room to get out of the boy clothes she had to wear to school. Tracy and Marcy followed their sister to her room in order to help her get dressed, and to continue teaching her about coordinating her outfits—she sometimes paired the wrong color with another wrong color and ended up looking like a participate of a clown parade, though she was getting better at putting on what little makeup Irene and William allowed her to wear. Irene could only laugh when all three girls came zooming out of Joslyn’s bedroom, past her and telling her, “Well come on, mom. Let’s go shopping.” Seeing her recently discovered daughter happier than she’d been in her short ten years, and how Marcy and Tracy had taken to her brought tears to Irene’s eyes, and laughter again as Joslyn had come back, grabbed Irene’s hand and said, “Mom, come on let’s go,” before dragging Irene out of the house.
That night, after Joslyn had modeled what purchases she could model in front of her father—fathers are not supposed to see the unmentionables--the family talked about who would be attending the Community Center art program in the morning, Jack or Joslyn. When it was suggested Jack may have to attend until all the paperwork had been submitted and people contacted, Joslyn became very pensive, sucking in her bottom lip and she went into her thinking mode. The other family members noticed her doing this and knew this was Joslyn’s way of doing Jack’s “mulling it over” pose so they waited. Irene and William had explained some of the pros and cons of Joslyn attending, along with a few thoughts from Tracy and Marcy; Tracy was really concerned about someone hurting Joslyn when they thought it was Jack trying to be a girl for the day or because he liked wearing girl clothes like they saw him do that one Saturday. “Honey,” Irene began as she took Tracy’s hands, “I will go in with Joslyn and explain everything to Mary and Marsha. I’ve known Mary for a long time, and she would never allow any child in one of her classes hurt another child. And knowing Mary as I do,” Irene dropped Tracy’s hands before pulling Joslyn into a hug, “She will be very happy for Joslyn—Mary’s brother had similar problems when he was younger, only it almost killed him before Mary’s family discovered the truth. That’s why your dad and I will move Heaven and Earth to make sure Joslyn gets whatever treatment she has to have.” As Irene sat hugging Joslyn she heard a tearful, “I love you mommy,” from Joslyn.
Saturday did go better than Irene and William had hoped, with Mary and Marsha totally understanding what Irene told them, and Joslyn simply explaining to those kids who asked the whole unvarnished truth; a truth which was told to each child’s parents; a truth which some parents had a hard time believing; a truth which was about to set off ignorant anger before it culminated in a parent meeting at the kids’ school; a truth which was scheduled to be discussed with the Principal at Joslyn’s school on Monday morning.
Monday morning Irene drove the girls to school because of the meeting she had scheduled with Principal Gail Monrow. She carried a case which contained all the medical information Shelly had faxed and Shelly’s explanation of the need for surgery. Jack was sitting in the front passenger seat and his once again silent, wistful look almost broke Irene’s heart, knowing how much he wanted to be his real self. Reaching the school, and after parking the car, the girls walked to the doors of the school before Irene knelt down and told Jack, “Sweetie, I know you hate having to be Jack at school but it won’t be much longer. Can you try and be patient for a little longer?” Jack nodded his head as Irene hugged him, kissed his cheek and watched as Jack, Marcy, and Tracy walked off to the classrooms. When she lost sight of the girls, she turned and headed to the administration office and her meeting with Gail Monrow.
“Irene, it’s good to see you again,” Gail Monrow told Irene as Gail’s secretary showed Irene into Gail’s office. Gail was in her early forties, married with a son and daughter in high school, and her husband the head of a leading corporation which manufactured all manner of plumbing parts. After a hug and the usual pleasantries Gail asked, “Would you like something to drink, coffee maybe? Please, sit down.” “Gail I’ve come to talk to you about Jack and something that was discovered about his medical condition,” Irene started before watching Gail walk to her office door and tell her secretary to have Bill Tolman, the school’s Vice Principal, and the school nurse, Kerrie Thompson, come to her office—and once they were here they were not to be disturbed unless it was an emergency. Irene knew of Bill Tolman and actually like the man, and knew Kerrie because of her volunteer work at the hospital; she had done wonders for those kids who had to have severe treatments to help save their lives, and felt so dejected. Pleasantries were once again exchanged before Irene again explained the reason for the meeting.
“Bill, Kerrie, as I explained to Gail I’m here today to tell the school about a medical condition we recently learned about with Jack.” Seeing real concern on the three faces Irene quickly told them, “No, he, or I should say, she isn’t dying or about to die.” The concerned expressions changed to puzzled ones before Irene continued, by starting at the beginning of why Jack was taken in for an exam. While Irene had related the story from the beginning, all three were intent listeners all the way through when Irene started showing them all the medical evidence and recommendations from the doctors involved; she did leave out the little dusk up getting past a problem that had occurred. “And that’s it--turns out because of a malformed clitoris we thought we had a son named Jack. Maybe we should be grateful the paint incident occurred or we may have been rushing to the hospital for emergency surgery at some point in time.” Irene saw realization occur on Gail’s face and watched as she opened her desk drawer and remove a folder. “These makes sense, now,” Gail said as she opened the folder and took out about twenty pieces of paper. Holding the papers up where everyone could see them she continued with, “These are complaints about Jack because of the clothing he wore after his clothes were ruined. Why in the world didn’t they contact Mary and get the whole story? Why do people insist on being so stupid? That problem for those parents won’t hold a candle to the problem they’ll have when they find out Jack will soon be coming to school as a girl named Joslyn; some of them will go ballistic when they hear the news from their kids. Irene, would you be willing to present Jack’s medical information at a parents’ meeting held here at the school in a couple of days? You being a doctor can present the facts and answer any questions better than the three of us could.” Irene looked at the three for a minute before replying to Gail’s question.
“Gail, it wouldn’t be problematic presenting information like that as a medical doctor to a group of medical professionals as a means to acquire suggestions how to handle this type of case, but to parents? These parents you talk about would guard their child’s medical information as vigorously as the three of you would. Do you mind if I make a phone call?” When all three told Irene they didn’t mind, she knew she had to make the call in front of them so they didn’t feel she was trying to hide something.
“Hi lover boy, got a minute?”
“Don’t you wish, you scoundrel!”
“Listen, if you can put your motor in neutral for a minute…”
“Yes, that’s what they asked but I’m just not sure.”
“Ah, no I hadn’t considered that. It is, after all, about her.”
“Oh really, so you’ve been reading again. Uh huh, well maybe later tonight you can show me.”
“I love you too sweetheart, bye.”
After Irene hung up she looked up and saw the smiling faces on the three in the office with her. “Irene, it never ceases to amaze me that after all these years you and William are still deeply in love,” Gail told Irene, a woman who saw their love well before the two wed. “Gail we’ve been very fortunate in that we’ve let love rule our lives. Even when Bill makes me angry or me him, it’s our love for each other that brings us back together. And if any of you repeat what else you heard me say I’ll deny ever saying it.” This brought a laugh from all four of the people in that office before Irene told them, “Bill knew you’d ask for Jack’s medical information to be presented to the parents of this school, and he’s of the opinion who we should really be asking—Jack.” Eyebrows went up on the three school employees as the thought of asking Jack had never crossed their minds. Gail turned to her desk computer and pulled up the schedule for Jack’s class. “Well, they’re at recess right now so he, or should I say she, won’t miss any class time if we have her come to my office,” Gail told the group and she picked up the phone and dialed the cell phone number for the teacher of Jack’s class. When the teacher answered Gail asked to have Jack brought to her office, and make sure Jack knows he is NOT in any kind of trouble. Five minutes later there was a knocked on Gail’s office door, and after Gail saying, “Come in,” the door opened and Jack was escorted into the room. Gail thanked the woman who had escorted Jack to the office before speaking to Jack. “Hi Jack, or maybe it should be Joslyn?” The solemn face Jack had as he stood in the office cracked just a bit as a small smile crossed his lips. “Yes ma’am, but it’s just Jack until mommy and daddy get all the paperwork taken care of and I have my surgery.” The three in the office had interacted with Jack in the past and were always amazed at the maturity he showed in both his manners and speech, and they were no less impressed right at this moment. “Joslyn,” Irene said using her daughters’ chosen new name, “I’ve explained everything to Mrs. Monrow, Mr. Tolman, and Mrs. Thompson and a problem has occurred because of what happened that Saturday when the paint was spilled, and we need your help.”
All four watched Jack/Joslyn and saw his/her characteristic puzzled expression before Irene continued, “It seems some of the kids in that art program told their parents about you wearing the girls’ clothing after getting cleaned up that Saturday. They were so upset that they sent Mrs. Monrow nasty letters demanding you be kicked out of school—don’t worry, that will not happen. Maybe it would be better if Mrs. Monrow explains the rest to you.” Gail studied Jack/Joslyn for any signs of stress or of being upset before she started speaking. “Joslyn, we need you help in deciding to tell the parents of kids of this school about your medical condition. Your mom is not sure it’s the right thing to do because medical information is always considered private. But when you have your surgery Joslyn will then be attending school and the kids will tell their parents that Jack is now a girl named Joslyn. That is going to make a lot of parents very angry because they will think you are nothing more than a perverted boy trying to be a girl.” All four watched Jack/Joslyn for any reaction and when Gail particularly saw none she continued. “Joslyn what we would like to do is have your mom explain your medical condition and the surgery you need to a parent meeting held here at the school in two days. And we would like your permission to let others know about all of it.”
As the four watched, Jack/Joslyn developed his/her thinking face as s/he pondered what Gail asked of him/her. ‘The kids in the art program were satisfied when it was explained why Jack was wearing girls’ clothing and those kids attended school here and no other kids had bothered her since. And Mrs. Monrow was right, she would be attending after her surgery, so the kids would know and say something to their parents. Wouldn’t their parents need to know the truth, isn’t that best?’ “I think,” Jack slowly spoke, choosing his words carefully, “The problem from the art program wouldn’t have happened if those parents had talked to Mrs. Swan before getting angry. I also think that unless they know the whole truth about me they may take their anger out on their children and this school, and that would be wrong. I think I understand that no matter what’s done, there will be parents who will never accept the truth—even when it stares them in the eye.” Irene felt tears in her eyes, ready to fall because of how proud she was at this very moment. As she did for many years, Joslyn was once again thinking of others before herself. Over the years Gail, Bill, and Kerrie had seen the same thing from Jack, thinking of others before himself no matter what. “So,” Jack continued, “I think it best, mommy, that we tell the parents about my medical condition.”
Irene pulled Joslyn into a tight hug before telling her, “I love you so much and am very proud of you.” “I love you too, mommy,” Joslyn told Irene before kissing her on the cheek. “Joslyn thank you very much for being brave enough to let us do this. You can return to your class now.” As Gail said that, she pressed the intercom button and told her secretary that Jack could return to his class now. Just before the same woman took Jack back to class, Gail had a thought. “Jack, what will you tell the other students when they ask you why you had to come to the Principals’ office?” Jack looked puzzled for a moment because for Jack there was only one way to answer those type questions, with the truth. “Mrs. Monrow, I’ll just tell them the truth.” As the four amazed people watched, Jack left the office and the door closed behind him. Now they had a meeting to plan.
Gail buzzed her secretary again and asked her to come into her office. Once her secretary was in the office Gail told her, “Cindy I need you to make up a notice to all the parents involved with the school. Tell them there will be a parent meeting two days from now at seven in the evening in the auditorium concerning Jack Winslow. Tell them it also concerns the future of Jack Winslow at this school. Tell them it concerns a medical condition Jack has and that it will be explained in full detail, so their kids need to be left at home. And make it up today and get it to every class before the end of school, this meeting is very important.” As Gail watched Cindy formed a question on her face before asking, “Jack had a medical condition, Gail?” “Cindy,” Irene began as she intercepted Cindy’s question. “Jack underwent an MRI and it was discovered Jack was actually Joslyn since the day she was born. But because of an abnormal clitoris everyone believed she was a boy, including my husband and me. I’m telling you this because you looked very concerned when Gail mentioned medical condition, and I wanted to put your mind at rest that it wasn’t anything fatal. And if you would, please don’t say anything to anyone yet—maybe except to your husband—but to no one else in school; they’ll find out soon enough.” “Certainly Irene, and Gail those letters will go out before school lets out today.” And with that Cindy left Gail’s office, as did Irene after everyone thanked her for coming in and for trusting them with such sensitive information.
Gail asked Bill and Kerrie to stay for a few more minutes because she wanted to get their thoughts on what is about to happen at the school. “So, tell me the truth, are we in for a rough ride because of some bigoted parents?” Bill had dealt with some very angry parents in the past that had done nothing but nitpicked about something which didn’t fit their beliefs. “Gail I don’t think anything we do will ever satisfy a very few of the parents with kids in this school.” Bill told Gail before continuing, “You could push their faces into the truth and they still would deny it and call it perverted. You remember the flap we took because of the cheerleading uniforms? Charlie over at the high school experienced the same thing, and like he told them, get over it, their bitching wasn’t going to get something nationally recognized changed just because it tweaked their noses—and yes he actually said that to one couple who tried going to court to get the uniforms changed; they never found an attorney willing to take a case they didn’t have.”
“But I’ve watched Jack since he began attending this school, and he’s always acted differently than the other students, always standing up for someone else, always thinking of others before himself and that hasn’t gone unnoticed by every teacher in this school. Because of what everyone has seen, there isn’t a staff member who would gladly take any offending parent out back of the gym and explain how it’s going to be, whether they like it or not.” Gail and Kerrie chuckled at Bill’s candor, and knew he was right on every point he brought up. Because Kerrie concurred with Bill, she told Gail, “I agree with everything that Bill said, and I think we’re doing the right thing providing correct information before a bunch of rumors get started—not that it will stop them anyway, many parents won’t attend the meeting.” Gail thanked both before letting them get back to their work; she had a lot of planning to do.
Gail had called a staff meeting that day immediately after school let out for the day, and explained everything to everyone so they’d have all the facts. She asked if anyone had heard any rumors about Jack and heard everything from, “My parents think he’s just a pervert,” to “My mommy said he was really brave wearing those clothes,” before telling the assembled group about her plans for the parent meeting which will be held day after tomorrow in the auditorium at seven in the evening. While she didn’t make it mandatory, she did ask that they attend if they were able, as she knew this was a very short notice. One teacher told her they might not be able to make it unless they could find someone to watch her children since her husband was working a late shift that night. No sooner had she said that then Sally Marshal, one of the third grade teachers, was on her phone and started talking to someone while everyone listened.
“Hi sweetheart, how would you like to earn some money day after tomorrow?”
“Babysitting for Kelly Maxwell, well, kid sitting, they are hardly babies anymore.”
“Probably two or two and a half hour, maybe longer, it all depends on how long a meeting lasts.”
“You will, great. And you can work on your homework too. Yeah, I know, but it’s got to be done. And maybe you can help them with theirs if they have any problems.”
“I love you. Bye”
“Kelly, my daughter Gina has agreed to babysit for you so you’re free to come to the meeting if you still want to,” Sally told a very grateful Kelly as she hugged Sally for what she did. Ever since Gail took over as Principal the entire atmosphere has changed, more are willing to help the other person than fight someone as was the case when she took over as Principal five years ago. It was a struggle at first, some even quit because of what she instituted, but her work paid off as was evident by what Sally just did for Kelly.
“Ladies and gentleman, I do expect there will be a few parents, the usual parents, who will be very vocal about their distaste for what is going to happen. I’d like all of you to try and remain calm and do nothing unless someone tries to get physical. There will be police officers there, along with school security, but the officers will let the school security handle things first before stepping in to assist. Dr. Irene Winslow is not going to sugar coat anything during her presentation, and will describe Joslyn’s condition in great detail. Which means she will be talking about the female anatomy in detail, so be prepared gentleman—if any of you are uncomfortable listening to this type of discussion. All of this is for Jack Winslow, soon to be known as Joslyn Winslow as soon as all the paperwork is completed and presented to the Courts, and she undergoes surgery.” Gail had purposely made the last statements to illicit the questions that were now being asked, and she dutifully answered each one without going into great detail; she actually wanted to see how many were truly concerned about Jack’s welfare, and from what she saw they all were.
William and Irene drove into the school parking lot and were amazed by the number of cars already there. There were so many that they had to park almost at the very back of the lot. William had seen how nervous Irene had been that morning and before they left the house, and tired his best to calm her by letting her know that no parent was going to stand in the way of their daughter getting the treatment she needed. When he again told her that, before they got out of their car, Irene pulled him close and gave him a very lascivious kiss, which William knew would be continued later that night. They walked hand in hand to the rear door of the auditorium where they were met by Gail and Bill as they walked inside. Both could see the worry on Irene’s face, but reassured her that the school was behind her all the way. She gave William another kiss before he went to sit down out front and she walked the stairs which led to the stage.
A few people were still coming in when Gail said, “Ladies and gentlemen, may I have your attention, please?” And before she could say anymore, Sly Jordan stood and shouted, “HAS THAT PERVERTED KID BEEN KICKED OUT OF SCHOOL YET!? WELL, GAIL HAS HE? ARE YOU JUST GOIN’ TO STAND THERE LIKE SOME STATUE IN A PARK WAITING FOR BIRDS TO CRAP ON YOU BEFORE YOU ANSWER MY DAMN QUESTION?” Sly’s shouted question had the desired effect of bringing all conversation in the audience to a sudden halt, and he stood there waiting for an answer. Sly’s wife, Tamra, had seen this exchange between her Sly and Gail several times before, and as she put her head into her hands and shook her head, she knew Gail was about to spank her husband in front of all these people. Gail and Sly had history, not bad history, just history. There had been more than one time Sly had come storming into her office demanding to know, “Just what the hell…” before she was able to calm him down so he could explain what he was so mad about; and she never lied to him when she answered his questions.
After the first time Sly had bulled his way into her office, and bulled fit because he was a big man, she had taken the time to look into his past. Sly was one of six children whose parents were farmers. They hadn’t been poor but they had been close enough to it that they might as well have been. All six kids helped with the farm, from the time they were about six until each one married and moved away; their parents grew too old to continue farming so they leased out their land and now live much better than they had. School was an afterthought when it came to work needing done on the farm, so it wasn’t unusual for the kids to stop going to school when they reach sixteen-years-old. And that had happened to Sly, his public schooling stopped at sixteen years of age. Gail also learned that while he never attended school again he never stopped learning. From those she talked to she found out he was a voracious reader and a lot smarter than he let on. But he was also quick to anger before knowing all the facts, and that’s what he was showing right now.
“Sly Albert Jordan,” Gail said in order to get his full attention, “How many time have you and I talked and how many times have I told you not to go shooting off your mouth before you have all the facts? How many times Sly?” Tamra had covered her mouth with a hand to stifle the chuckle which threatened to escape, before her sweet husband replied, “A lot, ma’am.” “I’m sorry I didn’t catch that Sly, what did you say?” Gail had heard what Sly had said but knew if she caught him being dumb she could get him to listen. In a booming voice he hollered, “A LOT, MA’AM.” “Sly, sweetheart, sit down and listen to what’s going to be said,” Tamra told her husband as she gently pulled his arm until he sat back down. When Sly had replied the last time, Gail knew she had his attention and his anger would abate, for now. No sooner had Sly sat back down but Mr. Cyres Barlow stood up and told Gail, “I think you need to answer Sly’s question, Mrs. Monrow. Has that perverted boy been removed from this school; I don’t want him around my kids.” Had Cyres looked down he would have seen the angry look on his wife’s face—Martha Barlow was giving her husband a look that said they’d speak later.
Gail had had run ins with Cyres in the past and his Holier Than Thou attitude got thin real quick, and tonight she was going to stomp on it real hard. “Mr. Barlow, if you will please sit down, and listen, you will hear that there is no perverted boy in this school. In fact, the material presented here tonight will dispel whatever rumor you heard.” Gail watched as Martha pulled on her husband’s arm only to be shook off before he asked, “Why are you side stepping the question that’s been asked? Is this school trying to hide something about this perverted boy?” As Cyres stood, Gail quickly scanned the crowd and saw that almost everyone had understood what Irene said about the material to be presented. Gail now knew this was the time to get under the man’s skin because he hated being addressed as Cyres by anyone he wasn’t friendly with, especially a woman. “Um Cyres, you have two choices tonight. First choice is to sit your ass back in that seat and listen to what’s about to be presented, or I’ll have those gentleman at the back of the auditorium escort you to the lobby where two police officers will issue you a ticket for disturbing the peace and escort you off school property. So which will it be?” Gail watched as Cyres was about to say something when Martha said, “Cyres Noah Barlow, you open your mouth again and you can find someplace else to sleep for the rest of your life. Now SIT down and SHUT UP.” Gail really had to rein in her emotions right now because she was about to laugh at what the mild mannered Martha had just told her husband; and it worked because Cyres sat down and remained silent for the rest of the night.
“Ladies and gentleman this parents meeting was called because rumors have started which are as far from the truth as the Earth is from the Sun, and you will hear the unblemished truth about the child at the center of all the rumors. Dr. Irene Winslow is a medical doctor, and psychiatrist, at the Children’s Hospital; she is also the mother of the child in question. Gentleman, the material she will present is very clinical concerning a woman’s anatomy. If you are embarrassed by the material presented, then I am sorry but the rumors need to be squashed and, with the family’s permission, the truth is going to be told. Dr. Winslow.”
For the next thirty minutes, Irene stood before the audience and explained how she and her husband discover a mistake which happened ten years ago; she started with the accident during the art program right on up to the MRI pictures. “…and because the Sonogram was inconclusive Dr. Oslow felt an MRI was needed. When “Jack” was examined “his” chest look much different than others his age, and if you look here and here,” Irene pointed to two places on the MRI of “Jack’s” chest, “You’ll see development which is the same development a girl this age would start realizing.” Irene tapped a few keys on her laptop and the MRI picture of “Jack’s” abdomen was put up on the huge monitor above her head. “The image you now see is the lower abdominal region, where here and here are the ovaries, and here and here are the fallopian tubes; this region here is the uterus, and this is the cervix, and this the vaginal canal. These images were sent to experts in the imaging field for their opinions, and to a person, what you are seeing is the internal anatomy of a female, a female who just happens to be my child—who was misdiagnosed ten years ago and thought to be a boy until a few days ago. Ladies and gentleman, Joslyn, the name our daughter has chosen, is going to have reconstructive surgery to correct the abnormalities which occurred while in my womb. For you gentleman who don’t know, it is vital her vaginal canal be opened or when she starts puberty and starts her menstrual cycle if the body can’t expel the fluids, which developed in preparation for pregnancy, then she could develop an infection which could in all likelihood prove fatal.” Irene watched as almost every woman in that audience nodded their heads in understanding exactly what Irene was telling them. Irene knew some of the men who also nodded had medical training in other fields but also understood what she was telling them.
“Ladies and gentleman…let me be very clear here tonight. Our daughter IS going to have the required surgery, and heaven help anyone who tries to get it stopped. This is all I have to present, so please, if there are any questions I’d be happy to answer them.” As Irene watched, a rather slim man stood and asked, “Doctor, are you saying your child is going to be having sex and get pregnant at her age?” Irene could not believe that ignorance was as thick as this man just proved. “Ah, Mister….” Irene prodded, “Adams, ma’am, Horace Adams.” “Mr. Adams, each month a woman’s body goes through a cycle that prepares it for pregnancy, and it happens to girls who start puberty—this occurs whether the woman wants it or not. An egg is released from the Ovaries, travels down the fallopian tubes and if it isn’t fertilized then her body sloughs off the now unwanted material and the woman/girl experience her period. In my daughter’s case, Mr. Adams, without a vaginal opening—and please sir if you have children you know what that is--her body won’t be able to expel the unwanted material and she could develop sepsis and would then require emergency surgery to open her vaginal canal, and medication to fight the sepsis and whatever other infection that occurs. So to answer your question Mr. Adams, no my daughter is NOT going to have sex and get pregnant because of the surgery or at her age. Are there any other questions?” Irene asked as she scanned the audience. Seeing none she stepped back and Gail took over and thanked everyone for coming and hopefully what was presented tonight dispelled any rumors anyone had heard. “And if anyone has a question Dr. Winslow will be available in front of the stage.”
Irene and Gail walked down the stairs for the stage and stood in front of it so anyone with additional questions could come up and ask them. Irene did field a few questions but more than a few told her they’d support her and her family. One woman and her husband asked if they could make an appointment to speak to Irene professionally about their son. Irene could read the worry, concern, and fear in their faces and asked when they could come and see her. The woman told Irene they were free in the morning, with Irene asking if 9 o’clock in morning was alright with them. They said 9 o’clock would be fine and they would see her then. After the couple left Martha Jordan walked up and told Gail, “Gail I want to apologize for my outburst tonight, that old fool just doesn’t know when to use his ears and when to use his mouth. Plus, years ago I know a family who had a boy like yours Dr. Winslow,” “Please, Martha, Irene,” Irene told the woman before she continued. “When he was born everyone thought he was a boy because he had a penis and at that time a penis meant a boy, so he was raised as a boy until one day at school he collapsed at school with terrible stomach pains and a real high fever. He was rushed to the emergency room where they performed every test they could think of but couldn’t figure out what was wrong. It got worse before a doctor who happened to be visiting was asked to look at the boy and she immediately ordered a Sonogram. After she watched the Sonogram she ordered a rush MRI and as it turned out, the boy was actually a girl who had been having her period and all the fluid was trapped inside her body. She underwent emergency surgery and with the help of medication, she finally recovered. The doctors were worried she might never have children, if she wanted, but a few years later she and her husband now have three beautiful children. You see, Gail and Irene, that family is my sister’s family and it was her daughter, so every time I hear talk of another boy having this problem I think back to her family and how they almost lost a child because someone decided the baby must be a boy because it has a penis. Very few in the family were ever told because of attitudes like Cyres’, but tonight he’s going to hear the story which has been keep secret too long. Maybe then his attitude will thin out a bit, or maybe it’s time he live someplace else if he doesn’t.”
As Gail and Irene listened to Martha’s story, they saw tears roll down her cheeks as she explained the reason behind her outburst. And when she finished, both Gail and Irene had to wipe their eyes as well. The three women hugged before biding Martha a goodnight, and so did Gail and Irene. That night when she and William got home, and the kids were in bed, the kids would have yet another story to tell their parents sometime in the future after their parents closed their bedroom door.
The next day at school, based on the discussions they heard, it was evident to the teachers that many parents had talked with their kids about the presentation at the parents meeting the night before. By the same token, it was evident some had not and this was causing a lot of friction between the two groups. It was at recess that as Jack sat and watched all the arguing taking place on the playground that he decided he needed to do something to help to put an end to all of it. He walked up to his teacher, Miss Patty Dority, and asked if he could talk with Mrs. Monrow. When Patty asked him why, he explained, “I want to ask Mrs. Monrow if she’d let me talk to everyone in school so they’d stop arguing with each other.” This was not the first time Jack had thought of others and tried to help when he could, and seeing how important this was to him agreed to take him to the office. After having another teacher on the playground cover her class while she took Jack to the office, as they walked down the hallway Patty told Jack, “You are a very brave and caring person, Jack, to let all the parents know about your medical condition. And if I’m right, you want to do that now, right?” Jack was silent for a moment, forming his answer Patty thought, before telling her, “It’s the right thing to do if it helps others understand and maybe help someone else like me.” All of the teachers talk about the students they have when they get together, and those who’ve had Jack as a student say he acts more like a mature high school student than a ten-year-old elementary student; and that has been the case ever since Jack came into Patty’s classroom.
After Jack talked with Principal Monrow, Gail asked Jack to wait outside her office because she wanted to talk with Miss. Dority. “Well, what do you think Patty, is it the right thing to do based on the meeting last night?” Patty had to think a moment about Gail’s question before telling her, “I watched the usual parents we have trouble with during the meeting last night, and they were upset when they sat down, but showed they understood that this thing with Jack was an medical emergency and that alone won them over. They also must have spoken with their kids because they were the kids that were defending Jack on the playground. I think Jack is right, it’s the right thing to do.” “Thanks Patty, guess you and Jack better get back to class,” Gail told Patty as she checked the schedule to make sure no classes were at recess. She then went to the school intercom and told the entire school there will be an assembly at two-thirty in the auditorium, and it was very important that everyone attend.
When she had made the announcement she turned to Cindy and asked, “Have I done the right thing Cindy, by letting Jack tell the entire school about what he’s going through?” Cindy pulled up a chair, patted the seat and waited until Gail sat down. “Gail, whether he said anything today or tomorrow, when she came to school after she’s healed enough there would be talk about how she dressed. Like the others here at school, I’ve watched that boy, um, girl since she started here, and there’s never been a student before or since that cares more for others then themselves. Jack needs to face things on his own terms, and his telling IS facing this on his own terms. So yeah, you’ve done the right thing; let’s just hope those kids who weren’t told take the news well, and this doesn’t get a mob carrying torches and pitch forks bang down our doors.” Gail chuckled at Cindy’s last comment before hugging the woman and telling her, “Thanks, I needed to hear that.”
At a little before two-thirty, the auditorium started filling up with students as the classes filed in and sat down. Gail intercepted Jack as he came in and walked with him to the stage, and asked him again if he was sure he wanted to do this. His response was short and to the point, “Yes ma’am, I want to do this.” Before she stepped up to the mike she asked Jack not to use a lot of medical terms but terms his classmates would understand. His response was even shorter by his saying, “Okay.” When she received the signal that all classes were in attendance, she opened the mike and called everyone to quiet down and listen to what’s about to be said. “Judging by what many have been saying on the playground, your parents spoke with you last night about the parents meeting they attended. By the reaction from some of you it’s obvious your parents didn’t speak with you after last nights’ parents meeting or your parents did attend. Because of what those of you who weren’t told have been saying, Jack Winslow has asked to speak with you and tell you what he’s been going through and what he is about to go through. This is very serious, life threatening even, so if anyone makes fun of what he tells you or laughs because of what he says, you are going to wish you didn’t attend this school. Jack.”
“Last night our parents had a meeting so my mom, Dr. Irene Winslow, could tell your parents about something that was discovered about me.” As Jack started speaking had someone dropped a pin the whole auditorium could have heard it hit the ground, it was that quiet. “I was taken to Children’s Hospital and had an exam including a Sonogram—that’s a machine which can look inside you without being operated on. Dr. Michael saw something that had him worried so he had an MRI done on me—that’s a real big machine that takes real good pictures of your body, and it’s REALLY noisy.” A few kids laughed at the way Jack described how noisy the MRI was before continuing. “When I was still in my mom, I didn’t develop right and when I was born because I had a thing that looked like a boys’ thing the doctors believed I was a boy; and that’s how I was treated for ten years. But when they looked at the MRI pictures they saw I had girl parts inside and then knew I was really a girl with some outside girl parts which didn’t form right when I was still inside my mom. In a couple of days I’m going into the hospital and have surgery to fix the outside girl parts so I’ll look like other girls, so I won’t be in school for a while. But when I return I will be dressed as other girls do in girl clothes and will go by the name of Joslyn.” While Jack was talking Gail had watched the kids in the audience to see if any were upset by what Jack was telling them. Some made faces when he mentioned boy and girl parts, but otherwise they were taking the information quite well. The real test would be when they got home and told their parents about this assembly, and whether or not their parents flipped their lids because their child was told something they didn’t want them to hear. She had already formed a response should any parent show up at her office tomorrow, she’d simply tell them that when Joslyn starts attending school their child was going to start asking questions and it was better for them to know the truth now, then cause a problem later. She was also going to make sure Gordan, one of the security guards, was somewhere nearby if/when a parent came in firing both barrels.
Gail stepped up to the mike after Jack had finished speaking and told the kids, “Thank you for being very polite while Jack was speaking, you all may return to your classrooms.” It was two-fifty so each class had ten minutes before the bell rang to dismiss school. She had instructed each teacher to answer any question the kids might have to the best of their ability, and not to sugar coat anything. These kids may be young, but they were not stupid.
Shelly had Jack scheduled to enter the hospital Wednesday after school, with the operation taking place the following day at 9 a.m. She and her team had met every day to map out what each would be doing and when, so that they didn’t get in each other’s way and to insure the operation went smoothly. Judging by the MRI and still pictures she had taken, opening the vaginal canal would be the less time consuming of the two operations they were going to perform; the clitoris would be more problematic. She also wanted to have the time to explain to the Winslows what they were going to do so they’d have some idea why the operations were taking so long. She also wanted to alleviate their fears and let them know that they’d asked another plastic surgeon whose team had done several of these operations to assist in Jack’s operations. Shelly knew what needed to be done, but knowing and doing are miles apart when it came to surgery. She had seen one done, and now it was her turn, under supervision, to do one herself. That was the adage, “See one, do one, teach one,” it was one way every surgeon learned their trade. She also hoped the family could sleep well the next two nights because their stress levels were going to be off the charts come Thursday morning; Jack would be given something to help him sleep better Wednesday night.
Tuesday night four people had a hard time sleeping because of the impending operation. The fourth person, the one surgery would be performed on, slept like a log. Wednesday morning was even worse for four of the Winslow family, everyone but Jack were nervous, antsy, almost short tempered, and rushing around like they were late for something. In short, they were all worried about Jack, about what he was about to undergo in 24 hours. They feared something would go wrong and he’d be gone from their lives forever. When everyone was sitting around the kitchen table for breakfast, only Jack ate his breakfast, or at least didn’t push his food around his plate. “Jack,” said Tracy, “How can you be so calm when you’re going to have surgery tomorrow?” As the family watched, Jack mulled over her question before telling her, “It’s something that has to be done to make me better, and getting upset over it won’t make it go away on its own.” This was not the first time four members of the Winslow family had been in a tizzy, and it had not been the first time Jack’s demeanor had made them realize that reality sometimes couldn’t be changed. Of the four, Irene was the one who was trying to be stoic, until the kids walked out the front door to catch the school bus. William held her tight as wracking sobs escaped from her because of her fear for Jack, and what would happen to their family if Jack never came home from the hospital.
Irene had taken the kids to school Wednesday morning, and after kisses the kids went to their classrooms while Irene went to the office. There she filled out all the paperwork which explained why Jack would be out of school for an extended period of time; providing medical documentation to help explain the absences. She also filled out the paperwork explaining why Tracy and Marcy would be missing school on Thursday, as they asked her to let them be at the hospital with her and their dad. Gail and Irene talked for a while about the surgery and everything they were going to do, and how long it would be before Joslyn would be back in school. Gail also gave Irene her shoulder when Gail saw how scared Irene was, which was totally understandable. When Irene had cried herself out, and after repairing her face, the two said their goodbyes with Irene going to the hospital to work--hopefully. Gail somehow knew Irene would get very little work done today, and would make it a point to have Bill watch over things so she could be there for the family at the hospital. She also said a prayer for that family, they were very special.
William and Irene were overly surprised as they pulled into the school parking lot to pick up the kids, only to see that the entire school had turned out to see Jack off, hearing a lot of “Good luck” as they were pulling up where their kids stood waiting. It also looked as though the teachers had formed a hugging line because as they watched, teacher after teacher hugged Jack before letting the next one in line have their turn. William saw tears in Irene’s eyes because of all the concern displayed by the school. He also knew he’d better not try and talk right then until the lump in his throat went away. After the kids were in the car and the family started driving away, there were shouts of “Good luck,” and “God speed,” and “Hurry back,” and a few other well wishes that couldn’t be heard as their car traveled further and further from the school, coming that much closer to the hospital and everyone’s fears, except Jacks.
Drs. Keller and Oslow met the family as they walked into the Children’s Hospital and walked them to the Check-in desk to get Jack started on his way to becoming an outwardly appearing girl, to match the physical girl he actually was on the inside. They then escorted the family to the floor and ward where Jack would be staying that night and several nights after surgery, and let the charge nurse show Jack and the family to Jack’s room before she shooed everyone but Jack out of the room so they could get him settled. When they were allowed to reenter Jack’s room, they saw he’d been attached to an IV and monitoring machine, and wearing PJs provided by the hospital. He was lying placid under the light sheet and blanket which covered him, nothing unexpected from Jack, or when he asked, “I’m hungry, do I get something soon?” All of the family face-palmed and shook their heads before laughing and heard Marcy say to Jack, “Look where you are, in a hospital. You’re going to have surgery and all you can think of is your stomach.” Jack had a puzzled look on his face because of what Marcy said; it was the one he gave anyone he thought made a strange statement. “Just because I’m going to have surgery doesn’t mean I have to starve, doesn’t it?” That question got his hair ruffled by Marcy before she told him, “No, I guess it doesn’t,” then she kissed him on the cheek and whispered, “I love you.” The nurse still in the room had laughed along with the family before telling Jack he would get a meal before too long and a snack before nine that evening, but wouldn’t be allowed to eat or drink anything after nine. Hearing what the nurse just said caused Jack to make his “I don’t like the idea” face which his family also knew meant he’d go along with it anyway.
When Jack’s evening meal finally came the family went down to the cafeteria to have their meal, before returning to Jack’s room and giving him heartfelt goodbyes around seven. There wasn’t a dry eye in that room as one by one his family hugged and kissed him before finally leaving to return home. This was going to be the first time Jack had been away from his family during the night, and even he shed a few tears at the prospect. “We will be here at seven in the morning, okay,” Irene told him as she held him close, while tears ran down her cheeks. “You make sure you don’t give these nurses any trouble, alright?” She felt Jack nod his head, before a final kiss and Jack watched his family walk out of his room.
That night at the Winslow house everyone was very somber. The girls were told to work on their homework, to give them something to do and take their minds off their soon to be sister; the girls worked in Marcy’s room but took longer than normal because they held each other and talked most of the time. Irene and William weren’t much better, just sitting on the couch holding each other. Because they’d need to get up early to be at the hospital by seven, the girls went to bed around ten that night, only to knock on Irene and William’s bedroom door and complain they couldn’t sleep. That night the four slept in the same bed where they all talked for some time before Tracy finally asked, “He’s going to be alright isn’t he?” before sleep finally took them all.
The next morning was a rushed, frenzied, tizzy, worried morning for the Winslows as they all hurried to bath, dress, and get breakfast before heading to the hospital to be with Jack before he was taken into surgery. William had to rein in his emotions as he drove the family toward the hospital, as he was so wound up on the inside he had trouble keeping to the posted speed limit. The usual fifteen ride to the hospital from their home seemed to take forever before they pulled into the hospital parking lot, parked the car and almost ran into the hospital and to Jack’s room. As they quietly entered Jack’s room they found him wide awake and sitting up in bed, wearing a hospital gown instead of the PJs he had on the night before. In their excitement to see Jack they soon found out that a family hug was a bit awkward due to the IV, the bed, and the other equipment used to monitor Jack. So one by one he received big hugs and kisses on the cheek before being asked, “Did you sleep alright?” Irene asked Jack as she hugged him. “I guess so,” Jack replied, “They gave me a pill and I don’t remember anything after a few minutes.” The nurse in the room told them, “He slept real well, his vitals were good all night, and when we came in this morning he was complaining about being hungry.” Because Irene was hugging Jack all she could do was laugh, but the other three face-palmed, shook their heads and laughed. “I’ll leave all of you alone right now, and we’ll be back at around eight-thirty to take Jack to surgery,” the nurse said before leaving the room. For the next hour they made small talk, talking about anything and everything, except Jack’s surgery. Jack could see how worried his sisters and mom and dad were so he finally told them, “I can see all of you are worried, but Dr. Shelly said everything will be fine. I trust her so can’t you trust her too? I also know things could go wrong—and no, no one told me it’s something I realized a few days ago—and it’s possible I might die, but that’s part of life too isn’t it? I don’t get the feeling it’s my time to go, so maybe you all could relax and think about everything we’ll be able to do when I become a real physical girl?”
At Jack’s declaration there were tears and surprise because of his self-realization about the risks of the surgery. “And just think, daddy, four girls will soon be vying for two bathrooms and three may someday be bringing home three boyfriends.” Those cheerful words from Jack not only brought William to tears but caused him to need Irene for a few moments, as he cried thinking about the possibility of losing this precious child. When William was finally able to talk he said, “Um…well…maybe we’ll just have to add another bathroom so I can have one for myself.” That caused everyone, including Jack, to laugh and helped break the tension they all felt. It wasn’t far from the truth because he and Irene had discussed adding to the house and when they learned about Jack’s condition, realizing another bathroom would be needed—they had wanted a large family room ever since they purchased the house several years ago but couldn’t justify the expenses. Now they had a real reason to add to the house as they’d always wanted.
A few minutes before eight-thirty, two nurses and two orderlies, all wearing scrubs, came into Jack’s room. One nurse injected a medication into Jack’s IV while the other disconnected the monitoring machine. The first nurse explained, “This is something to help you sleep, Jack, so don’t be worried if you start feeling sleepy.” The other nurse told the family they were going to take Jack up to surgery now and they could wait in the lounge on that floor. She was unable to give them an exact time Jack would be in surgery but said it would be good for them to take breaks now and then, even getting lunch, and they’d be notified when Jack was out of surgery. Tracy and Marcy were first to hug and kiss their new sister, telling him they loved him before William then Irene. Seeing his moms’ face Jack told her, “Mom, it’s going to be alright, I’m going to be alright, and you can start calling me Joslyn after they straighten out my plumbing.” That last part brought a laugh to Irene, as her precious daughter was doing her best to cheer her up before doctors were going to cut into her. A tearful Irene hugged and kissed her daughter before standing back and watching as Jack was wheeled out of the room and up to surgery. A laugh could be heard by anyone in the hallway after Tracy asked, “Can we get something to eat, because I’m hungry.” William, Irene, and Marcy suddenly felt the pains of hunger after Tracy’s question, so because they had plenty of time, and because they all needed the distraction, they headed to the cafeteria and food.
They had taken the nurse’s advice and did leave the surgical waiting room often, even going for lunch. William was very grateful to see Gail arrive and included her in their breaks. It was just after one of their breaks early in the afternoon when Shelly came into the waiting room. By the concerned looks on all their faces she knew to get right to the point, “Joslyn is out of surgery, and the surgery went well. Your daughter now physically looks like any other ten-year-old girl. Now, you can’t see her right now because we have her in intensive care until we’re sure there aren’t any unexpected complications; and she’s going to be asleep until later this afternoon; and she’s going to be in pain, which we’ll give her something to help manage. GO HOME, REST, and then come back tonight for a short visit. We don’t want to tax her too much today after surgery, so—GO HOME AND GET SOME REST!” Shelly said the last with a smile on her face, receiving hugs from everyone before saying goodbye and returning to Joslyn. Before Gail left she told Irene and William, “I’ll make the announcement at school to let everyone know Joslyn is doing okay. I’m going to encourage get well cards be dropped off here for her and I wouldn’t be a bit surprised if her room becomes a zoo of stuffed animals.” Both William and Irene hugged her, kissed her cheek before thanking her and watching as she left.
“Well,” William started saying, “It looks like our daughter, your new sister,” he pointed at Tracy and Marcy, “Is doing well and I think we all need something to eat and rest before we come back here tonight.” Three heads nodded in agreement before hand in hand the four took the elevator to the ground floor, walked out of the hospital in search of something to eat before they would be sound asleep shortly after returning home. Their baby was safe, their sister was safe, and she would now be the real girl on the outside she had been on the inside for the past ten years. William realized there’d be no one to carry on the family name, but the trade-off was all the grandchildren he and Irene might one day have so they could spoil them rotten. And teach them how to love each other.
They arrived at the hospital shortly after seven that evening, after a very good nap and supper at the family’s favorite Chinese take-out restaurant. As they reached Joslyn’s floor, Irene told the rest to go on and she’d be with them in a moment. Irene then went to the nurses’ station and asked to see Jack Winslow’s chart, being a member of the staff her request was not given a second thought. As she scanned her chart, she was very pleased to see Joslyn was receiving meds to help ward off any infections and meds to help manage her pain. Thanking the nurse at the desk, she picked up the phone and dialed Shelly’s office number, receiving a “Hello, Dr. Keller,” after the second ring. “Hi Shelly, it’s Irene, do you have time to visit for a bit.” “Oh hi Irene, did the family get that rest I ordered?” Irene laughed before telling her, “Yes we did. If you have a few minutes I’d like to hear how the surgery went and what all was done.” “Tell you what, Irene, give me about fifteen minutes to finish up here and I’ll be up there and we can talk. How’s that sound?” Shelly asked Irene before hearing, “That’d be fine, I’ll see you shortly.” Irene hung up the phone then walked the short distance down the hallway and into Joslyn’s room, rather surprised at what she saw the minute she entered the room. It had only been a few hours but Joslyn’s room was starting to look like a stuffed animal zoo. There had to be at least twenty stuffed animals lying around the room, ranging from palm sized stuffed animals to those about two feet tall. And when Irene looked at her baby she saw her sitting up and chatting with Tracy and Marcy in a very animated way—not unlike the time the four had gone shopping for more clothes at Jack’s request. Jack, Irene reflected, a son they never really had; a son so serious and devoid of emotion, so logical, so down to earth, a son she would miss was so opposite to the very happier daughter she saw sitting in that hospital bed laughing at something one of the girls had said. Her new beautiful daughter had come alive after ten years.
Irene put her wool gathering aside and almost rushed up to Joslyn before hugging and asking her, “How are you doing? Are you in much pain?” Joslyn fiercely hugged her mom, kissed her cheek before telling her, “It hurts a bit, but I was told they put medication in the IV to help with the pain. They didn’t want to put in too much or it might make me wonkers.” Joslyn giggled after saying “wonkers” which was something Jack would never have done. Irene pushed back from her daughter and gazed at her beauty, her now very bright eyes and her extremely happy expression. This was a completely different child than she had a few hours ago, but only time would let them know how different she happened to be. A light knocked on the door caused everyone to turn and see Dr. Sherry come into the room. “My Joslyn, don’t you look pretty tonight. How are you feeling—is there much pain?” When Joslyn told Dr. Shelly about the same as she told her mom, Dr. Shelly told Joslyn she wanted to check her dressings. She walked on the opposite side of the bed away from the family, to give Joslyn a bit of privacy, before lifting the bedding and checking to make sure the dressings were still holding, and to see if there was any bleeding. “Well, everything still looks good,” Shelly told the family before replacing the bedding and walking back around to stand with the family.
“Now, Joslyn is going to be with us a few days until her dressings can be removed, and we’re sure there is no infections and she’s healing properly. I hope you don’t feel embarrassed William, but once Joslyn is all healed you will never know she had surgery. She will appear as though this is how she was born. And you can credit such fine work to Dr. Paul Morton, a great plastic surgeon and teacher. Don’t be surprised if he comes to visit you, Joslyn, he too wants to make sure you’re healing properly. Besides, he didn’t get to meet you before the surgery and wants to see the awake you.” This caused Joslyn to giggle and give Shelly a very bright smile and a, “I’d like to meet him too, and thank him for what he did for me.” Shelly patted Joslyn’s hand before she and Irene left the room. Fifteen minutes later Irene returned to Joslyn’s room after getting details about the surgery; she’d talk to William later, even though everything did go well. In short order it was finally time to leave, with each giving Joslyn a hug, a kiss, and a “I love you” before the family left for the evening. On the drive home, Tracy and Marcy almost fell asleep due to exhaustion. This would be one night after William closed their bedroom door the girls would not have anything to tell their parents in the future, except how happy they were that their sister WOULD be coming home.
Everyone felt so much better the next morning, more so Irene and William, since the surgery had been successful. Tracy and Marcy had tried to beg off going to school but Irene put her foot down and two rather disappointed girls left the house to catch the school bus. After the girls had left, Irene grabbed William into a hug and told him, “I’m so thankful Joslyn is alright. I was so worried we’d lose her and I feared what it’d do to our family had that happened.” William held Irene tightly and told her, “I felt that way too, I couldn’t imagine this family without her. And I’d miss her dearly.” They stayed in each other’s arms for a while before William pulled back, and kissed Irene with as much passion as time permitted, and then told her he needed to get going. As he turned to leave, Irene, with a twinkle in her eye, grabbed his butt as tightly as she could. William reached and grabbed her hand before pulling her into another passionate kiss and stroked her at the same time. “Um…see here big fella. We have to get to work, and we don’t have time to finish what’s being started. Think you can contain yourself until later tonight,” Irene asked William as he continued doing marvelous things with his hand. “I’ve been doing more reading,” was all that William told her before giving her another deep kiss and going off to his practice. Irene had to use a cold washcloth to help cool her face off after William had left; later tonight was going to be very pleasurable.
Irene had an unfair advantage over the rest of her family since she worked at the hospital. Her first stop was to check on her daughter, and see how she was doing a day after her surgery. When she walked into Joslyn’s room she was just finishing her breakfast, and gave Irene a sun bright smile upon seeing her. “Hi sweetie, doing better today,” Irene asked as she gave Joslyn a hug. Joslyn made a face after taking a spoon full of oatmeal and asked her mom, “Do you think they’d let you bring me breakfast, this stuff tastes like glue on paper.” That caused Irene to let out a deep laugh before she told her daughter, “Hospital food for patients can’t be spliced up like the food sold in the cafeteria, it might affect the medication they are taking. And no, they won’t let me bring you breakfast so suck up and eat what they bring you.” It was hard for Irene not to laugh as she told Joslyn this, because Joslyn had made another face after taking another spoon full of oatmeal. “Hang in their sweetheart. You’ll be home in a few more days. I spoke with Dr. Shelly and it’s only been one day but you’re healing nicely—she checked when they changed the dressings.”
“Ugh…” Joslyn grunted as she took yet another spoon full of oatmeal, “If they keep giving me this food you’ll be able to tie a string to my leg and use me for a kite, I’ll have lost that much weight. Maybe you can sneak something in at lunch, or this evening?” Joslyn asked her mom as she did something Irene had never seen her do, she tried to give Irene puppy-dog eyes, and it caused Irene to lose it big time, which caused Joslyn to start laughing until she laughed a bit too hard and felt pain in her lower abdomen. “You alright hon, do I need to call someone?” Irene asked Joslyn as she saw the pain in her face. “Yes I’m alright mom I just laughed too hard. And no you don’t need to call anyone.” Joslyn made another face as she pulled the spoon out of her mouth yet again, causing Irene to start laughing again, before Irene told Joslyn she had to go but would check on her later. As Irene kissed her daughter’s cheek she told her, “I love you sweetie,” before leaving the room and heading to her office to start her day. “Blah…” Irene heard as she started down the hall to the elevators, and chuckled all the way.
Irene did check on Joslyn a couple of time before lunch, only to find Joslyn asleep. She brought her lunch tray up to Joslyn’s room so the two could have lunch together—and let Joslyn sneak something off the try while Irene wasn’t looking, of course. Between afternoon clients Irene would look in on Joslyn and started noticing the zoo was increasing in inhabitants; and there were also more get well cards. Irene checked on Joslyn before she left for the day and found her daughter sound asleep while holding a cute little hippo. She kissed her daughter on the cheek before whispering, “We’ll see you tonight,” and received a very sleepy, “…okay, bye mom.”
For the next week, this became the family’s routine, with Irene keeping watch during the day and William and the girls coming in the evening. One morning as Irene came into Joslyn’s room, Shelly was examining Joslyn. The heavy dressings had been replaced with lighter ones a few days ago and Shelly was just changing the one when she told Irene, “Hey girl, I think we’re going to let you take your girl go home with you this afternoon. She’s doing great and there’s no reason why she can’t give this bed to someone who needs it more.” Joslyn really liked Dr. Shelly, because she had treated Joslyn well and always tried to boost her spirits when it got a bit rough the past few days. The two woman laughed when they heard, “Alright, I finally get to eat real food for a change.” Shelly got serious and looked pointedly at Joslyn, “Listen very closely to me Joslyn, this is really important. I’m going to give your mom a list of foods I want you to eat so you can get your body built back up. And while it can have some seasonings, you can’t have much. Another thing, do not pick up anything heavier than a school book—not even a book bag or you might rip the stitches. Walk, don’t run or jump, and if you have to go up and down stairs, go slow, very slowly. In fact it won’t hurt you to walk for ten to fifteen minutes a day until I clear you to return to school. After you get much better I’m going to have you take physical therapy to help build up and stretch your groin muscles. Also, I understand you’ll be meeting with Dr. Terry? Be upfront and honest with her, she so wants to help you learn many things a real girl would know at your age that you missed out on; and help you adjust to being a girl. I’m going to miss seeing you every day but I know it’s important for you to be with your family. Do you think you could do something else for me?” Shelly asked Joslyn. “What’s that Dr. Shelly?” Joslyn asked as Shelly took the girls’ hand in hers. “Continue being the sweet girl I’ve come to know. Continue being concerned for others as you’ve done while here in the hospital. The little bit you’ve done for others while you’ve been here really helped them get through some rough patches, and helped them get better. You’re a very special girl Joslyn Winslow, don’t you ever change.” Shelly hugged Joslyn, kissed her cheek then wiped a tear that had rolled down her own cheek. Joslyn hugged Shelly before telling her, “I’m going to miss you too, Dr. Shelly, and thank you for what you did for me.” All three had to wipe their eyes before Shelly was able to tell Irene that she’d get the paperwork ready to discharge Joslyn when Irene left for the day. She also suggested Irene hire a moving van to more the zoo to their house; there was now over fifty stuffed animals of various sizes sitting in the room, even though some had already gone to other children in the hospital.
That afternoon, Joslyn was surprised when Mrs. Monrow and Mr. Tolman walked into her room, followed by her mom and dad and Tracy and Marcy. “Hi Mrs. Monrow, Mr. Tolman, what are you two doing here?” Joslyn asked the pair, hearing Gail say, “We’re here to help move you and your zoo home; how about that?” Gail and Bill had brought one of the school vans to help carry all the items Joslyn had received over the past few days of her stay in the hospital. Irene had already told them that she and Joslyn had talked and Joslyn wanted to send many of the stuffed animals to kids staying in other hospitals nearby, some were marked to go home with her and the larger animals would be given to organizations in the city which provided toys for Christmas. Gail and Bill started placing those animals marked for Joslyn’s home in a bright colored garbage bag and those that would be going to other hospitals into different colored garbage bags they brought with them; the rest of the stuffed animals, the larger ones, would be stored at the hospital until they could be picked up by the organizations that had be contacted. While Gail and Bill were sorting and packing the stuffed animals, Irene helped Joslyn get dressed. Because of her surgery Joslyn would be wearing only dresses and skits until Shelly gave the all clear to start wearing pants. It wasn’t long before Gail and Bill had taken the zoo to the school van and Joslyn was dressed before a nurse came in carrying the discharge papers Irene or William had to sign. She was followed by an orderly pushing a wheelchair which would be used to cart Joslyn out of the hospital and to the waiting family car. “Food, I’m finally going to eat REAL food,” Joslyn chanted as the group started for the elevator only to stop now and then when a nurse wanted to say “goodbye and good luck.” Joslyn took a deep breath as she was wheeled out of the hospital, it seemed a long time since she smelled the outside air. The orderly helped Joslyn into the family’s car before hugging her and telling her to behave herself. That caused Joslyn to giggle before giving the big man and hug and kiss on the cheek. “I will, and thank you,” Joslyn whispered to the big man just before he closed the car door and headed back to the hospital.
Shelly and Irene had spoken several days before the surgery about how long Joslyn would be staying in the hospital after surgery, how long her physical therapy might need to be, and Joslyn’s approximate total recovering time—provided everything went well. Because Joslyn would be at home for at least two weeks before the thought of her returning to school could be discussed, Irene had cleared her calendar and told the hospital administrator she would be taking at least two weeks off once Joslyn was discharged from the hospital; and more if needed. When Shelly had told Irene Joslyn could go home that afternoon, Irene took the time to go over the cases her colleagues would be handling during her absence, and called William to let him know also; he’d pick up the girls after school and together they’d take Joslyn home. Joslyn did discover a downside to her recovery as Gail told her before she and her family left the hospital for home. “Joslyn, I’ll make sure the classwork you missed is sent to your home, and make sure each day’s classwork is delivered so you don’t get behind.” Gail and Joslyn’s family members only laughed when Joslyn made her “this stinks” face after what Gail told her. “Sweetheart,” William began, “I can see you think this all stinks, but you can’t let yourself get behind at school. For a while you won’t be able to do much of anything and catching up on your school work, and doing your daily school work, will keep you busy until you can start doing more. Hang in there, okay, at least for a little while longer.” The old Jack would have kept the family waiting for his answer, but this new person they now have was more assured and answered much quicker with, “Okay daddy, I may not like it but I can see it needs to be done so, okay.” Gail and Bill followed the Winslow’s home in order to drop off the stuffed animals Joslyn wanted to keep before saying their goodbyes and telling Joslyn they can’t wait until she can come back to school. Joslyn hugged both and told them, “Thank you very much for what you’ve done.” As Joslyn slowly made her way into her house, the others heard her chant, “Food, I’m finally going to eat real food.”
Shelly had given Irene instructions about checking Joslyn’s dressings and how often to change them. She also wanted to see Joslyn every three days to see how she was healing. At the end of the first week out of the hospital Shelly changed Joslyn’s dressings to something much lighter and smaller, and by the end of the second week the stitches had been removed. When Shelly asked, Joslyn said yes, she and her mom had been walking as she had been told, and they were walking longer distances each time. Shelly asked how she was doing with Dr. Terry and was told, “There’s a lot to being a girl, nothing like when everyone thought I was a boy. But it’s sooo cool.” A beaming smile appeared after Joslyn’s last statement, which caused Shelly and Irene to laugh. “Yes, sweetheart, being a girl can be really cool,” Shelly told the girl before hugging her and telling her and Irene to get out, go home, scoot she had other patients to see. Joslyn and Irene only laughed at Shelly’s playful goodbye, but both were very thankful for the work she had done.
It was now four weeks after Joslyn’s surgery, one week in the hospital and three into her recovery. At Shelly’s last visit she felt Joslyn was doing so well that she could start a gently physical therapy to help strengthen her groan muscles and get her hips loosened up after so little activity. She also told Joslyn that if she was very careful, no running or jumping or picking up object heavier than a school book, she saw no reason she couldn’t return to school. This news was a two edged sword to Joslyn. She had enjoyed the freedom from having to be at school but she missed being at school, she actually like to learn and being home as she had, she had time to read what she wanted when she wanted; plus get her class work done. Shelly told Irene she wanted to see Joslyn in another week and at that time, after she talked with Terry and Joslyn’s physical therapist, they would decide if she could increase her activity. But until then, and she pressed Joslyn’s nose, “Stay with the program.” Joslyn giggled before telling Shelly, “I will.”
Shelly had seen Joslyn the Friday before and saw Joslyn still healing nicely. She told Joslyn, again, about being careful so no running or jumping or no stretching other than what her physical therapist had her do. She also said no pants yet, so it would continue to be dresses and skirts, and this morning, her first day back to school, she would be wearing not only a dress but all the necessary undergarments. Joslyn was like Jack in that when he made up his mind it was made up—although it sometimes took him a while to make up his mind. Joslyn, on the other hand, made decisions light years faster than Jack and already had all of her clothes picked out, made the bathroom route, and was almost dressed when Irene came into her room to see if she needed any help. What Irene saw when she came into Joslyn’s room was an almost comical contortionist trying their darndest to zip up the zipper on the dress they were wearing. Irene had to cover her mouth to keep from outright laughing, so instead said, “Here sweetheart, let me help you with that zipper.” Joslyn gave Irene an exasperated look of “thank you” as she turned around and felt the zipper close. “Give it time,” Irene hugged her daughter and finished with, “It takes practice and patience.” Irene kissed Joslyn on the cheek then told her to finish dressing then come down to breakfast.
Because it was Jack’s first day back as Joslyn, and because no one had seen Joslyn yet, no one knew how others would react, and because of the jolting the bus ride would cause, Irene told the girls she would be taking them to school until Joslyn was healed enough in Dr. Shelly’s opinion to take bumps and jolts and climbing stairs normally. So it was when they reached the school, Tracy and Marcy went to their classrooms and Irene and Joslyn went to the office, to see if there were any problems that had cropped up during Jack’s absence. Gail and Bill were very happy to see Joslyn and how much she had changed. Comparing Joslyn to Jack would be to compare a dark room with all the curtains drawn to one with all the curtains opened and windows open, or the difference between night and day. Both administrators could see how happy Joslyn was compared to Jack; she had a twinkle in her eyes Jack lacked. She also had an aura that seemed to touch any and everything as she walked by. And she was so much more open as she told them when they saw each other, “Good morning Mrs. Monrow, Mr. Tolman, it’s great to be back in school.” The three adults eyed each other upon hearing this declaration and nodded in agreement that this was a totally different child than the previous child.
“Good morning to you too, Joslyn, we’re very happy you’re back with us,” Gail and Bill almost said together. Gail then had Irene and Joslyn come into her office before Joslyn was taken to her class. When Irene asked about any problems, Gail told her, “Well…there haven’t been any problems per say, but the school jungle drums say there are still a few parents who think Jack is trying to pass himself off as a girl, even after your presentation. And, don’t worry about anyone bothering her, I’ve sent out notices about Jack returning to school as Joslyn and should any child cause her any harm said child would be out of school for two weeks.” Gail also asked Joslyn, “If anyone bothers you because you are now who you should have been years ago, even if no teachers’ around, you tell either Ms. Dority or you come see me or Mr. Tolman—got it?” Irene then went over the restrictions Dr. Keller had placed on Joslyn, and Joslyn knew it was going to set her back if she went against Dr. Keller’s orders. Hearing that from her mom, Joslyn giggled before telling her mom, “Mom, I promised Dr. Shelly I’d stick to her program and that’s what I’ve been doing.” Gail then asked Irene if she’d like to walk Joslyn to her classroom, and maybe talk with Ms. Dority a bit before leaving. Mother and daughter liked that idea and bid Gail goodbye as they headed to Joslyn’s classroom.
Patty Dority lit up like a Christmas tree when Joslyn and Irene walked into the classroom, telling Joslyn, “Hey there good looking, good to see you back with us. How are you feeling today?” Patty gave Joslyn a hug before stepping off to the side to speak with Irene. After Irene told Patty about Joslyn’s physical restrictions Patty told Irene, “We had a meeting a few days ago when we heard Joslyn was coming back. We also heard there are a few students who’ve heard their parents talk too much and will likely try and bother Joslyn somehow. Gail said she tell you about the two week vacation any child who bothers Joslyn will get, so I’m presuming she has. Your daughter has won over the hearts of the teachers at this school because of how Jack treated others and stood up for them when she and they got bullied. So I just want you to rest assured we WILL bounce the butt of the first student who bothers your daughter. And we won’t care who their parents are or who they know. Once the other students see how serious we are about leaving Joslyn alone by booting a student out of school for two weeks, they will get the message.” Irene hugged Patty and told her how much what she and Gail told her helped relieve some uncertainty she had about Joslyn coming to school today. Irene parted with Patty, waved to Joslyn and told her she’d see her after school and left for the hospital.
Joslyn’s walking, and working with her physical therapist after her surgery, helped her a lot when it was time for recess. While she didn’t make any sudden moves while she walked, had the school not know she was going to have surgery no one would know it by how normal her walk appeared; so she was able to walk with the rest of the class out to the playground. And it was during this first recess that mommy and daddy’s too often spoken out of turn raised its head, as three boys and two girls approached Joslyn as she sat in the shade and watched the other kids at play. “So Jack, my dad says you’re nothing but a queer faggot, who is only pretending to be a girl. We’ve come over to see for ourselves—we want to have a good look. No teachers are looking, so pull up your dress so we can see for ourselves.” The bigger boy standing in front of Joslyn, and at the head of the small group, had a leer in his eyes which told Joslyn he was going to get a look whether Joslyn wanted to show him or not. What that little group didn’t know was that cameras and microphones had been installed on the building to monitor the playground not only for Joslyn’s safety but the others too, and their little group and what was just said had been spotted and heard and phone calls were now going out to the teachers on the playground.
“Tell me something, Toby, why do your parents have such a hard time believing what my mom said at the parents meeting? Weren’t they there, was the material to detailed, because if it was I can explain everything to you and your friends. But as to your seeing for yourself, you made a big mistake wanting that to happen. And think about this while you and your friends are on a two week vacation, how would you feel if you were in my place for the past ten years, only to find out someone, when you were born, mistaken you for a boy because you had what looked like a boys plumbing? And how would you feel if suddenly everyone started in on you after you had surgery to correct a birth defect? I think all of you need to look behind you right now, ‘cause you’re in a boat load of trouble.” Toby wasn’t sure what Joslyn was talking about but turned around and saw three teachers standing right behind the four, and they didn’t look happy. “Alright you five, let’s go up and see Mrs. Monrow, and give your parents a call to come and pick you up.” Third grade teacher Kathy Parks told the five, before asking Joslyn if she was alright. “Um…Mrs. Parks, by the way Toby was talking I don’t think his parents told him about the letter that was sent out about me. Maybe it might be best to find out before they’re giving vacations? They can’t be blamed for their parents’ stupidity if they weren’t told.”
Kathy had seen Jack do this very thing a few times in the past, when he’d been confronted and that person had been caught. “If they didn’t know, Joslyn, what would you suggest be their punishment?” Kathy asked Joslyn, as the other two teachers had already started leading the four to the office. “Well, Mrs. Parks, if you call their parents and the parents didn’t tell them about the letter they received, the parents are going to be mad and take it out on their children, and the kids won’t know why they’re in trouble with their parents. If they have to stay after school their parents will be mad and even madder when they find out why—again because they didn’t tell their kids about the letter. Maybe the best is to have them do extra work on a subject which deals with people who aren’t born looking ‘normal’ or people who have birth defects. That way just because their parents didn’t want to tell their kids about leaving me alone, those five won’t suffer for something their parents didn’t do. And you could have them do the work during as many recesses as it takes to complete the work.” Kathy just looked at Joslyn for a moment, thinking how far this girl was going to go in this world. “Joslyn, that’s a very unselfish and caring idea, and I’ll pass it on to Mrs. Monrow,” Kathy told Joslyn before turning and following the small group heading to the office. Joslyn later found out from Patty that the five had never been told about the letter which had been sent to their parents, and Joslyn’s idea of not punishing them because of their parents’ stupidity was a very good idea; they were going to miss a lot of recess until their assigned extra work was complete.
The rest of Joslyn’s day passed uneventfully, after word spread about what happened to the other five students. In fact, during the next recess, Joslyn held her own court as many kids wanted to know how she was feeling and what they had to do to fix her; and she was blatantly honest with whoever ask a question. She did have one little bit of a surprise when she sat down too fast at her desk and was shocked by the amount of pain she experienced, but explained to Patty, who saw her pain, that she just forgot to take things slower for right now. As the day passed Patty started noticing something that hadn’t happened when Jack was in the class, Joslyn was participating more often, which led to other students participating more. It was as though Joslyn was a catalyst that made other students become more involved. She thought this a good thing, for several days later, after grading a test she saw that everyone’s test scores had markedly improved. This one change had done wonders for everyone in that class, and as it would be seen, for the whole school. In fact, at the next teachers’ meeting more than one teacher commented about how the students in their class had improved, and what a change had taken place since Joslyn had returned to school. They also noticed how Joslyn seemed to be the “go to girl” if someone was having a hard time with a subject—she had a way of explaining something so that person understood what they were doing.
Joslyn’s life had started taking on a normal routine as the days and weeks passed, with regular visits to Shelly, Terry, and the physical therapist. As each visit was made Joslyn was given permission to increase her activity by a little more, including light jogging, until six months Shelly gave Joslyn the go ahead to wear pants if she wanted; she also told Joslyn she could increase her jogging to slow running to make sure she felt no pain before running faster. This news might have just saved Joslyn when during the seventh month after her surgery, that two brothers started attending her school.
Ten-year-old Thad Johnson and his twelve-year-old brother Charles became the newest students at Joslyn’s school when their mom and dad were transferred to the city in order to head up the new manufacturing plant that was being built. Frank and Caroline Johnson was a husband and wife team the company found worked so well together that everywhere they had worked that plant increased its profits significantly. One of the reasons they were so successful was due to how they treated the employees who actually did the work. Where those employees were used to getting threatened and yelled at when production in their department fell, Frank and Caroline actually took the time to ask why. They also included those same employees in bull sessions to try and find a way to increase production without any adverse effects on the employees. These two simple actions spread through each and every plant the couple touched and soon they became the “go to people” when a new plant was being brought online or needed help. And their attitude wasn’t left at the plant, as it traveled with them wherever they went, with whoever they met. However, it was not shared by Charles, who had been forced to move several times, leaving good friends behind, and he harbored smoldering anger.
It was about two weeks after Thad and Charles had started attending their new school, and had heard talk about Joslyn having been Jack some months ago, that when none of the teachers were looking, or so they thought, that the two boys, led by Charles, grabbed Joslyn and dragged her into one of the boys’ restrooms. While Thad pinned Joslyn’s right hand against the wall and Charles her left, each boy stood on a foot so she couldn’t kick either of them. “I hear tell you used to be a boy, who now says he’s a girl,” Charles told Joslyn in a very angry voice. “We heard you had an operation to make you a girl, and I want to see if that’s true,” Charles said to Joslyn as Joslyn struggled against the holds the two boys had on her. Before Charles could do more Joslyn asked him, “Charles, how would you like it if the bigger boys pinned you against the wall in order to pull down you jeans so they could see between your legs? How would you like it when they spread it around what they did and how you looked down there? Now put yourself in my shoes right now and tell me how you’d feel being like this?” Charles had a feral grin on his face as he told Joslyn, “I don’t care about what ifs just right now I want to see.” As he told Joslyn this his left hand started down between Joslyn’s legs, only to be pulled up short as both boys were lifted off their feet by a pair of strong hands gripping the base of each boys’ neck. Mitchel Thorton, the schools’ maintenance man, and actually a Giant Red Wood on two legs, had just happened to be passing that boys’ restroom, heading to the office, when he heard Joslyn’s voice coming from inside; he also heard what Charles had told her. As the boys’ kicked their feet in an attempt to get free, Mitchel asked, “Are you alright Joslyn, did these boys hurt you?” When Joslyn indicated she was alright Mitchel placed the boys back down but never released his grip. “Well boys, this might just be your last day at this school,” Mitchel told them as he asked Joslyn to open the restroom door and following him to the office.
When the four reached the office Mitchel once again asked Joslyn to open a door and walked into the office still holding the two boys. Cindy saw them coming, got up from her desk and knocked on Gail’s door before opening it and telling Gail, “You’ve got company coming, Mitchel is bring those two new boys to see you; and Joslyn’s right behind him.” Cindy pushed the door the rest of the way open before stepping out of Mitchel’s way as he pushed Thad and Charles into Gail’s office, followed by Joslyn. As Cindy closed the door she heard Mitchel tell the boys in an angry voice, “Sit down and don’t you move a muscle, or it will get very nasty in here. Sweetheart…” he said as he turned to Joslyn, “…please tell Mrs. Monrow what happened.” Joslyn related how she just came out of the girls’ restroom and was on her way back to class when Thad and Charles grabbed her and forced her into the boys’ restroom in Hall C. She then told how they pinned her to the wall and Charles told her he wanted to look at what the doctors did to her; and after trying to talk them out of it, Mr. Thorton came along and her we are.
Gail turned to the computer, typed a few keys then picked up the phone and made a call.
“Hello, Mr. Johnson? This is Mrs. Monrow at the Digger elementary school. Yes that’s right, I’m the Principal. Mr. Johnson I need you and your wife to come to the school because there has been an incident involving Thad and Charles. Oh, I’m sorry to hear that, in that case I’ll contact the police. What’s that; fifteen minutes; very good Mr. Johnson I’ll see you and your wife then.”
Her next call she really hated to make, after everything Jack had been through, but it had to be done.
“Hi Irene, I need you and William to come up to the school. I’d rather not say over the phone, except to say that Joslyn is okay. Okay, that’s fine; I’ll see you both in ten minutes.”
She then dialed Patty’s number and explained the situation and asked not to say anything if anyone asked about Joslyn. “Just tell if someone asks that she had more paperwork to fill out for me. They know her story so whoever asks will believe it.” She then dialed another number and asked one of the school security officers to come to her office; Mitchel was a witness and shouldn’t be keeping watch over the two boys.
Peter Jinkins was as big as Mitchel, they were cousins after all, and once he arrived, she explained the situation to him then turned to Thad and Charles, “Sit right where you are, you will not get past this man so don’t even try.” She then motioned to Mitchel and Joslyn to follow her out of her office, closing the door behind her she told Cindy, “Cindy, get Bev and then the two of you go into one of the evaluation rooms and take Mitchel’s statement. Note the date and time, and who is writing down the statement and who is witness to the statement. Once you have Mitchel’s statement, Mitchel I need you to stay here in the office while Joslyn gives her statement. Joslyn once you give your statement I need you to stay here in the office, I’m sure the Johnson’s will want to hear what happened from the two of you. Cindy, once you have both statements, you and Bev sign the draft copies you make then type up both and sign those too.” As Mitchel followed Cindy, Gail mumbled under her breath, “Damn, what a mess.”
Irene arrived first, with William hot on her heels, five minutes after Gail placed the call. They saw Joslyn sitting with one of the secretaries and after seeing she was okay turned to ask Gail, who had come out of her office to meet them, what happened. When William heard what Gail had to say it took both women to keep him out of Gail’s office, but he did say some things he rarely said in public. Gail asked they not speak to Joslyn until she had given her statement because she didn’t want anyone to think anyone told her what to say. She also said she wanted a meeting with both parents after the Johnsons had been apprised of the situation. Irene had to hit William as hard as she could to get his attention because he was beyond mad, and knew she had to calm him down quick. Irene took Gail’s suggestion that they use one of the empty evaluation rooms to talk and let William calm down.
Fifteen minutes later Frank and Caroline Johnson arrived at the school office, just about the time Joslyn was finishing giving her statement. One of the other secretaries helped the Johnsons and led them into Gail’s office, only to find Thad and Charles sitting opposite Gail’s desk. This was not the first time the couple had been called to one of the schools their sons had attended, but what they were about to hear was going to be shocking. “Mrs. Monrow, I gather Thad and Charles are in trouble for something,” Frank said to Gail, as he turned to Thad and Charles and asked, “You obviously did something or you wouldn’t be here now. So what did you do?” Thad squirmed in his seat but didn’t say a word. Charles, on the other hand, glared at his parents before forcefully telling them, “…we didn’t do nothin’!” There was a knock on the door and Cindy entered before giving Gale typed copies of the statements. “Mr. and Mrs. Johnson, please be seated, this is going to take some time.” Gail told the couple as she watched them take the two remaining seats in her office.
“Thad, Charles, I’m giving you this one chance to tell your parents what you did. If you don’t tell them then Joslyn and Mr. Thorton will,” Gail said to the two boys, as she saw Thad getting more nervous by the minute. “Mrs. Monrow, Charles threatened to beat me up if I didn’t help him get Joslyn into the boys’ restroom, otherwise I wouldn’t have done it.” As Thad spoke he had tears running down his cheeks, and Charles’ face burned red with anger. Before anyone could react, Charles was out of his seat and fiercely beating the frightened Thad. Peter grabbed Charles by the back of the neck and once again Charles found himself flying off the floor. Hopefully the rest of the school didn’t hear what Charles said because it wasn’t pretty. Frank immediately went to Thad, whose face was beginning to turn red and blue in places; his right eye was starting to close. Frank turned to Caroline, gave her their look, and she came over to look after Thad while Frank turned to Peter still holding Charles off the floor, grabbed Charles shirt and ripped the boy out of Peter’s grip before slamming him back into his chair.
Staring an extremely angry Charles in the eye, an even angrier father asked through gritted teeth, “What did he do Gail?” Gail could see without much difficulty that this was not the first time Charles had done something like this to get himself in trouble. While she wasn’t sure Frank was handling the situation with Charles correctly, she was sure someone had crossed that imaginary line, and that someone was Charles. Gail then read, verbatim, both statements, and asked if the Johnsons would like to hear from the other two involved. Caroline then said she’d like to meet them, while only getting a nod from her husband, while he continued to stare at his son. Gail buzzed Cindy and asked her to bring Mitchel and Joslyn into her office, and then called the nurses’ office and asked her to bring her kit to the office. Peter had to grab Frank when Joslyn walked into the room, because he was just about to hit Charles with his fist. It was about that time the nurse came into Gail’s office and Gail issued orders to those in the room. “Pamela, take Thad and his mom to your office and see what you can do for Thad. If it’s more than you can handle ask Mrs. Johnson what she wants to do, and then notify me. Peter, take Charles to evaluation room three, bar the door from the inside and I’ll have someone come and get you when I’ve had a word with Mr. Johnson. Mitchel would you and Joslyn have a seat in the reception area, you may be needed again. CINDY…” Gail hollered, and when Cindy appeared, Gail asked her to bring some bottle water.
Once Cindy had brought the water and everyone had left the room, except Frank and her, Gail told him to, “Please, have a seat Frank, and have some water.” She came around from behind her desk and sat next to him as he almost drained the bottle before she asked, “This isn’t the first time something like this has happened, is it?” Frank just shook his head before Gail asked him, “Would you please tell me about it, we’ve had an assault here and I need to know his past before determining his future. You know of course, if the police get involved your son will likely end up in juvenile hall until he’s eighteen, right? By all rights I should have called them right after notifying you and your wife. But juvenile hall isn’t the answer, not for all the bottled anger Charles is showing. Please, tell me about his past.”
Both were quiet as Gail let Frank organize his thoughts. As Frank started to speak there was a knock on Gail’s office door, and when she opened it Caroline was standing in front of William and Irene. “Pamela said Thad will be alright, he’ll have bruising, his eyelid will be swollen for a time, but otherwise he’s okay.” Caroline had held herself together just long enough to relay Pamela’s message, before breaking down in wracking sobs; Frank took her in her arms and held her tight. Gail motioned for William and Irene to come in and take seats, while the Johnsons showed how upset they were by everything that happened as they both fell to pieces. William and Irene were not unsympathetic to what Frank and Caroline were going through, their business was sympathy after all, so while the Johnsons were still upset Irene asked if Gail would mind if she spoke to Charles. Gail knew Irene’s profession and felt if anyone could help Charles it might be her. “Go ahead, Irene, that’s one angry boy who needs help the school can’t give him. Maybe you can uncover the real problem and recommend a solution; he’s in evaluation room three.” Irene left the office after Gail’s blessings, walked to evaluation room three, knocked on the door and told Peter Gail said she could talk with Charles. Peter let her into the room and watched as she stood on the opposite side of the table from Charles. “What do you want, bitch?” Peter almost came off the door to get Charles to be more respectful, but Irene held up her hand to let Peter know to stay where he was. “Hello, Charles, I’m Dr. Winslow, Joslyn’s mom.” As Peter and Irene watched Charles went from an angry red face boy to one who looked like he would pass out at any minute—he was whiter than a ghost. Still using a calm voice Irene told him, “I’d like to speak with you for a little while, ask you some questions,” before pulling out a chair and sitting down.
Irene left the room fifteen minutes later, and walked back to Gail’s office. Frank and Caroline were now sitting on the small couch in the office, and just holding each other. Irene knocked before entering and took a chair almost directly across where the Johnsons were sitting. “Frank, Caroline, I think I can help Charles, but I’ll need to hear the whole store from the time Charles started doing things which got him into trouble.” Irene sat back in the chair and waited for one or the other to become the story teller. As William, Irene, and Gail listened, Caroline started the story, with Frank adding his part as well.
“Frank and I had been married for three years—we met in college--before Charles came into our lives. He was a very happy baby that grew into a happy toddler, and into a happy little boy. Frank and I worked as engineering designers for a large firm after we graduated college. After a while, after we started spotting errors in a lot of designs, we were approached to become a husband and wife team who would be sent to whatever plant that was showing problems in the products. We thought it was great, it meant an increase in our salary and we'd be around the city so we’d be home every night. It must have been when Charles was six that we were again approached and asked to take on the job of starting up a new plant in a neighboring state, again an increase in our salaries and more benefits. Frank and I talked it over and saw more pros than cons so we accepted but told the firm we’d go after Charles was out of school.” Caroline stopped and drank from the bottle water she was holding before continuing.
“That night we told both boys we were going to move to another state so ‘mommy’ and ‘daddy’ could open a new plant for the firm. Thad, who was four at the time, thought that would be fun since he’d get to see other places. Charles, on the other hand, went ballistic, telling us he didn’t want to move; telling us he didn’t want to leave his friends; telling us he wasn’t going to go. When we told him he couldn’t stay by himself he threw a full blown fit, with screaming and crying, he even threw one of Thad’s toys across the room. Frank had to pick him up off the floor, because he’d lain down and was kicking his feet against the floor, and took him up to his room and told him to stay there until he calmed down. We heard a lot of crying coming from his room at first, then things breaking. When we got to his room he’d smashed all of his toys against the wall. Frank spanked him then made him clean up the mess he had created. I had to give him his bath that night in order to make sure he didn’t break anything in the bathroom and hurt himself in the process. We then put him to bed and heard nothing more the rest of the night. Maybe we should have taken him to see someone because he was still very angry the next morning.” Frank reached up and wiped the tears off Caroline’s cheeks, before picking up where Caroline left off.
“Both Caroline and I thought once we moved, once Charles was in a new school he’d see how good it was to see new places and get to know new people, but it didn’t turn out that way, even before school was out and we moved. I got a call from the school saying Charles had hit another boy and slapped a girl, and they needed us to come up to the school. When we got to the school we found Charles sitting in the office, angrier than ever, he even tried to walk away before I grabbed his arm and made his sit back down. We found out the two kids were only trying to say goodbye to Charles when he struck out and hit them both. When we questioned Charles about why he hit the kids he told us it was because we were moving away and he didn’t want to go. Mrs. Gordon, the schools’ Principal, told us that Charles was suspended until Monday—it was Thursday. I took Caroline and Charles home where Caroline stayed with Charles and I went back to the plant. We knew we weren’t involved in anything major so no one would be upset that Caroline had to stay home with Charles for two days. That night when I got home Caroline told me she spoke with Charles and tried to make him see that it was not possible for us to stay and that he’d make new friends like he did there. She told me he just repeated what he told us the first time, he didn’t want to move, he didn’t want to leave his friends, and he wasn’t going.” Frank got a catch in his throat during his last telling and drank more of the bottle water he had as Caroline continued.
Just before Caroline started telling about the next leg of their journey which led to today, there was a knock on Gail’s office door. When Gail opened the door everyone saw Joslyn standing there and heard her say, “I’d like to speak with Charles.” Gail frowned upon hearing Joslyn’s request and immediately replied, “Joslyn, I don’t think that’s a very good idea at the moment. Maybe you can speak to him a bit later.” William and Irene knew she would never have made this request unless she was going to try and help him with his problem. “Gail…” Irene said to get Gail’s attention, “…I think this would be something that might help Charles come to terms with his anger. Joslyn, honey, are you angry with Charles?” All five adults watched and waited as Joslyn face showed she was thinking about her moms’ question before telling them, “No, I’m not mad at him but he’s very angry and I thought if I told him I’m not mad at him then maybe he’d let that anger go. And maybe he’d tell me why he’s so angry.” Gail received a nod from William and Irene, then looked at the Johnsons and received the same indication. She then stepped out of her office and asked Cindy, “Cindy, would you take Joslyn to evaluation room three so she can speak with Charles? Stay in the room with her, Peter is still there so he can handle any outbreak that might happen, and bring Joslyn back when she is done.” Cindy smiled at Joslyn, got up from her desk and told Joslyn, “Come on sweetie, let’s go and let you do your thing.” Joslyn had always like Cindy because she had a crazy way of saying something, and it almost always made her giggle as it did now. Gail watched the two walk down the hall to evaluation room three before going back into her office and closing the door.
Cindy knocked on the door and when Peter opened it, told him Joslyn wanted to talk with Charles. The two entered the room and from the look on Charles face it was clear he had been crying. Peter closed the door and while Cindy stood next to Peter, Joslyn walked over to the opposite of the table across from Charles. “What do you want?” Charles snarled at Joslyn, as he wiped his eyes. “You come to tell me how happy you are that I’m going to be kicked out of school?” More tears slid down his cheeks as he waited for Joslyn to answer his question. Joslyn stood stark still as she watched Charles, realizing he wasn’t really a bad boy just an extremely unhappy one. She could also see that he didn’t want to get kicked out of school but knew he had really messed up this time. “I came to tell you I’m not mad at you for what you did, and that I think you need a friend to help you get over all the anger you’re carrying around. I think you want to stay in school, that you actually like school, and want to be friends with the other kids, but your anger has made the other kids keep away from you. I’d like to be your friend and help you get over your anger so you can stay in school and make new friends.” As Peter and Cindy watched, Joslyn told Charles the same thing her mom told the parents who attended the parent meeting.
“I used to be alone like you; only I was depressed and didn’t know why. I didn’t tell my parents because I didn’t want to disappoint them or my sisters. I used to be a boy, or everyone thought I was a boy since I had a boys’ ‘thing’. It took a spilled paint accident at the Community Center art program and my ending up wearing a skirt, blouse, knee socks, and Mary Jane shoes because my boy clothes were soaked with paint, before my mom took me to be examined by a doctor. Dr. Michael did a Sonogram which led to an MRI and they found out I was actually a girl whose gender was misjudged at birth because I had what looked like a boys’ peeing part. What they thought was a boys’ part was actually a girls’ part which didn’t form right when I was still inside my mom. And my girl opening didn’t form right so they not only had to fix my long girl part but open my girl opening or I might have been in worse trouble when I started having periods. That’s the surgery you heard about, that’s the surgery which helped save me a lot of trouble in a few months or a little longer. That surgery helped keep me from being rushed to the hospital because my period couldn’t get out of my body and was causing me big problems.” Peter, Cindy, and Joslyn watched as Charles became very quiet, and appeared to be thinking about what Joslyn had just told him. As what Joslyn had just told him, asked him, became clear, tears started to once again roll down his cheeks. Peter tensed as he watched Charles get up from his chair and walked about to stand in front of Joslyn; Joslyn just stood still and waited. In a horse whisper they heard Charles tell Joslyn, “I’m sorry, I’m really sorry,” before he hugged Joslyn and cried on her shoulder. When Charles had calmed down a bit, Joslyn told him, “I know you are, I saw it on your face the moment I came into the room. I said I’m not mad at you and I mean it, I want to be your friend.” Peter had been with Charles the longest and could see an immediate change in the boy. Cindy simply smiled, knowing Jack had done this several times in the past, but this was the first for Joslyn. Both Peter and Cindy could tell that it would be okay to let Joslyn stay with Charles, and Cindy felt she needed to tell Gail what just happened. She whispered to Peter and he just nodded before Cindy left the room.
Caroline was just finishing her telling of some problems Charles had at his last school, and how one boy he hung around with had been arrested outside of school for burglary and drug possession, and about the school before that where Charles had received a suspension for his attitude toward a teacher, and his continued anger, when there was a knock on Gail’s door. After Gail opened the door she became a bit anxious when she only saw Cindy standing before her. “Where’s Joslyn?” She asked Cindy as she glanced at Irene and William, and then back to Cindy. Cindy had a big smile on her face as she told Gail, “She’s with Charles, pulling a Jack.” William and Irene face palmed and chuckled as Gail laughed before beaconing Cindy into the office. Frank and Caroline were confused and puzzled by how the others were reacting because of what Cindy told Gail. When Gail stopped laughing she saw the expressions on the Johnsons face and asked Irene explain about Joslyn’s condition, after which she explained that when Joslyn was thought to be Jack he would stand up to those bullying others and shame them without actually making it sound like shaming. And that with each and every encounter he would always tell that kid he wanted to be their friend; even if that kid had done something to Jack. “Frank, Caroline, if Joslyn has pulled a Jack and got Charles to apologize then cry on her shoulder then he’s going to be fine, with more help if someone sitting here is willing to take on a new patient. Because as part of his condition on returning to school I will demand he be seen by a counselor as often as that counselor deems necessary, and you two see one as well, if for no other reason than to help deal with Charles’ past and your lives; if another person in this room will agree to take on another client.” William and Irene never mentioned their professions when they met Frank and Caroline, but went on to tell the couple what they did and where they worked and would be more than happy to help out the family. While Irene excused herself and headed to the evaluation room, William asked Frank and Caroline when they could meet with him today at his practice, getting a reluctant they weren’t sure, it depended on work. William then told the couple, “I think, if Irene is correct, your work is a big part of the problem with Charles. His acting out is a cry for your attention because work has always taken priority in your lives. So, I will see you at the address on the card I gave you at two this afternoon—no excuses, this is your family we’re talking about. And bring the boys, unless Irene has an opening this afternoon then they can talk with her while you’re with me.” William was not going to let the nice couple use their work anymore to get out of taking care of their family. Frank and Caroline could numbly only nod at Williams apparent brazen attitude towards their attending a session with him today.
Irene knocked on the evaluation room three’s door and asked Peter to let her speak with Charles again. As she walked in Charles was still hugging Joslyn and she him, before clearing her throat and asking if she could talk to the two of them. She walked over to the two kids, stood between them, and put her arm around both before speaking. “I see you’ve made a new friend, Joslyn,” she told Joslyn before hearing, “He just needed to know he was wanted and that someone cared about him, mom.” “And Charles, it looks like you’ve got a new friend whether you want one or not.” Irene heard a sniffle before, “Yes ma’am, looks like I do. And Mrs. Winslow, I’m really sorry for what I did and I’ll do whatever to make it right.” Irene let go of the two kids before pulling three chairs out from the table and arranging two so they faced the one, and asked the kids to sit down as she sat down in the one chair. “Charles,” she said with her kind and soft voice, which she always used when dealing with children, “You’re probably thinking I’m mad at you for what you did,” and saw Charles nod his head before continuing, “But I’m not, but I do want to help you. You and I and Thad are going to meet this afternoon and tomorrow afternoon and each afternoon after school and talk, just talk. And you can tell me anything you want and I’m not going to be mad or anything else. And I won’t tell anyone else what you say unless you let me because that’s how my job works. Now you have to do this because that’s part of Mrs. Monrow’s requirement for you to come back to school on Monday.” Irene watched as Charles processed what she had just told him before asking, “You aren’t going to yell at me or anything, right?” “No Charles, I’m not going to yell at you or anything, we’re just going to talk.” From experience Irene knew she had to present the facts but it was up to the child to make the final decision, and it was a decision she now heard from Charles. “Okay, I’ll come.” Irene could already see Charles was making progress because this was a different boy from the one she first met, and it was all because of Jack. “Peter I think we all need to go back to Mrs. Monrow’s office now,” she told Peter as she stood up and pushed the chair back under the table, followed by the two kids. With her arms around Charles and Joslyn’s shoulders, and Peter bring up the rear, they returned to Gail’s office to finalize everything so Charles could return to school on Monday.
Peter went ahead of the three and knocked on Gail’s office door before opening it after hearing, “Come in,” from Gail, then stood back and let the three fill the doorway. “I think it’s time we came to this meeting, Charles has some things he’d like to say, right?” With his feeling still in turmoil all Charles could do was nod his head in agreement. “You did okay, Charles,” Irene told him and hugged him close. She let the two kids walk in first, with Charles going over to his parents. “Um…I told Joslyn I was really sorry and I need to tell you that also,” Charles told his parents before being pulled into a hug and told, “No Charles, we should be apologizing to you for not being there for you, for spending more time at work then we should have. We forgot about you and Thad, but your mom and I are going to get some help to try and make us a family again,” Frank told Charles as he hugged his son tightly. “In fact your mother and I have been talking, and when everything is finalized we will tell you and Thad about it,” Frank said to Charles after he pushed Charles back so he could look into Charles eyes. “And something else, Charles, I need to ask you to forgive me for how mad I got at you because of the things you had done. I wasn’t thinking about you needing us, me, at that time, only how what you did was going to look for us as parents in the eyes of the firm. That was very selfish and wrong on my part, and I hope one day you can truly forgive me.” Charles reached up and wiped the tears off his fathers’ cheek before telling him, “Joslyn forgave me so I can forgive you and only want you as my mom and dad.” Everyone laughed when while the Johnsons were hugging their son they heard, “air air, I can’t breathe.”
While they were still holding their son Gail got serious when she spoke to Charles, “Charles I’m glad you see that what you did was wrong, but you are still suspended until Monday, and you must meet with Mrs. Winslow each day starting today while your parents meet with Mr. Winslow. Mrs. Winslow will also meet with Thad, because if none of you noticed, he was left out just like Charles, and needs help to deal with his feeling about everything he saw and heard. And Charles, you need to apologize to him as well for beating him earlier, and mean what you say because I have a feeling he’s able to tell when someone lies to him. Now it will be up to Mrs. Winslow how long you two meet each day and how often after these first few days, but if you want to come back to school you must meet with her, understand?” Gail waited a few moments before Charles replied with, “Yes ma’am, Mrs. Winslow explained that to me and I agreed to go.” Irene excused herself and when she returned to the office she had a very frightened Thad with her. As with Charles, Thad went over to his parents before breaking down and sobbing, “I’m so sorry I’m so sorry I’m so sorry,” as Caroline just held him in her arms. After Thad had calmed down a bit, it was Irene who spoke to him first. “Thad, sweetie, Joslyn knows you’re sorry and she isn’t mad at you,” she started before a confused Thad said as he looked at Joslyn, “She isn’t, why?” Joslyn smiled at Thad before telling him, “Because there’s more going on inside of you that you’ve kept stuck down deep, and it needs to come out. And it would only make things worse if I were to be mad at you.” As Charles did after Joslyn spoke with him, Thad came over to Joslyn and hugged her while tearfully telling her, “I’m so very sorry.” If was now Gail’s turn and she told Thad the same as she told Charles, getting the same response from Thad as she received from Charles. Gail was glad she hadn’t called the police when all this started, because then the family would never have been helped the way they are about to be helped. And they needed this kind of help a lot more.
The meeting broke up with Irene telling the Johnsons that she’d see Charles and Thad at one-thirty this afternoon and William reminded them he’d see them at two. Irene and William stayed behind after the Johnsons left, and Joslyn returned to class, because they wanted to speak to Gail alone. “Gads, that’s was intense,” Gail said as she took a real long drink from the bottle water. “I feel I made the right decision by not calling the police but I’d like to hear what you two think.” Just by looking at Irene, William could tell what her thoughts were so he told Gail, “That family is hurting and having the police involved wouldn’t have helped get them the help they really needed. In fact, it’s highly likely it would have broken up that family and both boys would have been worse off. Charles would have likely been sent to Juvenile Hall and would have been chewed up and spit out. That would have decimated the parents and Thad would still be left out of their lives. Gail, you made the right decision and I know after a while you will see a big difference in that family. And if I were a betting man I’d say Frank and Caroline are thinking about opening their own consulting business right here in town, and Charles and Thad won’t have to worry about another move.” Gail saw that Irene was nodding her head at everything William was saying, showing she totally agreed with her husband. Gail just chuckled before asking the couple, “Have you two every given any thought of opening your own practice together? I’ve never seen a couple so in tune with each other as you two are.” William and Irene only laughed, and told her they loved where they were, each giving her a hug before they left to have lunch and get ready for their meetings with the Johnson family.
Monday morning Gail realized that William’s prediction was true, she did she a markedly change in the whole Johnson family, as she wanted to see them before Charles and Thad were allowed to return to class. Charles didn’t look angry anymore, and Thad wasn’t as gun-shy as he had been last Thursday. And Frank and Caroline had a glow she hadn’t seen coming from them since they came to town. “Mrs. Monrow,” Charles addressed Gail, “I want to apologize for causing all the trouble the other day, Dr. Irene helped me understand why it happened.” For the first time since Charles started school here, Gail saw a sincerity which had been lacking from his first day. She could tell by looking at him that he meant every word he was saying, and felt he would never do such a thing again. “Charles, I accept your apologize, and I’m so glad Dr. Irene is able to help you with what was bothering you. But you must understand, this can never happen again or I’ll have no choice but to expel you from school.” “I understand Mrs. Monrow, and it WON’T happen again, you have my word.” As Charles told Gail this, she knew in her heart that he was telling her the truth and it would never happen again. When Charles had said his peace Thad told her the same thing, and again she could tell he was telling her the truth. “Mrs. Monrow,” Caroline said while holding Frank’s hand, “While this has been a mess for you, and we are sorry for the problem it caused, it was a blessing in disguise for us in that we got the help we never realized we actually needed. And it helped Frank and I make a decision to open our own engineering consulting firm right here in town so the boys don’t have to worry about us moving again—we were not too happy with the firm after some things we learned.” Gail tried to keep her mouth from hanging open after she remember what William told her last Thursday, about the Johnsons settling down in this town. “Mrs. Johnson, Caroline, I so glad to hear all of you are doing better and welcome to our town, I know you’ll like it.” She buzzed Cindy and asked her to have someone escort Charles and Thad to their classes and explain that their suspension had been lifted. After the boys left Gail asked the Johnsons if they could stay for a few minutes so she could get to know them better, and to find out how they’re doing since last Thursday. Thirty minutes passed quickly but Frank and Caroline promised they’d be at more school functions so they would see Gail more often. After the Johnsons left Gail sat back in her chair and felt a great deal of satisfaction knowing that the family was on the mend arising from one bad mistake. She only wished she could help others who she’s seen that need this kind of help. But as an old friend told her, ‘take your victories where you can find them’.
Charles and Thad did improve as the days and weeks passed by, but it was Jack who popped up more and more with each passing day. One day, when the teachers weren’t looking, a bigger boy, by the name of Stephen, pushed a smaller boy down, and dared him to get back up. Kids have eyes teachers lack and Paul Harper stepped immediately in front of Stephen and began his version of a Jack. Paul is about four feet tall, plus change, he might weight fifty pounds, with weights tied to his legs, yet he stood up to Stephen, who towered over Paul, and as Jack did with Dylan, held out his hand and told Stephen, “I want to be your friend.” Paul’s last words, and whatever he said to Stephen before, brought out of him what he’d been stoically holding in and Stephen cried out, “My mom is dying of cancer,” and promptly dropped to the ground crying loudly. First Paul then other kids knelt down and hugged Stephen as he cried, which finally got the attention of the teachers. When a teacher finally came to see what was happening, Paul told her what Stephen said and asked if they could take him to see Mrs. Monrow so she could get him some help. That teacher had been there when Jack had helped Dylan, and saw how Dylan had changed because of Jack’s gesture, and couldn’t refuse letting these kids help Stephen. As the kids were hugging Stephen, Patricia Holding told him, “I know how you feel, my mom died of cancer a year ago. Let us take you to Mrs. Monrow so she can get you some help; she helped me when my mom died.” Patricia wiped tears out of her eyes, as the kids helped Stephen stand after nodding his head after what Patricia told him. Gail was surprised to see six kids helping a larger kid standing at her office door, but soon found out why when Patricia and Paul explained the situation. Gail asked Paul and Patricia to sit with Stephen as she made a phone call to the one person she knew had done wonders for those in school who needed her help, Irene.
And this is how the rest of the school year progressed; the kids taking more interest in helping those who needed help and trying to Jack those who refused to accept they needed help. Not all of those who refused to admit they needed help could be helped, they simply refused help and had to be suspended or expelled because of their continued abusing of others. It was during this period of time the teachers noticed something that made them exceedingly happy, something that changed dramatically from last year. Because the kids were taking more of an interest in each other they were taking more of an interest in helping each other do better school work, which translated into better grades. Those on the border line were now several points about that line, and so on to those who the teachers knew could do better but weren’t motivated enough to do so. This increase didn’t go unnoticed by the school district, and they wanted to know what was done to cause such an increase in overall grade average. When Gail was called into a meeting with the Superintendent of Schools, Mrs. Morgan Sharp, she said one word, Jack, and ended up explaining the meaning for the next two hours. “To put it simply, it was kindness shown to those in need of kindness, and getting help for those who needed help. This didn’t work with some but it did with a vast number of our students and thus the increase in grades and test scores. And it all started with a ten-year-old girl who was thought to be a boy at birth.” After hearing Gail’s story Morgan asked if she could speak with Joslyn one day at school, to which Gail told her she would ask Joslyn and get back to her. Two days later Mrs. Morgan Sharp met with Joslyn at school, during recess, in evaluation room three—a rather popular room of late.
Joslyn met Mrs. Sharp in front of Gail’s office before the two walked to evaluation room three for their talk. “Joslyn I’ve heard a lot of good things about you, and heard you had a rather rough ten years before everyone learned the truth.” Morgan watched Joslyn after what she said, wanting to know what type of temperament she had. But Joslyn could see what was being done and knew how to respond. “I didn’t really do anything good Mrs. Sharp, it was Jack who did what was the right thing to do. A lot of the kids needed help, and some were scared since it was their first day at school. And some had problems at home which carried over at school; my mom, Dr. Irene Winslow, MD/Child Psychiatrist, and dad William Winslow, PsyD, were able to help both the kids and the parents, and with that the kids did much better in school once their home life improved; ask Charles and Thad Johnson.” Morgan picked up on Joslyn’s use of her former name, Jack, and wanted to know more. “So most of your helping the other kids was done when you were known as Jack?” Morgan saw Joslyn had a mixture of confusion and puzzlement on her face before she was told, “Yes and no Mrs. Sharp. It was the first few weeks of school that Jack helped several kids and the rest of the time it was me or one of the other kids.” “Other kids, what other kids Joslyn?” Now Morgan saw a puzzled look on Joslyn’s face, as though Joslyn couldn’t believe she was asking such a question. “Well…I didn’t make any other kids play Jack but they started on their own to do what I did on the first day of school. When they saw a kid picking on another kid they stepped between the two and tried to make the aggressor see how it would feel if he or she was the one being attacked. Most of the time it worked, but sometimes Mrs. Monrow had to suspend or expel the kid. The one time it happened we found out a boy thought his mom was dying of cancer, but it turned out he only heard part of what the doctor told his dad and it turned out they’d found a medication that would help fight her cancer, but he was really a mess until he learned the truth; his dad had been so worried about his wife that he forgot his son needed to know what was being done for his mom.”
Morgan had never heard such an articulate child before this child, or one who refused to take credit for the things done at this school which turned the school around as it has. Morgan asked Joslyn how she felt during the years she was thought to be a boy and learned how depressed and sullen she had been during those years. She also learned that even though she was depressed and sullen she always thought of others before herself, not something considered normal in that type of condition. Morgan asked if Joslyn was aware how much the school has changed since Jack helped his first boy, getting a “not really” from Joslyn. Morgan felt this child was wise enough and intelligent enough to understand the charts she carried with her so she took them out of her case and proceeded to show Joslyn how things were last year and how they are now. And it seemed to be because of what Jack and she had done for other students. Joslyn just chuckled upon hearing Morgan’s last statement before telling her, “We were just doing what was right.” Morgan thanked Joslyn for talking with her and walked with her back to Gail’s office where Gail told Joslyn she should get back to class. As the two women watched Joslyn walk out of the office Morgan told Gail, “That girl is going to be quite the earthquake as an adult, if what’s been done at this school is any indication.” Morgan nodded her head when Gail said, “…and I hope I’m alive to watch it.”
As one elementary class graduates to the next grade, and one middle school class graduates to the next grade, and one high school class is kicked out into the real world, Jack went with those who learned how to be more than just a student. Like the front of a glacier, the old was pushed out while the new came in behind. After several years the schools in that town could boast of being the best anywhere in the country, simply because Jack followed along with each student. He didn’t die out once one elementary class moved forward but taught those coming in behind them by their examples. Of course there were bumps, and they were dealt with, but that didn’t deter Jack from moving forward.
Marcy was the first of the Winslow family to be kicked out into the real world, and the first of the three girls to enter University in the fall in pursuit of her medical degree and following in her moms’ footsteps. Joslyn was next, and gained not only her medical degree with training in psychiatry but a degree in psychology as well. Tracy was the third to get the boot and her path led to not only a medical degree specializing in pediatrics, but psychiatry, psychology, and sociology. With Tracy’s licensing the Winslow family basically became a medical family, and it wasn’t long before they opened their own practice. Gail Monrow had kept track of those students who were there the day Jack stood up to Dylan and told him, “I want to be your friend,” and saw many go into fields which helped those who needed help the most. And when Gail’s time finally came, there was standing room only at one of the biggest churches in town, because her old students had come to pay homage to a woman who had the courage to be Jack when he was needed. And Jack, why he still lives in the lives of those who first saw him, and learned about him, spreading far and wide to further influence the lives of others. And the original Jack, the girl who was thought to be a boy for the first ten years of her life? Not long after the family practice started, her husband joined the rest of the family in general practice, and relished in his wife becoming just like her mother, willing to help anyone needing help, including their four children. William and Irene were in their eighties when they finally turned the practice over to their girls, and the husbands who joined over the years. William and Irene were both over a hundred when they were able to see Gail again, and reminisced how a ten year mistake helped the lives of hundreds of people over the years. All because of a boy named Jack.
I could not wrap my head around what I just read, for the third time, as I closed the back cover of Jan’s journal, for the third time. Jan and I had been partners in Jan’s Portfolio LLC for sixteen years, and I loved the girl dearly. But this…how can this be? Her full name is Janelle Mathew, she and I are the same age. And she is our daughter! But our Janelle Mather is only, five-years-old!
****I closed the back cover of Jan’s journal for the third time, and I still couldn’t believe what I just read, for the third time. Mechanically I reached to my left, picking up the mug of tea off the end table, realizing it was cold as I took a sip—I needed something a bit stronger, not knock me on my butt stronger, just a bit stronger. I uncurled my legs, got up from the couch and made my way to the kitchen. My mind must have split in two, one side mulling over what I read, for the third time, and the other taking up the tasks which brought me into the kitchen. I don’t remember pouring the cold tea down the drain, rinsing out the mug, setting it on the counter, or turning and taking two steps to the island. Nor do I remember taking down two wine glasses from the overhead glass rack, or opening up the wine chiller below the island and taking out a bottle of our favorite white wine, or getting out the corkscrew, or anything else until I heard my name shouted and a hand shaking my shoulder. It was good those two actions happened, because I suddenly realized I was about the wash the island counter with white wine. I quickly stopped pouring and sat the bottle down; looking to my left I saw my distractor was Joanne, my wife—or maybe my husband?
“Sara are you alright,” she asked me in that beautiful voice which developed after she changed six years ago, a concerned look on her face, as she gently stroked my cheek with the hand that shook my shoulder. I leaned into that beautiful hand, the hand that belonged to the person I fell for sixteen years ago, the person who was much different when he walked into Jan’s sixteen years ago for a job interview. That’s right, “he” walked into Jan’s, but “she” is my wife/husband! And that’s partly what has me so confused, likely you too shortly.
I shrugged my shoulders in answer to Joanne’s question, kissed her hand, and poured another glass of wine; three-fourths this time. I handed Joanne the glass, bent down and slurped enough wine out of my glass so it wouldn’t spill, took Joanne’s hand and led her to the couch in the living room. I set my glass down on the end table, picked up Jan’s journal, extended it to Joanne and said, “read it.” I could see the questions in her eyes, but told her again more forcefully, “read it.” She set her glass down on the other end table, took the journal, sat down on the couch, tucked her legs under her, opened the journal and began to read. I folded myself back where I had been reading and watched as Joanne flipped page after page as she read. In a few minutes she had finished reading, looked at me, back at the journal, back at me, then picked up her wine glass and drained it. I knew why she had drained the glass; I had after all read that book three times. I gently took the glass out of her hand, got up and went to the kitchen for a refill. From the kitchen I could hear page after page being flipped—Joanne can speed read up to 2500 words a minute when she wants to. I refilled her glass, grabbed another bottle out of the wine chiller and went back to the living room, where Joanne was closing the back cover of the journal for the second time. I handed her glass to her, and she downed about half of the wine, setting the glass on the end table and started reading again. From experience, I knew she’d read confusing material nine or ten times before she’d come up for air. And this material WAS confusing. I sat back down, let my head fall back against the couch, closed my eyes and starting thinking about what I read; Joanne would nudge me when she finished reading.
Sixteen years ago I had been Sara Maria Thomas, a grad student who was then working on her MBA. I was twenty five, had my Bachelor degrees in finance and statistical analysis, with minors in accounting, bookkeeping, and data processing. All this did keep me busy, but as it turned out, all I had acquired was about to let me take the ride of my life. A ride which now has me sitting here reviewing what I have just read, what I have experienced these past sixteen years. And how in the world to tell all about how I met a woman named Jan, whose journal I now have, and read three times?****
I didn’t need the journal to tell me that I was working on my MBA sixteen years ago because I was there. One day, I had time between classes and decided to satisfy my need for chocolate, caramel, cinnamon and nutmeg by stopping in at the coffee shop on campus; they also had the most delicious croissants this side of the Atlantic. I had come here so often that my order was up even before asking for it or getting to the register. I stood behind another girl who seemed to be having problems with the correct amount of change to pay for her drink, so I reached into my purse and pulled out the amount she needed and after getting her attention, handed it to her. She thanked me and I thought that was that.
After paying for my fix I headed towards the back of the coffee shop, an area which was much quieter than up front, sat down and pulled out a textbook to catch up on some reading. A few moments later I felt someone close by and look up to see the same girl I’d helped at the register.
“…um, hi, mind if I sit down,” she asked me, seeming a bit hesitant with her question. She was about my height, with light brown hair which fell down past her shoulders. She was also about my weight but built a little bigger than I was—the cow! Her makeup was light but there was a beauty about her which I’d never seen on any other girl. She had a smattering of freckles just below her eyes that ran right across the bridge of her nose. There was an air about her which suggested grace and poise; maybe that was because of the modest but stylish clothing she wore.
I took all of this in in a matter of milliseconds and told her, “no, not at all.” She sat her bag on the floor, sat down and in a matter of seconds my text book was forgotten as she started telling me about a business she was going to start; somehow I got the feeling that I was being interviewed. It was also odd that she seemed to know how much time I could spend in the coffee shop before going to my next class, because she gave me a downtown address and asked me to meet her there the next morning at 9 a.m.; no one but my friends and family knew I had the morning free on that day, so how’d she know? On my way to my next class, I decided to meet her at the address she gave me and at the prescribed time. I don’t know why, but I had the feeling I was about to embark on a journey that would be life changing, a journey I’d never forget.
At 9 a.m. the next morning I arrived at the address she gave me, only to find paper covering the inside of the glass front door. On one of those papers was a handwritten sign which read, “future home of Jan’s Portfolio LLC.” Finding both doors locked, I gently tapped on the glass, getting a quick response as the door unlocked and that girls’ beautiful face appeared.
“Ah, good, you made it,” she beamed and actually pulled me into the building. Once inside I could see the building had power, for all the overhead lights were on. And there were several workers, working; it’s the best I can describe since I didn’t know what they were really doing.
“Oh, and by the way, my name is Jan,” she offered as she dragged me back to a glass enclosed office.
“Hi, I’m Sara,” I replied as I tried to take in as much of the work going on while trying not to fall from being dragged to the glass enclosed office. And if being dragged along with this whirlwind wasn’t enough, her next statement really had me buggered.
“Yes, I know, I’ve done my homework on you.”
My shoes developed spikes on the bottom, and I planted my feet so abruptly that my arm was jerked out of her hand.
“What do you mean you’ve done your homework on me?” I asked, as I took a few steps backwards, not knowing what I was getting into. And damn sure I didn’t want to.
“Oh dear, I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean it maliciously,” Jan told me, a shocked look on her face, while appraising me at the same time.
“Please, I have some tea brewing, please, come, sit and listen to what I have to say. And if you still have troubles you may leave.”
We looked at each other for a few minutes, me trying to gage her truthfulness, and Jan, I don’t know what. But I didn’t sense any maliciousness about her so decided listening wouldn’t do me any harm. I nodded my head yes, and we continued on towards the glass walled office.
I won’t bore you with the three hour talk we had, rather Jan talked and I listened and asked questions, but she laid out everything, her plans for the business, she was already interviewing for employees, even explaining why she had wanted to talk to me, and why my degrees and minors had really impressed her. (It wasn’t until I read her journal all those years later that I learned exactly why she chose me, her mom, to become her silent partner. She wanted to work with her mom.)
She then dropped the big bomb, one I hadn’t expected, and one that had me picking my jaw up off the floor. Jan wanted to make me her partner, albeit a silent partner. I think I shot the sip of tea I had in my mouth out my nose when she said that, because she started giggling.
“Jan,” I started, after wiping off the tea I had actually cough out of my mouth. “I don’t have the finances to become anyone’s partner, silent or otherwise. My plans were to join a brokerage firm and start at the bottom to gain experience.”
“Yes, yes, I know, but I’m not asking you to provide any finances,” she said and went on to explain that a mysterious backer had approached her and offered the finances for her to open her own business—another falsehood I discovered from the journal, she was actually loaded.
So it was on that day, and for the next sixteen years, I became the silent partner, and dear friend, to the owner of “Jan’s Portfolio LLC.” And started a journey the likes I could never imagine.
A month later I had attained my MBA and “Jan’s Portfolio LLC” opened. We started with ten well qualified employees and one hundred and fifty clients, a good beginning but I had a feeling it wouldn’t last.
We started our mornings at 8:30 a.m. and had a group meeting before we opened to our clients at 10 a.m. During the previous interviews, Jan had explained there would be a dress code because she wanted everyone to look business like. And several prospects walked out when they found out what that dress code would be. For this first group meeting, Jan looked everyone over to make sure they met the business dress code. For men it was white dress shirt, or a colored dress shirt that coordinated with either a black, brown, or navy blue suit; brown could be light but not shocking. Ties and socks had to also coordinate, and shoes were either brown or black. No sandals or any other recreation type shoes. For women, dresses or dress/pants suits, business style. Blouses, like the men, had to coordinate with the outfit, as if any women needed that reminder—I chuckled the first time she told me her idea about the dress code for women. Scarves could be worn but like the men’s ties, had to coordinate with the outfit. Hosiery was to be worn but nothing which was made for clubbing. And what woman needs reminded about coordinating her shoes, right? But it was in the dress code as well. And no heels that were higher than two inches. She also included the no recreation type shoes whatsoever. And why do I bring all this up now? You will see later on.
Our first day of business was garnished with city dignitaries, well-wishers from businesses, and a general public inspection to see what we offered. In a word, our first day went well, if only it had remained that way after six months.
Each new employee was on probation for the first six months, a standard practice in our field we learned about before we hired anyone. We were doing brisk business for the next six months, gaining another one hundred clients. But on six months and one day is when the trouble started, trouble that lasted exactly one week. Trouble, Jan told me later, she knew was brewing thanks to a little birdy who happened to be a former employer with two of our men. It seemed this little birdy had family in three other firms who waved a red flag in Jan’s face when they found out we had hired these two guys.
Their gig was simple, be compliant with the “yes sir,” “no sir,” follow all the rules for the probation period then make their move. Or they tried to at the other three firms. Tried to in that they were another pair whose elevator never reached the top floor; a brick shy of a full load; they were in the wrong business for attempting to find their butts with a map. These two guys had the desire to try and pull off a takeover, but lacked the knowledge to pull it off. After being caught and fired three times, with a threat of arrest should they ever come back, they decided a newbie owner would be the perfect pigeon for their next attempt. Only the pigeon they went after turned out to be an extremely large Saber Toothed tiger, and she bit them big time.
During one of Jan’s and mine after-hours meetings, which we held every night after we closed, she clued me in on two of the guys we had employed. She talked about where they had worked, what they had tried, and their subsequent firings, and what they were in for should they return to their previous employers. After what she told me, two and two finally resulted in four, as I’d got the feeling those two were up to something based on their computer usage which I monitored as part of my job. Jan had had a program installed on our server which flagged questionable computer activity, and which was flagged on my computer for review. I told Jan of my suspicions based on their activity being flagged, and we both knew right there and then, what they were again attempting.
As her way of thanking the other three firms for the heads-up, Jan called each and every firm and asked if they’d like to help her give the Feds two new guests for an extended stay. And each firm gladly accepted the offer—scum like those two ruin it for everyone.
Because we wanted these two gone as soon as possible, Jan’s and the other three firms set the peanut butter in the trap and set it out for observation on Monday. Everything they put in the files was fake, or nearly fake, but tantalizing enough that the other firms were sure those two would take the bait. Nothing that was illegal, just maybe a bit underhanded, if that.
Monday morning after our group meeting my computer dinged, showing me those two had taken the bait; their computer usage had been flagged. I notified Jan that our peanut butter had been taken and things might happen very soon. Tuesday and Wednesday passed without incident, but their computer usage was still flagged. Based on what they were doing, I told Jan I felt they’d make their move Thursday morning; I guess I should bet more often, because on Thursday morning, before we even had our group meeting, the two march into Jan’s office like they owned the place.
Jan’s and the other three firms, had agreed to merge our information and take it to the DA, and would notify their offices when things went down. Since the two morons paid no attention to me, I made the phone calls to the DA and the other three firms. It was rather comical to watch, as Jan played the dumbest woman you’d ever seen. All the while turning everything back on them so they had to explain themselves over and over again; I had an ear bud which let me listen in on the meeting in Jan’s office when it was important. And it wasn’t just me who found it comical, as all the shouting from the two numb nuts had attracted the attention of everyone who arrived for work. As “the dumb woman” stalled, the two never saw the DA, two detectives, and four uniformed officers enter the office. But they did when the DA interrupted their shouting by opening the office door and flashing his credentials. Oh, and seeing the police didn’t hurt.
Those two saw the writing on the glass walls, and tried to backpedal saying it was all a joke. But they couldn’t backpedal fast enough with the DA at their backs, because when Jan came around her desk, the look on her face told them they were not going to like what happened next. And they didn’t, as two officers came in right behind the DA and handcuffed the two, leading them out the office and the building. While the drama was taking place in Jan’s office, I had been recording everything those two had said. I also had Sandra, our IT tech, print off everything those two had been doing on their computers for the last month. She also took their computers off-line so the server could no longer be accessed. While one detective went with Sandra one stayed with me while I made him a copy of the office drama. I also gave him four CDs containing all the information from the other three firms, each labeled with the firm’s name. After the DA chatted with Jan, and the detectives had the evidence, they bid us all a farewell and went to have their own brand of fun. Jan ordered breakfast for everyone on that morning to celebrate the loss of nothing important. (And again, I didn’t need the journal telling me what happened because I was there.)
We heard a few weeks later that our two ex-numb nuts had pulled duty at a very nice Federal hotel for half of their existing life times—20 years each. And again Jan provided breakfast for everyone to celebrate their good fortune, and ours. Jan already had two replacements in the pipeline and when they showed up the following Monday morning they got right to work. Over the next three years the drama sessions were far and few in between, each year seeing us adding more staff because we were acquiring more clients. Something I didn’t know, but read in the journal, as our individual investors increased, so had the other three firms corporate investors increased. Seems we became a sort of model which the other firms copied, thus increasing their corporate accounts.
It was in year three, during one of our hiring phases, where I found myself having to pick my jaw up off the floor and putting my eyes back in my head. Walking by my desk was a very attractive man who had come in for an interview. He was about 5ft 10in, sandy blonde hair, maybe blue eyes, wearing the sharpest suit I’d seen anyone were to an interview. I don’t know how I knew, maybe it was the switched that clicked, but I knew right then he was right for me. I hesitate to use “soul mate,” but that’s what he was to me. And I had a feeling he felt the same, for I caught him trying not to be seen looking at me.
As I did with all interviews I placed the ear bud in my ear so I could listen in on the interviews. New prospects were another thing Jan and I discussed in our after-hours meeting, so I had to listen to the interview, and what I heard made me realize we’d received manna from heaven with this guy.
His name was Jonathan Mathew; he was thirty-five-years old, held Bachelor degrees in mathematics and finance, with minors in statistical analysis, accounting, French, Spanish, and German. He had his Masters in mathematics with emphasis towards statistical probability. He even had his MBA. This guy was a gold mine, and it was gold like him which we needed. And it was him I needed.
We didn’t need to discuss this guy in our after-hours meeting, not as far as I was concerned. I looked towards Jan’s office, she surreptitiously looked at me with raised eyebrows, and I gave her not only a nod yes, but two thumbs up; Jan hired him on the spot; he’d start the next day. And so would I.
*****I opened my eyes when a glass bottle clinked on crystal, watching as Joanne poured herself another glass of wine, and took a sip before setting her glass down on the end table and began reading Jan’s journal yet again. I noticed this time she read more slowly, which she did when she wanted to glean more facts which had confused her the first nine or ten times through. I laid my head back on the couch, closed my eyes and continued my thinking back to the days after Jon had been hired.*****
Six months into our third year, the remodeling of the second floor was in full swing; there was a lot of demo to be done before reconstruction could begin. It was also at that time that two ladies had to go on maternity leave, making it necessary to hire two new employees. Monday morning, a young lady entered the office, told Cindy who she was and why she was there, and proceeded to make a beeline to Jan’s office. Now had she been dressed for a business interview no one would have taken notice of her passing. But those of us close enough to her path couldn’t help but notice her passing. The jeans she wore looked like there were sprayed on, and had more holes in them that Swiss cheese; she was wearing sky blue lace panties—there were holes visible after her passing. The tank top she wore was so loud that many of us either looked away or shielded our eyes; the tank top didn’t do a thing to cover the assets which wanted to fall out at any moment. I happened to look toward Joni and both of us just shook our heads, knowing this girl would not be hired. And if her clothing weren’t worse enough, when she reached Jan’s office door, she walked right in; a huge mistake in office protocol.
I watched Jan’s face as the girl just walked into her office, and saw the cringe on her face when she saw how the girl was dressed. Both of these offenses were addressed before the interview even began; I heard it all via my ear bud. Jan covered the girl’s qualifications, her schooling, and the usual, to get a feel for the interviewee. Jan also gave her the printed out dress code and one for office policy. Overall the interview went well, but I didn’t give Jan a thumbs-up yet. This girl would be a topic for our meeting tonight.
That night I expressed my concerns about hiring that girl, noting her clothing and all the piercings she was wearing, while Jan believed we should at least give her a chance because her qualifications where excellent. Given that we had to fill two spots for six months, I decided to give the girl a try, we could let her go if she didn’t work out. So Jan called the girl and told her she would start the following day at 8:30 a.m. The following day, I waited with baited breath for the girl to show up for her first day on the job. At 8:28 a.m. the girl walked into the office dressed much like she was for the interview. I buzzed Jan’s office to get her attention, and saw her temperature increase as she saw what the girl was wearing. Jan stepped out of her office, called to the girl and asked her to step into her office. This wasn’t an interview so I didn’t need to listen in. But my ear bud wasn’t necessary because the raised voices seeped out of the cracks around the office door. The girl was extremely animated, and vocal, before she stormed out of Jan’s office and out the front door. I looked towards Jan and she just shook her head no, she fired the girl before she’d even started her first day. I later found out the girl didn’t believe in a dress code and wasn’t going to comply with ours. But it was for the best, because later that morning, and early that afternoon, we found two wonderful new employees who we both felt would be a great asset to the company.
Just as the first three years of our business flew by, so did the next seven, with only a few minor glitches. By the tenth year we had two hundred and fifty employees, and almost three thousand investors. The ground floor was becoming a bit crowded so Jan and I hired an architect and designer to see what we could do to the ground floor and third floor to help give us a better looking, and functioning, business. When the two came back with ideas, Jan scheduled a company meeting so everyone could see the ideas and actually have an input; this was, after all, their business too.
The idea everyone settled on, with a few minor additions, gave us a huge auditorium and a meeting room. We would now have an employee locker room and lounge. There would be changing rooms for both men and women and the same for showers. We had an idea of the number of employees we would be hiring for the years to come, so that many and a few more lockers were going to be installed. Bath towels would also be provided, delivered by one of the towel delivery businesses here in the city.
The lounge would have a snack bar, refrigerator and freezer, coffee machines of different types, chairs and tables and couches and chairs. There would be soda and candy machines, fruit machines, and frozen dinner machines with dinners sized to fit a nice sized microwave. It would be a better place for breaks than what we had now, and likely less expensive for all of us.
Jan and I had hashed over doing the same for the second and third floors, but decided we’d like it better if those moved to the second and third floors had to come downstairs to mingle with those on the ground floor. Yeah, that employee room was going to be huge. The architect also informed us that the elevator would have to be brought up to city code, but we already knew it had to be refitted so it wasn’t unexpected. We went over everything again with all the staff, and when all hands went into the air, Jan signed the contract and work would begin on the first and third floors the following week. (And again, I didn’t need the journal to tell me what occurred, I was there. It just helped me remember.)
*****A flushing toilet brought me back to the present, which is a good thing, as I think I need to take care of some personal business. I rolled my head, looking in the direction where Joanne had been sitting, and saw only the opened journal sitting on the couch. I also note one empty wine bottle on the coffee table along with a not so full one; I never even realized Joanne had gone to the kitchen and fetched another bottle.
It wasn’t long after the water for the sink shuts off that Joanne reappears, deep in thought by the look on her face. “Well, what do you think?” I asked her just before she bends down in front of me and gives me a very passionate wine tasting kiss.
“Don’t know…got to read it more,” was all she said after breaking the kiss that had kicking starting my motor. After reading it three times myself, I totally understood what she was saying.
Before folding herself back down on the couch, Joanne drained her wine glass, refilled it, sat it down on the end table, picked up the journal and resumed her position on the couch. I’d seen her like this several times in the past and knew nothing short of an earthquake was going to get her attention. I picked up my wine glass, drained what remained, refilled it, sat it back down and decided now was a perfect time to follow Joanne in the bathroom; explaining the rest of the story was going to be difficult if not downright confusing. Even as I contributed to the sewer system, I was mulling over how to explain something I still didn’t really understand. A lot of it I’d have no trouble telling, because I witnessed it. But what Jan wrote about her personally…Oy, that was going to be a fuzzy brain freeze. I finished up in the bathroom and resumed my position on the couch, again starting to think back to the tenth year of our business, the seventh year since we hired Jon.*****
One thing Jan insisted upon was to have one day a month where every client was to meet with their portfolio analyst, and it was going to be mandatory. She felt, and I could see her point, that it was important for clients to see that their portfolio analyst was a human being, not some faceless voice over the phone. It gave our employees and our clients a better chance to become acquainted, and at the same time, the portfolio analyst would go over the clients account, checking to see if the client wanted to make any changes. Because of this unique way of doing this type of business, some very good friendships developed over the years, with some clients increasing the worth of their accounts substantially. Was it all smooth sailing at the beginning? No, it wasn’t, but it was dealt with in Jan’s usual no nonsense manner.
Jan and I decided at the beginning that Friday was going to be our mandatory meeting between a client and their portfolio analyst. A new client was told, upfront, about the mandatory meeting once a month, and for the most part it was greeted with affirmation. Until one day when two men came in to open a new account. I saw the two men come into our office Monday morning, watched as they spoke with Cindy our receptionist, and watched as Cindy picked up her phone to speak with two of our staff. It wasn’t long before Thomas and Mary arrived at the reception desk, Thomas shaking hands with one man and Mary the other. Thomas and Mary directed the men back to their desks to get the process of opening new accounts started. And nothing looked out of the ordinary.
It wasn’t until the mandatory Friday meeting between client and their portfolio analyst that a problem arose with these two men. Two weeks before the mandatory Friday meetings a notice is sent to every client, reminding them of the required meeting, with a time the client was to meet their analyst. On those Fridays everyone starts at 7 a.m. so they have time to get ready for the meetings which start at 9 a.m.
It was about 11:05 a.m. on one of the Friday mandatory meeting days that first Thomas then Mary came to my desk and said one of their clients hadn’t shown up for their 11 o’clock meeting, and would I look into it. I said I would, and also said maybe they were stuck in traffic, so give them a little more time. Based on our experience, we found out most clients were in and out usually within fifteen minutes, thirty being the longest. So it was decided to block out the meeting in thirty minute increments. If the client visited in a shorter time, then if the next client was in the building they’d then be called for their meeting. If not then it was agreed that the remainder of the thirty minutes would be used as a break for our employees; most Fridays like these no one left before 8:30 or 9 p.m. and the breaks were needed.
I pulled up the accounts for the two missing gentleman, and saw their notices had gone out on time, were received—we sent them registered—and that they were scheduled for 11 a.m. I phoned the office of first one of the men then the other, getting the voicemail systems which stated they would be out of town for the next two weeks; dates of their absences were given. I looked at a calendar on my desk I saw that their second week absent fell on the time they were to meet with their portfolio analyst. After the recorded messages had played I left a message, reminding them of the once a month mandatory Friday meeting. And would be expecting to hear from them on the following Monday. I notified Thomas and Mary about the missing men and told them to meet with their next client if they were here, or just take a break until their next meeting. I also notified Jan about the problem.
Monday came and went, as did Tuesday, and still no word from either of the two men. I had been keeping Jan in the loop and it was Tuesday afternoon when Jan stepped in and called both men. She motioned for me to listen in on, and record, the conversations. Both men were very cordial, very professional, but made it clear to Jan that they were just too busy to be bothered to come to her office, once a month, for any type of meeting. Oh did those two make a big mistake by telling Jan that; actually, she already knew these two men weren’t going to let some woman dictate to them about anything—another of her little birdies. She politely thanked the men, hung up the phone after each call, came out of her office and hollered for Thomas and Mary to cash out the accounts of the two men; she gave their names in a rather loud voice. While it may not seem very professional for Jan to have accounts cashed out, she was on a mission, one which would either lose us two accounts or teach a very valuable lesson. It wasn’t long before our accountant had two money orders cut, each for a sizeable amount, and in Jan’s hands. And it wasn’t long before a messenger showed up and given instructions where to deliver the two checks.
Jan must have known the two men would show up very soon, given the size of the two money orders and that both men’s accounts had a sizeable increase since coming to Jan’s, because she was standing at the reception desk when first one man then the other man walked into the office about thirty minutes after the messenger left. Both men looked rather contrite, under Jan’s glare, and actually looked like a couple of school boys who got caught smoking in the boys’ bathroom. With a bit of frost in her voice she told the two men to, “follow me.” It was almost quite comical watching these three people walk to Jan’s office, one looking like the principal, the other two like two “dead meat” school boys, even though they were both very successful business men. Being successful, they both believed they were too important, and above the need, for any meeting which they felt was a waste of time. But Jan was having none of it, and lit into both men the minute the door closed to her office. When the flames died down, she started explaining why the meetings were necessary, and why they were mandatory; thank you little earbud. Taken down a peg or two both men apologized, and begged Jan to reopen their accounts, explaining that none of their other accounts had done as well as their accounts with her. Jan casually looked at me to see what I thought, so I gave her a wiggled thumbs-up, meaning go ahead and give them a chance to redeem themselves. We both knew, had discussed it beforehand in fact, that if both men apologized for their attitudes and asked to be taken back, we’d do it but for a six month trial period. That was the last time we had any trouble with anyone who opened an account at Jan’s Portfolio LLC, word had gotten around about the fireball that’d drop an account in the blink of an eye if agreements weren’t adhered to.
*****I opened my eyes again, picked up my wine glass and took a good long drink, before reaching for the now almost empty second bottle to refill my glass. I then looked over to Joanne, who now had the journal open in her lap and her head leaning back on the couch. I’d seen her do this as well when she was trying to figure out a particular difficult piece of information or equation. I also knew that not even an earthquake would disturb her when she was like this. I’m at the point of my story where it gets rather strange, even weird, the part that has me really confused. It’s the part that depends a lot on what Jan wrote herself, the part which is extremely hard to believe. I laid my head back on the couch back, closed my eyes, and thought back to the mandatory meeting Friday which caused Joanne to become, Joanne. But it wasn’t supposed to happen, according to Jan.*****
The remodeling that had been started during our tenth year in business, took about eleven months to complete. Both the third floor and first floor were as we desired, so the overflow of employees could be moved to the third floor. And as only Jan knew, and wrote about, it was a good thing too, because something was going to happen, something which hadn’t been planned for yet, but yet, had been. And it was going to happen to Jonathan. Right now seems a good time to explain what I’m talking about, maybe it will help me understand.
As I previously stated, I read Jan’s journal three times. And three times I wasn’t sure I fully understood what I had just read. For sixteen years I never knew Jan’s full name, she always sidestepped my question when I asked so I let it drop. But after reading her journal three times I know her full name now, but can’t believe it. For sixteen years I’ve been working with Janelle Mathew, our daughter. But our Janelle is only five-years-old. It wasn’t until I read more of the journal before Jan explained how it was possible.
I guess it’s time to tell Jan’s story, or try to in any event, as I still find it hard to believe. The Jan I worked with for the past sixteen years, our daughter Janelle Mathew, is from eighty years in the future. A future which was changed because of a little glitch they caused in Jonathan’s past, a glitch which affected his development before he was even born, a glitch which made him a male instead of the female he should have been. And it was Jan’s job to try and correct the event which hadn’t taken place during one of the mandatory Friday meetings, the event which hadn’t taken place the seventh year Jon was employed by Jan’s.
There’s actually two parts to Jan’s story, the one why she looks so young after eighty years, and the one which caused the glitch that changed their time. Twenty years into our five-year-old Janelle’s future a brilliant bio-chemist had developed a serum which he hoped would cure the cancer which killed both his parents. But before he could be sure it worked he had to run a five year study. His preliminary study said it should work, but the Government mandated the five year study just to be extra sure it was safe; gotta love the Government, always looking out for its citizens.
He sent out helpers to capture wild mice and for them to bring back only mice which looked sick or had unusual growths. It took some time but his helpers finally found fifty wild mice which looked sick or had the unusual growths the chemist was looking for. After examining all the mice, twenty five met the criteria for having cancerous growth in or on their bodies, the rest were let go back where they were found to let nature take its course. None of the mice had the particular cancer which killed his parents, but the cancers they did have were similar enough to what humans developed that he decided to go ahead with this part of the trial.
Again it took some time, since the type of cancer each mouse had needed to be identified. Then, when that was done, the mouse was given one injection. He then noted in his log the time and date the injection was given, and decided to check each mouse once a week for the first month to see if there was any changes to the cancerous growths. It was also at this time his helpers visited cancer centers and spoke with patients who had stage four cancers, to see if any would volunteer to be in the human part of the trials. This particular trial didn’t need a control group because it dealt solely with eliminating the cancer all together. In the end, he ended up with fifty volunteers who felt they had nothing to lose and everything to gain if the serum worked as everyone hoped. Even the doctors were on board since they’d tried everything in the tool kit to combat the rampaging cancers.
Identifying the cancers the human patients had wasn’t necessary because the hospital had already done that, so all he had to do was enter their names and age in the separate log for the human testing, have them sign a consent form, and give each the one injection, noting the time and date as he’d done for the wild mice. He had already arranged to have facilities in place to make the human patients comfortable during the first part of the trial, thereby saving his having to travel to the hospital every other day. With the human patients he was going to check on them once every day, if for no other reason than to make sure they were comfortable. There would be nurses on 24hr shifts to look after their other needs, and all he could do now was wait and see what happened.
He knew the serum would take time to work its way throughout both the mice and humans, so he wasn’t disappointed when he didn’t see any changes after the first week. It wasn’t until the second week when one of his helpers had been cleaning one of the mouse cages when he noticed something strange with that particular mouse. When the chemist investigated further he saw a slight reduction in the cancer growths that mouse had. Seeing this, he checked the other mice and they too had slight reduction in their cancer growths. With this in mind he had all the human patients checked and found similar results in them as well; he spirits were high at this point, but he still had to be patient.
By the third week big changes were starting to be seen in both the mice and humans, bigger changes in the mice because of their size. The human patients who were in stage four when they started the trial, were judged to now be in stage three, causing each and every volunteer a great measure of hope for a total cure. By week four the cancer infecting the mice was all but gone, and the human patients were now down to a stage two cancer. By week five no cancer could be found in any of the mice, and the humans were now at stage one. By the end of the sixth week more than ninety percent of the humans were completely free of cancer; the other ten percent were still getting better. For those ten percent it took eight weeks before they too were completely free of any cancer. He had done it, he had found a cure for cancer, but with four years and ten months left on the trial he had to reign in his excitement. Because now they had to see if the mice and humans remained free of cancer for the time left on the trial.
For the next four years and ten months, the mice were checked every week for any signs of recurring cancer. For the volunteers it was a checkup every two weeks. As the months turned into years and the years came closer to the end of the trial, no signs of recurring cancer had been found in either the mice or the volunteers. And when the clock wound down to the final tick of the trial, his data showed that he had indeed found the cure for every know type of cancer which infected humans; and wild mice. However, during the last few checkups the volunteers had, he notice, something rather strange. He noticed that none of the volunteers appeared to have aged during the five years of the trial. In fact he verified this by having pictures taken and comparing them to pictures that were taken when the trial started. He felt sure he was right, but took the pictures to a plastic surgeon to verify his suspicions. It took the plastic surgeon three weeks to get back with the chemist, but as it turned out he was right, none of the volunteers had aged a day. He even checked the wild mice, and they too were still kicking after five years, where wild mice only lasted a year at best. Could it be that he inadvertently discovered a “youth” serum in the process of developing a cure for cancer? He already had proof based on the five year trial, but would that be enough for the Government? None of the mice showed the slightest afflictions because of the serum, and neither did any of the volunteers. In fact they all seemed to be in better health than when the cancers were gone. When he did additional research he found that aging had slowed to about two months for every year of life. So it took about six years before a person would age one year.
He was now fifty five, thirty years older than when he started his research because of his parent’s deaths. He had all the date, all the results on film, he had fifty healthy humans whose doctors could testify were on death’s door five years ago, and who were healthier now than when their doctors saw them before they developed cancer. He also had the mice, but decided they might scare a few of the Government panel so decided to give all of them a good home at the lab. Thirty years of his life was spent for this exact moment, and it didn’t take him long to decide to go for broke and take his finding to the Government oversight panel.
Three months later he received a letter from the panel, approving his serum for general distribution. And three months after that he started getting offers from every major pharmaceutical in the world, some offering him so much money he could have paid off the National Debt. But he knew what they were actually doing, and why. They wanted to get his serum off the market because it would spell ruin for the cancer drug businesses. It would cost them millions, if not trillions of dollars if his serum became widely used. And with each and every offer he very diplomatically told them to “shove up their ass.” He was not going to let anyone bury his discovery just to save their profits. But the pharmaceutical companies weren’t put off that easy, so they went to the chemical supply companies and offered them the same amount of money if they would charge the serum company an exorbitant price for the chemical supplies. And like the chemist, many in those companies had lost loved ones to cancer and they too knew what the pharmaceutical companies were trying to do. They too were very diplomatic in telling the pharmaceutical companies if they were to charge one company an exorbitant price, they’d have to charge ALL companies an exorbitant price. Upon hearing this, it didn’t take the pharmaceutical companies long to see the writing on the wall, the writing which said get ready to lose their cancer drug business.
After receiving the go ahead from the Government, he and like minded individuals went ahead with their plans and first patented the discovery, then formed the company they had planned. They then purchased the buildings they had picked which would suit their needs to become the manufacturing plant for the serum. Machinery was purchased, and employees were hired and vetted extremely well. Because they all knew someone would either try and steal the formula or sabotage the plant, a state of the art security system was installed and a security firm was hired to provide 24hr security all year long. No employee was going to be allowed to bring anything into the plant; the company was going so far as have each and every employee working in the plant change into special clothing which made impossible to hide anything on their person. And because thorough background checks were done, those found to possess exceptional memories were going to be barred from any areas where they might be able to memorize what went into the serum. The company was also going to pay very well, so no one job had a higher pay than another. Hopefully, they believed, they’d thought of every way to deter theft or sabotage of any kind. But time was the only real test.
It took almost eleven months to complete the plant, hire and train the employees, and produce the first batch of serum. The question they were still discussing was the cost to the consumer. Besides the chemist, each of the other partners had lost family due to cancer, so they wanted the price low enough so anyone could afford the serum; they wanted to help humanity, not line their pockets and become filthy rich. So it was finally decided $150 was the going price for their serum, and they would package it for one injection per person. And if a person was destitute, they would reduce the cost by ninety five percent. The same would apply to very poor countries. All of the chemist’s partners had more money than they knew what to do with, so helping out those who were eking out a living was the least they could do.
*****I open my eyes, again, looking to my right and see Joanne still in her heavy contemplating mode, and realized my bladder was sending me urgent message that I should heed. Once my bladder was happy I went to the kitchen to find something to eat, preferably something light. I grabbed some cheese from the fridge and actually eat all of it on my way back to the couch, where I refilled my wine glass, took a sip and resume my previous position on the couch. I lean my head back against the couch back, closed my eyes and thought about how Jan remained so young looking.*****
Jan was thirty one when the first batch of serum was released to the general public, and did it cause a stir. The first to be given the serum was every cancer treatment center in the world, including those centers in the most desolate places. Then to those physicians who were treating cancer patients individually. Then to personal physicians whose patients were cancer free. While the initial demands were high, it wasn’t long before about a quarter of the planet had received the serum. The chemist and his partners knew it would take time for the entire planet to receive the serum, but they were in for the long haul. As for Jan, she had to wait her turn but finally got her injection and the added age reducing benefit.
Those cured of cancer were ecstatic because they now had a new lease on life. But when it was revealed that aging was slowed along with the cure for cancer, questions were raised as to over population and how would they cope. These questions put Thomas and his partners at the middle of a huge argument by groups who worried about over population and those who claimed they were playing God; and those who made money off drugging the elderly. And yet, through it all, Thomas and his partners remained stoic, putting out article after article, sitting through interview after interview, explaining how slowing down the aging process also slowed the time when the human body was ready to reproduce. They also made it very clear that the serum did not stop natural deaths, accidental deaths, or other forms of illegal deaths—murders and the like. It did take a while for their message to finally sink in, and the drug companies to finally settle down and look for a different market, but in the end the world actually became a somewhat better place to live.
The second event may be even more unbelievable, since EVERYONE knows time travel is impossible, right? Every time the subject was broached, every scientist has loudly proclaimed that time travel was simply impossible, it was pure science fiction. And yet the idea never died, never lost its aura to those who didn’t let the scoffers spoil their dreams. But none possessed the merest talent to even contemplate how such a feat could be realized, and their dream simply remained a dream. Until a newly minted physicist named Jonathan Mathew, brilliant beyond his years, decided to try and make his dream come true, a dream which developed with his first reading of “The Time Machine.” Even though his brilliance shown in the work he did in high school and at University, in the projects he designed and built, he, like others, was scoffed at when at University he brought up the idea of time travel. But he, unlike the others, was not deterred but bolstered by every professor who scoffed at him and his ideas. Each and every professor used mathematical formulas to prove it wasn’t possible to create such a machine which could take one back in time. And with each written formula Jonathan’s ideas grew even more powerful, until the last professor to show him the error of his ways unintentionally showed Jonathan the path he needed to travel to determine how a device could be built. For it was this last professor who made Jonathan realize, much like two students in an old science fiction television program, that everyone was asking the wrong questions. And it was then that Jonathan knew which questions that needed asking.
Even before Jonathan received his degrees, R&D firms and teaching institutions were inundating him with job offers, offers which came with very generous salaries. And due to the cold reception his want to develop time travel received, Jonathan knew he had to make a living if he was to work on his ideas on his own time. So he took all the materials sent to him, all the information that was sent to him, and looked at which one would give him the greatest amount of free time to do his work. The teaching institutions were all out of the question, for they required him to publish several papers a year besides teach. All the Government jobs were rejected as well, for the Government would monitor even his time away from work. That left all the R&D firms, big and small alike; he separated their information into piles of large and small firms. Many of the large firms offered major advantages not available with the small firms, but after seeing who’d he be working with, he knew there’d be a lot of in-fighting and politics involved. So he disregarded any of the large firms. He was looking through the information from the small R&D firms when he came across one firm who had employed a person Jonathan thought might be the mechanical engineer he’d need to help build the device, his own sister, Christine Mathew. Jonathan knew Christine was working for an R&D firm, but because of security, she was never able to say which one. So it came as a happy surprise when he saw her name within the material he was sent. Contacting Christine, Jonathan asked if they could meet for coffee, he had some questions he’d like to ask. To Jonathan’s surprise, Christine agreed, even saying she had questions for him. And so it was after the two met, on their own time, and Jonathan explained his ideas to Christine, and received favorable replies from her, that he accepted the job offer with that firm. A small R&D firm it may have been, but it afforded him the personal time he needed to work on his own life long project. And have access to a mechanical engineer who was just as excited as he was to see if it could be done.
It took Jonathan a little over two years to acquire the knowledge he needed on Quantum Mechanics, the field Jonathan knew held the key to making a breakthrough in time travel; for as was discovered in Quantum Mechanics, everything that can happen happens at the same time. For example, you go into a bar and ask for a drink. At that time every possible drink in that bar is offered to you, but it’s only the drink you observe that is the drink you get. Or take Schrodinger’s cat, a thought experiment by physicist Erwin Schrodinger. A live cat is in a sealed box which contains a Geiger counter, a control mechanism, a hammer, and a flask of poison. The hammer is attached to the mechanism which is controlled by the Geiger counter, and is set so that if the Geiger counter detects any radiation the control mechanism releases the hammer which falls and breaks the flask, releasing the poison and killing the cat. Schrodinger reasoned that until a person looked inside the box, the cat was both alive and dead, but not both when a person viewed inside the box. This brought up the question of when did the quantum superposition end and reality collapsed into one possibility or the other. With this knowledge in the forefront, Jonathan then began working on the mathematic equations and formulas he knew would be needed for the device he had in mind. Because he did, after all, know the right questions to ask.
*****The couch shifts, which causes me to open my eyes and see Joanne making a very quick beeline to the bathroom. She left the journal lying open on the couch so I knew she had more thinking to do—cannot outlast a full bladder. My legs and other body parts were screaming at me so I decided it was time to get up, stretch and get something decent to eat for the both of us. We both needed a break; I knew what Joanne was going through. There was very little conversation as we ate a nice, filling, meal. I tried to get Joanne to tell me what she thought, but my questions were always met with a shoulder shrug. I was not upset by her responses because this is what Jonathan always did when he had a sticky problem he was trying to solve. I also knew, when Joanne got up from her chair and came and sat in my lap, hugging me tightly, that she was very upset by what she was reading, and for good reason; I wish she’d been here my three time through that journal. I felt the tears wet the shoulder of my blouse, and knew the reason they were falling. Jan explained it all in her journal, the other incident which had taken place. I pushed Joanne away from my body and wiped the tears off her cheeks, softly telling her, “Let’s get back.” She nodded, got off my lap, and we both went back to the couch, Joanne back to her deep thinking and me back to my memories of the actually events.*****
Asking all the right questions, it took Jonathan five more years of his free time before he believed he had all the formulas and equations he would need to build his device. But it took both Jonathan and Christine another five years on their own time before they thought they had sufficient plans for the device. Now all they needed was the right material that could withstand the forces which would be produced when the device was powered, producing a portal which would allow one to, step back in time. Nothing available passed any of the tests they ran to see if the material would hold up, and it didn’t take them long to realize they had to come up with something new. It was also about this time their company hired a young lady who looked in her thirties but both knew was much older due to the cancer serum, who happened to be a specialist in materials of every kind. Janelle Mathew, as it turned out, had just about every degree possible in the field of particle science; and a few in the world of finance. Jonathan and Christine couldn’t have been happier when Janelle Mathew, their sister, was hired by the firm. Right off the bat, they knew she was a safe bet, and when they reached the part of the explanation about needing a new type material for their project, Jan’s eyes lit up like the sun. Both saw the change in her at the mention of new material and asked why her excitement. Like Jonathan and Christine, Jan had come to work for the company that would afford her a lot of free time after work. Because like them, she too was working on a project to try and develop lighter and stronger materials which could possibly replace steel and other materials that were starting to become rather scarce and more expensive. Their project would give her the perfect opportunity to try out some of the ideas she had formulated some years ago, but not the time to put them to the test. And on this day the secret society of time travel was formed. And they realized it had to be secret, least the Government or some other nefarious individual get their hands on it. It was then they also realized they would now have to find a backer, someone with not only the money but the maturity and wisdom their work needed.
It was another ten years of trials and failures before they finally had the right material, a working prototype, and a backer; they acquired the backer some five years before. With the backer’s surreptitious help, a warehouse had been set up for all their work those five years ago. And now it was going to be the place where they would find out if all their work was in vain or actually worked. Before “pressing the button,” they made sure to backup all of their data and the data on special material Jan had accidently produced during one of her trial batch runs. Material that would hold more than a hundred times the information than anything on the market; when this project was over she planned on marketing the material. They also thought it prudent to back up as much non-project data as they could, data from around the world. They all knew that if one change was made in the past, their present day could be changed in unpredictable ways.
When everything was double checked, the backed up data safely stored, and everyone wearing their safety gear, Jonathan “pushed the button” as it were. As predicted the device took several seconds to initialize and come up to speed and power. But it didn’t take long before they realized they had a tiny little problem, the device was vibrating. Even though a violet oval had been formed on the target wall they couldn’t be sure it actually worked. They had talked about what type of test to run to make sure a time portal had been formed, and came up with the idea of going back a few hours before the test and write on the test wall, “this is a test wall.” If the portal was working, then the words should appear as though it were magic. But now they’d have to wait until Jonathan and Christine discovered the reason for the vibration.
Jonathan and Christine had come up with a way to completely shield the warehouse from not only prying eyes but from outside electronic interference. So while everyone waited for Jonathan and Christine to solve the vibration problem, the backer got on one of the outside lines to check for any messages. It was during this time that he noticed something funny which didn’t match the memories he had, something which dealt with business practices which had changed some seventy-five years ago. Practices which changed because of how one Mr. Marks had been treated by a brokerage house after he received tragic news about his daughter. The backer asked Jan to pull up a specific event in their stored data and found that what was occurring now was totally different than their stored data. It didn’t take long for a meeting of the minds to form and for the backer to explain his findings. And it didn’t take long for everyone to realize, that even with the vibration, the device had worked, though because of the vibration a glitch was caused in the past. The cheer that filled the room was quashed as quickly as it started because as the backer pointed out, something had changed in the past which is now affecting their present. It wasn’t a huge change, but it was a change nonetheless. And how were they going to fix it?
Jonathan and Christine both agreed it was going to take time to discover the source of the vibration in the device, and it might be a very good time for Jan and a few others to go through all the outside data they had to try and discover the specific cause of the change to their present time. With plans in mind, Jonathan pulled up all his calculations and began going through them one at a time. Christine broke down the device and checked the integrity of every circuit board, every connections, and then once reassembled, went through the device’s program line by line. Once she had finished his tests, she and Jonathan again checked the device’s programming to see if they matched the figures from Jonathan’s calculations. Christine hadn’t seen the problem with one line of code until they did the comparison; her initial run showed no glaring errors. And so it was, on one line of code, the inputted data was one one thousandth of a point off. To a normal person this wouldn’t seem like much, but when it was critical to be precise in both time and space, that was quite a lot. Meanwhile, Jan and three others, along with the backer, pored over file after file in trying to pinpoint the main cause of the change in their time. Even though it proved daunting all three groups had their answers within two weeks of the initial test of the device, Jonathan and Christine were happy, Jan and the others not so much.
The backer had been correct, the change had taken place seventy-five years ago, and it had happened the day Mr. Marks met his portfolio analyst during the mandatory meeting, but that wasn’t the “main” cause of the change. The main cause occurred one hundred and seventeen years ago, during the gestation of Jonathan Mathew. During their data gathering before the initial test they gathered as many birth certificate records as they could get. It was during the search of those records that a Joanne Mathew had been recorded being born exactly one hundred and seventeen years ago. And who had worked at the same brokerage house as the one used by Mr. Marks. And when that birth record was compared to present day birth records, it wasn’t Joanne Mathew who had been born, but Jonathan Mathew, the person who was working at the brokerage house the day of Mr. Mark’s tragic news. Every eye swiveled towards Jan, giving her the “well” look. Jan was very upfront with everyone, telling them all that her memories were of a mother named Joanne, her other mother was Sara. That she had a sister named Christine, two brothers, Thomas and Jonathan, and that both her mothers had worked at the same brokerage house. After her explanation, everyone had that “ah ha” look, which Jan didn’t get. It was as though everyone except her saw the answer to the problem of how to get their present time back on the correct timeline. Once their telepathy session was over, the backer explained to Jan that she was the perfect candidate to go back and straighten out the error that had occurred with Mr. Marks. Dumbfounded didn’t cover how she felt, but after listening to all of the logic, she had to agree that she was the only one with the qualifications who could pull it off. With that little problem out of the way, it was decided to run another test of the device the following day, giving someone the chance to write “this is a test wall” one day before they first tested the device. When the device was powered on the next day it sounded and acted much better. After the violet oval appeared on the test wall, a volunteer stepped through and as if by magic the words “this is a test wall” appeared on the test wall to the left of the violet oval. Because the test was done in the warehouse, there was no need to close the portal by turning off the device, so a few moments after the words appeared on the test wall their volunteer stepped back through the portal. They had done it! They had developed a device from the ground up which would allow them to step back in time. And their first job was to try and fix the problem their initial test caused.
Over the next several days, a discussion took place between the group to try and determine when and where they should send a team of three, Jan and two others, to try and get their time line straight. Some thought the day of Mr. Mark’s tragedy, others thought a few days before. It wasn’t until the backer pointed out that they couldn’t just “drop in” or they might create even more problems. No, they had to go back to the beginning of the brokerage house, to the time it was first envisioned. That was the only way they could be sure not to cause any more problems. They could get a list of everyone who was hired, fired, or not hired from the outside data they collected before the initial test; the owner of that brokerage house kept meticulous records. After more discussions ensued it was agreed by all that the backer’s idea was the soundest and the least likely to cause even more problems. The backer also pointed out that it was late, and everyone looked dead on their feet. They had more work to do before even venturing into the past, so bid each other goodnight and made their way to their homes, each knowing it would be a very busy tomorrow.
*****I opened my eyes and saw Joanne was again reading Jan’s journal; she must have finally understood the problem that stumped her. This part of Jan’s journal always seemed to give me a headache, just like the one I felt coming on right now. And like the previous ones, I got up off the couch and went into the bathroom for two aspirins. I also knew to give them about thirty minutes to kick in before going back to Jan’s journal or my headache would only get worse; journal reading number two proved this fact. As I waited, I sipped my wine and watched as Joanne read page after page in Jan’s journal, occasionally staring out at nothing while wordlessly talking to herself. With thirty minutes passing, and my head feeling much better, I again laid my head back on the couch back, closed my eyes and remembered the day they left for the past.*****
As it turned out, leaving for the past didn’t take place as quickly as many hoped, thanks to Jonathan pointing out all the work they had to do to prepare. He and Christine had to redesign the device so it was smaller, and contained a self-contained power source, they had to get dates and times of every event leading up to the creation of the brokerage house—they also needed a name for that house—they had to go through all of the brokerage house data to get names of all the employees, when they were contacted and/or hired, they had to get names, dates and times of anyone fired after they were hired, they had to get the same for anyone coming in for an interview up and including the year when the event with Mr. Marks didn’t happen. And they had to know why it didn’t happen. It was also imperative they find a location to set up a base that was out of the way of any prying eyes or regular traffic, and off the power grid. This was most important since drawing power from some abandoned place would draw unwanted attention.
The days passed slowly as Jonathan and Christine worked on redesigning the device, while everyone else pored over all the data they had to formulate a timeline of events leading up to the event which didn’t happen. Work on the redesign was completed in about a month and a half, while data sifting took up most of two and a half months. When the data gathers felt they had all the information they needed everyone sat down and went over the events as they occurred to make sure they had all the needed information so another glitch wouldn’t take place. Encountered in their research were listings of old abandoned manufacturing plants on the edge of the city. They’d been for sale for years, and abandoned even longer. They were simply shells of their former selves; they would zero in on one building and port there. If it didn’t look worthwhile, they’d find another. Those helping Jan sift through all the data even came up with a name for the brokerage house, much to Jan’s chagrin, Jan’s Portfolio LLC. That name was rolled around for a few minutes until the backer asked why that name. Looking a bit shy, and embarrassed, one of the data helpers said, “Because that was the actually name of the brokerage house, something we missed the first time we looked through the data.” It took a few minutes for the implications of that name to hit everyone, but hit them it did. Jonathan was the first to say what he could see everyone thinking.
“Are you sure about that name, there couldn’t be an error in the data?” He asked the helper who first spoke the name, and everyone turned to look at the helper.
“Yeah, we’re sure. All of us had a go at double checking the data. We even found a reference to the house in an old business magazine. So yeah, we’re sure.”
Whistles and “oh my god” drifted around the group, as the realization of that name slammed into everyone’s mind like two cars colliding. They had done this before. They had gone back in time before, or a likeness of their group had. And what they tried to do to fix their time line hadn’t worked. With this realization more than fresh in everyone’s mind, Jonathan told everyone to redo their work, recheck everything, not to rush anything. If they had to wait another two months then they’d wait another two months. But they had to get it right this time, or risk getting locked in a loop of an offshoot of the group continuing to try and fix the glitch. And two more months did pass while everything was rechecked, and rechecked again. They left nothing to chance, they were after ending their continually going back to the past to fix that glitch and correct their timeline.
They ported into one of the old abandoned manufacturing plants, with all their equipment, and began inspecting that location. One person did a cautious walk around the building to look for any hidden monitoring devices; one walked the entire interior doing much the same—he also made an assessment of likely visitors based on what trash he found. Jan was left to find the office and see if it would work for their purposes of a base. Thirty minutes later the other two met Jan in the office and reported their findings, this was the perfect to set up their base. So for the next few days they worked setting up their advanced security, making sure the entrances to the plant were next to impossible for just anyone to enter. Obscure cameras were set up to cover everywhere within and outside the plant. Once security was up and running they turned to the other equipment they brought, including the redesigned device. Jan prepared a message, slipped it into a small cylinder, the device was activated and the cylinder thrown into the violet oval, instantly disappearing. A moment later a similar cylinder flew out of the portal and landed on the floor. It was a message letting them know that both portals had synched and their exact location was known. They turned off the device, pulled out a carrier and had dinner; they had a few days to relax before the real work began.
*****I opened my eyes when my nose detected a luscious aroma that could only mean Joanne was cooking. I notice the journal is sitting closed on the couch before getting up and walking into the kitchen. I see something is in the over and see the timer has about ten minutes left before the oven will shut off. Joanne is standing in front of the sink, staring out the kitchen window. She turns her head slightly to let me know she knows I’m there, and leans back into me when I step up behind her and wrap my arms about her waist. I see tears running down one cheek, and understand why she is crying—the rest of this story will let you understand too. I lean my head into her cheek but she turns in my arms, puts her head on my shoulder and starts sobbing. The timer for the oven went off, but I just held Joanne as she cried. Slowly her crying lessened until we were just holding each other. I wiped the tears off my cheeks.
It wasn’t long before Joanne pushed herself away from me so she could look me in the eyes. “You know I love you, right?” She asked me as I reached up and tried to wipe the tears off her cheeks.
“You know I loved you from the first time I saw you, right?” She asked as she reached up and wiped tears from my face.
I do remember the first time I saw Jonathan Mathew walk into Jan’s for his job interview, and how my heart flipped a switch letting me know he was ‘the one’. “Yes love, I know you love me, as I love you, and I knew the first time I saw you that we were meant to be together.”
I hoped this wasn’t going where I thought it was going because I was going to kick one beautiful butt if it was. I was also frightened of where I thought it might be going. I could see the wheels turning in her beautiful head, her trying to find the right words to say. And when she finally found the words she was looking much better, and I felt a huge weight fall off my shoulders.
“Did you want Jon to be with you or me?” She asked me with obvious fear in her eyes.
It took me a moment to realize what Joanne was really asking and why I saw the fear. “Jon was a very handsome man, someone I would have been very happy to be with,” I started, hopefully picking the right words. “But the more I got to know him the more I realized I was in love with his complete package, not just his looks. And his complete package has become even more beautiful. Yes, you changed outside, but not inside, you were beautiful then and even more beautiful now.”
As my finally words left my lips, the fear in Joanne’s eyes disappeared, to be replaced with happy tears. She also decided at that moment to try and find the tonsils I had removed when I was a young girl. It didn’t hurt that I returned the favor. Our tonsil search was interrupted by two growling stomachs, two empty growling stomachs. That caused both of us to break out in a fit of giggles and break our embrace, opting for the contents of the oven. Somehow we both knew we weren’t ready to discuss Jan’s journal, so we ate in silence, staring into each other’s eyes while we ate. As a bit of relief we did the dishes before heading back to the couch, Joanne to the journal and me to my memories.****
We had reached ten years of Jan’s being in business before I explained how most of all this came about (reread the first few chapters if you need to refresh your memory); it was the seventh year of Jon being employed at Jan’s. It was also the year that Jan and her group had been waiting for in the hopes of straightening out their timeline. And it all hinged on Jon. Again, I guess I better explain so you’ll understand.
The group’s plan was basically a simple one. All they had to do was get Jon to give Mr. Marks the hug he didn’t get because of the glitch and he would do what he did before the glitch caused the problem. Clear? As mud, right? In the timeline before the glitch, Joanne would have hugged Mr. Marks when he told her of the tragic news he had received that morning about his daughter. But the glitch caused Jonathan to be born and that hug never took place. And Mr. Marks never helped make the drastic changes in business practices throughout the world. And because of that one event not happening, Jan’s time line was changed. And how were they to get Jon to hug Mr. Marks? With manufactured mud that was developed by Jan.
In all respects it would look like any regular mud, with the mixture of silt, sand, and clay. But this mud would contain nanites, programed to make sure this girl made mud filled every crevice of Jon’s clothes and outer body. They were going to be microscopic earth movers, ensuring Jon was so dirty that he’d need a change of clothes. They were also programmed that once the pile was in motion, thanks to a truck running through the edge of the pile, they would carry a large quantity of the pile in the opposite direction. To any onlookers, it would simply appear that some very rude driver drove through a pile of discarded mud that completely drenched a man standing on the sidewalk. And once the nanites had done their job, they would self-destruct into nothing more that bits and pieces of dirt. But there’s more that needs told.
During the ten years Jan and her crew had been in the city, going home when needed, they had helped themselves to information they needed to know about traffic patterns up and down main street, the time and days City street sweepers roved the streets, including when they left the yard, returned, and break times. Their plan was to “borrow” the spare street sweeper that was kept at the yard, take it back to their base of operations and fill the catch bin with Jan’s mud before dumping it in front of Jan’s—it really was the just add water type mud. They knew the time Jon would reach Jan’s Portfolio on the mandatory meeting Fridays, so they would take the loaded street sweeper to the front of Jan’s and empty the catch bin on the street right in front of the door. They watched Jon enough over the last seven years so they knew exactly how he walked down the sidewalk and approached the door to Jan’s. Because the records they helped themselves to showed traffic lite or next to nothing at 6:30 a.m., they decided to dump the mud at that time. That would then leave them thirty minutes to get the street sweeper back to the yard. Once the sweeper was back in the yard, the driver would add another special mix Jan developed and any “mud” left in the catch bin would simply break down into nothing more than atoms. Thus, if anyone looked into the catch bin of that sweeper they’d find nothing whatsoever. And that’s exactly what they did, not worried another maintenance crew would be along to clean up the mud because those crews didn’t start work until 8 a.m. Now all they had to do was to wait for Jon to make his appearance.
Jon told me a few days after the mandatory Friday meeting that he thought that day was going to be horrible because of four events he experienced while getting dressed on that morning. He thought he had the layout of his bedroom memorized, so didn’t need a night light or other illumination. Extra street lights had yet to be placed along the street Jon lived on, as had happened on other streets, so it was rather dark in the mornings he had to get up early for the meetings—they were placed some time later and lent a bit of light to Jon’s bedroom in the early mornings. Jon slowly made his way towards where he remembered the bathroom door to be, only to find the chest-of-draws with his right foot; he said that after expressing himself concerning that meeting, he’d need to repaint the bedroom walls. Knowing that the bathroom door was to the left of the chest-of-drawers he then had no trouble switching on the bathroom light; blinding himself for a few moments. He did his business at the throne, then shaved and showered, brushed his teeth, and deodorized himself before heading back to his bedroom. He said it must have been reflex, because as he reached the bathroom door he reached up and shut off the bathroom light. And as the light went dark, he took a step with his left foot and found the chest-of-drawers again; he said like the bedroom, he’d likely have to repaint the bathroom walls.
He then was able to slowly make his way to the bedroom door where he then turned on the bedroom light—blinding himself again. The clock showed him running a bit behind so he hurried a bit to get his underwear, tie, and socks from the piece of furniture which assaulted him twice. He had decided on blue today so after opening his closet, took out his navy blue three piece suit, light blue dress shirt, black belt and shoes. After putting on his briefs, undershirt, socks, and dress shirt, he stepped into the suit pants, fastened the bar closure, and started zipping up the pants only to have the tab of the zipper come off in his hand. He tried to push the zipper down, pull it down, but could never get a tight grip on the zipper. It wasn’t until he went down into the kitchen and found a pair of pliers in a drawer that he was able to unzip the pants. Thankfully he had another pair so he wasn’t totally lost. And if that wasn’t enough, he’d just tied his left shoe lace and had started on the right shoe when the lace broke. All he could do was shake his head and go to the beast that attacked him and get a new pair of laces. He finally made it to the kitchen to have a small breakfast before walking the block to the bus stop to catch the 7 a.m. City bus. I guess I need to backup and explain something else here.
Finding a parking space downtown had become a problem for customers, because employees were taking up most, in not all, of the spaces right in front of the businesses. There were vacant lots behind every block downtown, but because parking there was so haphazard it was almost impossible to get out once they parked. Business owners went to the City leaders and complained, and complained, until the leaders finally marked the lots, and issued each business parking passes for each employee they employed. Employees were told by their employers to park in the lots behind the businesses or if they were caught parking on the street they would get a ticket; sounds rather harsh but the leaders had some parking structures designed that had yet to be built, and once built the parking passes would no longer be needed.
Another idea the City leaders came up with, to cut down on the needed parking and traffic congestion, was having City bus routes down the main street of each subdivision. It took six months to send and receive questionnaires asking if the individual who worked downtown would be willing to take City transportation instead of driving into the City. After tabulating the number of people in each subdivision willing to ride a City bus, and when they needed to be at work, the leaders authorized the purchase of new buses so that two buses would run at 7 a.m. and then again at 8:30 a.m.; the routes would be monitored closely and if additional runs were needed they would be scheduled. And since most people got off work at either 5 p.m. or later, the leaders decided the nighttime runs would be shut off at 9 p.m. Now we’re back to Jon who was walking the one block where he would get on one of the two 7 a.m. buses running his route.
Their research paid off over the seven years Jon worked at Jan’s; with Jon’s bus arriving right on time; Jon taking the same time to walk from the bus stop to Jan’s, and Jon reaching the spot he needed to be to receive a full immersion of the mud. They timed how long it would take the truck to reach a spot in front of Jan’s where the mud would be dumped. They also calculated the speed necessary to cause the nanites to pull the mud in the opposite direction. They even tried out the voice which would be used to get Jon’s attention, which it did. And on this Friday, at 7:35 a.m. when the voice captured Jon’s attention, a truck sped through enough of the mud to cause it to fly into the air right at Jon. As if memorized by the sight, Jon watched as the mud flew into the air and a moment later, Jon Mathew looked like a golem; and the nanites went to work. There was not one space on his body which hadn’t been covered by the mud. It got into his ears, his hair was saturated. Reflexes had caused him to close his eyes and he could feel his eyes covered by the thick paste. The worst part was feeling it inside his underwear, even down to his toes. It was as though he took a mud bath before removing all of his clothes.
“Don’t move Jon, keep your eyes closed,” he heard the muffled voice say. He thought the voice belonged to Thomas, but because his ears were full of the mud he couldn’t be sure.
“Keep calm, Jon…Mary go get Jan. Oh, and grab towels and water from the employee’s lounge.” Jon was fairly certain it was Thomas because the voice was closer to him this time.
I stopped in my tracks when I saw what happened to Jon, and watched as Thomas started taking charge to get Jon help and other employees moved out of the way. It didn’t take long for Jan to arrive and Mary’s reappearance, leaden with towels and bottle water. “Jon,” Thomas shouted in one of Jon’s ears, “we’re going to get you head cleaned off. Keep your eyes and mouth closed until we say otherwise, ok?” Jon had very little choice in the matter so he simply nodded his head in understanding.
Mary had been thinking ahead, for she also brought disposal gloves to use so they could keep the mud off their hands. And after about fifteen minutes, using towels and bottled water—cold bottled water which caused Jon to scream without moving his lips—they had his head clear of as much mud as they could.
“Okay, Jon, we have your head as clean as we can, so you can open your eyes,” Thomas told the partially looking golem that was Jon. Slowly, very slowly, Jon opened his eyes. The next thing he did was spit, several times; I had to cover my mouth to keep from laughing. It really wasn’t funny, to Jon, but it was in a way. During their time cleaning off Jon’s head, Jan had ducked back into the office and when she came back out had a large tarp and several more employees.
Jan walked around so Jon could see her and asked, “Are you okay?” Jan is an enigma. One time she’ll be a fire breathing dragon, the next the most concerned person you’d ever want to see; and this was one of those times. Several years ago Chris came to work looking very upset and actually started crying when she sat down at her desk. Jan saw Chris crying and went to see how she could help. Jan helped Chris out of the desk chair and took her into her office, where Chris must have cried on Jan’s shoulder for about fifteen minutes. A few days later we learned that Chris had received news from her doctor that she had early stage breast cancer, and didn’t have the money or insurance to cover the treatments; Chris was not yet covered by Jan’s full health insurance and Chris’s husband was in the say situation at his job. It was a long time later we found out that Jan had paid for her entire treatment and care out of her own pocket. That’s Jan, an enigma.
“Yes, I’m okay,” Jon told Jan as at the same time looked down at himself. “That stuff has gotten into my underwear and shoes, and it feels horrible.”
“Um…Jon, you can’t go into the office with all that mud on you and your clothes, so we’re going to remove ALL of your clothes.” Jan told Jon as she and the others with her started opening up the tarp.
Jon is brilliant, and sometimes because he’s thinking about five or six things at the same time, it takes him time to process something simple. And when his eyebrows furled I knew what Jan just said registered. You remember Mr. Spock’s eyebrow, think of Jon doing the same thing. “Take off all of my clothes out here, outside in public?” Jon asked Jan as she and the others continued spreading the tarp.
“Yes Jon, out here, in public. But don’t worry. We’re going to use this tarp as a large curtain to help give you, Thomas and Mary some privacy.”
Remember Mr. Spock’s eyebrow, because Jon looked at Mary while he told Jan, “But Mary? She’s a…she.”
It was funny to watch when Mary got an indignant look on her face as she stood almost toe to toe with Jon, looked him square in the eyes, and told him in as roguish of a voice I think I’d ever heard. “Listen here, bucko, I have four younger brothers. I had to help bathe and change ‘em, so you ain’t got nothin’ that I ain’t already seen. So buck up and let’s get you out of them soiled clothes.” The twinkle in Mary’s eyes said she was having fun, and others had to cover their mouths to hide their amusement. But the look on Jon’s face because of the tone of Mary’s voice was priceless.
Jan had the other employees spread the tarp so it formed a curtain around the three, so I couldn’t see what was taking place inside the curtain. But I had the key to a room on the second floor that overlooked that area and made a beeline up there. Once there I opened the window, and stuck my head out; I wanted to hear what was being said as they undressed Jon. And oh did I get an eye full, and it was very nice.
The dragon crept into Jan’s voice when she said, “ALRIGHT, anyone not involved with helping Jon, you have to get ready for our meetings today. If you work elsewhere, aren’t you late for work?” When Jan used that voice it was experience that told everyone who knew her that they did have business elsewhere and should be getting to it. I don’t know how she knew, but she even glanced up at me hanging out of the window and winked at me.
“Pull the tarp tight, so it won’t droop. And keep you backs to those three inside.” Jan told those who were going to hold up the tarp around the three, and used her dragon voice when she did. Oh, this was going to be fun to watch.
“Alright Jon, we’re going to start with your shoes and socks,” Mary told Jon as she and Thomas donned the disposal gloves and snapped open large plastic garbage bags.
“Thomas is going to steady you as you lift first one foot then the other, and I’ll take off first one shoe and sock then the other. Okay?” Mary told this to Jon as Thomas got around behind Jon and Mary knelt down on the sidewalk. It didn’t take the three long before Jon stood barefoot on the sidewalk, and the shoes and socks placed in the plastic garbage bag.
“Now your pants, Jon,” Mary said, looking up at Jon, who had a very pink tinge to his cheeks. Afraid of his voice at the moment, he only nodded yes. His pants proved a bit more daunting to remove because of being thoroughly soaked with the mud; it didn’t help that his legs were also thickly covered. But, down the pants went, and off they came, also being added to the plastic garbage bag. The pink in Jon’s cheeks had deepened a wee bit at this point. Next was his shirt and tie, the tie being the easiest to remove. As with his pants, his shirt was almost glued to his undershirt because of the viscosity of the mud. In the end it took both Mary and Thomas pulling from behind to peel off Jon’s shirt; it too was added to the plastic garbage, which was then tied shut and a new one snapped open.
Mary and Thomas stood back and surveyed Jon, trying to decide how they were going to remove his undershirt. “What do you think?” Thomas asked Mary, as he could only think of one way it had to be done. Mary looked at Thomas and saw he too knew how it would have to be removed, then told Jan, who was standing on the other side of the curtain, “Jan, we need a pair of scissors.”
“Scissors…did you say scissors?” Jon asked for the first time since his mandatory disrobing had begun; he was shaking slightly, whether from the cool air or fear could not be determined. Once again Mary got almost toe to toe with Jon and looked him squarely in the eyes, “Jon, we can’t pull your undershirt over your head because we’d have to clean off your head again. So we’ll have to cut it in several places and take it off that way, and we’ll be very careful Jon. Please, don’t worry.” Mary then reached up and gently wiped the tears off Jon cheeks with a towel.
It wasn’t long before Jan returned, and handed Mary the scissors over the top of the curtain. She turned back to Jon and asked, “Ready?” At this point it was a no win situation in Jon’s mind. He was down to his underwear and needed to get cleaned up so he could meet his clients today. Simply nodding he told Mary, “Please be careful.” She smiled at him and starting cutting the undershirt up the center in the front. After the sleeves were cut it again took both Thomas and Mary to peel the undershirt off Jon. That mud was super sticky.
Jon knew his briefs were next, and tears were flowing freely from his eyes, he was scared. Scared of being naked in from of Mary and scared others might see him. Mary took off the disposal gloves, took a towel and again gently wiped the tears off Jon’s cheeks. She then gently took his cheeks in her hands, looking straight into his eyes, and told Jon it would be alright, there was nothing to be embarrassed or scared, about. Nobody was going to laugh at him, or pass any kind of judgment, but the briefs had to come off so they would wash off the mud. Jon gave Mary a shuddered sigh, nodded yes, and Thomas and Mary worked to remove the final piece of Jon’s clothing. And I had a very nice view of the man I loved in the buff.
As in cleaning off Jon’s head, Thomas and Mary first used the towels, and many more replacement towels, to wipe the mud off Jon. Then they used the bottle water to rinse off as much as possible; thirty bottles were used in all. They then had Jon step back onto a towel that was placed on the sidewalk after they cleaned off the bottoms of his feet. Finally, Jon was clean enough to go inside and take a good shower in the employee’s locker room. So with Jon properly clothed with a towel around his waist, the curtain was dropped and the three made their way to the showers. Thomas and Mary, and Jan had discussed how to help Jon first get as clean as he could while outside. Then Thomas and Mary would go with him to the showers and use brushes to help remove more of the mud before they left Jon to really scrub with lots of soap. They told Jon all this but a slight hiccup developed when Jon told them he didn’t have any soap, or shampoo and conditioner, in his locker. I had returned to the first floor by the time the little group was at the lounge door, just in time to hear what Jon had said. “That’s not a problem,” I told the little group, “I have what you’ll need in my locker.”
As Mary and Thomas took Jon to the men’s shower I got the soap and shampoos and conditional from my locker, setting it on a bench in the men’s locker room. About an hour later Jon came walking out of the men’s locker room with a towel around his waist and looking a lot cleaner. With about an hour to go before our clients started showing up, we had to find Jon some clothes to wear. Thomas asked Jon his measurements, and then headed off to ask if any of the men had any spare clothes that would fit Jon. It wasn’t long before Thomas came back with sad news; none of the men had anything that would fit Jon. They were either to large or too small. There wasn’t time to take Jon home or to a nearby store because there was less than thirty minutes before the meetings started.
Ideas were bounced off the people in the lounge, from Jon going home sick to meeting as he was dressed, just a towel around him. With each suggestion Jan nixed first one then another and they still didn’t have a solution. With much trepidation I said, “I’ve an idea if Jon is willing.” I then went on to say that Jon and I were about the same size, and that maybe my spare clothes would fit him. All eyes turned from me to Jon, who looked like a deer caught in headlights.
“Well Jon, what do you think? We don’t have much time and you do need to meet your clients today,” Jan said while giving Jon her best stink eye. More than one person there was nodding their heads and pleading with their eyes, but I think I did the trick when I walked up to Jon, took his hand and told him, “It will be only for one day and no one in this building will think anything less of you.” Jon took a few moments to look from face to face and then looked into my pleading eyes, finally slowly nodding yes. Mary grabbed one arm, I grabbed the other, and we rushed Jon to the women’s locker room to help him get dressed.
With the two of us, we had Jon dressed in about ten minutes; we even fussed with his hair a bit. When we walked back into the lounge, the only thing Jon heard was the applause from those there. They were very proud that Jon would fight his fears in order to help Jan’s clients. And there was an even bigger shock when Jon came out of the lounge and walked towards his desk. Everyone who saw him stood up and applauded; others looked up from what they were doing and joined in when they saw Jon. No one had a single ill word to say about Jon wearing a skirt, blouse, hosiery, low heels, and what they couldn’t see, a pair of panties. He was even wearing a bra so the blouse fit him better; credit Mary for helping him decide the bra was a good idea. He looked very presentable according to Jan’s dress code. It was a good thing too, as it turned 9 a.m. and our first clients started coming in.
*****I opened my eyes when I felt Joanne practically crawl on top of me, she was crying again. I put my arms around her and pulled her tightly to me. I had a feeling she was again lamenting not being born a girl, then being turned into a girl. I rocked her as I held her, talking softly to her, telling her how much I loved her and had from the first day I saw her come into Jan’s. We stayed like that for most of an hour until Joanne had run out of tears and started hiccupping; she’d start hiccupping when she was really emotional, like now. I helped her off the couch and took her into the bathroom to wash off her face and for other necessities. We’d had enough wine so while in the kitchen I poured us both tall glasses of iced tea—Joanne’s with sugar, mine without. Her hiccups had slowed so I knew she was feeling a bit better, and took her back to the couch so we could get on with trying to understand everything Jan had to do. Our teas were on our end tables, Joanne laid her head back on the couch back, as did I and we both closed our eyes in an attempt to come to terms with the fact that Jan was out daughter from the future.*****
According to Jan, it was Mr. Marks who was the key to correcting her timeline, and at 7 p.m. he came into Jan’s for his meeting with Jon. Jan and everybody else held their breath as Mr. Marks walked up to Jon’s desk and sat down on the chair provided. Mr. Marks was well known for his no nonsense business dealings; having ripped off more than one head of an underling who didn’t met his standards. And this time was no exception, as he started right in on Jon.
“What the hell are you dressed like some fairy, Jon? Lose a bet or have you come out of the closet? Boy, you picked the wrong time to be seen prancing around like some, GIRL!”
Each sentence was louder than the next, so loud that even those at the other end of the office heard him. “WELL…” Mr. Marks screamed at Jon. Jon had had to explain his clothes to every client he met with throughout the day. And all had been very understanding, one asking for Jon’s phone number causing him to blush. Mr. Marks’ actions brought Jan out of her office, asking Mr. Marks to come with her. Those nearby watched as Jan basically read the man the riot act until tears started falling from the elder man’s eyes. We couldn’t hear the words from either person, but Jan reached out and hugged the man. Mr. Marks came back to Jon’s desk and apologized for his ill behavior. He went on to explain that he had received a phone call that morning informing him that his only daughter had been killed in an auto accident. It was at that point that the tears fell in earnest from Mr. Marks’ eyes. Jon got up from his chair, went around his desk and hugged the man from behind. Mr. Marks got up out of the chair turned in Jon’s arms, placed his head on Jon’s shoulder and cried in wracking sobs. Jon glanced at those next in line to see him and every one mouthed, “Don’t worry about it, take care of him.” I took a closer look at the people waiting to meet with Jon and it appeared they too had something in their eyes, every last one of them.
Jon held Mr. Marks for fifteen or twenty minutes until Mr. Marks was cried out. Jon then helped Mr. Marks sit back down, offering the tissues and bottled water Jan had put on Jon’s desk. The area around Jon was rather quiet after Mr. Marks’ emotional display, so they were able to hear the next thing Mr. Marks told Jon.
“My daughter was on her way to work, and was halfway there when an oncoming car crossed the center line and hit her car head on. It was later learned the driver of the other car had been texting on his cell phone at the time.” Mr. Marks’ words caught in his throat throughout his telling and tears freely fell as well, but the wracking sobs never came. “Jon, I’d appreciate it if you’d make time to attend her funeral,” Mr. Marks said as he wiped the tears off his cheeks. I could see Jon was taken back by the request, and only replied, “I’d be honored, sir.”
After Mr. Marks had calmed down a bit he looked at the time and saw he had gone over his allotted meeting time with Jon. “Oh, heavens, Jon, my foolishness has caused our meeting to run too long, I’m so sorry.”
Upon hearing Mr. Marks’ declaration Jon looked the man straight in the eye and told him, “Tom, what you did was not foolishness. It was the act of a man who showed how much he loved his only daughter, and how hurt he is at her loss. You have every right to grieve no matter where it happens to be.” A few tears leaked out of Mr. Marks’ eyes at hearing Jon words, and a small smile appeared on his lips. “And Tom, it is Jan’s policy that we do our best for each and every client,” Jon added. Mr. Marks dabbed at what tears had rolled down his cheeks with a tissue, stood up, offered his hand to Jon, then winked when Jon took the offered hand, and told Jon, “You do look quite pretty dressed that way.” Before turning and walking out of Jan’s, Mr. Marks told Jon he’d get the time and place for his daughter’s funeral to him as soon as they were finalized. Every eye near Jon’s desk watched as Mr. Marks walked out of Jan’s Portfolios. Neither Jon nor Mr. Marks knew of the greater admiration and respect they had received from those who witnessed the meeting between Jon and Mr. Marks. Jon because of the way he treated Mr. Marks, and Mr. Marks because he had the courage to express himself in such a different way than had ever been seen. Word would get around about what happened this day at Jan’s, and as I had read in her Journal, it would be only one of the factors that would increase their client base. Two days later Jan received requests for seventy-five applications for new accounts, many telling Jan that Tom said Jan’s would take good care of them and their accounts.
Jon had come around his desk as Mr. Marks got up to leave. After Mr. Marks left, Jon walked over to the slightly red and puffy eyed people who were waiting to meet with him, and asked if they would mind if he took a short break before his next meeting, getting a resounding no from all. They even told Jon they too could use a break before their meetings. I could see something was up with Jon as he walked toward the employees’ lounge, so I followed him. As I walked into the lounge I saw Jon sitting on the couch freely crying. I walked over, sat down next to him, and pulled him close to me to comfort him; he didn’t resist my offer. In fact, he even pulled me as close as I could get to him and continued to cry. I noticed Jan look in on us and just nod her head before leaving—she was likely going to explain to Jon’s next client the reason for the delay. Judging by what I saw on those peoples’ faces, they wouldn’t mind at all.
We hugged for about fifteen minutes until Jon was cried out and his hiccups started. Over the years I had discovered that when Jon was this emotional he always got the hiccups when he stopped crying. And he had them big time this time; Mr. Marks really affected him. “I’m, hic, sorry about this, hic, Mr. Marks really touched me, hic.” He had pushed away from me and was looking me in the eyes as he spoke.
I gave him my best evil stink eye when I told him, “Jonathan Mathew!! You have NOTHING to be sorry about. You did what you did out of love and concern for another hurting person. And don’t you EVER apologize to anyone for being a loving and caring human being.” I had to fight my tongue before I told him it was one of the reasons I loved him. As I’ve said before, Jon is brilliant, but not a real worldly man. The look on him face when I gave him my stink eye was one of shock and bewilderment until I had to cover my mouth to turn my laugh into a giggle. His face relaxed and he broke out into a grin as he finally understood that my attitude towards him was not one of true anger. I think I saw in his face the same as I felt for him but like me, he couldn’t say it.
“Come on, now. Let’s get you cleaned up and back out there, you’ve more meetings to take.” Jon simply nodded and I took him back to the women’s bathroom to help him get his face cleaned. His eyes were still red and puffy, but he did look a bit better. And I bet when he saw his next clients, he’d notice their eyes were also red and puffy.
*****I opened my eyes again, damned bladder.*****
Saturday mornings, after our late Friday meetings, give me the chance to sleep late; I usually did anyway but after those late meetings, it was needed so much more. So I was not a very happy person when my phone started ringing at what the clock showed to be, 7 a.m. in the too damn early in the morning. Someone better be dying or my winning a huge lottery or my apartment on fire, or I was going to ream out the person on the other end.
At 7 o’clock in the morning on a Saturday, out of a deep sleep, my tongue hadn’t regained its full functionality so all I could mumble was, “’ello.”
“S…S…Sa…Sara?”
The way the caller said my name made me instantly come full awake; their tone of voice said they were really scared. I looked at my caller ID and saw it was Jon’s number. “Jon, is this you?” I asked, to make sure this wasn’t some kind of prank.
“Y…y…yee…s,” was all that he could get out.
“Are you alright, is everything okay, Jon?”
“N…n…nooooo!” It was at this point Jon started bawling, a full blown bawl.
“Jon, I’m coming over. I’ll be there in about twenty minutes.” I told Jon as I slammed the phone down and literally flew out of my bed to get dressed. I must have broken my own record for getting dressed because I was out of my apartment and headed to Jon’s apartment in a cool ten minutes. And my twenty minute drive only took me ten minutes; thank you Saturday and hardly any traffic, and no police on my way to Jon’s. We apartment sat for each other when one of us went on vacation, so I had a key to Jon’s apartment. I didn’t bother knocking but went right in and after slamming the door closed, followed my ears to the sound coming from upstairs. It was crying, not the full blown bawling I heard over the phone, but still the sound of someone in great distress. I took the stairs two at a time and was soon standing in the doorway to Jon’s bedroom.
As I arrived the crying lessened, but didn’t stop; it was more of a whimper now. Standing at the foot of Jon’s bed was the most attractive woman I had ever seen. She had chestnut colored hair that fell well past her shoulders, a face most women would die for with high cheeks and a very cute button nose, and my guess, at least a ‘C’ cup breasts. And she was wearing a robe.
“H…h…hiii…Sara,” the girl hesitantly said to me. I could now see she was starting to shake very badly.
“Jon?” I asked, getting a fast nod from, Jon. “What happened to you?”
It was with that question that the bawling I heard over the phone resumed. “I DON’T KNOW, PLEASE, HELP ME SARA!!” Jon screamed at me as he let the robe fall to the floor.
Jon was not only bawling but seemed to be shaking uncontrollably. I rushed over to him, um, her and pulled him, um, her to me in a very tight hug. He, um, she wrapped her arms around me, laid her head on my shoulder and bawled; because of the pain Jon was expressing I felt sure one or more of his neighbors would soon be knocking on his, um, her door. But none appeared.
After what seemed like an hour, Jon was all played out, and all but collapsed in my arms. “Here, here, let’s get you lying down,” I told him, um, her as I slowly walked him, um, her to his, um, her bed. When he, um, she did lie down it was almost in a fetal position, lying on his, um, her side facing towards me where I sat on the edge of the bed. And his, um, her hiccups started. This was indeed, Jon. I waited a few minutes to make sure he, um, she was calmer then got up to get a cool wash cloth from the bathroom—I knew it would feel good after such a cry; and no, I won’t explain how I know. I sat back down and began to gently wipe Jon’s face, getting a, “Oh, that feels nice,” from Jon. After taking the wash cloth back to the bathroom, and sitting down next to Jon, I reached up and began to gently stroke his, um, her cheek, getting another, “Oh, that feels real nice,” from Jon. As I continued gently stroked Jon’s cheek, I could see his, um, her body visibly relaxing, relaxing to the point that he, um, she rolled onto his, um, her back. I know I see a woman before me, but my mind was still thinking of Jon as a he.
I let my hand gently glide along Jon’s forehead to his other cheek, down under her mouth, back up under her nose, and very gently across first one then the other eye. I even guided my hand down her nose, only to repeat the whole process. As this was happening I swear Jon was purring, just like a cat that enjoys the place that’s being rubbed at that moment. Just to make sure I wasn’t imaging it, I let my hand drop down to her neck, gently stroking it from one side to the other. She WAS purring! I had a sudden thought which I thought was utterly ridiculous but needed testing. And that thought? Jon was being pranked. Someone had drugged him at work and timed it so he’d be home when he felt extremely sleepy, and would be in a deep sleep when they broke into his apartment and applied the things now on his body.
So with that thought in mind I slowly let my hand drop to her breasts, examining first one then the other, all the while hearing sounds from Jon only two lovers might produce in each other. And when I reached the nipple of each breast, and gently rotated each one between my fingers, Jon emitted an almost guttural sound as her body arched, pushing that breast into my hand. It wasn’t long that I realized the breasts on Jon’s chest were real, and my caressing them was getting her very excited. I let my hand drift further down her chest, lingering a bit around her navel. Then slowly, ever so slowly, I let my hand drift down between her legs. As my fingers slid past her clitoris, Jon’s hand suddenly reached down and grabbed my fingers, pulling them back to her clitoris, and pushing them hard down into that area. She then began using my hand to rub her clitoris and the effects on her were simply amazing. The last time I heard those sounds was the night I was on my patio and a cat in my neighbor’s yard was yelling for a mate. I also noticed Jon was extremely wet between her legs. When she relaxed a bit, releasing my hand, I let my hand start gently stroking her labia. It wasn’t long before she took my hand again and guided my fingers in and out of her. She was very wet and my fingers slid in and out of her with ease. She had started a rhythm with my hand that her hips now reciprocated. She raised her hips quickly when my fingers entered, and lowered them when they slid out; and the rhythm was getting faster. It wasn’t long before Jon let out a sound I don’t think I’d ever heard, but was a clear indication that she was climaxing. Her breathing slowed as did the rhythm, and she was again simply lying on the bed. I continued my ministrations a bit longer before going to the bathroom for a warm washcloth.
After cleaning Jon between her legs, I said, “Jon, I’m going to go call Jan. She needs to be told of your change.” I no longer had any doubts that Jon hadn’t been pranked, not with her reactions in the past—hour? Jon didn’t protest, she didn’t start crying, she simply smiled and nodded her head yes. I took the washcloth back then went downstairs so I’d have some privacy when talking to Jan. A sleepy Jan answered the phone, but not one when I told her about Jon and her reactions. She said she’d be there in thirty minutes; I sat down and waited, Jon was quiet upstairs. The banging on the door fifteen minutes later was enough to make me think it was about to be kicked in, so I quickly opened the door to see a very concerned Jan standing there. As she rushed in, I tried to explain what I found when I arrived. After my quick summary, like I had done, Jan took the stairs two at a time. Jon was once again standing at the foot of her bed wearing her robe, looking scared again; I guess it took a few moments for what I said to penetrate the euphoria she had experienced. Like me, Jan saw a woman standing there, with all the same features I first saw. Unlike me, she didn’t say anything before approaching Jon and gently stroking her face. I had moved into the room and off one side to watch. The fear Jon first exhibited started to fade with each stroke of Jan’s hand. Jon didn’t see anger that he feared was coming, but love and concern in Jan’s eyes. And she didn’t flinch when Jan reached down and removed the robe Jon was wearing.
Jan stepped back and began surveying the woman before her. She didn’t say a word as she started running her hands over Jon’s body. As when I started my examination, Jon started purring, and then started reacting as she had for me when Jan’s hand reached her breasts. As Jan explored Jon’s breasts, Jon placed both hands on Jan’s shoulders, presumably for support. Jan let her hands go lower until they were between Jon’s legs, causing Jon to spread her legs wide. As I watched, Jan started with Jon’s clitoris, causing Jon to start moving her hips with Jan’s actions. When Jan started on Jon’s labia I could see Jon was in full erotic mode with sounds to match. Jon then reached down and grabbed one of Jan’s hands and guided the fingers into her as she had done to me. As Jan slid her fingers in and out, Jon reacted with her hips, slamming her hips forward to impale herself hard on Jan’s fingers. Eventually Jan could stop moving her fingers in and out because Jon was being so forceful with her hips that she was literally impaling herself on Jan’s fingers. It wasn’t long before Jon emitted THAT sound as she reached her climax, and slowly allowed her hips to stop. Jan caught her under both arms as Jon started to collapse, guiding her to the bed and laying her down. As I did before, I got a washcloth from the bathroom and gave it to Jan when she reached for it. I watched as Jan gently cleaned Jon between her legs as I had done a short time before.
As it appeared Jon had fallen asleep, Jan motioned me to follow her and we went back downstairs. “Did Jon say anything to you,” Jan asked me once we were in the kitchen, each drinking something cold.
“No, he, um, she was such a mess when I got here that she never said.” I could see that Jan was more than concerned—I found out why much later—and that her mind was racing.
“Well,” she began, “let’s let her sleep awhile then see if she’ll tell us what happened.”
I was about an hour later when we heard the upstairs toilet flush, letting us know Jon was awake. Jan grabbed a bottle of water out of the fridge and we both went back upstairs. Jon was sitting on her bed and wearing her robe. She looked up as we both came into the bedroom and we could see tears on her cheeks. I sat down beside her and pulled her into me as Jan opened the water and handed it to Jon. Jon accepted the proffered bottle of water and almost drained it in one swallow. It was Jan who asked the question that both of us had wanted to know; Jon’s hiccups were back.
“Jon, can you tell us anything about what happened? How you became a full woman?” Jan asked as she sat on the other side of Jon. We were patient because of what Jon was going through, but it wasn’t long before Jon told us all he knew.
“How I became a woman, hic,” she started, “I haven’t a, hic, clue. I was pretty drained after yesterday’s meetings, hic hic, especially after Mr. Marks. As I was leaving the office, hic, I had that feeling like I was getting a cold, or something else, but just put it down to being very tired?” Jon finished the rest of the water before continuing; her hiccups seemed gone now.
“I got home around 9:30 that evening and had something lite to eat before taking a shower. Because it still felt like I was getting a cold, or something I took a couple of aspirins before going to bed.” Tears had started to fall as Jon told her story, but increased when she said, “And when I awoke this morning I was as you see me now.”
Jan added herself to the hug I had with Jon as she put her arm around Jon’s shoulders and leaned into Jon. We waited a few minutes until Jon had calmed before we started discussing what to do next. Jan said we needed to get Jon a complete physical, which shocked Jon a bit until he, um, she had listened to Jan’s reasons. Jan also said she knew of a doctor who could see them now and was very discreet. Jon then tried to put up a defense using the, “but I don’t have any women’s clothing,” until I reminded him, um, her that she had my clothing from yesterday. “Oh, yeah…,” a sad faced Jon replied.
*****I learned after reading the journal that one of the people who came into the past with Jan was a fully licensed doctor, and it was her Jan was taking us too.*****
It wasn’t long after Jan took us to a rather obscure office building that we had returned to Jon’s apartment. As Jan and I believed, Jon was indeed a full woman, capable of bearing children if she wanted. All through the examination, I got a strange feeling that there was more going on than just the examination. I couldn’t put my finger on it but it seemed that both Jan and the doctor were in a slight panic over what happened to Jon. They hid it well from Jon but the air around the two was excited with real concern.
*****I was right about the excited real concern Jan and the doctor exhibited. Jan had written that the nanites were programmed to only make sure Jon was covered from head to toe, and under his clothes, with the mud that Jan had developed. But somehow their programming had been altered to completely change Jon right down to his DNA into a female, the female she should have been born as when the glitch caused that initial problem. That meant someone in the group had reprogrammed the nanites for this job, someone who wanted to correct the mistake that changed their timeline. And there was only one person with the know how to reprogram the nanites, Christine. It could only be Christine because she developed the little suckers. Jan wrote that she headed out to their base at the abandoned plant and contacted the group back in her time. She told them about the transformation Jon went through, and asked how this would affect their timeline. To say most of the group was upset with Christine would be putting it mildly, but when they checked their charts, they found that nothing significant had been changed. They did tell her, though, that had Jon not changed, she, her sister, and two brothers wouldn’t be part of the group today. They told her they’d explain everything when her job was over.*****
The next problem was obvious. Jon needed clothes, and lots of them. Jon looked dumbfounded when Jan said we needed to go shopping to get Jon appropriate clothes for work on Monday. “You’re not going to fire me because of this,” Jon asked as tears once again filled her eyes—I was getting better with the pronouns in referring to Jon.
Jan gently took Jon’s face in her hand and told her, “Fire you for what? Something that happened to you which you couldn’t control? Jon you are a real asset to the business, NO, I’m not going to fire you. And I see you fear what others are going to say on Monday.” Jon nodded sadly at Jan’s last statement, because that very thing had weighed heavily on her mind.
Still holding Jon’s face gently in her hands, Jan also told Jon, “Jon, whether you know it or not, there isn’t a person at the office that doesn’t care or respect you. Over the seven years you’ve been with Jan’s, you have helped almost everyone in that office, and all of them were very grateful. And after the way you treated Mr. Marks yesterday, the respect for you has gone through the roof. Do you think those people would have responded as they did to the way you were dressed yesterday if they didn’t care and respect you?” Jan let that question hang as we both saw Jon think about it. Her response was a simple shake of her head, no. That concern taken care of there was the concern on Jon’s part about going out in public. Jan, every the pragmatist, ordered Jon to stand up, take off the robe and go stand in front of the mirror on the closet door.
“NOW, tell me what you see, Jon,” Jan ordered Jon, as she stood facing the full length mirror. “WELL?”
We both stood to the side so Jon wouldn’t see us directly while looking into the mirror. She took what seemed like forever to examine her frontal view, then her left side, then her right, then her rear view as best as she could. She physically examined her face, her hair, her breasts, between her legs, her legs, and her butt, before turning to us and saying, “A very beautiful woman.”
Four hours later we were back into Jon’s, oh, excuse me, Joanne’s apartment with more bags of clothing than the three of us could carry in on one trip; each of us made four trips to and from Jan’s car—the name change occurred while we were on our way to shop. And what really shocked both Joanne and me was that Jan paid for everything. Jan and Joanne almost got into a physical fight arguing over who would pay, until they flipped a coin Jan had in her purse; I smelled a rat with that coin, but kept quiet. Back at the apartment Jan also told Joanne not to worry about getting any papers corrected, she’d see to it on Monday. Learning that today was not the day to argue with Jan, Joanne just hugged Jan.
I might add we did have one bit of trouble after we got to the mall. Joanne was a trooper as we walked into the mall, but started becoming nervous when the stares and cat calls started. One particular moronic trio kept walking near us offering lude suggestions aimed at Joanne. Apparently the head knuckle dragging Neanderthal had finally screwed up his courage because as we were about to enter one store, it stepped in front of us, blocking our path. He was so close to us that we could smell last week on him, and could see last year’s dirt. His eyes were riveted on Joanne as he spewed his filth, and when we tried going around him, he blocked our path once again. He must have felt a lot braver because this time he reached up to touch Joanne’s cheek, only to be pushed away by Joanne.
Apparently this bruised his ego, for he once again blocked our path and once again started to reach for Joanne. Now I’ve seen Jan stand up to some pretty big guys at the office, and watched as those same guys walked out with their tails between their legs, so I wasn’t totally shocked when Jan stepped between Joanne and that a-hole and told him in a voice she had never used in the office, “Walk away while you can.” After hearing her say that, even I was ready to walk away.
But the Neanderthal’s ears must have been clogged with dirt because his hand came up to push Jan out of the way. Now, I can’t begin to describe what happened next in great detail, because it happened too fast. But the next thing we heard, and then saw, was a THUD and the moronic spaz lying face down on the concrete mall floor. The THUD must have been when the guys’ entire body hit the floor at the same time. Meaning, his face was not cushioned in any way as it hit the floor. Jan still held the arm that tried to push her aside, but it was now at an elevation and angle which I knew from an anatomy class in college, it wasn’t meant to be in. And it had to hurt. It took a few moments for the jerk to finally come around and when he did he let out a scream in pain; I should think so if my face had slammed down hard on a concrete floor. Of course having my arm in that position wouldn’t help.
When the guy stopped screaming because of the pain, Jan bent down and told the guy, “You were warned to walk away, and I meant it. Now I’ll tell you one more time, LEAVE US ALONE! If you so much as sneeze on us I will continue this demonstration and rip your arm out of its socket, which will tear every muscle in that shoulder.”
I did say the morons’ ears might be clogged with dirt, because he chose that moment to tell Jan about her parents, and Jan took that moment to show her anger at his description of her parents. That guy must be a glutton for pain, because Jan really cranked his arm until the guy was crying for her to stop. It was about then that mall security showed up. The head of the group kindly asked Jan to release the guys arm, explaining they had everything on audio and video, and these three guys had finally stepped over the line; he later told us they’d acted this way with several women in the past, but never tried to touch any of them.
I also forget to mention our house cleaning when we got back to Joanne’s apartment. Everything in her closets and her chest of drawers was removed and bagged for delivery to a thrift store. And the three of us restocked her closets and chest of drawers with all the items we had purchased. We knew all the clothes would fit because Joanne tried them on at each store. But the sleepwear we guessed at based on the measurements she had taken at one of the two lingerie stores where we shopped. Jan wanted to make sure everything fit, so she told Joanne to try one on one of each piece we purchased. Joanne first came out of the bathroom wearing one of the PJ’s, and Jan had to put her hand on my arm to keep me in place. The next time she came out of the bathroom she was wearing one of the short nightgowns, again Jan held me in place. The third time she was wearing a cami and tap pant set and this time Jan grabbed my arm to keep me in place. And the last time Joanne came out of the bathroom she was wearing a baby doll nightie. Jan could not hold me back this time, as I rushed up to Joanne as soon as I saw her in the doorway to the bathroom. From the time I first came over until now, I saw the look on Joanne’s face as she looked at me. And I know how I looked at her every time. I stood back a little from Joanne, afraid of what to do next, but she took that fear away from me as she stepped up to me and kissed me gently on the lips. We must have lost track of time during our kiss, for Jan cleared her throat and we then realized she was still in the room. I bet I wasn’t the only one wet after that kiss.
Sheepishly we both looked at Jan, expecting something fierce to come out of her mouth. Instead, all she said, “WELL, it’s about damn time you two stopped dancing around the subject.” While Joanne and I were still holding each other, Jan walked over and hugged both of us and said she was very happy for us both.
*****Damned bladder, or maybe too much wine. I came back after I found relief to find Joanne leaning back on the back of the couch, eyes open, and just thinking—she had that look. “Penny for your thoughts,” I said to her. She looked at me and just said, “I love you so very much.” How could I pass up an opportunity like that? So I bent down and did my best to look for tonsils I knew she had removed years ago as a child. I sat back down on the couch, took a sip of wine, laid my head back and thought about the following Monday.*****
Jan took us out to dinner that Saturday evening, and it was lovely. I don’t think Joanne and I let go of each other’s hand the entire evening. When we returned to Joanne’s apartment, we set up plans to meet at her apartment the next day so we could help her get used to choosing the right combination of clothes for what occasion. We also planned to teach her about the makeup we purchased, what to wear when and so on. Jan and I flipped a coin, my coin this time, to see who was going to explain to Joanne about her menstrual cycle and how to care for herself; the damn coin ended up on its edge. And all of this was going to happen between Jan taking us out for meals. Jan noted how late it was getting and decided to leave, I took my time leaving. In fact it took me another two hours before I finally went back to my apartment. And I was going to be sore in the morning.
We had agreed to meet at Joanne’s apartment at 9 a.m. so Jan could take us to breakfast before we started teaching Joanne the ways of women’s clothing. At noon we went to a little place Jan knew that served the best burgers she had ever eaten. For supper, Jan took us out for Italian, a favorite of all three of us. The in between times we had done our best introducing Joanne to choosing her clothes, her makeup, her lingerie, and yes, we both talked to her about how to take care of her monthly cycle and care for her body. Because tomorrow, Monday, was going to be her first day at work as a woman, I made it very clear that I would come and help Joanne pick out her clothes, help with her hair and makeup and drive her to work; I wanted to make sure she was safe her first day at work, and become comfortable being around others as a woman before letting her take the bus.
At 6 a.m., the first Monday Joanne would be going to work as a woman, I was leaning on the door bell for Joanne’s apartment, hoping she was already up but glad if the noise woke her. When the door opened I didn’t expect to see Joanne wearing one of her new cami and tap pants sets or holding a cup of coffee. Holding up the cup she asked, “Coffee?” She backed out of the way and I stepped into the apartment, having my hand taken right after Joanne closed the door. She pulled me out into the kitchen where she poured me a cup of coffee. On regular days we have to be at Jan’s at 8:30 a.m. so we had a bit of time for a little girl talk.
I was about to ask Joanne how she sleep, but her lips interrupted my doing so, not that I minded because she was on my thoughts most of the night after our short get together over the weekend. And I was still a bit sore. After Joanne stopped probing for my tonsils, which I had removed when I was a kid, I finally asked her, “How’d you sleep, knowing today was approaching?”
She sat down in one of the chairs at the kitchen table and seemed to think about my question; Jon had always taken time to analyze questions which to us normal people could be answered right off. A few moments she simply said, “Fine.”
“You’re not nervous about showing up at work as a woman? You’re not worried what everyone will say or how they’ll react? Or what our clients will say or do?”
Again, she knitted her brows and thought about what I asked. And again gave me a simple answer, “No, not really.” Either our four hour shopping trip Saturday helped give her the much needed confidence to be out in public as a woman, or how Jan dealt with that spastic moron, or the times Jan took us out to eat, however it happened, Joanne was showing a great deal of confidence for someone who was a man only forty-eight hours ago. And looking into those sky blue eyes I saw she really meant what she said. I couldn’t help myself and took the opportunity to try and find Joanne’s tonsils, tonsils I knew she had removed when she was a kid.
“…mmm, that was nice,” we both said at the same time, while staring into each other’s eyes. “Yes it was,” I said as I took her hand and pulled her up out of the chair. “But come on, we have to get you upstairs and ready for work.” I lead her up to her bedroom only to find she had laid out an outfit that resembled what Jan and I showed her yesterday. Out of the five skirt suits we purchased, she had chosen the cream colored one. She paired it with an open collar, admiral blue, satin blouse. She chose white lingerie and nude hosiery, and the cream colored shoes. She also had jewelry laid out, a very nice dangling necklace which would fall to just above her breasts, stud earrings in a matching color to the blouse, a matching ring and bracelet. Just thinking how she was going to look in this outfit caused me to want her now, but I settled for becoming a bit wet instead.
I looked at Joanne and she seemed a bit nervous, so I asked why. “Um…I was afraid I’d made the wrong choices, that I hadn’t understood what you and Jan told me yesterday.” She actually had tears in her eyes and so I told her, “Honey, you understood perfectly. This is a very good choice of clothing, and accessories.” With those few words she brightened up again, knowing she had made the right choices and that I approved. My reward was another tonsil hunt.
It didn’t take her long to get dressed, then we went into the bathroom and I helped her with her hair. Because this was the first time Joanne would be at work, we kept her makeup light and subdued; Jan did have requirements in the dress code for makeup. Between our tonsil hunts, and me helping to calm Joanne down, now and then, it was now 7:25 a.m., time for us to head off to work; Jan had called everyone over the weekend and asked they be at the office at 8 a.m. on Monday for a special meeting. It would take us about fifteen minutes to drive into work from Joanne’s apartment, and another five or ten minutes to park and walk to the office. Joanne grabbed a matching cream colored purse containing all the necessities a girl would need, I picked up my purse from the kitchen table downstairs, and we headed off to work, Joanne locking the apartment door after us. Today should be very interesting, both for the other employees and for our clients. I only hope I can keep my hands to myself.
As I predicted, we arrived at Jan’s by a quarter to eight. Just after we walked in Jan came flying out of her office with a huge smile on her face. “My oh my, aren’t you a beautiful sight. How do you feel?” Jan asked Joanne as she eyed her from head to toe. How is it that Jan can get instant responses from Joanne, but with me, it takes a bit of thinking? Because Joanne instantly said, “I feel really good, beautiful in fact.” Jan’s smile grew even bigger, as she tightly hugged Joanne. “Why don’t you to head to the conference room, I’ll be in in a minute,” Jan told us and she headed back to her office.
I think I explained that before we opened the office, we had an employee meeting to talk about any problems anyone was having and to try and find answers to any of the problems brought up. It used to be with us just crowding around near the entrance to Jan’s. But since the remodeling we now had a conference room that makes our meetings much more comfortable. As Joanne and I walked into the conference room, I could see we weren’t the only ones there. I knew everyone who worked at Jan’s and could see there were several who had yet to show up for work. I hadn’t told Joanne this, but Jan and I discussed introducing Joanne to the rest of the employees, so we had several front row seats blocked off, and that’s where I took Joanne. As we walked to the front, I could hear the murmurs coming from those already there, with most asking, “who’s the woman with Sara?”
Those missing employees came into the conference room just before Jan walked in. And as we’ve done in the past, it was a very informal meeting. Any problems could be brought up, and anyone could offer a solution; unless of course it was a maintenance problem. A few brought up problems they were having with a few of their clients, explaining in detail the problem. We almost needed a fire extinguisher for Jan when she heard about these problems. She reigned herself in before telling those employees, “Don’t worry, it WILL be taken care of.” The fire extinguisher may be needed for Jan’s office when she met with those particular clients. They would, all of us knew, need plastic surgery on their butts.
Once all of the company business was settled, Jan began talking about what happened to Jon on Friday, with Thomas asking, “Is he alright?” And Jan answering, “Yes, she is alright.” It didn’t take long for everyone listening to understand the pronoun Thomas used and the pronoun Jan used weren’t the same, because Mary asked the question which was buzzing around the room.
“What do you mean SHE’s alright, Jan? Don’t you mean HE’s alright?”
And the room went silent, except for one person who had the misfortune of needing that precise moment to toot their horn. From the giggles in the room, and unamused glares around Roger, everyone heard his sheepish, “Sorry.” After the giggles died, Jan started speaking.
“Many of you saw what happened to Jon last Friday, and because of that, Jon is no longer with us.” It wasn’t hard to hear the crying that started after Jan’s words. It wasn’t hard to see the pain on the faces of almost everyone. And it wasn’t hard to see the confusion appear on everyone’s face with what Jan told them next.
“Please, let me explain.” If someone could have dropped an atom it would have been heard hitting the floor.
For the next few minutes Jan explained, to a silent audience, exactly what happened to Jon on Friday. She explained that before Jon had entered the office he had been completely drenched with mud that was splashed from the street by a passing vehicle. She explained that the mud covered him from the top of his head down to his shoes, even getting under his clothing. There was no choice but to take all the clothing off and try to rinse as much mud off him so they could take him to the employee showers. She explained how a tarp was used to give Thomas, Mary, and Jon privacy so ALL of Jon’s clothes could be removed. She told of Sara coming to the rescue with soap, shampoo and conditioner after Thomas and Mary helped him get more of the mud off in the showers, so he could then scrub himself completely clean. She then told about the clothes Jon had the courage to wear because none of the men were Jon’s size. And she went into great detail about how Jon treated Mr. Marks because of the news he had received about his daughter’s death—I noted more than a few were wiping their eyes after this part of Jan’s talk. And then she got into this past weekend, which elicited several, “Oh my gawd,” several, “That’s not possible,” and a lot of, “My gawd, she’s beautiful.” Oh course she left out our examinations, but when she finished speaking she had Joanne stand and presented her to those in the room. That’s when the questions started, the tests, really, which Joanne answered without pause. Some of those questions were of a personal nature, which I presume the questioner didn’t fear having answered. But when the testing questions ended it was clear to everyone in the room, that the woman standing before them next to Jan had indeed been, Jon Mathew. I saw Thomas stand and start clapping. Then Mary joined him. Then like dominos falling others stood and joined in, until everyone was on their feet clapping, showing their support for Joanne. Showing their respect for a person who they knew was a man seventy-two hours ago, but had the courage to stand before them now as a woman. The meeting ended at that point, with almost everyone coming down and hugging Joanne and telling her how great she looked; almost all told her how much they admired her courage.
I had stood beside Joanne the entire time Jan had presented her to our employees, and now held her hand as the last person left the conference room to get ready for the day. She had done well not giving in to some of the fears she still harbored, and that along with how she looked made me turn to her and try and find her tonsils before we too had to go to our desks. We were so into our search that it took a very loud throat clearing for us to look up and see Jan’s head poking around the conference door. “Um…when you two get finished hunting, we’ve got work to do,” she told us with the biggest smile on her face I’d even seen. A quick peck on the lips and we left the conference room hand in hand, heading to the lounge to freshen up a bit before starting the day.
Jan and I watched Joanne like a pair of hawks the rest of the day, wanting to make sure she was not only okay, but to ensure that none of our clients treated her with disdain. Since I was closer to her desk, I could hear Joanne explain herself when asked, “Where’s Jon,” by her clients. Many were shocked at first but after telling her story, came around her desk and gave her a hug, saying they really admired her courage, and how pretty she is.
Something else happened throughout the day, but with other employees. For some reason everyone had a problem which required either my help or Joanne’s. They either came by our desks or called us over the intercom to come to their desks. As it turned out it was all a ruse, a ploy so they could all tell us basically the same thing, “It’s about time you two stopped dancing around the subject of being in love.” Mary’s was the funniest out of everyone. When she showed up at Joanne’s desk, she handed a folded piece of paper to Joanne and asked if Joanne would be a dear and handle this for her. Then she walked off, whistling—Mary has never been heard whistling--and it caused everyone to follow her as she walked back to her desk. Then everyone who had witnessed Mary’s actions, looked back at Joanne, including me. When Joanne opened the folded piece of paper it read, “About damn time you two showed everyone how much you loved each other. You cost me ten dollars. Love, Mary.”
Joanne got up from her chair and came over to my desk, handing me the piece of paper; there were tears in her eyes. I understood why the tears when I read the note from Mary, for they formed in my eyes too. Still holding the paper, I got up from my chair, took Joanne’s hand, and we walked over to Mary’s desk, where I hugged the woman from one side and Joanne the other. I then reached into the pocket on my skirt and handed her a ten dollar bill, and kissed her on the cheek. As we walked back towards our desks, we saw Jan sitting at her desk, her hands steepled under her chin, watching us with an enormous grin on her face. Then she winked at us, and motioned for us to come see her. She couldn’t stop smiling as she told us, mainly me, that they had their usual after-hours meeting and Joanne was to be there as well. I tried to puzzle out why Jan wanted Joanne at our meeting, but decided to think nothing more about it as I went back to my desk and met with another client.
Joanne’s day went well, for her first day as a woman. None of the clients she met with exploded when they heard her story, and she even received several new clients because of recommendations from Mr. Marks. When we went out to lunch, her confidence at being a woman shined through, getting more than her fair share of looks from both men and jealous women; more than one bus boy dropped the dishes trying to look at “that gorgeous woman.” The rest of the afternoon went well for Joanne and the hours passed until our closing time of 6 p.m. arrived, and time for our after-hours meeting. I know Joanne had to wait on me to take her home, but not why Jan wanted her at our meeting. But it did turn out to be a shocker.
Jan and I went over the books, noting which bills had been paid and making out checks for those bills coming due. We noted changes or additions in accounts posted for the day, and then Jan opened a desk drawer and took out a folder. She opened the folder, took out two pieces of paper and handed each one to Joanne and me. In a matter of moments I had read the paper and likely giving Jan a puzzled, but surprised look, because she was simply smiling. We both looked at Joanne who was still reading the paper, or so we thought. Turned out she had read the paper three times to my one time and was sitting there trying to digest what she had read, because she then told Jan, “I don’t have enough money to become a partner, even a silent partner.” So that was it, Jan hadn’t told me she wanted to make Joanne another silent partner because she wanted to surprise us both.
“Joanne, you have been worth more than money these past seven years, especially how you treated Mr. Marks on Friday. Did you know because of your actions, he recommended us to other, others who took him at his word and opened new accounts with us, making it necessary for us to hire more employees? Joanne, it’s you I want, you and your talents need to be rewarded for all the work you’ve done, for the way you’ve treated everyone you’ve come into contact with, for the person you are inside. What do you say? Do we sign the papers tonight, or do you want to think about it for a day or two?”
Jan and I had seen Jon for seven years go through a thought process that at times, was quite comical. But if it was an important decision, he, now she, would mentally weigh the pros and cons before giving an answer. And sometime she did it all in a matter of minutes. And a matter of minutes it was this time too, for all she said was, “Yes!”
Jan must have known, (I found out later that she did), Joanne would say yes, because she took out several more sheets of paper from the folder and had Joanne and I read and sign them. After the last signature, Joanne was officially a partner of Jan’s Portfolios LLC. A silent partner, but both our partners nonetheless.
I don’t think Joanne noticed I was taking the long way back to her apartment after we had eaten, because she seemed deep in thought. There was something I wanted to ask her, something I began thinking about Saturday after we returned from shopping. But I was afraid, afraid it was too soon, afraid she’d say no, afraid I’d lose the person I was deeply in love with. I pulled over into a parking lot, put the gear into park and shut off the engine. This got Joanne’s attention and a question. “Why are we stopping here, are we shopping for something?”
I was looking down at my hands as I tried to ramp up my courage to ask her one of the first I wanted to ask her. “Uh Joanne, I’ve wanted to ask you a question ever since Saturday. I’ve been wondering if maybe we could…”
“Move in together?” Joanne had a smirk on her lips as she finished my question for me. “Yeah, I’ve wanted to ask you that same question. And I have a place in mind if you’d like to see it before taking me home.” Again with the smirk, but accompanied by a twinkle in her eye. As I sat there looking at her, thinking, she held up a set of what looked like house keys. She jingled the keys in the air and told me, “I’ve got the keys.”
I could NOT resist the smile that was displayed when she jingled those keys in the air. I reach over, pulled her close and did a little lite hunting for tonsils. I started the engine and following Joanne’s direction until we pulled into the driveway of an attractive house, a rather big house, with a monster front door. I turned to look at Joanne and saw the biggest smile on her face and she was nodding her head a mile a minute.
“You can’t be serious, this place is huge,” I told her as I looked at the front from one side to the other. “Why would we ever need a place this big?” I ask before the reason finally hit me. I banged my head on the steering wheel a few times and Joanne just laughed.
Joanne jingled the keys again, this time right in front of my face. I simply shook my head and agreed to give the house a tour. The house sat on about an acre of land, it was a two story with five bedrooms upstairs and an en suite for each. The master bedroom was in the Southeast corner on the first floor, so it caught the early morning sun. The master bedroom en suite rivaled the lounge at the office, with a very large shower and whirlpool tub. And the walk-in closet was as big as the whole downstairs in my apartment—I could see shopping days ahead. There was a room on the first floor I believed would be an office with the right furnishings. The kitchen was huge, with a large island and all stainless appliances, a real chef’s delight. The kitchen, living room, and dining room all had an exposed beam ceiling. There was a full finished basement, a laundry room that could easily fit three washers and dryers, and the finish on all the cabinets throughout the house had a richness that bordered on quaint. It was the perfect place for Joanne and me and however many kids we had—four if we used one of the five bedrooms as a guest room. Did I mention the garage was large enough to house six cars, two rows of three? It was perfect.
Since my vixen had done this behind my back I decided a bit of a payback was in order, so as we walked about the house I kept nitpicking at this or that. Making noises about not liking this or that, or the color of this wall or that wall. And after a while I could see her hopes were starting to falter, so I turned around and hugged her tightly and whispered in her ear, “It’s perfect. Let’s do it.” It took a second for her to realize what I said, and when she did she pushed me back and hit me hard in the arm saying, “YOU snot!” I started giggling until I felt her lips on mine and then an “I love you so much” whispered in my ear as she held me tight. We closed on that house that very day; cash of course, for every payment. Joanne even made phone calls to all of the utilities and received schedules for each one, as we drove back to her apartment from the realtor’s office. It would be a few days until we moved in, since we had a lot of shopping to do and would wait for all the utilities to be turned on, but we could wait.
Joanne had surprised me so I felt it only fair that I surprise her. Jan and I had developed a signal system, of sorts, so we could signal each other if there might be trouble or if we needed to speak with each other. So one day I gave Jan our “I need to speak with you” signal and she buzzed my phone. I made sure those around me knew Jan wanted to talk with me, and after closing her office door, laid out the plans I had to surprise Joanne with a proposal of marriage during our one of our morning meetings. I told her I wanted to use the screen to display my proposal, and if she couldn’t come up with a presentation that was needed for our employees, then slip my proposal at the end. Having known Joanne as long as I have I knew she would sort of zone out when the screen was used because she was processing what she was seeing. So I knew it would take her a moment or two before my proposal at the end of Jan’s presentation would register. Everyone else would see it right away, and react, but Joanne would take a moment longer.
We set my plan up for a Monday morning meeting, I had already shopped for and purchased a very beautiful wedding ring set, the engagement ring I would give Joanne after verbally asking her to marry me. Joanne and I had spent the entire weekend together at my apartment, but I was a mess that Sunday before I planned to ask her the following morning at the office. She kept asking me what was troubling me and I kept making up something about the office. It was getting late so we decided to go to bed, but didn’t fall asleep right away.
Afterwards I still didn’t fall asleep right away because I was worried about tomorrow and if Joanne would accept my proposal. I must have fallen asleep about the time we had to wake up because when the alarm went off, it was 6 a.m. I shut off the alarm then rolled over and gently woke Joanne, and received a nice first of the morning kiss. After getting up I went to the kitchen to get the coffee going and Joanne went to the bathroom for her morning ritual. Then we switched and it was my turn in the bathroom and her turn in the kitchen. After a light breakfast, which I was having trouble keeping down, we dressed and left for the office; I made damn sure the engagement ring was in my purse.
I felt like one of those fathers whose wife is in the delivery room and the only thing he could do was pace the waiting room floor, or a cat trying to figure out how to catch the mouse that ran under the turned over flower pot. Jan told me several times after we arrived to calm down, because everything is going to be fine; I almost got to see what I just ate for breakfast. I should have figured something was up because Jan keep smiling and glancing at first me then Joanne. And it was!
I don’t remember what Jan presented on the screen because I got a shock as much as I shocked Joanne. As I discussed with Jan, my slides came up asking Joanne to marry me, and everyone reacted just as I predicted; and so did Joanne. And she said yes right in front of everyone, with tears rolling down her check. “Oh but we weren’t finished,” Jan said after I slipped the engagement ring on Joanne’s finger, because additional slides displayed various pictures of me over the years. And wouldn’t you know it, the very last one was Joanne proposing to ME? I should have figured out something was up when no one left the conference room after I proposed to Joanne, and they all were sitting there with shit eating grins on their faces. Joanne held out the engagement ring to me and the only thing I could do was blubber, yes, letting her put the ring on my finger; we also did a tonsil search right there in front of everyone. I then pushed her back and hit her on the arm as hard as I could and said, “YOU SNOT!!” and kissed her again. The cheers were deafening from that many people in that size room, and I noticed more than one person dabbing their eyes. Unlike our presenting Joanne that Monday morning, everyone came by before going to their desks to congratulated the both of us, and wished us all the happiness in the world.
For the next few months we traded off staying at my apartment or Joanne’s while we took our time and furnished our new home. Most weekends were spent shopping for the house, with most evenings arranging those things which had been delivered. Fate must have been working with us because the lease on my apartment was up for renewal the same time as Joanne’s, and because we were almost finished finding the right place for everything we purchased for our new house, we both told the apartment managers we would be moving out the day the leases were up. From the tidbits we let slip at the office everyone sniffed out our plans, because on the day I was to move out there were more than enough people and vehicles to help me remove my things from the apartment—it was decided to take all of the furniture to the consignment store. And the process was repeated a few days later when it was time for Joanne to move out of her apartment—we did the same with all her furniture. Even though we purchased everything new for our house, we each did have some nice kitchen items we thought would go nice in our new kitchen, so those we kept. And both time our caravan arrived at our new house, a few neighbors would come out and watch an enthusiastic bunch of lunatics almost form a conga line and pass the small stuff from one to the other before it was taken down to the basement. Some of the neighbors actually came over and joined in the fun, and it was fun and a tear jerker watching all those people help Joanne and I move into our new home. After the last of Joanne’s thing had been taken into our new home, I announced that everyone was staying for dinner, something Joanne and I had discussed in advance. It wasn’t but ten minutes after we finished moving Joanne into the house that the Italian we ordered was being delivered. It turned out to be a delightful evening.
To say we were happy would be an understatement. The old new Joanne had lost her self-doubt and was now a very confident woman. Thanks to Mr. Marks we had so many people asking for applications to become our clients that Jan had to hire more than we first predicted. And thanks to Mr. Marks, or maybe the way Jon treated him, the third and fourth floors were now being remodeled. Jan, Joanne and I had sat down one evening and discussed when we should marry; Jan’s counsel was important to both of us. For some reason Jan kept leading us to a late spring wedding, instead of a summer wedding. Something was up with her but I couldn’t tell what. So after getting redirected to a late spring wedding by Jan throughout our get together, Joanne and I decided to schedule our wedding for late this coming spring—Jan explained how long it would take to choose dresses for us and our bridesmaids, or have them made, and to find a venue large enough for all she was going to invite. Wait, Jan was going to invite?? There was a twinkle in her eyes when she said that. Joanne and I should have expected the very last thing Jan told us that evening. She was going to pay for everything, all of the dresses, and tuxes if needed, the venue, catering, everything! We were gallant, we tried to talk her out of paying for everything, we did our best to try and pull that mule along but it dug in its feet and wouldn’t budge. SHE…WAS…GOING…TO…PAY…FOR…EVERYTHING, period!!
I’d like to say everything was happiness and alright right up until our wedding, but I can’t. A few weeks after we had moved into our house, Joanne received a letter giving the time and place of the funeral for Mr. Marks’ daughter. There was also a handwritten note explaining that due to the criminal charges being brought against the other driver, his daughter’s body couldn’t have been released right away, and it had taken until now before they could finally lay his daughter to rest. I saw tears actually falling from Joanne’s eyes as she read the note, and understood why as she handed it to me.
As we arrived at the cemetery a gentleman was stopping cars and asking for our names; they were checked off on a sheet he held. When we told him ours, he had a younger man guide us to a parking place and then we were lead to seats in the front row. I was keeping a close eye on Joanne to make sure she was alright and didn’t notice a man stop in front of us. We both looked up at the same time and saw Mr. Marks standing before us. He took one of my hands in one of his and one of Joanne’s hands in his other before telling us, “I’m so glad you two could come, it means so much to me.” He then focused on Joanne and told her, “I heard what happened to you, and I must say, you are a very beautiful woman.” He then quickly asked us to wait for him after the funeral, he had a favor to ask. I’m glad I reminded Joanne to make sure she had tissues in her purse, because I forgot to put any in mine. It was a very lovely service, with at least two hundred in attendance. And after the services were over, we waited by Joanne’s car for Mr. Marks. It wasn’t long before a young man came up to us and asked for us to come with him. He took us back to the grave site to where Mr. Marks was sitting, having me sit on his left and Joanne on his right.
“Girls, Joanne, I can’t thank you enough for what you did on that Friday a while back. I was an old fool to get angry with you simply because you happened to be there.”
“Mr. Marks, Tom, I told you then and I’ll tell you again, you weren’t an old fool, and still aren’t. You were grieving for the loss of your daughter, and you needed someone to help you grieve. You may have a gruff exterior, Tom, but you have a heart of gold and need to let more people see it.” Joanne then leaned over and kissed Mr. Marks, Tom, on the cheek. She also reached over and wiped tears off his cheeks.
“Thank you for those kind words, Joanne. But, girls, I have a favor to ask before you two leave,” Tom told us and his disposition seemed too brightened. “A little birdie told me you two are getting married late next spring.” I leaned forward to look at Joanne at the same time she leaned forward to look at me. We had not announced to the world, yet, when we were getting married. So there could be only one way Tom heard the news, Jan. I’ll bet she had that insufferable great smile on her face about now.
“Girls, you’ve both done so much for me, for my daughter, I’d be honored if you both would allow this old fool to walk you down the aisle at your wedding. I know you both have lost your parents, so I’d like to step in and be the father who would have walked each of you in.” I heard someone besides me sob, then say, “oh my gawd.” I’m not sure which of us starting hugging Tom in earnest first, but he ended up with both of us crushing him for each side. Joanne quickly looked at me, tears ruining her makeup, and after seeing my slight nod told Tom, “We’d be honored, Tom.” The three of us had our own hug fest and when Joanne and I pointed out the makeup we both deposited on his suit, he kissed each of us on the cheek and said, “It was okay if his adopted daughters got makeup on his suit. Their hugs were worth the dry cleaning bill.”
As is always reported, days turned into weeks, and weeks turned into months. Jan’s gained more clients as the days passed and more employees as well. Thankfully after six months the fourth floor remodeling was complete and all furnishings placed. An area on the second floor had been set aside because when the second floor was remodeled the thought of “in case” was discussed to have lounges on each floor. And now that we were making room on the fourth floor for more employees, Jan decided it was time to have that area on the second floor made into a lounge. The locker room and showers would still be on the first floor, but a lounge on each floor made it easier on the employees on those floors.
During our after-hours meeting, the three of us saw a need to have a floor manager for the three upper floors. So we threw out names and discussed whether they were suited to be such a person, with Jan having them come to her office the next day to discuss the position with them. Many of the names we’d discussed turned down the additional responsibilities sighting bad past experiences for their refusal, plus not wanting to have such responsibilities. We were left with three names, Thomas, Mary, and Chris. And when Jan spoke with those three, all three accepted the offer, also gaining a raise in pay. Mary was already on the second floor so it felt best to leave her there; she got along famously with those on the second floor. Jan, Joanne, and I couldn’t decide which floor to assign to Thomas and Chris, so they were called into Jan’s office and had the situation explained to them. Both made it even more maddening because both didn’t mind which floor they were on. When an outright decision couldn’t be made, Jan decided the flip of a coin would settle the problem, with “heads” getting the third floor; Thomas often joked about getting nose bleeds. Because of the number of employees that were now employed at Jan’s, the auditorium was the only place large enough to hold our company morning meetings. And it was at the next day meeting that Jan announced the opening of the third and fourth floors, and the decision to have floor managers on each of the upper floors. They weren’t going to have a special office, just their desks as everyone had now. They weren’t going to have a title change, just be there if any problems arose that didn’t need Jan’s attention. Major problems would be relayed to Jan as always, either through the floor manager or Jan directly if the floor manager was busy or gone for the day. When the people were announced who would be on what floor, you’d thought we were having a party at that moment. And as the days passed, our idea of floor managers worked well, with only a few calls to Jan and a few new clients told, “Don’t come back!!”
*****I opened my eyes again, a wonderful smell the cause, only to find Joanne in the kitchen cooking. One look told me she was doing this to help her come to grips with something that was bothering her. If nothing was bothering her we both would be in the kitchen fixing whatever meal for whatever time of day. I watched her work, seeing what she was doing told me show was about to break down over the thing bothering her. I hurried into the kitchen, took her in my arms, and let her cry on my shoulder. “Your birth and change,” I asked her and she just nodded. This was the third or fourth time those two events had upset her, but I couldn’t do anything to help her but to offer myself when needed; I’d do almost anything for this lovely woman. I set the table, Joanne finished fixing our meal, and we ate in silence, Joanne mulling over what she read in Jan’s Journal. By her expression at the end of our meal it looked like she was feeling better, or had come to some decision—her expressions were sometimes the same for both. We cleared the table, did the dishes and went back to the couch. Joanne cuddled up to me as I again laid my head back to remember.*****
Several times when Jan interviewed a prospective employee, and I was listening in using the ear bud, she’d come out of her office to get my opinion. And several times when I thought the person was right for us, Jan would point out why they weren’t. It took me a few interviews, and Jan’s guidance, to finally understand how Jan was determining out which person was right for us and who wasn’t. Her interview started when the person walked through the doors of Jan’s, not when they entered her office. She watched how they interacted with our receptionist, Cindy, and those waiting to see their analysts. She watched what they did when asked to “have a seat, it will be just a minute,” and how they acted as they waited. She also watched as they walked towards her office to see what kind of an attitude they had, and also how they were dressed. Jan said anyone could have impeccable credentials, but not everyone had the attitude she wanted for Jan’s.
One day, there were three who came in to interview for two positions on our staff. All three were dressed for business, so that gained them points. But one was clearly not who we were looking for because of his arrogant attitude toward Cindy and how it continued as he waited. He even got up and asked Cindy if it would be much longer. Then he got up and started pacing, again asking Cindy the same question. And when he finally was called into Jan’s office, you’d think God himself had asked the guy to come to Jan’s. Oh he had great credentials, and they out shined his attitude which really broke down when Jan told him he wasn’t the person she was looking for. Jayce, our security guard, actually had to escort him out of the building; we’d need to repaint some of the walls.
Interviewees two and three were keepers. The second guy who came in had Cindy in stitches as he introduced himself. I understood why as I switched channels on the ear bug, having to catch myself as the guy talked. And by the time he was called back for his interview, you would think that everyone waiting was his best friend and he theirs. And the smile he had on his face as he walked to Jan’s office was as genuine as they come. His credentials were great, as was his entire interview, what with the humble confidence he exuded. I gave Jan two thumbs up for this guy.
The last to interview was a woman in her mid-forties, extremely well dressed and projecting warmth towards all she interacted with; she was very cordial with Cindy, as she introduced herself. And as the last gentleman, she was cordial with those she sat with as she waited for her interview. But there was something about her, something that cast a shadow on her, a shadow of sadness and worry. It was well hidden but there all the same. And the more I studied her the more I felt she was worried about getting a much needed job, which proved true during her interview with Jan.
As Cindy sent her back to Jan’s office, I watched as she came to and passed my desk. She had a confidence that was neither arrogant nor demeaning, simply a reassurance in her abilities to do her job to the best of her abilities. I casually gave Jan my approval signal, as the woman reached Jan’s office door. She knocked, rather useless with an office having glass walls, waited until Jan motioned her to enter, entered and sat down on the offered chair. Jan took a few moments going over the woman’s qualifications and experiences. Her name was Julie Thompson, forty-five-years-old, divorced, with a fourteen-year-old daughter and a thirteen-year-old son. She had been running her own brokerage firm out of her house for the past five years, quite successfully if what Jan had heard was correct. As Jan covered this portion of the interview, Julie’s eyes teared, until her eyes could no longer contain them and they rolled down her cheeks. Jan immediately left her desk chair and came around to sit in the chair next to Julie. Jan leaned forward and pulled Julie to her, letting the woman cry on her shoulder. Jan silently signaled me and I went to the lounge for bottled water and something light to eat, taking the items to Jan’s office. When I returned, Julie looked a little better, makeup a mess though, but dabbing her eyes with the tissues Jan always kept in her office. I quietly enter the office and left the items on Jan’s desk before returning to my desk. Ever the very concerned parent, Jan helped Julie out of her chair, and guided her to the lounge to freshen up, all the while keeping an arm around Julie’s waist. Those who saw the two ladies heading towards the lounge thought nothing of Julie’s appearance or Jan having her arm around the woman’s waist, because they’d seen the same scene many times over the past years, causing them to be more enamored with Jan due to her compassion for others. It wasn’t long before Jan and Julie returned to Jan’s office, Julie looking more relaxed and her makeup repaired. Jan offer the bottled water on her desk to Julie, which she graciously took. Then as I listened I heard a story that made me want to get a knife and go gonad hunting.
“How are you feeling, Julie?” Jan asked Julie, as Julie took a deep draft of the bottled water.
“A bit better…thank you. I guess you’d like to know why all the tears,” Julie said to Jan as she dabbed at first one eye then the other with another tissue.
“I would like to know but only if you’re willing to tell me. I may not be able to change what happened, but I do listen quite well.” Jan watched as Julie mulled over Jan’s offer, seeing her come to a decision, listened as Julie told her story.
“Bill and I, Bill is my EX- curse him,” Julie said with more venom than the most venomous snake carried with it, “were married twenty-five years ago. We were so in love at first. Then after finishing my degrees and getting my licenses, I started my business out of our home. The overhead was less and I really didn’t have the kind of money to start any place else, plus I was my own boss with the freedom that went with it.” Julie paused and drank again from the bottled water, showing Jan a look that Jan took for organizing her thoughts.
“Bill had his job and for a while was happy for me, seeing my client base go from a couple of friends to thirty before it hit the fan. It started slow, innocently enough, but as time went by I started noticing more and more withdrawals from my business account. I contacted the bank and was told my husband had said he had your authorization for the withdrawals. That night when Bill came home from work, he saw how angry I was and made the mistake of asking why.” Jan noticed Julie was gripping the arms of the chair very tightly at this part of her story, reaching over and taking one of Julie’s hands in hers. Julie smiled at this gesture, reached over with her other hand and patted Jan’s hand, relaxing as she did so.
“When I questioned him about accessing my business account, he came up with one lame reason after the next, claiming it was needed to catch up on this or that bill that he’d fallen behind with. I tried to remain angrily calm as I told him in no uncertain terms that he is not to touch that account ever again. But I should have known better as he sweetly reassured me it wouldn’t happen again. He so sweetly assured me, once again, why I fell in love with him. Nine months later our daughter, Terry, was born. The year following, after catching him again accessing my account, and he sweetly apologizing, Mark was born nine months after that sweet talk. It was tough juggling two kids and my business, but being home made it much easier.” As Jan watched, she could see the anger creeping back into Julie’s face, anger which wasn’t attractive on her. Jan sat quietly as she watched Julie work to calm herself before she continued with her story.
“One day as I’m feeding Mark my bank calls, asking me if I wanted to reopen my account. I couldn’t imagine what they were talking about because, even after Bill’s crap, there was close to a million and a half dollars in that account after five years of hard work. I explained this to the woman who called, and she told me that my husband had come in and withdrew everything from the account, giving the bank some lame excuse as to why. I told her I’d be down shortly, and got the kids ready and drove down to my bank. A very helpful teller looked after the kids for me as I talked with the bank manager, showing her my books and watching as she looked at the paperwork for my account. She had all the withdrawals Bill had made and even my notification that no withdrawals were to be made unless it was by my verbal authorization. But somehow, someone messed up and didn’t check for withdrawal authorization because as she showed me, Bill had completely withdrawn the one point five million dollars that had been in my business account. Upon seeing this, and my reaction, the bank manager first called her manager then the police. She then called in the teller who had made the transaction.”
Jan watched as Julie broke down again, again hugging the other woman close and letting her cry. I felt tears rolling down my cheeks and thought it best to take my break while Julie took her break. Cindy saw my state and followed me into the lounge, consoling me as I took cried wracking sobs. I had no sooner got back to my desk after Cindy helped me “fix my war paint,” as she called it, then Julie and Jan again made their way to the lounge. As I watched I could see a lot of concerned looks on the faces of those who watched the two ladies walk to and into the lounge; the concern was still there as the ladies returned to Jan’s office. As I listened, Julie continued her story.
“The bank manager starting questioning the teller about the withdrawal she had handled, wanting to know if she had followed all bank procedures. The teller swore she had, and because the bank had run into scams before, even followed the bank’s recently enacted procedure of recording all phone conversations for such large withdrawals. The recordings were stored on the bank’s servers, so the manager had no trouble accessing the recording. As she played back the recording I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. There on the tape was a woman, not me, giving the teller the correct passphrases and passwords to my business account, giving the same lame excuse to withdraw the one point five million dollars. Somehow Bill had learned of my passphrases and passwords, so the teller hadn’t made a mistake and had followed procedures but still had been duped. At first I was heartbroken, then raging mad at what Bill had done; and I wanted his head on a pike with his balls hanging out of his mouth.”
“It wasn’t long after we heard the recording that a detective arrived along with the main branch’s manager. Everything was explained to the two and we again listened to the recording, showing again that the teller who handled the withdrawal was not involved. After a few questions, the teller was allowed to return to her window, but my anger was still in its lava state. The detective asked a few more questions, mainly about Bill, where he might go, was he seeing anyone, and so on in order to try and track him down. He asked if I had a picture of Bill with me so he could send it in to enable his squad to know who they were looking for. It didn’t help my anger when I found the one I carried, for I almost ripped it up before I gave it to the detective. He asked to use the bank’s fax machine then put in a call to his office, letting them know about the picture they would be receiving and the details of the crime. He told me it might take some time to track down Bill, but they would eventually find him.”
Julie took a break at that moment, drinking the rest of her water, and asking Jan if she might have more. No sooner had she made the request then Susie knocked on Jan’s door and entered with a small cooler full of bottled water; she’d been watching the proceedings as well. Thanking Susie, Jan handed Julie another bottle of water only to watch as Julie almost drained that bottle. I saw Julie take several deep breaths and continued with her story.
“When the detective was at the bank, he told us that Bill would likely try and flee the country, going somewhere that didn’t have an extradition treaty with the US. Well, I knew Bill better than that, something like that would never cross his mind because he hated anything that wasn’t American. And I was proven right only two days later. Two days later, Bill was caught trying to open a new account at a bank three States west of us. I didn’t learn until later that as the main branch manager had sent the notice to all the other banks in the city, it had also been sent to the surrounding States. Those States in turn sent it to other surrounding States and no sooner had the next surrounding States received the notice, in walks Bill to open an account. His head was going to look good on that pike with his balls hanging out of his mouth.”
“It took a few more days for the States Attorney General to okay Bill’s extradition back to our State, and a few more days before he was brought up on embezzlement charges. It may have been his first time breaking the law that they knew of, but with the amount he embezzled, he was going away for several years. It took several more months before my money was returned, but what I had in my personal account was sufficient to help carry my business during that time. While Bill was running I had gone down to our lawyer and asked for the name of a good divorce lawyer, that bastard was going to be my ex as soon as possible. Bill had a double whammy when he was returned to our State because a process server served him with divorce papers while he was being booked into the City jail. His first phone call was to me, trying to apologize for what he had done, hoping I’d forgive him and we could get back together. My divorce lawyer told me should he contact me for me to keep a lid on my anger and be firm in my speaking with Bill. Oh but it was hard not to rip him a new one, but I did as my lawyer told me and told Bill to sign the papers because he was going to jail and not be married to me when he did. Try as he might, he finally realized he had lost and shortly after the door to his cell clanged shut, he signed the divorce papers, making me a free woman again. I was eventually summoned to appear in court during Bill’s trial. There wasn’t much I could testify to because Bill’s actions had come as a complete surprise to me. The trial lasted two days, with Bill being found guilty and sentenced to prison. Oh, and I found out during the trial that all the times Bill said he was working, he’d really been seeing a twat he met at work. Oh, and I also found out that he’d been fired six months before he made off with my money. When I was asked if I had anything to say before the Judge set Bill’s sentence, instead of telling her I thought Bill’s head would look good on a pike with his balls in his mouth, I simply told her to give him the maximum sentence the law allowed. And she did, much to Bill’s dismay.”
“After a while, I realized I no longer enjoyed the business I had, thanks in part to what Bill did, but in part because it was no longer a challenge. So when I saw the ad in the paper that you were hiring, I decided this might be the challenge I was looking for. And here I am, interviewing for the open position. I did tell my clients what I had in mind, and if I got the job I would recommend transferring their accounts to Jan’s. I also told them if the job fell through I’d still be their agent operating from my home.”
As I listened to the last of Julie’s story, not only was I giving Jan two thumbs up but vigorously nodding my head. Julie was just the type of person we wanted to add to our staff, and would openly welcome her clients into our client pool; letting her continue to be their agent.
As goes the world, so do the days, and days, and then weeks. Soon the holiday season was bearing down on everyone, first Thanksgiving then Christmas. Those who had been with Jan’s for some time knew the kind of holidays she gave us during this time of year. Our very first Thanksgiving at Jan’s was like a big family dinner with all the fixins; there were only twelve of us that first year. But as the years passed, the family had gotten so big that Jan had to rent a venue which could accommodate such a growing family. And I do mean family, because all immediate family members of our employees were also invited to our dinners. And when Christmas came around, I don’t know how she did it, but every employee, every child of an employee, and every spouse/partner/girlfriend/boyfriend went away from those parties with the best gifts Santa had made. And at each event there was never, NEVER, a hint of falseness from Jan. She really enjoyed these events and seeing everyone happy.
It was also during this time that Joanne and I sat down with Jan and tried to discuss our wedding plans. Oh Jan was polite and listened to us tell her we needed to find a church/venue, that we needed to look for our wedding dresses and dresses for our bridesmaids and tuxes for the guys we’d have standing up for us. Oh she was polite alright, but had that insufferable smile which we knew meant she had things well in hand and she wasn’t going to tell us a thing. All we ever got out of her each time we approached the subject was, “don’t worry, everything will be okay.” And every time Jan said that Joanne and I wanted to bang our heads against the wall, because time was slipping away.
Joanne and I had decided a few of the people we wanted to stand up with us at our wedding, Mary and Thomas for Joanne, and Chris and Julie for me. When we told Jan our choices, she suggested one more person for each of us then gave us that damnable smile. So for Joanne’s third person she chose Cindy, and I chose Roger, maybe he wouldn’t have to toot his horn this time. And when we asked these six people if they would stand up with us at our wedding, you would have thought we were under attack with all the squeals, cries, and shouts. But they did say yes in the end. And all Jan did was smile, damn woman!
****I opened my eyes to the feeling of a head on my right shoulder. I also heard the light snore coming from the mouth of that head. Joanne had laid her head on my right shoulder and promptly fallen asleep. I looked at the clock on the wall and saw it was 4 a.m., a whole bunch way past our normal bed time.
“Hey, sweetheart, hey,” I said as I gently shook Joanne, wanting to gently wake her so we could get to bed. My reward was the warmest kiss for this time in the morning. “How about we go to bed?” I asked her, receiving a slight nod. The kitchen was rather cluttered with cookware, a few too many empty bottles of wine sat on the coffee table, but tomorrow was Saturday, and we could clean up the place then. Standing up and pulling Joanne up at the same time, I supported her as we made our way to our bedroom for a nice rest of the early morning sleep. Hopefully when the kids saw the mess we left, they’d do likewise and not mess with us until we got up. And yes, I knew our kids and knew what they’d do before and after, so we better get as much sleep as possible. I just hope they didn’t break anything cleaning up our messes.
As I said, I knew our kids, all four of them, and they didn’t break a thing as they graciously cleaned up our messes and then, woke us up, wanting breakfast. Even though Joanne and I only had about four hours of sleep, we were not going to scold our precious ones simply because they wanted us to get them breakfast. In fact, the six of us didn’t leave our bedroom for another two hours, as we all fell asleep on our bed.
Joanne and I spoke very little about Jan’s journal with the kids around, one of her stipulations was to make sure the kids never learned of that journal or read from it. So we got ourselves cleaned up, made the bed, checked that the kids had made their beds to the best of their abilities, and headed to the kitchen as the engines to a small train of four kids. Saturday was our special day, we were home and so were the kids, so breakfast was special. Chairs were scrapped across the floor as the kids paired off to get plates and glasses out of the upper cupboards. The taller, older kids, would stand on the chairs, grab the plates and pass them down to the shorter, younger kids. The chairs were replaced around the table and the table set with the items removed from the cupboards. Two of our kids would then get out the silverware while the other two grabbed the condiments out of the fridge and lower cupboards. All the while this was going on Joanne was fixing scrambled eggs and the toast, while I worked on pancakes and bacon. A few bobbles did take place, nothing that required a stern rebuke, by the time we all sat down to our special Saturday breakfast.
The kids dug in with glee, happy to be having their special breakfast with their moms. I took a fork full of scrambled eggs and saw Joanne sitting there watching the four kids happily enjoying their time together and with us. I caught her eye and asked her the question on my mind using a raised eyebrow. All she did was make a book out of her hands, indicating Jan’s journal. It was then I knew what she was doing, imaging our four kids being the four grownups in Jan’s journal, a journal Janelle had yet to write, but had.
Our Saturday mornings were always a happy time, when the six of us could all be together. It was also a very silly time, as the kids could let their hair down and have fun for a change. Joanne and I could tell when the kids had had their fill, and it being time to clean up after breakfast. With these four, it was just a matter of making the statement, “guess we better clean up all this mess,” and they would take their plates to the waste basket to scrape off any uneaten food then stacking their plates next to the sink. They would then help each other get out the step stool to use so they could reach the sink without difficulty. And before Joanne or I could actually start rinsing off the plates and silverware before putting them in the dishwasher, the kids had formed a chain to do exactly that. Of course after they had finished their self-imposed task, Joanne and I would have to take them to their rooms for a change of dry clothing. I could tell by the expression on Joanne’s face that she wanted nothing more than to stick her nose back into Jan’s journal, to reread it a bit more slowly than she had the last umpteenth times. My heart felt for her, but we both knew it’d have to wait until the kids went to bed this evening.
So the rest of our morning was helping the kids with what homework they had and then do a bit of house cleaning. The six of us fixed lunch then decided to go to a park, with the kids deciding which one. We packed the kids swimsuits, and ours too, because the park the kids had chosen JUST HAPPENED to have a swimming pool nearby. And the kids loved the water, which was good for Joanne and I since swimming would tire them out and give Joanne and I another uninterrupted opportunity with Jan’s journal.
After swimming we took the kids out for supper, and yes it was pizza, one of several of their favorite foods. We arrived home around 7 p.m. and after bathing our four charges, we didn’t have any trouble getting them into bed a little after 8 p.m. Soft snoring coming from the four bedrooms told me the kids were asleep, granting Joanne and I uninterrupted time with Jan’s journal. Joanne was already on the couch in the living room when I arrived, she even had supplied us with a glass of our favorite wine. She was already reading, again, and didn’t acknowledge me as I sat down on the couch, laid my head back, closed my eyes and remembered what I experienced.****
It was three months until our wedding and we STILL hadn’t had a dress fitting, or picked out any of the other dresses or tuxes. And every time we broached the subject with Jan, all we’d get is, “don’t worry, it’s being handled.” And that damn smirking smile of hers. And handle it she did, the little snot. We read in Jan’s journal what she had planned, and once she carried it out, were sworn to secrecy.
You see, Jan’s plan was to have Joanne and I, on separate occasions, go with her on some pretense she’d make up, something to do with Jan’s or something or other. And it worked perfectly, because neither Joanne nor I had the slightest hint what Jan had each of us do on the day she took us out, or how Joanne or I keep it secret. Here’s what she did.
Because Joanne was now a partner, albeit a silent partner, there would be times when she would need access to the company’s bank accounts, if Jan or I weren’t available. So one day Jan tells me she’s taking Joanne to our bank in order to get her authorized to access our accounts. To me, at the time, it sounded innocent and was needed; I had to do the same when Jan made me her partner. And that’s exactly what they did, first, for about an hour. But then Jan took Joanne to the dress shop she was using to have our dress made for our wedding. They were gone about two and a-half-hours, claiming they stopped for a mid-morning snack and ran into some clients that were there. I could tell by looking at Joanne that she was way overly excited, but only got her standard, “I’m so happy to be a partner” reply in return. I knew how she felt because I felt the same way the day I signed those papers, so I dismissed my suspicions.
Another day Jan came to me and said Thomas wanted to speak to the two of us at his desk on the fourth floor. We had done something like this before so as usual, I thought nothing of it. That all changed when we reached Thomas’s desk on the fourth floor and he had a cheesy grin on his smug face. I started to stop at his desk but was grabbed by Jan and dragged into the fourth floor lounge. As Jan was dragging me along, I noticed the same cheesy grins on everyone’s face, and was extremely surprised with what I saw when we entered the lounge. There in the hands of a woman I’d never seen was the most gorgeous wedding dress I’d even seen. I didn’t remember my hands going to my mouth to cover my surprise, but they did and more than a few tears flowed. I turned to Jan and saw the biggest smile I think she’d ever had, and then was enveloped in her soft embrace hearing, “surprise.” Yeah I was surprised alright, because time was running out and I knew it took time to make wedding dresses. I pulled back enough, looked Jan straight in the eyes, and smacked her as hard as I could in the arm, telling her, “YOU SNOT.” The minute I yelled that, laughter erupted from outside the lounge. I released Jan and stepped out of the lounge, only to find everyone on their feet applauding and cheering—they were in on it too. I showed all of them a fist, which only encouraged more applause and cheering. I loved them too.
It took about an hour to do my dress fitting, including all the necessary under things—no one would listen when I said the under things weren’t necessary at this time. Still, I was thrilled with the dress Jan had chosen for me for my wedding. And as I found out later, after reading her journal, Jan said this must be kept secret from Joanne, and that I must act like I’m still worried about our dress fittings. But in order to pull off this secret we had to put our collective heads together and come up with a valid reason for speaking with Thomas. After about fifteen minutes Susie, bless her heart, offered the perfect solution due to her concern about not having enough staff on the fourth floor to handle all their clients. You never saw a girl blush more as three people kissed her cheeks, thanking her for her concern and our solution. Jan did tell her though, that she was aware of the overload and had sent out want ads for ten more employees.
Our ruse of needing more employees on the fourth floor satisfied Joanne’s curiosity of why Thomas wanted to speak with us. But she could see something had upset me and asked what it was. So crossing my fingers behind my back, I told her I spoke with Jan about our dress fittings, and was told not to worry, everything would work out. My play acting earned me a very nice, if not so hidden, kiss. A week later, twenty people applied for ten positions, with five being rejected outright—remember the girl who came for her interview wearing lacy sky blue underwear, which was seen because of the holes in her jeans, think of the male version dressed similar.
As usual, I listened in on the interview thanks to my ear bud. And after each interview I gave Jan a nod and a thumbs-up. After the fifteenth person, and the fifteenth nod and thumbs-up, Jan was a bit wound up because we hadn’t been able to narrow our search to just ten people. I quirked my head at her, she read my meaning and called Thomas, Mary, and Chris to ask them to stay after we closed for a short meeting, explaining that we needed their input. Closing time came and our impromptu meeting started.
“We have a problem,” Jan started off saying. “We want to hire ten new people to fill ten positions for the fourth floor, but we have fifteen people who’d be perfect for our firm. Do you three believe fifteen new people would help us in any way right now?”
Jan and I could see the wheels spinning in their minds, mulling over the number of clients their floor handled. Thomas already knew ten of those new people were going to his floor, so it really came down to Mary and Chris. Jan and I could read the hesitation on both the women’s faces, hesitation to say what they thought without fear the dragon would appear.
“Mary, Chris, what’s the matter,” Jan asked, as the expressions on the two women’s faces because a bit more tense.
“Well…” Chris slowly said, “We could use three more on the second floor to ease our client load. And I know after talking to Mary, she could use two more for the same reason.”
It was priceless watching these two women as they were put on the spot by Jan. Chris battled a deadly disease and won the battle. And Mary, the bull in the room when necessary, acted like a schoolgirl called on account she didn’t know the answer to the question. I had to cover my mouth to hide the smile that wanted to form, Jan faked a coughing fit to hide hers. And Thomas wasn’t much better, but he hid his as well.
“So it’s settled, we’ll hire all fifteen; ten for the fourth floor, three for the second floor and the remaining two for the third floor. Wonderful!” Jan exclaimed and we watched as both Chris and Mary relaxed in their chairs. The two women no sooner relaxed then Jan hit them with the only question left.
“Chris, Mary, why were you two so nervous when answering my question? You’ve never been nervous before when you came to me with a problem. Why now?”
This time it was Mary who spoke for the two. “Those problems, you referred to, dealt with existing conditions, be it client or employee. We’ve never been asked for our opinion about hiring more employees, and were worried we’d step over the line if we suggested doing that. Chris and I had talked about the need for more staff for our floors, but, well…” and she shrugged her shoulders at this point.
Jan looked at the two women for a moment before telling them, “Ladies, don’t ever feel nervous about recommending we hire more people to give our clients better service. That’s what we are here for, that’s what my policy has always been. Besides Thomas and Sara I value both your opinions, you’ve earned the right to speak it boldly.” And yes, we had a hug fest, the five of us, which was accompanied by tears. Even Thomas had to wipe his eyes a few times.
So fifteen new people were hired, and the days rolled by, as did the months, new clients applied, new problems were handled, and soon it was one month until our wedding. And we, supposedly, still hadn’t had our dress fittings. Or even knew where our wedding was to be held. Our persistent questions were met with the same answer Jan had given us before, “don’t worry, everything will be alright.” The snot!
****I opened my eyes to check on Joanne, who was taking a sip of her wine and staring out into space. My guess she was trying to digest the Quantum Mechanics part of the journal and Jan being there and here now. I quit trying to understand that part, and just accepted for what it was. Damn bladder.****
A week before our wedding Jan took Joanne and I to have our dress fitting, our supposed dress fitting—we both had played our parts well (Jan’s journal said so). Everyone there, including Jan, made damn sure neither Joanne nor I saw the other one wearing our dresses. The snots! It was probably for the best, because I wanted Joanne so bad right now I would have ripped the dress off her to take her. But we did tonsil hunting a few times, getting a few coughs and cleared throats from some there. Our supposed dress fitting over, Jan took us out to lunch at one of our favorite places, Charlies’ Pizza. Yeah so what, Jan splurged a bit today on a meal.
Jan must have arranged for Thomas and Mary to cover for us while we were out, since both were on the first floor when we returned. Jan almost dragged Thomas into the lounge when he made a reference that, thankfully, went over Joanne’s head. He even cringed when he saw me giving him my stink eye. But the building hadn’t burned down, and we all went about our business as usual. Closing time rolled around and we had our usual after hours meeting, going over the day’s accounts and any other matters that had cropped up. Then Jan told us about a person she wanted the two of us to visit tonight; a person of some means who was considering opening an account with Jan’s. She said we were to be there at 7 p.m. for dinner and to present our firm to him. I had a feeling we were being set up because Jan had that enigmatic smile on her face, which faded almost immediately when she noticed I was giving her the eye. She gave us the address and shooed us out the door to get ready for tonight. As we were walking out I glanced over my shoulder and could swear I saw Jan do an arm pump. Only I must have been mistaken since Jan gave me a little wave as I turned back around and walked out the door. The little snot!!
We didn’t have to rush getting ready for our meeting that night, but we couldn’t spend any time tonsil hunting either. We dressed nice, not night club nice but not cotillion nice either, more of a going to a nice restaurant and church nice, with our makeup according to office specs. We pulled out our city map, and from the eyes in the sky, and found that we were only a few minutes from the address Jan had given us. A lite kiss to wish us luck, and we headed out for the five minute drive to our, hopefully, new client.
Joanne navigated as I drove and we soon stopped in front of a 16th century style castle, or at least that’s the impression I got when I questioned Joanne about the address. The place was huge, and set quite a ways back from the street. Questioning Joanne again about the address, proudly shining from a gorgeous granite pillar near the front gates, I pulled into the drive and drove us up to the front doors. We had no sooner stopped then a smartly dressed gentleman was at our car opening first Joanne’s door then mine. Then he floored both of us by offering her arms to escort us into the, house(?), telling us our car would be looked after. If I thought the outside was spectacular the inside was breathtaking, taken right out of some Victorian manor home.
Joanne look as taken aback as I was, but our inspection was interrupted by a very attractive woman walking across the foyer towards us; maybe that should be arena floor because the foyer was that big. I was actually captivated by the woman walking toward us, and judging from a glance at Joanne, she was too. She must have been in her mid-50s, or early-60s, with auburn hair done up in a very smart style. Her makeup was exquisite, not over the top but drawing out her natural beauty. And her dress made me wish we had dressed as though we were attending a cotillion. But what set her off the most was the biggest, and most sincere, smile I’d ever seen. A smile not even Jan could match. And it was a warm smile.
“Welcome, you must me Sara,” she said, giving me a hug as she reached us. “And you must be Joanne,” she said to Joanne as another hug was given. “I’m Silvia, the Mrs. of this palace.” Silvia laughed after saying that, the imp in her dancing in her eyes; I really liked this woman.
“Let me have a look at you to,” she told us as she gave us a rather critical eye up and down. “Just as he said, you both are absolutely beautiful,” Silvia told us as she pushed her way between us and took our arms, leading/pulling us towards two tall doors off to our left—we might get there sometime around Christmas. As we walked, well, strolled, Silvia told us a little about the house, her family, and the loss they suffered a few months ago. That mention of loss didn’t register with me or Joanne until opening the tall doors, Silvia led us into a huge library, and face to face with, Tom Marks. Silvia started giggling when she saw the look on our two faces, as did Tom. But it was what she said next, as she put her arms around our waists that floored us both.
“Girls, I can’t thank you enough for what you did for Tom that day we learned our daughter had been killed in that car crash. As Tom will tell you himself, he was so devastated that he was going to take his own life, and nothing anyone here could say helped dissuade him. He came to Jan’s in order to get everything in order, get a good account set up so I’d be taken care of. But it was how you treated him while he was there that changed his mind, how you gave him the support no one here could give, including me. Girls, from now on consider yourselves part of our family, the family Tom and I know you no longer have. We’d be honored if you would accept our offer and become our adopted daughters.”
Looking at Joanne, on the other side of Silvia, I could see she too had tears running down her cheeks; Silvia did as well. Joanne looked at me then we both looked at Tom and saw his tears as well. We knew these two wonderful people were being honest with us because as Joanne and I looked at Tom he was nodding his head and mouthing, “please.” As if on cue, I looked at Joanne and her me. I quirked an eyebrow and Joanne nodded her head. What could we say but, “we’d be honored.” Those three words changed the entire atmosphere in that room, with Silvia hugging both of us as though we were throw pillows, and Tom doing a bit better. There were plenty of tears going around, and plenty of thank yous from both Tom and Silvia. It was shortly after our acceptance that Tom started laughing; explaining he now had three raccoons in the house when the three of us ladies gave him our stink eyes. But he paid for that comment as the three of us girls smacked him as hard as we could—even that didn’t put an end to his laughing, only increased it as he grabbed the three of us and hugged.
“You old reprobate,” Silvia told him, as she gave him a close tonsil inspection right in front of Joanne and I. “Come on girls, let’s go repair our faces so we can shut this old coot up and have our dinner.” Joanne and I gave Tom kisses on his cheeks then told him, “thank you,” receiving another round of hugs and kisses of our own. I said that crossing that foyer might take until Christmas? Think of a room full of everything a person might need for a comfort stop, and double that size twice, you’d then have the size of the bathroom Silvia took us to. I felt exactly as Joanne exclaimed as we walked into that bathroom. Even Silvia appreciated our enjoyment, as she had that big warm smile on her face when I looked at her. “Come on girls,” she told us, grabbing our arms and leading us to the biggest vanity I’d ever seen. No wonder Silvia’s makeup was so perfect, that vanity had everything a girl could want in makeup. And because of that our three faces were quickly repaired and possibly better looking than when we entered the house.
Silvia led us back to where we left Tom, having her arms entwined with ours. As we reached the library doors Tom stepped out and took Joanne’s arm in his and together we walked to another set of massive doors. I caught a bit of something going on between Tom and Silvia as we walked, but put it down to the pair getting ready for later that night, when they were alone. Oh but was I wrong, and in a big way. Because when Tom opened one door and Silvia the other the only thing Joanne and I heard was, “SURPRISE,” from a room jamb packed with people. They were all from Jan’s, with the head snot standing right up front with that damnable grin on her face. To say Joanne and I were shocked would be an understatement. To say we were crying would be correct. Tom and Silvia gently guided us into the room, getting hugs first from Jan then everyone else. And yes, more than one face was streaked with tears.
“…how? Why?” Was all I could get out before the room quieted to let Jan explain.
“You two don’t really know how you’ve affected everyone in our office. Oh you see it here and there, but overall, you’ve affected everyone in one way or another. As much as you two tried to hide the love between you, everyone could see just how much you were in love with each other. And because of that and what you’ve done for Jan’s and everyone, we wanted to throw you this surprise party to wish you a very successful marriage and a long life together. Oh, and we wanted to make sure you had everything you needed for your home,” Jan finished as she pointed to a large pile of wrapped gifts next to one wall.
I know I was sobbing with happiness and heard another doing the same. Turning, I saw Joanne with her hands over her mouth and almost in full wracking sobs. She did go into a full blown sob when I took her in my arms and pulled her close. (We later learned from the journal that Jonathan had been alone most of his life after the death of his parents. Because of how he treated others, foster parents were pleased to have him stay with them. But he never really had that wanted feeling that he got from his real parents. That’s why Joanne was in full blown sob mode as I held her, she finally felt wanted, loved, and knew it was real.) The thought also crossed my mind that we’d have to make another visit to that mausoleum for another face repair, but when I pulled back from a calmer Joanne, our makeup was still intact. After a questioning look at Silvia she whispered, “Waterproof.” In the annals of our history, this is one night Joanne and I would never, ever forget. We had a family, a family which loved us and carried about our happiness. We also gained two loving parents, who no doubt, were going to spoil us as rotten as they could. I also knew in a few hours I was going to end up being very sore.
****I seemed to be moving, pulled to my right side. I opened my eyes and realized Joanne was pulling me to her; my cheeks felt wet. “Shhh…it’s alright, I got you,” Joanne spoke to me as I laid my head on her chest and really cried. Reliving the memory of the night at the Mark’s, seeing all of friends from the office, really brought back how much I missed my own parents. More so since we are adopted daughters of a wonderful husband and wife. I sniffed a bit, but finally wound down, getting pulled up off the couch and walked into the bathroom for a little clean up and toilet break. I’ll never be able to tell that girl just how much I love her for who she is and what she’s done for me in such a short time. I do bet both of us will be very sore come morning. Joanne fetched another bottle of wine while I got comfortable again on the couch. Remembering that party wasn’t hard, but oh did Joanne and I have fun when we got home.****
Going to work the next day proved rather difficult, after our impromptu bachelorette party at the Marks’ castle, and our after party romp. I think I used muscles I’d never used before; Joanne wasn’t in much better shape. We arrived at work and saw that everyone had Jan’s enigmatic smile on their faces. Or they developed the pose shortly after they walked through the doors coming in to work. Did they know something we didn’t? No, that wasn’t it, as I watched Joanne walk from her desk to the lounge. Oh gawd, they know what Joanne and I did last night just by watching Joanne try and walk normally. I thought I’d just stay at my desk the rest of the day and tough it out when nature called.
Jan could see the stress building in me and Joanne, so she kept us busy the rest of that day and the rest of the week. And it seemed to work, since the days passed rather quickly until Friday rolled around. Joanne and I came in our usual time, 8:30 a.m., and met not only Jan but Thomas, Mary, and Chris. When I gave Jan the eyebrow she just smiled and told me, “in a minute.” Seems the four of them had been having their own private pre-opening meeting and the two of us weren’t invited. After what Jan said, Joanne gave me the eye and I responded with a shoulder shrug—can’t say what I don’t know. They finished their business and Jan started for the doors, turning as she walked and telling us, “Well, let’s go.” Go? Go where? “Well, come on,” Jan said as she stopped at the front doors with that damnable enigmatic smile on her face. “Hurry up!!” I looked at Joanne, she looked at me, and we shrugged our shoulders, grabbed each other’s hand and follow our mother out of the store. I did mention how sore I was, right? Now everybody else knew too.
And where did we end up? Guess! Today’s Friday, our wedding is tomorrow afternoon—we finally found out—and what’s necessary to look our best? If you guessed a beauty parlor you’d win the grand prize. The parlor Jan took us to had an excellent reputation for quality work. And quality work came at a quality price. I gave Jan a serious look but she simple told me, “You both deserve the best available. Now shush and come on.” As I started to follow Jan, I still had a hold of Joanne’s hand, which abruptly stopped me dead in my tracks. I turned to look at Joanne and saw sheer terror on her face. It took me a few moments but I finally realized this’d be the first time for Joanne to be in a beauty parlor. I called Jan and together we helped her calm down, much like we did after she transformed.
“Oh sweetie, I’m so sorry,” I told Joanne as I hugged her. “I completely forgot you’d never have done this as Jonathan.” Her shaking slowly subsided as we talked a bit more; even Jan apologized for her forgetfulness. About ten minutes later a calmer Joanne walked into The Pretty Kitty with Jan and me. And about two and a half hours later the three of us walked out of the parlor and headed for lunch; this time it was a posh restaurant. And this time, the three of us caused several broken necks as we were escorted to our table.
Jan sent us home for the rest of the day, telling us to get some rest since tomorrow was going to be a busy day. The two of us got a kiss on the cheek as Jan went into the office and Joanne and I walked to the parking structure. Before the door closed behind Jan, we were told to expect her at seven in the morning, for a remake of today, only better. Something in Jan’s manner told me she was, once again, up to something. All through lunch, she kept surreptitiously watching first me then Joanne, all while carrying that enigmatic smile. Whatever it was I hoped we were going to enjoy it, or a little snot was going to hear about it.
The entire week had been stressful, despite the busy work Jan gave us to keep us busy. Plus our wedding was tomorrow afternoon, Saturday, so it wasn’t any wonder that we both crashed the minute we got home and lay down. When I awoke, I think the clock showed 6:30 p.m., but it was hard to see through Joanne’s hair as she was trying to meld her back with my front. I gently kissed the back of her neck, getting a moan in return. “That was nice, keep going,” she mumbled as I followed her command. It wasn’t long until Joanne rolled over to face me, and our tonsil hunt was once again in full swing. I know she was as wet as I was but I convinced her we might want to eat something and maybe save the rest for tomorrow evening; I did not want to be walking funny down the aisle during our wedding, a prospect I brought to Joanne’s attention. She giggled when I told her and hunted one more time before getting up and pulling me after her. We had a nice leisurely dinner, a bit of wine while sitting on the couch listening to some music, and about 10 p.m. decided to call it a night, and saved the rest for tomorrow night.
“Someone is going to die for this,” I said, coming out of a deep sleep, looking at the clock and seeing it was 6:30 a.m. “Whoever is banging on our front door will die in a few minutes.” I throw off the covers, slammed my feet into my slippers and stomped my way to the front door. “What the hell is going on?” Joanne groggily asked as she padded up behind me. I should have known, but had to high a head of steam. I ripped open the door and there was, Jan. Bright eyed and bushy tailed, and with that damnable enigmatic smile. “Hi guys, you ready,” she said as she bounced, yes, bounced into our home. Slacked jawed we just stared at Jan. Here we were, standing in front of an open door with our night clothes on, and Jan wants to know, “are we ready?” I looked at Joanne and she looked at me, and we advanced on Jan with every intention of doing bodily harm. Like some school girl, Jan ran off screaming into the kitchen and started pulling things out of the fridge. “You two go get ready while I make coffee and breakfast. I slammed the front door, grabbed Joanne’s hand and headed to our bedroom, but not before telling Jan, “YOU SNOT.” Her reply was a very girly giggle. Why do I bother?
****I opened my eyes and saw Joanne thumbing through our wedding album; she must have read my mind. I scooted over, laid my head on her shoulder and looked at the pictures along with her. That was another day we would never forget, and a day which almost didn’t happen.****
Jan yelled instructions as we walked down the hall to our bedroom. “Just brush out your hair and don’t worry about makeup, the parlor will take care of that. Wear something that isn’t trashy but not flashy.” I mumbled a bit as Joanne dropped my hand I used the bathroom first; today was NOT a day to shower together, at least not right now. While waiting for her to shower, I made the bed and decided what I had that wasn’t trashy or flashy, and decided jeans and a blouse would do. I gave Joanne a kiss as we walked by each other, me to the bathroom and her to pick out not trashy or flashy clothing. About thirty minutes later we were sitting in the kitchen drooling over a scrumptious looking breakfast of scrambled eggs with mushrooms, green peppers, and onions mixed in. Bacon that was crispy like we enjoyed it, and waffles. And, our ambrosia, coffee, in large mugs. Jan had really gone to town for breakfast, guess she knew something we didn’t.
I could tell Joanne was more alive after eating something, as I did, but we both could have used another half a day to really feel alive. And our way too chipper at this time of morning friend wasn’t helping with her, “Right, grab your purses and let’s be off,” announcement. I think I heard Joanne mumble something about a shovel, a map, and a lot of vacant land as we picked up our purses and zombied after Jan. This was way too early to be out and about or chipper.
From our house, the drive to the Pretty Kitty should have taken about twenty minutes, we made it in ten. We spent ten minutes experiencing the most horrific ride in a car we ever had. Well, maybe Joanne had, I’d give Joanne second place after she drove us somewhere once. The minute we pulled up in front of The Pretty Kitty and Jan shut off the engine, the back door opened and slammed almost simultaneously while Joanne mutter something as she got out of Jan’s car. I couldn’t move to see if she was alright, I couldn’t let go of the dashboard. In the ten minutes it took us to reach The Pretty Kitty, I don’t know how many cars Jan passed at places where there wasn’t space to pass. My knuckles were whiter than I think I might have been. And when I heard, “We’re here, let’s go,” I could only turn my head in her direction and give her the most incredulous look I could manage. “You okay sweetie, you look a bit peaked.” Hearing Jan say that, I ripped my hands off the dashboard, opened the passenger door, got out, slammed it, and starting muttering myself. It took a few moments to realize that Joanne was kneeling on the sidewalk and holding her head while saying to no one in particular, “Never again never again never again, NEVER AGAIN!” I used my hand to start rubbing the back of her neck in the hopes it would help calm her down. She turned her head into my hand, kissed my palm, took my hand and used me to help her stand up. Joanne looked me square in the eye and told me, “I’m never riding with that mad woman EVER AGAIN!” I gave her a sweet kiss and said, “I agree.”
There was a bit of a surprise as we walked into The Pretty Kitty, because Mary, Chris, Julie, and Thomas were sitting in the waiting area. No one said a word, they didn’t have to since they were all wearing Jan’s enigmatic smile. And when I looked at Jan for an explanation, hers was there too. I could understand Mary, Chris, and Julie being there to have their hair and makeup done, but Thomas? When I gave Thomas a curious look, he simply pointed to his hair. That’s when it clicked, he came here to have his hair cut and styled.
At the click of heels on the tile floor, my attention turned to the woman approaching our group. “Well, is everyone ready,” Penny Lions, the owner of The Pretty Kitty, ask our group, and consulted the clipboard she was holding. “Let’s see, we’ll take you five first,” she told the other five, and then told Joanne and I, “Then we’ll take you two ladies last, since it’s your big day we want this experience to be very special.” At first what Penny told us sounded fine, it wasn’t until Jan spoke that things got a bit dicey. Putting her arm around my waist Jan told us, “Before you two go back make sure to give each other a rather nice kiss, because you won’t see each other again until this afternoon at the wedding.”
That’s when I felt a vise like pain shoot up my right arm. I was still holding Joanne’s left hand and she had reached across and grabbed my right arm in a death like grip—she may have transformed but that girl had one hell of a grip. My left hand flew to cover her right hand, hoping she would understand that she was hurting me; she didn’t get the message, and tears were forming in my eyes. It took a bit of coaxing to get Joanne in The Pretty Kitty the first time, and she almost bolted that time. I could only hope I could get these people to understand some of Jon’s morals had surfaced again and Joanne was on the verge of running out of here.
“Jan,” I began with all the force I could muster, “That is NOT going to happen. We ARE going to stay together until the wedding or the wedding as you hoped won’t happen.” In a voice laced with frivolity Jan replied, “Nonsense, Sara, the brides never see each other on the wedding day once they get ready.” At hearing this, the other six just chuckled. I reached behind me with my left hand and removed Jan’s arm around my waist. Joanne still had my arm in a death grip when I told her, “Come on, sweetie, let’s go. We’ll get married our own way,” and started guiding Joanne towards the door, still trying not to cry because of the pain in my arm. Seeing us starting to leave the chuckling stopped on a dime, and they got a lot more serious. “Sara, Joanne, where are you going, this is your wedding day, a lot of people will be there. Tom will walk the both of you down the aisle,” Jan said as she started after us. Up to now, I had no trouble putting up with some of Jan’s frivolities, even enjoyed them. But her words had scared Joanne, really scared her, and THAT I would not put up with. I hugged Joanne to me as I rounded on Jan.
“How stupid can you be? Look at Joanne, look how frightened she is. Can’t you remember the trouble we had asking her to come in here the first time? Can’t you remember she almost bolted on us and we had to calm her down to get her to see that girls came in here all the time? To help her remember she is a girl?” I was seething, I was seeing red, and I wasn’t finished yet. “To all of you this is nothing new, you’ve been who you are your entire lives. But Joanne hasn’t, she was once Jonathan Mathew, a man, and now a woman, a girl, a female, who hasn’t had all your experiences. Coming into a place like this is still new and frightening because Jon’s morals still popup now and then. And they’ve popped up with a vengeance again. Come on, sweetie, let’s go.” We once again started for the door when Chris spoke up.
“Sara, Joanne, please...wait,” Chris called after us with her soft, gentle voice, as we walked towards the front door of The Pretty Kitty. “Please…wait?” Her voice the second time carried more pleading than before, more desire for us to wait, more concern than before. Chris’ pleading caused us to stop walking and turn to face her as she approached us. She calming walked up to us as the others watched, reached out with her hands toward Joanne and held them there, silently asking to take Joanne’s hands in hers. Joanne’s fearful eyes bore into mine, and with a slight nod, telling her it’d be alright, Joanne let go of her death grip on me and placed her hands into those of Chris. “Joanne,” Chris started in that same soft, gently voice, “I know this is scary, really I do. Because I’ve been really scared, so scared I could hardly do anything.” I put my arm around Joanne because tears were running down her cheeks, as she remembered why Chris had been so scared at one time. “Finding out you have cancer is a lot scarier than coming into a place like this, but the fear of being away from your loved one is the same. If you will let me, I’ll be with you the whole time, and you can lean on me when you become frightened. Would you do that? Would you do that for the woman you deeply love? Would you do it for all those who love and admire you? Would you do it for Tom, the man your actions saved from his own hand?” It was at that point Joanne lost it, grabbed Chris into a tight hug and wept on her shoulder. I noticed that I too wasn’t the only one wiping my eyes because of what unfolded before us, and as we all watched, Joanne nodded her head as it rested on Chris’s shoulder. A horror stricken Jan walked up to me, her hands covering her mouth, active tears streaming down her cheeks. “Oh my gawd, I’m so so so sorry. I didn’t realize how traumatic this was going to be for Joanne.” Her voice dropped into a whisper as she took me into a hug and repeated what she just said, while laying her head on my shoulder and softly crying. “Its okay, Jan, you just didn’t know,” I told her as I hugged her close and let her cry. God I love this woman dearly.
It wasn’t hard for everyone in The Pretty Kitty to hear the commotion up front, and had come up to see why. And more than one nose had to be blown and more than one gave out a soft weep as they watched what occurred. It was Penny, using a shaky voice, which got us back on track. Joanne and I, after visiting the lady’s room, sat and waited while the other five were made to look their best. And when it was our turn, Chris true to her word, offered her hand to Joanne and went with her to get ready for our special day. I will never forget what that woman had done for Joanne. She will be part of our family one day.
Remember the Wizard of Oz, the scene when Dorothy and the others reached the Emerald City and they took the four back for a makeover? Remember how they treated Dorothy? Well, I got that treatment and then some. If I thought I was sore after a session with Joanne, after the pulling and ripping that was done to me I was sure I was going to be sore before another session with Joanne. But after applying lotion and some other type lotion, what pain I had been feeling completely faded. I do hope Joanne like what she saw later tonight, because it was completely new to me. Another thing which was new to me was the way they styled my hair. I usually wear my hair straight, with a few clips to hold back the sides out of my face. But they took my mid-back length hair and created French braids which then were join high up on my head into a rather striking ponytail. And when they placed the delicate tiara I would be wearing on after they had finished, wow! And the makeup job, WOW, again. If Joanne looked half as good as the woman I saw in the mirror, we weren’t going to get any sleep tonight; Joanne would keep me up until sun rise.
I don’t know how they keep us separate, but they did, because when it was time for me to be dressed, yes, be dressed, Joanne and Chris were nowhere to be seen; looking around the room where I had been lead, standing there quite naked, they must have dressed Joanne here as well. Ah well, I thought to myself as I was handed a pair of white lacy panties, I can wait, barely; a lacy bra was next. I was pulled over to a chair after a garter belt was placed around my waist. I didn’t sit down as much as was sat down by one of the girls getting me dressed. It was almost comical as two girls knelt before me with a stocking a piece in their hands, and together put the stocking on me before attaching them to all six garters; I was pulled out of the chair by the same girls so they could finish attaching the other four garters. They then led me over to a bar and told me to “grab hold,” as they put a white corset around my upper body. The last time this was done, I was really glad Joanne hadn’t seen me, because that corset gave me a bust that would have melted Joanne’s eyes. And a waist she would have had trouble not grabbing. “Exhale,” one of the girls ordered me, as the cords were pulled tighter. I balked the first time they did this, but was reassured they wouldn’t pull the cords as tight as they could be pulled. They didn’t want me to faint during my wedding. Next were the crinolines, followed by a slip, then my wedding dress. I could hardly wait for Joanne to see me in my dress, with its throat high collar, encrusted with lace and pearls, and short puffy sleeves, and the same encrusted lace and pearls at the bust line. And the crinolines flared out the skirt in a way that made it look like I was wearing hoops. And the ten foot train, encrusted with the same lace and pearls but in a delicate pattern. I was then led over to a wall of mirrors, which had suddenly appeared. It was then I saw that Jan had been here the entire time, but had kept out of sight. “OH, my, you are absolutely gorgeous,” Jan told me as she came up beside me and hugged me. The me I saw in the mirrors caused my eyes to start watering, Jan’s too. “You two are going to amaze everyone at your wedding. Never have I seen two more beautiful women in my life.” By this time tears were sliding down my cheeks, but no makeup came with them—Waterproof.
Jan took my hand and led me out a back door, right out to a waiting limousine. A white limousine with a woman driver dressed in the smartest white outfit I’d ever seen. I was helped into the limo by Jan and the driver, my train had to be handled carefully, before the door was shut and we started our journey to my wedding. Jan never told us where our wedding would be held, but that cheeky smile she often wore told me right now that I’d be pleasantly surprised. And I was, because we drove up the drive and to the front of, Marks manor. And of all people waiting for us was Tom and Silvia, my adopted parents. Getting out of the limo was exactly the reverse of getting in, only there were two more people to help. After I had been helped out of the limo, and was able to stand tall, I saw glimmers in the eyes of Tom and Silvia; some have escaped down their cheeks. “Absolutely spectacularly beautiful,” Tom said as he kissed me lightly on the cheek. Silvia reverberated his opinion as she kissed my other cheek, then my adoptive parents each took an arm, and Jan held my train, as I was lead into the house and to a large room, where they told me I was to wait until it was time. I was not left alone in that room, for Jan was there, as was Silvia, Mary and Julie. I assumed Chris was with Joanne as well as Thomas, but I never found out until later. Roger seemed to be a no show until there was a light rapping on the door and in walked a snappy dressed Roger (Jan’s journal explained why Roger had not been with us at The Pretty Kitty. But it was personal and not my story to tell.) Since Joanne’s transformation, Roger seemed to have mellowed. He was still the happy-go-lucky guy he had always been, but the years seemed to have helped him develop a gentler side, a more caring side, which had increased the number of clients asking for him to oversee their accounts. As he walked toward where I was sitting, he was shaking his head and examining me with his eyes. He reached out with his hand for my hand and told me, “You are positively gorgeous, Sara. I whole heartily wish you and Joanne a very long life and a happy family. The two of you truly belong together,” he finished then kissed the back of my hand. I’m sure glad I had tissues tucked away on me, because what Roger just said made me use one.
As I’ve said several times before, Jan had kept our wedding plans close to her vest; and yes she wore them now and then. And no, we didn’t have a rehearsal so Joanne and I were going to be winging it, so to speak. Tom came in and said the magic words, “It’s time,” at which point both Jan and Tom explained that Joanne would be led in first, while I was kept here. Then Tom would come and get me and walk me down the aisle as he had Joanne; I hope I don’t pee myself when I see Joanne. Everyone except Jan followed Tom out of the room, as music started playing some distance away—I did say the Mark’s home was big, did I not? Not long after Tom and the others left, the double doors to the room I was in opened and my smiling adopted father walked in to collect me, giving me a light kiss on the cheek and another thank-you for all we did for him. Was I nervous? Do bears, never mind, yes, I was nervous. Very nervous, since there would be a lot of people her to watch Joanne and I get married. Was I looking forward to being married? Oh you betcha, and looking to as long a life with Joanne as we’d have together.
Tom offered me his arm and I slipped my right arm into the crook of his left arm. He reached up with his right hand and patted my hand, as we made our way to my wedding with Joanne; Jan followed behind to make sure my train didn’t get caught on anything. Given the lavishness of the house, I guess I shouldn’t have been surprised when we stopped before a set of elaborately carved double doors at least twelve feet tall. Two smartly dressed men were standing before each door, their hands resting on each door pull. I felt a tug on my train and when I turned to look, saw Jan fanning out my train straight behind me. “Are you ready, sweetheart,” Tom asked me as I took a deep breath. “Yes, daddy, I’m ready.” Receiving a light kiss on my cheek, Tom nodded his head and the men started to slowly open the double doors; and the music started to play.
I was grateful Tom had gently captured my hand in the crook of his left arm because I did feel a bit light headed. Our wedding was taking place in what had to be a huge ballroom, just as lavish as the rest of the house. As I scanned those in attendance I saw that our entire office was there, including their families. I also recognized quite a few of our clients and their wives. But about a fourth way down the aisle, three people caught my attention; two nicely dressed men and a smartly dressed young lady. Somehow I know those three, somehow I recognize their faces. But at the moment I'm unable to put it all together, maybe I will later. The two men nod as a way of showing respect, and the young lady does a very small curtsey. I know them from somewhere, I know I do.
As we pass the three, my eyes scan ahead and catch my first glimpse of Joanne. Oh I’m so glad Tom is keeping my arm in place or I might rip that dress off her and take her right here. She was beyond gorgeous, she was outstandingly stunning. The lower portion of her dress was much like mine, billowed out by the crinolines. The train of her dress was almost the same as mine, but above her waist, whoa! Her dress gave her bare shoulders, which swept up to a neck high collar joined at the middle with white pearl buttons. The lacy on the dress accentuated her bust line as did the pearls on top of the lace. There was something else about her dress which I couldn’t understand until I realized it had silver thread sewn into elaborate patterns from her neck down to the hem of the dress. And with every twitch, the light reflected off that thread and made the dress glimmer. As I walked closer I could see tears running down Joanne’s cheeks, and Chris’s arm around her waist—that woman was going to be part of our family. I finally reached the front, everyone sat down, and the pastor, a young looking woman, began our wedding. I won’t bore you with the pastor’s part; it was pretty standard in comparison to wedding I’ve attended. I will tell you about the vows we gave each other.
****I came back to myself when I heard, “Oh damn, I gotta pee,” from Joanne, as she threw the wedding album in my lap while getting up at the same time. I just had to chuckle at this because she does this all the time. She gets so lost in what’s she’s doing that she doesn’t feel that her bladder needs emptied until almost the last minute. The kids have learned to clear a path when momma Joanne comes running through the house heading to the bathroom. So far there’s only been the one time I had to get her a clean of panties. God I love that woman. Joanne returned to the couch after having visited the kitchen first to get us water. One of these days she may figure out that water causes her to run as fast as she does.****
The pastor finally got to the part where we say our vows to each other before placing our rings on the other’s finger. The pastor must have been told about Joanne’s nervousness because she allowed Joanne to say her vows first.
“From that first day I set foot in Jan’s Portfolio LLC for a job interview, the minute I saw you I felt sparks. Sparks which told me you were the one for me, the one who could make me whole, the one I wanted to spend what life I had left with you through anything we might face. But I didn’t expect how my love for you would deepen as I worked with you these past seven years. And now, I can’t imagine my life without you, I can’t imagine how I could live without your help in our daily lives. Words cannot express how deeply my love runs for you or what I’d do to make you happier than you’ve ever been. I give you my love freely and will honor you through whatever comes into our lives. Sara, I take you for my wife for now and forever.”
Joanne slips her ring onto my finger, and I reach up and gently wipe the tears from her cheeks—I notice Chris step back after Joanne said her vows. And I’ll keep saying it, that woman will be part of our family forever. Then it was my turn to say my vows.
“Joanne, I lack the words to express how deeply I love you and how it’s grown over these seven years. I too felt the sparks the day you walked into Jan’s and by my desk to your interview with Jan. I too knew you were the one who could make me whole, make me happier than I’ve ever been, the one I wanted to be with until the world was no more. To say my love for you deepened with leaps and bounds would be putting it mildly, for its grown deeper than any known canyon and it burns to express itself to you. I too can’t imagine a day without you in my life, sharing all I have, helping us get through all that we will face, you guiding me as only you can, you make me whole. I will cherish you for as long as we live. I will give you myself freely and without recourse. I will nurture you as you need and will care for you in all ways possible. Joanne, I take you as my wife until the light no longer shines.”
I feel Joanne gently wipe tears off my cheeks as I slip my ring onto her finger. I’m not sure if we did it right, but didn’t care, because Joanne and I take each other’s hands then look up at the pastor. And then we hear the magic we’ve been waiting for, “I now pronounce you wife and wife, you may kiss your bride.” Joanne and I had done a lot of tonsil hunting, but today we searched for each other’s belly buttons. It wasn’t until we heard the small cough, that we ended our search and were told to face the audience. “Ladies and gentleman, may I present to you Mrs. and Mrs….
****My laughing brought me out my memories because it was kind of funny how we decided on our last names. After we got engaged, we talked often about last names, whether we’d keep our own or take the others’ name. We were still discussing this problem when we ran out of time the week of our wedding. So we did the mature thing, we flipped a coin, twice. The first flip was to determine if we’d keep our own names or take the name of the other. And if it was determined we’d take the name of the other, a second flip would determine whose last name we took. Joanne ask what was so funny and when I explained she joined in with me.****
“Ladies and gentlemen, may I present to you Mrs. and Mrs. Mathew.” With this pronouncement the music started along with the applause, as Joanne and I made our way back up the aisle to wherever we were going to receive our guests and friends. Tom met us at the double doors, kissing each of us on the cheek, giving us his arms, and lead us to another enormous room set up for our reception. And what a reception it was, what with over three hundred in attendance, it was quite some time before we were free to mingle, and eat something. We also spent some time on the dance floor, hardly ever letting anyone cut in after the first dance. At one point Tom and Silvia came to us and told us to stay the night since it was going to be rather late before the reception broke up—I hope the room they give us is sound proof! It’s 2 a.m. by the time the last guest leaves, leaving Thomas, Chris, Mary, Julie and Jan with us and the Marks. (Again, Jan’s journal told why Roger left and it was personal, so a story not for my telling.) These five people have become a core family Joanne and I never had, and it meant so much to us. There were hugs and kisses all around, and after saying our goodnights, well, good mornings, Tom and Silvia walked us to a set of stairs where a maid was waiting to show us to our room. Extended hugs and kisses were given and received before we were shown to our room and the chance to express our love in a more intimate way. Sure hope the walls are soundproof!
We finally feel asleep at 6 a.m. after a long expressive love session. I don’t know how long after I fell asleep when I felt something soft and warm pressing against my lips. I slowly opened my eyes and was looking into the eyes of Joanne as she gently kissed me to wake me up. To reach me Joanne had rolled over so that she could reach my lips, she had also positioned herself so she was directly over the fingers of my left hand. She didn’t have to say a word, as I used the fingers on my left hand to see how tired Joanne really was after our earlier sessions. Some fifteen minutes later we pulled each other out of the bed and walked hand in hand to the shower in the en suite bathroom, where we took our time in washing each other’s hair and body. Our shower done, we dried off and put on robes we found hanging on hooks on one wall. I walked to the vanity, picked up the hair dryer and a brush, and started brushing and drying my hair.
Unexpectedly, Joanne took my hand holding the hair dryer, shut off the hair dryer before placing it back on the vanity. She then placed her hands on my shoulders and turned me toward her, and started giving me a very sweet, slow kiss. At the same time she parted the front of the robe I was wearing and started rubbing my clitoris, getting the reaction she was obviously after. I reached down with my left hand and grabbed her wrist to steady it and road her fingers for all they were worth. It wasn’t long before I had my head buried in her right shoulder, as I came with a scream of ecstasy and bit down on her shoulder at the same time—that was going to leave a mark. My undulations finally started to slow until they finally stopped, as Joanne kissed the back of my neck and whispered in my ear, “Now you know the pleasure you and Jan gave me on that Saturday morning.” I nodded my head before turning to kiss Joanne’s neck several time before being able to stand up straight. Joanne reached down and took the brush from my right hand, a brush I didn’t remember holding, picked up the hair dryer and proceeded to brush and dry my hair; I had to hold onto the vanity as Joanne worked on my hair because my knees were still weak from the intensity of that orgasm. After Joanne finished my hair I worked on hers while still reveling by what I just experienced. I’m quite sure there were going to be many more experiences like that one, and I was going to end up very sore but for a very good reason.
As we walked into the en suite hand in hand, so we walked out hand in hand, only then realizing we needed clothes to wear today. I pointed to the chest of drawers and Joanne pointed to the walk in closet. I walked to the chest of drawers and opened the top drawer, getting a rather nice surprise. Neatly folded were bras, panties, stockings, garter belts, and pantyhose. There was also a card on top with Joanne’s name written on it. Closing that drawer I opened the second one, only to find the exact same thing but with the card having my name written on it. “Hey, Joanne,” I hollered, “You need to see this.” “Maybe you should look at what’s in here,” she replied and I closed the second drawer and walked over to the walk in closet.
I stood in the door opening and just starred, gathering in all the clothes I saw hanging from the clothes rods. But seeing Joanne looking from left to right and back again, and that she had her hands on her hips, let me know something more confusion was occurring. Joanne never said a word but pointed to the card hanging about each group of clothes. I looked to the right as Joanne pointed and saw the card had Joanne’s name on it. She then directed my attention to the left and to the card with my name on it. I walked closer to the clothing on the left and realized there were my clothes from home. Joanne must have done the same as she was now looking at the close under my name as I was looking at the clothes under her name. We must have been destined to be together, because we turned in unison and said at the same time, “These are our clothes from home.” Realizing what we had just done started giggling with abandonment. I then took her hand and led her to the chest of drawers, opening first the top drawer then the second one. It was about this time there was a soft knock on the bedroom door before it opened and we heard, “Is it okay if I come in?” Turning toward the voice Joanne and I saw the face of the maid who took us to our room early this morning, and motioned for her to enter. She must have seen the puzzled look on our faces as Joanne held up the card with my name one it. She giggled a bit before telling us, “Mademoiselle Jan took us to your home and had us bring some of your clothing her so they were here for you to wear.” Mademoiselle Jan? Now Jan is a mademoiselle? I think we needed to have a serious talk with that little snot. “Monsieur Marks sends his love and wishes for you to know lunch will be ready when you come down.” At those words she turned and walked out the door, closing it behind her. I turned to Joanne and said, “I’ll choose our lingerie and you choose our outfits for today.” The only answer I received was an almost tonsil hunting kiss before Joanne turned and started towards the walk in closet. She was still close enough and I couldn’t let a good opportunity escape, so I smacked her on the butt, getting a squeal and a giggle before she scurried out of my reach.
I turned back to the still opened drawer containing my lingerie and decided to wear my favorite bra and panty set, only to have a feeling wash over me that caused me to choose my white lacy bra and panty set. I had also decided on garters and stockings but that feeling had me grab my jet black pantyhose. I was frowning as this occurred but frowned even more as I chose the same for Joanne. Still bewildered, I closed the drawer containing Joanne’s lingerie and turned to see Joanne standing in front of the walk in closet holding two dresses. In the short time we’ve been together we’ve developed a sense of what the other was saying or asking just by our body language or facial expressions. I held up what I was holding and gave Joanne my “heck if I know” look and shrug, only to receive the same from her. I noticed Joanne had pulled out her beige two inch pumps and my black two inch pumps, plus our matching purses. This time I gave her my “what the hell” look and she returned the same. We both shook our heads and decided the best thing to do was just go with it and get dressed. We’d done our makeup light, only a light application of mascara and lipstick, so we were ready to head downstairs about ten minutes later.
As we approached the head of the stairs we could hear murmurs of conversations. They became a bit more distinct as we descended the stairs, but still too low for us to make out the individual conversations. We were once again met by the maid who’s been looking over us since our wedding, and we didn’t even know her name—kind of rude of us really. “Pardon me, would you mind telling us your name? I feel we’ve been rude not asking,” I told her as she replied with, “I am Susan, and it really has been my pleasure to help you. Would the Madams please follow me, I’ll guide to the dining room.” As Susan guided to the dining room, I couldn’t help thinking Tom and Silvia could use a Bullet Train for this place; it’s that big. Susan stopped before a set of opened double doors and directed us to go inside. All talking stopped as Joanne and I walked in, hand in hand, and looking a bit shocked—again. We expected to see Tom and Silvia, but didn’t expect to see Thomas, Mary, Chris, Julie, and of course, Jan. “Ah, there they are, finally joining the living,” Tom said in a very cheerful tone as he walked over to us and gave warm, and welcomed, kisses. “Come in, sit sit sit,” he told us and directed us to the two remaining empty chairs. And wouldn’t you know it, the little snot just had to get things started as she asked, “Well, how’d you sleep or did you get to sleep.”
You’ve probably seen a person like Jan, one who love to dig right in to an embarrassing situation, and is about to burst out laughing at any comment that’s made. Those five were primed and ready, as were Tom and Silvia by Jan’s question. And everyone within earshot died on the floor when Joanne replied, “We’re both very sore this morning. And yes we got to sleep, at 6 a. m.” I dropped my head to my chest and just shook it; I also wanted to find a mouse hole to crawl into. I could not believe what Joanne just said, it is so out of character for her. What else that was out of character was her sticking her tongue out at our five family members; which started another round of laughter. Joanne became red faced when she realized what she had said and done, but being swarmed by our family soon helped her realize she had no need to be embarrassed.
We had another lovely meal at the Marks, with all our family. And yet all through the meal I kept seeing Jan glancing at Tom and Tom glancing at Jan, each having twinkles in their eyes. Something was up, again, and it had to do with Joanne and me. Their surprise was presented, sprung on us was a better term, just after dessert.
“Joanne, Sara,” Tom said after clearing his throat a couple of time. As Tom started speaking the room became deathly silent, as he continued with, “There is no way I can repay the kindness you showed me or what you did for me on that day we learned our daughter, Donna, had been killed. That simple act stopped me from going out, as I had planned, and killing myself—I was that distraught. I, no we, will be eternally grateful to you two and you both have a place in this house forever. You also made us happy beyond words by becoming our adopted daughters, if only in spirit.” Jan handed Tom an envelope and he continued. “Girls, you both may know that it’s customary for the happy couple to embark on a honeymoon after their wedding.” I could feel the tears running down my cheeks and saw Joanne did too as I looked at her, then back to Tom and his outstretched hand holding one of the envelopes. Taking the envelope I tried to open it with shaking hands, only to have Joanne gently take it from me and open it. Inside was two first-class round trip tickets to Europe by air, along with a week-long stay in Paris at one of the finest hotel in that city—I’d been there once. “And girls, you can’t be in Paris without going shopping to your heart’s desire,” he told us as he handed over the other envelope. Joanne took it this time because I WAS a mess, sobbing over what these sweet people were doing for us. “Oh my, are you sure,” Joanne asked as she looked in the faces of the seven people sitting with us. “Sweetie, no one here now has the words to express what the two of you have done for us, personally, and Jan’s since the two of you found each other seven years ago. I honestly believe Jan’s wouldn’t be as successful without the effort you two put in with not only our clients but other employees. You two, whether you realize it, have shown everyone a courage that had been lacking for so long and a caring for one another that had also been lacking from many lives for far too long.” Jan took a breath before finally saying, “Yes sweetie, we’re sure, we want you to have that money.” I looked down at the money Joanne was holding as she whispered, “There’s twenty thousand dollars here.” That’s when we both lost it, only to be engulfed by hugs and love from seven of our family members. We later learned even Susan had to excuse herself for a few minutes. And why did that feeling have us dress as we did, because our flight was leaving in three hours, giving us enough time to get to the airport, check in and get through security. And it was going to be a seven person escort up to the security checkpoint. And no, don’t worry about our luggage, it had been packed and waiting in the car.
****I wiped the tears off my cheeks as I remembered that time, and reached over and did the same for Joanne, as she had reached the pictures of that moment held in time. “That was really a day to remember, on top of all the others,” she told me, as she backhanded more tears off her cheeks. Aw, crap, damn bladder.****
After our melt down subsided, and a bit of face repair, the nine of us rode to the airport in one, yes one, of the Marks’ limos. A porter took care of our luggage as we entered the terminal and checked it at the airlines. Airport security could take some time to get through so we were escorted to our security check point and given tearful hugs and goodbyes; the lady’s room would be our first stop before going to the first class lounge. At this point it would be pointless to give a day by day of our activities while in Paris, we did so many things. I will say I was glad there was a UPS store near our hotel because we shipped quite a bit home, with a lot of gifts that were for our family and what they did for us. One of the things we did get came from our short time spent in London; we got to ride the train through the Chunnel. I do hope the Marks and Jan like what we got them. Saturday finally arrived for our return to the States, our flight didn’t leave until late afternoon so we had time to have one more fabulous meal, so we didn’t rush getting up Saturday morning. After our meal we checked out of the hotel; our luggage was waiting for us in one of the hotel limo. We said our goodbyes, climbed into the limo and were taking to the airport, where a porter once again took care of our luggage while we checked in at the airlines desk. Security took a bit longer because of the number of people wanting to catch flights, but we eventually made it through and walked down to the first class lounge for our flight. We didn’t realize how tired we really were until the flight attendant woke us to let us know that we’d be landing in a few minutes. Joanne and I had slept the entire time on the flight home. And the lady’s lounge was the first thing we’d find when we landed. And yes, we were both extremely sore after our trip, but glad for it.
After we visited the lady’s, we headed to the luggage carousel to pick up our luggage. When we arrived at the carousel we had another surprise as we saw Thomas, Mary, Chris, Julie and of course the little snot, Jan. The smiles on their faces were so wide I’m surprised their faces didn’t split. There were cries of joy at seeing us, hugs, kisses, tears, more hugs, more kisses, and more tears, and questions galore before we finally got down to removing our luggage from the carousel. They already had a trolley, so we had no trouble getting our luggage out to what turned out to be, the Marks limo. And guess who was waiting in the limo to surprise us? Yep, Tom and Silvia; think wash, rinse, and repeat from our meeting at the carousel. It had been such joy to see these people again that I hadn’t had time to ask the obvious question, “What are you all doing here. Joanne and I were going to take a taxi home.” Have you ever had seven people give you an incredulous look all at the same time? Makes you think you got caught with your hand somewhere it shouldn’t have been. “Road biscuits,” Tom said in that fake mad voice he uses most of the time around us. “You two are not taking some horse pucky taxi to get home. Our daughters only travel in style.” And with his speech finished, we received kisses on our cheeks and were then pushed into the awaiting limo.
We wanted to get home, had to get home, we’d been away from our home for too long. We actually wanted to get home to see if any of our plants were still living after letting Jan take care of things. At our mentioning this all we received from the little snot, was her tongue waved in our faces. It was wonderful to see these people again. We weren’t told we’d have company waiting when we returned home, because there were two rather expensive SUVs parked in the driveway. Funny how quiet things got when I mentioned this fact, watching as all eyes landed on Tom. “Okay, Tom, give,” I said in my best “I’m pissed” voice—of course I really wasn’t. Tom is what, seventy, seventy-five, and yet he looked like his hand was caught trying to take cookies from the cookie jar. “Well, you see, um, I um, well I bought you both new SUVs,” rushed out of him like the wind of a tornado. I know Joanne was trying to grasp what he just said because it was written on her face, and it must have been written on my face because all eyes suddenly turned towards Joanne and me. I bet those seven wished they had ear plugs because when the realization of what Tom said finally sunk in, Joanne and I screamed our heads off—the limo driver simply raised the glass partition. A collective sigh left those seven as they then basked in the joy we were displaying. We also ran over everyone as the driver opened the door after parking in our driveway.
Joanne and I were like to little girls on Christmas morning, running around those two SUVs trying to decide who got which one based on the color. That’s when Joanne took a coin from her pocket and told me, “Call it.” “Aw crap,” I said after she flipped the coin and it came up tails. Joanne chose the deep blue SUV, leaving me with the deep maroon one. We had the good graces to look at our seven family members after our little bit of excitement, and saw they were having as much fun just watching our antics. There was another round of hugs and kisses and hugs and kisses before I asked, “Would you all like to come in for a while?” Tom ever the gentleman took my hand then said, “Honey, this is the first time you two are home as married woman. You enjoy your first married night in your own home, but come to our home Saturday morning and spend the day with us and then attend a welcome home party that night.” Six heads nodded in a pleading agreement, so what could we really say but, “Deal.” The driver had already taken our luggage into our house, so we gave more hugs and kisses until the last one was in the limo and it was backing down the drive. Joanne and I watch until the limo was out of site before we turned to each other and said in unison, “Welcome home Mrs. Mathew.” Joanne tried to pull the flip the coin trick again to see who carried who over the threshold, but I’d have none of it, since I was bigger so I was going to carry her. Or so I thought when I tried. Joanne just chuckled as she swept me off my feet and carried me into our home, kicking the door closed behind us and going directly to our bedroom. We didn’t pass go or collect our two hundred dollars, but oh gawd were we going to be sore in the morning.
Ding-dong-dong-ding dong-dong-ding-ding
My eyes snapped open at the sound of the front door chimes. Joanne and I finally drifted off the sleep around 3 a.m. and it being Sunday, someone had better have died or there being a city wide emergency, or our house is on fire, because I’m going to kill whoever woke us at…I looked at the clock to see it showing 10 a.m. Joanne had fallen asleep as close to me as she could without crawling under my skin. Her head rested on my chest, just above my breasts and her left leg was draped over my left leg with her left hand resting on my belly. “Hey sweetie, someone’s at the front door,” I told her in a near whisper. “Uh huh,” she murmured back to me as her head slid down to my left breast and she began to suckle the nipple. At the same time her left hand slid down between my legs and began where she left off at three this morning.
Ding-dong-dong-ding dong-dong-ding-ding
Oh gawd Joanne’s administrations felt wonderful, just as they had most of last night into early this morning. “Hey hon,” I whispered just before kissing the back of her neck, “I need to get up to see who’s at the door. I’ll kill them quick then you can continue what you’re doing.” I kissed her neck again, as my motor was getting extremely close to ramping up. I knew if I let her continue much longer, I wouldn’t care who was standing in front of our front door. I reached over with my right arm and took hold of her left ear with my right hand, at the same time I used my left hand to take hold of her right ear and pulled her head up so she was looking me in the eyes. I had to laugh at her expression, which was a cross between sucking a lemon and a kid who’s pouting because they didn’t get their way. “Sweetheart,” I said between laughs, “I really need to see who’s at the front door, okay?” Still holding her ears I nodded her head up and down. “I’ll kill them quickly then you can continue what you were doing, okay?” Again I nodded her head up and down and for my efforts she stuck her tongue out at me; I quickly lifted my head up and sucked her tongue for all I was worth before releasing her ears. Joanne levered herself up enough so I could get out of bed, after which I grabbed my robe as I walked by a chair near the bedroom door. Basically stomping down the hallway, while dragging my robe behind me, I reached the front door and actually threw it open and yelled, “WHAT?”
As I looked into a face too cheery for this time of morning I heard, “Morning, you girls already up?” My sleep deprived eyes took a moment to recognize the person standing before me, but it didn’t take much longer for my facial recognition software to kick in when I heard, “A bit underdressed aren’t you?” Jan, it was Jan, too cheery at this time on a Sunday morning and I was going to kill her slowly. She held up a bag then said, “I have food.” At the mention of food my stomach let me know that neither Joanne nor I had eaten any food from the time we got in bed until this moment. Her first question hit me as I looked down at myself and remembered I was in my birthday suit. I gave her my best incredulous look, backed the door against the wall, and watched as a too cheery Jan walked into our home.
As Jan’s butt cleared the door, I slammed it shut. “I hope you realize you interrupted the beginning of another wonderful session with my Mrs.?” I told her while all the time trying to decide what to do with her body. I guess all the noise I was making caused Joanne to get curious because no sooner had I chewed Jan out for interrupting us, then Joanne came walking down the hall, dragging her robe and in her birthday suit. “What’s all the noise,” she slurred/mumbled when she walked into the living room. “I got food,” Jan said again, this time to Joanne as she held up the bag. Joanne came to a stop directly in front of Jan and told her in her still half asleep voice, “You realize I was in the process of getting Sara all hot and bothered? And you interrupted that!!” As I watched, Jan set the bag of food on the floor then took Joanne face in her hands and gently kissed her. Joanne’s reply was gentle to start with, but grew in intensity as the kiss lingered. I watched as Jan dropped her left hand down between Joanne’s legs and began doing what Joanne had started with me before the front door chimes rang.
I quietly walked up behind Jan and reached around and started unbuttoning her blouse. She dropped her arms long enough for me to completely remove her blouse, but resumed what she was doing between Joanne’s legs. I then unbuttoned and unzipped the side button and zipper on her slacks and helped her remove them completely while she never once missing a beat with Joanne. Next to be removed were her bra and panties, and where they landed I couldn’t tell you. I walked around to Jan’s right side and leaned into her and began suckling her right nipple, while my hand started doing to her what she was doing to Joanne. I saw Joanne grab Jan’s left wrist and steady it as she mounted the fingers and started riding them of her own volition. I felt Jan’s right hand reach between my legs and I was off to the races. Joanne was riding Jan’s fingers just as I was, while Jan and Joanne were still kissing while I was giving Jan the same between her legs. I could not tell you who came first or if it was a group yell, but it wasn’t long before we wondered if the neighbors might have called the police to report a murder. Everything started slowing down between us until we were leaning on each other for support. To my surprise, Joanne then took Jan’s hand and started pulling her down the hall to our bedroom. In a move which surprised not only me but Jan as well, Joanne picked up Jan and gently laid her on the bed, getting on the bed herself and right between Jan’s legs. I quickly understood what Joanne had in mind; it was our turn to pleasure Jan.
I opened one eye and it happened to be the eye which could see the clock, and when it focused I saw it was three in the afternoon. I was cuddled up to Jan on her left, while Joanne was cuddled up on her right. My head was on Jan’s shoulder while Joanne’s head was on her chest; oh this should be good, I thought as I realized how Joanne had positioned herself. And right on cue, Joanne slid her head down to Jan’s right breast and began to suckle the right nipple. Her hand, which had been resting on Jan’s belly, slid down between Jan’s legs and began rubbing her clitoris. Jan let out a moan as Joanne used her own form of a wake up alarm, which was more pleasant than any alarm I’d ever heard. As Jan moaned louder, and deeper, Joanne increased her administrations, until Jan’s moans became a staccato array of moans with guttural overtones of a growl. It didn’t hurt that I was giving her left breast and nipple a bit of TLC.
As if Jan had been shocked by an electrical wire, her body tensed, I felt a hand on the back of my head pressing me hard into her left breast, as she pulled Joanne’s head harder into her groin. At this point Jan uttered a deep moaning guttural scream as our administrations culminated in her climaxing. Ever so slowly Jan started to relax, the tension going out of her body and her hold on Joanne and I easing. “Oh my gawd, that was so intense,” she told us as she reached up with her right hand and began combing Joanne’s hair with her fingers. She turned her head to me and we locked lips and we explored each other’s tongues for a bit less than she had with Joanne. “Oh gads, what time is it?” Jan asked as we all came up for air. “A little after three in the afternoon,” I told her as I stroked her hair. Joanne had turned herself so she could look at Jan, I was facing her, but we both started laughing when Jan made a face which showed she couldn’t believe how late it was. “I still have food,” she told us and all three of us broke up with laughter.
The three of us finally got out of bed and made our way to the two bathrooms in our house, where we used the toilets then both showers; Joanne and I didn’t want to waste water so we showered together, and were good girls doing so. Mostly, sort of, kind of. About twenty minutes later, give or take, three cleaned and pressed girls finally ate the meal Jan had brought with her when she arrived at ten that morning. We told her about our honeymoon, where we went, what we saw, and it was then I went into our bedroom and brought out Jan’s gift we purchased in London. I sat the box in front of Jan, getting a questioning look from her as I told her, “We hope you like it.” Still giving us a questioning look, Jan took the knife I offered her and carefully cut through the tape keeping the box flaps closed, then after removing all the packing material, carefully lifted out a rather ornate wooden box. The wooden box was about eighteen inches tall and about six inches square. The top of the wooden box was held in place by four latches, one on each side of the box. We had been shown how to open the box so I did what we had been shown and wrapped my hands around the sides while I nodded to Jan to undo the latches. Joanne then reached over and removed the top and I slowly let the sides fold down one at a time. “OH MY GAWD,” Jan exclaimed after the sides were folded down, revealing a glass figure of Aphrodite. It stood a little over fourteen inches high, and stood on a base which was about five inches square, and made of solid crystal. “…oh my gawd,” Jan whispered while taking in the beauty of the statue. I reached over and gently wiped the tears off her cheeks as I told her, “When we saw this, all we could think of was everything you’ve done for us over the years and in making our wedding so beautiful. You showed us a beauty we’d never seen, or had, in our lives until meeting you. Neither of us can fully express the love we have for you or how grateful we are that you came into our lives. At that point Jan lost it and started crying in earnest. Joanne and I gathered up that lovely woman and held her until she cried herself out. As we watched, Jan seemed to be gathering her thoughts to tell us something, she was pensive, even biting her lower lip, but instead of saying anything she surprised us by taking first Joanne’s hand then mine and led up back to our bedroom.
This time all three of us came back to the land of the living about the same time, after having another wonderful time together for an unknown amount of time. It was Joanne, this time, which became the coo-coo clock and told us it was 8 p.m. We looked at each other and started to giggle, because first it was from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., then from 4 p.m. until 8 p.m., with only one meal where food was involved. Our giggles turned into laughter, the laughter turned into cuddles, and the cuddles turned into caresses which lead to us falling asleep an unknown time later. But we still had only one meal where food was involved. When the three of awoke the third time, we realized we were starving, but needed to clean up before getting something to eat. Knowing what would ensue if Joanne and I showered together, I wisely let her go first; Jan showered in the other bathroom. While they showered I called one of my favorite places, theirs too, and placed an order for three of the number 10 Chinese dinners, with extra sauce and extra fortune cookies. As Joanne and I passed each other, and kissed, I told her a delivery would be arriving shortly.
****I came back to reality to find Joanne looking at me with a concerned look on her face. “What’s wrong, sweetie, you have that hurt/embarrassed/guilty expression on your face,” she asked as I could once again feel tears sliding down my cheeks. “I was remembering that Sunday after we returned from our honeymoon, and our love making with Jan. What have we done, Joanne, our own daughter?” I told her as I burst into tears. Joanne pulled me in close to her, pushed my head down onto her shoulder and let me cry. “I know sweetie, I’ve thought about that too. But at the time we didn’t know she was our daughter, the daughter we have right now who attends kindergarten. All we knew at the time was that we had fallen in love with a young woman who had almost moved the world for us and we knew only one way to express ourselves to her, beside with words. Does that make us terrible people, no I don’t think so. Will it help us love our Janelle more, yes I think so, and Jonathan and Thomas and Christine. That time with Jan showed us how much people need another person in their lives if it is to be complete. You make my life complete, and at that time, Jan made our lives complete. I don’t think whatever God that’s out there will be mad at us for the way we loved another human who showed nothing but love for us.” I sniffed a bit and mulled over what Joanne just said. Do I love the kids, and Joanne, more because of that day with Jan…yes, I do. I’m not so afraid to be more physically with the kids, too afraid to hug when in a crowd or give a kiss with others around. And because of Joanne and that day, I understand a lot more what love feels like, what it makes you want to do for others. Joanne is right, we didn’t know then what we know now and I shouldn’t dwell on it being a mistake in our lives.****
The door chimes sounded, as I was drying my hair, which meant our food was here. This time no one was wearing a robe, we all had our clothes back on; thank goodness, I’m not sure my soreness could stand more soreness. I hope no one notices three women walking rather delicately tomorrow at work. The conversation as we ate was light, joking, and about work tomorrow. “Um…” Jan started and paused to get her words right. “About tomorrow, I’m not sure, but there might be a welcome back party for you two. But you didn’t hear it from me and I’ll lie through my teeth if anyone finds out I told you.” She was sure my foot, that smile she had on her face said she was the ringleader of this party. “Uh, huh, right, you know nothing about this party. I’ve know you too long, you snot, and I know when you wear that smile you are the head of any conspiracy that involves doing something good for someone else. And we love you all the more for it.” My last statement got Jan’s tears flowing; heck, it got all our tears flowing. But it was the absolute truth when it came to this woman. The tears caused another group hug fest before we finished eating. It was after midnight before Jan left, but not without kisses all around and another group hug. Tomorrow should be rather interesting in more than one way.
When the alarm went off the next morning, Monday, Joanne was snuggled up against my back with her left arm draped over my chest. Just after the alarm stopped sounding that minx started tweaking my left nipple in order to walk me; she also knew what could result if she continued. “You know if you continue doing that we’ll be late for work?” I told her with a bit of a croaky voice, which didn’t persuade her to stop. “…mmm huh,” she mumbled, but didn’t stop. I turned over as gently as I could so I wouldn’t pull Joanne’s fingers from my nipple, and spent a few minutes hunting for her tonsils. After breaking the kiss Joanne told me, “I guess we better get up, huh?” I hunted her tonsils a few moments more and replied with a sigh, “Yeah, we better.” In one of our moments like this, I should know by now never to turn my back on Joanne when I’m naked. I rolled over to get out of bed and had no sooner started to get up than received a slap on my butt. Of course I jumped, then turned around only to see the most precious grin on Joanne face, one which a certain cat in a tree would do well to learn. I showed Joanne a fist before offering my hands to help her out of bed. I should have also known that Joanne allowing me to help her out of bed was part of another want she had, because as she put her feet on the floor and I pulled her up, she pulled me toward her as at the same time letting go of my hands and wrapping her arms around my back. And if you haven’t guessed by now, yes we tonsil hunted a bit more as we grinded against each other. Joanne was going to be terrible at work today, she was not going to let me forget what she wanted tonight. I only hope the fire hoses work on the first floor, I may need them.
Reason finally reached Joanne’s brain, and while she did the bathroom I did the kitchen getting our breakfast started. “Your turn,” she hollered when she walked out of the bathroom and into our bedroom to get dressed. Most of what I was fixing for breakfast went into the over, and Joanne would keep an eye on it while I showered and dressed. We had breakfast then dealt with the dishes, were dressed and had touched up of lipstick when the clock showed eight o’clock. We grabbed our purses, walked out to my car and were on our way to work by five after eight. When we reached our usual parking structure the place I usually park was taken, as so were the next one and the ones after that, which is strange because we usually arrive early enough not to have a problem with parking. As we went up to the next level we saw the strangest sight, a sign hanging over a parking spot which read, “Sara park here.” I looked at Joanne, she looked at me, and we both remembered what Jan said last night, about a welcome home party being thrown for us on our first day back. I rolled my eyes and shrugged, as did Joanne, and pulled into that parking space. We walked to the elevator and there too was a sign reading, “Sara, Joanne, take this one,” with an arrow pointing to one of the two elevators. Joanne and I just shook our heads, I pushed the button, and Joanne grabbed my hand; what else did these lovely people have in mind.
The elevator took us down to the ground level of the parking structure, where when the doors opened we saw a red carpet, and another message. “Joanne and Sara, stay on the red carpet.” The really strange thing was that this wasn’t here when we first pulled into the structure. We had to park on the fourth level, so that must have given whoever enough time to get this placed. “Well, might as well walk the red carpet, sweetie,” Joanne said and she pulled me out of the elevator and along the red carpet. Normally we’d walk the breezeway and enter Jan’s by the front door. But the red carpet was taking us to the back of the auditorium and to its rear door. That door is always kept locked, but not today, it opened right up when I presses down on the outside latch and pulled on the door. Just inside the door was a big arrow pointing in the direction of the stage; the red carpet headed that way too. Staying on the carpet we followed it until we were standing in the middle of the stage behind the main curtain. I’m sure my foot tapping could be heard quite plainly had anyone been in the auditorium, which they hadn’t, until someone activated the main curtain and we heard, “SURPRISE,” from a completely full auditorium—that was everyone in our office. And then as if on cue, “WELCOME BACK.” Jan had prepared us for a surprise but actually having it happen was altogether different, especially with all the genuine smiles we were seeing. Jan came up and gave us both a hug and kissed our cheeks, then led us off the stage and into a mass of lovely people. This was really the best way to start off the work day.
A year ago, before we married, Joanne and I decided we’d wait one year after we were married before becoming pregnant—and yes we flipped a coin to see who would be inseminated first. And it may sound crass but we spoke with Thomas and his wife, after we had talked about waiting the year, about Thomas being our sperm donor. They didn’t reject our request outright but asked us to let them discuss it and they’d let us know their answer in a few days. Joanne and I are currently at our OB-GYN and Joanne is holding my hand as our doctor, Dr. Janice as she likes to be called, is about to inseminate me with Thomas’ sperm. Joanne had watched me like a hawk these past few days, making sure we came in at the peak of my ovulation. Dr. Janice told us after the procedure that we’d know for sure in a couple of weeks if the insemination had been successful. Two days later I got to see what the inside of a toilet bowl looked like on a very personal level; Joanne had called Dr. Janice and was told to bring me in for an exam. At Dr. Janice’s office, she had just taken a blood sample when I told her I was going to be sick, again. It was a good thing they had barf bags handy because I left her a full one. Dr. Janice said it looked like I was pregnant but they’d look at my blood and let me know in a few days. Feeling good I was not, my stomach was empty and I wanted something to eat. The first five places Joanne mentioned Joanne said my face went all green. The sixth place, a place we never visit, was the winner, a health food restaurant. We really shouldn’t be surprised because Dr. Janice told us I might start having weird cravings once I became pregnant.
Joanne and Dr. Janice kept a close eye on me as I started showing. There were regular visits, visits Joanne pulled me too, visits I would have blown off because “I was feeling fine;” Joanne has yet to master the incredulous look but she tries. As we had discussed before we married, the winner of the coin toss was pragnantized first with the other to follow six months later. We are again in Dr. Janice’s office but this time I’m holding Joanne’s hand as Dr. Janice performed the procedure. And just like what happened to me two days afterwards, Joanne got up close and personal with the inside of the toilet bowl. Guess that meant she too was now pregnant, huh?
Two pregnant women in the same household, one six months along in her pregnancy and the other a few weeks, and talk about weird cravings, oy, did we have some weird cravings. I really don’t like fish, or any of that type food, it’s a long story that I won’t talk about here, but during these last six months I ate more fish and fish type foods than I ever had, since the thought or mention of eating red meat, of any kind, caused my stomach to do more than flip flops—I’ll have to remember to get that toilet a birthday card. And if you think I was bad, Joanne was much worse. Joanne has a hard time eating any leafy greens, another long story, but in the short time she’s been pregnant she can’t get enough leafy greens. And watching her as she ate copious amounts of red meat was enough to send me running towards my old porcelain friend more than once. So we had to compromise about which restaurant we visited, or what we fixed or had delivered, so that neither of us sent the other to visit our now very old friend.
One night about three months later I suddenly woke from what I thought was a bad case of gas; looking at the clock it showed 11 p.m. I used the crane over our bed to hoist myself out of bed and waddled into the bathroom where my old friend did receive a deposit, but I still felt out of sorts. I waddled back to bed only to feel more discomfort which must have waken Joanne because her table lamp came on and she then looked me square in the eyes and asked, “Are you in labor?” Hearing Joanne’s question caused my light came on, only it wasn’t my table lamp but the one in my head. So this is what labor feels like, as I told Joanne, “I guess so, guess we’d better get me to the hospital.” By the time I grunted my way out of bed, Joanne had already called Dr. Janice to tell her it was my time, and we were heading to the hospital. Being the two girls we are, and where we work, we’d already thought ahead and only had to grab my already packed small suitcase before Joanne helped my waddling body get to her car.
Fifteen minutes later we arrived at the hospital, where as we were walking in an orderly suddenly showed up with a wheelchair that became my legs into the hospital and towards the delivery room. Thankfully Dr. Janice was there, because even though Joanne never left my side, I was scared. Scared to go through the whole experience and very scared I’d never get to see my baby alive. We were taken into a delivery waiting room where they gave Joanne a surgical gown and helped her wash her hands properly. While that was happening I was helped into a hospital gown and helped onto an examination table. Dr. Janice came in just as I was up on the table and as she always did we us, explained everything she was now going to do, in that extremely reassuring voice she used. After what seemed a quick look, Dr. Janice said to the room in general and me specifically, “Hey sweetie, we best get you into the delivery room right now, because your water broke and I can see a small head of hair.” Just like the day Joanne and I were whisked off to the airport for our honeymoon, those in the room with us whisked us off to the delivery in a well-rehearsed manner. First I was helped onto a gurney, then with one nurse on one end and one on the other, my gurney was wheeled out the door with Dr. Janice right behind me. Joanne was held back until I was out the door and guided down to the delivery room. Joanne was given a mask before guided into the room, while a hair net was placed over my hair; and we never once stopped our forward motion. An hour later, while Joanne held my hand and helped when directed, Janelle Mary Mathew made her first appearance into the world, a beautiful 7.5 lbs. 18.5 inch long healthy baby girl, who had no trouble announcing her arrival. It took a few more minutes for the birthing process to complete, but when it did I was cleaned up and taken to my room; we had pre-registered me so we didn’t have to worry about that when delivery time came.
I must have had a concerned mothers’ face on when Janelle was taken out of the room, but Dr. Janice assured me it was alright and Janelle was just being given a thorough exam and cleaned up before being brought to my room. What seemed like forever, Jan was finally in my arms, having been clothed in a pink blanket and cap, and making it know that she wanted something—she takes after Joanne in that department. Because of all the help Dr. Janice gave us throughout my pregnancy I knew Janelle would be hungry and had the greatest thrill the minute Janelle began feeding from my breast. Joanne could do things to my breasts that not only buckled my knees but curled my toes as well. But this, my own child suckling my breast, was heads and tails over anything Joanne could do. As Joanne watched Janelle nurse, I could see the longing in her face, in her eyes, as I pulled her close and whispered, “Not long now before you get to have the same experience.” She kissed me then laid her head on my shoulder so she could watch as Janelle nursed. I also felt my shoulder get wet as the tears escaped Joanne’s eyes, tears of happiness and tears of expectations. We had started our family.
We also had a spy among our midst, because there was a soft knock on the door as it opened to admit Jan, Thomas, Alice, Mary, and Julie, each carrying a small gift. I became a bit worried when I saw Thomas for I was feeding Janelle, but he mouthed, “It’s okay, been there seen that, got the t-shirt to prove it.” I could only snort at his silent comment, but cover Janelle’s head anyway in case any of the nurses objected; I explained this to Thomas a bit later, getting a story about the same thing happening to Katie when she was feeding Tammy—only that nurse threw his father out of the room, literally threw him out of the room.
Dr. Janice knew how close the two of us were, and except for Janelle, who went into her own small bed, Dr. Janice had spoken to the hospital on our behalf and Joanne had slept besides me the rest of the night. Not only did we sleep through the rest of the night but so did Janelle, and was the first one up when she announced she was messy, wet, and hungry. A nurse came in about that time and we knew they monitored the rooms audibly so weren’t surprised when she came in to change Janelle. She used that time to help us learn how to care for an infant when their diaper had to be changed. And yes, explain just how messy we might find her diaper before her system stabilized a bit more to accept solid foods. I raised the head of my bed up so I could take Janelle from the nurse and let her breast feed. The nurse told us that my breakfast would be brought in as soon and Janelle stopped feeding, so I suggested that Joanne go and get herself some breakfast; someone nixed two breakfasts being brought into my room. “Hey, hon, I’ll be fine and so will you,” I told her as I squeezed her hand and pulled her down for a very nice, loving, kiss. She looked a bit better, nodded her head and left to find the cafeteria. Joanne has come a long ways since her transformation, but there are times when Jonathan’s embarrassment over being a girl ekes out and I have to help remind her that no one even sees a man when she is by herself—I reminded her in another way over the past two years. More so since our wedding; and I’m sore again but it’s a wonderful soreness.
Joanne and I had had the foresight and the kick in the pants by Jan, to discuss what to do after our children were born. We had decided to ask Jan if taking a month off would put Jan’s in a bind, we could then hire a nanny to help with the children. We shouldn’t have been surprised when Jan TOLD us we would be taking a month off and she had a nanny already lined up who would be with us during the day to help us with our infants. I was doing it, and felt sure Joanne was too, but I could only shake my head in amazement of that woman. You can’t argue with a tornado any more than you can argue with Jan once she’s made a decision. We would be taking a month off; we would be having a nanny, end of story.
It was Saturday, and Janelle was six months old, and had just fed and was down for her nap. Joanne and Kelly, our nanny, were in the kitchen fixing lunch when Joanne let out a loud groan and grabbed the island counter. “Aw, crap,” Joanne said in an exasperated voice, “My water just broke and messed up the kitchen floor.” I couldn’t help it as I burst out laughing at her proclamation. “Hey, it’s not funny, now someone has to clean it up because I can get up off my knees once I’m down.” That did it, both Kelly and I were roaring with laughter. Leave it Joanne to worry about something that isn’t important when something spectacular is about to happen. It totally escaped her notice that she was in labor. Once our laughter died, Kelly gently took Joanne and guided her to my car while I once again called Dr. Janice then grabbed Joanne’s suitcase. Suffice to say as with my delivery, wash, rinse, repeat, and like my delivery, about an hour after we were in the delivery room, an 8 lbs. 19 in long Christine Alice Mathew enter the world singing to her hearts’ content. Their treatment of Joanne was exactly like the treatment I received, wonderful and very caring. As Joanne had six months ago, I laid my head on her shoulder as Christine nursed, and wet Joanne’s shoulder as my happiness leaked out. Two of our four planned children had comes into our lives, and soon the other two would be joining them. And of course the spy had blabbed and the usual five showed up baring gifts, again. Wonder if I’ll ever stop saying how much I love those people, all of them.
****Coming back from my memories, I took Joanne’s hand and pulled her up off the couch. I silently led first to Jan’s room, then to Chris’s, then to Jon’s, then to Thomas’. She knew what I was doing, and pulled free of my hand and put that arm around my waist. “Remembering their births,” she whispered, and I just nodded. Those four sleeping forms never saw their mothers sucking face just outside their rooms, or where mother Joanne put her hand on mother Sara. I almost melted against Joanne’s hand, but broke our kiss and told her, “I’m hungry.” Joanne just giggled and we went into the kitchen before going back to the couch. Wash, rinse, repeat about my feelings for the woman I married, and our children.****
I should probably back up and tell about the day Kelly and I took Janelle to Jan’s a few days before I was to return to work. The day started off calmly, with Kelly packing all of Janelle’s major necessities while I got her dressed. We got Janelle into her car seat and Kelly sat in the back with her while I drove to Jan’s; I parked in front of Jan’s since I was technically not an employee today. In hindsight I should have phoned Joanne to let her know we were coming to Jan’s because the minute Kelly opened the front door and I walked through carrying Janelle, Cindy went absolutely nuts; I wouldn’t be surprised they didn’t hear her on the third or fourth floors. Cindy’s banshee cry alerted everyone on the first floor and within seconds it was a mob trying their best to see Janelle. I thought for a minute Joanne was going to break out a club in order to make her way to us, but thankfully when everyone realized who was trying to push through the mod, they gladly let her through; it took me several minutes to calm her down. A few moments after the mob gathered around, I heard the shrillest whistle I’d ever heard, which, thankfully, diverted everyone’s attention. “ALRIGHT YOU BOZOS,” Jan yelled at those gathered around us, “BACK OFF!!”
Momma bear had come out of her den and found her cub threatened by a huge mob, and the mob included almost every client which had been in Jan’s at the time on the first floor. You remember about Moses parting the Red Sea with God’s help? Jan’s voice and known attitude was all people had to see and hear to move way back away from us. “Sara, dang it all, why didn’t you call before you came? This pack of hyenas had been clamoring to see Janelle since the day she was born.” Giving the impression to everyone but Jan that I had been properly chastened, I smirked at the same time Jan did. “Okay, you animals, take it easy now and have a look, there are others higher up who deserve a chance too.” This time things were a “bit” more orderly, as everyone had a chance to see Janelle and do their own version of ogling. Once everyone, including our clients, had had an eyeful, Jan called up to the other floors to warn them of our coming. The visit on the other floors was more orderly, but just by a hair. And what happened when Kelly and Joanne brought both Janelle and Christine to Jan’s, wash, rinse, and repeat my experience times two.
The year flew by, business at Jan’s increased so much we had to refurbish two more floors and hire more employees. It was also Janelle’s birthday, her first, which we had to have at the Marks because of orders from the little snot. As Joanne and I found out later, holding Janelle’s birthday at the Marks was really a diversion, because when we got home both Janelle’s room and Christine’s room had been refurnished with items that had to have cost a fortune. And it wasn’t long after we got home then the front door chimes rang and who should be stand there with a smile on her face, that’s right, our own lovely snot, Jan. Joanne had perfected her incredulous look by now and joined me in giving it to Jan. “So, how do you like it, the change I mean,” Jan sheepishly asked. We both could tell she was nervous, afraid we would blow up at her for what she did. She even had tears forming when Joanne and I pulled her into a very tight hug and told her, “We love it, thank you.” Jan let out a sob we didn’t realize she was holding back, and had there been time or us afraid of walking up Janelle or Christine, we would have taken that girl to bed—we did find others times to express our love for that girl and make her walk a bit differently afterwards.
As we discussed before our marriage, and it may sound like we’re rushing, but when Christine reached her first birthday, Joanne was inseminated a few days later, again using Thomas’ sperm. And as we did before, I was inseminated six months later, also using his sperm. We did exactly as we had done, everything was packed for both of us, and with Kelly taking care of Janelle and Christine, when our times came we knew the signs, the play, and how it would feel bring a new life into the world. Three months after I was inseminated Joanne gave birth to a 8 lbs. 20 inch baby boy we named Jonathan Roger Mathew. And six months later I gave birth to a 7 lbs. 19inch baby boy we christened Thomas Michael Mathew. We had done it, we had our children, we had our family. We had hope that through Joanne and I they would learn how to love and care for others as though they were family. We also hoped their grandparents didn’t spoil them too bad. We also hoped that Joanne and I, along with their grandparents, could instill in them a work ethics which would anchor them well throughout their lives. And maybe someday help them achieve something great.
Six more years have passed at Jan’s, and five years since our kids were born. Business at Jan’s has been steadily increasing to the point another three floors were refurbished; one of those floors was turned into a massive conference room, large enough to hold about a three-fourth of Jan’s employees at one time, comfortably. At five years old, Janelle started kindergarten, at which the others, Christine now four and a half, Jonathan three, and Thomas two and a half, bristled at because they couldn’t go with her. Joanne and I did our best in explaining the reasons they had to stay home, but at such a young age, they should never have learned that incredulous look; try not laughing while trying to look serious when you get “that” look from your two and half year old child. Of course, Joanne and I knew that they knew why they couldn’t go to school with Janelle, and as usual it broke up into a giggle fest and tickle fight. And as usual, we’d hug and kiss everyone before we left for work while leaving them in Kelly’s excellent hands—her teachers’ hands. Yes, Kelly had her teaching credentials, and while taking care of the kids she would teach them in a play sort of way. So you can imagine our surprise when we came home, one evening, only to find Christine reading one of Joanne’s basic math books from our library. As we quizzed her about the book, we found that while she didn’t understand most of what she read, she understood more than a child her age should have. And as time went on we discovered that to be true of all our kids.
It was a sad day three and a half years later when we said goodbye to Kelly, it was one of those things we discussed with her when Jan hired her. At the time Kelly told us she had been applying for teaching positions, but was told none were expected to open up for at least two years, but her applications would be kept on file and she would be notified when a position came open. As if fate had a hand in it, Kelly received a phone call to let her know a teaching position had opened and they felt she was the perfect person to fill that position—of course she jumped at the chance, explaining her current position would terminate in a three weeks. They told her that would be acceptable and would see her in three weeks. As her former employers we were contacted and told them we’d rather meet in person to give them our evaluation of Kelly, since we had a few reports we’d like them to see. Ah those reports, done by a child psychologist we took the kids to when we noticed their propensity for more intellectual activities than those activities of other children their ages. When those test results came back, because of Kelly’s tutelage their knowledge was two to three times greater than kids of comparable age. Those reports also said they all have higher than normal intellects given their ages. And they give a lot of the credit to Kelly, and we wanted to make sure those hiring her knew all this.
Thomas was now in the first grade and Jan had arranged our schedules so we would be home before the kids returned from school—we threatened to quit if that arrangement couldn’t be made. An incredulous look from just about anyone else was almost pathetic, but from Jan it was two lasers getting ready to penetrate four inches of carbon steel as though it was hot butter. Even with her stare, Jan knew we were dead serious when it came to our kids, and knew we would walk out those doors and kick the dirt off our shoes as we did so. We wanted to be home when our kids walked through the front door and learn all about their day.
It was about a week after Kelly left that another sad event took place. We make sure the kids are in bed by eight or eight-thirty, no ifs ands or buts, even though they do try end runs around that current rule. What those little buggers didn’t realize was the minute their heads hit their pillows they were out like lights, so all their pushing the limit did them no good. But this one night we just got the kids to bed when about fifteen minutes later there was a light knock on the front door. Being a quarter to nine we wondered who would be visiting this time of night. The light knock sounded again before I could open the door to see Jan standing there, a not so happy expression on her face. “May I come in,” she asked in an extremely sad voice before I took her hand and pulled her inside and into a hug. “I need to tell you guys something,” she whispered to me as we hugged. I pulled back far enough to look her in the eyes and saw that this time she was very serious. Joanne, having seen the look on Jan’s face, was already heading to the kitchen to fix tea while I closed the front door and pulled Jan to the couch.
****I took a moment for me to realize Joanne had pulled me into a hug because I was quietly crying. My head rested on her chest as she stroked my hair and whispered, “I miss her too. But we’ll see her again in a few years.” I could only nod as my tears fell, even though we couldn’t tell her about herself.****
I could tell Jan was nervous, worse than the time we found out she had the kids rooms refurnished. She was so nervous she was looking at the floor as she played with her hands. This was a different Jan than we’d see before, a Jan that was baring bad news and not sure how we’d take it. I’d put Jan on my right side on the couch so Joanne could sit on her right side; I had a feeling she was going to need a lot of support. Joanne brought in three teas, placed them on the coffee table in front of us, sat down then asked, “What is it, Jan, what has you tied up in knots.” Jan continued looking at the floor, and playing with her hands, as her face said she was gathering her words before she spoke.
“You guys know I love you, right? That’s I’d do almost anything for you guys because you deserve it, right? And you know I’d never do anything to hurt you guys, right? I do love you guys, and we have loved, and I’m not trying to hurt you but I have to tell you that’s it’s time for me to move on. It’s time for me to leave, and I’m leaving you two Jan’s Portfolios LLC.”
That living room suddenly became deathly silent after what Jan said. So quiet in fact that given the location of the kid’s bedrooms at the other end of the house, we could hear all four breathing as they slept. I was suddenly in a fog, unable to but two words together to ask Jan the obvious question, the one Joanne asked. “Why?” I looked to and past Jan to see tears on her and Joanne’s cheeks, and was finally able to croak out, “Do you have too?” That question seemed to have been the trigger which caused Jan to finally break down. And as we gathered her in a hug, Joanne and I joined her. It took several minutes for the three of us to cry ourselves out, and several more before we were calm enough to talk intelligently. Dry throats caused us to find out our tea had gone cold, so Joanne went into the kitchen to make more while I held Jan and she me.
Our throats were dry from crying so it took a few swallows before we could again talk properly, before Jan told us why she was leaving (Her journal told us she had to be very careful about the reason why she was leaving. She had to make sure she never once hinted about the main reason for her leaving.)
“Why am I leaving, Joanne, after so long? Because I’ve accomplished what I set out to do, build a splendid business staffed by the best people I could find and provide service greater than anyone else. And I’ve, we’ve, accomplished that. Do I have to leave, Sara, yes I do, I have other goals in mind that can’t be reached here. Do I want to…” her voice caught here, “leave, no not at all. I won’t be able to help your parent’s spoils those stinkers rotten. Where will I go? I have a place in mind where I can try and achieve that goal I referenced. Will I miss you two, and our loving time, oh gawd yes. You two and that time together I’ll miss the most, but will never forget the two of you.” “That” Jan took over as she continued. “Now as to Jan’s Portfolios LLC, our attorney has been working on the paperwork to transfer ownership to you, Sara, and you, Joanne, at no cost to either of you. I might suggest, though, that you make Thomas, Mary, Alice, and Julie your silent partners, and give them more responsibility as I did the two of you over time. If they act like you two did, make sure you don’t step on their jaws so you won’t have any trouble putting them back in place. In a little over two weeks we three will met our attorney and I’ll sign everything over to the two of you. Everything! You two will own all of the accounts, our bank account and holdings, the works. You two will become, Jan’s Portfolios LLC. And if you two let that business run into the ground, I’ll personally come back and kick your butts up between your shoulders. Kidding aside, treat everyone who works at Jan’s or comes into Jan’s the way you treated Tom that day. If you do I guarantee that business will continue to grow, and so will you. I’ve one more thing to ask, keep this between us until the Monday of the week I’ll be leaving. On the Monday after these next two and a half weeks I want you two in my office at 7 a.m. and then we’ll have an employee meeting at 8 a.m. in the auditorium. I know the both of you are upset, so am I, but we must act as though nothing is wrong during this time; business as usual. Okay? Now, I have to go, things to do, people to see, and I’ll see you two tomorrow.
More than cheek kissing occurred between Jan and Joanne and me before she finally left; gads I wish that girl didn’t have to leave tonight. After seeing Jan off, I don’t remember closing the front door because I was busy thinking about all she just told us. I flopped by down on the couch and Joanne leaned into me and I her before we said, “WOW!” I don’t know how long we sat there taking in everything Jan said, but when we finally went to bed I needed Joanne and she showed she needed me before we finally fell asleep sometime later. I remember thinking, before drifting off to sleep, the rest of this week and for the next two weeks, it was going to be hard NOT giving off upset vibes, very hard.
The real hard part of not acting upset started the next morning as we got the kids up and ready for school. We had learned through the years that our precious ones were very perceptive when it came to picking up on something being wrong with Joanne and me, and we had to deflect their questions the best we could. Still, getting the stink eye from your own children was at the same time funny, in that they had yet to perfect its use, and sad because we could see how concerned they were for us. We did a group hug and told them that their mommy’s were alright and thank you for being concerned for your mommy’s. That got us kiss from each child as they walked out the door to the bus stop. I didn’t discuss what I had planned but after Joanne and I got to Jan’s, I called Silvia and asked if we could come over with the kids and speak to her and Tom Thursday evening. Hearing we wanted to bring the kids over caused her to squeal with delight, just as though she’d won a major lottery. “Oh my gawd, Sara, come over, come over for supper say about six thirty? We’ll have all the kid’s favorites.” You may be thinking all the kid’s favorites leaned towards pizza, hamburgers, chicken strips, and the like. Hardly, Tom and Silvia had broadened their palettes by serving dishes I can’t even pronounce, but do enjoy. Once that task was finalized I caught Joanne’s attention and mouthed, “The lounge,” going there and waiting until she arrived before telling her what I’d done. “Thanks, sweetie, I was going to suggest we do that.” A few minutes later, and after a bit of mouth color repair, we returned to our desks and continued with the rest of the day.
When the kids got home from school on Thursday, Joanne had them sit down on the couch so she could tell them something. “Tonight we’re going to grandmas and grandpas for supper, and you know what that means, right? You are to behave yourselves, you don’t go running through their house,” I rolled my eyes when Joanne said that, that place was these kids playground. “Now, change out of your school clothes and put on something nice.” The minute Joanne finished four rockets went screaming down the hall to their bedrooms, breaking the sound barrier as they went; they were not TOO excited. As Joanne and I got ready all we heard was, “Come on moms, let’s go,” from four all too excited kids. By the way they were acting a person would think those four downed a 5 lb. bag of sugar. Joanne and I were finally ready, had just grabbed our purses when four hands grabbed Joanne’s hand and four grabbed mine while hollering, “Come on let’s go,” as they pulled us out of the house and to my car. Were those kids excited? Naw, nothing like that.
Mathew and Shelia were the kid’s two favorite house staff at Tom and Silvia’s home. That talk Joanne had with the kids, the one we always have with the kids before going out to the home, goes out the window when Mathew and Shelia are around. Those two are very good with the kids, firm sometimes, but fun for the kids to be with. We also notice how the kids respect what they say when something gets a little out of hand, and we like that about the kids because that’s how it should be when they’re in someone’s house. Because we came out early, we had time to speak with Tom and Silvia before supper, while our hoard searched out Mathew and Shelia. As our hoard went on their search mission, Silvia took Joanne’s arm and Tom mine before walking us to the library while asking, “Why the sad faces?” Silvia no sooner closed the library door then Joanne and I lost it. And no sooner Tom and Silvia had us hugged against them, each stroking our hair and telling us it will be okay. How that was said didn’t register at the time, or I would have realized that they already knew Jan was leaving. Once we calmed down they sat us down on the settee together with them outside of us. “Jan’s going to be leaving Jan’s,” Joanne told the pair, “And she’s leaving Jan’s Portfolios LLC to us, lock stock and barrel,” she finished as more tears fell from the two of us.
Tom pulled me toward him and pushed my head down onto his shoulder, Silvia did the same with Joanne, before Tom told us, “We know girls, Jan told us several days ago. She asked we not tell you because she wanted to tell you herself.” I know I nodded hearing that, because that’s how Jan liked to handle things with those she loved. “We’re going to miss her something terrible,” I whispered to Tom as fresh tears started to flow. “We know that too girls, so are we.” Tom always the gentleman handed me three tissues, one to keep and two to pass down. He also took one for himself. We were all going to miss that little snot. “Girls,” Tom said after a few moments of silence, “It isn’t hard to see the love you three have for each other, maybe you can bring the kids out this Friday and they could spend the weekend? And if you want, perhaps for the next two weekends?” Tom said as his voice suddenly rose in pitch towards the end. It took only seconds for three women to realize what Tom was intimating and for six pairs of eyes to be drilling into Tom’s head. “Thomas Marks!! What on earth possessed you to say that in front of these girls, even though what you intimated would help our girls immensely.” It suddenly became very hot in that room, and looking at Joanne, I realized a beet didn’t have the market on being red at this moment.
Tom just chuckled before telling us, “Girls, it’s no secret you three love each other enough to love each other when the occasion arises. And you three need each other for the short time you have left. Bring the kids over Friday, and every Friday for the next two weeks, and let the three of you love each other, share each other, for what little time she has left.” Joanne and I were, to say the least, shock by what we just heard Tom say, but one look at Silvia nodding her head was all it took for us to realize they were in this together. They were telling us, for our own good, take Jan into our bed with us for the next three weekends and enjoy ourselves. I laughed before saying, “You two old coots are really something.” That broke up all four of us and gained us hugs and kisses. “May I use the phone, Tom,” I asked, actually getting up and walking towards it lay on a desk. I don’t know if he said yes or no, I didn’t really care, I just knew I had to call someone and ask them to spend the next three weekends with us. And oh gads, were Joanne and I, and a certain someone, going to be sore come the Monday after each weekend. I would make sure it happened.
The past two weekends the three of us made love with abandonment, cherishing the short time we had left together during the weekends. Today is Sunday, the day before we meet with our attorney to finalize paperwork which would then make Joanne and me the new owners of Jan’s Portfolios LLC when Jan left for the final time on Friday after closing time at 6 p.m. Because this was our final weekend together ever, we loved each other with ferocious reckless abandonment. We may have slept four hours the entire weekend because we didn’t want to lose one minute of physically expressing our love for each other. As with previous Sundays, Jan usually left around 3 p.m. in order for Joanne and I to straighten up our bedroom then get cleaned up before Tom and Silvia brought the kids home a little after 5 p.m. Today, though, was different, because it was the last time the three of us could spend our time together like we had, ever.
Today, we were standing at the front door, like the past two Sundays, but no one was in any hurry to wave goodbye to Jan as we had done. Today, while standing at the front door, tears were falling from the three of us, tears which caused us to group hug one last time before the final week leading up to Jan’s departure. My finally goodbye to Jan was a long, slow, lingering kiss, the same that Joanne had done moments before. “I need to go,” Jan whispered as Joanne and I rested our heads on her shoulders. “Yeah” Joanne whisper back, then giving Jan another long, slow, lingering kiss before I did the same. Before we did something we’d get caught doing by our four precious charges, Jan opened the front door and tearfully headed to her car. Joanne stood behind me with her arms around my waist and her chin resting on my shoulder, pulling me tightly to her; I pulled her arms even tighter into me. Joanne’s tears were falling on my shoulder and mine to the floor as we watched Jan back down the driveway and drive off down the street.
When the kids got home, as before, they’d not know about the activity that had taken place in their absences; we felt there was a right time to talk to the oldest about such things, but not today. Joanne and I were sitting on the couch, holding each other, comforting each other, when the front door flew open and four bullets rocketed into the house and straight for us. Watching the life that possessed these four precious children made it almost impossible to remember the sadness which gripped our hearts, or not wanting to join in possessing such vibrant life. “Mommies, mommies, mommies,” were the cries we heard from our four bullets, moments before they launched themselves straight into our laps, hugging and kissing and kissing and hugging before telling us they really missed us and really loved us. Because of our deep sadness over Jan leaving it wasn’t hard for the tears to flow while listening to what our precious charges told us. But leave it to Thomas to notice our tears, as his small hands gently wiped our tears away while asking, “Why are you crying, mommies.” My arm went around two of our children, Joanne’s arm around the other two as we pulled them into a family hug and we both simply cried; our hurt not going unnoticed by Tom or Silvia. When we finally gained a bit more control of ourselves, we pushed back from the kids only to notice concern on their faces. Four small hands wiped tears off my and Joanne’s face before Joanne told them, “We’re crying because we missed you guys so very much.” That part was true, but only that part. “Now,” Joanne said, getting their attention, “I want you four to calmly go to your rooms, put your dirty clothes in the hampers and put what clean clothes you still have where they belong. Okay?” At Joanne’s okay, four heads nodded up and down, saying they understood. Looking back, though, the twinkle in eight eyes should have told us they understood what they had been told, but had something else planned.
After a few more kisses and “I love you,” the hoard climbed down and carrying their backpacks, walked towards their rooms just as Joanne asked them to do. But the minute they took two steps down the hallway leading to their bedrooms, their afterburners kicked in and their sonic screams pierced our ears. Joanne and I bumped our heads together and simply chuckled—this wasn’t the first time those imps had done this, and they know more fun was on the way, it was our family game.
Joanne and I continued leaning on each other as more tears fell, not noticing as Tom sat down next to Joanne and Silvia next to me. Four arms held us tightly as our sadness took over once again. “We’re really going to miss her,” I whispered between sobs, “Really miss her,” Joanne choked out. I felt Silvia run her fingers through my hair while saying, “We know girls, we know.” “We’re going to miss her too,” Tom supplied, before a sudden BANG brought the four of us back to the four matters at hand. We also heard giggling, then “Quiet” said in a loud whisper. “Those four did the same thing to Mathew and Shelia several times, and thought it was great fun,” Tom said with a bit of laughter in his voice. “It took them ages to figure out what the kids were doing,” Silvia told us as she chuckled. The two of us gave Silvia and Tom questioning looks but all they did was point in the direction of the kid’s end of the house. Still wondering what was going on Joanne and I got up from the couch and headed to the kid’s rooms, Joanne looking in on Janelle and Christine, and I Jonathan and Thomas. When we looked into each room, there wasn’t anyone there. I looked at Joanne, she looked at me, then we spotted the Marks standing in the hallway covering their mouths trying to stifle laughter, and pointed towards the rooms. I went back into Jonathan’s bedroom while Joanne went back into Janelle’s. I imagined Joanne did the same as me by opening the closet and having a good look, then in the bathroom between Thomas and Jonathan’s bedrooms.
I opened every cabinet which might be large enough for them to hide in. I even looked under the bed, but to no avail. I sat on the bed trying to think where else Jonathan could be when I spotted the clothes hamper. “Naw, he couldn’t have, it’s too small,” I said to myself as I slowly walked over to the hamper, opened the lid and saw the most gorgeous smile peering up at me, topped with bright twinkling eyes. Jonathan giggled as he said, “What took you so long to find me,” and stood up, reaching around my neck while pulling me close before whispering, “I love you.” I lifted him out of that hamper and held him as close as I could, hoping he didn’t see my tears. I carried him out of his room only to be met in the hallway by Joanne carrying Janelle and tears running down her cheeks. “Where’d you find her?” I asked as I set Jonathan down on the floor. “The laundry hamper,” she replied before she set Janelle down on the floor and we went into the other kids’ rooms. This time we went straight to the hampers but when we opened them up, we found nothing but dirty clothes. We heard two small giggles and two big giggles coming from the hallway. I stood in the doorway to Thomas’s bedroom, and Joanne was standing in the doorway of Christine’s bedroom just glaring at the four, which caused giggles and laughter. They must have been in on it together because they all pointed towards the bedrooms. So, finding two of the missing hoard wasn’t going to be as straightforward as we thought. I first searched the closet as I did before, finding no one. To save a bit of time I looked under the bed, wishing I hadn’t when I saw what was under there. That only left the bathroom, with only one cabinet large enough to hide a little boy. As I had seen when opening the hamper in Jonathan’s room, when I opened that cabinet door the most precious smile greeted me along with gorgeous twinkling eyes. “Hi, mommy,” Thomas said then giggled. I stooped down to help him get out of his hiding place when he placed his hands around my neck, pulled close to me and told me “I love you mommy.”
How can any parent hold back tears when they hear their child tell them that? After helping him out of the cabinet, I hugged him close as I carried him out of the bathroom, through his bedroom and into the hall, where I found Joanne doing the same. As I looked at Tom and Silvia they too had streaks leading down their cheeks from their eyes. It was Thomas who reminded us that we hadn’t eaten by saying, “I’m hungry,” and us four adults broke up in laughter. “Um…would a four meat pizza do Thomas?” I so wished Tom had asked him that question in the living room because his shriek, along with the others, was ear splitting. “So that was a yes, because it will be here in a few minutes, and some hands need washed.” Jonathan and Thomas nearly knocked me down flying towards their bathroom, while Joanne was almost knocked off her feet by Janelle and Christine heading to their bathroom. And standing there silently laughing was, THOMAS Marks. Joanne had her hands on her hips as she glared at him while I had them crossed in front of me as I glared. But that only made him laugh even harder until he had tears running down his cheeks. He pulled us into a hug and told us, “You girls are wonderful, I love you dearly.” He then kissed our cheeks before taking my arm and Silvia taking Joanne’s and lead us back to the living room. A few minutes later there was a knock on the door and our pizzas had arrived.
After we ate, and before Tom and Silvia left, we explained that we had to meet Jan at the office at seven in the morning to sign papers that dealt with transferring Jan’s to us. And would it be possible for Silvia to be here by 6:30 a.m. to help the kids get dressed and their breakfast before catching the bus for school? We were glad we asked them that question in the kitchen and not in the hallway because the kid’s synchronized cheer became a sonic boom when they heard grandma reply, “Of course I can, dears.” After saying good night to their grandparents, the order was given to get ready for bed—it’s a good thing neither Joanne nor I were standing in their way or they would have knocked us down as they shot off towards their rooms. As the kids got older, we had been worried about having connecting bathrooms, worried they might fight each other to get into the bathroom. Sometime ago we peaked one time as they got ready for bed, and were surprised by what we saw. While one used the bathroom the other dressed for bed. We thought it was a fluke but the next time we peaked, the other was using the bathroom while the other got dressed for bed. They were treading off using the bathroom while the other got dress, for either bed or school, it didn’t matter, each day they traded off who used the bathroom first. I digressed a bit here but I think Joanne and I knew, as did Tom and Silvia, that because of Jan leaving we needed the kid’s foolishness tonight. I also had a feeling the kids knew too.
I won’t say we had a good night’s sleep because we didn’t, we were still hurting. It was 6 a.m., THE day, Monday, the day we’d become the owners of Jan’s. The beginning of the end to our relationship with Jan, the day which left four days before Jan would be gone forever from our lives. And I hated it, I didn’t want to get up, I wanted to pull the covers up over me and never get out of bed. I think Joanne felt the same because she was hugging me so very tight. I kissed her on the forehead and told her, “Come on, we got to do this, as much as it hurts.” She simply nodded and kissed me back. We helped each other out of bed, made the bed quickly, then headed to our bathroom. With our bathroom work done, and after dressing, we headed to the kitchen to get something to eat when there was a soft knock on the front door. I looked at the clock and saw it was six-thirty, so Silvia must be here. Oh she was here alright, and so were Mathew and Shelia along with her. Seeing the question in our faces she explained, “Mathew volunteered to fix breakfast and Shelia to help get the kids dressed.” Those two got hugs from the two of us and whispered, “Thank you so much.”
We made the rounds of the kid’s rooms, telling each it was time to get up and we’d see them later. All four mumbled, “Okay, bye mommy.” By the time I walked out of Thomas’ room I hoped I hadn’t ruined my makeup. We thanked Silvia, Mathew, and Shelia again before heading out to Joanne’s car. The drive to the office seemed much longer today, and we knew why. The walk from the parking structure to the office also seemed longer, and again we knew why. “I hope we can keep it together today,” Joanne said. “Don’t you mean this week?” I replied as Joanne put her arm around my waist and pulled us closer together. After unlocking the front door, walking in and locking it back, we started walking towards Jan’s office, but stopped when we saw Jan looking our way. I had developed a lump in my throat, as I’m sure Joanne had, but we started walking again then entered her office. With our attorney there we kept it business like and she started explaining everything that was in the paperwork, what Jan was leaving us, how to handle this and that, and a lot more, which I found hard to follow because of Jan being present.
Her leaving was topping my thoughts, and I’m sure we’d be talking to our attorney again very soon. Jan signed where indicated, as did we, before we shook hands with our attorney and Jan showed her out the front door. We saw Jan walking back towards her office with Thomas by her side, looking a bit upset as she shook her head at something Thomas asked. And by Thomas’ reaction, her attitude towards his question was a bit terse. He waved when he saw us but kept walking towards the auditorium, before Jan pulled us out of her office and towards the stairs. We ended up in the lounge on the second floor, in small office there actually. After we entered that small office Jan closed and locked the door; she had something to tell us and did NOT want to be disturbed. Jan turned from the door, grabbed me and almost pulled my lungs out of chest by the kiss Jan gave me, and noticed Joanne experience the same—not that we didn’t return the favor, we would’ve have taken her right there right then had we more time. Instead, Jan motioned us to sit down, while she stood, forming her words in her mind before she spoke.
“I guess from our adventures it’s no secret how much I love you two,” she told us as her eyes got misty. “And you know I wouldn’t have signed Jan’s over to the two of you unless I know in my heart you two would carry on what we started.” A tear leaked down her cheeks. “I am going to miss the both of you so much it already hurts, and I won’t be able to come back to help you through anything.” Jan couldn’t speak anymore because she had started to cry in earnest, so Joanne and I did what we also did when this happened, just held her until she cried herself out. When she was finally able to speak she told us, “Throughout this week I’m going to take the two of you around to show you our holdings, to meet people, and explain a bit more about Jan’s so you won’t be totally clueless when you start as boss come next Monday.” We had another round of deep kisses before being told, “Aww gads, you two look a mess, guess we’d better go fix our faces then go break the news.” We walked into the auditorium about five ‘til eight, and it started getting quiet as the three of us walked up the stairs to the stage. The last few to enter the auditorium never sat down but stood against one of the walls, and Jan began to explain.
“Those of you who were with me those first days of Jan’s have seen things change over the years, watched our staff increase as our client base increased. Look around you, look at how many are now on staff, think about the number of clients we have today and what excellent service we provide them. If you were to go elsewhere in this city and look at businesses like ours, you’d see the same excellent service. And I hope you continue to provide such service, I hope you treat our clients like you want to be treated, not like some number in our system but as the people they are, by the needs they have, regardless what those needs are, as we have done over the years.”
Jan’s voice caught as she said that last sentence, so Joanne stood on one side of her and me on the other, putting our arms around her waist, to support and comfort her so she could continue to say what had to be said.
“Know too that I love each and every one of you, and I will never forget what all of you have done over the years to make Jan’s Portfolios LLC the success it is today. I will never forget each and every one of you individually either, you all are lovely people.”
Jan had hired some very sharp people who had little trouble understand what she was telling everyone, she was leaving, which caused more than a few to become upset by what they heard. Some tried to cry quietly while others needed the help of one or both sitting beside them to comfort them.
“As some of you have already figured out, I’ll be leaving after we close on Friday. And I’ve turned over everything to Sara and Joanne; they will be the fire breathing dragons from now on.” Thankfully we heard laughter when Jan mentioned the dragon, and saw many more sad faces though. “I can see from the expressions on many of your faces that you’re asking why I’m leaving now. And the answer is that I’ve accomplished everything I set out to do when I started Jan’s, and I have other goals which I can’t attain here in this city. And before you ask, no, I won’t be able to return from time to time, I’ll be too far away. I ask all of you for one more favor, kept Jan’s Portfolios LLC running as it is running now. Do what’s best for our clients total welfare, just as we are doing now. Be true to yourselves, give the best you have to give, and remember others are people just like you.”
Jan started crying so hard we had to help her off the stage, and right into the hands of everyone who crowded around us; the line formed at the right and continued until every last person had hugged and kissed the three of us. I can only imagine how the rest of the week will go. But today, after hearing the sad news, everyone was on their best behavior and the day went without a hitch. Except the phone calls I got from Thomas and Julie, or the ones Joanne got from Mary and Alice. The subject of those calls Jan would NOT find out about. We said we’d get back to them and a simple nod from me to Joanne and her to me, we conferenced the six of us together and made our plans. Someone was going to have a tired finger after they made a call to all of our clients.
Jan gave Thomas, Mary, Alice, and Julie a heads up that the three of us would be out of the office most of the day, and to contact her if anything came up which they couldn’t handle—while Jan visited the lady’s I had a quick word with Julie about our plans. This was a perfect time for each floor to offer their ideas about the surprise that was being planned for Jan, before she left on Friday. All the rest of that day Jan took us around to meet people who Jan had invested Jan’s with and listened as they explained how their product was doing and how Jan’s investments were doing—I was getting a feeling that Jan had been building more than just Jan’s all these years. And by Wednesday my feelings were proven correct, as we were taken to businesses where Jan’s owned a controlling interest. Some of those businesses were small to medium ‘mom & pop’ stores, some were small to medium manufacturing businesses, and a few were quite large, employing over 500 people. And at each one we were shown facts and figures, which if Joanne’s brain calculator was close to being correct, Jan’s extracurricular investments were worth somewhere north of 20.5 billion dollars. When Joanne whispered that figure to me after one of our visits, I didn’t realize my mouth was hanging open as we walked backed to Jan’s car, and Jan simply reached over closed my mouth before saying, “Amazing isn’t it?” It took a moment to realize Jan had known why I was so taken aback, she knew, somehow, that I was thinking of that 20.5 billion dollars’ worth of investments, and she acted like it was nothing, nothing at all. I turned to Joanne and mouthed, “How’d she know?” Joanne’s reply was a shake of her head and shoulder shrug, she didn’t know either.
Thursday arrived, and Jan treated us to a lovely breakfast before we visited a few more of Jan’s investments. Unlike the lunches we had the past three days today we visited a “greasy spoon” place the three of us just loved. It was run by a husband and wife, the sweetest people you could ever want to know, and oh how they could cook. Yes, eating there 365 days a year would not be good for one’s health, but the quality of the food, and the taste, put the more expensive places to shame. We returned to Jan’s by the time Joanne and I left for the day to be home when the kids came home from school. Just before we left the office, and just after Jan went into the lady’s, Julie rushed over and told Joanne and me “Everything is ready, everyone in the office is ready and almost every client contacted would be there.” We quickly hugged her before she scattered and we went about acting like nothing was going on. I don’t know how we kept the girl with built in radar from finding out what was planned, but we did.
When we got home we found a car sitting in our driveway, one we hadn’t seen before. As Joanne pulled up behind my car we realized it was Tom and Silvia sitting in that car. After getting out of Joanne’s car, and the Marks there’s, I know Joanne had a question written on her face so I must have when Tom told us, “We don’t need the limo everywhere we go, plus I like to drive now and then.” We exchanged hugs then with Tom’s arm around my waist and Silvia’s around Joanne, Silvia explained they wanted to take us out to dinner, wanted to be with us for a while because of tomorrow, because they knew how depressed we’d be that evening, as we walked up and into our home. The kids knew more about the castle than we did because the front door blew open and four rockets came charging in hollering, “Grandma-grandpa-grandma-grandpa…” until the two had their legs entangled in eight little arms, causing the two adults to squeal with delight; got to love those two dearly. And as usual, when Tom told our precious one we were going out to dinner, they released another sonic boom I’m almost positive the neighbors heard. To their credit, they may have been overly excited about going out to dinner with grandpa and grandma, but every time we’ve gone we have gotten more compliments about how well they’re behaved.
Friday!! Today I hate Fridays!! Tom and Silvia were right about last night, we were depressed after they left around eleven. They did make the kids so happy, though, helping them get ready for bed then tucking them in, getting hugs and kisses from grandpa and grandma. But that was last night, and today is Friday, Jan’s last day forever. As everyone arrived for work I could see we weren’t the only ones who knew what today would mean. We’d seen her help not only Chris and Julie, but several hundreds over the years, and Jan became special to all of them, to all of us. Why did she have to pick Friday to leave? Why not Saturday or Sunday, at least the office would be closed and not have everyone trying to do their best for our clients while at the same time morning a loss that would occur in a few hours. Jan took us to breakfast one last time, and to our favorite “greasy spoon” one last time. There were tears between the three of us, plenty of tears when we were along with her, but Jan reminded us, “My love will always be with the two of you.” We returned to Jan’s just as it was time for our plan to be executed.
When we walked into Jan’s Portfolios LLC no one was on the first floor; steam started escaping Jan at that point, as we planned. She went to a phone and dialed the second floor, the third floor, and so on not reaching anyone. Oh she was pissed now; the steam was rolling off her. She took off towards the elevator with Joanne and me right behind, almost running to keep up. She searched the second floor, the third floor, the fourth floor, and the other floors, even our huge conference room. She even went up to the roof, looking for staff. This had all been planned, her doing exactly what she was doing, and her getting really steamed. We took the elevator back down and it was our turn to play our part, so we suggested she check the room behind the stage in the auditorium, and then the stage itself. “BY GAWD THAT’S A GOOD IDEA. I’LL KILL THEM WHEN I FIND THEM!!” Jan roared as we entered the door leading to the rooms behind the stage. As we returned to Jan’s there’d been a fly on the wall on each floor, including behind the stage, so everyone knew where we were at every moment. And as we walked up onto the stage from the back stairs, we held back as Jan was as close to the curtains as we wanted, which caused the curtain to rise and a loud scream of ‘SURPRISE” to be heard by us. That one word stopped Jan cold in her tracks—she was starting to wear a path across the stage—turning to look out at the sea of smiling and crying faces. We walked up to her, put our arms around her and told her, “You family wanted to say goodbye.” Joanne and I then, unabashedly, each gave her a kiss in front of everyone. The girl was more than sharp but we were able to pull this off right under her nose, so it wasn’t unexpected that it took her a few moments to realize what we had done. Jan then punched first Joanne in the arm then me before laugh/crying, “YOU SNOTS!” At that moment the party was on, but oh what a party it was. It only lasted two hours but everyone, including the clients who were there, said their personal goodbyes. What about our kids you may be wondering, after all we should have been home when they arrived from school. That had been taken care of as well, since Tom, Silvia, Mathew, and Shelia were there as well.
Out of nowhere a gong sounded six times. That got everyone’s attention because we don’t have a gong in the building. Jan broke free of the groups around her and as we watched walked up onto the stage; the only thing you could hear were sniffling sounds. “All of you are a bunch of snots,” Jan said with a big smile on her face. “How you were able to pull this off without me finding out I’ll never know, but words can’t express how much I appreciate it, and all of you. I will miss each and every one of you.” The last was said with tears streaming down Jan’s cheeks, and as we watched, Jan walked off the back of the stage, the curtain came down—not part of our plan—and that was the last we saw of Jan’s Jan. Crying began in earnest, hugs were given and received, we were all said that we’d never see that lovely girl ever again. Tom and Silvia brought the kids over to us and the eight of us held our own group hug, with Joanne and I getting “We love you, mommies,” from the kids. That by itself was worth the price of admission to this sad-fest. Silvia suggested the two of us spend the weekend at their place, which Joanne and I gladly accepted; being alone right now wouldn’t have been good for us. Silvia then surprised us by telling us our clothes had already been taken out to the house and our car taken out as well, so we could ride with them.
After wiping the tears out of our eyes, we told Tom and Silvia we’d need about thirty minutes to make sure business had been taken care of before we locked up for the weekend. The clients that were there came by to wish Joanne and I all the success and they’d see us again on the next mandatory Friday. The staff did a wonderful job of closing down their workstations, or finishing up with a client, before it was just Joanne and I, along with the Marks and our kids, left in Jan’s. As I got my purse out of my desk, I saw a book sitting on top of it with a note which read, “For you and Joanne only—ONLY YOU AND JONNE—no one else.” Joanne could see something was wrong by the way I was just looking at something, but when she gave me a questioning look, I shook my head slightly, letting her know we’d speak later.
Later turned out to be after the kids were put to bed at the Marks and we had done the same. I didn’t see the envelope underneath the note when I found this in my desk, but didn’t waste any time opening it and reading, “My dear Sara and Joanne, I’m leaving the two of you my journal, which you must not read until two weeks after my leaving. I’m not able to say why it’s important, just know that it is. Of everyone I will miss, you two I will miss the most. My deepest and forever love, Jan.”
****Joanne was sleeping softly leaning against my shoulder; I gently kissed the top of her head. Here we are, two weeks and four days after Jan left and Joanne and I have been pouring over her Journal, trying to find some clue where she might have gone and more about her life. It is 2 a.m., no wonder Joanne is asleep. I just started to wake her so we could go to bed when there was a knock on our front door. 2 a.m. was not a good time to be knocking on someone’s door because it often times meant bad news. “Hey,” I said to Joanne as I shook her lightly. “Someone’s at the door.” It took a moment for her to come around, then see the clock before saying, “It’s two in the morning, what’s going on?” She realized the implications of a knock at this time of night and formed a frightful look on her face. I knew by looking at here she was thinking it was bad news about Jan, because that was my thinking as well. When we got to the front door, Joanne pulled the curtain back to look outside then said, “It’s a courier service man.” I looked through the peephole in the door to confirm what Joanne said, and to make sure the person was along, before opening the door to hear, “Are you Mrs. Sara Mathew or Mrs. Joanne Mathew?” Still a bit stumped by someone delivering something at this time of night, it took me a moment before telling him, “I’m Mrs. Sara Mathew.” “Sign her if you would please,” and offered a pad and pen. There was something about this young man, something I couldn’t put my finger on, something which said I’d seen him before, but I signed and received a small package in return. I thanked the young man, and told him to wait a moment and gave him a twenty from my purse as a tip for coming tonight. He thanked us and left, leaving me holding a small package. I handed the package to Joanne as I closed the front door then we both went and sat back down on the couch, with Joanne holding another mystery.
Joanne looked at me and I shrugged, letting her know she might as well open it so we could see who sent us what. After the package was opened Joanne lifted out a small, finely crafted, wooden box which was about four inches wide and eight inches long, with a latch that held the lid closed. She also found an envelope at the bottom of the package which she opened, pulled out a letter and began to read loud enough for me to hear.
“My dearest moms,
Inside the wooden box you will find two vials of liquid, one pink and one deep red—one tastes like bubblegum while the other cherries. I don’t have to tell either of you who gets what flavor because I remember who liked which flavor. Now this is IMPORTANT, you must do exactly what I say. I know the two of you are reading this message, so stop, put it down and drink ALL of the liquid in each vial—do it, don’t think about it momma Joanne, just do it.”
The part of this message Joanne just read sounded very urgent, so for the first time in her life, Joanne didn’t stop to think about it, she took the vial with the pink liquid and drank it all, as I did for the vial with the deep red liquid. Joanne picked up the letter and continued reading.
I’d like to be there to see the look on mommy Sara’s face as she watched mommy Joanne do something without thinking about for the first time ever. Please put the vials back into the wooden box, latch the lid and put the wooden box back in the package, and don’t let anyone know about it or the liquid you just drank—NO ONE EVER. I’d like to tell you more but am not able at this time, but, on this Friday bring this package and Jan’s journal to the address below at the specified time and more can be revealed—it’s important you be on time, very important. I will leave you with this, no words can express the thanks for the love you gave us and how you showed us how to love each other and others.
Your loving son,
Thomas
Without saying a word, Joanne got up, went to the kitchen and returned with a bottle of wine and two glasses. I sure hope we could see straight tomorrow, because we were about to feel no pain when we went to bed. I also hoped our eagle eye kids didn’t notice.
A funny thing happened Friday morning, at 6 a.m., we woke up to the usual beeping alarm without a hint of a hangover. None whatsoever! Before the kids came into our lives, when Joanne and I tied one on, we usually had to buy a new alarm because one of us ended up throwing it across the room to turn it off—it was offensive loud. We also went through a bottle of aspirin between us at that time, but not today, today they weren’t needed. In fact, we sleep better than we ever had, and had quite the appetite. Remembering the letter, I used my cell phone to call Thomas to let him know Joanne and I would be late because of taking care of a bit more business because of Jan leaving; it was a good cover story and wouldn’t be questioned.
After showering and getting ready ourselves we each woke up our very sleepy heads to get them ready for school; hearing four “I love you mommy” sure gets a person’s day rolling. They were dressed, breakfasted, had grabbed their bags and we walked them out to where they caught the bus for school. Getting hugs and kisses, and more “I love you mommy” we watched as they boarded the bus for school. When the bus was out of sight we returned to the house and while Joanne pulled out a paper city map I went online and pulled up an online city map on my cell phone. Joanne found the address quickly thanks to that brain of hers, and with her help was able to find it on my cell phone map. We had discussed using the cell phone city map but kept going back to the warning of not letting anyone know about all this. So it was decided to use the paper city map then delete all traces of every having look for the address from my cell phone.
Joanne calculated it would take us about twenty minutes to drive to the address, which was at the east end of the city where the old abandoned manufacturing plants still ruled. To be on the safe side we left the house at eight-thirty just to give ourselves a little breathing room. Because Joanne is much better with directions than I am, I drove and following her instructions we arrived in the area about twenty minutes later. It took us a bit longer to find the address and turned onto the street which would take us to the building we were looking for. We spotted a door on the west side of the building with a yellow star on it, so I parked close to the door, shut off the engine and Joanne and I got out and walked over to the door. There was a message on that star which told us, “Each of you place one hand on the plate to the left of the door.” After both of us hand put one hand on the plate we heard a click and the door opened, which told us we were at the right place and “come on in.”
Thomas’ instructions said to proceed to the office once inside the building, but this place was huge, still littered with abandoned junk, so how were we to find the office. No sooner had we asked each other that question then we noticed blinking arrows on the floor pointing us ahead. After the longest walk we’d ever taken in any building Joanne and I were led up a flight of stairs and into the office—the sign said so, the one right above the door. All we found when we entered that office was dust, dust and more dust, plus some old bits of paper. I looked at my watch at saw it was exactly 9 a.m., the time Thomas said we were to be here. But why? Were we supposed to meet someone here, if so, where were they? Those thoughts were crossing my mind as I was looking out the window to the outside when Joanne painfully grabbed my shoulder and spun me around. She pointed to the wall to the right of the door where a pink spot was forming. We watched as the pink spot which became larger and changed to a light shade of violet. As we continued watching that pink spot was now about seven feet high and about two feet wide, and had changed to a deep violet. But the most shocking part was seeing a person walk through that violet light only to be followed by another and another and another. And oh my gawd, one of those persons was Jan. The other three covered their ears as Joanne and I screamed our heads off and hit Jan at a dead run. Tears, oh yes there were tears from the three of us and kisses to boot. When the three of us finally calmed down a bit, Joanne and I turned to look at the other three. With our arms around Jan while she stood between us I saw two men and one woman standing before us. A second shock occurred when one of the men said, “Oh good, you brought the package and Jan’s journal.” But he floored us when he said, “Hi moms, I’m Thomas.” Joanne and I couldn’t believe what we were hearing; our youngest son was standing before us but as an adult. We didn’t mob him as we’d done to Jan but we did gently take him into our arms, while tears flowed. Joanne, her eyes red and tears running down her cheek, turned to the others and asked them, “You’re Christine, and you’re Jonathan,” receiving a nod from each. OH. MY. GOD. These are our children as adults. There was not a dry eye in that place nor were Joanne and I the only ones crying as we hugged and kissed our children.
“Moms,” Jan started, “we can’t stay long because we might upset something in this time, which would once again affect us—just like you read in the my journal. We gave you the journal so you would know how you affected our lives because of who the two of you are. Because of my journal you now know what we will strive for and you must let our younger selves do it, support our younger selves or our timeline will change again. Plus, the two of you would have had only a few more years after yesterday. We made sure Tom Marks was the only major event which had to take place, but you two do influence others for years to come, just as you did us. I’m sorry to say this, but this is the last time we will meet for another visit might damage our timeline beyond repair and produce something we don’t want.”
I had to wipe my eyes several time as Jan spoke, Joanne did the same. We then asked about the few years we would have had only to be directed back to the journal and what Thomas had discovered in his search for a cure for cancer. So it was cancer that Joanne would have died from, metastasized breast cancer. It would have robbed us from watching our children grow up, become what they are now, allowing Jan to spend time as an adult with her moms and we unknowingly with her. We heard a beeping sound and were told they had to go but will always remembered what we did for them as they grew up. Another round of hugs and kisses ensued before we watch our four children walk back through that violet light, only for it to reverse itself until even the pink spot disappeared. We followed the arrows back to the door we entered through, and watched as each arrow disappeared as we passed over it. The star was no longer on the door nor the pad next to the door. Any trace of anyone being here from another time had vanished. We knew what they went through to make the last few years possible and to correct their timeline because of a journal that no one could know about. But the crazy thing was we were going to be there to watch it happen. We were going to watch our children grow up and be who we saw walk out of, and back through, a violet light a few moments ago. We are the mothers of four very bright children who changed the world as it had been known. And they haven’t even done it yet.****
Maybe being circumspect with my parents, or surreptitious, or coy, or shy was my being too subtle in trying to tell my parents who I really happened to be. That the facade they saw every day wasn’t who I actually was on the inside.
It was a nice warm Spring day to be sitting where I was, seeing the buds on the trees and bushes beginning to open. And those hidden from view reveal their presences as they pushed their leaves up out of the ground. One day soon this place would be a beautifully green area. But still a sad place for some to visit.
I sit here with my thoughts, thoughts like jigsaw puzzle pieces laid out on a table waiting for their companions to join them. I know those thoughts go together if only I can make sense of them all. If only it wasn’t too late to act on them. If only time could be rewound and give me another chance. If I only… But time can’t be rewound, and I can’t have a second chance.
My parents were kind, patient, and loving when I asked them questions because of things I heard kids at school talking about. They never flew in fits of rage because of my questions, they just took their time and explained their answers and made sure I understood what they were saying. And it was because of what I heard from the kids at school and from my parents that made me realize I had been wearing a costume the majority of my young life.
I continued with my questions when my parents and I were together, simply telling them other things I had heard. And each time, my loving and patient parents would smile and we’d sit down in the living room and discuss the things I heard. I’d try my best to be circumspect in my questions, not openly telling them it was me I was talking about. That it was me who had those feelings. That it was me who had been wearing a facade and knew it wasn’t my true self. And they only listened, smiled, and answered my questions.
One evening as we sat in the living room talking, I noticed something different about my mom and dad’s eyes. While they still had that patient and loving look, they now also carried a knowing look, as though they knew something but weren’t going to talk about it. It puzzled me then, but not anymore. I now understand what it was they knew. They knew the truth about me, and were waiting for me to tell them.
I’d be nice for someone to invent a time machine, a time machine that allowed people to return to a time in their lives they wished to do over. Like my life then so I could tell my parents about my real self. Like my life then so I could see that no matter what I told them, they’d love me unconditionally. But...there isn’t a time machine, and I can’t go back. And yet, it doesn’t matter now because I believe they can see the real me, the person they loved and cared for. They can see me sitting here in a black skirt suit, wearing a satin blouse with a broach at the neck, and black flats--I didn’t want to wear heels and possibly aerate the ground with the heels as I walked across the ground.
I sit here across from their headstones, believing they now had no trouble seeing my true self. I wish it could have been different, had that one gang member not have been walking down the sidewalk on main street and six rival gang members in a low rider not gone by and shot at him, killing him, my parents, two more couples, and the owner of my parents favorite mom and pop store.
But fate wasn’t kind to those six boys either. In their haste to get away from the area, the driver ran a red light, just as a cement truck, carrying several yards of concrete came through the same intersection. The car was so low that the front of that truck had no trouble plowing over the roof of the car, followed by ten wheels that pushed the top down so it was level with the rest of the car’s body. Once the authorities were able to remove the roof of that car, they found the weapon used in the shooting, but had to use dental records in order to identify the six in the car. After the truck driver saw what had happened to those boys he had to be taken to the hospital, it affected him terribly.
No, I can’t have a do over, a do over so I could tell my parents the truth about myself. I will just have to continue believing they now see the real me and when it’s my time they’ll welcome their daughter, Kathy, and not their son Keith.
“Hi mamma, daddy and I were finally able to come and see you again. Daddy went to talk with some of his old buddies and felt I needed to be alone to talk to you. Oh...we brought you some fresh flowers, the ones we left the first time have died and wilted. There, mamma, that looks better with those fresh flowers.
Mamma, we both miss you terribly, daddy most of all. After you left, he didn’t eat much. He didn’t bathe like he had been doing, and he stopped shaving. I did all I could to help him get over you leaving, even yelling at him, but it didn’t do any good. Mamma, it wasn’t until I told him about myself, about who I was, about how I’d been feeling that he finally came around. And he actually cried, mamma. Cried on my shoulder, mamma. And he said how sorry he was for not helping me, mamma. For not being there for me, mamma. But he’s there now, mamma, and he’s been great.
He even found a woman I can talk with about myself and how I’m feeling. She had daddy take me to two doctors she recommended, so they could make sure I was okay. It was kind of strange, though, mamma, when two days after I first saw those doctors, they called daddy and told him to bring me back in right away. Mamma, they wouldn’t tell him why over the phone, but he picked me up after school and took me back to the hospital.
Even when we got into their offices, they still wouldn’t tell daddy what was going on. They just told daddy and me they’d seen something strange in my blood tests and wanted to be sure what they suspected. And no, mamma, even when they said that, they still wouldn’t answer daddy’s questions. They just told him to be patient. What they did, mamma, was to take me to these imaging machines, two of them; they said they wanted to be positive. Had me dress in a hospital gown and lie down on a bed in first one machine then the other. One of those machines was really noisy, mamma, guess that’s why they had me put on headphones and played music for me.
Mamma, for the longest time I wanted to come out and meet you. But I remember what you told Mrs. Wills when she and those other three ladies were over at our house for coffee. You were really angry with her when she talked about her daughter, and told her what you’d do if it happened at your house. I didn’t want to make you angry, mamma, or mad at me, so I stayed hidden. Until now, mamma. I’m here now, mamma.
After they had me get dressed, mamma, they took daddy and me into a small meeting room that had a large monitor on the wall. Mamma, one of the questions the doctors asked after taking their pictures was if I’d been feeling bad at certain times. I had to think about that one, mamma, because I did remember feeling bad several times over the past months. And, mamma, when they started showing the images they’d taken, I thought daddy was going to faint. Right after me, mamma.
You see, mamma, the doctors got it wrong when I was born, saying I was a boy. What they thought was my penis, as the doctors called it, was actually my misshappened cletoris, another of their words. And I was feeling bad at times the past few months because I was having my period, but the stuff the doctors talked about didn’t have a way to leave my body. They told daddy I was lucky not to have suffered serious problems, mamma. And mamma, the reason daddy and I haven’t been here for a while was due to the surgery I had to make an opening in my body that didn’t form properly when I was inside of you.
Mamma, I’m a girl. I’ve always been a girl. Even when I was born, mamma, I...was...a...girl. And now I won’t get to do the things with you other girls do with their moms. We can’t go shopping. You can’t tell me about being a girl, and all that gross stuff I was told by the doctors I needed to know. You won’t get to meet my boyfriend when we finally meet. And mamma, you won’t get to be there when I get married. Oh, I believe you’ll watch it all happen, mamma, but you won’t be there with daddy and me as it happens. It won’t be the same thing, mamma.
Mamma, I see daddy coming back, and he’s wiping his eyes. Guess he misses his old friends. Well, mamma, I’m going to go wait in the car while daddy talks to you. We’ll come again, mamma. And bring some fresh flowers when we come.
Oh, and mamma, I almost forgot. My name. It’s Julie Ann Langford. It’s nice to meet you, Mrs. Ann Langford."
It was one hundred and fifty feet from the roof of the old factory to the ground, and s/he was standing twenty feet from the edge of the roof. The professional-looking makeup s/he applied was not ruined, it and tears running down her cheeks. S/he had spent months learning how to properly apply her makeup until it looked as though it was a professional job. S/he worked just as hard learning how to style her hair, gaining another professional-looking job.
S/he was wearing a flower print dress, with a white base, matching bra and panties in a pale pink, nude pantyhose, and kitten heel shoes which complimented the dress. A beautiful woman’s watch was on her left wrist, and a small heart dangled from the bracelet on her right wrist; it matched the necklace she wore. She had chosen everything carefully, three hours ago. It is now two hours after her parents unexpectedly came home to find Tammy Walker and not their son, sixteen-year-old son Matt Walker.
It was two hours ago her mother had to hold her father back to keep him from beating the hell out of their son. Once her father realized what he had intended, he backed off, but her mother was next to have a go at her son. The almost physical attack by her father, the verbal attack by her mother was too much to bear. She grabbed her purse and car keys, ran out of the house, got in her car, and left. Never telling anyone where she was going, or planned to do. S/he’d had enough. S/he’d tried telling her parents for the last three years s/he was a girl pretending to be a boy. But they didn’t listen. The first time s/he told her parents, her father backhanded her so hard she flew into a wall. “No child of mine will be a queer,” he yelled, as he dragged her up the stairs and literally threw her into her bedroom.
S/he had enough, more than enough, s/he thought. S/he was weary of it all, tired beyond sleep. And it was now time to rest. S/he tried to take a step towards the edge of the old factory roof, but her leg refused to obey. S/he tried the other leg, but it too refused her command. She started crying harder now, as she looked up and screamed, “WHY? WHY NOT?” S/he put her face into her hands and wailed. Was she wailing because of what s/he wanted to do but wasn’t allowed? Or because of the rejection by her parents? Her crying continued.
S/he was concentrating so much on herself at that moment, that she couldn’t hear her name being called. S/he couldn’t hear her name being called when the voice was closer. S/he was shocked when her name was hollered directly behind her, causing her to stop crying but the tears still flowed.
“Tammy, please, turn around, look at us,” said the voice of her father, a voice she knew well. He called her Tammy, her own father. He had called him queer at first. S/he didn’t realize her legs were working again until s/he had turned to face her father, and mother. S/he suddenly realized what s/he’d done and looked down at her legs. ‘Why now?’ s/he thought to herself.
“Tammy, we were wrong. We didn’t understand. Please, PLEASE, forgive us. Please come home with us, Tammy. We’ll get you all the help you need to be who you truly are. Tammy, please?” S/he saw tears running down her father’s face, pleading with her to come home. Her mother’s eyes were also red, she too had been crying.
Tammy had a sudden thought. S/he never told her parents, or anyone else, where s/he was going, or what s/he planned. S/he gave her parents a quizzical look and asked, “How did you find me? I didn’t tell anyone where I was going,” and in a small voice, “or what I planned to do.”
Her mother told her, “We received a phone call, Tammy. The caller told us where you were,” and she choked up when she said, “and what you were planning to do. Oh, please, Tammy, come home with us.”
Her parents could see that Tammy was thinking, before she asked, “Who would’ve called you on your cell phone to tell you about me here? I never told anyone.” Her dad shook his head and said, “It wasn’t on our cell phones, Tammy. It was on our landline phone.” It took Tammy a few moments to realize what her dad just said. Now she was even more confused as she said, “But daddy, you had that phone disconnected three months ago. No one could call you on that phone.”
Her father smiled at her and replied, “You’re right Tammy. I did have that phone disconnected three months ago, and no one should have been able to call us. But someone did.”
Tammy started crying again. This time, being overjoyed that her parents had come for her and wanted her home with them, she ran to them, the three hugged, before walking, arms around each other, back to the same stairs Tammy had used to get onto the roof. Her legs were working perfectly again.
Author’s Note: This is another of my Jane Thompson ‘what if’ stories that’s been hounding me night and day, demanding it be written. The issues within this story are much darker than in any of my previous stories, told by a seventeen-year-old boy who witnessed the horrible treatment of the children by two families, if said children made it known they would not participate in any forced marriage. Reader beware: While what takes place is not told in great detail, it nevertheless can be disturbing. Also, there are flashbacks throughout the story, which may seem a bit confusing at times. ~ Jamie Lee ~
The Webster and Dorman families were first brought together when the oldest son of the Dorman family rescued the oldest daughter of the Webster family. Then two years later, the then oldest son of the Webster family rescued the then oldest daughter of the Dorman family. Love developed between each couple in the ensuing months, which led to marriages when they each turned eighteen. Because the families were brought together by the first two marriages, more love interests developed between the children of the two families, which led to more marriages between the Webster and Dorman families when the children reached their eighteenth birthdays. But a little over one hundred and fifty years later, the then head of the Webster and Dorman families believed everything told of those first marriages to be lies. They were lies because no one married because of love, only opportunity and obligation. So those first two marriages had to have been forced. And it was at that point the love that had blossomed as a result of two rescues, that had brought two families together, was perverted, and a little over one hundred years of hell began for children of the two families. A hell that was Family Punishment for any Webster or Dorman child who failed to comply with The Family Obligation of marriage when they turned eighteen. And love be damned.
Seventeen-year-old Stephen William Webster and his nanny, Better Wilcox, finally blow the whistle after the murder of thirteen-year-old Rachael Dorman because she refused to be forced into a loveless marriage. Stephen and Betty must be hidden because people from the Webster and Dorman families are hunting him, thinking he is running away from a forced marriage. Betty makes contact with three of her former University sorority sisters, and together they formulate plans to hide Stephen at the one place unknown to either the Webster or Dorman families, the Winsome Girls’ School for Wayward Boys. Jane Thompson’s home.
It was a pleasantly warm morning, with the suggestion of a breeze, a clear blue sky, and the sun was between its rising and apex positions. Station workers were busy getting ladened carts into position so their contents could be quickly loaded onto the 10:50 when it arrived; they would then quickly unload everything from the 10:50 destined for the station.
The platform was awash with people, some waiting to board the 10:50 when it arrived, and some waiting for those arriving on the 10:50. Most were standing around by themselves or in small groups, or going in and out of the station. Some were even sitting on the benches placed up against the wall of the station. One man sat alone on one of these benches, his knapsack by his side. Nothing about him wouldn cause anyone to take a second look his way. He was polite when addressed, but otherwise, left alone. Everything about the man had been planned, even the name of Chester Thorton.
He was clean shaven, and his auburn hair and beard were neatly trimmed, both streaked with gray. This they decided would make people think he was in his mid to late 50s or early 60s. His skin was tanned and weathered, hopefully making others think he spent his time exclusively out-of-doors. It was clear his clothing was faded, but clean, so others might think his wardrobe was limited. Even the knapsack beside him showed years of use, with faded and dirt stained canvas and worn straps. His shoes also had the look of being worn for a long time. It had all been planned to make him seem invisible, to hide the seventeen-year-old boy actually under the facade, one Stephen William Webster, the oldest son of the Webster family. He and the oldest Dorman daughter would be forced to marry when both reached their eighteenth birthdays, a marriage, as all the marriages between the Websters and Dormans for a little over the past one hundred years, of The Family Obligation. And love be damned. But running away from a forced marriage wasn’t why he was hiding behind Chester Thorton, his reason was much more serious. His reason was to save his life.
As he sat patiently waiting for the 10:50 to arrive, he constantly scanned the crowd of people on the platform, hoping not to see any of those he knew who were hunting him in order to take him back for Family Punishment, and his death. He and his nanny, Betty Wilcox, were being hunted because the families believed they’d left so Stephen wouldn’t be forced to marry the oldest Dorman daughter when she reached her eighteenth birthday. The families didn’t know the truth, thankfully, that Betty and Stephen had left because Betty had turned over fourteen years worth of videos, on thumb drives, to the one person she trusted in law enforcement, Judge Ruth. They had taken Family business to Outsiders and had broken a family law of never revealing Family business to Outsiders.
A muted air horn, caused by distance, sounded, bringing Chester back to the present. Chester looked at his watch, it was 10:45, same as the clock on the station wall; the 10:50 would be on time. Upon hearing the muted air horn the crowd on the platform started to separate into two groups, those waiting to board the 10:50 and those waiting for those arriving on the 10:50. Even though it would be five minutes until the train arrived, it was enough time for Chester to think back to the day Chester Thorton came into existence, and the look on Betty’s face when she realized who was really sitting and casually talking to Venessa Lancaster, a world renowned makeup artist. The thought made him chuckle to himself.
After Stephen and Betty had witnessed a recent brutal Family Punishment, they started talking when they returned to Stephen’s education room and decided it was time to get the authorities involved, knowing they were breaking the Family Law of no Outsiders being involved in Family Business. During their talk they also realized once their videos had been handed over to a trusted law enforcement person, they could not return to the Webster home or their lives would become extremely short lived. After suffering through Family Punishment.
Stephen watched as Betty took out her cell phone and made a call, all the while wondering who she was talking to and if it was safe talking to that person. To Stephen it all sounded like jibber jabber, but afterwards Betty explained it was a code her Sorority had devised when someone was in trouble and needed help--it kept the University Administration, and others, ignorant of the help that was on its way. Because the Webster and Dorman children were homeschooled, no one thought it strange when Betty made it known she was taking Stephen to the public library so he could do some research on a paper he was writing. And because Betty was now a trusted employee, and had been for over twenty years, no one followed her or tracked her car; Betty had been followed for a short time after she was first hired but that ended after about a month into her employment. She also found tracking devices attached to her car during that period.
After they left the Webster home, carrying the appropriate supplies, Stephen never questioned Betty when she drove right past the public library and to a part of town that housed many of the warehouses in the City. He didn’t question her when she pulled into the parking lot of one warehouse with a sign on the front that read, Vennessa Lancaster. Neither did he question her after they walked inside and the smell of paint, acetone, oldness, and coffee assaulted his nose. He did pay attention when they walked to the back of the warehouse and met a very beautiful woman about Betty’s age.
“Okay, brain dead, what’s with all the cloak and dagger stuff? We haven’t done that since University,” Vennessa Lancaster teasingly asked Betty.
“Brain dead? Who’re you calling brain dead? Who pulled your chestnuts out of the fire for the chem test you didn’t study for? Who pulled that dick off you before he could do any damage--I hurt my hand doing it. Did I get any thanks for that one? Hell no, just your vomit on my brand new shoes. Brain dead, humph!”
Stephen was shocked at the venom in both women’s voices, until he saw the big grins imerge and they locked the other in a huge hug. He knew they were okay when he heard them both say, “Gawd, it’s good to see you again.” Betty introduced Stephen and then the three sat down while Betty filled Venessa in on why she needed her help, without revealing a lot of detail. The less Venessa knew, the less she could tell.
“My gawd, Betty, what the hell kind of family have you gotten involved with, they’re all crazy.”
“Yeah, they are, Venessa, but beggars couldn’t be choosers at the time. Plus, the money was so damn good at the time. And once I got in, I wondered about getting out after many of the things I’d seen. Look, I’m not worried about myself, you and I know we’ve enough Sorority sisters who would pull their eye teeth to help hide me. But it’s Stephen I’m worried about. He can’t go to any other family members because they’d just bring him back. I have an idea where he could go, but right now he needs to be hidden in plain sight. He needs something so if his family is standing right next to him, they won’t recognize him.”
Betty never told Stephen that Venessa was a world renowned makeup artist, a person who’d won numerous awards for her work, and was constantly sought after by the big movie producers.
“Hmm...what did you have in mind, Betty?” Venessa got up and walked over to Stephen, having him stand in front of her. She ran her hands over his face, turned his head this way and that, before saying, “He’d make a very beautiful girl.”
The shocked look on Stephen’s face caused both women to burst out laughing, until Stephen said, in an old man’s voice, “Darling, that ain’t somethin’ you’ll get away with on this ol’ sod.”
After Stephen said that, Venessa looked at Betty and told her, “You know, he does a very good imitation of an older man. Does he do any other voices?”
“Venessa, please, don’t get him started. He once imitated one of the City officials, and got a pothole patched after we hit it in my car, causing him to hit the roof inside when his side of the car dropped into that pothole.”
Venessa laughed before telling Betty, “Well, why don’t you leave Stephen with me, let the two of us talk, and you go do what you need to do. Come back in, say, three hours to pick him up. Sound good?”
“Yeah, sounds real good. That will give me enough time to do what needs doing, and set things up so Stephen can stay safe. So, see you two in three hours.”
Stephen watched as Betty finger waved, turned, and walked out of the warehouse. “Now Stephen, let’s you and me talk,” Venessa told him as she fetched a coffee for herself and water for Stephen.
Three hours later, give or take a few minutes, the front door to Venessa’s warehouse studio opened and in walked Betty. As she walked back to the actual studio, she heard voices, Venessa’s and a man’s voice. An older man’s voice, judging by his intonations and gravelly sound. When she reached the studio she saw Venessa sitting in one chair and the man sitting in another chair of the several nearby.
“Oh, hey, Venessa, I’m sorry to intrude, I didn’t know you had company. But...WHERE IS STEPHEN?”
The conversation between Venessa and the older man stopped when Betty walked into the studio, with Venessa looking like a deer caught in headlights when Betty shouted her question. “Oh my gawd...Stephen...I forgot about him,” Venessa replied in a somewhat panicked voice, drawing Betty’s attention to her so she wouldn’t see the older man trying not to laugh. “Oh my gawd...where’d he go, I got lost in conversation with Mr. Thornton, there, and forgot about him.” Playing her part well, Venessa jumped out of her chair and started racing around first the studio, opening and closing every door there, all the while yelling, “OHMYGAWDOHMYGAWD.” She then ran out of the studio proper and could be heard opening and closing every door outside of the studio. When she came back she sounded very contrite, saying she couldn’t find him anywhere.
Betty’s back was to Mr. Thorton when she heard in a child’s voice, “That is a verwy pwetty dwagon, isn’t it?” Venessa immediately covered her mouth with both hands to stifle the laugh that was trying to escape. As Stephen and Venessa watched, Betty did a slow turn until she was facing Mr. Thorton, and asked in a voice that could cut steel , “What did you just say?” Venessa let out a snicker, despite her hands over her mouth, and Stephen repeated in the child’s voice, “That is a verwy pwetty dwagon, isn’t it?”
By now Venessa could no longer hold back the laughter, and it erupted from her. Seeing the expression on Betty’s face, Stephen joined in, giving a, “Hi Betty,” at one point when he had to take a breath. Both saw the stunned expression on Betty’s face, and watched as her legs started to give way, causing her to start falling backwards. Venessa quickly grabbed a nearby chair and shoved it into the back of Betty’s knees, causing Betty to sit down hard in the chair instead of falling onto the floor on her butt. By now both Stephen and Venessa were laughing with abandonment, both needing to wipe tears off their cheeks several times.
When the laughter died down, Betty, still looking at Chester Thorton, asked, “Stephen, is that really you? This isn’t some con to make me think you’re my Stephen, because Stephen has been caught?” Tears started rolling down Betty’s cheeks, thinking what would happen to Stephen if he’d been taken back to the Webster home. Stephen understood Betty’s reaction and quickly got up out of his chair, and going over to Betty, kneeled before her, took both of her hands in his and told her, “Yes, my sweet Betty, it’s me, Stephen. No one has found me or will find me now.” He held Betty as she cried, her thinking about the horrible things they’d do to Stephen if he was ever caught. Venessa walked over to the pair, and it became a group hug to comfort Betty. Betty was extremely worried about Stephen being kept safe.
A louder blast of an air horn brought Chester out of his rumination, making him see the 10:50 had arrived and was slowly pulling into the station. Those waiting for arrivals backed up toward the station, giving those about to board the train room to get near the edge of the platform. Chester stayed seated and watched, watched those as they got off the train. Hoping none would be any of those hunting him. As the last of those arriving left the train, conductors started checking and punching tickets and allowed people to board.
Chester had chosen a bench that would put him near the door between the fifth and sixth passenger cars when the train arrived. He reasoned that his pursuers might think because he traveled so far, he’d sit close to the dining car, not wanting to walk the distance from the back of the train. But Chester didn’t need the dining car, he never had, as he carried something to eat with him and only had an hour and a half to his final destination. He waited until the line for his chosen door was down to three people before standing, picking up his knapsack, and opening a side pocket to take out his ticket. When it was his turn to show his ticket, he exchanged pleasantries with the conductor, before the conductor checked his ticket, punched it and bid Mr. Thorton a pleasant journey.
The platform was level with the bottom step of the passenger car, so Chester walked onto the train car before actually stepping up into it. Turning right after the second step, he stepped into the fifth passenger car and started looking at the eight seats he had decided to choose. He looked at the far end of the car and saw the first four seats were already taken. He then looked to his immediate right and saw the first two seats also taken. But he was in luck when he looked to his immediate left, and saw both of the first seats empty. Stepping into that row, he opened his knapsack and took out a book, before closing it, placing it in the overhead rack, and sitting down in the window seat. As he looked out of the window, his mind again started drifting back to the events which put everything in motion; though they actually started the day Stephen William Webster was born.
Stephen and Betty’s decision to go to the authorities occurred just after the murder of Rachael Dorman, the thirteen-year-old daughter of the Dormans. Her crime? Making it known she had no intention of going through with t
The Family Obligation of marriage to someone she didn’t love. Tony and Charlotte, her birth parents, tried the usual punishments, groundings, spankings, withholding privileges, to make Rachael change her mind, but none of that worked. She wasn’t going to change her mind. No way in hell was she going to comply. Tony and Charlotte then knew there was only one way to force Rachael to comply, so they notified the Webster family and called both families together.
After the families were called together they met in the basement of the Dorman home, the place in both houses where Family Punishment was conducted. After everyone was assembled, Rachel was dragged down the basement stairs by three young men, almost carried because she had been a witness to Family Punishments and knew what she faced, so was fighting the three young men. While forcefully held by the three young men, her birth father asked her again, “Will you comply with The Family Obligation of marriage when you reach your eighteenth birthday?” Rachael, never the one to mince words, told her ‘father’, “GO TO HELL!”
Rachael’s ‘father’ nodded to the three young men and while one firmly held her, the other two stripped her completely naked; she resisted so fiercely they had to cut her clothes off her. They then dragged her to the apparatus used for Family Punishment and secured her arms and legs to the arms and legs of the apparatus. The apparatus was an articulating device that resembled a giant ‘X’, which articulated through 360 degrees both vertically and horizontally. It was suspended from the ceiling with thick chains that could be moved by ways of tracks in the ceiling. The thick chains holding the bottom also went into tracks that allowed the bottom portion to be positioned as needed.
“Alllll aboard,” broke through Chester’s rumination, as he realized the train was about to leave the station. He felt a slight jar as slack in the couplers was removed by the engines and the train started to move slowly out of the station. He looked out of the window at the ground next to the tracks, and watched as it passed by slowly at first, then became a blur as the train picked up speed. Chester reached up and wiped a tear off his cheeks, as his mind went back to Rachael’s punishment.
After Rachel had been strapped to the apparatus by her wrists and ankles, one of the young men went and stood by the apparatus control panel, his hand resting on the main power switch. As everyone watched the naked girl writh to break free of the bonds, her birth ‘father’ stood before her and asked again, “Rachael, will you now comply with the Family Obligation?” The hatred in Rachael eyes could have cut through solid concrete with ease, but she only shouted in a venomous voice, “YOU GO TO FUCKING HELL!!” The man before her turned and nodded to the young man at the control panel. As everyone watched, he pressed the power button, then moved a lever until the apparatus was two feet off the floor. Operating two more levers, the arms of the apparatus were moved until they pulled Rachael’s arms as far to the left and right as they could without pulling her arms out of their sockets. Rachaels’s screams reverberated around the basement. They intensified as the legs of the apparatus did the same with her legs. No one showed any emotions, as everyone calmly walked back up the basement steps, leaving Rachael to her screams and torment. It was time for their dinner.
Even when the basement door was closed, muffled screams could be heard from Rachael. About an hour into their meal the screams stopped, though muffled moans could be heard. All through the two hour meal, no one ever mentioned Rachael, they acted like it was just another family gathering they were enjoying. There was laughter, jokes, and conversations about this or that investment and what gains were made from them. Not one word about Rachael was spoken until the two hours was up, and then all Tony said was, “It’s time.”
Once everyone was again assembled in the basement, one man stepped out of the crowd and stood before the apparatus control panel. A door opened and the initial three young men came out wearing white robes, taking up positions in front of and behind the apparatus. Tony nodded his head to the man at the controls and the man pressed the power button to reactivate the apparatus. When all was ready, he operated levers which moved the top of the apparatus forward and the bottom backwards. He then operated two more levers which lowered the top portion and raised the lower portion until the entire apparatus, along with Rachael, were a little lower than waist high; Rachael was now positioned face down. Operating one more lever and the lower portion of the apparatus rotated until it was at a ninety degree position, causing Rachael to let out a loud groan. As the group watched, Tony nodded his head and the three young men took up their positions, one in front of Rachael’s legs, one behind them, and the third young man standing in front of Rachael. When Tony nodded again, all three young men dropped their robes, showing they were completely naked and quite aroused. Tony looked at the assembled group before nodding his head again and the three young men started in on assaulting Rachael. And they showed her no mercy.
Anyone watching the video of Rachael’s punishment could see the three young men attacked Rachael for an hour before all three came. Each pulled out of her, picked up their robes and calmly walked backed to the room they initially came from. Those assembled watched as Rachael gagged, vomited, spit, and tried to catch her breath, before the apparatus was maneuvered until it was once again vertical. Tony waited a bit longer, standing off to the side, as Rachael gagged and vomited again before standing before her. Much of what Rachael had expectorated ran down her chest, along with what had been left in her mouth. There also was blood running down both of her legs. Tony stood before his daughter and asked her, “Will you now comply with the Family Obligation?”
The once loving girl no longer had the pretty blue eyes of a happy teen. What replaced them at that very moment was so filled with hate, that if they’d been lasers Tony would have been reduced to tiny fragments. Rachael swallowed several times, trying to get moisture to her throat before she said, “Old man, you better find some other fucking place to sleep. Because when I get out of here I’m going to slit your throat from ear to ear, then cut off your dick and balls and shove them down your throat.”
By this time the three young men had rejoined the group, Rachael’s next words were directed at them. She looked directly at them and said, “And then I’m coming after you three. And when I’m done with you three, none of you will ever shit or fuck again.” She then looked at the rest of the group and told them, “And then I’m coming after everyone of you fuckers. Fucking puppets who blindly follow this fucking pig standing before me. All of you will get yours.”
In both families, eighteen was considered to be an adult. Tony looked at the group, and those family members eighteen and older all nodded their heads. Seeing that, Tony calmly walked over to the control panel, opened a drawer beneath it, took out a revolver, walked back over to Rachael, and calmly shot her in the head. He just as calmly walked back over to the control panel, replaced the revolver in the drawer, closed it, and called the meeting over as he calmly walked back up the basement stairs. No one said a word, there were no tears, as everyone followed Tony back up those stairs.
A swish brought Chester back to the present, as he turned towards the sound. A door between cars had opened, and he saw two young children precede a woman as they came from the fourth passenger car. “William, see if you can find two seats together and one across from them, okay?” The woman told the boy in the lead. “Okay, mom,” he replied, before saying, “Here’s two seats together, mom, and one right here,” he told his mom as he pointed to the two seats and the one opposite them. “Great! You and Cathy take the two seats and I’ll sit in the one seat, okay?” As Chester watched, the two kids turned into the vacant row and sat down, neither arguing over which seat they wanted. Their mom sat down in the single seat opposite them and started introducing herself to the woman sitting in the window seat. Both women started a conversation about their children, as Cathy and William busied themselves getting comfortable in their seats. Chester saw the boy had taken something out of the small pack he carried, and heard him ask his mom, “Want some, mom?” Chester couldn’t see what the boy offered, but his mom took some, thanked him, and offered some to the woman she was sitting with. Chester had turned his gaze back to outside the train when he heard, “OH, WOW! William, look at this.” Chester turned back to watch what had caused Cathy’s excitement, and looking out the other windows, saw a herd of horses grazing in a pasture. Chester looked at both children and saw they were now sharing the window seat, neither making a fuss about being crowded or not being able to see. Had those two been any of the Webster or Dorman children, they would have raised hell about both of those things.
Chester must have felt secure now that he was on the last leg of his journey, because the next thing he heard was, “Ladies and gentlemen, our next stop is Kingston, Road Island. If you’re leaving us there, we hope you’ve had a pleasant trip and hope to see you again. If you’re continuing with us, we will be in station for fifteen minutes. If you leave the train during that time, make sure to place the ‘seat occupied’ card in your seat and have your ticket with you. We hope everyone has a very pleasant day.”
Chester had fallen asleep for the hour and a half the last leg of his journey lasted, and it was a pleasant sleep for a change, not like some he’d had. He felt the train start to slow down and watched as plowed fields and pastures started turning into buildings and homes. As the train started slowly pulling into the Kingston station, Chester caught sight, out of the other windows, of a woman and young girl standing alone at the end of the platform. Once the train completely stopped, Chester stayed seated until he became the last to leave the train from the fifth passenger car. He stood, took his rucksack off the overhead rack, opened it and put his book inside, before stepping into the aisle and following those going out the door he’d entered through. He heard his name called as he stepped onto the platform, seeing it was the woman with the young girl who had called. He didn’t stride as he walked over to the woman with the young girl, but he did carry himself in a manner that fit the image of a man he appeared to be. He stopped a couple of feet in front of the woman and young girl, and said, “Hello, I’m Chester Thorton. You must be Ms. Thompson.”
“Hello, Mr. Thorton. Yes, I’m Ms. Jane Thompson.” Jane extended her hand and Chester did the same, giving Jane a firm handshake. “I was nice of you to come, Mr. Thorton, I’ve had the job open for some time and found it hard to fill. This young lady, by the way, is my ward, Jenny Stevens. Her Aunt and Uncle felt the need to have her taught the finer points of being a young lady. Do you have more luggage to acquire from the station, or have you everything?” Betty had told Stephen Jane knew why he was there, and they were to act like he was seeking employment with Jane. So their conversation had been loud enough for others on the platform to hear.
Chester looked at the pretty young girl before replying, “Hello, Miss Stevens, it’s a pleasure to meet you. And no, ma’am, I have no more luggage. I travel lite.”
When Betty left Stephen in Venessa’s capable hands, she’d arranged to meet Ruth Walinkiewicz at a place Ruth felt was secure enough that Betty could tell her why they were meeting after such a long time. Like Venessa, Ruth and Jane were old Sorority sisters of Betty’s, so Betty knew she could trust Ruth and Jane to not only do the right thing, but keep things to themselves.
Author’s Note: This is another of my Jane Thompson ‘what if’ stories that’s been hounding me night and day, demanding it be written. The issues within this story are much darker than in any of my previous stories, told by a seventeen-year-old boy who witnessed the horrible treatment of the children by two families, if said children made it known they would not participate in any forced marriage. Reader beware, while what takes place is not told in great detail, it nevertheless can be disturbing. Also, there are flashbacks throughout the story, which may seem a bit confusing at times. ~ Jamie Lee ~
The Webster and Dorman families were brought together by the rescues first by a Dorman young man of a Webster young girl, then two years later a Webster young man of a Dorman young girl, and ensuing love which led to marriage when they each turned eighteen. Because of the first two marriages, other marriages, because of love, occurred between the Webster and Dorman families. But a little over one hundred and fifty years later, the then head of the Webster and Dorman families believed everything told of those first marriages to be lies. They were lies because no one married because of love, only opportunity, so those first two marriages had to have been forced. And it was at that point the love that had blossomed as a result of two rescues, that had brought two families together, was perverted, and a little over one hundred years of hell began for the two families. A hell that was Family Punishment for any Webster or Dorman child who failed to comply with the Family Obligation of marriage when they turned eighteen. And love be damned.
Seventeen-year-old Stephen William Webster and his nanny, Better Wilcox, finally blow the whistle after the murder of thirteen-year-old Rachael Dorman because she refused to be forced into a loveless marriage. Stephen and Betty must be hidden because people from the Webster and Dorman families are hunting him, thinking he is running away from a forced marriage. Betty makes contact with three of her former University Sorority sisters, and together they formulate plans to hide Stephen at the one place unknown to either the Webster or Dorman families, the Winsome Girls’ School for Wayward Boys. Jane Thompson’s home.
It took Betty about an hour to reach the location Ruth gave her, and she found it without any trouble. She parked her car in a nearby parking lot, got out of her car and following Ruth’s instructions, walked a short distance down a path, spying Ruth sitting on a park bench watching the water in the river in front of her.
“Are you constipated or contemplating this time?” Betty called out to her Sorority sister, as she neared where Ruth sat. Of the Sorority sisters, Ruth had been the one to be caught contemplating more times than not, while sitting by herself. Betty’s greeting had been an old joke between the two, since it was Betty who usually knew where at school Ruth would be when she was by herself.
Ruth turned around to look at Betty, rolled her eyes and said, “After all this time I’d think you’d have some new material. But no, not you. You still think the old lines are as funny as the day you first asked them.” As the two did when Betty saw Venessa, the two Sorority sisters hugged for some minutes before Ruth saw the serious, and worried look, on Betty’s face.
Ruth tried to lighten the mood by asking, “Um...you didn’t flunk another test, did you? You and Venessa always did wait until the last minute to study.” Betty let go of Ruth and walked toward the river, stopping to pick up a rock and throw it into the water.
“In a way I did, Ruth, only it was a human test I failed,” Betty replied, as she bent to pick up another rock and throw it into the water. Ruth came over to Betty, saw the tears, and pulled Betty into a hug before guiding her to the bench Ruth had been sitting on. All Ruth told her was, “Take your time, and tell me everything.” And Betty did, from the day she was hired to the murder of thirteen-year-old Rachael Dorman. And how, now, Stephen William Webster could be next if he was caught. Ruth was always the level headed one of the four, and the rest of the house. So it was out of character for her when Betty heard her say, “Damn, what a fucked up mess. Where are the videos now?” Betty had explained how she knew none of the local law enforcement people could be trusted because most, if not all, were bought by both the Websters and Dormans. Betty reached into an inside pocket of her jacket and pulled out a packet of thumb drives and handed them to Ruth.
“Everything on these drives are from all the Family Punishments starting fourteen years ago. Some of them show the murder of several of the children from both families. Most are of torture and/or sexual abuse, all done to sway the child to follow the Family Obligation. DAMN THAT FUCKING THING ANYWAY!” Betty broke down hard this time and with Ruth holding her, it took several minutes for her to regain herself. “I just stood by and watched it all happen. I didn’t do anything to stop it,” Betty said to the air, before turning to look at Ruth. “I was scared, Ruth, afraid for my life if I did anything.” It took Ruth a few minutes to convince Betty that being afraid for her life was nothing to be ashamed of, that it was a common reaction for those who aren’t trained to put their lives on the line.
“So what changed?” Ruth finally asked, as she pulled her Sorority sister tightly into her. “And you’re doing something now, so stop kicking yourself.”
“The death of Rachael Dorman, and what they did to her before she was murdered,” Betty answered, with more venom in her voice than Ruth had ever heard.
Each of the four women had their own particulars when it came to individuality. Ruth had been the one who thought most often. Jane was the matron of the group. Venessa was the explorer, and Betty was so passionate that all three had, at times, to hold her back or cover her mouth to keep her in check. When Ruth heard the venom in Betty’s voice, she knew someone better find a very secure place to hide. Because Betty was going to peel their skin layer by layer until she reached the heart of their matter.
Ruth stood up, then pulled a still venomously angry Betty up, put her arm around Betty’s waist, and led her back to Ruth’s car. She put Betty in the passenger seat before getting into the driver’s seat. She reached behind her seat and pulled out a small screen, which she plugged into a panel below the main console. She put the key in the ignition, turned it to accessory, plugged in one of the thumb drives, one marked with the lowest year, and watched as what was on the thumb drive started playing. Betty covered her ears as Ruth watched the video, Ruth swearing now and then as the video played. Ruth let all the videos play on that drive before watching the next one; Betty kept her ears covered, her memories already knew the sounds from those times.
When the last thumb drive had played the last video, Ruth gently pulled Betty’s hands away from her ears and asked, “What kind of monsters are these people?” All Betty said was, “The worst kind.” Ruth turned off the accessories, disconnected the small screen, before pulling out her cell phone and making a call. When Betty asked who she was calling, all Ruth said was, “A couple of trusted friends. Don’t worry, Stephen will be kept safe. And so will you.”
Ruth’s first call was to Jane, and using the Sorority code, told Jane about the need to hide a ward of Betty’s. When the two had made plans, her next call was to her clerk, telling him what to do and where to meet her; she said nothing about Betty being with her. Her next call was to the State Attorney’s General office, in order to speak with her. Ruth knew she was above reproach because all Sorority sisters had to be. Again using the Sorority code, she explained the need to meet with her urgently. An agreed upon time was set for their meeting just as another car pulled into the parking lot; it was Ruth’s clerk.
Ruth’s clerk got out of his car, walked around to the driver’s side of Ruth’s car, and handed her an envelope before getting back into his car and driving off. He didn’t ask any questions or see anything, because he knew if the Judge was doing something like this, it was beyond very important. Ruth handed the envelope to Betty and started telling her the plans for her and Stephen. She watched as Betty took the contents out of the envelope, one train ticket, and instructions for Betty, before going on. She also told Betty not to worry, those sick bastards would get everything they had coming to them. And then some. The two hugged, kissed each other on the cheek, before Betty got out of Ruth’s car and into her own. Ruth watched as Betty drove off, wondering how Betty could have tolerated all she had seen for so long.
As Betty headed back to Venessa’s warehouse, she started mentally ticking off things she had to tell Stephen. She had to make sure Venessa didn’t hear any of it in case someone learned where she and Stephen had been. She still worried if Stephen would be okay, he was after all intents and purposes, her son. After arriving at Venessa’s, and the initial shock wore off, she pulled Stephen aside and explained the plan to him, explaining who he’d meet and that she’d be playing a part as a cover for anyone who might be listening. Venessa had outfitted Stephen for a trip she thought might occur soon, including an old knapsack she’d had for years. Betty then learned after Venessa had finished the Chester Thorton facade, she took Chester out to one of the malls, to ‘test drive’ Chester. Venessa had to hold up her hands to forestall Betty’s protests, explaining she had six trusted friends keeping an eye on Chester while he was in the mall. Trusted friends who had no problem helping someone disappear if necessary.
Stephen, um, Chester had sat back down as Venessa told Betty about the mall. His chuckle brought a very sour look from Betty, until he had her sit down and regaled her with how the ‘test’ went.
Chester walked into the mall as though he didn’t have a care in the world, stopping to window shop in front of the men’s stores until he walked into the bookstore. As he initially walked along, he spotted four people who belonged to the Webster and Dorman families, but they simply walked right by him, never giving him a second look. After buying a book he headed to the food court, passing four different family members this time. He purchased a cappuccino and sat down at one of the tables in the food court, putting on the fake reading glasses Venessa had given him, before taking the book he purchased out of the store bag, opening it and began reading. A short time later he spotted all eight family members, stopping to talk with each other before heading in different directions.
Two of the men went into the men’s restroom in the food court, and because of his first two encounters with the hunters, decided to have a bit of fun. He took off the fake reading glasses, put them into his shirt pocket, put his book into the sellers bag, finished his cappuccino, disposed of the cup, and calming walked into the men’s restroom. After walking into the restroom he saw both men looking into every stall, opened the two doors in that restroom, and approached him as he headed for a stall.
“Um...excuse me sir,” said the sandy-hair young man. “Have you seen this boy,” and held out a picture of Stephen for Chester to look at. Chester took the picture and held it at arm’s length, then brought it closer, before saying, “Blast these damn eyes. Just a second boys.” He then took the fake reading glasses out of his pocket, put them on and then looked at the picture again. “Ah, nooo...sorry boys. I haven’t seen him.” He handed the picture back to the young men before telling them, “If you’ll excuse me I have an urgent meeting to get too.” Saying that, Chester acted like it was urgent that he reach a toilet, as he quick-walked around the young men and stepped into a stall, securing the door with the bolt. As he undid his belt, pulled his pants and underwear down and sat down on the toilet, he heard, “Well, thank you anyway, sir.” Chester heard the door to the men’s restroom open then close, but he stayed put to make sure the two had gone.
Chester finished faking using the toilet, pulled everything back up, buckled his belt, flushed the toilet, before pulling back the bolt on the door and stepping out of the stall. He didn’t look around as he walked up to a sink and washed his hands, drying them with the hot air dryer. He left the men’s restroom and calmly walked out of the food court and calmly walked down the concourse. Chester was almost to the place where he came into the mall when he spotted the group of hunters talking quietly to his left. As he almost walked by them one young man, the one from the men’s restroom, called out, “Thank you again, sir.” Chester simply smiled, then waved before continuing out of the mall and to Venessa’s car. The ‘test’ was a success. Chester Thorton had no trouble hiding Stephen William Webster. And after getting back into Venessa’s car, when he could stop laughing so hard, he told Venessa the whole story. It took ten minutes before Venessa was in any condition to drive, she was laughing that hard.
Chester understood Jane was performing for those still on the platform, and wanted to make sure those who heard, knew the man before Jane was there for a job interview. “Yes, ma’am, sometime fillin’ a job can be a right task. But I’d sure like to hear what you have in mind, if I may.”
“Of course, Mr. Thorton. I’d be glad to show you around and explain my needs. If you will follow my ward and I to my car, we can reach my home in time for dinner.” As they walked to Jane’s car, she quietly told Jenny that what was taking place is a matter of life and death. And she is not to breathe a word of what she hears. Jenny understood all too well about life and death, it was one of the reasons she was with Jane.
Jeremy’s parents had been killed during a burglary of their home, and he was sent to live with his mom’s sister and her husband, both openly welcoming Jeremy. But despite the love both his Aunt and Uncle showed him, and the counseling he received, his parent’s deaths caused him to act out until he ended up standing before Judge Ruth.
Nothing of great importance was said during the drive from the station to Jane’s home, mainly, “How was your trip, Mr. Thorton,” Jane asked as she steered her car out of the station parking lot. Chester ran through several replies before telling Jane, and the listening Jenny, “It was rather long, Ms. Thompson, but interesting. I had little trouble during the whole trip,” he added, hoping Jane understood what he meant. “That’s good to hear, Mr. Thorton. It’s those little things which often make such a trip much harder.” Jane eyed Chester by way of the rear view mirror, giving him a slight nod of understanding what he was really saying. Chester nodded back to Jane’s reflection, reversing the knowledge that he knew she understood what he really meant.
As they pulled up to Jane’s home, she told Jenny, “While Mr. Thorton and I will be meeting in the Library, I want you to help Marie with dinner. Also, please bring a pot of tea and cups for two?” and here Jane actually looked at Chester, asking him with her expression if he would like tea as they talked. “Yes, ma’am, tea would be mighty nice,” he replied, catching the question Jane gave him with her look. “Alright then, please bring a pot of tea and cups for two to the Library, Jenny. Remember, knock first then wait to be told to enter.” Jane had admonished Jenny before about knocking and waiting to be told to enter a room with a closed door. She was doing better, but still had lapses.
Jane and Marie had been firm with Jenny, as they had been with previous boys sent to them, but also took into account the almost recent death of her parents. Her problem wasn’t one of actually being a bad boy, as some of her previous visitors had been, but one of not allowing himself to grieve. Jeremy had bottled up his feelings to the point that he lashed out at almost anything. And the last time he lashed out caused him to be brought before Judge Ruth. Jeremy had never given Jane or Marie any trouble when they started their usual routine of causing the boy to sleep after dinner, then taking all of his male clothes away. He never balked at anything they had him do as Jenny, even going out in public as Jenny. Or the usual makeover at the salon or the modeling that was forced onto the boys. He was still withdrawn and would need something, or someone, to help get through to him. To finally get him to open up and let himself grieve.
When the three walked into Jane’s home, it was Chester who marveled at what he saw. “Ma’am, you have a lovely home, here. It takes me back to my grans’ home when I was little.” Jane gave Chester a look that Chester took to mean, ‘what are you doing’. He gave her a look that said, ‘just being who you see.’ What Jane said for Jenny’s sake was, “Why thank you, Mr. Thorton. That’s kind of you to say so. I find it all to be a rather helpful atmosphere when teaching takes place.” Jenny might not have understood Jane’s reference to teaching, but Chester did. After Jane put away her coat she told Chester, “If you’ll follow me, Mr. Thorton. Jenny, you know what you were told to do. Please see to it.” Jenny acknowledged Jane, before Jane led Chester to the Library, where she entered, then closed the door after Chester had entered.
“Please, Stephen, sit down, make yourself comfortable,” Jane told Chester as she walked over to her desk before sitting down in the chair behind it. She watched with an amusement how Stephen reacted when you used his given name, as he took one of the easy chairs facing the desk. “Yes, Stephen, I was told who Chester Thorton really is, and why he existed. I can assure you, you will be safe here with me. There are a number of people in this area I’ve helped over the years, helped with problems that, had they followed the course they were on, could have landed them in prison. There are also a large number of people I’ve helped, who live elsewhere, and let me know if they hear anything unsavory coming this way. And if you are wondering about the reason Jenny is here, I will say she is a special case. She was on a self destructive course, not one that would lead to prison. She was on a course that would have allowed her to join her parents.” For some reason when Stephen heard about Jenny’s plight he had to wipe tears off his cheeks. Maybe Rachael’s murder was to fresh, and maybe he was just tired. But Jane saw his action and believed, if she could talk him into it, he could be the litch pin that finally brought Jenny out of her deep depression.
There was a knock on the Library door. Jane called out, “Come in,” before the door opened and Jenny came into the Library carrying a tray with a teapot and two cups and saucers on it. Jenny closed the door behind her, then walked over to the desk Jane and Chester were sitting at, sat the tray down, and fixed a cup of tea for Jane and Mr. Thorton, after asking how he took his tea. She served the two cups of tea then quietly left the Library, remembering to close the door behind her. Jane saw a questioning look on Stephen’s face, but gave him time to ask his question.
After a few moments, Stephen asked, “Ms. Thompson, why is Jenny so downtrodden? It’s as though she has no life left in her. She seems so deeply depressed.”
Jane’s hopes that Stephen could help Jenny sparked after hearing his question and his other comments. She took a sip of her tea then said, “Stephen, please, address me as Aunt Jane--I’ll explain why in a moment. As to Jenny? Jeremy Stevens’ parents were murdered during a burglary of their home. He was able to escape out the window in his bedroom, and hid on the roof in a place which couldn’t be seen from the ground. He saw the two leave his home before going back inside, he was the first to find his mother and father, both shot in the chest and head. He had the presence of mind to call the police, and they found him in a state of deep shock when they arrived. His mother’s sister and her husband lovingly took Jeremy into their home. They saw how depressed he was and found treatment for him right away. Even with their love, even with the counseling, he remained depressed. Until one day he did something that resulted in being arrested and taken before Judge Ruth. As you observed, his spirit has wilted, he’s dead inside. It was thought once he was here that Marie and I could bring him out of his state, cause his spark to ignite by having him go through what all boys who are sent to me go through. And I see by the expression on your face you want to know what we put the boys through,” Jane paused and took another sip of her tea. As Jane was taking a sip of her tea Stephen replied, “Yes ma’am, I would like to know.”
Jane could tell Stephen wasn’t saying he’d like to know out of morbid curiosity, but genuine interest. She sat her cap down and told him, “Stephen, the boys who are sent to me are not bad boys at heart. Oh, some are, and some never change from the time they arrive to the day they leave. And I regret that very much. But the others, the ones whose hearts aren’t blackened by their situations do change and have often expressed their gratitude afterwards.”
“Stephen, what would be your response if someone forced you to explore your feminine side? Put you into a situation where you had no choice but to become a girl for a time? You would completely dress as a girl. You would wear makeup, go to the salon, even do a bit of modeling as a young girl. You would learn to act as though you were a real girl. Even out in public. How would you react?”
Jane watched as Stephen’s face went through several changes, sumizing he was giving her questions some thought. She wasn’t given a complete history of his life and was a bit shocked when he told her, “Aunt Jane. After seeing several Family Punishments since I was three years old, two of my brothers murdered, and recently a thirteen-year-old girl murdered, I’m not able to give you an answer that would be completely honest. After all I’ve seen, I may be as bad off as Jeremy. Except my reasons for being sent here is to save my life from those who would have me go through a Family Punishment before I was murdered.” Jane watched as Stephen knuckled tears off his cheeks, tears that didn’t seem to have an end.
Stephen was not one of the usual boys Ruth had sent to her, he was running for his life. And he was hurting, deeply. Jane did something she’d never do with one of the other boys during their ‘talks’, and she got up from her desk chair, walked around the desk and took Stephen in her arms and hugged him for all she was worth. And he cried wracking sobs into her chest. Even Jane had to wipe tears off her cheeks, several times, as she held Stephen as he cried. The Library door silently opened and Marie looked in, only to see Jane hugging the crying boy. Jane quietly nodded to Marie, letting her know everything was alright. Marie stepped back out and closed the door as quietly as it had been opened. She knew they’d talk later.
It was several minutes before Stephen stopped crying, or stopped only to start again. When he finally did stop crying, in a muffled voice he said, “I’m so sorry about this, Aunt Jane. I’ve never cried like this in my life, it wasn’t allowed in our house. I simply couldn’t stop myself, Aunt Jane.” Jane released Stephen, turned and picked up a box of tissues from her desk, before turning back and letting Stephen take all he needed. Once he’d wiped his eyes and face, Jane gently took his chin in her hands, lifted it, looking directly into his eyes, and told the boy, “Stephen, I do not know all you’ve experienced, but I do know no boy should have to experience it. You have absolutely no reason to be sorry for finally being able to release all your pent up emotions like you did. I am surprised you have lasted this long without doing something drastic. If you will allow Marie and myself, we can help you start to heal. And keep you safely hidden.”
Stephen broke the hug before looking up at Jane and asking, “How are those things possible? I have a mind that never forgets anything read, heard, or seen. How is it possible not to relive every moment I’ve seen throughout the years? How can I stop reliving those moments when I sleep? Do you know of a way I can shut out all the hate, anger, and perversion? If it wasn’t for Betty being there, you’re right, I would have done something drastic. It was only because of her love for me that it never happened, it would have destroyed her.”
“My God, Stephen William Webster, you are a very sweet, and strong, young man. To think of someone else before yourself. This world needs you and more like you,” Jane told Stephen before she too took a tissue and wiped her own eyes.
Jane went back to her desk chair before asking, “Has anyone told you of the plans we devised to keep you safe?” She watched as Stephen slowly shook his head, no, before going on. “Before we go into that, dinner is ready. Let’s eat then I will tell you of our plans. And if you would, I would like to hear your entire story, if you feel up to the task.” Jane watched as Stephen just slowly nodded his head, yes, before wiping his eyes again with a tissue. ‘It was time someone heard the whole truth’, Stephen thought to himself. “Then it’s settled, we shall go eat then I will take you out and show you my property.” Stephen nodded as he got up out of the chair, Jane putting her arm around the boy’s waist as they walked to the Library door, another thing she’d never do. Stephen opened the door and allowed Jane to walk out first, before following her and closing the door behind him. Something smelled good, or so his stomach told him.
Jane showed Chester where he could wash before they ate. After he came out of the powder room Jane led him to the dining room, and indicated the place where he would sit. Jane pulled out the chair she’d been standing behind and heard, “Here, Aunt Jane, allow me,” from Chester, as he walked around the table to help Jane push in her chair as she sat. “Thank you, Chester, that was kind of you. I see Betty’s been teaching you proper manners, in that hell hole.” Chester chuckled at Jane’s characterization of his home, which wasn’t far from the complete truth.
Jane watched as Chester walked back around the table to the place she indicated, but didn’t sit down. ‘Betty has done a wonderful job with this young man, despite his circumstances,’ Jane thought to herself, just as Jenny started bringing out plates and bowls out of the kitchen for their dinner; she had to make two trips. When Jenny came out the second time she asked, “Mr. Thorton, what would you like to drink?” Chester looked at Jane, who nodded her head, before Chester said, “Well, Miss Jenny, I’ll tell ya’ only if you address me as Chester.” Chester saw a spark of fear in Jenny’s eyes, something even Jane noticed, something Jenny had never displayed before, before she turned to Jane, who nodded her head at Jenny before Jenny turned back to Chester, with a big smile on her face. “Thank you Chester, but only if you address me as Jenny.” Chester smiled at Jenny and told her, “Darling, it will be my pleasure.” And the smile remained as Jenny returned to the kitchen, coming back out with a pitcher of iced tea. As Jenny poured Chester’s iced tea, Chester looked at Jane, who he saw was just nodding her head, then mouthed, ‘Well done.’ That smile was the first genuine small Jane saw on Jenny since Jeremy arrived two months ago. And it was a sign.
Marie came out of the kitchen carrying a plate of fresh baked dinner rolls, the aroma driving Chester’s stomach wild. He had been standing all this time, and now helped seat first Marie and then Jenny, before sitting down himself. A message passed between Marie and Jane as they looked at each other. One that said Chester was taught well and maybe he CAN help Jenny afterall. Marie knew she and Jane would talk later, when Jenny took Chester up to his room so he could once again become Stephen.
Conversation during dinner was as it always was when Jane had a new girl in the house. They discussed current events, political topics, and a mixture of other things engineered to make Jenny talk and see if she’d been doing her assignments. Chester even got in on the conversation, pointing out several times to Jenny this or that point, but never making her feel bad about herself because of her answers. He even hit on a topic Jenny loved, and the two carried on quite the conversation before it was time for dessert. After Jenny and Marie took the plates off the table and into the kitchen, Jane took the opportunity to tell Chester, “That smile you saw on Jenny was the first genuine smile she has shown in the two months she has been here. And the conversation you two engaged in, was the first time she has spoken so enthusiastically about anything in that same time period. Please, Stephen, continue helping her all you can.” Jane cut the conversation as Jenny, with a real smile on her face, came out of the kitchen carrying saucers, followed by Marie carrying their dessert. Jane saw what Marie and Jenny didn’t, Stephen wiping tears out of his eyes.
Stephen did help Jenny the rest of their meal, by asking her more questions about the topic that got her excited in the first place. Horticulture, and her love for nature. This hadn’t been known to Jane or Marie the two months Jenny had been with them, because she had been so withdrawn. But now that they saw her excitement with that field, they both knew what would be added to her studies. And Jane silently thanked the Mighty One for sending Stephen William Webster, though Stephen also needed their help in another area.
When everyone had finished their desserts, Jane told Jenny, “Jenny, please help Marie clear the table and clean up in the kitchen.” Jane received a two word reply, “Yes, ma’am.” Before any of the ladies could move, Chester said, “If you ladies would allow me,” and he stood, first helping Marie leave the table, then Jane and finally Jenny. “Ah, Miss Jenny, if and when you have a free moment, I’d like to hear more about horticulture,” Jenny heard Chester say. With another genuine smile on her face she replied, “I’d be glad to, Chester. When I have time,” and she looked at Jane, who nodded her head, giving Jenny permission.
“Chester,” Jane said as she guided Chester towards a door which led out of the back of the house, “I think we will change our venue to continue our talk. I would like to show you some of my property, as we talk.” They walked by the garden, headed to the stables, which held the few horses Jane had. “Do you ride, Chester?” Jane asked as they finished walking past the garden. “Ah, no, Aunt Jane, I’ve never had the opportunity or inclination, to be honest.” Jane smiled as the two entered the stables, where the first horse stuck its nose out of its stall right in front of Chester. “It seems someone wants to say hello, Chester. She is rather picky who she will meet and who she avoids. You must be one who she wants to meet.”
The sorrel roan pushed her head into Chester’s chest, stopping him where he stood. As strange as it seemed, Chester actually felt a kinship to this horse, and reached around with his right arm and encircled the big horse’s muzzle, pulling it in tighter to his chest. He then laid his head on top of its muzzle and told the horse, “It’s a pleasure to meet you too.” Jane saw moisture in Chester’s eyes as he hugged the horse, not enough to run down his cheeks, but an indication something about what the horse just did bringing up some hurt Chester had kept hidden. Jane gently touched his arm and said, “Come,” and walked over and sat down on one of several hay bails in the stable. Chester hugged the big girl once more before letting her go, stepping around her and following Jane to the hay bails.
Author’s Note: This is another of my Jane Thompson ‘what if’ stories that’s been hounding me night and day, demanding it be written. The issues within this story are much darker than in any of my previous stories, told by a seventeen-year-old boy who witnessed the horrible treatment of the children by two families, if said children made it known they would not participate in any forced marriage. Reader beware, while what takes place is not told in great detail, it nevertheless can be disturbing. Also, there are flashbacks throughout the story, which may seem a bit confusing at times. ~ Jamie Lee ~
The Webster and Dorman families were brought together by the rescues first by a Dorman young man of a Webster young girl, then two years later a Webster young man of a Dorman young girl, and ensuing love which led to marriage when they each turned eighteen. Because of the first two marriages, other marriages, because of love, occurred between the Webster and Dorman families. But a little over one hundred and fifty years later, the then head of the Webster and Dorman families believed everything told of those first marriages to be lies. They were lies because no one married because of love, only opportunity, so those first two marriages had to have been forced. And it was at that point the love that had blossomed as a result of two rescues, that had brought two families together, was perverted, and a little over one hundred years of hell began for the two families. A hell that was Family Punishment for any Webster or Dorman child who failed to comply with the Family Obligation of marriage when they turned eighteen. And love be damned.
Seventeen-year-old Stephen William Webster and his nanny, Better Wilcox, finally blow the whistle after the murder of thirteen-year-old Rachael Dorman because she refused to be forced into a loveless marriage. Stephen and Betty must be hidden because people from the Webster and Dorman families are hunting him, thinking he is running away from a forced marriage. Betty makes contact with three of her former University sorority sisters, and together they formulate plans to hide Stephen at the one place unknown to either the Webster or Dorman families, the Winsome Girls’ School for Wayward Boys. Jane Thompson’s home.
After Chester, Stephen, had sat down on a hay bail near Jane she asked him, “Has anyone told you of our plans to keep you safe? Anything at all?” Stephen just shook his head, no, before Jane continued. “You expressed a negative when Venessa suggested you would make a lovely girl, correct?” Stephen smirked and nodded his head, yes. “Has anyone explained what I do here, when boys are sent to me, Stephen?” This time Stephen replied with, “No, Aunt Jane. I was given a train ticket and told your name, nothing else.” It was Jane’s turn to nod her head before saying, “Then maybe I better explain what I do before telling you of our plans.”
“Stephen, the boys who are sent to me are boys who aren’t really bad, even though they ended up standing before Judge Ruth. They made bad decisions. They are also boys who would not fare well in juvenile detention. They would become the punching bag of the center, or worse. When the boy arrives he is most often cocky, arrogant, and full of himself. He often thinks he will skate by while here, though he learns differently a short time later. Do you know the worst fear most boys have, Stephen?” Jane sees Stephen thinking about her question before he replies, “Most probably being embarrassed.” And Jane saw the light go on in Stephen’s face as he added, “Jenny! A boy caught dressed in girl’s clothing. That’s how you do it, change their attitudes. You don’t give them a choice, they are forced to wear the clothing. But how do you force them into the clothing?” Jane chuckled at Stephen’s answer and question; he is as sharp as Betty said.
Jane then asks, “Have you heard of Petticoat Punishment?” Jane sees by the look on Stephen’s face that he’s searching his memory before shaking his head, no. She then says, “Petticoat Punishment first came about in the Victorian era, as a way to control unruly boys. They would be forced to dress as girls, act like girls, with the fear hanging over them of being seen as they are dressed. And because of the fear, they change their behavior. They start acting more ‘civilized’ instead of like a wild animal.”
She then tells Stephen, “Marie and I don’t give them a choice, Stephen. After the boy arrives at my home, we have dinner. Then we have a celebratory toast with wine because of the arrival of the boy. What the boy doesn’t know is that his wine is laced with a sleeping draught, which causes him to become sleepy and wanting to take a nap; the long train ride also helps tire out the boy. Once the boy is asleep in the bedroom we provide, Marie takes all of his male clothing and leaves a female robe lying over the back of a chair in the room. After a period of time, I go wake up the boy, who is completely naked. You can imagine his reaction when he lays before an adult woman while completely naked.” Stephen just smirks thinking about how the boy would react, likely quickly covering himself with the nearest sheet or blanket.
“I do not react to the boy’s nakedness but tell him to follow me downstairs to my Study,” Jane said as she continued telling Stephen. “He will then ask about his clothes, where there are and what he is to wear. I then point to the female robe lying across the back of the chair and tell him he can wear the robe. This upsets the boy, since no boy wants to be seen wearing girl’s clothing. After he protests, I tell him he can come downstairs wearing the robe or nothing, it was up to him. I leave the room and the boy will end up downstairs wearing the robe. I have my ward sitting on a bench outside my Study, and she tells the boy he should wait until Jane calls for him. What my ward then does is to engage the boy in conversation, telling him some of the rules, what is allowed and some of what is not allowed. Most boys listen to her, putting their own ideas into their own heads, which causes them to be more confused and scared.” Jane picked an apple out of a nearby basket, handed it to Stephen and tells him to give it to the rone. She tells him to just hold his hand flat with the apple in his palm. After the rone took the apple, Stephen rubbed its muzzle, and the horse pushed its muzzle into Stephen’s hand as he did. Stephen walks back to the hay bail and Jane continues after Stephen sits down.
“Boys who come here have a routine they follow, an attitude they try and use to show how big they are, and are hiding their true feeling behind all of that. We use confusion and fear of being found out to reeducate that boy, show him another way to live, one that frees him from the plaster he has put over the pain he carries. And we do this by having him explore his feminine side, completely. He goes to a salon and experiences everything a girl would when she visits one. He is even fitted with a corset in order to give him as near the waist size a girl would have. He is then dressed as a girl at that salon and goes through routine changes of dresses here at my home. He learns how to take care of his hair and how to properly apply makeup. And he also must do school lessons, designed for his level of education. We use words as rewards and punishments, never anything physical, it is most likely something the boy has experienced all too often where he came from. I said I would tell you why to call me Aunt Jane. After a time, most of the boys do have a change in attitude and demeanor. When they first arrive I tell them they may address me as Ms. Thompson or Aunt Jane, and most address me as Ms. Thompson in the beginning. But when they start addressing me as Aunt Jane, we know a change is starting to take place. They are beginning to see a new way to live and act.” Jane stops speaking when Stephen drops his head and starts laughing; he has a lovely laugh, when he does.
Stephen was laughing so hard he had tears running down his cheeks. He wipes his cheeks before telling Jane, “The plan that’s been devised is to have me become a girl, one of your wards. Isn’t it?” Jane chuckles at Stephen’s deduction and says, “Yes, Stephen. Our plan is to hide you in plain sight as a girl, one of my wards. Betty was right, you do have a sharp mind.” Jane watches as Stephen stands up and walks back over to the rone, who was still standing at the door to its stall. Stephen wraps his arms around the big horse’s muzzle before she hears wracking sob coming from the boy. She stands and walks over to Stephen, hugging him, again, as he continues to cry. Jane thinks to herself, ‘This boy is carrying as much pain as Jenny is carrying. He needs our help badly.’ As she hugs Stephen, she asks, “Is it the last young girl you saw murdered?” Stephen only nods his head, and continues to cry. The rone never moved, it let itself be held, and let Stephen use it for comfort. Horses are smart, afterall.
When Stephen had cried himself out, Jane led him back to the hay bails, then went into the stable office and came back with two bottles of bottled water. Stephen was wiping his eyes when Jane handed him one bottle and opened the other for herself. “Stephen, yes, we want you to become a girl. But more importantly, we want to keep you safe until everything is settled, and you can get on with your life. And, after seeing how you related to Jenny today, I want you to do it so you can help bring Jenny out of her shell. What you saw on her face at dinner was the first genuine smile she has had in the two months she has been with us. And the same is said for the laughter. Even the enthusiasm she showed as she explained her interests to you is new. You reached Jenny in a way Marie and I have not. Please, for Jenny’s sake, allow Marie and I to show you your feminine side. Please allow yourself to experience something few boys would ever consider.” She laid a hand on Stephen’s arm then said, “Stephen, after everything you experienced since the age of three, you need Jenny as much as she needs you. I can also teach you to ride, if you would like.” Stephen looks up and looks at the rone before asking, “Does she enjoy someone riding her?” As he nods at the rone.
Jane takes the empty water bottle from Stephen, stands and walks into the stable office, dropping two empty water bottles into a recycling bin. She comes out of the office carrying two fresh bottles of water and says to Stephen, “Come, Stephen, there is more of my property I want you to see. And maybe you will tell me all of your story.” Stephen is still looking at the rone, a big mare who just looks back at Stephen, as though she’s saying to him, ‘I feel your pain’. Stephen looks up at Jane standing before him and tells her, “Maybe you’re right, Aunt Jane. Maybe it’s time someone besides me and Betty know the whole terrible truth. And maybe you can teach me how not to allow all those memories to control my life, even though I can’t forget any part of it.” Stephen stood up, took the bottle of bottled water Jane held out to him, and walked with Jane towards the opposite end of the stable; it was bright out after their time in the subdued lighting.
As they walked along, down one of the trails throughout the property, Jane kept her own counsel, trying to give Stephen the room he needed to volunteer giving her his story. And he started with, “It’s a convoluted story,” and this time he said, “Jane.” Being called just by her first name was not lost on Jane, but she understood his reasons. It was because he trusted her, felt close to her, believed she actually cared about him. And she did actually care about Stephen. Cared so much she put her arm around his waist, pulled him into her and told him, “When we are alone, I will allow you to address me as Jane. But when others are around, or we are with others, it will be Aunt Jane. Okay?” She told, and asked, Stephen, getting a chuckle out of him before he replied with, “Okay, Aunt Jane.” Stephen somehow made Jane feel several years younger, and she hip bumped him for his cheekiness in answering her. They both laughed, and continued to walk on.
“Jane, it is a very convoluted story,” Stephen started with. “There is information Betty and I found in the attic of the Webster house when I was three years old. Information that came from three journals we found hidden in one of the old trunks, when we were looking for more books I could read. Information that proves the last hundred or so years has been a perversion of what originally occurred a little over two hundred and fifty years ago. It’s also a story you might not want to hear unless you can control your mind better than I control mine. There is not a night I don’t relive everything I witnessed, relive every murder, and wake up crying. The hour and a half I slept on that train was the most peaceful sleep I’ve had in years. If, after all I’ve said, you still want to hear it all, then I’ll tell you everything.” Both were quiet as they walked, Jane thinking about what Stephen just told her.
They just entered a wooded area, as they walked, and Jane steered them to a bench just off the trail they’d been on. They both sat, and were quiet for some time, listening to the birds and other sounds that inhabited the wooded area, before Jane told Stephen, “Stephen, it is not so much that I would not sleep well after hearing your story. I would not sleep well knowing how hurt you are and how much help you need in order to deal with all you have experienced. I would lose sleep in trying to devise a way to help you become the strong man I see in you, not the broken one sitting beside me now. I truly believe if you explored your feminine side you would learn a way to deal with all the demons you can never forget. Demons, up to this point, that have held control over your life and your feelings. Demons which you shook for an hour and a half hours on that train, proof they can be contained.” Stephen was quiet for some time after everything Jane just said. Then, without preamble, Stephen started telling Jane everything.
* Stephens’ Story *
“As I said, Jane, the story is rather convoluted,” Stephen began. “I can’t tell you about some parts until I tell you about other parts. What I experienced is pretty straight forward, but why it happens goes back to what Betty and I read in the three journals we found.” Stephen stopped and wiped his eyes, trying not to see the look on Rachael’s face just before her ‘father’ murdered her. There was no fear in her eyes, just straight, unadulterated hate. Contempt for those standing before her and allowing everything done to her to occur. And then…
Stephen stood up and walked a short distance away from Jane, stabbing at his eyes the entire time. “That STUPID FUCKING BASTARD,” he yelled, dropping to his knees and sobbing. He never felt Jane’s hands on his arms, pulling him up and guiding him back to the bench. He wasn’t aware that she was holding him as he cried so hard he was actually screaming. ‘My God, how was it possible for this boy to endure all he witnessed for so long without going mad?’ Jane thought to herself as she held Stephen. It was some time before Stephen cried himself out, and again realized his surroundings. He gently pushed away from Jane and looking into her eyes said, “Oh Aunt Jane, I’m so sorry for all this. I’ve hurt for so long, it just came out.” Jane pulled his head back to her shoulder before she told him, “I understand Stephen. The language you used I will not excuse, but the rest I do. You’ve had a great weight on your shoulders for far too long, and it was inevitable that it all came out at some point. Do you feel up to continuing your story?”
Jane felt Stephen nod his head, as he again gently pushed away from her, wiping his eyes and nose as he did so. He opened his bottle of water and almost drained it in one drink. He cleared his throat several times before he again started telling Jane everything.
Stephen was looking at the ground as he again began the story with, “It’s probably best just to start with the journals and then come back to the last seventeen years. I guess I’d better tell you how we found them in the first place, which will be when I was three. And I guess I’d better tell you why we were up in the attic in the first place, which will be from the time I was born until I was three.” Stephen smirked and turned to Jane and said, “I did tell you this story is a bit convoluted.” All Jane said was, “Tell the story in your own way.”
“You have to understand, Aunt Jane, every marriage and birth for the last one hundred, or so, years were The Family Obligation marriages and births. Love played no part in either one. When a Webster girl turned eighteen, and a Dorman boy turned eighteen, they were married. And she was expected to be pregnant within the next few days after their marriage. It was the same when a Webster boy turned eighteen and a Dorman girl turned eighteen. And if one of the head Mrs. became pregnant, then the other head Mrs. had to become pregnant. It was The Family Obligation. They would even put their own children up for adoption, if both births produced a child of the same gender. And they had a real easy way to determine which child was put up for adoption, by the flip of a coin. That meant the head Mrs. whose baby was put up for adoption had to get pregnant as soon as she could, The Family Obligation. It didn’t matter if she was so exhausted from carrying the child and/or birth, when her body could get pregnant, she got pregnant.” Stephen stopped and drank the rest of his water, the empty taken from him and replaced with a full bottle.
He opened the fresh bottle of bottled water and took a sip, put the cap back on and continued with his story. “When we are born, we are immediately turned over to our nannies. In a sense, they become our mothers. The only times we see our birth ‘mothers’ is when it’s necessary for the whole family to be together for some big wig event. Once our roll at that event is finished, we are ushered out of there and back to the house. Other than those events, we never see our birth parents. Oh, our birth ‘mothers’ do participate in a way. They have to express their breast milk until their bodies stop producing milk, so we get that milk until we start on solid foods.” Stephen unscrewed the cap on his bottle of water, took a sip, and replaced the cap before continuing.
“Betty became my mother. She was up with me when I was sick or had colic. She fed me, changed me, played with me and taught me what a mother would teach her child. But I was different, and Betty started noticing it when I was about six months old. She says I learned to roll from my stomach to my back sooner than other babies. I even started standing up sooner, and walking. It was one time when I was six months old and Betty had me sitting in her lap as she read me a story, that I took my finger and started pointing to the words as she read them. It wasn’t long after that I started reading to her.” Stephen chuckled, remembering that time. “My annunciation and pronunciation was horrible, but she understood what I was saying as I read. And the more I read the better I became, until I was actually reading better than some first graders. And faster too.”
“Betty took me out one day, supposedly for clothing, and after shopping, we went to a friend of hers where I was tested.” Stephen again chuckled remembering that day. “When they tested me, they used a chart for a child of six months old. When they scored my test, I didn’t register on the chart. I was so far off the top of that chart they couldn’t get an accurate measurement. And they didn’t have any other charts handy. Betty took me again when I was a year old, and the same thing happened. But they got smart. When I turned two, Betty took me again. By this time I’d been reading anything I could get my hands on from the library in my room. It didn’t matter the subject. When they tested me this time they used a chart for an adult, and almost fainted when they saw the results. They said I scored like a freshman in high school, and had an IQ of 160.” Stephen looked at Jane and saw the skeptical look on her face, and told her, “It’s what they told Betty, Jane. She also told me not to let the families know how smart I was. She said some years before I was born, there was a boy like me, and the families found out, and used him up by the time he was ten years old. His nanny went into his bedroom one morning, the day he would have turned ten years old, and found him hanging from the clothes rack in his closet. She told me to act like every other kid my age when we were around others.”
“By the time I was three, I’d read everything in my library and had completed all the learning material from first grade to third grade; Betty thought it best to follow the levels. And we needed more for me to read, so we went up into the Webster family attic to see what we could find. We found several real old trunks, some with old clothes in them, some with pictures, and some with books. We were looking through this one trunk, and Betty must have tripped something while searching that truck, because a panel suddenly opened. Inside that hidden compartment we found three journals, each covering fifty years. One journal covered the very day the Webster’s and Dorman’s met. And how they met.” Stephen unscrewed the cap on his bottle of water, took a longer drink, before replacing the cap.”
“Jasper Dorman, the seventeen-year-old son of Jonas and Martha Dorman, had gone out early one day to hunt for enough meat to last their family for the week. He was about two miles from his home when he heard the faint screams of a girl and her calling for help. He’d been hunting since he was thirteen and knew from first hand experience how dangerous it was to run into the woods without knowing what you were running into. He cautiously hurried towards the sound, and slowed when he was close enough to see a girl high up in a tree. He also heard a chuff sound that reminded him of his near fatal mishap a few years before. A bear was near where the girl was up in that tree, and from the sound of breaking branches, it was trying to climb that tree to get at the girl. Jasper had been lucky to come towards that area down wind, or things might have been very different. He was also lucky in that there were several big bushes that concealed him as he approached. As quietly as he could, he pulled back the hammer of the rifle he carried, and watching where he put his feet, crept up to the bushes and found a spot which afforded him a clear view of the bear. He quietly stuck the barrel of his rifle through the opening he was looking through, and when the bear was standing tall, to try another climb, he squeezed the trigger, hitting the bear in the head. When the crack of the rifle sounded, and the bear dropped to the ground, the girl let out a startled scream, until she saw Jasper walk out from behind the bushes.”
Another bottle of water was offered to Stephen, he smiled at Jane and told her, “Thank you.” He drained the one he had, handed it to Jane, cracked the cap on the new one and drank more before continuing the original story.
“While Jasper came out from behind the bushes, he didn’t approach the bear, the mistake he made some years before. That bear hadn’t been dead and came to, and had it not been for the 45 revolver he carried, he would have been killed. No, he just stood near the bushes and counted to 100. The foolish girl wanted to climb back down that tree and get home, but Jasper told her to stay put. The way the journal told it, they had a right heated argument about her coming down and Jasper bluntly telling her to stay put. She really got upset when he cussed at her and told her he’d shoot her himself if she didn’t stay put. When Jasper reached 100, he pulled his 45 from the hostler, cocked the hammer and slowly walked towards the bear lying on the ground. The bear was lying on its side, which gave Jasper a good view of its head. He stopped six feet away from the bear and put another round into that bear’s head, this time with the 45.” At this point Stephen started laughing, and received a strange look from Jane.
Stephen laughed a little harder because of Jane’s expression, before asking her, “Jane, how would a girl be dressed some 250 years ago? Remember, she was up a tree and she had to climb down.” It took only a moment for Jane to remember how girls dressed during those times, or see the predicament the girl was in and why it was rather funny. When Stephen had calmed down a bit, he went on with the story.
“The girl told Jasper that he was to walk away while she climbed down the tree, so he wouldn’t see anything he shouldn’t. Jasper gauged the girl’s height from the ground, and told her that bear had broken all the branches up to seven feet above the ground. And since she wasn’t seven feet tall, how was she going to get down the rest of the tree if he didn’t help her? It was funny reading that part of the journal, Jane, those two went round and round before Jasper agreed he’d turn away while she climbed down to where the branches were broken, before helping her the rest of the way to the ground. When she reached where all the branches had been broken, she expected Jasper to be looking up to try and see what she was wearing under her dress. Instead, she saw Jasper looking down at the ground, and his arms extended to about a foot from where she stood on a branch. He told her to step into the palms of his hands and use the tree to balance herself, while he lowered her to the ground. And the whole time he kept his eyes looking at the ground. He really made an impression on the girl by doing that.”
“When the girl was back on the ground, Jasper was about to chew her out for being so far from home, until he spotted a basket lying near a berry bush a short distance away--she had been gathering berries when the bear arrived. He walked with her to the berry bush, where she picked up her basket, and while Jasper was with her, picked berries until the basket was full. All the time she was picking berries, they talked, Jasper finding out her name was Mary Webster and she was seventeen years old. And, he found her quite pretty. It was getting late in the afternoon, when her basket was finally full and her parents would be worried because she was late getting home. So Jasper told her he’d walk her home to keep her safe. In the journal there were parentheses around, ‘and she had a smile that made the sun look dim.’ The two chatted the entire two miles back to the branch in the path they were on, taking the right path which led to Mary’s home. By the time they reached her home they were smitten with each other, and it showed when they stopped at the front gate of her home.”
“Mary’s mother, Sarah, had been sweeping off the front porch when the two approached the front gate; she stopped sweeping and watched the two. William, Mary’s dad, had just come from the barn and had taken a few steps onto the porch when the two had stopped at the front gate; he walked on over to Sarah, standing with her and watched the two. Both watched as Mary kissed the boy on the cheek, before opening the gate, taking the boy by the hand, and he her’s and walked up to the porch. Mary introduced Jasper Dorman to her parents, then explained why she was late, and how Jasper killed the bear, and helped her out of the tree. Her mother gave her a startled look but Mary reassured her that Jasper had been a gentleman the whole time.”
Stephen removed the cap on the bottle of water he held, before taking a long drink. After replacing the cap he told what happened next. “When Mary finished her story, Sarah dropped the broom onto the porch, before grabbing Mary into a tight hug. While holding Mary, she about tore Jasper’s arm off as she shook his hand. William almost tore Jasper’s arm off and crushed his hand, as the two shook hands. They invited Jasper into their home, but he told them that bear would make some fine meals for his family, so he had to go and dress it out before bringing home the meat. He thanked them for the invite, was about to say ‘bye’ to Mary, but didn’t get that far as Mary walked up to him and kissed him on the lips. William and Sarah looked at each other, and just nodded to each other. Mary had found herself a beau. While holding Mary’s hand, and before Jasper left, he asked William and Sarah for permission to see Mary again. Both agreed, how could they not. This young man had saved Mary’s life, and she was smitten with him.”
Jane interrupted Stephen by asking, “And you remember all of this from fourteen years ago?” Stephen dropped his head, and answered with, “Yes, Aunt Jane. And a lot more I wish I could forget. You see, Aunt Jane, I have an eidetic memory. And I can’t forget anything I read, see, or hear.” He became somber for a moment, long enough for Jane to understand the burden this boy had been carrying since the age of three. And he was still sane. Stephen wiped his eyes before going on with the story.
Author’s Note: This is another of my Jane Thompson ‘what if’ stories that’s been hounding me night and day, demanding it be written. The issues within this story are much darker than in any of my previous stories, told by a seventeen-year-old boy who witnessed the horrible treatment of the children by two families, if said children made it known they would not participate in any forced marriage. Reader beware, while what takes place is not told in great detail, it nevertheless can be disturbing. Also, there are flashbacks throughout the story, which may seem a bit confusing at times. ~ Jamie Lee ~
The Webster and Dorman families were brought together by the rescues first by a Dorman young man of a Webster young girl, then two years later a Webster young man of a Dorman young girl, and ensuing love which led to marriage when they each turned eighteen. Because of the first two marriages, other marriages, because of love, occurred between the Webster and Dorman families. But a little over one hundred and fifty years later, the then head of the Webster and Dorman families believed everything told of those first marriages to be lies. They were lies because no one married because of love, only opportunity, so those first two marriages had to have been forced. And it was at that point the love that had blossomed as a result of two rescues, that had brought two families together, was perverted, and a little over one hundred years of hell began for the two families. A hell that was Family Punishment for any Webster or Dorman child who failed to comply with the Family Obligation of marriage when they turned eighteen. And love be damned.
Seventeen-year-old Stephen William Webster and his nanny, Better Wilcox, finally blow the whistle after the murder of thirteen-year-old Rachael Dorman because she refused to be forced into a loveless marriage. Stephen and Betty must be hidden because people from the Webster and Dorman families are hunting him, thinking he is running away from a forced marriage. Betty makes contact with three of her former University sorority sisters, and together they formulate plans to hide Stephen at the one place unknown to either the Webster or Dorman families, the Winsome Girls’ School for Wayward Boys. Jane Thompson’s home.
“Over the next several weeks, and months, the Websters and Dormans got to know each other, Mary and Jasper most of all. They’d each invite the other over for dinner, the Webster first since it was their daughter Jasper saved. It wasn’t long after the two teens turned eighteen that Jasper asked William and Sarah for Mary’s hand in marriage, Mary viciously nodding her head at her parents as she stood next to Jasper. William and Sarah loved to pull the other’s leg, and their childrens’. So they planned beforehand to act as though they couldn’t possibly let their daughter marry some boy who was still wet behind the ears. How was he going to support her, and their children. Mary had tears running down her cheeks, and Jasper looked down crested, hearing what Mary’s parents just said. Seeing the two before them, William told Sarah they may have picked the wrong time to try and pull one on the kids. It was then Mary realized what her parents were doing, and told Jasper, who then wiped the tears off Mary’s cheeks before doing the same to himself. The parents apologized and told the two, yes, Jasper could have Mary’s hand in marriage, and yes, they loved him as well. This is how the very first marriage occurred between the Websters and Dormans. And it was a love that lasted until Jasper died at the age of 60 and Mary at the age of 85.”
“Is that all there is to the story of the first marriage, Stephen?” He was taking another drink when Jane asked, so he simply shook his head, no, and after finishing the drink, told her, “No, there’s one more the journals talked about. This time it was a Webster boy who saved a Dorman girl--those two people were made for each other. At times reading about them, it was even funnier than reading about Mary and Jasper.”
“It was two years after Mary and Jasper married, Timothy Webster was out riding and heard a girl screaming, ‘help’. He followed her voice and entered into a mucky, mire area, already known for claiming the life of a nine-year-old boy some years ago. Moss, his horse, picked her way carefully through the area, as Timothy kept her on something of a trail through that area. It wasn’t long before he came upon the girl, stuck in a mire pit, holding onto a tree root which had grown down into the muck. As he sat on Moss and looked down on her she got real snotty with him, asking ‘if he was going to sit on that old nag all day or help get her out of this muck’, she used more colorful words, Jane, but knowing how you hate those type words, I changed them a bit.” Stephen caught a smirk on Jane’s lips before he continued.
“Timothy got rather huffy at her calling Moss an old nag and told her, ‘you do know it’s this ‘old nag’ that will get you out of the mess you stupidly got yourself into, right?’ Oh, Jane, it was funny reading what she then said to him. It was equivalent to many of the more colorful words used today. And he just smiled at her as she ranted at him for doing nothing. He even told her, ‘you’re rather cute when you’re mad.’ Jane, I won’t even begin to tell you what she said when he said that, but it was funny. Timothy kept Moss a good ways back from the edge of the mire pit the girl was stuck in, got off Moss, took the rope off the saddle, and as he walked towards the edge of the pit, opened up the loop so it would fit around the girl’s chest. He told her what he was going to do, and told her she should continue holding onto the tree root with one hand, and take the other arm and bring it up through the loop. So the loop was under her arm. After getting one arm done, switch hands holding the tree root and move the other arm the same way. He told her he’d then tie the rope off to the palmal of his saddle, and slowly back up Moss. When the rope was taught, she could then hold onto the rope and he would then back up Moss until she was out of that pit. Again, Jane, I won’t use the exact words she used in telling Timothy to hurry up, but she was stomping mad at Timothy taking his sweet time.”
“He just stood by Moss as she gave him another tongue lashing, letting her rant, before asking her, ‘do you want help getting out of there or not? I have another rope at home, so losing this one won’t be a problem.’ As she lit into him again, Timothy started walking toward her, coiling up the rope as he walked. It didn’t take the girl long to realize what he was doing and that he was her only hope of getting out of the mess she got into. She apologized, profusely, and Timothy accepted her apology and stretched out the rope before tying it off to the palmal of the saddle. He got on Moss’s right side and slowly had the big horse back up until the rope was tight. The girl grabbed the rope and ever so slowly, Moss backed up until the girl was several feet away from the edge of the mire pit. And then she lit into him again.”
“So instead of having Moss walk forward to slacken the rope, he had the big horse continue walking backwards, dragging the girl along on the ground. When she’d had enough, she again apologized and Timothy had Moss walk forward to slacken the rope so the girl could stand up and take the loop off. Then she lit into him again, just after he coiled up the rope. He didn’t say a word, but climbed up on Moss, turned her, and began to walk off. Jane, this girl just didn’t learn the first few times, and let him have it again, for leaving without her. He was about twenty feet from her, turned Moss around before asking, ‘do you always bad mouth those who save your behind, or is that just a habit you have?’ Sorry, Jane, I can’t tell you everything she said, but you’ll get the point when I tell you Timothy turned Moss around and started walking off again. She then went totally nuts, calling Timothy everything under the sun, before she collapsed and dropped to the ground, crying. Timothy turned Moss around, again, and walked her up to the girl, before getting off her, kneeling down and hugging the frightened girl. She latched onto Timothy so tightly he actually had trouble breathing. When she finally calmed down, he told her in a gentle voice, ‘let’s get you home, okay?’”
“Timothy helped the girl to her feet, remounted Moss before helping the girl climb up and sit behind him. It was at that point the two introduced themselves, him Timothy Webster and her, Stella Dorman. She was so tired, with her arms around his waist she laid her head against Timothy’s back and fell asleep. She didn’t wake up until Timothy told her she was home, seeing her parents coming out of the house. Timothy explained what happened to her parents, Tony and Charlotte Dorman, as her father helped her get off Moss. Just as Timothy was turning Moss around, Stella told him thank you and would she see him again. Timothy asked if he’d get a tongue lashing every time she got mad, and turning a bright red, told him no in a very soft voice. Several months later Timothy asked Tony and Charlotte for Stella’s hand in marriage. Both were quite old when they died a week apart, their love became that strong.”
Stephen opened his water bottle and took a long drink, his throat was dry after all the talking. He looked out over the wooded area, forming his thoughts for the next part of the story. He took another drink, and started with, “The last part of the second journal and all of the third journal are dark, explaining how two true love marriages were perverted because the then head of each family couldn’t believe in the true love stories. Neither the head of the Webster or Dorman families believed those first two marriages were anything more than obligations for saving each daughter. They had to be forced. And that’s what they started making their children do when they turned eighteen, marry the boy or girl of the other family when they turned eighteen. And it was horrible what they did to their children in order to make them comply. The third journal even talks of several children of both families getting killed because they refused to follow their parents orders. And that perversion continues to this day.”
Stephen had to stop and wipe his eyes several times before he continued. Jane squeezed his shoulder to let him know she understood. When he started again he told her, “I was three when I witnessed my first Family Punishment, where they gather everyone from each family in one of the families’ basements. When I had my third birthday, Betty gave me this cute dragon pendant to wear; I always liked the dragon stories we read together. She told me it came from a friend of hers who was a genius when it came to making miniature cameras and microphones. She told me to not say anything about the pendant, other than it was a birthday present. I didn’t know it at the time, but that guy had also incorporated a transmitter into that pendant which could send a signal back to my rooms where Betty had hidden a recording device. She also started wearing a pendant, which also had a camera and microphone in it. For the next fourteen years, we both recorded every Family Punishment that occurred, including the murder of my ten-year-old brother, Charles, twelve-year-old Mark Dorman, and Rachael Dorman at thirteen years of age.” Stephen wiped at his eyes again, Jane knowing his telling of the story would help him start dealing with all the pain he had buried.”
Jane suggested they start walking again, while Stephen continued with his story. There was a catch in his voice as he told what he witnessed over the last fourteen years. He almost lost it completely when he told Jane about Rachael’s torture and death.
“The families were called to a gathering in the basement of the Dorman home, for a Family Punishment. Jane, what those monsters call ‘punishment,’” and he used air quotes when he said punishment, “are actually torture sessions. Devised to force the child or teen, and it’s always a child or teens, to comply with the Family Obligation of marriage. Rachael had always been an outspoken young girl, never one to mince words. She would say exactly what everyone was thinking but didn’t have the courage to say, for fear of punishment. She made it quite plain she would not marry anyone she didn’t love, and that started it all for her. First her ‘parents’ used spanking, beatings with a belt, withholding food and privileges, and keeping her awake for hours. She still told them where to go. So, a family gathering was called and we all met in the basement of the Dorman home.” Stephen got real quiet as they walked, Jane putting her arm around his waist, telling him, “Take your time. You’re safe with me at my home.” Stephen wiped his eyes yet again, and was still quiet for a short time more as they walked before he continued.
“I don’t know how many years ago it came about, but an apparatus was designed and built to be used in the basement of each family house for Family Punishment. It was nothing more than a giant ‘X’ built out of steel, which could articulate 360 degrees in both the horizontal and vertical planes. It was supported from the ceiling by heavy chains that ran in tracks cut into the ceiling. Heavy chains held the bottom portion and they too ran in tracks cut into the floor.” Stephen let the tears run down his cheeks this time, not bothering to try and hide the pain he still felt for Rachael. Jane pulled Stephen in tighter to her as they continued walking, knowing Stephen needed to get all of this out of his system.
“When everyone was gathered in the Dorman basement, three young men came down the basement stairs, dragging a resisting Rachael with them. She’d seen these punishments before, and knew what she was going to face. At one point all three young men had to pick her up and carry her, she was resisting that severely. Rachael was forcibly held as the four stood a short distance in front of everyone; she was a strong willed young girl. Her ‘father,’” and Jane heard the venom in Stephen’s voice as he said ‘father,’ but said nothing, he had to tell the story his own way.
“That pig stood in front of her and asked, ‘Will you comply with the Family Obligation?’ He must have been surprised when Rachael spit in his face, but he sure was angry. He wiped the spit off his face before nodding his head and the three young men started undressing Rachael. She was fighting so hard that one of those boys had to hold her while the other two cut her clothes off her. They then dragged a naked Rachael over to the apparatus, where it took two to hold her arms while her wrists were secured to the top arms and her legs secured to the bottom arms. One of those boys calmly walked over to the control panel, and when her ‘father’ nodded his head, that boy pressed the power button and brought the apparatus to life. And as everyone watched, doing absolutely nothing, he operated a lever which raised the apparatus until it was completely vertical. I’ll skip what Rachael was saying the whole time, Jane, you wouldn’t like it. ‘Father dear’ then nodded his head again and the boy at the controls started operating levers until Rachael’s arms and legs were pulled in opposite directions, leaving her screaming bloody murder because of the pain of almost having her arms and legs pulled out of their sockets.” Stephen shuddered at the actual memories of what he saw and heard, more tears following others. He opened the bottle of water and drained it, before Jane gave him another one.
“Jane, she was left in that position for two solid hours, while everyone was upstairs having dinner, acting like it was just another Webster/Dorman gathering. People were joking with each other, someone told a story, but not one word was said about Rachael and the terror she was feeling being stretched as she was. Even though the basement door was closed, her muffled screams could still be heard for a while. She must have screamed herself horse, because after a while only muffled moaning could be heard. And when two hours were up, ‘father dear’ told everyone it was time to return to the basement. That pig showed as much emotion at what was happening as a rock. Everyone followed him back down into the basement, where Rachael’s moans were louder; she’d wet the floor directly where she hung. When everyone was there, a man, this time, was standing at the controls, and those three young men came out of a side room wearing white robes. The man operated two levers and the arms and legs of the apparatus moved in towards the middle, releasing the tension on Rachael’s arms and legs. He then moved another lever which repositioned the apparatus until it was horizontal, about waist high, and Rachael on the bottom side of the apparatus. Those three young men, the ones who dragged Rachael down the basement stairs and secured her to the apparatus, came out of a side room dressed in white robes. They calmly walked over to the apparatus and took positions where two were at Rachael’s feet and one stood at her head. The man at the controls adjusted the height of the apparatus a bit, before moving a lever which caused the lower section of the apparatus to rotate 90 degrees; Rachael attempted to scream when that was done, but her voice couldn’t manage it. ‘Father dear’ nodded his head again and the three young men dropped their robes, showing they were completely naked and more than aroused.”
Stephen stopped so abruptly the force actually spun Jane until she was standing in front of him. He was looking up at the sky and asking, “Why? Why Rachael?” He dropped his head onto Jane’s shoulder, wrapped his arms around her and wept. Stephen didn’t see the tears sliding down Jane’s cheeks. They stayed like that as Stephen told the rest of the story.
“It was horrible, Jane, her ‘father’ nodded again and those three boys...Jane they showed her no mercy. They went at her for over an hour, and no one did a thing to stop it. They each pulled out of her after that time, calmly picked up their robes and walked back into that side room. The man at the controls operated levers until the apparatus was horizontal again, Rachael was a mess. Blood was running down the inside of both legs, cum, spit, and vomit was running out of her mouth and down her chest.” Stephen choked up as he then said, “Her ‘father’ calmly walked over to her until he was standing off to the side and asked her, ‘Will you now comply with the Family Obligation?’ It wasn’t hard to see her trying to speak but found it hard after what that bastard did to her orally. But she found enough to moisten her throat and told her ‘father,’ ‘You better sleep somewhere else tonight, old man. Because when you go to sleep I’m going to slit your throat from ear to ear, then cut off your balls and dick and stuff them in your mouth.’ Jane, if that girl had lasers for eyes, her ‘father’ would have been reduced to very small pieces, the hate in her eyes was that powerful. Oh, gawd, Jane, it hurts so much remembering all this.” Stephen was silent for a while before he finished Rachael’s story. “Jane, in the Webster and Dorman families, anyone eighteen or over is considered an adult; employees aren’t counted. That bastard looked at everyone there and those considered adults just nodded their heads at him. Oh my God, Jane, oh my God what he did to her.” Stephen’s legs suddenly gave out, causing him to drop to the ground.
Jane couldn’t support Stephen’s weight and she dropped to the ground with him, still holding him and allowing him to hold her. It was longer, this time, until Stephen had cried himself out and could continue telling Jane the story. In a muffled voice, though loud enough for Jane to hear, he told her, “Jane, that bastard calmly walked over to the control panel, opened a drawer beneath it, took out a revolver, walked calmly back over to Rachael, and...and...THAT BASTARD SHOT HER IN THE HEAD!” There was no consoling Stephen now, as he broke free of Jane’s arms, stood up and started running further into the wooded area. Jane knew Stephen would soon find himself at a small pond, with nowhere else to run. She also believed she’d find him sitting on the bench there at the pond. “I’d like to have that bastard to myself for a few hours,” she said to herself as she followed Stephen.
As she believed, Stephen was sitting on the bench at the pond, crying, or trying to. She quietly walked over to him, sat down next to him on the bench, put her arm around his shoulders, pulled him into her, and let the tears flow down her cheeks as Stephen continued crying. Chester lied to her at the station, he did bring a lot more baggage with him on that train. He brought seventeen years worth.
Neither one of them paid attention to the time, or how long they sat on that bench, before Stephen spoke again. “Betty had seen more than I had, but for some reason Rachael’s death really affected her. Affected her enough for her to do what we’ve done, handed over all the thumb drives to someone she trusted in law enforcement. They had to be stopped, Aunt Jane, stopped before another Rachael was murdered.” Stephen took several shuddering breaths then told Jane, “I think I’m all talked out, Aunt Jane. Maybe we should go back, maybe that roan would like another apple?” Jane wiped the tears off her cheeks before agreeing with Stephen about going back, and maybe seeing if that roan would like another apple. Thinking to herself, she thought, ‘It will take a lot of time for him to start dealing with everything he’s seen. I hope I’m up for the challenge.’
While walking back to the stables, Jane asked Stephen, “Have you given any thought to exploring your feminine side and helping Jenny?” Jane saw Stephen start to answer but went on with, “Before you answer, perhaps by exploring your feminie side and helping Jenny you also help yourself. You are carrying so much baggage Stephen, baggage which is causing you so much pain and not allowing you to move forward. By helping Jenny and exploring your softer side, you can learn how to deal with that baggage and start to move forward.”
They were silent as they walked the rest of the way to the stable. Once inside, Stephen walked over to the basket of apples, picked out one, walked over to the big roan, offered her the apple, without holding it in the palm of his hand. The big horse gently took the apple Stephen offered, then pushed her big head into the side of Stephen’s head, causing him to wrap his arms around her muzzle. The two stood like that for some time, until Stephen released her head, and told her he’d be back to ride her. She seemed to like the idea because she nodded her head and whinnied at Stephen. Stephen turned to look at Jane and said, “I hope you’re a good teacher Aunt Jane, because I know nothing about being a girl. Plus, I’d like to hear more about Jenny’s interests. Maybe Jenny and I could take some walks sometime and she could show me what she knows?” Jane could see a great burden fall from Stephen’s shoulders after what he told her. She knew he had to come to the realization that he needed help as much as Jenny, and that he could also help Jenny if he wanted to. He was doing both now.
They were silent as they walked back to the house, going back inside through that same door. Once inside Stephen was surprised to see Venessa and another man he didn’t know. Jane had allowed Stephen to walk inside first, so she was behind him when he saw Venessa and the man. He slowly turns until he’s facing Jane and asks her, “You knew I’d say yes to your suggestions before I said yes? Or was it a guess on your part?” Jane had just seen Stephen angry, and how hurt he is, so she recognized his questions to be only questions, asked with a neutral attitude.
Jane measured her answers before telling Stephen, “I will answer your questions, Stephen, but it would be better done in the Library, where all four of us can be comfortable.” Jenny had also been there with Venessa and the man, talking to Venessa about this and that when Jane and Stephen came back into the house. “Jenny, please bring tea for four into the Library, and remember what you have been told.” Jane cocks an eyebrow at Jenny who replied, “Yes, Aunt Jane.” With Jane leading the way the four go into the Library, where Jane guides everyone to the couches. Not long after everyone was seated, there’s a knock on the Library door. Jane calls, “Enter,” and Jenny comes in carrying a tray holding a teapot and four cups and saucers. There’s also a creamer, bowl of sugar cubs, and lemon wedges. Jenny sets the tray down on the Library desk before asking everyone how they liked their tea. After fixing everyone’s tea, and handing them out, she leaves the Library, making sure to close the door behind her.
Jane takes a sip of her tea before telling Stephen, “Yes to both of your questions, Stephen. And no to both,” which causes Stephen to frown at her second answer. He was about to ask another question when Jane held up her hand, and said, “When you were talking with Venessa, before Betty came to collect you, you seemed so sure you did not want to explore your feminine side. But Venessa picked up on what you did not say, that you would NEVER want to explore your feminine side. Venessa also told you you’d make a very pretty young girl. And she should know, she has been in the makeover business a very long time, she knows what will work and what will not work.”
“People at the station heard Chester Thorton came to me for the purpose of possible employment. Our plan was to have this gentleman here,” and she pointed to the man sitting next to Venessa, “be made over to resemble Chester Thorton. I would then take Chester back to the station and make a show of my apologies that the job prospect did not work out for him. He would get on the Southbound train and anyone who asked about a man named Chester Thorton, would be told he took the Southbound train and left the area. For obvious reasons, Stephen, this man will remain nameless to you, but suffice to say he would meet Venessa somewhere and Chester Thorton would vanish as suddenly as he appeared. However…,” and all three tured their eyes to Stephen.
“It all depends on you, Stephen, and whether what you told me in the stables is really what you want. As a young girl you will be as safe here as Chester has been traveling here. I doubt anyone in those monsters’ families have enough of a brain to even conceive of the idea of you exploring your feminine side. And if Venessa said you would make a pretty girl, as the saying goes, ‘you can take it to the bank.’” Six sets of eyes follow Stephen as he gets up off the couch and walks to one of the Library windows. He’s quiet as he looks outside, then turns around and asks, pointing to the man next to Venessa, “Will he be safe? If they catch him and discover he isn’t me, they will kill him on the spot. They’ll make sure his body is never found, no one of his family will ever learn what happened to him.”
It’s the first time the man next to Venessa spoke, when he told Stephen, “Stephen, son, please come and sit back down.” It wasn’t a commanding voice, but it was a command anyway, only gentler. Stephen walked back to the couch and sat back down next to Jane.
“Stephen,” the man began, “it’s kind of you to think of my safety before your own, that shows a level of maturity not often found in someone your age. More years ago than I care to say, I was one of those boys sent to Jane for her special education. I won’t tell you why because it isn’t germaine to the decision you must make. I went to University, got my bachelor’s and masters, then went into the military; I won’t tell you which branch. Stephen, the military taught me things your two families have never heard of, or dreamed possible. I can spot a pickpocket long before they apply their trade. I can spot a tail quickly, and a killer in an instant. Stephen, if they do find me or come after me, it won’t be my body that will never be found. Those two families will be short whatever number attempts to take me.”
Stephen looks into the man’s eyes, and sees steel staring back at him. Stephen stands up, walks over to the man, offers the man his hand, and says, “Mr. Thorton, it’s a pleasure to meet you. I hope you have a safe, and pleasant trip.”
Jane looks at Venessa, just as Venessa looks at Jane. Both give the other the ‘I’m glad that worked’ look, before Venessa tells Stephen, “Stephen, let’s go and get you out of that Mr. Thorton facade, shall we?” Jane had walked over to the Library door, opened it and called Jenny. “Jenny, please take Venessa and Stephen up to Stephen’s room. I will see to our other guest.” Jane receives a, “Yes, Aunt Jane,” before stepping out of the way to allow Venessa and Stephen to follow Jenny. She steps back into the Library, closes the Library door, turns, smiles, and asks, “Parker, it has been a long time. How have you been?” She hasn’t seen Parker Meadow in over twenty five years, but remembers every moment when he was with her. They hug before walking back to the couches, sitting down and begin to talk, Jane learning everything Parker is allowed to tell her.
Jenny leads Stephen and Venessa up the stairs and to the bedroom that will be Stephen’s for as long as it needs to be; things will have to settle down before it will be safe for him to leave Jane’s home. She shows them the bathroom, with all the lotions, shampoos and conditioners, the closet, chest of drawers, causing Stephen to blush a bit when he sees what the drawers contain. Once she’s done all this, she leaves the two alone and goes back downstairs to see what she is supposed to do next.
Venessa walks over to the vanity, sets a bag down on its top and begins unpacking several items, one being a bottle of liquid. She picks up the bottle and walks over to Stephen sitting on the bed, hands him the bottle and tells him, “This is my special mixture to remove all of the coloring, built up material and the beard I put on you. Don’t worry about it hurting your skin, it’s been quality tested for the past fifteen years. Everything will simply dissolve and go down the drain. When you’re finished removing everything I applied to your arms and face,” she hands Stephen a small tube, “wash that wig with the cream that’s in this tube. It will loosen the adhesive that holds that wig on,” and she pointed to his hair. “Once you’ve washed the wig with that cream, it should be easy to remove. Then wash your own hair with it again, followed by using whatever shampoo and conditioner in that bathroom. You need to get all the adhesive out of your own hair before shampooing it. Also, once you have all of my work off you, you will find a razor and shaving cream, or some type, in that bathroom. Use them, shave your face, your underarms, and your legs--twice.” She sits down next to Stephen before continuing.
Author’s Note: This is another of my Jane Thompson ‘what if’ stories that’s been hounding me night and day, demanding it be written. The issues within this story are much darker than in any of my previous stories, told by a seventeen-year-old boy who witnessed the horrible treatment of the children by two families, if said children made it known they would not participate in any forced marriage. Reader beware, while what takes place is not told in great detail, it nevertheless can be disturbing. Also, there are flashbacks throughout the story, which may seem a bit confusing at times. ~ Jamie Lee ~
The Webster and Dorman families were brought together by the rescues first by a Dorman young man of a Webster young girl, then two years later a Webster young man of a Dorman young girl, and ensuing love which led to marriage when they each turned eighteen. Because of the first two marriages, other marriages, because of love, occurred between the Webster and Dorman families. But a little over one hundred and fifty years later, the then head of the Webster and Dorman families believed everything told of those first marriages to be lies. They were lies because no one married because of love, only opportunity, so those first two marriages had to have been forced. And it was at that point the love that had blossomed as a result of two rescues, that had brought two families together, was perverted, and a little over one hundred years of hell began for the two families. A hell that was Family Punishment for any Webster or Dorman child who failed to comply with the Family Obligation of marriage when they turned eighteen. And love be damned.
Seventeen-year-old Stephen William Webster and his nanny, Better Wilcox, finally blow the whistle after the murder of thirteen-year-old Rachael Dorman because she refused to be forced into a loveless marriage. Stephen and Betty must be hidden because people from the Webster and Dorman families are hunting him, thinking he is running away from a forced marriage. Betty makes contact with three of her former University sorority sisters, and together they formulate plans to hide Stephen at the one place unknown to either the Webster or Dorman families, the Winsome Girls’ School for Wayward Boys. Jane Thompson’s home.
“The four of us, me, Jane, Betty, and another I won’t name for your own safety, had hoped you would decide to explore your feminine side in order to help keep yourself safe. I’ve known what Jane does here for some time, and it starts by forcing the boys to begin their experiences by giving them no choice but to put on girls’ clothing. To do that,” and she points to the robe lying over the back of the chair, “their male clothes disappear and they either go see Jane naked or wear that robe. They also choose to be naked under that robe or wear a pair of panties. In your case, Stephen, everything you brought with you, including the clothes and shoes you have on, will be used by the gentleman you met today. He is the same height and build as yourself, so there won’t be any problems. So you’ll need to undress before you go into the bathroom, and take a pair of panties with you. If you like, I can explain the different types in those drawers, but it’s left up to you which style you choose.” Venessa then waited for Stephen to decide.
Stephen dropped his head and chuckled. “I think it best if you explain each style.” And here he smirked when he said, “After all, this will be the first time I’ve gotten into a girl’s panties.” It took less than the blink of her eyes for Venessa to understand what Stephen just said. She slaps him playfully on the arm before laughing out loud with him. Then she looks at him for a moment before saying, “Stephen William Webster, if I were a few years younger I’d hunt you down and drag you home to meet my parents. You’re going to be quite the catch for some girl one day.” She lightly slaps him on his leg and tells him, “C’mon, let’s go talk panties.”
After Venessa explains each style of panty in those drawers, Stephen makes his choice of a high cut brief in blue, and then walks back to the bed and sits down. He bends down and starts untying his shoes, taking off first the right one then the left. He sets them aside before removing the socks, placing one in each shoe. While sitting down he unbuttons his shirt and removes it, folding it before setting it on the bed. He then looks up at Venessa, who had been watching him this whole time. “Um...are you going to watch while I take everything else off,” he asks Venessa as she stands up. All Venessa says, as she’s turning around, is, “Boys! As if we women don’t know what you keep in your pants.” She’s hit in the back of the head by a pillow, before she hears the bathroom door close and the shower start. She chuckles to herself, as she bends to pick up the pillow. She gathers up everything and goes to do laundry; all but the underwear needs cleaned before she creates another Chester Thorton tomorrow.
Because of everything Stephen must remove, it takes about an hour before he shuts off the hair dryer and emerges from the bathroom. He’s startled after opening the door to find Jane sitting on the bed, waiting for him. She’s finally able to see the real Stephen William Webster and like what she sees, even the blue high cut briefs she’s wearing. Jane starts off teaching Stephen how to be a girl by saying, “Stephen, that bulge in the front of those panties will cause people to look at you strangely when you are dressed as a girl. I will save you the embarrassment by having you go back into the bathroom and tuck your penis back between your legs. And carefully push your testicles up into your body. I think you will then find those panties will fit better. Had you been one of the boys sent to me, I would have had you do it in front of me. Now go!” Jane had to hold back a chuckle because of the expression on Stephen’s face from what she just told him. But when he came back out those panties did fit much better.
“Now, a girl does not go around others just wearing her panties, so you can wear that robe for now.” When Stephen had put on the robe, Jane patted a spot on the bed besider, silently telling Stephen to sit beside her. Jane watches as Stephen sits down beside her, then tells him, “Before you sit down, whether wearing a robe, skirt or dress, always sweep the back of the garments towards your legs before you sit down. It not only keeps the garment from getting wrinkled, but helps with modesty. Try sitting down again.” She watches as Stephen stands up, sweeps the back of the robe towards his legs before sitting down. Legs spread apart. Jane reaches over and pushes his legs together, before telling him, “If a girl sits like that she will have every male within viewing distance looking up her dress or skirt. Keep your legs together unless you’re wearing pants, which you will never be doing while you are here. You can also cross your ankles with your knees together, or cross your legs as you see mine are crossed.” Jane watches as Stephen looks at her legs then tries to cross his to match hers.
Jane reaches over and gently takes Stephen’s chin and turns his head to face her. She looks him directly in the eyes and says, “Understand, Stephen, I will correct every mistake you make while learning to be a young lady. But I am doing it because I want to keep you safe. In the short time I have known you, I can see you have so much to offer this world. And I want to help you do that one day.”
Stephen reaches up and wipes his eyes before telling Jane, “I wouldn’t be addressing you as Aunt Jane if I didn’t think you had my welfare at heart. Besides Betty, you are the third person who’s cared about my life. And I will never forget you for all you’re doing.” Stephen reaches up and wipes off a tear that was sliding down Jane’s cheek, before she takes his hand and says, “There’s one other garment you must get used to. Follow me and I will explain that one to you.” They stand up together, then Jane has him remove the robe before taking his hand again and leading him back to the chest of drawers. She opens one drawer and begins to explain the different styles of bras that drawer contains. She does the same for the next drawer. She also explains what ‘chicken fillets’ are for, and notices how Stephen’s face has taken on a lovely pink shade. Jane opens the middle drawer of the vanity and takes out a tape measure, and uses it to measure Stephen from head to toe. Venessa gave Jane a rough guess of Stephen’s chest measurements, so the drawers contained bras which he might comfortably wear. Jane picked out a basic bra, in blue to match his panties, and taught him how to put in on. She then took out a pair of breast forms, showed him how to place them in each cup, stood back and saw the beginnings of a young girl. A young girl who had nice ‘B’ cup breasts; Sandy or Carolyn would glue on prosthetics tomorrow at the salon. Jane hoped when they went to the salon tomorrow, Stephen would be able to endure what they would do to him. But he was born into hell and came out the other side, so a little bit of salon work shouldn’t bother him.
Jane then had Stephen follow her to the closet, where she provides an explanation of every dress hanging from the racks. She explained the style, the parts of the dress, when it could, and should, be worn, and the fabric used to create each dress. She then proceeded to the shoes, showing him the difference between heel heights, designs and the name given for each style. She even gave him a crash course in fashion, what dress would go with which pair of shoes, what could be worn to accessorize the outfit, and what should never be worn together. She then had him pick out a dress that would be appropriate to wear around the house when guests were present. Jane was happy that Stephen had been listening to everything she’d told him, for he picked out a dress which wasn’t too dressy but would present a lovely young girl. He also picked out a pair of ivory flats, which would complement the dress nicely.
Dress and shoes were taken out of the closet, just as there was a knock on the bedroom door. Jane opened the door and let Venessa into the bedroom; Jane and Venessa had everything planned out. Plus, Venessa had been watching everything shown on a monitor sent from the hidden camera in the bedroom. When Venessa walked into the bedroom and saw Stephen, she whistled, and again told him she wished she was his age again so she could take him home to daddy. Both women chuckled as Stephen’s face again took on that lovely pink shade. But he held his demeanor, he didn’t shy away because two adult women saw him in a bra and panties.
Jane had him follow her to the chest of drawers, again, and opened another drawer before she began to explain about the different types of slips that drawer contained. As she did with the dresses, she told him when they should be worn and with what type of dress. She took out a white slip, one she knew would be right for the dress Stephen picked, and had Stephen put it on, showing him how to adjust the straps. The next part both women found rather comical, as Jane had Stephen put on the dress and told him to zip up the zipper on the back of the dress. Both women covered their mouths, as Stephen gyrated this way and that to pull up the zipper. Seeing Stephen start to get frustrated, Jane took pity on the boy and showed him an easy way for him to get it done. She then unzipped the dress several times, as Stephen practiced zipping it up several times.
Venessa then took Stephen’s hand and led him to the vanity, where she had him sit down before turning on the lights on either side of the vanity’s mirror. “It might take time for you to learn how to do this properly, but properly applying makeup is something all girls learn at some point in their lives. They also learn how to style their hair for different occasions.” Venessa told Stephen all this as she opened draws and took out a curling iron, combs, brushes, and several different makeups. Jane tried to keep her ‘stern teacher’ face intact, but the look on Stephen’s face as Venessa started explaining everything, made it hard to do.
Venessa used the curling iron, combs and brushes, to give Stephen’s shoulder length hair more bounce and curl. Jane was sitting on the bed as Venessa started explaining each step she performed as she applied a light layer of makeup; Jane admired Stephen’s tolerance for something so foreign to him. When Venessa was finished, she had Stephen stand up and face her and Jane, who stood up from the bed and was now standing in front of Stephen, Venessa at her side. “So, Janie, what do you think?” It was Stephen’s turn to watch, and chuckle, as Jane slowly turned her head to look at Venessa before telling her in a rather cold voice, “You do remember how I hate that name, correct?” It shocked Stephen a bit as Venessa gave Jane a light kiss on the lips before she said, “Yeah, but I still love ya girl.” Jane just shook her head before breaking out in a big smile, and returned Venessa’s light kiss. There were some stories neither woman would tell about their days at that University.
Both women returned their examination of the new girl standing before them, with Jane saying, “Venessa, we have before us a very pretty young girl, with a boy’s name. Can young girls have boy’s names?” Venessa playing along, as they decided, said, “Well, yeah they can, but they are usually spelled differently.” Jane then looked at Stephen and asked, “Does this new young girl know of a name she’d like to be called?” As much as one name had affected Stephen as he told his story, Jane had a suspicion what name he’d choose. She was proven right when he said, “Rachael. Rachael Jane Baker.” About that time there was a knock on the bedroom door. Venessa being closer, opened it to find Jenny standing there. Jenny simply told the three, “Marie wanted me to tell all of you that supper is ready.” Jane schooled herself and replied, “Thank you, Jenny. Please tell Marie we will be down shortly.” And as Jenny had learned, “Yes, ma’am,” was her proper reply, before she turned and went back downstairs.
After Jenny left, Jane turned back to Rachael and asked her, “Well, Rachael, are you ready to face the world?” Jane and Venessa could see Rachael’s eyes glisten, when Jane called Stephen, Rachael. Tears never fell, but there was a catch in her voice as she told both women, “When Venessa first told me I’d make a lovely young girl, I believed then I’d never do something like this. But thanks to the two of you, I’m confident doing this and yes, Aunt Jane, I’m ready to meet the world. Plus, I’m hungry.” Both women walked over to Rachael and hugged her before each gave her more words of encouragement. Jane already had her sentries picked out when they would be out in public. Sentries no one would spot until it was too late. And hopefully they wouldn’t have to act.
Rachael follows Jane and Venessa out of the bedroom and down the stairs. They walk into the dining room, where they find everything on the table, plus the man, Marie, and Jenny standing behind the chairs around the dining room table. When Rachael walks into the room, Marie is the first to say, “Very nice, Rachael. Very nice indeed.” Rachael gives Marie a questioning look, only to have Marie point to her ears--Marie heard what name she gave herself. The man offers something more, as he walks over to Rachael, takes her hand, kisses the back of her hand, and tells her, “If only I were a young lad again. I agree, very nice.” It was Jenny who received ‘the Jane look’ after she happily screeched out, “I have a big sister now!” Rachael took some of the sting out of Jane’s look by walking over to Jenny, hugging her, and saying, “And I have a little sister now.” The three women watched the two young girls before looking at each other and nodding at each other. They had planned well after all. The three looked back at Rachael hugging Jenny, and the huge, real, smile on Jenny’s face. Something that had only started being seen since Stephen arrived. Since everyone was now at the table, everyone could be seated. The man helped seat Jane and Marie, while the girls seated themselves, Rachael remembering Jane’s admonishment about sweeping the back of her dress towards her legs before sitting.
As usual, Jane never let a meal go by without it being a learning session. Both girls were asked general questions about a variety of subjects, the man joining in now and then, enjoying the give and take during the discussions. When the meal was over, Jane said to Jenny, “Jenny, you and Rachael please help Marie clear the table and help her in the kitchen.” Jane had to treat Rachael as she did Jenny, at least in front of Jenny. She would have to talk with Rachael and make sure Jenny was kept ignorant as to the real reason Stephen was there, in order to try and keep Jenny safe.
Jane had no more told Jenny what to do then Jenny jumped up and excitedly told Rachael, “C’mon, I’ll show you what needs done.” Things slowed down a bit after Jane said, “Jenny, a young lady does not jump up from the table. You will sit down and stand up properly, young lady.” Rachael had to put her hand over her mouth in order to not laugh because of the look on Jenny’s face. Jane and Marie did the same. An unhappy Jenny sat down, then stood up, pushed her chair under the table, and said, “Sorry, Aunt Jane, I was just so excited to have a big sister I forgot.” Jane schooled her face as she said, “Then, Jenny, you must do better at remembering. And think about all the things that might have happened by your exuberant rising from the chair.” Jenny looked at Jane and nodded her head, she understood. As Jane and the man started to walk out of the dining room, Jane turned and told Rachael, “Rachael, when you are through helping in the kitchen I want to see you in the Library.” And like Jenny’s response, Rachael replied, “Yes, Aunt Jane.”
Once the dining room table was cleared, and Marie and the girls were in the kitchen, Jane walked back into the dining room and stood by the kitchen door, listening. What she heard from Jenny filled her with hope, as Rachael asked questions and Jenny excitedly answered the questions. There was a bit of sadness in Jenny’s voice when Rachael suggested the two go out on the property so Jenny could show her some of the plants. When Jenny came to ask her, and Jane knew she would, Jane would have to keep the hope and glee out of her face. She would have to have her ‘stern teacher’ face on when that time came.
Jane had walked back into the Library, finding Parker sitting on one of the couches enjoying a glass of wine. She had just poured herself a glass, sat down next to Parker, when there was a knock on the Library door. “Come in,” she said loud enough to be heard on the other side of the door, before the door opened and Rachael came into the room. “You wanted to see me, Aunt Jane?” Rachael asked before closing the Library door behind her, for Jenny’s sake. They had to keep up appearances in front of Jenny. Jane pointed to the other couch and watched as Rachael walked over to it, sweeping the back of her dress towards her legs before sitting down, keeping her knees together. “You did that quite well, Rachael. How are you feeling about all this?”
Jane took a sip of her wine as she waited for Rachael to answer. It was a short spell before Rachael told Jane, “Better than I expected at first. But I’ve a feeling things will be, different tomorrow?” Stephen knew this beginning as Rachael wasn’t all Jane was going to ask of him, he’d noticed several things about Jenny. And he was proven right when Jane answered with, “Yes, Rachael, tomorrow will be different. You and Jenny have an appointment at Marisha Chalet, the salon I use for my girls, where you will get a complete makeover, and several lessons. You have nothing to fear from Carolyn or Sandy, they know about you, and will help you learn about aspects of being a girl. If you have questions, ask while you are with each lady. Now one part might be a little uncomfortable, but must be done if you are to have a girly figure.” Jane and the man watched as Rachael did Stephen’s classic head drop and chuckle before saying, “A corset, right?” It was Jane’s turn to chuckle before replying, “Yes, a corset. The other part is getting your ears pierced, as most girls have these days.” The man chuckled this time as Rachael just shook her head at the thought of having to wear a corset and getting her ears pierced, something Stephen had never thought of doing.
“Rachael, there is something more serious we must discuss. In order to help keep you safe, you must be Rachael any time you are with Jenny. You must not tell her, or even hint at, the real reason you are here. While she may not say anything deliberately, she could accidentally blurt out something at the wrong time. Our plan was to have her think you were sent here just as she was sent, though explaining about Chester Thorton might be a bit problematic. I suppose you could tell her part of the truth, that some bad people were looking for you and the disguise was to keep you safe while traveling.”
“But for the rest of the evening, I would like you to sit with Jenny and continue talking with her, asking her questions, to help bring her out of that shell she has built around her. Her actions tonight after supper were a tremendous breakthrough, thanks to you and the way you treated her. Please, keep encouraging her to tell you about herself and her interests. Marie will notify you and Jenny when it is time for bed. Marie will go with you and tell you how to remove your makeup before you shower. She will also show you which moisturizer to apply to your face after showering. Wash your hair, and shave as you did earlier. In the bottom drawer of that chest of drawers you will find a selection of nighties you may choose from for tonight. You must also change your panties as well. Please leave the bra you are wearing on while you sleep, so you can get used to the feel of it on. In the morning, Marie will wake you and have you take a shower and shave. Fold up the nighties you wore and place in under the pillow after you make the bed. Put the bra and panties you wore to bed in the clothes hamper you will find in the closet.”
“Rachael, I realize all of this may be hard on you at first. But our intentions are to keep you safe, and we can only do that if you immerse yourself in being Rachael. If you seem like a boy dressed as a girl, people will notice faster than if you are Rachael any time you are around other people. Your voice, mannerisms, actions, all must be girl-like, or you will be outed. Go on now, take what time left before bed and talk with Jenny.” Jane and Parker were a bit surprised when Rachael replied in a more feminine voice as she said, “Yes, Aunt Jane,” before standing up, bidding the man a safe journey, and leaving the Library, closing the door behind her.
Parker had watched this boy go from Chester Thorton to Rachael Jane Baker with ease. He had observed her over supper, how she interacted with Jenny, her mannerisms during supper, and now as she came into the Library, talked with Jane, then left the Library. Parker told a worried looking Jane, “He’s going to be alright, Jane. He’s a born actor,” and as he put an arm around her shoulders she replied, “I hope you’re right, Parker, I hope you’re right.” Jane laid her head on Parker’s shoulders, and he felt his shirt get wet where Jane’s head lay. “Aunt Jane,” he began, “the entire time I was with you, and helped be the senior girl, I never saw a boy take on their female persona quicker than that boy. And he’s done it voluntarily and, unlike myself, and I deem others, never fought you on it. Plus, Jane, his voice, his mannerisms, all suggest he’s been a girl his entire life. No one will see that young man as anything but a young girl.” Jane chuckled at the memory when Parker first came to her, and the fits he threw. But she knew he was right in everything he just said, Stephen does seem to have been a girl his entire life. “Parker, perhaps she does act like a girl due to having an IQ not too many points below 200, and an eidetic memory. Perhaps both of these help him take on any role he requires in order to survive. Remember, there are a lot of unpleasant memories stored in that mind, so there had to be a way for him to stay sane and alive at the same time. Had he betrayed anything at any time, he wouldn’t be here now, Parker. He’d be dead.”
The two were quiet for some time, thinking about what the other said, before finishing their wine and deciding they too should go to bed. Jane walked Parker out of the Library, bid him a good night, before going into the Study and checking on Jenny, finding her sound asleep. Rachael was a different matter, though, as Jane heard her asking herself questions about being Rachael. “I’m actually comfortable being Rachael. Does that mean I’m really a girl or secretly wanting to be a girl? Can I actually be Rachael out in public? I wish, above all, I knew the answers. I’m scared it all might actually be true.” Jane watched as Rachael wiped tears off her cheeks, before turning out the light and climbing into bed. ‘Yes, Rachael,’ Jane thought, ‘that is something which needs to be discovered.’ She shut everything down, the alarm in her bedroom would alert her if there was trouble with the girls, got up out of the desk chair and made her way to her bedroom after closing the Study door. Stephen’s admissions today had drained her.
The next morning started as Jane had told Rachael. Only Rachael was ahead of the ‘game’ as Marie found out when she went to wake Rachael after waking Jenny. When Marie walked into Rachael’s bedroom, Rachael’s bed was already made and clothes were already laid out on the bed. As Marie listened, she could hear a beautiful voice singing about the running shower. She listened for a while before knocking on the bathroom door, opening it and asking, “Is everything alright, cher?” As she waited for an answer, she looked around the bathroom, spotting the lingerie lying on the toilet seat lid. “Yes, Marie, I’m fine, so far. I made sure to shave my face and under arms twice, and I’m using a hair remover on my legs right now. Um...are the bra and panties I selected suitable, they’re laying on the toilet seat lid.” Marie had to smile after all she heard, and did agree with the selection of bra and panties. “Yes, cher, the selection is perfect, as is the dress and accessories you chose. If I might ask, cher, you are up early, no. Is this your habit before here?” The water shut off, and the shower curtain pulled back, before Rachael said, “Honestly, Marie, I was excited to start the day. After talking with Aunt Jane yesterday, and being open with someone besides Betty, I feel a great burden has been lifted from my shoulders.”
Rachael was totally naked, as she dried herself in front of Marie with a bath towel. “Did Aunt Jane tell you anything about what I told her, even the parts that were hard to tell?” Rachael saw the sad face Marie made as she said, “Yes, cher. She told me everything, even the hard parts.” She reached up and wiped a tear off her cheek before saying, “Come, we have to get you ready for the day.” Marie was surprised when a very naked Stephen walked up to her, kissed her on the cheek and told her in perfect French, “Merci beaucoup, ma tante,” before pulling on the panties, tucking his manhood back between his legs. Marie had to wipe her eyes again. Rachael then picked up the bra and this time with deft fingers, put her arms through the straps, and reached around behind her and hooked the bra ends together. Marie only quirked one eyebrow this time.
She had Rachael wait to put on the dress, until her hair and makeup were done, suggesting a slip be worn with the dress Rachael chose, and showing her which one would be best. Marie had Rachael sit in front of the vanity mirror, after she had put the slip on, before telling Rachael to do her makeup in order to see what she learned from the previous day. A short time later, a surprised Marie stared into the mirror as a very beautifully made up Rachael was reflected in the mirror; Jane was also going to be surprised how well Rachael did putting on her makeup today. Being able to see one’s face is different than doing one’s hair, but Rachael did manage to make her hair very presentable after it was dried; a few more lessons and it would be perfect.
Rachael then put on her knee high socks, then her dress. Marie had to suppress a chuckle as Rachael was still having trouble zipping up the zipper. But she persevered, and was finally able to pull up the zipper. She slipped on her shoes, flats this time and she and Marie headed down to the dining room for breakfast. Marie followed behind to watch how Rachael walked. She quirked an eyebrow as she saw that Rachael was walking as a girl would walk, something a boy shouldn’t be able to do without lessons. She’d have to tell Jane about this. Either Stephen was a girl at heart, or an excellent actor.
Author’s Note: This is another of my Jane Thompson ‘what if’ stories that’s been hounding me night and day, demanding it be written. The issues within this story are much darker than in any of my previous stories, told by a seventeen-year-old boy who witnessed the horrible treatment of the children by two families, if said children made it known they would not participate in any forced marriage. Reader beware, while what takes place is not told in great detail, it nevertheless can be disturbing. Also, there are flashbacks throughout the story, which may seem a bit confusing at times. ~ Jamie Lee ~
The Webster and Dorman families were brought together by the rescues first by a Dorman young man of a Webster young girl, then two years later a Webster young man of a Dorman young girl, and ensuing love which led to marriage when they each turned eighteen. Because of the first two marriages, other marriages, because of love, occurred between the Webster and Dorman families. But a little over one hundred and fifty years later, the then head of the Webster and Dorman families believed everything told of those first marriages to be lies. They were lies because no one married because of love, only opportunity, so those first two marriages had to have been forced. And it was at that point the love that had blossomed as a result of two rescues, that had brought two families together, was perverted, and a little over one hundred years of hell began for the two families. A hell that was Family Punishment for any Webster or Dorman child who failed to comply with the Family Obligation of marriage when they turned eighteen. And love be damned.
Seventeen-year-old Stephen William Webster and his nanny, Better Wilcox, finally blow the whistle after the murder of thirteen-year-old Rachael Dorman because she refused to be forced into a loveless marriage. Stephen and Betty must be hidden because people from the Webster and Dorman families are hunting him, thinking he is running away from a forced marriage. Betty makes contact with three of her former University sorority sisters, and together they formulate plans to hide Stephen at the one place unknown to either the Webster or Dorman families, the Winsome Girls’ School for Wayward Boys. Jane Thompson’s home.
While Marie was with Rachael, Jane had watched Jenny by way of the hidden camera in Jenny’s room. She was doing much better, having fewer and fewer episodes breaking down from the loss of her parents. She only had one this morning. Jenny had reached the dining room just before Rachael and Marie, but continued on to the kitchen with Marie right behind her. Jane came out of the Study, walked into the dining room and asked Rachael, “Did you sleep alright? No nightmares or anything?” Betty had told Jane of the nightmares Stephen had had over the years, more so after a murder took place. Rachael’s murder seemed to have laid heavy on Stephen’s soul, because right after her death he had nightmares every night since; the last hour and a half of his journey on the train was the most restful sleep he’d had in some time. And it continued with his sleep last night. “No, Aunt Jane,” Rachael replied, “I slept very well, like the last hour and a half of my journey here. I guess I knew I’d be safe and cared for while here, unlike with those who called themselves my ‘parents.’” Rachael used air quotes when she said parents, and lightly dabbed at her eyes, trying not to ruin the excellent job she did on her eyes. “Rachael, you are safe here, and we do care about you,” Jane said in a rather husky voice. Jane still couldn’t comprehend how two families could be so cold as to kill their own children, simply because those children refused to take part in a forced marriage when they turned eighteen.
Jane schooled herself as Jenny came out of the kitchen carrying two dishes ladened with part of their breakfast, Marie came out right behind her with the rest, before all four took their places at the table. Jane was firm, but gentle, with Jenny as she reminded Jenny to sweep her skirt towards her legs as she sat down; Jenny practiced that action five times before everyone was able to enjoy a fine breakfast. There were other deportment corrections made as Jenny became a bit too animated, several times, while explaining something to Rachael. Jane didn’t let Rachael off either, as she corrected Rachael several times, Rachael knowing what Jane was doing by the wink Jane gave her before the corrections; they were all for Jenny’s sake. And for Jenny’s sake, Rachael only replied with, “Yes, Aunt Jane. Thank you for pointing that out. It was something I was unaware of doing.” Both gave the other a smirk to show each understood the other.
Once the dining room table was cleared of breakfast dishes, and the dishes and kitchen cleaned, Jane had both girls go to their bedrooms and freshen up their makeup, as they had appointments at the Marisha Chalet. For Rachael’s benefit as well, Jane reminded Jenny, “Jenny, please make sure to bring your purse, you seem to have trouble remembering that when we go out.” Rachael winked at Jenny after what Jane said, and Jenny just giggled as the two girls climbed the stairs to their bedrooms. The wink from Rachael and the giggle from Jenny were not lost on Jane, she was pleased by Jenny’s reaction, though she couldn’t let Jenny know. Rachael was having a positive effect on Jenny, hopefully that would continue.
When the two girls returned downstairs, Jane inspected each girl, checking their makeup and clothing. She had to admonish Jenny about not acting like a young lady when Jenny had been too exuberant coming from her bedroom. Again Rachael winked at Jenny, and Jenny held back a giggle, until Jane, smiling, led the two girls out to her car. Jenny’s shell was starting to crack.
It wasn’t long before Jane and the girls pulled up in front of the Marisha Chalet. After Jane parked her car and shut off the engine, the three got out of the car and walked into the Chalet, where Carolyn greeted all three as they entered. Jane took a seat as Sandy took Jenny back to her station to “deal with the rat’s nest Jenny was wearing.” Carolyn gave Sandy a warning-look not to go overboard with Jenny, but Sandy just blew Carolyn a raspberry. Carolyn just shook her head, as she led Rachael back to the booth where Rachael would experience her first waxing.
“Okay, Rachael, let me explain what I’m going to do before we get started,” Carolyn said to Rachael as she guided her over to one of two chairs in the room. “I’ll have you completely undress, and have you put on a robe. Then before you lie down on that table,” and she pointed to the table where waxing took place, “I’ll have you remove the robe, lie on your stomach, and will start with the back of your legs. The wax will be a bit uncomfortable because it has to be warm enough to spread out but not hot enough that it burns your skin. I will then put stips of paper on the wax and when it’s set up a bit, and this will sting a bit, rip it off your skin. I will apply a lotion which will help relieve the sting you’re going to feel, but it’s something us girls have to endure.” Carolyn let what she just said sink in, and when Rachael nodded her head, she continued with, “From the back of your legs I’ll work my way up your body, including your butt crack. Then I’ll lotion what’s been done and give you a bit of a rest before continuing with your front.” Carolyn watched Rachael carefully, to make sure she understood what she had been told. All she saw was Rachael’s head hanging down, and her chuckling, saying, “Oh, joy, a hairless butt crack, what else could I possibly want.” Then she laughed outright. Carolyn too. “Now this is important, if at any time you get thirsty, you tell me right away. I don’t want you getting dehydrated and passing out on me. Okay?” Rachael simply nodded her head, thinking, ‘The price to pay to stay hidden, oy.’
Carolyn got out a clean robe, told Rachael to completely undress and put the robe on. She started to leave the room to make it less embarrassing for Rachael to undress, but never reached the door as Rachael had removed her socks and shoes, her dress and slip, her bra, and started pulling down her panties when Carolyn spoke up. “Um...Rachael, wouldn’t you be more comfortable undressing the rest of the way if I wasn’t here?” Carolyn looked to the ceiling, rolled her eyes, and shook her head when Rachael asked her in an impish voice, “Do I have anything you haven’t seen before?” Carolyn playfully shook her fist at Rachael before saying in a rather small voice, “no. Go ahead, finish undressing.” And the two women had a good laugh.
Carolyn found Rachael’s pain threshold rather high, as she only let out a peep when her groin and chest were waxed. But, she really didn’t have a lot of hair on her legs, arms, back, or butt. As promised, Carolyn used lotion everywhere except Rachael’s chest, explaining she would glue on breast prosthetics and didn’t want the lotion to interfere with the adhesive. The point of attachments were lightly marked out, adhesive put on Rachael’s chest, the prosthetics placed and Carolyn had Rachael hold them in place for a few minutes. While the adhesive was setting, Carolyn left Rachael lying on the table and went to get a bra the right size for Rachael’s new breasts. Once she returned she helped Rachael sit up, and showed her how to properly put on the new bra, making sure the breasts were well seated in the cups. Carolyn then told Rachael to put her panties back on but leave her dress, slip, and socks and shoes off, they had one more thing to do. Rachael rolled her eyes, looked to the ceiling and said, “A corset.” Carolyn laughed and told Rachael, “You got it in one. Follow me.” Rachael had been in a good mood while getting waxed, but that changed as she followed Carolyn to a room and started following her in. But stopped dead in her tracks.
Carolyn had walked into the room then turned around to face Rachael, intending to tell her what they were going to do. But what she saw scared her more than anything, as Rachael was standing in the doorway, violently shaking and just as violently shaking her head no. What Rachael did next scared not only Carolyn but Sandy, Jane, and Jenny as well. Still violently shaking, Rachael started backing up and was saying louder and louder, “nonoNoNoNONONO…” She fell down backwards, landing hard on the floor, and crabbed herself backwards right into the chairs that were behind her, and didn’t stop trying to get away. All the while screaming at the top of her lungs, “NONONONONONO…” Carolyn was frozen at the sight of Rachael in a full blown panic. Jane arrived first, followed by Sandy and Jenny. Jane got down on the floor with Rachael, grabbed her in a fierce hug, and gently told her, “It’s alright, Rachael,” over and over again, until Rachael finally started to calm down. “It’s not what it looks like, Rachael,” she also said softly to Rachael, as she got calmer. “It isn’t what it looks like, Rachael, it’s okay, you’re not there. You’re here with Sandy, Carolyn, Jenny, and me. It’s okay, sweetheart.” At those last words of Jane, Rachael savagely hugged Jane as she sobbed on Jane’s shoulder, again having just relived what was done to Rachael Dorman. Jane realized at that moment it was not possible to keep things from Jenny any longer, she had seen Rachael’s breakdown; she would also have to explain things to Carolyn and Sandy.
As Rachael quieted down, but was still fiercely holding Jane, Jane told the three why Rachael reacted as she had just done, at least the main parts. Sandy’s reaction was familiar, with a “Aw shit, what a mess.” Carolyn’s more in line with Jane’s, as she said, “How had that girl stayed sane all this time?” And Jenny, Jenny did something that surprised Jane by coming up, wiping tears off her own cheeks, getting down on the floor, hugging Jane and Rachael, telling Rachael, “It’s okay sis, I’m here.” Rachael lifted her head, looked at Jenny and said, “Thank you, little sister, that means a lot.” Rachael let go of the hug with Jane and transferred it to Jenny, where Jane, Sandy, and Carolyn left the two girls while they went to have a private talk. Out of earshot of Jenny, Jane told Carolyn and Sandy everything Rachael told her. And why Rachael broke down so severely just now. Now she had to decide what to tell Jenny, since she too had seen Rachael’s violent incident.
The three women walked back to where they’d left the two girls hugging on the salon floor. “Rachael, please let Carolyn and Sandy help you up and get you freshened up. I want to talk with Jenny for a while.” Jane had crouched down and softly said this to Rachael, getting a nod from Rachel, and watching as the girl kissed Jenny on the cheek before telling her, “Thanks little, sis.” Sandy and Carolyn helped Rachael to her feet before taking her to the back of the salon for something to drink and eat. Plus anything else she needed.
Jane helped Jenny stand, then led her to the salon office, where she again emphasized how serious the situation was with Rachael, admonishing her not to repeat what she was about to hear. Jenny two fisted tears out of both eyes before telling Jane, “I’d never do anything to hurt my big sister, Aunt Jane. NEVER!” This time the tears just rolled down her cheeks. Jane had to smile at Jenny’s reaction, since she’d been so depressed before Rachael came. Now in the past few days, that depression seemed to be lifting, all because of how Rachael treated Jenny. “This may be hard for you to hear, Jenny, but I believe you need to know the real reason Rachael is here with me. You see…” And as with Carolyn and Sandy, Jane told Jenny the whole truth and why Rachael reacted as she just did. Jenny had to constantly wipe tears from her eyes and cheeks, but she listened to every word Jane said. When Jane finished, Jenny didn’t say a word, but got up out of the chair she’d been sitting in, walked out of the salon office, and headed towards the back of the salon. Jane followed, and watched as Jenny opened the door at the back of the salon, walked through, walked over to where Rachael was sitting, with Sandy and Carolyn nearby, grabbed Rachael in a fierce hug and cried on the girl’s shoulder. Rachael gently held Jenny while she cried, wondering what had upset her so. Rachael gave Jane a questioning look, receiving a mouthed, ‘I told her everything.’
Jenny had been with Jane for the past two months, and during that time neither Sandy’s curt attitude, nor Carolyn’s sweet attitude, or anything Jane and Marie had tried, did any good pulling Jenny out of her depression. And the three were shocked, while Jenny still fiercely hugging Rachael said, “Those bastards killed my parents. And for what, nothing. They didn’t have any money in the house. Why’d they kill my parents, Rachael? Why?” In the entire two months, this was the first time Jenny mentioned the death of her parents in a burglary of their home. The two men were looking for money in order to buy needed drugs to feed their habit. “I heard daddy tell those men there wasn’t any money in the house, but they said he was lying, and I heard one of them hit daddy with something. That’s when momma screamed and I climbed out the window and got up on the roof; they couldn’t see me from the window or the ground. Stupid assholes, they left plenty of prints behind and the police caught them a few days later, trying to hold up some people on the streets. I heard they will die before they get out of prison. Did they really have to kill my parents, Rachael?” Rachael reached up and wiped tears off her checks, as did the three other women. Jenny’s shell cracked open this morning, she was going to be alright now. And Rachael would be there to help.
Everyone’s face was a mess after all the tears and meltdowns, and Sandy went and got the needed items to make repairs. Once repairs were made, Jane and Carolyn sat down with Rachael, while Jenny went with Sandy, and explained to Rachael what it was she saw in the room. After explaining it was used to help tighten the ties on a corset, Rachael let her brain process it for what it was and not what her memories told her what she saw. When asked if she felt better, Rachael nodded, and the three walked back into the salon and the room to fit Rachael with a corset. Jane and Carolyn heard Rachael mumbling to herself as they walked into the room, and then the entire time the corset was tightened around Rachael’s torso. They chuckled when Rachael asked, “How...does...a...woman...breathe...while...wearing...one...of...these...things?” And Carolyn replied, “By taking shallow breaths.” She went on to explain how it would be harder for Rachael to bend over at the waist, so she needed to kneel if she had to pick up anything off the floor. Jane had gone to the waxing room to get Rachael’s clothing, and the two helped Rachael dress before they led her to Sandy’s station so her hair could be styled.
Jane received a phone call on her cell phone from Venessa, telling her Chester Thorton was ready to leave. The last part of the plan had been for Venessa to change Parker into Chester Thorton, and for Jane to take him back to the train station, where they’d make a big todo about Chester not being able to take the job Jane was offering, with Chester leaving on the very next train. Venessa would then meet him at the second stop where she would then drive him back to her studio warehouse and un-Chesterize him. And Chester Thorton would disappear in a cloud of smoke, never to be seen again.
Jane told Carolyn and Sandy she had to leave for a short time and would be back before they were finished with Jenny and Rachael; Rachael still needed her ears pierced. The Chester plan worked as laid out. Jane and the new Chester arrived at the train station just as the train going in the opposite direction, from the one Stephen arrived on, was pulling into the station. They walked to the platform, made a show of being disappointed the job didn’t work out, and the new Chester boarded the train. Doing things at this particular moment would ensure no one paid much attention to just two more people saying their goodbyes before one boarded the train..
Jane returned in time to watch as Rachael had two piercings done in the lobe of each ear, wincing each time she was poked. Afterwards, all five women laughed as they heard Rachael say, “The things we women have to go through.” Jane was paying particular attention to Jenny, and how she reacted to what Rachael just said. This was not the pre-Rachael Jenny, this was a new Jenny, one who now wore her happiness in her eyes, and not just on her face. It had been hard to watch, but maybe Rachael having a meltdown now may have been the best thing for Jenny to witness. She did after all, open up about the murder of her parents during that burglary, something she hadn’t done in the two months she’d been with Jane.
Jane also noticed a difference in both Sandy and Carolyn, after the two young ladies had their meltdowns. Particularly Sandy. She was always the one Carolyn had to warn about going overboard with Jane’s boys, and now she seemed more subdued, more caring than she seemed before everything happened. Hopefully, when a new boy came, Carolyn wouldn’t have to caution Sandy. Only time would answer that question.
Carolyn and Sandy had gone off to clean up their stations before their other customers started arriving. And Jane felt it was time the girls returned to her home, and maybe Jenny would like to take Rachael out for a walk on the property to show her the different plants. And maybe Rachael will introduce Jenny to the big rone.
Not long after they returned to Jane’s home, the phone rang. After answering it she told Marie to hold the line open as she went into the Library to finish taking the call. When Marie heard Jane pick up the phone in the Library, she hung up that phone and returned to the kitchen, with Jenny in tow. A short time later Jane left the Library and went up to Rachael’s bedroom, wanting to talk privately with Rachael about news she’d just received. News that would either upset Rachael or take more weight off her shoulders. Jane knocked on Rachael’s bedroom door before opening the door and entering the room, closing the door behind her.
Jane found Rachael sitting at the vanity table, turning her head this way and that, looking at the new earrings she had. Rachael was so absorbed in the new earrings she didn’t hear the knock on the bedroom door or Jane come into the room. “Rachael, come sit with me, I have some news I just received.” Rachael jumped slightly when Jane said her name, but got up off the vanity chair and walked over and sat on the bed next to Jane. “I just received a call from a trusted friend in law enforcement, telling me plans are being made to raid and arrest everyone involved in the horrible treatment of those kids in the videos. They have people pouring over those videos right this moment, and they’re getting names and where they live. Once they have all the names and addresses, arrest warrants will be issued and they’ll make plans to raid every location at the same time. I can’t tell you when all of this will take place because I wasn’t told. But the person I spoke with said after the major players watched those videos, several had to leave the room for the restrooms. And, a special team was made up then and there to make sure everyone who was involved would be put behind bars. That includes your parents.” Rachael made a nasty snorting sound when Jane said ‘her parents,’ since they’d never really been parents. “And I was told to tell you that Betty is safe and can’t wait to see you again; something was mentioned about Betty becoming your guardian when this is all over.” Rachael visibly perked up when Jane mentioned Betty, then wiped her eyes at the thought of being with Betty again. “So, until everything is settled, and it’s safe for you and Betty to come out of hiding, you have a home here, with me.”
Rachael leaned her head onto Jane’s right shoulder, wrapped her arms around Jane’s waist, and told her, “Thank you, Aunt Jane, I really appreciate your offer. And I’m glad Betty is safe.” From the time Jane had started her school for wayward boys, she had to be the stern mistress to every boy who came to her school. This time things were different. She’d had a very depressed Jeremy Stevens, a boy who found his murdered parents after a home burglary. And she had Stephen William Webster, who, from the age of three, had witnessed some horrible treatment of kids in the Webster and Dorman families. Even several murders. Both were deeply hurt. Both had built their own shell around themselves. And both had had their own meltdowns but this very day, causing their individual shells to finally shatter. Both would need time and counseling but Jane felt both would do well given time.
And Jane, what of herself? She thought on that for a minute, as Rachael continued to hug her. Jane too had been affected by what these two boys had experienced, and had walked out the other side. While she would still need to be the stern mistress to begin with, she would look deeper into the cause of each boys’ errant actions and contour their learning to deal with those experiences. And not just how to be a better person.
During the rest of her stay with Jane, Jenny was a changed person. No longer was there a constant depressed young girl, robotically obeying every order Jane gave. Instead, there was a bubbling young girl, now full of life, now knowing what she wanted to do with her life. Where the old Jenny would never have wanted to visit the stable, or go on walks around the property, this new Jenny wanted to revisit the stables once Rachael introduced her to the big rone. And she also learned to ride the big horse. Four months after Jenny’s self imposed shell shattered, her Aunt and Uncle came to collect her, it was time for her to go home. As her Aunt and Uncle saw her for the first time in months, even they could tell they were seeing a new Jenny. Jane explained to the Aunt and Uncle the need for Jenny to continue counseling, but judging by her behavior since Rachael came, and the two girls breakthrough, she would in time be fine. It was not an easy goodbye for anyone when Jenny left. The two girls hugged and cried and promised to stay in touch. Rachael reminded Jenny what she felt now were just memories, memories that couldn’t change but did happen. And not to dwell on those memories and let them pull her back down. There was a sparkle in Jenny’s eyes when she told Rachael, “I won’t.” Jenny’s Aunt and Uncle took Rachael aside, and told her how much they appreciated everything Rachael had done for Jenny. And if there was anything she needed, call them any time. Rachael had to wipe her eyes after what they said, and hugged them, saying, “You’re more than welcome. Take good care of my little sister.” As the three drove out of sight, tears were rolling down the cheeks of three women.
Six months later Jane received another phone call she took in the Library. At the same time there was a knock on the front door of the house. As the phone call with Jane ended, she heard a loud scream coming from the front room. Uncharacteristically, Jane ran out of the Library, not bothering to close the Library door. When she arrived in the front room, Rachael was hugging another woman and crying on her shoulder. It was Betty. And she was safe. Marie wisely went to the kitchen and brought back tall glasses of water, they all were going to need them. As Jane watched, it was Betty who spoke first.
“It’s okay, sweetheart, I’m okay. And so are you. It’s over, they’ve all been arrested and are in jail. No one is getting out on bond.” She said these words softly to Rachael, as she hugged Rachael as hard as Rachael hugged her. Gawd, she missed her, daughter/son. Magically tissues materialized, and Betty and Rachael used them to wipe their eyes and blow their noses. Both had wet spots on their blouse and dress shoulders. Betty gently pushed Rachael away to arms length before saying, “Let me look at you now. My, aren’t you the prettiest young thing. I think you and I might need to fix our faces, if I look like you do,” gently kissing Rachael on the forehead. Rachael chuckled at what Betty said, telling her, “Well, if I look as bad as you then I’m a mess.” Both women laughed and hugged each other again before Jane suggested they go up to Rachael’s bedroom and freshen up. Jane had new information she wanted to give them.
It didn’t surprise Jane it was almost an hour later when Betty and Rachael returned to the front room, both looking much better; Betty’s hair was still a little damp. She had them sit on the couch before taking the chair across from them.
“Just as you arrived, Betty, I got off the phone with Judge Ruth; I can tell you her name now, Rachael, now that it’s over for you two. It took time to gather names and addresses and coordinate both Local and State law enforcement in order to raid every house at the same time. But two weeks ago, the raids were carried out, and every arrest warrant was served. When the lawyers for the Webster’s and Dorman’s saw all the evidence against everyone arrested, it was obvious no one stood a chance with a jury trial. It took those lawyers several days to convince their clients to plead guilty and throw themselves on the mercy of the courts. Otherwise, if they went to trial, they were guaranteed to lose. And all it would take would be for the juries to watch the videos. Everyone finally relented and pled guilty to all the charges against them. The current head of the Webster and Dorman families received life sentences, plus one hundred years. Their wives each received fifty years; the women and men who carried out the rapes, each received forty years; all those who stood by and did nothing received twenty-five years each; and all the children were taken in by good hearted neighbors, who didn’t feel those children should suffer because of what their parents did. CPS gave them all their blessings, since CPS didn’t have room for so many children. So, Rachael, it’s over, you’re free to go, if you want.” Betty and Rachael had been holding hands as Jane spoke, and looked at each other now with what Jane said at the last. Betty smiled at Rachael and nodded her head, indicating Rachael should tell Jane.
Rachael gently dabbed her eyes with a tissue before telling Jane and Marie, “You two have been more parents to me than my own birth parents ever were. And I would love to stay with you and help with the next boy who arrived. But Betty had been working with Judge Ruth on adopting me as her son, and it’s something I can’t turn down. She had been my real mother for seventeen years, and I want to make it official. I’ll be known as Stephen William Wilcox.” Now all four women dabbed at their eyes with tissues, Betty and Rachael because of what Rachael said. And Jane and Marie because they would sorely miss having Rachael with them.
After some time talking, mostly about Rachael, and her exploits into the feminine world, they had a very nice farewell dinner that Rachael helped Marie prepare. After the dishes were settled and the kitchen cleaned, there was more talk before everyone turned for the night; Rachael and Betty would be leaving in the morning.
During the time Rachael had been with Jane, she finished her studies and took the GED test, scoring one hundred on every section. They had also looked into Universities that had pre-med programs close to where Betty and Rachael would be living; a little birdy named Judge Ruth gave Jane the information. From pre-med, Rachael, Stephen, would attend medical school and would go on to specialize in psychiatry. His/her experience helping Jenny, Jeremy, made her want to help others in that area.
All Webster and Dorman properties were sold off, and their assets plus the revenue from the sales were divided among all the Webster and Dorman children. Those who took in the children ended up adopting them, allowing a name change gave the children a better chance in life. Dr. Wilcox, psychiatrist, set up an office in the town where he and Betty lived. And he became known as one of the best in helping kids with problems like he and Jeremy had. And when necessary, they even met Aunt Jane and the big rone.
Author’s Note: This story is a work of pure fiction, meant to be read for pure enjoyment. It is not based on facts of any kind, just those I made up in my mind. I realize some of which is in this story may seem far fetched, but it’s a story, dreamed up from the gray matter between my ears. So please, read this story in the spirit it’s meant to be read, for fun. Jamie Lee
We had wandered the ether for millions upon millions of years, searching for an appropriate home that would serve our created purpose. Our creator had a dream to use us to bring harmony to her planet, but was too late, as with the rest of the planet, we were thrown out into the ether and left to drift until we found our purpose. We wandered past planet after planet, some having no life, and some with life but not needing our purpose. It wasn’t until we approached a system from the perpendicular that we observe a planet, a blue planet, with indications of needing our purpose, if only we could find the one which would become our catalyst.
Our creator’s planet was in such turmoil and had been for some time, with those more aggressive wanting to impose their will on others, causing battle after battle until no part of her planet was untouched. It was year ten before our release when she hit upon an idea to create us and use us to bring harmony to those who aggressively sought to rule all with their ideals, and cared not what was damaged or who was killed in the process. Their ideas were right and all were going to live by them or perish in the process. By year nine her plan had been formed, and our construction had begun, though under the most secret of conditions. For if the aggressive learned of what she was doing, she would die and die painfully.
By year eight all the material needed for our construction had been gathered, it had been difficult to do so in secret and to ensure our beginning continued to go unnoticed. There were several times where she was almost found out, but thanks to those who believed as she did, she was shielded. During year seven the method of our construction had been determined, and slowly, one by one we started to form. It took several cycles of our sun for each of us to be created and by year six there were only ten of us in existence. By year five we were now fifty, and by year four, one hundred. By the time year two appeared we became two hundred, but our time had run out in year one as our last hundred joined us, the aggressives did the most unthinkable, they blew up the planet. They used a device aimed at those refusing to follow their ideals, but its effect was to set up a chain reaction which shook the planet apart, thereby rupturing the core of the planet, sending everything out into space. Even our group of three hundred. We had learned, over the years, how to protect ourselves from harm due to radiation and other effects caused by the wars, and taught that to the new ones which joined us each year. So when we realized what was about to happen, and we could do nothing for our creator, we formed our shell and let what happened throw us out into space, causing us to wander until we finally found what needed our purpose. And after millions upon millions of years we found a blue planet which gave off every indication of needing our purpose before it too sent all of itself on a journey throughout the ether.
Over the millions upon millions of years we taught ourselves many things, guidance being only one, so it was nothing for us to guide ourselves to that blue planet and put ourselves in a position to observe and find the one who would become our catalyst. We were in no hurry to find the one, and the planet still had a chance, so we continued watching until the one presented herself ten years after we had arrived. Now it was only a matter of choosing the right moment to present ourselves to her and ask her to become our catalyst. And because our purpose was to bring harmony to those who were openly aggressive, we had no thought to our purpose being rejected. It was, after all, in the planets’ best interest.
Tameria had come out to her parents over the summer before her freshman year in high school, and had feared the worse when she did. But her fears were for naught as her parents had already figured out Robert had never been their son, but waited until he was ready to come to them. And when he told them about Tameria, they welcomed her with open arms, immediately taking her out in order to fill her closet and chest of drawers. Their love was of the kind the group had been searching for, but hadn’t seen until Tameria had revealed herself that summer; and it was that love the group hoped to use as the catalyst to bring harmony to those openly aggressive throughout the planet.
Tameria’s summer was filled with appointments, gender specialists, doctors, counselors, and endocrinologists, and of course, shopping. It was also filled with dressing as Tameria whenever the family went out together, including her two brothers and one sister; the three long ago understood Robert was vastly different than any other boy. It was because of their parents’ acceptance of Tameria that the three also accepted her and did their best to help her adjust to being who she had to be from that point forward. And while the family accepted her, there were those who were anything but accepting, and had on occasions come after her even when they saw her out with her family. Those who tried paid for their mistakes by answering questions before a judge and risked going to juvenile hall for a number of years. Word got around about their mistakes and until Tameria started her freshman year in high school, no one bothered her the rest of that summer.
“Hey sleepy head, time to get up and get ready for school,” Tameria heard her mom say as her mom gently rocked the sleeping Tameria. Tameria was able to get one eye open enough to see it was 6 a.m.
“Mom! It’s six in the morning, I don’t need to get up this early.”
Her mom only chuckled before telling her, “Because a girl wants to look her best, a girl takes longer than a boy to get ready for anything. Now, come on and get up, we have a lot to do to get you ready for your first day in high school. We also have to go to the Office and make sure all your records have been changed, and to see what else they’ll require of you. Now, come on,” her mom told her as she peeled the covers off Tameria and lightly swatted her behind before kissing her on the cheek.
Today was so much different then the summer which had just ended. Tameria was up around eight in the morning during the summer, and had time to decide what to wear that day without being rushed before being instructed in the ways of girlhood. But because of what today was, she was made to choose her clothing the night before in order to speed up her needing to get ready for school--and she would not be allowed to change her mind once her clothes were selected. Tameria oozed out of bed, headed to the bathroom for a relief and shower, and when ready, when she was finally dressed, her mom helped with her hair and the light amount of makeup she would be allowed to wear to school; she was getting better with her makeup but her hair was still causing her problems.
We had observed this Tameria, once we found her, and found her to be the one we would follow and help become the catalyst we needed to bring the aggressives of this planet into harmony with those who were in harmony. So it was, we followed her on her new journey to this...high school...that had been spoken of, and once there, we agreed to venture into every aspect of the construct to learn more about this...high school. As we ventured forth, we saw more like Tameria, more, “humans,” as they called themselves, and found some out of harmony and making plans to do harm to Tameria. This we could not allow, and we decided it was now time to put forth our purpose to Tameria and the two she called parents.
Tameria’s parents drove her to the high school on her first day there in order to meet again with Mrs. Glasstow, the Principal, and make sure all the paperwork which they submitted over the summer had been properly filed. Mrs. Glasstow had also explained that because of Robert’s change, she would have to meet with the school board and discuss what laws pertained to his change. The school already followed every “normal” law pertaining to discriminations, but the meeting was to make sure they didn’t miss ones pertaining to her gender change.
After parking the car in the high school parking lot, Carol and Brian, Tameria’s parents, walked with her to the high school office and were greeted by Mrs. Glasstow as they entered the office. “Ah, good morning, Carol, Brian, and Tameria, don’t you look very pretty this morning. Are you ready for your first day of a new year? Why don’t we go into my office and talk for a bit?” As Jenny Glasstow led the way, and the Jinks followed, The Haints also followed, not having any trouble staying unnoticed. After everyone was seated Jenny began telling about the meeting with the school board and how the school board wanted to make sure Tameria had every opportunity to enjoy her time at school and received a good education. And to assure the Jinks that all laws pertaining to her change would be adhered to by all school staff and students alike. And as had been done in the past, anyone not following the established law would find the weight of the law on their shoulders.
“As we discussed this past summer,” Jenny started off, “you, Tameria, will be allowed to use the handicap bathrooms only, until you’ve fully transitioned. Word has gotten around about you, and some parents are still upset about the possibility of you using the girls restrooms, or locker room, so it was decided this was the best solution. Maybe this will change once it’s seen that your change isn’t some ploy to get into the girls areas. I know you are serious about this, I’ve been able to speak with your counselor about your commitment to this, but parents being protective of their daughters will take time to convince.”
Before Mrs. Glasstow had started speaking, Tameria had taken a blank sheet of paper out of her folder to write down what Mrs. Glasstow would be telling her, but before pen could be put to paper Tameria sat frozen and watched as a message wrote itself across the top of the paper.
”Use caution, Tameria Jinks. Others have will to do you harm. We are The Haints.”
Jenny could tell by Tameria’s posture that something was wrong with her, for she never acknowledged she heard a word Jenny had said, and she kept staring down at the piece of paper in her lap. “Tameria, what’s wrong, sweetie?” Jenny’s question to Tameria brought Brian’s and Carol’s attention to their daughter, causing them to see what Jenny had observed. Ever so slowly Tameria picked up the paper from her lap and gave it to Mrs. Glasstow, giving the three adults a glimpse of her pale face as she did so. It wasn’t until Mrs. Glasstow took the paper from Tameria that Tameria started to shake, shake so bad her mother had to gather her up in her arms and hold her tight. Jenny read the message several times then showed it to Brian and Carol before asking, “Where did you get this Tameria? Who gave it to you?” All three adults watched as Tameria shook her head before replying, “No one gave it to me, it wrote itself right before my eyes.”
Brian and Carol both knew Tameria wouldn’t outright lie to them, but she had been known to tell a whopper of a story now and then. So it was Brian who asked, “Honey, no one is going to be mad at you for telling one of your whoppers, but we need to know the complete truth here. Who gave you this note?” As the three adults watched the fourteen-year-old girl, she started to shake again, going pale in the face again as she said, “It wrote itself without any help from me. No one gave that to me.” This time it was Carol who spoke in a rather testy tone, “Tameria, we don’t have time for one of your stories, tell us the truth, where did you get this note?” And Tameria answered her mom with two words, “Right here,” as she pointed to the chair she had been sitting in.
Carol had an exasperated look on her face, she was in no mood for games. Brian was not far behind his wife, as was Jenny. The three changed their attitudes when the whiteboard in Jenny’s office suddenly came to life, and as the watched four words appeared on the screen:
”We are The Haints”
The first thing Jenny did was grab the whiteboard controls and try to shut it off, since it was obvious to her that her whiteboard had been hacked. But try as she might, even unplugging the board, it remained functioning. And as they watched the same four words were repeated, before a message appeared before them:
”We are The Haints. We have a purpose. We have found the ones who can help us in our purpose. Others have will to harm Tameria Jinks but we can cause them harmony if willing to allow.”
Now it was the turn of the adults to turn a lighter shade of pale, as they saw the message appear on a whiteboard which had been unplugged. Jenny’s shaking hands tried to dance over her computer keyboard, but fumbled several times until she had pulled up the word “Haints.” “Ghost,” Jenny said as she read the meaning of the word, “Haint means ghost,” she repeated as she looked at Brian and Carol. As if The Haints could read Brian’s mind another message appeared before Brian could object to what Jenny just told them.
”Yes Brian Jinks, we are The Haints, The Group. We are many of us and we were given purpose millions upon millions of years ago. But for our creator and her others, their time expired and we were cast upon the ether. And our creator and her others are no more.”
Jenny slowly got up from the chair behind her desk and walked over to the door to her office and locked it. She then phoned her secretary and told her that unless the building was on fire, she was not to be disturbed. She then went to the small fridge in her office and removed four bottles of bottled water, keeping one for herself and giving the other three to Tameria, Brian, and Carol. As the four watched, all the messages on the dead whiteboard disappeared and another message appeared, one similar to the one on the paper Tameria gave Jenny.
”Others in this construct have will to harm Tameria Jinks because she is different. If allowed we can bring them harmony to keep Tameira Jinks safe.”
It was Tameria who regained her wits as she asked, “What is The Group?” And after the three adults almost drained their bottled water, they watched as Tameria’s question was answered on the whiteboard.
”We are The Group. We are The Haints. We are and have been with purpose for millions upon millions of years. Tameria Jinks. If permitted, our purpose can be shown. If permitted we can bring harmony to those who will to harm Tameria Jinks.”
Carol had calmed down enough to ask what everyone was thinking, “Where do you come from? And how can you show us your purpose?”
”We come from the perpendicular of this system, from a time before all here was. We wandered millions upon millions of years after being pushed out into the ether. We can show our purpose by melding.”
This time it was Jenny who asked the question, “What are you and what do you mean, melding?” And as they watched, the whiteboard cleared and an even more cryptic message appeared:
”We are what we are. We are The Haints. We are The Group. Your optics are unable to perceive us without aid. We are beings that have become one with ourselves. We bring purpose to cause harmony to the aggressive. We join to show our purpose. We bring a chance to save your planet.”
This last message faded from the whiteboard, and left the four shocked, to say the least. It took a moment before anyone spoke, but when they did it was about the most immediate concern, Tameria’s safety. Brian looked at the whiteboard and asked the question which most concerned him, “Can you keep Tameria safe from those who wish her harm without harming those people?” And as they watched the answer was a simple one.
”Yes. If allowed it can be done now. Their will to harm Tameria will be transmuted. If allowed their form can be transmuted.”
“What does that mean,” Tameria asked, as the answer to her dads’ question hung on the whiteboard. Jenny looked at Tameria before telling her, “It means those who want to hurt you can have their attitudes adjusted by these Haints. They also mean they can change their physical appearance, possibly from boy to girl or girl to boy.” Turning to the whiteboard Jenny asked, “Is that what you mean?”
”Yes.”
“Yes” was the only answer written on the whiteboard, and gave the three adults pause as the implications started being realized as to what The Haints could do if allowed. Aggressive boys could have both their attitudes and gender changed. Aggressive girls could have their attitudes changed and gender switched. The three adults realized they had the power of God in their hands to finally do something about anyone who was aggressive towards others, if they so choose. But did they have the moral right to allow the changes to be done? The school was always trying to change attitudes so that everyone could have a safe time at school. And what about changing genders, how would that help? Wouldn’t that cause unwanted attention from many groups of people? Wouldn’t that upset the families of those who were changed? Could those who wanted to change be changed without causing them harm from their family and/or friends?
It was Tameria who finally cut through the shock by asking the whiteboard, “Would you please change the will of those who want to hurt me so they no longer want to hurt me?” And before any of the three adults realized what she asked, she asked, “And would you show me your purpose.” And as the four looked at the whiteboard they saw four words:
”It has been done.”
Donnie Billings, Billy Miller, Donna Spitz, Carrie Moore, and several others had met over the weekend, at Billy’s home, to plan their not so cordial welcome of Tameria Jinks, the faggot in their eyes who needed to learn how they felt about such things. They had planned to ambush Robert before he made it to his first class, stripping him bare, and physically showing their displeasure over what he thought he was doing; and if he ended up in the hospital, too bad. It was about fifteen minutes until the first bell for class at eight, when everyone in the group experienced a severe pain between their eyes which came and went in quick succession. None realized their plans had changed from one to humiliate someone, and possibly send them to the hospital, to one of wanting to make sure all new Freshmen had a very good first day at school. To them, their weekend meeting had been about how to help welcome the new students to school. They also didn’t know that they all had become hosts to The Haints and The Purpose, and from this day forth would help bring harmony to others throughout the remaining years of their lives. They also didn’t know that two of their group harbored secrets which could have had the group turn on them had their secrets become known before harmony was given to them.
Because Carol was holding Tameria on her lap, she was the first one to respond to Tameria’s requests. “MY GAWD, Tameria, what have you done? You don’t know what The Haints will do to those kids or to you, for that matter!” Turning to the whiteboard she asked, “Can you reverse what you’ve done to those kids and Tameria? Please?” The last message disappears before a new message is displayed:
”None have been harmed. Those who will to hurt Tameria Jinks now wish to welcome her to this construct. Those who will to hurt Tameria Jinks now wish to welcome all new to this construct. There are two who are like Tameria Jinks and in time will join Tameria Jinks. Tameria Jinks has no damage because of her request. Tameria Jinks has our memories of the millions upon millions of years before now. Tameria Jinks now sees why we are here and the force which drove us here. We are now with Tameria Jinks.”
“What do you mean you’re with Tameria now?” Brian’s agitated voice was slightly above a whisper, and threatened to increase in volume until Carol laid her hand on his arm. “Easy Brian, take it easy,” she told him as the four watch while the latest message vanished and a new one appeared.
”As with those who will to hurt Tameria Jinks but are changed, so one of The Haints, The Group, is with them and Tameria Jinks. We are one with ourselves so we are one with those as well. Tameria Jinks will not be harmed. Tameria Jinks will learn, as will the others, so harmony can be given to those of the aggressives. We and Tameria Jinks are one and the same.”
Jenny could see the confused looks on Carol and Brian’s faces, but understood what The Haints had just said. “Brian, Carol, I think what The Haints just told us is that one of their group is with each of those kids who wished to hurt Tameria. And one of their group is now with Tameria, likely in her mind. And they will not harm any of the ones they are with.” Turning to the whiteboard she asked, “Isn’t that so?” And like before they saw:
”Yes.”
The room went deathly silent, with the one word given still showing on the dead whiteboard. The thought went through Brian and Carol’s minds at the same time because both took turns asking, “What do we do now? Do we need to talk to someone? Should we take Tameria to a doctor, or someone else?” Jenny was as unsure what they should now do, but that was taken out of their hands by the next message they saw.
”No one is sick. A healer is not required. Tell no one of The Haints, The Group. All is as should be with those meld with The Haints, The Group. All will be well. Live as you always do. Tell no one.”
The last message was clear enough for all four in that room, keep quiet about what they know; go on as though nothing is different; no one is hurt so a doctor isn’t needed. “Tameria, sweetie, how do you feel right now,” Jenny asked, as Brian and Carol look at their daughter in expectation of her answer. “Mrs. Glasstow,” and she turned to her parents, “Mom, dad, I feel fine. I do have new memories that are starting to form, but I don’t hurt or feel sick. And going by the clock on the wall, I really should get to my first class.” All three adults glanced at the clock and saw it was 7:55 a.m., five minutes until the first bell that would start a new year at the high school. Carol looked at Brian, and both looked at Jenny, before they all three agreed that it was best Tameria go to her first class. Tameria hugged her mom and dad, kissed each one on the cheek, and started towards the office door before she stopped, turned, and told the three adults, “There is something I don’t feel right now, fear of being here at school. I don’t fear being made fun of, teased, or humiliated. I feel really good about being here.” And with that statement, she waved to her parents, opened the office door, walked out, closed it, and walked to her first class of a brand new year at high school. After Tameria left the office, Brian, Carol, and Jenny discussed what they needed to do now. It wasn’t until another message appeared on the whiteboard that a decision was made for them.
”Tell no one. All is well. Harmony will be brought to those who will to harm Tameria Jinks. Harmony will not harm others. Live life as you have. Love.”
When the first bell rang, Jenny explained to the Jinks that she needed to go and make her presence known throughout the school. The three adults agreed to not tell anyone, as they were instructed, and to stay in contact with each other and to call should anything unexpected occur--regardless the time. The three shook hands, with Jenny heading to the halls leading to the classrooms, and Brian and Carol to a coffee shop in order to talk about what they witnessed. As the three started to part, one message was left on the whiteboard for a brief moment, the one instruction they had been given to keep things to themselves, and then the dead whiteboard was clear.
Tameria didn’t know that the peace she felt being in high school for the first time came from The Haints within her, the ones who would protect her for the rest of her life. It was also the one which would communicate with its others when others showed they wished to harm Tameria or anyone that appeared different. And so it was as Tameria walked towards her first class, freshman algebra, she did get several looks, a few stares, but no overt signs of anyone wanting to hurt her during her walk. And because all the math classes were held in the leg nearest the gymnasium/auditorium area she had quite a walk.
The high school was laid out in the shape of an old wagon wheel, with the spokes of the wheel containing classes and lockers. The rim of the wheel was another hallway which allowed access to the spoke hallways from the outer end. The administration and counseling offices were grouped at the center of the high school, having doors on the south, east, and west sides; the north door was for school staff only. Directly north of the offices was a wide walkway which allowed passage between the east and west sides of the high school. North of the walkway was the library, with doors on the east and west sides. Directly north of the library, between it and the cafeteria, was a small arboretum which offered a bit of calm in an otherwise hectic building. The area was large enough that benches had been placed which allowed students a chance to eat their lunches, or meet with their class, or just spend time when class breaks were scheduled. Because of the small fountain at the very center of the area, it was not uncommon to see several students eating lunch or for their classes to meet in that area. After the arboretum was the cafeteria, able to hold half of the student population during each of the two lunch periods. It was accessed by several double doors on its south side. The Gymnasium and Auditorium were accessed from another hallway at the north end of the high school, going left into the Gymnasium or right into the Auditorium, or straight down the hall to exit the high school at the north end. Because the school carried a minimum of 1500 students any given year, both the gym and auditorium could hold the entire student body for any meetings or assemblies which required the entire student body’s presence; which only happened for pep rallies in the gym. At other times, for assemblies held in the auditorium, only half the school attended at a time in order to make it easier for traffic flow in and out of the auditorium. For school sports, the locker room was at the west end of the gym, with PE lockers, for boys and girls, on the south side of the gym. Both walked into one door but after a short hallway, turned either left for the boys locker room or right for the girls locker room; a side door in the short hallway led out to the playing field.
Tameria’s math class was down the 2 o’clock spoke, all the way at the end on the right. Her locker was right outside that room, as it was felt by the administration that getting each student as close to their first period class as possible would save a lot of time for everyone, i.e. it would be hard on a student if their locker was in the 4 o’clock spoke but their first class was in the 10 o’clock spoke. As Tameria stood at her locker, she could hear voices aimed in her direction, voices which had only recently heard about Robert becoming Tameria, some voices which were edged with great displeasure. When those voices were heard, Tameria heard another voice, one directed solely at her.
”We are The Haints. Tameria Jinks. We can bring harmony to those voices if allowed.”
Tameria was taken aback by the voice she heard in her head, and instead of openly reacting, she acted as though she was considering what to take from her locker. “Is that you The Haints?” Tameria asked, as she took her math book from her locker.
”Yes Tameria Jinks. We can bring harmony to the voices if allowed.”
“Um...no...don’t do that,” she mumbled, hoping she had not been heard. “Unless they intend physical harm then allow them to speak. They have a right to their opinion as everyone does, and it would be wrong to silence them because of it. It might not be nice, but it isn’t wrong.”
”We, The Haints, will honor your will Tameria Jinks. But know, should any will to do you harm we, The Haints, will bring them harmony.”
“Okay, I understand and can live with that,” Tameria mumbled, “and thank you,” she told The Haints before closing her locker and walking into her freshman algebra class. Ms. Debra Carol was standing in front of her desk when Tameria walked into the class. Tameria walked up to her, introduced herself, and gave her the paperwork she was asked to give by Mrs. Glasstow.
“Ah, Miss Jinks, good to have you in my class. Find yourself a seat and we’ll get started in a moment.” And before Tameria walked away, Debra whispered, “See me after class, before you go to your next class, okay?” Debra winked at Tameria after she whispered the request, getting a head nod from Tameria showing Tameria understood. Tameria found a seat in the middle of five rows, the fourth seat from the front, and smoothed the back of her dress before sitting. “Faggot,” she heard whispered from behind her and to the left. “Queer,” came from the same direction. “Pervert,” came from her right, only in a girl’s voice. The bell rang just as the last student came into the class and took the last available seat. Debra closed the classroom door, walked back in front of her desk, and began class with roll call. After everyone was accounted for, Debra then said, “Mr. Dickenson and Miss. Start please stand.” The two slowly stood, causing all eyes to focus on them, waiting to see what would happen next.
“Would you two please repeat what you called Miss. Jinks before class started?” When neither student said anything, Debra prompted with, “Didn’t you call her a faggot and queer, Mr. Dickenson? And didn’t you call her a pervert, Miss. Start?” When both simply nodded their heads, Debra said, “I can’t hear you Mr. Dickenson or you Miss. Start.” When both answered “yes” Debra then told them to see her after school, and to turn in a five page paper on discrimination by Friday--it would count as part of their grade. “Please sit down,” she told James Dickenson and Cynthia Start, before telling the entire class, “All of you received the school packet which contains rules of conduct for everyone who attends this school. No one, not even staff, are allowed to deviate from the rules of conduct, and that most certainly pertains to discriminating against anyone. Mr. Dickenson, Miss. Start, as you write your five page report, put yourself in the place of the people who experience discrimination first hand. Ask yourself how you’d feel if it were you who was discriminated against. Each of you ask yourselves that question, how would you feel if because you had, say, blue eyes, you were discriminated against. Or blonde hair, or being tall or short. Or in the case of Miss. Jinks, being the person she has to be. People, not only do you hurt those you speak evil of, but you hurt yourself as well. You show how petty you are by calling someone names. And Mr. Dickenson, Miss. Start, I see you’re angry because you got caught for saying what you did, and are likely blaming Miss. Jinks. Don’t! You both made the decision to say what you did, Miss. Jinks did nothing to warrant your language. If you two don’t change your ways I see a short attendance at this school for the both of you. Now, let’s talk algebra.” And with that Ms. Carol started teaching her class algebra, a subject which Tameria ended up enjoying.
After her algebra class let out, Tameria hung back to speak with Ms. Carol as she had requested. “Ah, Tameria, how do you like the class so far? I know we didn’t delve very deep today, but you may have already formed an opinion.”
Debra watched as Tameria formed her words before replying, “I think I’m going to like this subject, at least I do so far. It seems to be easy for me to understand.”
Debra just nodded her head before telling Tameria, “I have two cousins who are like you, Tameria, and it was rough for them at first. Judging by your overall attitude, your parents have welcomed you? Their parents were in shock at first, and tried to dissuade them short of kicking them out of the house. It wasn’t until both did something very foolish and had to be rushed to the hospital that their parents finally realized the mistakes they had been making. They quickly found the right people for them to speak to and be treated by so they wouldn’t make another attempt on their lives. Their parents also found a counselor who helped them understand what my cousins were going through, and had been going through for so many years. Everyone is much happier now, and they are two very beautiful young ladies. So, I just wanted you to know I know what you’re going through, and might go through. If you have any problems you come to me and I’ll put a stop to it, okay?” Tameria had to wipe her eyes after hearing Debra’s story, and was shooed out of the class towards her next class before she was late her first day.
Freshman on the first day of high school were given a bit of leeway because of the unfamiliarity with the school, and tried to keep their classes close to their first period classes. It wasn’t always possible, so those who had a long walk were given a pass during the first week. Tameria’s next class, history, in the 4 o’clock spoke, wasn’t too far a walk, but with everyone changing classes took a bit of time. Along the way she heard more voices calling her names, and again told The Haints not to do anything about them. As she walked through one particular group of students, she received a punch to the stomach which dropped her like a rock, gasping for breath. As quickly as she hit the floor, two pairs of adult hands were helping her to stand, guiding her to a nearby bench.
“Easy Tameria...easy...breathe easy,” a familiar voice told her as the pain started to subside. When she was able to look up she saw Mrs. Glasstow sitting on one side of her and an unknown adult on her other side. A scuffle drew the attention of the three as a boy was brought up to where the three were sitting.
“Here he is Mrs. Glasstow, the one who punched Tameria. He tried to run by getting lost in the crowd, but they were following him and gave us directions to where he had gone.” The name tag on the man’s ID badge said William Collar, Security, and the boy he had gripped by both arms was extremely angry.
“Do you know who I am?” The boy spat, “My old man is going to hang all of you out to dry if you don’t let me go.”
William jerked the boy back toward him to keep him from doing any more harm to Tameria. “James Kincade, I should have known,” Jenny said, “We’ve had a nice long talk with your dad, and I think you’re going to be in for a big surprise. During our last talk with him, because of the trouble you’ve been in the past two years, he mentioned something about military school.”
“That son of a bitch ain’t gonna send me to no military school, my mom won’t let him,” James arrogantly spat out.
“Ah, I hate to break it to you, James, but it was your mother during that meeting who made the suggestion.” Jenny watched as the boy went from an arrogant young man to a pale frightened young man after her last statement. “William, take him to my office, and have Gloria call his parents.” The three sitting on the bench watched as James was pulled away towards the office by William, offering very little resistance. James Kincade was not like this his freshman year, quite the opposite, Jenny mused. But when he came for his sophomore year he had changed, he was more aggressive, more bitter about something. Perhaps it was because his mother remarried after she divorced a very abusive man, a man who put her into the hospital more than once. Jenny hated to see him become even more embittered by being sent to a military school, but something had to be done.
”We are The Haints. Jenny Glasstow. We can bring harmony if allowed. We can bring harmony to the one James Kincade if allowed.”
Jenny almost jumped off the bench when she heard the voice in her head. Rather than risk anyone hearing her she thought, ”The Haints?”
”Yes.”
“Ho boy,” Jenny said to no one in particular when she heard the answer to her question. She also wasn’t expecting something else when Tameria said, “They might be able to help if you let them.” Jenny slowly turned her head until she was facing Tameria before asking, “You heard that?” And Tameria only nodded. Jenny had a lot to think about, especially since it seemed The Haints was now with her as well. But first things first as she asked Tameria, “How are you feeling, can you make it to class now?” When Tameria indicated she felt better and could make it to class, Jenny had Mr. Holden walk her to her next class and explain to her teacher what had caused Tameria to be late; the two made it to the door of her class just as the second bell rang. And once again, several students were singled out because of what they whispered when Tameria entered the class. And once again, several five page reports would be counted as part of several students’ grades. And once again, the class was reminded of the rules of conduct. And once again…
”We are The Haints. Tameria Jinks. We will bring harmony to the voices and the one James Kincade the aggressive. Tameria Jinks will not be hurt.”
Because Tameria was surrounded by other students, she had to “think” talk to The Haints. “Um...wait...don’t do anything yet. If the voices aren’t going to cause harm then do nothing, as before. But monitor Mrs. Glasstow and see if she can’t get the problem resolved with James. She believes there is a reason James acted out and wants to try and get him help instead of seeing him sent away. Maybe instead of immediately bringing harmony to him you can help him see that he needs help and that it was wrong what he did?”
”We are The Haints. Tameria Jinks. We honor Tameria Jinks request. We will not bring harmony to the voices . We will show James Kincade as Tameria Jinks wishes. Know Tameria Jinks, should James Kincade not understand his need for help, we, The Haints, will bring James Kincade harmony. James Kincade will not be harmed.”
Once Tameria’s history teacher, Mrs. Janet Bridges, finished reminding everyone of the rules of conduct, and started their history lesson, Tameria found that while history wasn’t going to be something she’d pursue as a career, she did find it interesting enough to pay attention. At least it didn’t put her to sleep as it was doing to some in the class. It would seem all the teachers were equally concerned about Tameria, because Mrs. Bridges stopped Tameria after class and asked how she was feeling after the incident in the hall. “I’m doing fine Mrs. Bridges, sore, but fine, thank you.” “Just remember, Tameria, every teacher in this school is on the lookout for any student being bullied or harassed. So if anyone gives you any problems you go to any of us and we’ll take care of the problem. Okay?” Mrs. Bridges gave Tameria a smile and like Ms. Carol, shooed her off to her next class, P.E.
As Mrs. Glasstow had told Tameria that morning, she would change for P.E. in the handicap restroom, which was situated between the boys and girls locker rooms in the hallway to either locker room. The architect had the foresight to also include a shower in that restroom because it would be needed for any students with handicaps needing to shower after P.E. After dressing out, everyone was to report to the gym, by going down another short hallway, and take a seat in the bleachers, since it was the first day of school and would be the time they would learn who their P.E. teacher would be. Because there were so many per P.E. period, there were six teachers, three men and three women.
Tameria wasn’t the first to enter the gym but neither was she the last. And it seemed the word hadn’t gotten around because once again she heard whispered words as she’d heard in her last two classes. Only this time, after the morons were told to stand up, besides the five page paper due Friday on discrimination, each one had to run every row of seats in the gym five times, after they were told who would be their P.E. teacher. And when grumbling was heard from the small group, it was Miss Susie Brinks who informed them, “You people brought this on yourselves, no one is to blame but you people. So don’t think you’re going to get back at Tameria Jinks for something she didn’t do. Because if you do. I can guarantee you your stay in this school will be extremely short. Now, get running.” Those assigned to Susie were given to Mrs. Barbara Martin for this period because Susie was tasked to watch those running the row of seats.
Because it was the first day, the majority of time was spent in the gym with teachers explaining grading, what they would be doing and some general exercises--mostly to see what physical shape the students were in. By the time the small group finished their running, everyone was dismissed to the showers, in order to get ready for either their next class or lunch. Most were ready when the bell sounded, and some were planning something which could get them kicked out of school if caught.
”We are The Haints. Tameria Jinks. We hear some will to plan harm to you because of punishment. We will bring harmony to them. They will not be hurt.”
“Um...maybe we should tell Mrs. Glasstow and let her handle it? I don’t want them to get hurt, but I don’t want to get hurt either.”
”We are The Haints. Tameria Jinks. They now will to hurt Tameria Jinks as Tameria Jinks goes for sustenance. We will bring harmony to them. They will not be hurt. The controller of this construct has been told.”
Tameria knew enough to recognize that The Haints was referring to her going to lunch, and that the group had been planning to hurt her as she walked to the cafeteria. But as she reached the area of the arboretum. that group only smiled and waved as she walked by. None knew that the sudden pain they felt between their eyes, which abated just as quickly, was the work of The Haints adjusting their attitudes. And like the others, this group was destined to help others for the rest of their lives. thanks to The Haints that were now with each person.
This being her first time eating in the cafeteria, Tameria was impressed by the selections she could choose from and hoped it tasted as good as it looked. As Tameria was trying to select a place to sit, three girls waved to her and asked her to sit with them; Tameria hoped she wasn’t being set up for something. But as it turned out, the girls were impressed with the courage Tameria showed by coming to her first day of high school as Tameria. And of course, there were questions, lots of questions. Questions about, “When did you know you were really a girl?” Beckie Smoothers asked. Or the one from Grace Jackson, “Have your parents accepted you as Tameria?” Or the one from Tara Still, “Would you like to go shopping with us some time?” But the question that threw her was one not asked by any of the girls at the table, since it came from Mrs. Glasstow, sitting in her office.
”Tameria can you hear me?” Mrs. Glasstow asked Tameria.
Tameria choked on the sip of tea she had just tried to swallow when she heard Mrs. Glasstow’s voice in her head. ”Mrs. Glasstow?” Tameria thought as she coughed a bit because of the tea, hoping that would cover her conversation with the principal. ”How can you be speaking with me like this?” She used the choking as a reason she couldn’t talk to the other girls for a moment, pointing to her throat as the reason. Thankfully the other girls understood and continued talking among themselves.
”Tameria, I don’t know how The Haints are doing it, but they are allowing us to talk this way. I wanted you to know that after talking with James Kincade and his parents, and telling everyone the possible outcome from his attack on you, he finally confided to the three of us that he’s like you, and has been so for as long as he can remember. But was afraid to tell his parents. His attacking you was his anger that you were able to come out and he wasn’t. That you had the courage to come out and he felt like a coward. Because your parents were there for you I called your parents and asked that they talk with Mr. and Mrs. Kincade so they’d hopefully understand what you had been going through before you told your parents. They weren’t that upset when James told them, and after talking with your parents, are going to get Janice the help she needs. The Haints said they gave him the courage to do what was right for him so that he’d have the needed harmony in his life. I hope you don’t mind, but he’s going to have kitchen duties after school for the rest of the month. I didn’t feel it would be best to suspend him as that would only add to what he’s going through right now.”
Tameria digested what Mrs. Glasstow told her before replying with, ”Mrs. Glasstow, I asked The Haints not to hurt him because of what he did, but to help him tell why he was so angry. I’m glad he finally will get the help he’ll need. I’m also glad his parents didn’t just throw him out, which I know does happen. I don’t mind that he won’t be suspended because it won’t do him any good, he needs to stay in school. I have to go now, the girls I’m with in the cafeteria are getting suspicious of my silence.” Tameria cleared her throat several times, giving the impression she was finally able to speak after choking. “Guess I shouldn’t be in such a hurry to swallow and talk at the same time,” she told the other three girls, who giggled because of what she said. The bell rang, indicating the first lunch was over and time to head to class, so the second lunch could use the cafeteria. Tameria bused her lunch tray and walked with the three girls until each had to go their separate ways, Beckie to algebra, Grace to history, and Tara to home ec. When Tameria arrived at her biology class, two doors east down the 3 o’clock spoke, Mr. Garr handed her a note from the office, which asked her to come to the office after school; it was from Mrs. Glasstow.
Word was starting to get around, as there was only one jerk who didn’t whisper low enough not to be overheard calling Tameria a nasty name. And as in the other classes, this jerk was made an example of with a five page report on discrimination due by Friday and reiteration by Mr. Garr about the student packet everyone received and the rules of conduct it contained. But otherwise, Tameria found the first day in Biology rather interesting, and was becoming aware that she rather liked those courses, so far, which dealt with the sciences. Just before the bell rang, Mr. Garr gave out the reading assignment for the next day and kicked them out when they heard the first bell, nodding his head at Tameria as she walked by him. ”Did Mrs. Glasstow tell all of my teachers to keep an eye out for me?” Tameria thought to herself as she headed to her Home Ec class in the 4 o’clock spoke. ”Maybe I should ask her when we meet after school,” she thought to herself as she walked into the home ec class.
Home Ec turned out to be quite a surprise, since Robert had understood it was only for girls, after listening to his older sister, Karen, talk about school over the past summer. But when Tameria walked into the class she saw as large a number of boys as there were girls, and found out why from Mrs. Gordan. Tameria was surprised to find Grace in the class, and sat with her at the table near the south windows. Once the bell rang Mrs. Gordan took over in a gentle but firm way. “Welcome to Home Economics 101, everyone. When I call your name please answer so I know you’re here and won’t mark you absent. Two unexcused absences and you get to have a sit down with Mrs. Glasstow. Clear? Okay, John Monrow…” and Markie Gordan called out the twenty-five names on her roster, before explaining about the class. “...each of you has received a student packed, and I caution you to read the material it contains very carefully. Besides the rules of conduct for our school, you will find names of staff who can help you if you have a problem your teachers can’t solve, or you’re too embarrassed to ask them.”
“Now, gentlemen, I can see almost all of you are really not excited to be in this class--don’t play poker gentlemen, you’ll lose every time. Let me give you a bit of history about why this is done, gentleman. Two years ago several parents went before the school board, and also spoke with Mrs. Glasstow, about having boys take Home Economics along with the girls. Those parents made the case that guys needed to learn how to cook, sew, buy food, clean, and other things related to home economics since they would not always be living at home. The school board kicked the idea around before getting with the teachers here at school and it was felt the parents had a valid reason, so this year every boy in school gets a year of home ec, or more if they prefer. Guys, don’t not feel embarrassed by being in this class, think of it as an opportunity to learn something you might actually be good at. And please don’t think every girl in this class already knows more than you do because that may not be the case. You see gentlemen, the other reason it was felt you should take Home Economics is to get you past the idea that only girls take care of a home or apartment. That it’s the girls’ responsibility to clean, wash, iron, cook, sew, buy food, and anything else associated with keeping up your place of living. And as you’re going to find out, there are a lot of very fine male cooks and chefs out there who make some pretty good money because someone once made them take Home Economics. You’ll also find there are some excellent male fashion designers out there also making big bucks because of the same reason.”
“Now, when we go into cooking, you will work in pairs, there are an equal number of boys and girls, so it will be a girl working with a boy. Ladies, besides making a skirt, blouse, and dress for yourselves, you will make a shirt and pants for your assigned partner. Gentlemen, besides making a shirt and pants for yourself, you will make a skirt, blouse, and dress for your assigned partner.” Markie held her hand over her mouth to suppress a grin when the groans started. “Now people, you’re all taking this much too hard. I want you to succeed, to do the best you can, make something you can be proud of and maybe find an interest you didn’t know you had. Also know, you can come in after school to work on any project you are having trouble with during class, and I will be more than willing to help you all I can. Okay, for tomorrow, read the first two chapters in your texts, and we’ll get started burning the stoves the day after.” The bell rang and most of the boys couldn’t get out of the class fast enough. Markie wasn’t surprised at the response from the boys, it happened in her other classes too. But she was determined to help them see they could do something besides what society said only girls should do. As Tameria and Grace walked by Mrs. Gordan, Markie nodded to Tameria, raising an eyebrow as she did. Tameria got the meaning and just nodded back, letting her know she was okay.
Tameria had never taken music before, and had been unsure whether to take vocal music or band. She had sung to herself, when she was by herself, as Robert, and seemed to have a decent female voice for a guy, so when deciding which to take her parents thought her voice was good enough to take vocal music--they confessed they’d heard her a time or two when she sang as Robert. Grace continued to walk with her toward the 7 o’clock spoke, telling her she had vocal music next, which made Tameria happy. But what surprised her was seeing both Beckie and Tara there when the two girls entered the vocal music room. Ms. Katherine O’Conner welcomed them as they walked into the room, telling them to find a seat anywhere and that class would start shortly.
The bell rang, and Ms. O’Conner closed the door then began taking roll. Like her previous classes, Tameria once again heard about the student packets. How it was important to read what that packet contained, and how the class was going to be taught. Katherine told them they would be putting on concerts at different times during the year, and would even go Christmas Caroling at retirement homes before the school broke for winter holidays. “Now now, no gussy faces,” she told them, “I think you’re going to find when you discover how you sound together, you’ll be very surprised. As to Caroling, do any of you have family who is in a retirement home? If you do then you know how they appreciate anything which helps them pass the time, and I know from experience, those we visit really appreciate our being there. So think of our singing at retirement homes as a way of cheering up someone who might need cheering up. Okay?” And with that Katherine started listening to each student and moving them to the proper section based on the range of their voices. Tameria, Grace, and Beckie were put in the Alto section, while Tara was placed in the Soprano section. Once every student was in their assigned section, Ms. O’Conner then started teaching them how to sing scales as a warm up exercise. By the time the bell rang, she had them singing scales in harmony, which surprised everyone because they really sounded good. As class was dismissed, Katherine felt this was going to be one of her best classes, as she nodded to Tameria as Tameria walked by her.
Tameria’s last class of the day was English, in the 8 o’clock spoke. Again she was surprised as Grace and Tara split off in the main walkway but Beckie continued to walk with her to the same English class; she now had two friends in two of her classes. Mr. Stapleton said hello to each student who entered the classroom, nodding to Tameria as the other teachers had done. Mr. Stapleton’s class was different from the other classes in that all the desks were arranged in two circles, one inside the other. Because of what Tameria experienced in her other classes, she guided Beckie to two desks on the outer ring facing the door. Once the bell rang, Mr. Stapleton closed the classroom door and walked to the center of the two circles. “Good afternoon everyone, and welcome to Freshman English in this fine agust establishment. When I call your name please respond, I’d hate for your first day to be a visit with Mrs. Glasstow. Sarah Abermathie…” Tameria had to stifle a giggle when Mr. Stapleton mentioned visiting Mrs. Glasstow because she had already done so first thing this morning, after James punched her, and during lunch. And she was going to see her again after school. A small giggle did escape her lips which got a raised eyebrow from Mr.s Stapleton, but nothing more. She answered, “here” when her name was called and wondered why Mrs. Glasstow wanted to see her again, as she waited with everyone else for roll call to end.
“Now, because we have to, and you’ve already heard it before, but, you all have received student packets, which contain among other items, rules of conduct while you’re in school. And I know from reliable sources that a few students hadn’t read those rules because they are going to turn in five pages reports on discrimination this coming Friday. So I will stress the point, know the rules of conduct and what each teacher can do if you don’t follow the rules. Know, too, that any teacher can dole out punishment if you are caught breaking the rules. And if the violation is severe enough, you can be suspended or expelled. That isn’t a threat, it’s a promise, so read. Now…” and Mr. Stapleton went on to explain how he was going to run the class, how it was going to be give and take between them, that participation in class was going to count towards grades, and that they were going to start off the year with writing. “Now for tomorrow I want you to write a two page report on any topic you choose, that can be read aloud, I might add. I’m doing this to find out who knows what and how fast we can get to our next subject. As you go through your lives, you’ll find it becomes very important to write correctly, whether you actually write long hand or by using a computer--by the way, I want these reports done in long hand, no computers; your longer papers can be done using either method. And after tomorrow, if I see your handwriting is not very legible, I’ll ask you to use a computer. We have about thirty minutes left, so let’s get to know each other.” And Mr. Stapleton started off by telling a little about himself, then pointing to each in turn and allowing each to say something about themselves before the bell rang for the final time that day. As the students filled out of the classroom, Mr. Stapleton asked Tameria how she was doing, getting a, “I’m doing fine, Mr. Stapleton. Thank you asking,” before she left the room and headed to the office for her meeting with Mrs. Glasstow.
As Tameria walked down the walkway towards the office, a large group of boys were walking in the opposite direction, towards the gym.
”Tameria Jinks. That group of males wills to do harm to others. We will bring harmony to them.”
Tameria looked at the group of boys The Haints was talking about and quickly, and silently, screamed at The Haints, ”NO DON’T!” In that split second Tameria realized the boys The Haints were talking about are boys going out for football, and The Haints had misunderstood their “will to do harm.” ”They are not going to harm anyone, they are going to play a sport. They need to be aggressive to play the sport.” Tameria got a real shock when The Haints asked her,
”Tameria Jinks. What is a sport? Why must they be aggressive? Being aggressive destroyed our world.”
Tameria stopped dead in her tracks, stunned by the question The Haints asked. She thought for a moment then asked, ”Can you access our computers?”
”Yes.”
”Good. The library is right there,” and she pointed to the library’s location. ”Find a computer that isn’t being used and look up sports, and football, you’ll then have your answer. And maybe it would be good if you looked up human nature so you can understand the need for humans to sometimes be aggressive.” Tameria hadn’t walked more than twenty feet when she heard:
”Tameria Jinks. Football is a sport between two opponent teams. None will to hurt the other but will to win the contest. We The Haints will not bring them harmony. It is very confusing. Tameria Jinks. Humans are naturally aggressive, many times will to cause harm. Many times will to be aggressive but not cause harm. We The Haints must study this so we can bring harmony correctly. Tameria Jinks.”
”I’m glad you learned that not all aggression is bad. It is sometimes necessary to help save lives.” She had been about to say, “and takes lives,” when she remembered they already knew that terrible fact. The rest of her walk to the office was quiet, and when she told the receptionist who she was, she was told to go on through, she was expected. Tameria knocked on Mrs. Glasstow’s office door and entered when she heard, “Come in.”
“Ah Tameria, come in, come in, close the door and take a seat,” Jenny told Tameria. “Would you like something to drink?” She held up the bottled water sitting on her desk and when Tameria shook her head she continued, “First off how did your first day of high school go? Other than the people we know about.” Jenny listened as Tameria told her about each class, and the three girls she befriended. What Jenny really wanted to hear was what Tameria asked next, “How’s James doing? Will he be okay? Can I talk with him or did my parents not want me to be around him?”
Through The Haints, Jenny knew how Tameria reacted when The Haints wanted to bring harmony to someone because of what they said, and to James. Jenny thought to herself that Tameria was one very special girl, and would go far in the world. “Your parents never said you couldn’t speak to him. In fact, they hoped you would, so you could help him with his own transitioning. Talk to him before school, during breaks, lunch, or after school when he’s working in the cafeteria. His parents may even like it if you go over to their house and talk to all of them. His parents are going to take him shopping today after school, and his mom and sister are going to help buy him proper fitting clothes. You see, it seems he’s been trying on his sisters’ and moms’ clothing when he was alone, and able to get it all put back without them ever knowing what he had done. Some things he bought on his own, like nylons, panties, and bras, so those were never disturbed in his sisters’ or moms’ chest of drawers. But now he’ll, I guess I should say, she’ll, have her own clothes and be allowed to dress as Janice when she gets home from school or when they go out somewhere. They decided to not let Janice come to school until they’ve found professionals who can help James with all of his needs. There was talk of next year if all went well the rest of this school year.”
Tameria had listened to everything Jenny told her, even the part she knew about James working in the cafeteria for a month after school. Jenny suggested Tameria might want to see him before she went home each evening, just to see how he’s doing. Tameria nodded her head and told Jenny, “That’s a good idea.” Tameria found out she couldn’t talk to him today because of the planned shopping trip, but could tomorrow. Before Tameria left the office, Jenny reminded her, “Remember, any teacher will help you if you get bullied or harassed, okay?” With that, Jenny bid Tameria good evening and Tameria made her way out to the south parking lot where her mom was waiting to take her to her doctor appointment, and maybe somewhere else since her sister Karen was also in the car.
When Tameria got in the car she asked Karen, “Isn’t Michael taking you home today, he’s your usual ride?” Karen just smiled at her sisters’ question before telling her, “Not today, squirt, we’ve some place to go after your appointment.” As their mom drove the car out of the parking lot, and towards the doctors’ office, Tameria tried every question she could think of to get her sister to tell her where they were going after she saw Dr. Billings. “Aw come on, give, tell me where we’re going after I see the doc.” Both mom and Karen just laughed at Tameria’s attempts to weasel information out of them before mom said, “Relax, you’re going to enjoy where we’ll go afterwards.”
Dr. Patty Billings, a fifty-ish woman with chestnut hair starting to be streaked with gray, who’d practiced medicine for the past thirty some years, had become Tameria’s doctor during the summer when Robert came out to his parents as Tameria. She had seen to it that Tameria had visited all the right doctors who could help her become the girl she needed to become. When Tameria first started seeing her, the visits were every two weeks, checkups to make sure Tameria wasn’t having any side effects from the blockers or small doses of estrogen she had started taking. And today was another checkup, a monthly checkup, and possibly an increase in the estrogen Tameria was taking; the exam would determine whether an increase was possible.
Carol, Karen, and Tameria, arrived at Dr. Billings’ office fifteen minutes before Tameria’s appointment, and after checking in, sat for only a few minutes before Carol and Tameria were called back to one of the exam rooms. There, a nurse, one Terri Harbor, had Tameria put on a hospital gown before taking her vitals, weighing her and checking her height, and measuring her chest, waist, and hips. No sooner had the nurse finished than Dr. Patty Billings entered the exam room, in her usual boisterous manner, and an ever present smile. “Carol, Tameria, good to see you both again. How have you been?” She asked as she picked up Tameria’s chart and perused the pages. “Well, everything looks good on paper,” Patty told Carol and Tameria, “But I’m going to have Terri draw some blood so we can get a real good picture.” As Terri got out the needed equipment to perform the phlebotomy, both Carol and Tameria had an instant conversation with The Haints.
”They’re going to take a sample of my blood, The Haints,” Tameria thought talked to The Haints. ”They’re going to find something strange when they look at my blood, YOU, The Haints.” Carol had heard Tameria’s statement to The Haints, and also heard their response.
”Tameria Jinks. Carol Jinks. Do not worry. We The Haints will not be found. We The Haints will not be taken. Tameria Jinks. Carol Jinks.”
After hearing what The Haints told them, both Carol and Tameria did a mental sigh, glad there wouldn’t be any awkward questions in that regard, but not prepared for a few questions that would soon be asked. Terri drew several vials of blood, labeling each one, then calling for a lab tech to come and take the vials for testing. Once Terri was finished, Patty listened to Tameria’s lungs, her heart, and for any out of the ordinary sounds from her body. She also had Tameria up in the stirrups in order to check her genitals. After her genitals were checked, Patty palpated her chest for breast development, and once that was done had Tameria get dressed.
Patty waited for Tameria to dress before talking with mother and daughter. “Well, you look remarkably well, heart and lungs sound really good, they tell me you’re more comfortable with today’s visit than past visits--you’re calmer. Your genitals have shrunk, which is to be expected, and depending what we find in your blood, we may want to do a bit of surgery down there--but let’s wait until the test results return; I’ll call you when they’re in. There is some indication of breast development...have you noticed any itching or discomfort, Tameria? Have you noticed any discomfort from the medication you’ve been taking?” When Tameria answered, “a little,” to Patty’s question about breast development, and, “no,” to the medication question, Patty simply nodded and told Tameria, “You’re making steady progress, so don’t rush things, keep doing what you’re doing, stay on the medication, and when the blood test results are in we’ll make you another appointment. Okay? Any other questions?” And when there were none, Patty simply said, “good, expect a phone call when the results are in.” And with that the three hugged and Carol and Tameria picked up Karen on their way out of the doctors’ office and on to their mystery site.
Tameria once again tried to weasel information out of her mom and sister as they pulled out of the parking lot, getting only giggles from the two. What Carol and Tameria weren’t ready for was what The Haints told them.
”Tameria Jinks. Carol Jinks. We The Haints have the power to transmute Tameria Jinks . We The Haints have the power to make Tameria Jinks female.”
When Tameria and Carol heard what The Haints told them, Carol almost ran a red light, and Tameria almost choked on the bottled water she had been drinking. “Mom, Tameria, what’s got into you two?” Karen asked, as she noticed her mom’s reaction to the red light and Tameria choking at the same time. Thankfully Carol had been driving in the outside lane, and when the light turned green, found an entrance to a parking lot and pulled in, putting the transmission in park and shutting off the engine, before she gave it to The Haints.
You almost caused me to have an accident, The Haints. Don’t surprise me again while I’m driving. And what do we now do about Karen, she isn’t stupid and will likely figure out something is happening between Tameria and myself? And what do you mean make Tameria female?” Carol used the moment to catch her breath, after nearly running the red light, and to thought speak with The Haints, hoping Karen didn’t ask more questions. And now waited for their answer to her question about Karen.
”Carol Jinks. We The Haints find Karen Jinks trustworthy. We The Haints can show Karen Jinks our memories, if allowed. We The Haints can be with Karen Jinks a short time if Karen Jinks is touched, if allowed. Carol Jinks. We The Haints can be with Karen Jinks as The Haints are with Carol Jinks and Tameria Jinks, if allowed. We The Haints can make Tameria Jinks female as is Carol Jinks and Karen Jinks. Tameria Jinks can then produce other humans. Carol Jinks.”
Even though The Haints was speaking to Carol, Tameria had heard what they said, and just about had a heart attack because of The Haints telling her mom they could make her a true woman; her mom started sputtering too when she heard the last part. But she wasn’t surprised when her mom asked her in reference to Karen, “What do you think, should we? They didn’t say no.” It only took a moment before Tameria asked Karen, “Karen, how open minded are you to strange happenings?” Upon hearing Tameria’s question, Karen looked from Carol to Tameria and saw the seriousness of Tameria’s question. “How strange?” Karen asked, as she began to get a strange feeling in the pit of her stomach. “Karen,” Carol said, trying to pick her words carefully lest she spook her daughter. “We have something we’d like to share with you that might freak you out at first, but if you don’t panic, you might learn some wonderful things as a result.” After Carol told her that, she saw the pleading looks on both her moms’ and Tameria’s faces, showing her there was no real danger in what her mom said. “What do I have to do?” Karen asked, not sure this was a wise idea but curious at the same time. “Take my hands,” Carol told her, as she held out her hands to her daughter. “Don’t panic when you hear a voice, it’s the voice that wants to speak with you. Okay?” Karen scrunched up her brows at the mention of hearing a voice, but went ahead and took her mother’s hands.
”Karen Jinks. Be not afraid. We are The Haints. We wish you no harm.”
Karen pulled her hands out of her mother’s hands when she heard the voice in her mind. “What in the Sam Hill was that?” She asked, as she looked from her mom to her sister and back. “Well, what was it?” “They are The Haints,” Tameria told Karen matter of factly, “and they come from a long way away from Earth. They are a group of beings that were created on a planet a long time ago, a planet which is now scattered all over the Universe. There were wars on that planet, caused by aggressive people who wanted to force everyone to believe as they did. And when the others wouldn’t, the aggressive used a weapon which caused a chain reaction that ruptured the planet’s core, causing the planet to blow up and sending The Haints out into the Universe; they’ve been traveling longer than life has been on our Earth.”
Tameria paused for a few minutes to let what she told Karen sink in, and then continued with, “And they are with mom and me, and walk to talk with you. Their purpose on their home planet, which came too late, was to bring harmony to those who were aggressive and aiming to hurt others. You may not know it, but there are several kids at school who have had their aggressive will to hurt others modified so they only want to help others. The Haints haven’t hurt anyone, only changed the attitude of those who have in mind to physically hurt others. Give them a chance to talk with you Karen, they won’t hurt you.” The silence was heavy when Tameria finished talking to her sister, hoping she would once again take mom’s hands and listen to The Haints. “Karen, The Haints haven’t hurt Tameria, or myself, or your father--yes he knows about them and they are with him too. Please, listen to what they have to say,” Carol told her oldest daughter as she once again extended her hands to her daughter. This time when she looked from Tameria and her mom there was a countaince about both of them that was very inviting, almost angelic. Slowly, though apprehensive, Karen once again took her mom’s hands and once again she heard a voice in her mind.
”We are The Haints. Karen Jinks. We will you no harm. Karen Jinks. Tameria Jinks speaks the truth of our origins and purpose. Karen Jinks. We come from a time and place perpendicular to this solar system, and have wandered many millions upon millions of years. Before life began on this planet. Before this planet was ready for life. Karen Jinks. Our creator wanted harmony on her planet and we were to bring harmony to the aggressives, but were too late. Karen Jinks. We found this planet. We found Tameria Jinks. We can bring harmony to the aggressives on this planet before it is too late. Karen Jinks. If allowed. We The Haints can be with Karen Jinks always, if allowed.”
Karen’s hands slipped out of her mom’s hands as she sat dumbfounded by what she just heard. No longer was she feeling any fear about her first experience with The Haints, but what they told her has her mind racing with questions. She puts her hands back into her mom’s hands and fires off the questions forming in her mind. “What are you, The Haints? How did you get to this location? Why Tameria, why mom and dad? Why me, how would you be with me? And what about our two brothers? Will you be with them also?” She was about to ask The Haints why not just make themselves known to everyone, when the reason became clear, misuse by those who are aggressive and would hurt others to get what they want.
”We are The Haints. Karen Jinks. Be at peace. Karen Jinks. We will you no harm. We are The Haints, The Group, created to bring harmony to all the aggressives who will to harm others. Our creator had to remain hidden lest she be destroyed. Karen Jinks. Our creator remained hidden, acquiring the necessary material for our creation. Karen Jinks. Our creation was not in time to save our planet. When the core of our planet ruptured, we The Haints were thrown out into the Universe. We wandered longer than your planet has supported life or was ready to support life. We The Haints, The Group, learned during that time to do many things. Karen Jinks. We learned how to guide The Haints to ascertain the need for harmony on planets we passed during our wondering. Karen Jinks. We searched for one like Tameria Jinks after finding your planet. Karen Jinks. We found within Tameria Jinks the necessary material to help bring harmony to those who will to harm others. Karen Jinks. It was necessary to reveal ourselves to Carol Jinks and Brian Jinks when Tameria Jinks started in that construct. Karen Jinks. It was necessary to reveal ourselves to Jenny Glasstow also. Karen Jinks. All have agreed to remain silent. Karen Jinks. You, Karen Jinks, we find trustworthy, and intelligent, and can be with you always, if allowed. Karen Jinks. This planet contains the necessary material for The Haints to create more of ourselves to help save your planet. Karen Jinks. Your younger male siblings are too young and immature to know about The Haints. They would not remain silent should we reveal ourselves to them. Karen Jinks.”
Karen took several minutes to digest what The Haints told her before her mom and Tameria heard her say, “Hooolllyyy shit!” Karen saw the scowl on her mom’s face before hearing, “That language is not very ladylike, Karen. Don’t let me hear you say that again.” Tameria only chuckled at Karen’s expression before both heard, “Sorry mom, but don’t you realize what The Haints are? They’re nanites, a group of nanites that came to this planet from some other planet. There are other people out there, mom, people like us.” Karen was still excited before Tameria told her, “No Karen, those people were all killed when their planet exploded. And what are nanites?” Karen looked at the questioning looks her mom and sister were giving her before telling them, “Nanites are microscopic machines. Machines which can be programmed to do a variety of things, if programmed correctly. Companies have been experimenting with them but none have developed nanites which are sentient like The Haints. And yes, they are alive, they are sentient.” It was Carol’s turn to ask The Haints a question, one which put her on edge.
“The Haints, is Karen right, are you nanites, machines, sentient machines?” Throughout the years, Carol had read articles which warned how dangerous sentient machines could be if turned loose in the world. And rebuttals from those who swore there was no danger if they were properly programmed. It was a war of words which had been waging since the idea of nanites was born.
”We are The Haints. Carol Jinks. We will no harm to anyone. Carol Jinks. Karen Jinks speaks truthfully of our being. Carol Jinks. We The Haints are your nanites. Carol Jinks. Our purpose is to bring harmony to the aggressive who will to harm others. We The Haints will to help save your planet. Carol Jinks.”
There it was, Carol heard it herself, The Haints are nanites, machines, the same machines which have caused some to fear what would happen to the world should they be unleashed into the world. And she, Tameria, Brian, and Jenny Glasstow, and how many others, had their very own sentient machines living within them. Karen and Tameria saw the fear in their mother’s eyes, but it was Tameria who laid her hand on her mother’s arm before telling her, “Mom, they won’t hurt us, you’ve felt that from The Haints. I’ve felt it, and judging by Karen’s excitement, she knows it too. Mom, they mean what they say, they want to help us not make the same mistake those people did which destroyed their planet. I’ve seen how they changed some at school, for the better, who wanted to hurt me. Those kids wanted to hurt me bad but The Haints changed their attitudes and now they are better for the experience. I’ve heard tell how terrible they’d been in the past, and how many are now finding it strange they just want to help anyone in need. Mom, let The Haints show you what happened to their planet, and you’ll see we need their help.” “Maybe later, sweetheart, now is not the time for any more shocks,” Carol told Tameria as she started the car, put it in gear and carefully pulled out of the parking lot, heading to their mystery location.
About ten minutes later Carol pulled the car into the parking lot for a small strip mall, parking in front of “Billie’s Hair Conditioner.” “Well, here we are, Tameria, our mystery location,” Carol said to Tameria as she and Karen started getting out of the car after Carol shut off the car’s engine. “Mom,” Tameria started as she looked up and down the strip mall trying to figure out why they were there. “What are we doing here?” Tameria’s last question was cut off as Carol and Karen shut the front doors of the car, and when Tameria got out of the car she asked again, “Mom, what are we doing here?” Both Carol and Karen smirked at Tameria’s question, as they both walked towards the door for “Billie’s Hair Conditioner.” “We’re going in here,” Carol told Tameria as she pointed toward Billie’s, “To get our hair done, and a few other things.” When Robert came out to his parents in the summer, his hair was down to the bottom of his ears. When Tameria came out, Carol had taken the time to trim her hair so it wouldn’t look to unkept. Karen had mentioned a hair salon but Carol felt Tameria’s hair needed to be a bit longer before going that route. And now, after several months, Carol felt Tameria’s hair was long enough for her to visit a hair salon; she also wanted Tameria to experience a waxing, pedicure, and manicure, and maybe get her ears pierced--she had her fingers crossed on the ear piercing.
Tameria flashed through her memory of the conversation they had this past summer about her visiting a hair salon, and experiencing a few more things than just getting her hair done. She had one foot on the parking lot and one foot up on the sidewalk when Carol and Karen saw the “deer in the headlights” look on Tameria’s face. “Um...mom, I don’t think I can do this,” she told her mom as she took her foot off the sidewalk and started backing up towards the back door of the car. She had the door open, and was about to get back in the car, when two pairs of hands each grabbed an arm before telling her, “Yes, you can do this and are going to do this. This is something you need to experience if you’re going to remain Tameria,” Carol told her newest daughter, in a rather exasperated voice. When Tameria refused to walk with her sister and mom, and the two could only drag her up to the sidewalk, Carol rounded on Tameria and asked in a very agitated voice, “What’s it going to be, Robert, Tameria or back to being Robert? Choose and choose now,” Carol finished with a growl in her voice. Carol and Brian had been told by the counselor they spoke with when Robert came out to them, that sometimes it would be necessary to force Tameria to do things she’d not done as Robert. She told the couple it was natural for Tameria to be frightened when asked to do things Robert had never done, but to be firm with her and make her understand if she didn’t want to do those things which girls routinely did, then she could return to being Robert. And that’s what Carol was doing now, being firm and giving Tameria a choice.
When Carol gave Tameria a choice, go inside Billie’s or return to being Robert, Tameria panicked, and the tears started flowing. “I can’t go back to being Robert, it would kill me, I might kill me,” Tameria sobbed, and Carol and Karen took Tameria in their arms, letting her cry. As she cried, Carol suddenly realized how traumatic her words had been to Tameria as she heard Tameria repeat over and over again, “I can’t go back to being Robert, it would kill me.”
As Carol and Karen held the crying Tameria, Billie Martin, owner of Billie’s, came outside to see if she could help. Carol and Karen looked up as they heard the door to Billie’s open and saw Billie come outside. “She’s just a bit upset coming here, Billie, it’s her first time in a hair salon,” Carol told Billie, as Billie walked over and gently lifted Tameria’s chin so she could look Tameria in the eyes. “Sweetheart, your mom explained about you, how you came out this summer and now live all the time as Tameria. And I can assure no one in my shop is going to make fun of you in any way, we just want you to have a good experience as the pretty girl you are. What do you say, will you come inside and let us do our magic?” Tameria was not the first new girl Billie had coaxed into her shop, there had been several others, others more frightened than Tameria. As one last sob escaped Tameria’s lips, she nodded her head, and let herself be guided into Billie’s by her mom and Karen. “I’m so sorry to be such a bother,” Tameria told the three ladies, once they were inside Billie’s. Billie turned to her and told her, “You are not a bother, you are never a bother. This is all new to you and your fear got the best of you. But you’re not a bother, understand?” Billie hugged Tameria and felt Tameria nod her head before leading Tameria back to one of the changing booths, and telling her exactly what they would do for her today. Tameria’s fear popped up again when Billie told her about getting waxed, needing to explain that others like Tameria had been waxed here and all were treated with respect, regardless. Billie then went on to tell her about getting her hair done and a manicure and pedicure while her hair was being done. They were also going to help with her makeup while she was there, and maybe she’d get her ears pierced? Tameria told Billie she’d think about that one while they were doing everything else.
Billie left Tameria in the changing room to completely undress and put on the robe and slippers, while she went back out to talk with Heather and Sophie, the two ladies who would be working with her on Tameria. “Heather, Tameria is really frightened, so try and get her to relax before you start waxing. And before you start, tell her everything you’re going to do. Don’t leave anything out. And Sophie, make sure you explain what you’re doing when you give her a pedicure and manicure, talk to her, try and reassure her she’s doing fine--she’ll be having her hair done while you work.” As Billie finished her small lecture, an apprehensive Tameria walked out of the changing room, wearing a robe and slippers, and nothing else. Billie puts her arm around Tameria’s waist, and takes one of her hands in hers, and leads her to where Heather and Sophie are standing. “Tameria, this is Heather and this is Sophie. Heather will be doing your waxing and Sophie will be doing your pedicure and manicure.” After both women were introduced, each one gives Tameria a hug and whispers, “It will be okay, you’re doing fine,” before Billie turns Tameria over to Heather as she and Sophie go to get ready for Tameria’s hair and nails.
Heather replaces Billie with her arm around Tameria’s waist, pulling her tight into her, and feels Tameria shaking, as she leads her into the waxing room. “Sweetheart, you’re doing fine, and everything will be alright,” Heather tells Tameria as she and Tameria enter the room, taking her over to the loveseat and having her sit down. After Tameria sat down, Heather closed the door to the room and turned on the “in use” light. She then sits down next to Tameria and tells her, put her arm around Tameria’s shoulders and tells her, “Tameria, I’m going to explain what I’m going to do during each step, okay? I won’t lie to you, waxing can hurt, more sting really, but everything will be okay. I’m going to have you lie on your back on the table, undressed, and wax the front part of your body, then have you turn over and do your back half.” When Heather said undressed, Tameria’s reaction was immediate. She started shaking more, and at one point started to get up until Heather gently laid her hand on Tameria’s arm. “Sweetheart, you being undressed before me isn’t going to be a problem. I know about you and that you have some things which you will take care of later in your life. I’m not going to make fun of you or make you feel bad because of the extra parts, it’ll be just the two of us girls in here, okay? Can you do that for me?” Tameria sat back down and thought about what Heather had just told her, before telling Heather, “I’ll try.” “Good girl, that’s all I ask,” Heather told Tameria before having her stand up, take off the robe and slippers and lie down on the table on her back.
”We are The Haints. Tameria Jinks. The Heather human speaks the truth. Tameria Jinks. The Heather human wills you to be calm and does not will to cause you harm. We The Haints can alleviate pain if allowed. Tameria Jinks. The Heather human cares for you. Tameria Jinks.”
As Tameria listens to The Haints her fears about getting waxed lessen, and as her mom told her, this is an experience many girls go through. And if this is what many girls go through then she needs to go through it too. “Thanks, guys, but don’t alleviate any pain, this is something I need to experience.” It is at that moment she realizes her mother was right, she did need to experience this whole salon experience if she was to be Tameria. Others had done it, so she could too. Tameria comes back to the room and notices Heather had turned on some soft ,soothing music, and Heather was smiling down at her because she, too, was smiling. “I’m sorry I’ve been such a pill about this whole thing, Heather. But I just realized my mom was right, I need to do this whole thing.” Heather reaches down and hugs Tameria before asking, “Are you ready? I’m going to start on your legs, which don’t seem to have a lot of hair. Then I’m going to do your groin, and then your chest and arms. Then while you are lying on your back, I’m going to reshape your eyebrows. Okay?” When Tameria acknowledges she’s ready, Heather starts applying hot wax to Tameria’s right leg, laying a cloth onto the hot wax. When the wax cools and is ready to be removed, Heather tells Tameria, “Okay, here we go, one two three,” and Heather quickly pulls the wax off the right leg. Tameria lets out a slight screech as Heather rips the wax off her leg. “How are you doing, ready for more?” When Tameria affirms she’s ready for more, Heather does another spot on the right leg. And so it goes with the rest of Tameria’s right and left leg, Tameria emitting a slight screech each time the wax is ripped off her leg. Tameria notices there really isn’t much pain after, just a slight burning sensation afterwards.
Heather finished with both of Tameria’s legs, then examined her groin, noticing she didn’t have a lot of hair there. “Tameria, you’re doing real well for your first time, so hang in there, okay? I see you don’t have a lot of hair around your groin, but the area can be cleaned up to look nicer. Now, this part might actually hurt, because that is a sensitive area, so if you need a break you let me know, okay?” Tameria just nods her head and Heather starts waxing Tameria’s groin area. Because this was Tameria’s first time being waxed, she didn’t know what to expect when Heather told her, “Okay, here we go. One two three,” and quickly pulls the wax off one area of her groin. When the nerves talked to Tameria’s brain, Tameria let out a, “OH MY GAWD that hurt,” before sitting upright and rubbing that area. Heather quickly rubbed salve into the area, lessening the pain Tameria felt. “You okay, still want to continue?” Heather asked Tameria, as she closely watched the girls eyes. Tameria had been breathing heavy after Heather pulled off the first wax, but had slowed her breathing and told Heather, “Whoa, girls do this often? Guess we’d better finish so I don’t walk with a limp.” Heather let out a hearty laugh as she again hugged Tameria and helped her to lie back down. Now that Tameria knew what to expect, the pain associated with removing the wax around her groin didn’t come as that big of a surprise. It didn’t hurt less, but wasn’t a big surprise either. And as before, when Heather pulled off the wax, she immediately followed it up with the salve, helping to lessen any pain Tameria was feeling. After Heather finishes with Tameria’s front side, including her eyebrows, Heather hands Tameria a bottle of water and orders her to drink at least half of it before they continue.
“I don’t want you to dehydrate while you’re with me here, Billie wouldn’t like it if you came out looking like a prune.” Tameria laughed at Heather’s little joke, before drinking the entire bottle of water. “Whoa there miss prune, guess you were thirsty, weren’t you? Hey, the next time you get thirsty, tell me, okay?” An admonished Tameria lowers her head before feeling soft fingers under her chin and lifting her head. “It’s okay, sweetheart, it’s my fault for not telling you to ask for water if you got thirsty. I’m really sorry I didn’t tell you. Will you forgive me?” Heather reaches up and wipes tears off Tameria’s cheeks, as Tameria does the same to Heather. Tameri reaches out and hugs Heather and whispers, “Yes, if you’ll forgive me for my reaction.” “Oh you sweet girl, there’s nothing to forgive because of your reaction to my getting angry with you for not telling me you were thirsty. Too bad there aren’t a million like you in this world, it’d be a better place to live.” Heather and Tameria embrace again, both shedding tears onto each other’s shoulder. When both women calm down, Heather gets a tissue and wipes tears out of Tameria’s eyes and off her checks, before doing the same to herself, and then hands Tameria another bottle of water, taking one for herself. Both drain the bottles of water before Heather has Tameria lay on her stomach on the table, and continues waxing Tameria.
As Heather waxed first the back of one leg and then the other, Tameria had a better idea of what to expect and noticed she didn’t feel as much pain this time compared to the front of her legs. She did, however, howl a bit when Heather wax her butt crack, even though Heather told her it might smart a bit. And as before, Heather was quick with the salve after the wax was pulled off between Tameria’s butt cheeks. Heather then examined Tameria’s back carefully and pronounced it hair free and with a flourish, announced, “You my dear are now hair free in all the right places. You will knock them dead when they get a load of those great looking legs you have.” Heather then picked up Tameria’s robe and slippers, hands them to Tameria, waited until they had been donned, then with her arm around Tameria’s waist, opened the door to the room and escorted Tameria to the waiting chair at Billie’s station, giving her a kiss on the cheek before handing her off to Billie for more magic work. “You make sure to come back and see me, okay,” Heather told Tameria before giving her another kiss on the cheek. Tameria hugged Heather and thanked her for being patient with her, and she would come back.
When Heather walked Tameria over to Billie’s station, Tameria noticed that her mom and Karen were sitting under the hair dryers, with rollers placed in their hair. Carol lifted the hood of the dryer and asked Tameria, “Well, how’d it go? How do you feel?” Heather put her arm around Tameria’s waist again and told Carol, “For her first time she did real good. She was a bit scared at first, but still did good.” Tameria leaned into Heather before telling her mom, “Heather didn’t mention my little meltdown or my squeaks and squawks when she pulled off the wax. Still, I’d like to come back when I need another waxing.” Carol got up from her chair, walked over to Tameria and hugged her daughter, whispering, “I’m very proud of you for doing this, and seeing that it wasn’t as bad as you thought it would be.” Pushing them apart, she tells Tameria, “I’ve talked to Billie about what to do with your hair. She’s going to trim off any split ends, then because I thought you’d like to leave it long, shape it so it would bring out your wonderful facial features. Leaving it long would let you try different styles for special occasions, but that is your choice and you should discuss that with Billie. Okay?”
Billie was watching the mother-daughter interaction and enjoyed seeing the love a mother had for a daughter who was not born as her daughter. Too many times in her past she’d seen mothers who could barely tolerate their not natural daughters being in her salon, so this interaction between mother and daughter was a blessing to her. “Okay you two,” Billie playfully said, “You missy,” as she pointed to Carol, “Back under that dryer. And you,” she said, pointing to Tameria, “Let’s get you into my magic chair and see what we want to do with that mop you call hair.” The three women laughed at the levity before Carol went back under the dryer and Billie guided Tameria the chair at her station. Billie knew Tameria was completely nude under the robe so quietly spoke with Tameria about how to sit in her chair so no one noticed her nudity. And as Heather had done, she told Tameria exactly what she was going to do, starting with washing and conditioning her hair. Once Billie finished washing and conditioning Tameria’s hair, Tameria told her, “Billie, I don’t know a thing about hair styles or what looks good on me. So I don’t know what to tell you to do.”
Billie saw Tameria start to tear up after what she just said, but spoke softly to her by telling her, “Hey hey hey, none of those, I have the perfect thing to use so we can figure out what to do with your hair.” She wiped the tears off Tameria’s cheeks before rolling a table over to her station, containing a monitor and what looked like a camera. Smiling, she tells Tameria, “This, my sweet one, is the latest in ‘what do I do with my hair’ technology. I take a picture of you, put it into a program and we can play with hair styles, colors, everything, until we find what’s right for you. What’d ya think?” Tameria dropped her head before telling Billie, “I’m sorry Billie, I didn’t mean to get all emotional about all this.” Billie reaches over and gently lifts Tameria’s chin and softly tells her, “You have nothing to be sorry about, all of this is new to you and can be frightening if you don’t know what’s about to happen. But I promise you once we fix your hair your mom and dad will have to get a big stick to beat off all the boys.” Holding up the camera-like device she asks Tameria, “How about a big smile for the birdie?” As Billie looks through the viewfinder at the girl giving her a huge smile, she realizes there’s more beauty to this girl than what people see, beauty which will take her far in her life. Billie takes the picture of Tameria’s face, and her hands, telling her they can do the same with the color of polish to use on her hands and feet.
Billie and Tameria play with the program, looking at different hairstyles on the Tameria picture on the screen. They’re trying to find a style that lets Tameria keep her hair long but also brings out her great facial features. In the end, they decide to just highlight her natural color and curl it to give it some bounce, which would let Tameria and her mom do other things with her hair depending on the event. As Billie starts removing split ends, Sophie runs another version of the program only for finger and toe nails, letting Tameria see how certain colors would look on her hands and feet. They both see that pale colors don’t work well with Tameria’s skin tone, nor do the real dark colors--at least not for everyday wear. They settle on something between a pink and red, for everyday wear, which goes very well with her skin tone. While the two ladies were deciding on nail polish color, Billie had put Tameria’s hair up in rollers, some large, and some medium. Billie told her this would give her just the right amount of curl to help frame her face, plus it wouldn’t take away too much length. When the last curler was placed, Billie took Tameria over to one of the hair dryers, and Sophie brought over her equipment and worked on Tameria’s hands and feet while Tameria’s hair was drying.
”We are The Haints. Tameria Jinks. Can Tameria Jinks explain why this construct is necessary for human females? Tameria Jinks. Is there purpose this serves? Tameria Jinks.”
”Guys, I think you need to ask my mom or Karen. This is my first time here for all that’s being done. I only know that after women have visited a beauty salon they look different, have different hairstyles, have better looking finger and toe nails, and maybe different looking makeup. And sometimes pierced ears if they didn’t have them before. As to the purpose, mom or Karen could tell the real purpose.”
”We are The Haints. Carol Jinks. You heard our question to Tameria Jinks. Carol Jinks. What purpose is this construct called beauty salon?”
”Yes, The Haints, I heard your question to Tameria, and what’s done in a beauty salon is as Tameria described and is experiencing. But the purpose, the main purpose, is to make a woman feel better about herself by changing something about herself. Many women grow tired of the same type of hairstyle, and with a new style, feel much better about themselves. The same goes for waxing, getting a pedicure and manicure, maybe new makeup, and anything else a salon offers. They feel like a different person when they leave. And The Haints, it makes them feel more sexy, more appealing to the one they are with in their lives. It also lets them be pampered instead of pampering others. That’s the best I can explain it, The Haints. Maybe you can ask Jenny Glasstow or Karen and they give you another reason why they visit a beauty salon. Just know that there are as many reasons as to why a woman visits a beauty salon as there are women, so asking another woman will get you a different answer to your question.”
”We are The Haints. Carol Jinks. Jenny Glasstow gave much the same response as you. Carol Jinks. Karen Jinks was not calm enough for us to ask our question at this time. Carol Jinks. We will wait until she is calmer. Carol Jinks.”
Sophie finishes up the last coat of nail polish and has it dried about the same time Billie comes over to check Tameria’s hair. When she pronounces Tameria’s hair dry, she shuts off the hair dryer and guides Tameria back to her station. By this time Carol and Karen are through getting their hair done and stand in front of Billie’s station waiting for Tameria’s new hair to be unveiled, and they aren’t disappointed when Billie finishes removing the curlers and brushes out Tameria’s hair. Billie had lightened Tameria’s hair just a tad, and sprinkled lighter highlights throughout. The curlers did their job and Tameria’s hair now has more bounce, and frames Tameria’s face perfectly. Billie won’t let Tameria see the results, just yet, because Kathy has just pushed her cart to Billie’s station to do Tameria’s makeup. “So…” Tameria speaks to her mom, “...how’s my hair look? Billie won’t let me look yet and my curiosity is killing me.” Billie looks at Carol, Carol looks at Karen, and Karen looks at Billie before the three women tell Tameria, “You’ll have to wait a bit longer.” All three women laugh at the pout Tameria put on her face, but it disappeared as quickly as it appeared when Kathy got down to Tameria’s eye level before telling Tameria, “If you want to look like an old prune when I’m finished, keep that pout, Otherwise, relax your face, young lady.” Tameria blushes a bit after what Kathy told her, while all four ladies just giggle.
Billie is standing back with Carol and Karen, watching Kathy do her magic. All three let out a, “OH MY GAWD,” when Kathy puts the finishing touches on Tameria’s makeup, and moves back to stand with the other ladies. There before the three ladies, sitting in a chair, is the most beautiful young lady they have ever seen. Gone is the fourteen-year-old who walked into Billie’s, now they see a young lady who appears to be seventeen or eighteen years old. Where Tameria had pretty eyes before, she now had stunning eyes and with so little makeup. The colors Kathy chose and the way she applied them not only highlighted Tameria’s facial features, but gave them a deeper quality, a quality that was guaranteed to catch the eye of any man or boy, or woman, looking in her direction. “Well, how do I look?” Tameria asked the four women standing before her chair. And as one they told her, “Beautiful.” Billie walked up to the chair and released the sevel lever and spun Tameria around so she could see herself in the mirror. “OH MY,” was all Tameria could say at first, as she looked at herself in the mirror. “Is that really me, is that what I really look like to others?” Carol and Karen came up to opposite sides of the chair, hugged her as they looked at her reflection in the mirror, and told Tameria that is exactly what others see, a very beautiful young lady. Carol and Kathy did something else while they were standing on opposite sides of the chair, each one holding a pierced earring up to Tameria’s ears. “Well, how do you think these go with your new look?” Carol asked her daughter, while holding up the dangling earring so Tameria could see the effect. Tameria looked at her new lightened hair with the highlights, then the makeup, then with the earrings, and liked what she saw. “I like them,” she told her mom before turning to Billie, “Can you pierce my ears while we’re here.” Billie hugged Tameria before telling her, “You bet we can sweetpea.”
Billie’s did quite a few pierced ears, so had a good selection of earrings on hand. After Tameria got her ears pierced, Billie suggested to put in studs just until the holes healed, then Tameria could wear any of the others Carol and Karen bought her. She also showed Tameria how to clean her ears and told her to rotate the studs to help keep the holes open. Everyone who had helped Tameria could see a different young lady leaving than the one who first walked in, and they all made sure to tell Tameria how beautiful she looked and to please come back. After Carol paid their bill, and as they left Billie’s, Carol could also see a drastic change in Tameria’s attitude; and so could The Haints. Carol had called Brian and told him they wouldn’t be home for supper, and to fix himself and the boys something so she and her daughters could go out to eat and celebrate a right of passage for Tameria. Carol had told Brian it had been rough going in, but their new daughter now has a new attitude, and looks gorgeous. Brian’s only response was, “I’ll get the shovel and the map ready.” Carol laughed at the old joke before telling Brian she loved him and would need him later.
The restaurant Carol took them to wasn’t high brow, but it was nice, and didn’t require a reservation. Both Carol and Karen noticed the change as the three ladies had walked into the restaurant and were waiting to be seated. With Tameria standing beside Karen, it looked as though every male in the place had suddenly put Tameria on their radar, with all the candid looks, it wasn’t hard for Carol and Karen to know who was being scanned. As a server approached the three, Karen whispered to her sister, “Keep your wits about you, Tameria, every guy in here is checking you out.” They were shown to a table which put them almost at the center of the restaurant, whether intentional or not it couldn’t be known. Three menus were placed at three places, and the three ladies were told their waitress would be with them shortly.
As they waited, looking over the menus, Carol told her daughters, “Looks like all eyes are on us right now, especially the men and boys. I wonder why that might be?” Karen and Tameria giggled along with the mother, as a waitress walked up to their table and asked what they’d like to drink. Once she took their drink orders, she told them, “I’ll give you all a little more time to decide what you’d like while I get your drinks.” By the time their waitress returned, all three had decided what they wanted, and told the waitress, before Carol told Karen and Tameria, “Girls, I need to visit the ladies room.” Tameria told her mom that she was good, so it was Karen who accompanied their mom to the ladies.
Perhaps it was the feeling that nothing would happen in that restaurant which caused Carol and Karen not to worry about leaving Tameria at the table by herself, or Carol not really seeing the effect Tameria’s new look had on two particular boys, but whatever the reason, once Carol and Karen left the table, the two boys moved in; thinking they were going to make a score.
Tameria was lost in thought, and didn’t notice as the two boys approached, but when she heard chairs scraping the floor looked up expecting to see her mom and Karen. Instead when she looked up she saw two boys about eighteen-years-old leering at her before one asked, “Hey there, sweetcheeks, how about you ditch the two older bitches and come over with us?” “We could show you a real good time,” the other one told her.” Tameria looked first to one then the other before telling them, “No thank you, I’m here with my mom and sister and am not interested in having a ‘good time’ with the likes of you two.” That seemed to piss off the two boys because one reached over and grabbed Tameria’s arm before telling her, “Listen bitch, you’re going to come with us and we’re going to show you how real men treat someone like you.” As the boy’s attention was focused on Tameria, neither noticed the two women who suddenly appeared behind each one, one bending down between both boys and asking, “And just what do you two animals think you’re doing with my daughter?” The boys’ arrogance really showed as one told Carol, “Beat it bitch!” Carol looked at Karen, who nodded her head, and each woman reached down and grabbed one of the ears of each boy and lifted with enough force to cause both boys to voluntarily stand up; the one boy releasing Tameria’s arm. What Karen and Carol had done didn’t go unnoticed, as staff of the restaurant started heading in their direction, but not before Carol reached over and grabbed the one ear that Karen didn’t hold, and pulled both boys close before telling them, “I asked you two animals what do you think you’re doing with my daughter, my FOURTEEN-YEAR-OLD daughter?” When Carol told them Tameria’s age, it was with a very deep growl, and that alone changed the two animals’ tone--and their skin tone. By the time Carol had asked her question, four big men from the restaurant had made their way over to the table and were now standing on either side of both boys. One man bent down and said to the mouthy one, with a growl, “I think this lady asked you a question, so why don’t you give her an answer.” Both boys knew they’d really stepped in it this time, and when the one Carol asked the question of could only stammer for a moment, both boys were abruptly taken by the arms by the four men and briskly ushered from the restaurant, but not before a picture was taken of each boy and each being told never to come back.
Tameria had sat quietly throughout the whole exchange with the boys, watching as her mom and sister forced the two boys to get up out of the chairs. And then as the four big men came over to the table then escort the boys out of the restaurant. She also watched as the Manager came over to their table and told her mom, “Ma’am, I do apologize for the disruption of your visit here at Tony’s, and there will be no charge for your meal today. And before you and your daughters leave Tony’s please, with our compliments, pick up the voucher that will be waiting with the cashier for your use at any time, for as many times you wish to visit Tony’s. It’s the least we can do, to make up for the nastiness such lovely ladies experienced today. Please, enjoy the rest of your time here at Tony’s.”
Fresh drinks were brought to their table, the old ones quickly taken away. Carol and Karen had sat down and the three had listened, with some surprise, at what the manager told them before Carol and Karen looked at Tameria and started in with their questions. “Are you alright, sweetheart?” Carol asked Tameria, who by the looks of her was quite calm, given what she just experienced. “Do you need a visit to the ladies to freshen up or for something else?” Carol couldn’t believe how calm Tameria looked or what she heard Tameria tell her next, “No mom, I’m fine. In fact the whole thing was rather amusing to me.” Now it was Karen’s turn to jump into the conversation by asking, “What do you mean amusing? Those two animals could really have hurt you. Tameria you need to wise up to the fact that you are no longer Robert but a very beautiful young lady, a young lady almost any male in this restaurant would love to get their hands on.” Neither Carol or Karen was prepared for the next statements.
”We are The Haints. Carol Jinks. Karen Jinks. We The Haints would not allow those who will to hurt Tameria Jinks do so. Carol Jinks. Karen Jinks. Tameria Jinks was in no danger of the will of the two human males to hurt Tameria Jinks. Carol Jinks. Karen Jinks. They will be given harmony after they receive our memories and learn the truth of willing others to do as they will. We The Haints will then remove our memories and the two human males will always be willing to help. Carol Jinks. Karen Jinks.”
Once Carol heard what The Haints had to say she understood why Tameria had been so calm throughout this whole mess. While Karen heard what The Haints had to say, she was still a bit buggy about hearing voices in her head. “Mom, Karen, it was necessary for The Haints to contact the minds of those two boys so they could learn more about those who are aggressive. While the boys at school never touched me, once that one did it made it much easier for The Haints to read his mind, and that of the other boy’s, so they could learn. I knew they’d not let anything bad happen to me because they haven’t so far. In fact, they’ve been very protective of me since this whole thing started with them.” It didn’t take long for both Carol and Karen to realize the truth in what Tameria said, for each one felt the truth through The Haints.
Their meals arrived just as soon as their mental, and vocal, conversations ended; and the aroma was divine. For the rest of their meal they made only small talk about school, what Tameria might like to get involved with at school, and her experience at Billie’s. When they had finished, and eaten the dessert that Tony’s provided as a compliment, they found the Manager waiting at the cashier as they were about to leave the restaurant. “Again,” he began, “Let me apologize for the unpleasantness of your experience tonight. And please, accept this voucher for your family, good any time Tony’s is open, and for as long as you wish to visit. Please have a pleasant evening.” To say Carol was pleased with how they’d been treated would be more than an understatement, she was downright impressed and they would be back, and with the whole family.
Once Keith and Tony had been escorted out of the restaurant, they sat in Keith’s car, wondering what to do next. All of a sudden their minds were flooded with images of death and destruction beyond anything they’d seen about Earth. They also saw the reason it all occurred, because some wanted all to believe as they did. The next minute both felt an immense pain between their eyes, which vanished as quickly as it began. It wasn’t long before both knew what they had to do and would wait to do so.
The Manager of Tony’s watched as the three ladies walked out of Tony’s, likely heading to their car. And as he watched he spotted the two boys approaching the three ladies. He signaled the two men who had escorted the boys out of the restaurant and together the three went out into the parking lot. But what they heard caused them to stop short and just listen.
“Um...ma’am, could we speak to you for a minute?” Keith asked Carol, the boys stopping a short distance from Carol, Karen, and Tameria. Carol turned when she heard the boy’s voice and asked him, “Well, what do you want?” The three ladies knew that The Haints had worked their magic on the boys, and that the Manager and two of his employees were also listening as Keith told her, “Um..ma’am, Tony and I owe you an apology for the way we acted towards the three of you; we were wrong. I don’t know if you can forgive us, but we just want to offer our apologies.” Carol looked at the two boys, and had no trouble, thanks to The Haints, seeing their apologies were sincere. Carol smiled before telling them, “Thank you for that boys, it took a lot of courage. But you also need to apologize to those gentlemen,” as she pointed to the Manager and the two big men, “and everyone inside the restaurant. Don’t you think?” Keith looked at Tony and both nodded to each other before walking over to Tony’s Manager and after a few short words, walked into the restaurant with the three men. Carol and the girls watched through the windows as the Manager held up his hands, as all heads turned to the two boys, and as Tony said something she only believed was the same apology they gave her and her daughters. What they did must have gone over big because the three girls saw first one customer then another stand and begin applauding. They then saw Tony’s Manager, and the two big men, shake both boys hands and slap both on the back. Carol and her daughters continued on to the car, but caught a snippet of conversation as the two boys came out of Tony’s and Tony saying, “Do you think mom and dad would let us work here after school? Michael did say it’d only be two hours a day.” The three ladies smiled as they got into their car and headed home.
It was about seven in the evening when they returned home, and Tameria and Karen still had homework to do for tomorrow. After Carol parked the car in the garage and the three entered through the door leading to the kitchen, Tameria was met with three “OH WOWs” from her two brothers and her dad. Carol and Karen stood back and enjoyed the reaction Tameria was getting from the males in their family. It was Brian who finally said, “Carol, you were right, our new daughter is downright striking. Guess I’ll have to keep that map and shovel handy,” before chuckling and hugging Tameria, telling her, “Very pretty, sweetheart, very pretty.” “Thank you, daddy,” Tameria told her father, before saying she had homework to do before tomorrow and getting a kiss on her cheek from her dad before heading to her room. Later that night, when the kids had gone to bed, well two at least, the boys had to be put into bed, Carol and Brian talked about Tameria’s first experience at a beauty salon, with Carol retelling that it was a rough start, but got much better as each step was completed. Carol even told Brian that after seeing how she looked in the mirror, she and Karen had helped her change her mind about pierced ears. It was at that point Carol showed Brian how much she needed him after the afternoon and early evening she’d had.
Before Tameria had gone to bed the night before, Carol had told her she’d have to get up much earlier to get ready for school. Tameria’s alarm went off at 6 a.m., causing Tameria to tell that clock something her mother wouldn’t appreciate. Once awake, and out of bed, she got out clean underwear, put on her robe and made her way to the bathroom. Once she turned on the light, and closed the door, she noticed a plastic cap setting on the vanity, with a note that read, “Use me. Love mom.” Because Tameria was used to washing her hair when she showered, this was a new experience for her, but she decided to take mom’s advice, right after she urgently used the toilet. When she returned to her room she found her mom sitting on her bed, holding a brush and comb, along with something that looked like a big wand. “Go ahead and get dressed, and then I’ll help you with your hair and Karen will help with your makeup,” Carol told Tameria. Because Tameria had taken the time the night before to choose what she’d wear the next day, getting dressed seemed almost instantaneous. Karen came into Tameria’s room as Carol was brushing and applying some additional curls to Tameria’s hair, and went right to work applying Tameria’s very light makeup. “You know, Tameria,” Karen said while applying a light layer of eyeshadow, “We’ll have to take a weekend and help you learn how to do your hair and makeup. There, that does it--we’ll save your lipstick until after you’ve had breakfast.” Both women finished with Tameria about the same time, and all three went down to breakfast.
Once Tameria had finished breakfast, and brushed her teeth, Karen stood by while Tameria applied her lipstick, having to redo it twice. Karen pronounced the second application good and both gathered their backpacks and after kissing their parents goodbye, left for school; Karen driving and Tameria taking the bus--Karen had activities that ran much later than Tameria wanted to wait. As Billie predicted, when Tameria arrived at the school bus stop, she caught the eye of every boy waiting on the bus. She also caught the eye of every girl as well, some not so friendly. But no one said anything until they got on the bus, then the general chatter was about Tameria. Grace got on the bus at the second stop from Tameria’s, and was bowled over at the transformation she saw in Tameria. “Wow, sister, don’t you look sharp today. Want me to get a stick for you to carry around? Ya know, to beat off all the flies you’ll attract.” Both girls giggled before Grace got serious and told Tameria, “You look really nice, that’s a good look for you. And look at you, you got your ears pierced.” Tameria blushed, as Grace had lifted Tameria’s hair to admire the studs she was wearing. “Yeah, I changed my mind about getting pierced ears after everything they did at the salon.” One girl said something a bit too loud, and Grace told her, “Shannon, bite me.” That shut the girl up, as Grace peppered Tameria with questions about what she had done at the salon. Tameria just finished her diatribe as the bus pulled into the school parking lot, stopping in front of the school doors and disgorging its passengers.
Since school started, Grace had met Beckie and Tara in front of the school door after she got off the bus, but now it was Tameria and Grace who met Beckie and Tara at that location. “Whoa...who is that marvelous creature you’re with, Grace? Some movie star?” Tarra teased as she and Beckie took in Tameria’s new look. “Girl, we better get you a bat to carry so you can knock the slime balls out of your way,” Beckie told Tameria. “You looookkk good.” Tameria blushed because of what the two girls said but thanked them nonetheless. The three headed into the school, Tameria becoming conscious of the looks she was receiving from the boys around her. Grace put her arm around Tameria’s waist and told her, “Just ignore those knuckle draggers, the only thing they’re thinking about is what’s in their pants.” All four girls giggled at what Grace told Tameria, before splitting up and headed to their first period classes.
Tameria walked into her algebra class, where Ms. Carol was again leaning up against her desk; something she always did. When Debra saw Tameria she said, “Very nice, Miss. Jinks, very nice indeed. Just be careful, okay?” Tameria thanked Ms. Carol, and nodded her head to let Debra know she knew what Debra meant by “just be careful,” before finding her usual seat. As more students entered the class, particularly boys, Tameria’s new look suddenly became an attraction. “Whoa, get a load of that,” was heard too much above a whisper. Another was heard saying, “Boy, wouldn’t that be something to get into.” All but a few boys had put the new looking Tameria on their radar, and Debra knew that bud had to be nipped and quickly.
The bell rang, the last straggler came into the room, the door was closed, and Debra told the class, “Mr. Drummin stay seated, Mr. Sharp you stay seated, Mr. Monihew you stay seated, Mr. Thompson you also stay seated, but the rest of you boys stand up.” Debra watched as the boys looked at each other before all but the ones she named stood up and looked expectantly at her. “So, you boys think just because a female student takes the time to take care of herself that you all have the right to be derogative towards her? Well, NOT. IN. THIS. CLASS! Gentlemen, you have a choice, detention for the rest of the week, or, when you come to class the rest of this week, you will be properly shaved, if you are shaving, you will have a neat hair cut, and you will wear a suit and tie, and everything which goes along WITH a suit and tie. And if you don’t have a suit and tie, you’d better find one or you will spend an hour in detention after school every day this week. And gentlemen, due this coming Friday, a five page paper on why it hurts someone’s self esteem when they’re degraded, and the person doing the degrading.” When those standing heard their sentences, there were groans galore. “Oh, and gentlemen, when you tell your parents why you have to shave, if you do, why you have to get a neat haircut, and why you have to wear a suit and tie the rest of the week, tell them the truth, because I can guarantee you they will call me for answers. And I will tell them exactly what each and every one of you said about how Miss. Jinks looked today.” Debra, and the girls in the class, watched as each boy standing suddenly had a very green look about their faces, knowing they were in for a peck of trouble when they explained to their parents the whys of what they needed for the rest of the week. Debra kept a straight face, sort of, but the girls in class only smiled.
It seems the messenger didn’t make it to Tameria’s history class, because the same derogatory remarks got those boys in similar trouble, except Mrs. Bridges gave those boys a choice of two weeks detention after school or two weeks of suits and ties, along with nice haircuts and all the trimmings. While Ms. Carol gave those boys a five page assignment, Mrs. Bridges made it ten pages due Friday. This school was very serious about cracking down on bullying, and it spared no one.
Between second and third periods, there was a fifteen minute break, giving the students a bit of a breather. Tameria usually used this time to walk from the 4 o’clock spoke up to the locker rooms used for P.E., instead of hustling to her next class as she often had to do. This time also gave her time to use the handicap restroom before getting dressed for P.E. It was as she was just reaching one of the girl’s restrooms when three girls walked right into her and pushed her into that particular girl’s restroom, forcing her backwards until they slammed her into the back wall of the restroom. All three girls had ugly looks on their faces, spoiling not only their looks but revealing their true natures. “So, miss I went to a salon to get pretty thinks it makes him more of a girl now,” the girl standing directly in front of Tameria said, pushing harder on Tameria’s chest with her left hand. She reached into her purse and pulled out a pair of scissors before telling Tameria, “Well girly boy, we’re going to make it so you look exactly like the boy you really are.”
None of the three girls heard the bathroom door open or close. Nor did they hear any footsteps come up behind them before one hand grabbed the wrist of the girl holding the scissors and grabbed her by the back of her neck. But she did feel the pressure on her wrist and neck when Jenny Glasstow bent down to the girl’s ear and asked, “And what do you three think you’re doing with Miss. Jinks in here?” The two girls each holding Tameria’s arms against the wall and the girl holding the scissors all went white as a sheet when they heard Jenny’s voice; one girl wet herself. “I think I was about to get a haircut, Mrs. Glasstow,” Tameria told Jenny. “Seems they don’t think I’m much of a girl.” Jenny’s hand slid slowly towards the girl’s wrist before reaching the scissors and taking them out of her hand. Jenny then took the scissor girl and actually slammed her up against the wall to their left, making it clear the other two girls should join her.
Neither Tameria or Jenny said a word, they didn’t have to as all three girl’s minds were filled with such horrid images of death and destruction that caused each one to drop to the floor and grab their heads. They then experienced a sudden pain between their eyes that vanished as quickly as it began, leaving the three girls with the feelings of the images they viewed. It wasn’t long before they could stand, and realize what they were about to do was wrong, and all three apologized to Tameria for their ill behavior. By rights, Jenny should have expelled all three girls, but having seen what The Haints would have shown them, she felt they received punishment enough. Jenny put her arm around Tameria and walked her out of the restroom and stayed with her until they reached the locker rooms for P.E. “Are you okay,” Jenny asked Tameria, as they walked down the short hallway to where Tameria would change for P.E. “Yes ma’am, I’m okay, though that was a bit unsettling. The Haints told me what they were going to try and do, so it wasn’t like I didn’t know beforehand. And I guess they told you at the same time?” Jenny just nodded her head, as she shooed Tameria into the handicap restroom to change for P.E., then headed back to her office.
From P.E. until school let out, it seemed the messenger finally made its rounds and all the boys who ogled Tameria learned to keep their mouths shut, or suffer the same fate of the boys in the Algebra and History classes. But the lesson learned that day didn’t carry over to the next day, when several boys showed up to school with fresh haircuts and wearing suits and ties, derogatory comments were made in classes which contained one or several suited boys. Those making the derogatory comments ended up wearing the same thing for the next two weeks, and were required to turn in a ten page report. When it was all said and done, there were very few boys in school which sported T-shirts and jeans for the next several weeks. Least the girls be left out, there were several who just couldn’t keep their comments about Tameria to themselves, or about the boys wearing suits or girls in their Sunday best, and ended up wearing their Sunday best for two weeks. One thing that was noticed by both staff and those students who escaped the clothing punishment, was how the overall attitude of the school changed. Those who had made the rude comments now seemed better behaved. It might have been because they didn’t want to wear their best clothes again, or the papers they had to write, or maybe with help from someone only two people in school knew about. This isn’t to say every student got the choice of detention or Sunday best, there were some who had to be suspended and/or almost expelled because of their offenses. But with few exceptions, almost every boy and girl spent two weeks in their Sunday best while at school.
The choice of detention or Sunday best had been discussed by all the staff even before Tameria ever started high school. It was felt by all that giving the offender the choice, pressure was put on the offenders to miss after school activities sitting in detention or not to miss after school activities by dressing in their Sunday best. It kept them in school and at the same time, sent a message that bullying of any kind was not going to be tolerated. To determine when it was bullying and when it was teasing, many examples were given at that meeting, so each staff member could tell the difference. And it didn’t hurt that some of the staff had been around the same kids all four years they’d been in high school. However, even though guide lines had been drawn up, and placed into each students’ packet, and each staff member knew how to recognize bullying, Jenny Glasstow was not naive enough to believe there wasn’t a parent or two who wouldn’t come charging into her office the first time their precious one had to dress in his or her Sunday best. And she was right.
Tyler Swarm had been one of the first boys who had to decide between detention, and miss after school football practice, or Sunday best for two weeks; he chose Sunday best. The day he was to wear his Sunday best, his dad came storming into the office asking to see Mrs. Glasstow, and actually barging into her office; a bad mistake. “What the hell do you mean by forcing my son to dress up in a suit and tie simply because he told some faggot how stupid they looked?” Jenny reached over and dialed the security number and asked for a security guard to come to her office, and stared back at Mr. Swarm as she waited for security to arrive. “Yes ma’am, you asked for security,” the security guard asked as he stepped into Jenny’s office. “Yes, Stephen, I called. Would you please escort Mr. Swarm out of my office until he’s been properly called INTO my office.” Stephen walked in front of Mr. Swarm and asked him, “Would you like to walk out or do I need to help you out, sir?” Charles Swarm just stared at the man before storming out of Jenny’s office with Stephen right behind him. Jenny let the man stew a bit before buzzing her secretary and letting her know she’d see Mr. Swarm now. There was a knock before the door to Jenny’s office opened and Mr. Swarm followed the secretary into Jenny’s office, before the secretary left, closing the door behind her.
“Hello Mr. Swarm, how may I help you?” Jenny asked Charles Swarm, still hot under the collar about his son and now, because of how he was just treated. “Do you know who I am, lady? Do you realize I can get you fired at the snap of my fingers? My son is not going to come to school tomorrow wearing that damn monkey suit and there’s not a damn thing you can do about it.” Jenny wanted to let this man dig his own grave before she set him straight. “Yes, Mr. Swarm, I know who you are. You’re an overbearing egotistical midget who thinks himself bigger then he really is. You have no power to get me fired, your reputation precedes you so no one is going to listen to your complaint. As to your son wearing a suit and tie for two weeks, that, sir, was his choice because he didn’t want to miss football practice. Of course if you don’t want him to wear the ‘monkey suit’ that’s fine, but he will spend the rest of his time in detention after school, and miss football practice, and that will be noted on his permanent school record.” Jenny watched as the last fact she stated sunk into this bozo’s brain, showing on his face when he realized what this would mean for his son in the long run. The only thing Charles Swarm said before leaving was, “Stupid bitch,” as he slammed the door after leaving Jenny’s office. There were several other parents who came in and asked why the Sunday best for their child, and for the most part, most said, “That’s not what we were told.” But there were several like Charles Swarm who got the message when she dangled “permanent record” in front of their faces.
Author’s Note: This story is a work of pure fiction, meant to be read for pure enjoyment. It is not based on facts of any kind, just those I made up in my mind. I realize some of what is in this story may seem far fetched, but it’s a story, dreamed up from the gray matter between my ears. So please read this story in the spirit it’s meant to be read, for fun. Jamie Lee
We had wandered the ether for millions upon millions of years, searching for an appropriate home that would serve our created purpose. Our creator had a dream to use us to bring harmony to her planet, but was too late, as with the rest of the planet, we were thrown out into the ether and left to drift until we found our purpose. We wandered past planet after planet, some having no life, and some with life but not needing our purpose. It wasn’t until we approached a system from the perpendicular that we observe a planet, a blue planet, with indications of needing our purpose, if only we could find the one which would become our catalyst.
Several weeks later, Beckie, Tameria, Grace, and Tara had asked their parents to allow them to walk home from school on Friday; the weather had been beautiful and was deemed so for Friday. Things had quieted at school, after most of the school looked like they were going to Church, so each parent saw no reason why the girls couldn’t walk home. The girls had passed a small mom and pop store and had stopped and purchased ice cream cones. They were enjoying the walk as they ate the cones, and were almost to Tara’s house when Tameria heard,
”We are The Haints. Tameria Jinks. Stop! Remain stationary!”
When Tameria heard The Haints, and their order, she stopped dead in her tracks. Beckie, Grace, and Tara noticed Tameria had stopped walking and were walking back to her when three boys came out from behind a hedge the four almost reached. “Well well well, if it isn’t the queer girly boy who thinks he a girl. And his playmates,” the boy holding a large kitchen knife said to the four girls. The boy on his right was holding a long piece of pipe and the boy on his left was holding a baseball bat. “You may be untouchable in school, but guess what, we ain’t in school now, and it’s time we help you become the girl you want to be.”
Beckie, Grace, and Tara backed up further behind Tameria, who stood her ground and told the boy holding the knife, “You should go now before it’s too late for you. If you stay, you aren’t going to like what happens.” All three boys laughed before the knife holder told her, “It’s too late, alright, but for you not for us. We’re going to fix you so you really are a girl.” As Beckie, Grace, and Tara watched, all three boys dropped the weapons they had been holding and grabbed their heads, now being flooded with views of death and destruction on a scale they’d never imagined. The Haints didn’t hold anything back with these three boys, they received every memory The Haints had, and then some they would not show Tameria or a few others. As the memories slowly cycled through the boys minds, the suddenness of it all caused all three to drop to the ground, while clutching their heads, landing on their knees or falling onto their sides. The suddenness of all the memories diverted any pain they would have felt right between their eyes, which ended as quickly as it started. What actually occurred was the ex-knife holder looking up and telling the girls, “Oh, gawd, we’re so sorry about what we said and were about to do to you Tameria. We were so wrong. We’re sorry.” Tameria simply accepted their apologies, and walking around the three still on the ground, continued walking home, with the other three girls trying to catch up to her.
”We are The Haints. Tameria Jinks. The three human males will keep our shared memories until their nocturnal rest time ends tomorrow. At that time our shared memories will fade but how they felt while experiencing our shared memories will remain. Tameria Jinks. They were not harmed. Tameria Jinks. We trust Beckie Smoothers. We trust Grace Jackson. We trust Tara Still. Tameria Jinks.”
Tameria knew what The Haints meant by trusting her three friends, she only hoped they’d still be her friend afterward. “What just happened back there, Tameria?” Tara asked Tameria, as the three girls had caught up with Tameria. Tameria looked at each of the girls before telling them, “If you’d like to know what happened, touch my hands.” All three gave her a puzzled look before Tara said, “Aw fhat the wuck,” and placed her hands into Tameria’s outstretched hands. “Okay,” was all Beckie said before she did the same. Grace was more hesitant, asking Tameria, “This won’t hurt will it?” When Tameria shook her head no, Grace did as the other girls had done, and all three removed their hands just as quickly when they heard,
”We are The Haints.”
“Holy bejeezus, what the Samuel Jackson was that?” Grace asked, taking a step back from Tameria. “Oh WOW, that was cool, what was it?” Tara asked, as she put her hands back on Tameria’s. Beckie just stood there giving Tameria the stink eye until Tameria told the three girls, “You just heard The Haints introduce themselves.” And before any of the three could ask what The Haints were, Tameria told them, “Put your hands back into mine if you want to know more about them.” Now it was Grace’s turn to give Tameria the stink eye before she slowly put her hands back into Tameria’s. Beckie took a bit longer, doing so after the urging from Tara and Grace; and further reassurance from Tameria that she was safe.
”We are The Haints. Grace Jackson. Beckie Smoothers. Tara Still. We come from a time millions upon millions of years ago, from a planet at the perpendicular to this solar system. From a planet that was scattered out to the Universe. Our purpose is to bring harmony to the aggressive who will to harm others. We The Haints do not will to harm. Beckie Smoothers. Grace Jackson. Tara Still. Tameria Jinks.”
All four girls were silent until they reached Tara’s house, where they walked up onto the porch and sat down; they were still in somewhat of a shock by what they just heard. Tara broke their silence by saying, “Wow oh wow, that was intense. Are they always with you Tameria? What’s it like having them with you?” Tara was getting a bit too excited so Tameria told her, “Tara, The Haints said they trust you, that means you must keep quiet about what you heard. I suspect at some point you can ask them your own questions, but only if you’re mature about it. Otherwise, you’re going to see some things that will actually frighten you terribly.” Tara saw how serious Tamera was by what she just said, making Tara realize all of this WAS very serious. It was Grace who asked, “This harmony The Haints talked about, that’s what they did to those boys, wasn’t it?” Tameria just nodded her head in answer to Grace’s question. “So, their planet was destroyed? Couldn’t they do anything to stop it?” Beckie’s voice, when she asked her question, was tinged in sorrow, knowing if the planet was destroyed, then so were its people. “The Haints creator couldn’t get enough of them made in time before the aggressives set off a device which ruptured the planet’s core and destroyed the planet,” Tameria told Beckie in a quiet voice in answer to her question. And as the three girls watched, tears rolled down Beckie’s cheeks, showing she felt the loss of all those people. Tameria thought to herself when she saw Beckie’s tears, ‘The Haints chose well with that girl’. As the girls consoled Beckie, they heard more.
”We are The Haints. Beckie Smoothers. Our creator realized the need to change the aggressives on our planet, realized the need for all to be who they are without the aggressives making them believe as the aggressives did. One direction for everyone would have eventually destroyed all on our planet. One direction on our planet would have left our planet to those life forms which were non sentient. So in secret our creator acquired the needed material to begin our creation. But the need for secrecy caused her to fail in her attempts to create enough of us to bring harmony to all the aggressives. And so we were cast out into the Universe along with our planet. Beckie Smoothers. If allowed, we The Haints can help Beckie Smoothers bring harmony to this planet, bring harmony to those aggressives which threaten all on this planet. Beckie Smoothers. Grace Jackson. Tara Still.”
All four girls heard what The Haints just told Beckie at first, then to Grace and Tara. It was Beckie who asked, “What did The Haints mean by help bring harmony, Tameria?” Tameria looked at the six pair of eyes watching her and told the three girls, “They mean if you allow them too, they will be with you from now until your end time comes, and change the attitudes of those who are aggressive and want to hurt others.” All three girls became very quiet, even Tara, who usually had a very boisterous attitude about things. “So...” a very demure Tara began, “...The Haints would be in us if we allow them too?” Tara, and Grace and Beckie, look at Tameria but it was The Haints who answered her question.
”Yes. Tara Still. If allowed. We will no harm to Tara Still. We will no harm to Grace Jackson. We will no harm to Beckie Smoothers. We will to bring harmony to the aggressive who will to harm others.”
That answer from The Haints silenced the three girls, again. It wasn’t long before Beckie said, “The Haints, I allow you to be with me, if you will.” Tameria only smiled at Beckie as Beckie felt a little tingle in her mind, which was The Haints way of letting her know they were now with her. Beckie also learned something else as Tameria asked her through The Haints, ”So how does it feel to have The Haints with you?” When Beckie heard Tameria’s voice in her head, and knew Tameria hadn’t spoken, she let out a little squeal, sitting up straighter as well. “Oh wow, that was neat,” she told Tameria, before answering her question. “How does it feel to have The Haints with me? Peaceful,” was all she said. Beckie’s squeal and her answer to a question neither Grace or Tara heard, caused Grace to ask, “What was neat, and no one asked a question, Beckie.” It was Tameria’s turn to answer as she told Grace and Tara, “When The Haints are in you they allow us to communicate with each other without having to be near each other, without having to speak to one another. This only happens to those who The Haints trust and allow The Haints to be with them.” Grace became silent again, being the intellectual one, she was thinking about what The Haints had said and whether or not she wanted something inside her she really knew nothing about. She received a bit of help in deciding when she heard,
”We are The Haints. Grace Jackson. We will not to harm Grace Jackson if allowed to be with her. We will to help Grace Jackson bring harmony to those aggressives who will to harm others. Grace Jackson. We The Haints trust Grace Jackson.”
Grace looked at Tameria after what The Haints just told her and asked, “Does it hurt, you know, when The Haints come into me?” Both Tameria and Beckie just smiled at Grace before Beckie told her, No, it just tingles a bit at first. Afterwards you know they’re there but not in an obtrusive way. They don’t want to harm you or make you do things they want, they just need to be with us so we can help them bring harmony to those who want to hurt others or force them to do what they want. Think of us as their legs, if you will.” And Tameria added, since they’d been with her the longest, “This may seem freaky, but they will build more of themselves while in you so they have enough to send out when needed. It won’t hurt you and no one will ever know they are there; been there, done that already. They only want to make sure we don’t suffer the same fate down the road as the people and their planet did.” It wasn’t long before Grace told The Haints she wanted them with her too, as did Tara. And it only took a moment for the two girls to feel the tingle and to be shown how important it was for The Haints not to be known to the aggressives on the Earth. Because if The Haints were ever found out by the aggressives, those with The Haints would be killed before The Haints could prevent it. And Tameria answered Grace’s previous question by asking, ”So, how does it feel to be one with The Haints.” Both Grace and Tara jumped at hearing Tameria’s voice in their minds, but smiled and told her, “Really neat.”
The girls stayed a bit longer at Tara’s house, think speaking so they could do it without giving away that they were doing something. No one had to repeat about keeping The Haints to themselves, because The Haints reminded the girls before Grace, Tameria, and Beckie said their goodbyes to Tara, gave her hugs, and continued onto Beckie’s house. When they reached Beckie’s house they walked her up to the front door, hugged her, and said goodbye before Beckie asked, “Tameria, are you sure it’s going to be okay with them and me?” She was still very hesitant about this whole thing with The Haints, so Tameria told her, “Beckie, sit down tonight and speak with The Haints. They will not lie to you, and they will answer any questions you have. They are not designed to hurt those they trust.” Tameria walked back and hugged Beckie again, whispering in her ear, “It’s going to be okay, just trust them.” She kissed Beckie on the cheek and then joined Grace as they continued towards Tameria’s house. Along the way Grace asked Tameria, ”Is Beckie going to be okay? She seems rather frightened about the whole thing. She won’t tell anyone will she?” Because Tameria had been with The Haints the longest, she had no trouble getting the answer to Grace’s questions. ”Yes, she’s going to be okay, according to The Haints. The Haints are speaking to her right now, she’s in her room, and she is seeing what I experienced at school these past few days. They’re also showing her more of what happened on their planet, explaining things to her. Beckie is a very sensitive girl, she feels what others feel or feels what others are going through. The Haints will help her to be calmer in her mistrust of them, and will help her see she has nothing to fear from them. And no, she isn’t going to tell anyone.”
The mental conversation ended at the same time they reached Tameria’s house, with Grace giving her a hug then bidding her, “See you tomorrow,” before walking the remaining two blocks to her house. When Tameria entered her house, it wasn’t necessary to tell her parents about Grace, Beckie, or Tara having The Haints with them, because The Haints had already told them. She did, however, tell them about the three boys, and what they tried to do to her. “None of you were hurt, were you?” Her mom asked, as she gave Tameria the once over only a mother can do. “No mom, we weren’t hurt, but I did try to persuade them to walk away before it was too late. They didn’t, and The Haints gave those three the full memory treatment from start to finish. The Haints said they’d have those memories until tomorrow morning, then only remember how it felt to see all of that destruction and death. The Haints gave them harmony, so they won’t be trying to hurt anyone else.” Carol hugged her daughter, thankful The Haints were watching over her. “Well I’m glad you have a protector, but even they can’t get your homework done, young lady. So, go, homework, I’ll call you when I need help getting supper.” Carol gave Tameria a kiss on the cheek, and received one, before Tameria went to her room and started on her homework. She didn’t get started right away because she got a message from Beckie. ”Hi Tameria. Thanks for today, for making me feel wanted, and for showing me The Haints; they’ve really helped me feel better about myself.” ”Beckie, you are important to everyone you’re around, they just don’t know it yet; and my friends are always important to me. Trust The Haints, Beckie, because they trust you. See you tomorrow.”
Tameria sat for a few more minutes thinking about what Beckie said to her, about feeling wanted. She wondered how her parents and brother treated her, whether they treated her like a nobody or were just too wrapped up in their own worlds to really take the time to care about Beckie. It seemed to Tameria that just maybe The Haints knew Beckie was on the verge of doing something really terrible, and wanted to make sure she didn’t by trusting her. About an hour later Carol came into Tameria’s room and asked her to help get supper ready, asking what the concerned look she had on her face was for. As they walked towards the kitchen, Tameria told her mom about the thought conversation she had with Beckie, and how she felt Beckie had been on the verge of doing something terrible to herself, and how it might have been The Haints way of making sure she didn’t by trusting her. Carol thought for a minute, as they walked into the kitchen, before telling Tameria, “I think you might be right about why The Haints trusted her. I’ve not been around her very much, but she did seem to be off on her own a lot, not often part of the group, when I was around her. I’m glad she won’t get a chance to hurt herself, she seems like a very sweet young lady. Now, you start off by setting the table, please. Then I’ll show you how to make the world’s best mashed potatoes.”
Saturday morning found Tameria trying her best to wake up and get to the bathroom, urgently. It wasn’t until she felt a dribble that sparked an immediate eye opener and dash to the bathroom, where she then showered, wearing the shower cap, after her eyes once again settled in her head. As she showered she remembered something The Haints told them a short time ago, about making Tameria into a true human female. She wondered how they’d do that, what with all the people she now knew, or the people who knew her and of her true physical status. But after not coming up with any answers, she finished her shower, dried off, put on the robe she kept in the bathroom, and walked back to her room to decide what to wear today; it was Saturday, after all, and no need to look like she was going to school. As she looked through her closet, she discarded one idea after another before settling on a nice looking blouse and skirt, maybe with knee high socks that matched the color of the Kelly green skirt. She decided her black flats would look okay so after fifteen minutes, getting dressed, she headed down to breakfast, where she found her mom waiting with a brush and comb. “Morning sweetheart, sleep okay?” Carol asked Tameria as she patted one of the chairs at the kitchen table, telling Tameria to sit there. “Yes, I did, even after yesterday with the girls. They were really skeptical at first, but after they listened to The Haints, they calmed down. I even spoke with Beckie last night, and she’s doing much better. I’d sure like to know why she thought so little of herself. Think she’d tell me if I asked?” Tameria told her mom as she sat while her mom worked on her hair. “Honey, she might tell you if you asked, but you should pick the right time to ask. Or just wait and see if she tells you on her own. Knowing her parents as I do, and something of her brother, I wonder if they aren’t wrapped up in their own little worlds, not even noticing how it’s affecting Beckie. But give it time, maybe The Haints will fix it. Now, hold up that mirror and watch what I’m doing, you need to learn how to do your own hair.”
When Carol had Tameria’s hair somewhat like it had been, only Billie could get it exact, she asked Tameria to set the table for breakfast, and to put on an apron before starting on frying the bacon--she didn’t want that nice ensemble to get splattered with bacon grease. Once the bacon was sizzling, the eggs frying and the hash-browns going, Brian and the boys appeared in a more or less awake state; the two boys plopping down in their usual seat and started on the orange juice Tameria had set out. “You going somewhere Tameria?” Her nine-year-old brother Bradley asked. “You look real nice,” he told Tameria before taking a deep draft of his orange juice. Hearing her son’s question put an idea into Carol’s head, asking Tameria, “Would you and the girls like to go shopping today? You do need more clothes, and things, and maybe a visit to VS.” Bradley was always the one to catch things that went over Peter’s head, and Peter asked, “Mom, what’s VS?” Carol only chuckled before telling him, “You never mind, you’ll find out one day. Now start eating,” she told him as she set a plate of eggs, bacon, hash-browns, and toast before him, Bradley and Brian. “Um…” Brian muttered around a mouthful of eggs, “...you don’t plan on breaking the bank with your shopping, do you?” Carol playfully swatted his arm before kissing him, eliciting an “Oh gross,” from the two boys, and a, “Oh hush you two,” from Carol before she sat down beside her husband and started in on her breakfast. Tameria had sat down between her brothers, Robert had done so to help keep the peace between the two, so Tameria continued to do so. “Tara did mention, one time, about me going shopping with her and the girls, so I think they might like to go with us,” she told her mom before biting into a piece of toast. “Maybe you can go call them now and see if they can go around ten, then we can have lunch together,” Carol told Tameria, with a raised eyebrow, hoping Tameria caught her meaning of a call. Tameria only smiled, and told her mom, “Okay, I’ll be back in a sec.” Tameria went back to her room, where she knew her brothers would not enter without her permission. Using The Haints, she thought talked to the three girls about going shopping today about ten, her mom was taking her and they’d get lunch also. It was only a moment later when all three said they could go, since Tameria’s mom would be going. Everyone signed off and Tameria returned to the breakfast table where she told her mom that everyone could go.
Usually after their breakfast, Peter and Bradley would zoom off to their rooms, to get on the game machines and play together until noon. But as Tameria, Carol, and Brian watched, the two boys cleared their places, dumping into the garbage what wasn’t eaten, rinsing their plates and glasses, then putting them into the dishwasher. Tameria, Carol, and Brian looked at each other and without saying anything to each other, knew the others were thinking that maybe The Haints had had a hand in getting them to become more responsible. Even if they didn’t have a hand in the boys’ new behavior, it was nice to see them do what they’d been told more than once to do. And instead of running to their rooms to start their games, both boys walked normally to their rooms, even taking their time going up the stairs. “Hmm…” Brian mused, “...I wonder what brought all that on?” He said it loud enough so only Tameria and Carol could hear. With a smile on her face, Carol replied, “I don’t know, but I really like it.” Following in the boys footsteps, the three did as they’d seen the boys do with their plates and glasses, before Tameria and Brian helped Carol do what dishes needed done by hand. Afterwards, Brian had some work he needed to do for the office so he retreated to the home’s office to get that done. Carol and Tameria, on the other hand, retreated to Tameria’s room, where Carol would be helping Tameria learn how to take care of her hair and maybe a makeup lesson before they got ready to pick up the girls for shopping.
Tameria caught on better fixing her hair than she did putting on makeup, but Carol told her only practice could improve her makeup skills. It was about ten minutes to ten when the doorbell rang, and Carol walked to the door and opened it. “Hi, Mrs. Jinks,” a bubbly Grace said to Carol. “It was a nice morning, and since I’m not that far from your house, I decided to walk down here instead of you needing to circle back to pick up Beckie and Tara.” “Well, hi Grace, come in come in, that was awfully nice of you to come here. Tameria...Grace is here,” Carol semi-shouted as Grace walked into the house. Tameria came into the living room carrying her purse, and made nice with Grace before Carol told the two girls, “Do we have everything? Does anyone have to go before we leave?” Both girls gave Carol one of those stink eye looks before laughing as Carol started laughing because of what she said. The three got into Carol’s car, drove and picked up Beckie then Tara, and then drove out to the mall, where Carol was lucky and found a parking spot almost right on top of the set of entrance doors they wanted to use.
As Carol and the four girls entered the mall, a group of six boys spotted the four girls and started shadowing them as the girls window shopped as they walked toward their first target of the morning. The shadow group wasn’t lost on Carol, as she could see their reflections each time the girls stopped to admire this or that in the store windows. As they were admiring one particular window display, Carol told the girls, “Girls, don’t look around, but there’s a group of boys that have been following us since we came into the mall. And from their looks, I think they are up to no good.” Carol murmured to look at the reflections in the glass, as she faked pointing to something in the window display. As the girls looked, Grace and Tara recognized two of the boys, who’d been pestering them since school started. “Um...Mrs. Jinks, Grace and I know two of those boys,” Tara told Carol, “And they’ve been pestering Grace and me since school began, they haven’t been too happy that Grace and I have blown them off ever since.” “Tell you what let’s do, girls. Get your phones out and set them to record video. And start recording when I go over and have a nice little chat with them. Shall I?”
Once the girls had their phones out, Carol turned and walked over to the group of boys sitting on a bench leering at the four girls standing on the other side near the store. Carol could see a change in their demeanor as she walked towards them, and they all went pale when she told them, “Hi boys, is there some reason you’re following us around? Do I need to ask your parents, Bobbie Evan, why you’re here without them? ‘Cause I know for a fact you were grounded two days ago? Or should I call you folks, Gary Brown, because of the same reason? Or yours, David? Or yours, Tommy? Or how about yours, Alex? All of you were grounded because of what you did at school. So maybe it’s time you headed home?” What the boys didn’t know was that as she and the girls were window shopping, she had already called each boy’s parents. And it was movement out of the corner of her eye which caused her to turn and see all five sets of parents walking her way.
Carol turned back to face the boys and with a huge smile on her face told them, “Oops, looky there,” and she pointed off to her left, “Looks like I won’t have to call your parents after all.” All five boys followed where Carol had pointed and all five went beyond pale when they saw their parents coming their way; and they did not look happy. Carol turned and walked back towards the girls, whistling as she went. The girls were still filming the event as parent after parent gave their sons better than the fifth degree. It became hard to hear exactly what was said, because all five were giggling, but more than one parent said, “You’re grounded the rest of the semester, even on weekends. We will take you to school, and we will pick you up right after school is out. When we leave the house, you will come with us--and it doesn’t matter where we are going, you’re coming too. And if you give us a hard time about this, we’ll make it the entire year.” The five girls heard whining as well, when the boys heard they’d be picked up right after school let out. “But we have football practice right after school.” And more than one parent told them, “Not anymore! You have nothing after school for the rest of the semester!”
The group of parents didn’t know it, but they’d acquired quite a gathering while they reamed out their sons, including security personnel. And when the families started leaving with their sons in tow, applause broke out because of what they had done; and more than one parent tipped their head to Carol for letting them know about their sons. What the girls didn’t know was that three of the boys who had gone for something, saw what was happening and stayed out of sight, planning to get back at Carol through Tameria. What the boys didn’t know was that their plans were about to come to a screeching halt, as they suddenly had flashes of memories flow through their minds before feeling a pain between their eyes which ended as soon as it started. No sooner had the pain ended then each boy knew they’d done the wrong thing by coming to the mall, and knew they had to tell their parents what they’d done.
Carol and the girls just smiled as they watched the three boys walk down the concourse and out of the mall, presumably going home. And when the mall doors closed behind the three boys, Carol told the girls, “VS is calling, don’t you think, girls?” Carol knew this would be the first time Tameria had been into Victoria Secrets, and wanted her to have a good experience her first time. So she told Grace, Beckie, and Tara, “Girls, this is Tameria’s first time there so let’s make it special for her, okay?” When all three girls nodded their heads, they all headed to VS and planned to come away with some very cute lingerie for Tameria. When Tameria heard where they were headed, she smirked to herself, knowing she’d been trying since she came out to her parents, to somehow convince her mom to take her there. Now she was about to get her wish, and she was going to take full advantage of it.
When the five ladies came out of VS, Carol was carrying three bags, Tameria four, and Grace, Beckie, and Tara, one bag for themselves. Carol glanced at her watch before asking the four girls, “Girls, it’s almost time for lunch. What say we take these bags to the car then come back to the food court and have something to eat?” Besides the four head nods, Carol also received a variation of, “That’s a good idea, ‘cause I’m hungry,” from the four girls. She also received from Beckie and Tameria, “We should hurry ‘cause I need to use the lady’s room.” To Beckie and Tameria it seemed like it took forever to reach the car then the food court, where they told Carol what they wanted before fast walking towards the lady’s room, when they ran into trouble.
“Well well well, if it isn’t the ice princess. Hello Becka, long time no see. You been too busy to meet up with your flame? You do remember we are still a couple, don’t you, and that means we need to go out together.” Beckie stopped so fast that Tameria ran into her back, even being pushed backwards by Beckie stepping backwards. Peter Glenn, one of the offensive tackles on the high school football team, was blocking their path to the lady’s room. He was 6’2” tall, and weighed about 195 pounds, and thought every girl was lucky if he took them out on a date. Beckie had dated him for a week a few months back, until she found out just what a pig he really was. During one of their dates he wanted her in the backseat of his car, but when she refused, he slapped her really hard, causing quite a bruise. It also caused her to get out of his car and walk back to her house, her parents furious because of the bruise. Of course when they called Peter’s parents, they told Beckie’s parents Peter told them Beckie had slipped getting into his car and banged her face on the door frame. Mr. Smoothers asked Peter’s dad if banging into the door frame always left a handprint, before slamming down the receiver. From that day on Beckie had avoided Peter with a passion, until now.
“Peter Glenn, what a surprise. Slumming these days, are we? I told you several times before, we are no longer a couple, after what you did to me that one time. I should have listened to the other girls you did that too, and shame on me it took that one time to find out how much of a pig you really are. Now, get out of our way before it’s too late for you,” Beckie told Peter in a fire breathing voice. Both girls saw how angry Beckie’s words made Peter, and were shocked as his hand stopped two inches from Beckie’s face in an open hand slap attempt. But they weren’t as shocked as Peter, when he found out the only thing he could do was breathe and blink his eyes. He was even more shocked when he heard in his mind,
”We are The Haints. Peter Glenn. You will to harm Beckie Smoothers. Peter Glenn. You cannot be allowed to bring harm to Beckie Smoothers. Peter Glenn. We The Haints will bring harmony to you. Peter Glenn. But you must see why aggressives must have harmony. Peter Glenn.”
Beckie and Tameria heard what The Haints told Peter, and watched as Peter’s eyes revealed that he was seeing something which truly frightened him, and still he couldn’t move. They also watched as his eyes again revealed the pain he felt between his eyes that abated as quickly as it started. When he could once again move, he slowly took that frozen hand and moved it to his forehead, rubbed it, and asked no one in particular, “What just happened? Where did those images come from? And that pain?” He looked at Beckie and Tameria before saying in a very robotic voice, “I’m...I’m...sorry Beckie,” he told her contritely, and with an extremely puzzled look on his face, before walking around both girls and out of the food court. Beckie shuddered at remembering what he did to her on that one date, then feeling Tameria’s arms around her and asking, “Are you okay? Do I need to get mom?” Beckie pulled Tameria’s arms tight around her before telling Tameria, “It’s just a bad memory, about the last date I went on with him. He slapped me that night because I wouldn’t get into the backseat of his car with him--it left a handprint on my face. And he lied to his parents, saying I’d slipped and hit my face on the door frame. Since when did hitting a door frame leave a handprint?” Tameria hugged her friend tighter, and together they continued walking to the lady’s room.
When the two girls exited the hallway to the restrooms, Carol saw how Tameria was holding Beckie close to her, as though she was trying to comfort Beckie. When the two girls sat down at the table she and Tara and Grace had chosen, she asked, “What happened?” All Beckie said at first was, “Peter Glenn,” before taking a breath and telling the same story she’d told Tameria. It was Tameria who said, “The Haints gave him harmony, but not before they showed him what aggression could really do. He won’t be going after anymore girls again.” After Beckie’s story, the four ladies gave Beckie a group hug, oblivious to the stares around them. Once Beckie had calmed down, they had their lunch, Chinese, and then headed to the stories they’d planned on visiting after they ate--each coming out of those stores with a sizable cache. Carol decided Tameria now had a sizable wardrobe to choose from, including a wide variety of under things. She also decided to splurge on the three girls, and paid for a couple of items for them. As it was almost 4 p.m. Carol decided take out would do for tonight, and asked the girls if they’d like to stay over for supper. It wasn’t long before three cell phones appeared and three, “Thanks mom,” were heard before it was time to decide what to get for supper.
When supper was over, as Brian, the two boys, and Tameria, cleared the table and put things away, Carol took Grace, Tara, and Beckie home, each giving her a hug and telling her, “Thanks, it was fun,” before each girl got out of the car and entered their houses. Carol really liked these three girls, and thought they would be quite the challenge for someone someday. It was a little later that night when Beckie thought to Tameria and expressed, “I’m sure glad you were with me today at the mall, I don’t know if I could have been as strong as I was.” Tameria’s reply was almost a repeat of what she told Beckie before, “You’re stronger than you realize, and The Haints would have protected you if I hadn’t been there. But I did enjoy being there for you, though,” and blushed a little when she said that; and so did Beckie. They chatted a bit longer before saying bye, both thinking about holding each other going to and coming from the lady’s room. It wasn’t like they didn’t like each other, but was it possible they were falling for each other? Each asked The Haints, but never receiving an answer, they knew it meant they had to figure this one out on their own. But they did get a peaceful feeling from The Haints.
Once again they sat together on the bus ride to school, and noticed a lot of buzz going around when they got off the bus at school. They heard some, “Did you hear what he did…” and “Those guys are mad at him for something…” and “I heard they really beat him bad.” They finally cornered one of the guys who seemed to know everything that went on in school and asked him what all the talk was about. Jimmy Stutters, and yes he’s heard every joke about his name, seemed to gather information like garbage gathered flies, and he was more right than wrong every time. “Well,” he began, “Something happened to Peter Glenn yesterday, ‘cause he told those guys he usually hung out with to buzz off, to leave him alone. He was through with them and all their crap. Well, they got so mad at what he said that they beat him up, his folks had to take him to the emergency room last night. He’s got a lot of bruises, and some cuts, but nothing was broken. And the police arrested the four who did it--the football team is now down four players.” The first bell sounded and all the students headed to their first period classes.
Mr. Frank Allen, one of the high school’s history teachers, was walking east down spoke 3 when he witnessed Bethann Coulter slap Peter Glenn, hard, then turn and walk off; and Peter didn’t react, as he’d seen him once do. “Ah, just a minute Miss. Coulter,” Frank called after Bethann as he stopped next to Peter. Bethann had stopped, turned, and slowly walked back toward Peter, and now, Mr. Allen. “Okay, Miss. Coulter, would you please explain why you just slapped Mr. Glenn?” Frank could see tears in the girl’s eyes, and before she could speak Peter told Mr. Allen, “Please, sir, it’s all my fault, not Bethann’s. I was real mean to her in the past, so she has a right to be angry with me because of that. Something happened to me yesterday, something which helped me see I owe a lot of girls apologies, and that’s what I was doing with Bethann. Please, sir, don’t punish her because of something I caused her to do just now. Please, sir.” Frank stared at Peter, a boy much different than the one he’d seen on Friday. This boy was concerned about someone other than himself, a big turn around for him. As Frank watched Peter, Peter again told Bethann, “Bethann, I’m truly sorry for my behavior that day, I was wrong, very wrong to treat you that way. I can’t change what happened, but I’m no longer that person anymore.” Frank looked at Bethann, and saw tears rolling down her cheeks, and told her, “You’d better get to class, Miss. Coulter. You don’t want to be late.” Bethann nodded her head, turned and headed to her first class, followed by a very contrite Peter Glenn, as Frank told him, “You’d better go, too, Mr. Glenn or you’ll be late.” As Peter started walking to the same class as Bethann, Frank called after him, “Peter,” and Peter turned to face Mr. Allen, “That took a lot of courage, son.” Peter just nodded his head, turned, and walked into his first period class.
Word got around school about Peter Glenn, and about his apologizing to all the girls he’d treated badly in the past. Witnesses saw most girls accept his apologies with grace, while some saw him get his face slapped; and he just took it. Most, if not all, in the school knew about Peter Glenn, how he had a hot temper and reacted at the drop of a pin, but when those girls slapped him, no one saw him react in any way, only apologizing again to the girls. Because of that day, all the students in school had kept their eyes on Peter, to see if he had changed or if this was another one of his ploys. But after two months, Peter was no different than the day his apologies started. In fact, the whole school was shocked when Bethann asked him to the Sadie Hawkins dance that would be held the following Friday night in the school gym. And they were shocked again, when Jimmy Stutters asked Peter if he and his date could ride with him, since his parents weren’t able to take him and his date. Another shock occurred when Peter said, “yes, he’d be glad too.” Bethann was shocked when instead of honking the car horn when he came to pick her up for the dance, he walked up to the house and rang the doorbell. And instead of letting her get into his car by herself, he opened the door and aided her in getting into his car. And when they arrived at the dance, all eyes zeroed in on how he treated Bethann during the dance, all eyes shocked at the gentlemanly way he treated her. And when the dance was over, and they’d gotten something to eat afterwards, when he took her home, he walked her up to her house, kissed her on the cheek and told her, “I had a really nice time. If you’d like, I’d like to take you out again, sometime.” He kissed her on the cheek again, before walking back to his car and driving off, leaving Bethann very surprised by Peter’s new attitude.
AS A SIDE NOTE, Peter and Bethann did go out again, several more times in fact. In fact they became an item throughout the rest of their high school years. Because Peter’s attitude changed, he actually became a better football player, playing aggressively but not with a will to actually hurt the other players. As a result of his better performance, he was given a full football scholarship to the same University Bethann would be attending while she studied medicine. Peter knew he didn’t want to go pro so after he and Bethann graduated in four years, he with a degree in psychology, and Bethann with her degree needed to enter medical school, they married and both went on to obtain degrees which led to their opening their own practice after Peter received his PhD and Bethann her medical license; after the required hours under a resident and additional training. While it was hard on them the first few years, they did manage to have three children, who found love and caring the likes they never saw in others when they reached ages to notice such things. And other kids envied them.
Grace, Beckie, and Tara, had seen some of the problems Tameria had faced, but never thought about their own until they encountered them. Grace had a brain on her shoulders, and in most of her classes was the top dog in grades; which didn’t go over too well with some of the girls. It happened one day after school, when she was at her locker, that a group of the “mommy’s darlings” confronted her about her making them look bad because of her excellent grades. Sandra Billings was the spokeswoman of the group, and a girl who thought a boy was lucky if she went out on a date with him. As Grace was surrounded by the group, it was Sandra who shoved an unaware Grace into the lockers before telling her, “Listen, you bitch, you’re making us look bad in math class with all your “know it all” attitude. If you know what’s good for you you’ll flunk a few tests so the rest of us can look good.” When Grace turned around she saw six very angry faces, and a face on Sandra that belonged to an old hag. “Well, hello to you too Sandra, and your wannabes.” Sandra pushed Grace in the chest against the lockers and told her, “You better listen to me, you bitch, because if I flunk math because of you, you’ll end up in the hospital; and my brother can do it.” Grace only smiled when she heard what Sandra just said, and told her, “Sandra, my getting good grades in math is not the reason you’re failing. Your problem is between your legs, not your ears. You seem to think every boy in this school wants what you’ll give them and are more than willing to do so. You need to close your legs and open a book and study.” Sandra grew bright red in the face after what Grace said to her, and drew her arm back with her hand in a fist, ready to punch Grace in the face. Only as her arm started forward, it suddenly froze, causing Sandra a great deal of frustration. In fact, she couldn’t move any part of her body, and neither could her wannabes. As what happened to Peter that day, The Haints did it again to these girls, showing them the real meaning of being aggressive, and changing their attitudes. The Haints left them with the memories of what they saw, but were unable to speak about it, before telling the girls,
”We are The Haints. We have brought harmony to all of you. You willed to harm Grace Jackson. You no longer will to hurt Grace Jackson. We are The Haints.”
Grace had stood with her back to the lockers, held there by Sandra, and watched The Haints work their magic on this poor group of girls. When The Haints released the girls, Sandra dropped her arms, stared at Grace and asked, “What just happened? And who are The Haints?” From experience, Grace knew The Haints would not let anyone who knew about them talk to someone they had not touched, so it was safe for Grace to tell an abbreviated story about them. And when Grace had finished telling the abbreviated story, Sandra and the other girls gave Grace their apologies and walked away, having become much better people for all the tomorrows to come. And Sandra did close her legs after the experience with The Haints, and she did open a book and study, to which she was rewarded with a ‘B’ in the math class for the semester; as did the other girls she used to be with.
Tara was one of those girls who seemed a natural at any sport she touched, and would often be better than those who had been playing it for some time. Most of those long timers were forced by their parents into the sport, so they had little love for whatever sport they played. Tara, on the other hand, loved whatever sport she played, and after getting the basics down, would outperform many of the long timers after a few short weeks, making her one of the best in that particular sport at school. And this burned the butts of more than one long timer, girls who felt they should be getting the attention because they’d played the sport the longest. The snarky attitude over Tara in the spotlight caused them to start playing worse, until they ended up on the bench or asked to quit the team; this also didn’t set well with their parents, who had scholarships in mind when they forced their daughters into this or that sport as a child.
Tara was showering after practice, when the curtain to her shower was ripped off the rings holding it to the shower bar. Standing there completely naked, she stared into the faces of ten very angry girls, each holding a solid item in their hands. “So,” Carol Ashton said with venom in her voice, “You think you can just waltz in her and take our places, when we’ve been playing this sport longer than you have? Well I got news for you, you bitch, after we get through with you you’ll never be able to play any sport again. Or have children.” As Tara watched, ten items clanked, thudded, or banged to the floor, as the ten girls stood frozen at the spot where they stood. Tara had seen this before, but not for her, and knew The Haints were showing these girls what real aggression was all about--their eyes gave away the fear they were feeling at the moment. They also knew what happened next because, again, their eyes gave away the fact they were experiencing pain between their eyes, which left as soon as it began.
It was about that time their coach walked into the locker room and spotted the ten girls standing before a very naked Tara, and the ten very deadly items lying on the floor. “What the hell is going on in here,” Cassey McDurmont asked, as she walked over to the girls. “Um...I was about to get a lesson in others not liking my abilities in the sport, coach,” Tara told Cassey. After The Haints gave the girls their usual speech, the ten girls were once again able to move, and as Tara had witnessed before, offered her their apologies before turning to face Ms. McDurmont. “Is that true, Carol, Steph, Charlotte, the rest of you, is that what you’d planned to do?” Cassey was practically yelling by then when she asked the question, and received mumbled, “Yes,” from all of the girls. “All of you, sit down over there,” Cassey yelled at them and pointed where she wanted them to sit. “Tara, I’m so sorry this happened, you didn’t deserve this. If you’re about finished showering, dry off and get dressed and wait in my office, please.” Cassey then pulled out her cell phone and phoned the office to have a couple of security guys sent to her for help in escorting ten girls to the office and to call the parent’s of, and she named off all ten girls. A few moments later two from security arrived, asked if they could enter, and when told they could, collected the items Cassey pointed to, the ten girls, and marched them to the office, while Cassey talked with Tara in her office.
It was quite the procession heading to the office, a security guy in front, ten scared girls, a security guy in the rear carrying ten items, then Cassey and Tara bringing up the rear. It got even worse when the girl’s parents arrived, and saw their daughters sitting outside Jenny’s office; ugly might be a better word when Jenny explained to the parents what Cassey said the girls were about to do to Tara. “That’s a bunch of bullshit,” Carol’s dad yelled at Jenny after he heard what Carol had told Tara what they were going to do to her. “My daughter would never do anything like that, ‘cause she knows I’d beat the shit out of her if she did.” And Steph’s mom was worse, being a lawyer, she threatened to, “Sue the school, the school board, Tara, and even have Tara banned from sports at the high school, if her precious daughter wasn’t let go this very minute.” Several more from security had showed up when things started getting crazy, until an air horn sounded and everyone became quiet. Everyone turned to see who had let off the air horn only to see Carol standing before them with the canned air horn in her hands. “Now that I have all of your attention, it’s time you heard the truth from the ten of us,” Carol told the assembled group.
“What Mrs. Glasstow told you is the truth, we were going to hurt Tara because she was a better player than us. We were going to hurt her so bad that she’d never be able to play sports again. We were going to hurt her bad enough so she could never have children,” and she turned to Tara and told her, “And we were wrong, I’m sorry Tara, we’re sorry, to have even thought of hurting you for no reason.” She then turned back to the stunned parents and told them, “All of you are partly to blame for this, this, what we almost did to Tara. We never wanted to play this stupid sport in the first place, and all of us told you so over the years. But you wouldn’t listen, you kept telling us we didn’t know what we were talking about, that we had to play if we wanted to go to college. Well news fact, parents of mine,” Carol said as she walked up to her parents, “I already can go to college because of my grades, so I don’t need this stupid sport anymore.” Carol’s courage to finally tell her parents what she’d been wanting to tell them for so long gave the other girls the courage to say the same to their parents. All of the girl’s parents had only focused on the sports aspect of school, not the academic side, and knew nothing of the grades their daughters had held since they started high school. All of the girls had grades that would guarantee them scholastic scholarships to any college or university they wanted, because they on their own time had applied and received notice of their scholarships from all of the universities they applied too.
To say the parents were stunned by what they heard from their daughters was an understatement, and actually caused a few to fly off in a rage because of what they were told. But those same parents were put in their places when that daughter told them to shut up and be quiet, that she was not going to continue playing something she actually hated. And more than one parent tried to take their daughter home, only to be stopped by the security personal, being told, “We’re not done yet,” by a very angry Jenny. As Jenny regained silence from the angry parents, it was Tara who spoke up on behalf of the ten girls when she asked Mrs. Glasstow, “Um...Mrs. Glasstow, I understand you’ll have to punish these girls, but since they didn’t actually do anything but tear down the shower curtain, instead of keeping them out of school, might they pay for the damaged shower curtain and have in school detention instead?” Tara’s question floored all ten girls. After what they were about to do to her, she stood up for them in trying to keep them in school; and they couldn’t understand why. Jenny told the parents to sit, and she pointed to where they were to sit, or be held for the police, while she took the ten girls into one of the conference rooms for a chat.
When Jenny, Cassey, Tara, and the ten girls were seated in the conference, it was Carol who asked, “Tara, why are you sticking your neck out for us after what we were going to do?” Tara only smiled at her before telling her, “Because it’s the best thing for all of you. I know from being in class with most of you about how good your grades are; good enough for scholarships. I also know that if you get suspended or expelled, all your hard work in the classroom goes out the window. And besides, it’s the right thing to do.” Jenny and Cassey were very impressed with what Tara told the girls, but even so these girls had intended to hurt Tara and that had to be punished. “So girls, your parents have been forcing you to play sports all along?” Jenny asked the ten, getting nods and ‘yeses’ from them. “You all understand what you were about to do was wrong, right?” Jenny asked the girls even though she already knew the answer and the reason why they knew it had been wrong. Again she received nods, and ‘yeses’ from the girls. “All of you are excellent students,” Cassey told the girls, “Why then did you have to almost hurt Tara? What’d she do to any of you?” It was Steph who answered for the group when she said, “It really wasn’t about Tara, Ms. Durmont, more about us being angry with our parents because they were forcing us to play sports we weren’t interested in playing. And if you like, more than one of us can show you the scars from the beatings we received if we refused to go to practice or demanded we stop being forced to play.” The last part of what Steph said got both Jenny and Cassey’s attention, and Jenny got on her cell phone and called the nurse, asking her to come to the conference room in the office. Once the nurse arrived, Jenny locked the door and had the girls show their scars. She then called not only the police, but child services as well. In calling the police she explained the need for a female police officer and a female photographer, and kept the girls in the room while she went out to talk to a few parents. She then had certain parents wait in another room, along with one of the security personnel, until the police arrived and could assess the situation, something she didn’t tell those certain parents.
When the four police officers walked into the school, two female officers and two male officers, and walked into the office, it really hit the fan then. Jenny took the four officers into her office and explained the situation about uncovering child abuse patterns that may have been going on for a number of years. Then the women officers, and woman photographer, followed Jenny to the conference room, the two men started asking the unfettered parents questions. It wasn’t long before the two women officers called their partners and showed them the digital pictures of a lot of scars many of the girls in the conference room carried. It was then a woman from child services arrived and was shown into the conference room, while the four officers went into the room that was holding certain parents. When the room opened again, the parents were taken out in handcuffs and walked out to the officer’s patrol cars, being given their rights as they walked. When the woman from child services saw for herself the scars these girls carried, she immediately started the paperwork to get these girls put into the care of other family members in the area, family members who had fought for years with the certain parents about their girls being forced to play a sport they hated. Except for one girl, all did have other family members in the immediate area who were glad to take the girl in, and one family who even took the girl in who didn’t have immediate family nearby. All the girls were told to report to the office first thing in the morning, before being taken home to get their clothing and necessities, then to their family member’s home. The officers and child services woman told Jenny they would get in touch with each girl to get a statement, and there would be a hearing, but tonight the girls were at least being taken care of by people who would treat them properly. As to those girls who were scar free, their parents got a big dose of reality when they heard their daughters tell them things they’d refused to hear for so long. And while they weren’t happy about what their daughter had almost done, they realized how wrong they’d been to force their daughters into something she didn’t want. And with a little help, realized they had to change.
The next day at school, word got around about what happened to Tara, and the ten girls yesterday after school, thanks to Jimmy’s somehow excellent news gathering source. The ten girls were in the office first thing before school, waiting to find out what their punishment would be, as Tara sat with them hoping to give them moral support. Jenny called them into her office, and was surprised to see Tara with them, asking, “Why are you here Tara? You didn’t do anything which warrants punishment.” “Because it’s the right thing to do Mrs. Glasstow, when others need help,” Tara told Jenny as she looked at the ten girls standing before Jenny. The ten girls still found it hard to believe that the girl they were about to hurt badly would stand up for them, and next to them, when she could just walk away as so many others had done to them.
Jenny cleared her throat before telling the girls, “All ten of you are getting in school detention after school. You will help Ms. Durmont clean the girls locker room, help clean and pick up anything in the gym she needs done, help put away any equipment, and anything else she needs help with. You will also meet with a counselor once a week while you’re on the month long detention, and maybe meet with that person for as long as they believe you need too. Girls,” Jenny said softly, making sure no one was about to come into her office, “I know the real reason you’ve had a change of attitude, The Haints, something you’ll never be able to talk about to anyone they haven’t touched. They’ve shown you things I hope to God we never experience, but could happen if our world gets as bad as theirs. You ten have a new chance to do good now, to help others see that this type of aggressiveness is bad for everyone. And with some of your parents in hot water, or reevaluating their position on making you play sports, you have a chance at a new life if you take advantage of it. The extenuating circumstances of all this is the only reason none of you were suspended or expelled, plus you never hurt Miss. Still. Your detention starts today after school, and the counselor will contact each of you to set up a time to meet.” The first bell sounded just as Jenny finished talking, which caused her to tell the eleven girls in front of her, “There’s first bell, all of you best get to your first class.” Jenny watched as the girls left her office, wondering as she did what each would now do with the rest of their lives. She felt it would be something worthwhile, as she saw each of the ten give Tara a tearful hug before they went their separate ways to class.
While many students had learned the penalty of harassing Tameria during school, she still wasn’t immune to those students in vocal class who felt she was getting preferential treatment because of her unique voice. Maybe it was because of the hormones she’d been taking, or because she turned out to be naturally gifted, whatever the reason, several girls in vocal made it their mission to take Miss “You sound good” down a peg or two so they could be back at the top once again. And they made their move when Tameria visited the girls room just off the vocal room.
Just after Tameria walked into the girls room, she was roughly shoved up against the wall face first, being stunned for a short time. “So, Miss ‘you sound good’ you’ve messed up our being the top ones in vocals, ruining our chances to get scholarships in vocals so we could attend college,” Keri Groom angrily whispered in Tameria’s ear. “And we have something with us that’s going to fix that right now.” An angry Keri spun Tameria around, pinned her against the wall as one of the other girls handed Keri a jar filled with some kind of liquid. Keri angrily stared at Tameria before telling her, “What’s in this jar will not only fix your voice but mess up your face as well, and then no one will want you around.” Two things happened at that precise moment: Keri had just taken the lid off the jar when her whole body froze in place, as did the other girls with her. The other thing was the entrance of Ms. O’Conner into the girls room, who was shocked by what she saw before her. Before she could ask what was going on, she heard in her mind,
”We are The Haints. Katherine O’Conner. Be at peace, we will you no harm. Katherine O’Conner. Those you see before you will to hurt Tameria Jinks because of her vocal ability. We The Haints can not allow that to happen. We will bring harmony to those before you. Katherine O’Conner. They will not be harmed. Katherine O’Conner.”
Katherine’s eyes went wide as she heard what the voice in her head told her, but she also stared as the scene before her as well. “What’s going on here, Tameria?” Katherine asked as she slowly walked towards the four girls standing before Tameria. “Hi Ms. O’Conner. Oh, Keri and these other girls are a bit put off that I’ve taken their place in being the top girls singer, or so they think. I don’t know what’s in the jar Keri is holding, but it sounded like it wasn’t going to be a pleasant experience for me if she’d been able to force it on me.” Katherine reached over one of the girls’ back and removed the jar from Keri’s hand, tentatively sniffing it only to find out it was liquid drain cleaner; Katherine retrieved the lid from the floor and put it back on the jar. “Tameria, just now I heard a voice, someone called The Haints, talking to me about not letting Keri and these others hurt you. I wasn’t imagining that, was I?”
Katherine saw Tameria’s face take on a very serious expression as she said, “No Ms. O’Conner, you weren’t imagining that voice. They call themselves The Haints, and they come from a time before our Earth could support life, and from a planet that’s millions upon millions of years from here, but is no more. Their purpose then, and now, was to bring harmony to those who were so aggressive that they tried to force everyone to believe as they did. They were so aggressive that they used a weapon which unintendedly ruptured their planet’s core and destroyed their world. When their planet blew up, The Haints were thrown out into space where they drifted until they reached our world, and found me; they said I was just the right person they were looking for.”
Tameria waited to allow Katherine to process what she just told her before going on. “You see Ms. O’Conner, they’ve been bringing harmony to several at this school who had it in their heads to hurt me or one of my friends, but they never hurt those students in any way. Those students were shown what The Haints recorded about the wars, death, and destruction on their planet before adjusting those student’s attitudes. If you remember how some students acted at the first of school, or if they were here last year, and look at them now, you will see that they are totally different people. It’s what The Haints do, it’s what they were created for, and they hope by helping us we might not suffer the same fate as they did.” As Katherine watched, the four girls before moaned as though in pain, while still unable to move, before each let out a squeal and closed their eyes tight against a pain that ended as quickly as it started.
“Tameria, what just happened?” Katherine asked Tameria. “Ms. O’Conner, The Haints just showed these girls the result of being aggressive towards others, aggressive enough to hurt others. That squeal was the pain the girls felt as The Haints adjusted their attitudes, and brought harmony to them. Ms. O’Conner, Katherine, The Haints trust you or they would not have revealed themselves to you. Had they not trusted you, you would not have remembered any of this until Keri and the others came to you about what they almost did to me. Katherine, because The Haints trust you they will be with you from now on, and help bring harmony when others are about to be hurt by someone.” Katherine was not too pleased by the informalness of Tameria’s address to her, but understood why when she felt a peace the likes she had never known. “Ah, Tameria, it’s to be Ms. O’Conner except when we’re alone, okay?” Katherine smiled at Tameria, before telling the four girls, “All right you four, in my office now.” When Katherine and the four girls reached Katherine’s office, she was surprised to find Jenny already there, even before she’d called her. All Jenny did was point to her head and mouthed, The Haints.
Jenny had the full story about Keri and the other three girls, thanks to The Haints relaying information directly from Tameria. Jenny really had a problem on her hands this time, because that drain cleaner could have done more to Tameria than those girls wanted to do to her. If the police were brought in, as they should be, they’d have a lot of questions that would not be answered, making them even more suspicious of the situation. No, this time Jenny was going to let the parents handle their daughters, and give them detention for the rest of the semester in the kitchen. She called her secretary and had her contact the parents of all four girls, and asked when they arrived that they be shown to the vocal room.
Jenny knew all of the girl’s parents, and to a one, they were very nice down to earth people, who would never condone what their daughters were about to do to Tameria. And she wasn’t surprised when the last set of parents arrived in the vocal room, and the door was closed, and after Jenny told them what Keri and the three girls were about to do to Tameria, that they exploded on the girls--and not her or Katherine. It was Keri’s parents who pronounced their sentence first. “You were never raised to think yourself better than anyone around you, but to do the best you could or knew how. We’re very disappointed in you and what you tried to do to a girl who was different than you when it came to singing. For the rest of this year, we will bring you to school. We will pick you up directly after school lets out. You will not be allowed to participate in any school functions, no dances, no Friday night game, nothing. You will not be allowed to go on any dates. You will help your mom and me around the house when help is needed. When we go somewhere, you go too. Because of what you almost did here today, you will have to earn our trust in you again. You will also be seeing a counselor as often as that person deems it necessary; we’ll get an appointment as soon as we can.” Keri’s dad held nothing back.
When Mr. Groom had wound down, it was the turn of another set of parents, giving their daughters much the same speech and sentence. When all the parents had handed down their sentences, Jenny threw one more on top of those. She stood to the side so she faced both the four girls and their parents and told them, “Starting today after school, and until the end of the semester, you four will have detention in the kitchen after school; report to Mrs. Mitchell in the cafeteria after school lets out for the day. Except for medical emergencies, if you miss a day after school, you will be expelled, period. There will be no reprieve. I hope you four think long and hard about what you almost did, because you could have killed Tameria with that stuff.” The second bell sounded, letting everyone know that last period had started, making the four girls and Tameria last to their last class. Katherine handed out hall passes and explanations concerning the girls being tardy, and sent them on their way. After the girls left the parents followed shortly afterwards, apologizing for their daughters behavior. Because Katherine didn’t have a class that period, she and Jenny sat in Katherine’s office and talked about what almost happened, and The Haints. Jenny told Katherine that she really needed to speak with Tameria since The Haints had chosen her and told her way more than anyone else. And it surprised Katherine when she heard Jenny thought talk with Tameria and asked her to come to her office after school, she needed to tell Ms. O’Conner more about The Haints.
After school let out, Tameria headed to the office as Jenny asked, to tell Ms. O’Conner more about The Haints; actually she was going to let The Haints tell Ms. O’Conner more about themselves. And how they would tell her about themselves would come as a huge shock. Jenny’s secretary saw Tameria coming and told her, “Go right in, you’re expected.” Tameria knocked on Jenny’s office door, and after hearing “enter” she opened the door and walked into the office, closing and locking the door behind her. Jenny didn’t bat an eye when Tameria locked the door, but Katherine gave Jenny and Tameria a questioning look before asking, “Um...why did you lock the door, Tameria? Is all this that serious?” Before Katherine’s questions were answered, Jenny picked up the phone and told her secretary she was not to be disturbed unless it was an emergency. When Jenny put the phone down, she told Katherine, “Yes, Katherine, it’s that serious, and you’ll understand why in just a few moments.”
“Ms. O’Conner,” Tameria addressed Katherine, remembering her admonishment when they weren’t alone, “I could tell you more about The Haints, but it would be best if you let them give you a show and tell, to better understand what they are and where they came from. It might come as a shock to you when they start talking to you, but know they will not harm you in any way. Now, if you’ll just sit back, relax, close your eyes, they’ll explain things much better than I ever could.” Katherine gave Jenny and Tameria a questioning look, getting reassuring nods from both women, before she did as Tameria said, sitting back in her chair, relaxing and closing her eyes.
”We are The Haints. Katherine O’Conner. We will you no harm. Katherine O’Conner. We will to tell about ourselves so you can aid us in bringing harmony to the aggressives of your world so your world will not suffer the same fate as our world. Katherine O’Conner. We come from a planet which was perpendicular to this solar system, many millions upon millions of your miles from this planet. Our creator saw a need to try and bring harmony in order to stop the aggressives on our planet from forcing everyone to believe as they did. Her work had to be secret, or the aggressives would have destroyed her and her work. She worked ten of your years to get as far as she did, but it was not far enough, for when the aggressives saw they needed to destroy all who would not believe as they did, they deployed a weapon which ruptured our planet’s core, causing our planet to destroy itself. We, like the rest of our planet, were thrown out into space, where we drifted for millions upon millions of years until we reached this system, and found this planet. We searched for more of your years for the right person who we knew we could trust and would allow us to fulfill our purpose. Our search led us to Tameria Jinks, when her time was right. We are now with Tameria Jinks, Grace Jackson, Beckie Smoothers, Tara Still, Jenny Glasstow, and now you. We have touched others and brought harmony to them because they will to harm others, but will not allow them to know about our existence. We are many. Katherine O’Conner. But not enough for all the aggressives of this world, the aggressives who could destroy your world. Katherine O’Conner. With your help, and the help of others. Katherine O’Conner. We will multiply and become even greater in number and be taken other places so the aggressive can be given harmony. You were chosen. Katherine O’Conner. Because you enjoy to travel. We,The Haints, need to travel to reach more of the aggressive and bring harmony to them. We will not harm anyone. Katherine O’Conner. You need do nothing. Katherine O’Conner. But we need your help. Katherine O’Conner. If allowed, we will show you why. Katherine O’Conner.”
Katherine opened her eyes after The Haints stopped speaking to her, looking to Jenny and Tameria for another answer. “They told me ‘if allowed’ they could show me why they need my help. What do they mean ‘show me’.” Tameria looked at Jenny and Jenny nodded back to Tameria, with Tameria chosen to explain to Katherine what The Haints meant. “Ms. O’Conner, The Haints have recorded everything that happened on their planet from the time they were first created to the destruction of their planet. It isn’t pretty, but it will give you a better idea why their creator believed they were needed. But understand, if you allow them to show you the images, it will be troublesome, and likely cause you a lot of discomfort. To allow them to show you just close your eyes and tell them you give them permission to show you why they need your help.” Katherine remembered what she saw in the vocal room girls restroom, and wondered if she was strong enough to experience the same thing. She had done some crazy things in her day, and some of it took a lot of courage, so maybe she could handle this as well. When she opened her eyes again, tears were rolling down her cheeks, knowing an entire planet had been destroyed because of a bunch of jackasses who believed everyone needed to believe as they did. She took several deep breaths to help calm herself down before saying to neither Jenny or Tameria in particular, “Oh gawd, that was intense. And all those lives lost because a bunch of people acted like selfish five-year-olds. How can anyone not help The Haints after seeing what they witnessed? Oh...my...God! That was just horrible,” Katherine said before starting to cry in earnest, as both Jenny and Tameria sat besides her and held her tight. They’d done the same, at one time or another, so they knew exactly why she was crying, and knew she needed them at that moment.
It took a few moments before Katherine cried herself out, only then realizing Jenny and Tameria were holding her. “Thanks, you two, I think I needed the support.” Both Jenny and Tameria kissed her on each cheek before Tameria told her, “That’s what friends do.” Katherine just smiled, then pulled the two ladies into her and held onto them. Tameria didn’t want to break up the moment, but she had to tell Ms. O’Conner, “Ms. O’Conner, all of this is very serious. If the wrong people learn about The Haints, they will want to use them for their own purposes, likely getting a lot of people killed in the process--including the three of us and others in this school. So it’s important you never let on you know anything about The Haints or speak to anyone about The Haints, unless The Haints directs you to do so. They need time, Ms. O’Conner, time to gain strength and multiply so they can reach all who are aggressive and wish to harm others. We here at the school, and a few parents, are just the beginning, Ms. O’Conner, the beginning that might just help save our own planet some day.” After what The Haints showed Katherine, she understood the wisdom of Tameria’s words. “Well, I have a lot to think about and talk about with them, to know how I can help them better. I guess I better get back to my office and get things ready so I can go home,” Katherine said, then turned to Tameria, “And if I’m not mistaken, your mom is here to take the four of you home. Right?” Jenny and Tameria only smiled, because the only way Katherine would know that, is through The Haints, and Tameria’s mom--whom Katherine now knew had The Haints with her. The three women shared another group hug before Tameria and Katherine left Jenny’s office, with Jenny telling Carol, Tameria was on her way.
As things settled into a daily school routine, and the girls had to watch their backs less and less, they started to get interested in joining the clubs and teams which were offered at the school. Because Grace had an affinity for math, she went to one of the math club meetings to scope it out, and ended up joining the club. Tara gave the volleyball team a try and it was the coach who asked her to join after watching her stuff the ball down one of her best player’s throat. It didn’t hurt when it was her turn to serve, she scored more aces than any of the other girls on the team. Beckie decided to see what the drama club offered, and discovered, much to her surprise, she was actually good at drama, when she was asked to read a part by the director.
Tameria was basically drafted into the art club, as a form of detention, after Mrs. Bridges, her history teacher, caught her drawing instead of reading as they’d been instructed. When Tameria told Mrs. Bridges she’d already read the material, twice, Mrs. Bridges gave Tameria a questioning eye then told her, “See me after class.” When history was over, Tameria hung back and got an impromptu quiz over the material they were to read in class--at which she passed with flying colors. Mrs. Bridges then asked to see the drawing Tameria had done, and after looking at the drawing asked her, “Ever thought of joining the art club? This is really good work.” Tameria told Mrs. Bridges no, that she really didn’t know what she wanted to get involved in, but she wanted to do something. Mrs. Bridges then told her, “Why don’t you give the art club a try, you might find you’ll like it?” Mrs. Bridges told Tameria when the art club met, and Tameria said she’d think about it--she showed up after school in the room where the art club met, and saw Mrs. Bridges there along with others she knew. Tameria had found her “something” to get involved in.
The three girls made it a point to attend the home volleyball games to watch Tara play, and to root for the school team. The three were given a heads up by The Haints when four nice looking boys sat close by in the bleachers. The girls had seen the boys in school, one was even Beckie’s math class, and they knew these four were no knuckle draggers. Brad Swell, Jeremy Stone, Chad Brinkwater, and Keith Sterner, had seen the four girls around school but kept their distances because of the trouble the girls had run into. Because Chad was in Beckie’s math class, she said hi to him and that started the ball rolling with Grace and Tameria meeting Jeremy and Brad--Keith knew Tara was playing but asked if they’d introduce her to him after the game. The three girls smiled at his request, but were reassured by The Haints that it was alright, Tara had wanted to meet him as well.
So they each didn’t have to shout over the cheering during the game, the guys moved to sit next to the girls, Jeremy next to Grace, Tameria next to Brad, and Chad next to Beckie, and Keith sat with the group, waiting for his chance to meet Tara. In fact, when each couple started talking about their interests and likes and dislikes, and their fears, it became obvious to the practiced eye that these couples were very comfortable with each other. And would likely spend some time with each other over the coming weeks, or months, or even years. Tameria at one point went with Brad to get the group something to drink, and she asked him point blank, “You know about me right?” And when Brad nodded she continued with, “And it doesn’t bother you?” Brad gave her a slight smile and told her, “I don’t go by a person’s appearance but by who they are inside. I’ve been watching you since school started, and you’ve only been concerned about the others who’ve given you a bad time. Instead of trying to get them back for what they did or tried to do, you helped them not get kicked out of school or get help from someone who was trained to help. I’ve wanted to meet you all this time and get to know you better.” Tameria could only sputter and blush at what Brad just told her. “But what about what others will say about you if we continue to see each other?” Tameria was now worried about what some of the boys would do to Brad when they saw him with her. Brad gave her an enigmatic smile before telling her, “I don’t care what others think, or try. I’ve had my share of bullies try and take me out, and they paid the price for trying. Tameria, please don’t worry, I can give much better than I can get.” He then took her hand and together they walked to the snack bar for the drinks they wanted, and The Haints gave her a peaceful feeling as they did so. As for the game, it wasn’t a walk in the park for Tara’s team but they finally pulled it out of the fire during the last set, winning by six points to give them a three sets to one to win the match; they won their second set by only three points.
They all waited for Tara after the game, even though their parents were waiting and had been watching their children while the game was played. And when it was explained to all the parents why the wait was needed, they all liked what they heard, so waiting wasn’t a problem. When Tara finally came out of the dressing room, the girls threw her at Keith, literally, which caused all of them to laugh at Keith’s reaction. Tara tried to apologize for her moronic friends, which made the three girls giggle, but Keith brushed it off when he explained he’d been wanting to meet her since the start of school. He then told her she played really well for her first time playing volleyball. Tara reached over and took his arm then told him, “You say the nicest things to a girl,” then giggled, as the two followed the others out of the gym and to their waiting parents. Emails and addresses were exchanged before the eight said goodnight, and eight happy teens headed home with their parents, smiling all the way. The girls loved the attention from the four boys, but nothing serious developed as the parents had hoped.
When the girls got off the bus at school the next morning, Jimmy was waiting for them by the front doors. “Have you heard, a bunch of girls are really mad at you guys for taking those four boys for yourselves. That bunch had made plans to get them for themselves, and you four spoiled it. All of you better watch out, there is some nasty talk going around.” The girls thanked Jimmy as he disappeared in the mass moving towards the school’s front doors. As the four girls were about to join the throng headed inside the school, four girls walked by in front of the girls and gave them the finger, telling the girls, “You four better watch your backs, we’re coming for you for what you’ve done to us.” Flipping the girls off again, the four were swallowed up in the crowd of students. Tara was the first to speak when she said, “Remind me, are we in grade school or high school? I can’t really tell because of those four twats.” The other three laughed at what Tara said, but it was Tameria who reminded them, “We don’t have anything to worry about, but those girls do. Just remember, They won’t let anyone hurt us, okay?” It took Tameria to mention The Haints for the three girls to relax, remembering the last time someone tried to hurt one of them. It was Beckie who said, “Well, won’t they have an unexpected surprise?” And with that, the four joined the flowing throng and headed to their first period classes--keeping an eye out just in case.
The just in case occurred during the morning break, in one of the girls west restroom when Beckie had to use the restroom. After she finished her business, and came out of the stall, she was confronted by the four girls, who did not look one bit happy. Brenda Fisher seemed to be the pissed off group foreperson when she said to Beckie, “So, you skanks think you can steal our boyfriends and not suffer for it. Well, bitch, get ready to suffer.” As the four girls started walking towards Beckie, the restroom door opened and in walked Tara, Tameria, Grace, and three other girls The Haints had touched in the past weeks. Six girls going into the same girls restroom, at the same time, was not missed by Ms. Carol or Mrs. Bridges, who were both heading to the teacher’s lounge. The two teachers followed the six into the restroom only to find Beckie standing with her back to the far wall, four girls in front of her and the new six standing behind the front four. They only got a snippet of the conversation that was taking place, but heard enough to fully understand what was taking place.
“Hi girls,” Ms. Carol said to the girls, as she and Mrs. Bridges made their way through the back six girls. “So, Brenda, care to explain just why you were about to hurt Beckie?” Ms. Carol watched as Brenda’s face took on a very sour look, her eyes wanting to shoot daggers if they could. But she remained silent as Ms. Carol continued with, “What, afraid now that you’re outnumbered? Well, not to worry, Mrs. Bridges and I heard enough to know what you four were going to do and why. I will remind you, Brenda, and you other three, this is high school, not grade or middle school. You are held to a higher standard of behavior than in those two schools. And as such, I’m sure Mrs. Glasstow would be more than happy to explain that to you four. So why don’t the four of you come with us to go see Mrs. Glasstow, hmm?”
The back six girls parted to let the four through, and it was about then the four winced and cried out as a short burst of pain hit each of them. It was over as quickly as it started, but didn’t go unnoticed by the two teachers; the six girls already knew what those four just experienced and knew by the time they reached Mrs. Glasstow’s office, they’d be completely different girls. The look on the six girls’ faces also didn’t go unnoticed by the two teachers, and while Ms. Carol led the four girls to Jenny’s office, Mrs. Bridges asked the six, “And why the faces, girls? Do you know something about those four girls’ sudden reaction as they were leaving?”
The first bell for the next period sounded, and Tameria asked Mrs. Bridges, “Mrs. Bridges, if we explain what happened we’ll be late for our next class. Can the six of us meet you and Ms. Carol somewhere after school and explain?” Janet had several of these girls in her history classes, and knew them to be good students, never causing her any problems. She saw Tameria and the others were being very sincere in not wanting to be late for their next classes, so told them, “My classroom after school, okay?” The six girls nodded and then streaked out of the restroom, racing to their next classes in order to beat the second bell. They all made it, barely, and used crowded restrooms as their reasons for just making it to class. The female teachers understood from experience, the male teachers not so much, giving those girls a warning about getting to class on time.
Tameria, Grace, and Beckie were free after school because their clubs didn’t meet on that day. Tara was free because her coach had to attend a coach’s meeting and had called off practice. The four walked into Mrs. Bridges classroom and found the other girls already there, along with Ms. Carol. Janet closed the classroom door before asking, “Okay, someone tell me what happened to those four girls as they were leaving the restroom.” There was a soft knock on the door, before it opened and Jenny walked into the classroom. Smiling apologetically, Jenny told Janet and Debra, “I thought I could help the girls explain things to you, and be here for moral support.” Janet looked at Debra then asked, “Jenny fine, please come in, but would someone mind telling Debra and I what the hell is going on?” Janet’s thermometer was in the red, and it showed. So because Tameria was the initial contact for The Haints, and they had been with her the longest, she stood and started explaining.
“Mrs. Bridges, Ms. Carol, how much of an open mind do you both have? You need an open mind if you’re to understand what I’m about to say and what you may experience. I say may because it has yet to be determined if you both can be trusted with all the information.” Tameria raised her hand to quell the protests which both ladies were about to launch. “I don’t determine if you can be trusted, The Haints do, I just happen to be the person they chose to be their main contact. I assure you, they hurt no one when they find it necessary to act, but those they act upon are better people afterwards. You can ask Keri if you need to,” Tameria watched both women and tried to determine if she should continue. Both had puzzled expressions on their faces, but both indicated they wanted to know more. “I think the two of you should sit down before we go any further, because what you’re going to experience will come as a bit of a shock.” Janet and Debra pulled up two chairs and sat down, and tensed as The Haints started speaking in their minds.
”We are The Haints. Janet Bridges. Debra Carol. We will you no harm. Janet Bridges. Debra Carol. We will to tell our story. Janet Bridges. Debra Carol. If allowed.”
“WHOA,” Debra said as she flew out of her chair, turning to look at the chair and staring at Tameria, then Jenny in turn, when The Haints stopped speaking. “You knew about all this?” Debra asked Jenny, finding it hard to believe Jenny Glasstow, straight lace principal, would let something like this go on in the school. “Yes, Debra, Janet, I knew about this and have had them speak to me as well. And yes, it was a shock my first time too, but you need to let them continue. That’s why they stopped speaking to you, they want both your permissions before they will tell you more. They never force someone to listen to them unless they are about to hurt someone. Then that person, or persons, has no choice but to listen. I know exactly what you two are thinking right now, I was there as well. But hear them out, you won’t regret it.” Now everyone was watching Debra and Janet, hoping they’d give The Haints permission to continue their story. Debra furrowed a brow before sitting back down and asking, “Um...how do we ask something to continue when we can’t see them?” It was Beckie who answered her question by saying, “Just say you give permission to continue, they’ll hear you.” First Debra, and then Janet, told The Haints they have permission to continue their story, but not before both ladies sat back down.
”We are The Haints. Janet Bridges. Debra Carol. We will you no harm. We will to tell you our story which may help to avoid what our planet suffered. Janet Bridges. Debra Carol. We come from a planet millions upon millions of your miles to the perpendicular of this solar system. We have wandered for millions upon millions of years after our planet was destroyed by the aggressives. The aggressives believed all should believe as they did, and when they saw none would, they began a war against those who believed not as they did. Our creator saw a need for harmony of the aggressives, and began the process of our creation. Her work was done in secret lest she and her work be destroyed. But her work took too long to fully complete, and when the aggressives saw they were losing they deployed a weapon which ruptured our planet’s core and scattered The Haints and our planet throughout the Universe. Our purpose is to bring harmony to those aggressives who will to harm others, but we will not to harm them otherwise. We will to join with you, if allowed, so you may help us bring harmony when aggressives will to do harm. We will to bring harmony to your planet so it may not suffer the fate we experienced.”
If a pin had been dropped in that room, no one would have any trouble hearing it bounce around the floor before stopping. Debra and Janet sat stark still, trying to comprehend what they just heard, trying to comprehend that it even happened. Coming out her dazed expression, Janet asked, “And this is what you all were told at some point? And you believe what you were told?” Before Debra could say anything or Janet anything more, there was another soft knock on the classroom door before it opened, and Katherine O’Conner walked into the room. “Debra, Janet, The Haints thought I might be of some help in helping you two believe what you just heard. You see, I saw it happen too, right before my eyes in the girls restroom in the vocal room. And believe me, it was a shock when The Haints explained why they are now here.” This time it was Debra who asked, “You just heard what The Haints told us just now? Just a few minutes ago--how?” “Debra,” Katherine began, “I allowed The Haints to be with me, and in doing so they can communicate between each other or allow us to think-talk with each other. I watched four girls, who were about to hurt Tara, and who were actually snotty kids, change in the blink of an eye after The Haints adjusted their attitudes. You’ve seen it yourselves, you just don’t realize it. Think back to last year, and some of the boys we had to deal with; and some girls too. Look at them now, don’t you see the change in them. I can assure it didn’t happen over the summer because I saw several of them over the summer and they were still little darlings who needed some serious discipline. But since school started, and Tameria brought The Haints with her, they’ve changed because The Haints change them without hurting them.”
Katherine stopped talking to let Debra and Janet think about what she just told them, watching as the realization hit them about some of the more unruly students they had last year. “Damn,” Janet said, “I now see what you mean. I had one boy last year who needed drop kicked right out of school, but his parents saved him by screaming loud and long. And I’ve seen him this year and he is a totally different person.” Janet nodded her head and said the same thing. “So,” Janet said to the group, “How do we tell these Haints to be with us as well, assuming you want it too Debra?” Janet looked at Debra who was still processing everything but started nodding her head before saying, “Yeah, how do we ask them to be with us?” Tara just giggled and told them, “Tell them you want them with you.” And two more of the school staff went away having companions who came from the stars, companions who will bring harmony to those who will to hurt others. The group finally broke up, all the girls heading home, and the teachers, or Jenny, finishing up so they too could leave school and head home.
The rest of the week at school saw more than a few gain harmony, due to three teachers who were in the right place at the right time to witness a few groups go after some they found repulsive. In some cases Jenny had to get involved, and when she did, the parents were informed, and detention assigned instead of suspension or expulsion; the school was going to be quite clean after a few weeks. Even though these kids got off easy, by school standards, what awaited them at home was not easy by any standards; more than one student dropped out of one or more club or activity for the semester. And more than one student wasn’t seen out and about on the weekends. These students were the ones The Haints were able to bring harmony too, and were able to stop from causing harm. But some weren’t so lucky, some ended up needing medical attention because their harm took place outside of the school. And yet those who hurt others outside of school weren’t smart enough to remain silent, they had to brag about what they did to this queer or that queer. And when the girls The Haints were with heard these braggarts, The Haints went to work and the thugs ended up going to Jenny and confessing. They were also turned over to their parents for an extended stay at home because of being suspended.
It was a Thursday night, and both of Tameria’s brothers had gone to bed. Her parents were sitting on the sofa reading, and she was in her room doing homework, when the three heard,
”Tameria Jinks. Meet with us. Brian Jinks. Meet with us. Carol Jinks. Meet with us.”
Jenny Glasstow had just climbed into a nice hot bath, laced with her favorite bubbles, when she heard,
”Jenny Glasstow. Meet with us.”
To say the four were surprised would be understating the obvious. Brian and Carol almost wet themselves when The Haints spoke to them. Tameria almost screamed loud enough to wake up her brothers. Jenny did scream, only to cover up the scream by saying the water was too hot, when her husband asked if everything was alright. And once The Haints had their attention, they wasted no time in explaining their reason for the meeting.
”We are The Haints. Brian Jinks. Carol Jinks. Tameria Jinks. Jenny Glasstow. We speak of transmutation of Tameria Jinks. This we spoke of once before. We speak now because it will soon be needed, for we have learned others outside of the school construct have plan to will harm to Tameria Jinks. Others outside the school construct believe Tameria Jinks is a bad influence on those within the school construct. We The Haints are able to will those who will to harm Tameria Jinks, and all those who know Tameria Jinks, to always know Tameria Jinks is a human female. This we can do once Tameria Jinks is transmuted into a human female.”
When all four heard what The Haints had said, questions flew back and forth until one pierced the questions Brian, Carol, and Tameria were asking. ”Um...pardon my stupid question,” Jenny said, ”But when did The Haints discuss transmuting Tameria, and exactly what do they mean?” It was Brian who answered Jenny’s question by telling her, ”When we first met The Haints, Carol, Tameria, and I, they talked about turning Tameria into a real girl, a complete real girl. And it’s my guess that once she’s made into a real girl, The Haints will change everyone who knows Tameria so they know that she was born a real girl. Is that correct, The Haints?”
”That is correct. Brain Jinks. Tameria Jinks will become a complete human female. Those who know her will be adjusted and will never know the Tameria Jinks before herself now.”
”But what about those of us who you are with? Will we too be adjusted so we have no memory of Robert Jinks? What about her grandparents? What about her brothers, will they never remember the brother they once had? What about all her records? Her birth records, school records, tax returns indicating Robert being the son of Brian and Carol? Records of anything that was kept for anything Robert participated in up to entering high school?” The questions seemed to roll off Jenny’s tongue, questions that Brian and Carol had also wondered about. The Haints, Brian, Carol, Tameria, and Jenny all got quiet; The Haints waiting for a reply from the other four. It was Tameria who finally asked the question which the others were thinking, but had not asked. ”The Haints, how long would it take to turn me into a real girl? Will it hurt when you do?”
”Tameria Jinks. We will you no harm. Transmutation will take one of your nights to complete. We will you no harm. Tameria Jinks. You will be asleep when transmutation takes place. You will have no pain. Tameria Jinks. Those who know you at the school construct will be adjusted at that time. They will have no pain. Tameria Jinks. Those not at the school construct will be adjusted at the time of their meeting. Tameria Jinks. They too will have no pain. Tameria Jinks. Jenny Glasstow. Those we are with will remember Tameria Jinks before herself now. The brothers are immature. Jenny Glasstow. We The Haints have not shown ourselves to them. Jenny Glasstow. We await permission from the Jinks before adjusting their memories. Jenny Glasstow. We also await permission before adjusting the memories of grandparents. Jenny Glasstow. We have not shown ourselves to grandparents. Jenny Glasstow. We will meet those humans then decide if we show ourselves to them. Jenny Glasstow. You speak of stored information for Robert Jinks. Jenny Glasstow. We The Haints can affect change of all stored information for Robert Jinks. Jenny Glasstow. All stored information will indicate Tameria Jinks to be human female. Jenny Glasstow.”
Nothing was said, but The Haints could tell the four were thinking about what they told Tameria and Jenny. They had seen from Brian and Carol’s memories what the grandparents had been like when Tameria came out to everyone, and while they were not aggressively negative towards her, they still have their reservations. They would need to be with the grandparents before they could decide if they would have their memories adjusted as well. When the silence had stretched enough, Brian asked, ”How much time do we have to make the decision, The Haints? And why not bring harmony to those outside school who want to hurt Tameria? That’s what you’ve done to others who were going to hurt Tameria.”
”Brian Jinks. The time frame you ask is in your terms, soon. Those who will to harm Tameria Jinks do not know when their will to harm Tameria Jinks will occur. The Haints do not will the harm to Tameria Jinks to occur. The Haints would bring harmony to those who would try, but these humans have only listened to their young humans who do not like Tameria Jinks. In time, those young humans will be given harmony. Brian Jinks. We The Haints can not bring harmony to those not in immediate vicinity. Brian Jinks. And as we have learned, harm to humans does not always mean physical harm. Brian Jinks. As we The Haints have been with Tameria Jinks, we have learned human psyche can be harmed, while not the physical being. Brian Jinks. The ones who plan to will harm to Tameria Jinks will to harm Tameria Jinks’ psyche. Brian Jinks. As this will not harm Tameria Jinks physically, we The Haints believe your law enforcement have a better way to handle this group. If we have studied correctly. Brian Jinks. When caught, they will be known as sexual deviants. Brian Jinks. As such, each will be required to let others know of the designation they’ve been given. Brian Jinks. And as such, each will ruin their own lives because of their choice. Brian Jinks. Once your law enforcement records their behavior, we The Haints will give them harmony. Brian Jinks. They will know of their wrongdoing and no longer will to harm others.”
What The Haints said at the last shocked everyone listening, and it was Tameria who stood up for that group by telling The Haints, ”The Haints, have you studied the lives of those who’ve been designated sex offenders? Have you understood the hell they go through because of that designation? This group needs punished if they do what you say, but not in the way that will happen if they become sex offenders; it will literally kill some of them, by their own hands. And have you taken into account those in their families who have nothing to do with what this group plans? What about them? They don’t deserve to suffer because some in their family acted stupidly. If you want to punish this group, then show them everything you have shown others about the events which lead up to the destruction of your planet. Let them see the horrors of what real aggression is capable of doing. Then give them harmony and let them remember how it felt to see such horrors.”
There was silence after Tameria finished speaking, just as though The Haints were thinking about what Tameria just told them. But the silence didn’t last as long as it was felt, because they then heard,
”We are The Haints. Tameria Jinks. Our silence was an effort to study those things you asked. Tameria Jinks. We see the wisdom of your words. Tameria Jinks. Those designated sex offenders live worse than those without shelters to live in. Tameria Jinks. If we, The Haints, did as we said, we would bring harm to those of the group who did not plan with the group. Tameria Jinks. We The Haints would then become the aggressive. Tameria Jinks. We can not become the aggressive. Tameria Jinks. That is not our purpose. Tameria Jinks. We The Haints will do as Tameria Jinks said. Tameria Jinks.”
Tameria didn’t realize it, but she had been holding her breath, wondering what The Haints were going to say after the silence; no one else realized they’d been holding their breaths either until they all took a real deep breath. Tameria had realized, just like the girls in the restroom, had The Haints given the group harmony when the police were present, another situation would be created where someone would start asking questions best not asked. And like Janet and Debra, the police would want an answer. No, actually, the police would demand answers, and wouldn’t let up until they got them. No, Tameria realized it was best to deal with this group without any law enforcement whatsoever--be it City, State, County, or those at the malls. Tameria was shocked a bit when she heard,
”We are The Haints. Tameria Jinks. We follow your current reasoning for not involving your law enforcement. Tameria Jinks. We The Haints thank Tameria Jinks for not letting The Haints become the aggressive. Tameria Jinks. The group will be dealt with as The Haints have dealt with those at the school construct. Tameria Jinks. They will not be harmed. Tameria Jinks.”
Everyone felt it when The Haints, “signed off,” and left the four to themselves. They spent a few more minutes thinking between themselves, wondering how they needed to keep the group from hurting Tameria. And now that The Haints was going to keep the group from doing what they’d planned, did Tameria need to become a full girl right away? And then change all records about Robert? It was Jenny who left first when she told the others, ”I have to go. One of my little ones is standing at the bathroom door telling me they’re hungry. Take care you three.” And she was gone out of Brian, Carol, and Tameria’s thoughts. And it was Carol who told Tameria she needed to get to her homework, and they’d talk about all this tomorrow. It was late, but not that late Tameria couldn’t get what homework she had done quickly. Even after she bathed, told her parents goodnight, and got into bed, she couldn’t stop wondering what it would be like to finally be a real, complete girl. One who had everything necessary to give birth one day if she chose too. One who would know how it felt to create life with a man. She lay in her bed thinking about all that, plus what The Haints said tonight, and when she finally did drift off to sleep, it was with the knowledge that one day The Haints would change her into a real, complete, girl. Something she’s wanted for as long as she could remember.
Both Carol and Brian cautioned Tameria to be extra careful at school today, since The Haints said the group was gunning for her. When she got on the bus, Tameria sat with Beckie, while Tara saved a place for Grace. As they rode to school, Tameria thought to the other girls what The Haints told her and her parents about the group who have plans to hurt her. She thought to them that The Haints wanted law enforcement to handle the problem, but as Tameria pointed out, the police would want answers if that group was given harmony in their presence, and would not stop asking questions until they got answers. ”So what will you do,” Grace asked, just as they arrived at school. All Tameria told the three was, ”Be extra careful.”
By the end of the school day, Tameria found that being extra careful wasn’t necessary that day, even though The Haints had to harmonize a couple of idiots who forgot their brains in their others heads, or were using their smaller heads to think with. Two of the other teachers, The Haints are with, did have to allow The Haints to show a couple of students the dangers of aggression, and give them detention after they were given harmony. Her one major highlight was seeing Brad during the morning break, again asking him point blank about him being with her even though he knew the whole truth. He again affirmed what he told her at the game, that it didn’t matter to him, he only cared about who she was on the inside. When asked, he refused to explain the bruise under his right eye, only saying the idiot who did it won’t be doing anything much for some time. And that the two with the guy had a change of heart when their “tough” guy buddy hit the ground hard, and didn’t get up. Brad did tell Tameria, again, “Tameria, don’t worry, I give much worse than I receive, I always have.” When the bell rang Brad gave Tameria a peck on the lips before heading to his next class, that act not going unnoticed by more than a few students, some not happy seeing the act. All the clubs met that day, and Tara’s coach was back so she had practice, so they waited for each other before walking home; thankfully without any confrontations this time.
Tameria’s life fell into a routine, one which offered a measure of stability. She’d go to school, go to her club when it met, go to the games and met Brad there, and when she came home Brian or Carol, or both, would ask about any troubles she might have had that day. She’d help her mom in the kitchen and around the house, and if Brian needed help she’d pitch in and do her best. She even helped her brothers when they got stuck on something while doing their homework. So when the week ended, and the group never materialized, they decided it may never happen and thought nothing more of it even when Carol took the four girls shopping at the mall the next morning.
A group of men or boys following some women is easier to spot than a group of women following a group of women; each group is after all, shopping, right? Carol never realized six girls and three women were shadowing her and the four girls, since any time she turned to look at something while in a store, the nine just looked like other women doing their own shopping. Even walking down the mall concourse, that group would be behind Carol and the girls, window shopping, pointing and telling each other “oh, how cute.” It wasn’t until Carol and the girls reached the food court, and Tameria broke off for an emergency run to the ladies, that the nine made their move. Carol just caught Tameria coming out of the ladies when the nine forced her back into the restroom, Carol immediately telling the other three girls, “Come on, someone’s after Tameria, again.” It was hard to hurry without running, or drawing attention to themselves, but they did it, and when they burst into the ladies room, they found the nine standing quite still, clutching their heads, with Tameria standing with her back to the wall in front of them.
“Oh, hi mom. Here’s the group we were warned about. The six girls are from school, and the three ladies are their moms. Our friends never gave them a chance to do anything more than squawk before freezing them. Seems they didn’t like my, so called, influence at school. They believed I was going to convert others to my way of life, even though when I asked them about my way of life, they didn’t have a clue what I was talking about. Our friends are giving these women the full treatment, and they should be done right...about...now.”
When the women finally came around after The Haints showed them the horrors they had recorded, not a one had a dry eye, with most of the girls actually breaking down. “OH MY GAWD, that was the most horrendous thing I’d ever seen,” remarked one woman, who was looking at Tameria. “And OH MY GAWD, what we were going to do to you made us no better than those who blew up that planet. OH MY GAWD, I’m so sorry we ever thought of doing such a thing.” When the others could finally speak, they echoed what the one woman said, apologizing as they filed out of the ladies restroom. “Tameria, are you alright,” Carol asked after the last of the other girls had left the restroom. “Sure mom, I’m okay. The Haints told me not to worry, so I didn’t. As I said, The Haints let them mouth off, but when they started coming at me they suddenly froze in place. That’s when The Haints showed them what really aggression happened to be.” After it was determined that Tameria was okay, the five decided to finally get something to eat, and from experience, and from The Haints mouth, that group would remember the feelings they had during what they saw, but they’d never remember the images or where they came from. Needless to say, those nine women had a life changing experience that would stick with them until their end.
Tameria was sitting with Brad during the morning break on Monday, when six girls stopped right in front of them, and looked directly at Tameria. Kelly, the one who seemed the leader of the girls on Saturday, told Tameria, “Um...Tameria, we just wanted to apologize again for our behavior on Saturday. We were way out of line, and wrong for what we said. We...um...wound up our moms by lying to them about you, and told them about the lies. Funny thing was that we had to tell them because it was the right thing to do. Well, we’re grounded until Hell freezes over, or they unground us, whichever comes first. We just wanted to apologize again, we’re so sorry.” The Haints helped Tameria see how sincere the girls were and she accepted their apologies, just about the time the bell rang for their next classes. Brad gave Tameria a questioning look after what Kelly said, but she told him, “Later, I’ll explain later,” as she leaned in and kissed him on the lips before heading to her next class.
If any of the students still harbored anger towards Tameria, they kept it to themselves, as things quieted down all the way to school letting out for Thanksgiving; they’d have a four day weekend, but still had homework, for no teacher was that generous just because a holiday was coming up. When Tameria got home the day before Thanksgiving, she was way too upset about the next day. When Thanksgiving or Christmas came around, both Carol’s family and Brian’s family would get together and make it a big affair. Everyone nearby in both families would attend Thanksgiving, and others would fly, or drive, in for Christmas. Neither grandparents were too pleased when Robert came out to his parents, but both grandparents respected their children too much to interfere with their decision how to deal with the situation. As a result, when Tameria and her family had gone to dinner at either grandparents home, those grandparents were a little bit more at ease with how she turned out. Both had been expecting something they’d see walking the streets in a major city. What had Tameria upset wasn’t the grandparents, but the others in the families, the ones who didn’t like what Robert had done, or that his parents allowed it; the ones who always had to be reined in by the grandparents because they hated anyone who wasn’t like they were. And were not bashful about saying so.
The minute Tameria walked through the door, Carol could tell she was upset, and why. Tameria was almost in tears as she walked over to her mom and Carol took her into a tight hug, holding her as Tameria’s tears fell on Carol’s shoulder. “I don’t know if I can stand going tomorrow, mom. I think your mom and dad, and daddy’s mom and dad will be okay with me, but what about the others; you know who I mean?” Tameria held onto her mom and listened as Carol told her, “Sweetheart, you don’t have anything to worry about. Let those jackasses mouth off, they aren’t going to hurt you and you know it--The Haints won’t let that happen. You’ve held your head high at school, do it tomorrow, don’t squat to their level. Okay? Your dad and I will handle our brothers and sisters-in-law, and I’m sure the grandparents will have a lot to say if they get out of hand.” Tameria pushed back from her mom, kissed her on the cheek and told her, “Thanks mom, I love you.” Carol kissed Tameria back before Tameria headed to her room to change her clothes, and come back and help get dinner ready. Tomorrow was going to be interesting to say the least, Tameria thought as she closed her math book, got ready for bed and went to sleep. Even after what her mom said, she still didn’t get a restful nights sleep because of a dream she had, one in which the husband of her dad’s sister and the husband of her mom’s sister took her outside, stripped her naked and shaved her bald. The Haints even tried to reassure her she would be alright, but she was still worried when she woke up the next morning and got ready to go to her grandparents.
After breakfast, Tameria’s family piled into the car for the drive to Brian’s parent’s house, and while the boys were excited to get there, and made sure everyone knew it, Tameria wished they’d go home, and was quiet throughout the entire ride there. As they finally pulled into the Jinks’ driveway, grandma and grandpa Jinks were there to meet Brian’s family. After the boys received their hugs and kisses, and took off inside, Brian hugged his parents, kissing his mom on the cheek, as did Carol, who received a kiss from Brian’s dad, Chester. Then the four adults stood back and appraised Tameria. Brian’s mom, Silvia said, “Honey, everytime I see you you get prettier and prettier. And it looks like you’ve grown a bit. Come give your grandma a hug.” With Silvia holding Tameria with her arm around Tameria’s waist, Chester told Brian and Carol, “Yea know, one of these days you two will have to get something to keep those young men in line, as pretty as she keeps getting.” Brian and Carol smiled at Chester’s jest, as he held out his arms to Tameria and folded her into a hug, giving her a kiss to the top of her head. With his arm around his granddaughter, the five walked into the house, where they’d talk while waiting for the rest of the family to arrive--and the possible gut wrenching attitudes from the in-laws.
The Jinks set about asking Tameria about school, how she was doing and if she’d experienced any problems. Tameria was truthful about everything, and did her best not to give The Haints away through a lie. It was twenty minutes later and Carol’s parents, Bailey and Foster Wimble, knocked and walked into the Jinks’ home, with everyone greeting each other, and the Wimble grandparents pleased with what they saw in Tameria. Like the Jinks grandparents, the Wimble grandparents said basically the same about how pretty Tameria was becoming, and about a big stick for the suitors. Once again Tameria was grilled about school and about any trouble she’d experienced, telling almost the same thing to her other grandparents. It wasn’t long after the Wimbles had arrived then four cars pulled up to the house, two parking in the driveway and two parking on the street--the sons and daughters, along with their spouses had arrived, and the knot in Tameria’s stomach had returned.
First through the door were Carol’s brother David, and his wife Joyce, a woman who never knew when to keep her mouth shut and always stepping into it in a big way. Carol’s sister Bonnie, and her husband Jack Clamore, were the second couple who came into the house; Jack an equal opportunist bigot if there ever was one--and like Joyce, never knew when to shut up. Chuck, Brian’s brother, came in with his wife Chastity, who was given the wrong name at birth. Brian’s sister Monna, and her husband Drew Staple, brought up the rear, with the biggest ass in the family following his wife into the house. The newcomers all greeted their parents/in-laws before Tameria was spotted and the mud slinging began. “OH MY GAWD, Robert, what in the hell have you done to yourself,” Joyce said to Tameria, as David said, “Joyce, shut up, now!” “Oh pooh, David, that queer of a nephew needs to hear the truth, don’t you think so Chastity?” “Oh by all means, sister, if it doesn’t learn the truth now, someone will beat the truth into it.” Chuck took Chastity’s arm and pulled her aside, giving her a tongue lashing, which she promptly brushed off laughing, “Well, it’s the truth.” Once the wives started, the sons-in-law had to get involved with Jack saying, “Hey Robert, how about Drew and I take you out back and give you a proper haircut? Then we can find you some proper boy clothes to wear. After all, you don’t want to be known as a faggot all your life, right?” Just as Drew was about to grab Tameria by the arm, Brian smiled and said to the two men, “Hey guys, I have a problem I could use your help in solving,” and he motioned to the den in the Jinks house. Carol knew what was about to happen and asked Joyce and Chastity, “Ladies, could you help me in the kitchen for a few moments?” David, Bonnie, Chuck, and Monna, all walked over to the frightened Tameria and gave her a group hug, just as there was a resounding boom coming from the den, which shook the wall in the living room opposite the den wall. Shortly after that boom, they heard a boom coming from the kitchen, and heard a few things fall off the shelves in the pantry.
Both sets of grandparents, and the Wimble children, and the Staple children, the Jinks boys, Karen, Tameria, David, Monna, Chuck, and Bonnie, all heard Carol say with a horrible growl, “If you two bitches so much as open your mouths again about my daughter, I’m going to drop kick your fat asses up to your shoulders then cram you heads down your asses. Now go into the cupboard and get something to clean up that piss on the floor.” They then heard Brain sound meaner than anyone ever heard before, when he said to Jack and Drew, “If you two bastards ever attempt to touch Tameria again, or spew any of your crap again, I will strip you both bare, shave you completely bald and drop you both off in the middle of town. After I beat the hell out of both of you.” They heard a thud coming from the den, and watched as first Carol then Brian walked back into the living room. “Um...son,” Chester asked Brian, “What was that bang and thud we heard?” Brian just chuckled before telling his dad, “Oh that? I just lifted them both off the floor and shoved them up against the wall. And then just let them fall to the floor after we had our little problem solving session.” “And Carol,” Carol’s mom, Bailey asked, “And the noise we heard from the kitchen?” Carol blushed a bit, and smirked while saying, “Well, I may have got a bit carried away after what the trash mouth sisters said about Tameria, and slammed them up against the wall next to the pantry. Oh, and Joyce will need a clean pair of panties--she wet herself.” The grandparents on both sides knew this day was coming, and the in-laws had stepped over the line when they attacked Tameria. And paid the price for their stupidity. The respective spouses headed in their respective directions and before long strong voices could be heard saying something like, “I told you your mouth was going to get you into it one day. When are you going to learn,” and a few other things. It was sad all the children had heard everything before they could be shuttled off to another part of the house. Except Tameria’s brothers, what the rest heard wasn’t anything new, and it showed on their faces. When the offenders finally made their way back to the living room, each apologized to Tameria, though she wasn’t so sure how sincere they were. But it was the in-law parents who told the four to sit down, Joyce remained standing for obvious reasons, before telling the four, “You four have done something like this every time you’ve come here, or wherever you’ve gone out. You four need some very heavy counseling before we end up coming to your funerals because you popped off to something who decided you had too big a mouth and worked to permanently close it. You better take a long hard look at yourselves because I can tell you all are heading for a divorce if you don’t mend your ways. Do any of you have the slightest idea what all your crap is doing to your children? I doubt they want you anywhere near them when they have to go anywhere. And if any of you four ever say anything derogatory about Tameria again, Brian and Carol will have to get in line to kick your asses, because me and your father-in-law will be at the head of the line.” But the real killer was when Francesca Staple, the youngest of all the children at six, asked the four, “Why do all of you have to do this every time and spoil things?”
Nothing like a small voice to shock people into a realization when the situation has been tense, and that’s exactly what Franchesca had done to the four adults, shocked them into seeing what they had done today, and made them look at what they’d done in the past. Joyce and Chastity started crying after they heard Francesca's question, Jack and Drew weren’t exactly crying but their eyes weren’t dry either. All four felt ashamed for what they had done today and how they had treated Tameria. It was Chastity who held out her hands towards Tameria, indicating with her hands that she wanted Tameria to come to her. Tameria looked at her mom and dad, then her Uncles Chuck and David and then to her Aunts Bonnie and Monna, before seeing them nod, letting her know it’d be alright. Hesitantly, Tameria walked over to Chastity, and took her hands.
With a majority of the food prepared, and the turkey turning a nice golden brown in the oven, the women took over the living room; Monna checking on the kids, making sure their part of the house was still intact. Talk went from kids to shopping to the latest fashions to some things men don’t want to hear about to questions directed at Tameria. Joyce and Chastity let her know that their questions weren’t meant to be cruel, it’s just they wanted to know more about how she liked being a girl. “Have you had a hard time adjusting to being a girl,” Joyce asked, trying to project the sincerity she actually felt. “Well, Aunt Joyce, I had a lot to learn, and still do, but I’ve enjoyed every minute of being a girl. I actually feel freer than I did as Robert. I always felt I had to prove myself when I was Robert. At home, at school, with my friends, anywhere I went, it seemed it was necessary to prove I was a boy. But now, I don’t feel that pressure, people see me and believe they’re looking at a girl, end of story. Oh I’ve had some problems with some of the girls at school, but I have some friends who’ve been helping me deal with those problems, and they’ve worked themselves out.”
“Tameria I must be honest when I say...” Chastity said, “...that when I heard you’d become a girl, I was expecting a guy in drag, trying to look like a girl. But young lady, I now have to say how wrong I was, you’re very pretty and I’ll bet it will only multiply as you get older. Just, please be careful, there are still a lot of people who would hurt you if they learned the truth about you.” Chastity wiped a tear off her cheeks before giving Tameria a tight hug, kissing her on the cheek. “Thank you Aunt Chastity, that means a lot to me. And I am careful, the friends I have keep their ears open for anyone planning something, and let me know when they hear something. I do, however, still have trouble believing I’m as pretty as everyone says.” It was Silvia who spoke by telling Tameria, “Honey, take from an old woman who’s been around for many years, you are, physically, very beautiful. But more than that, because of the things you’ve done for others, it shows how beautiful you are on the inside. Having those two qualities is rare nowadays, and some boy will latch onto that and sweep you off your feet.” After Silvia said that, Tameria blushed a deep red, which Bonnie caught and said, “Mom, I think a boy has already swept her off her feet, right Tameria?” All eyes suddenly turned to a still red faced Tameria, who could only nod her head and say, “His name is Brad.”
Carol already knew about Brad, thanks to The Haints. And she approved whole heartedly. She had to hide a smile with her hand as the questions were flying fast and furious at Tameria. “Well, come little sister, give us the dope on this guy in your life,” Monna said with a big smile on her face. All except Carol said similar things, while Tameria tried to gain control over her tongue before she spoke. “Well...we were at Tara’s volleyball game, we being my friends Grace, Beckie, and Tara--Tara was playing in the game--when Beckie saw a boy in one of her classes, and said hi. Well his friends came down and sat with us for the rest of the game. And that’s when I met Brad, and I can’t stop thinking about him.” When Tameria said that it was Joyce who said, “Oh you’ve got it bad. You’re in love sister.” And when the “oooo’s” sounded, Chester yelled from the den, “Could all you hens keep it down a peep, we’re trying to watch this game. When Silvia heard that, she simply blew Chester a raspberry, and all the girls laughed.
It was Bonnie who asked the real serious question, “Does he know about you Tameria? He’s not the type of guy who’d hurt you would he?” After Bonnie asked her question, because all the ladies were looking at Tameria, no one noticed all the guys standing in the hallway waiting to hear Tameria’s answer; Brian like Carol already knew the answer. Tameria thought for a moment, before the ladies, and guys, saw her smile and say, “Aunt Bonnie, everyone at school knows the truth about me. Some are okay with it, some learned to leave me alone, and some don’t really care because it’s my life. Brad knows the truth about me, and I’ve asked him twice about us going together, about what others might say or do to him when they see us together. And you know what? He doesn’t care, he only cares for the me inside. In fact, he’s told me twice now that there’s been more than one guy who found out the hard way to leave him alone. Will he hurt me? No, Aunt Bonnie, he’d never think of hurting me.”
“Well, that’s good to hear, I didn’t want to go kick some kids butt by mistake for hurting my granddaughter,” Foster said, and all the ladies turned to see all the guys standing there. It was Chester who told the ladies, “...WELL! When we heard Bonnie’s question we had to know the answer so we’d know how to treat the boy when we meet him?” Chester ended the sentence with a question, and a question written on his face. “Oh grandpa, we aren’t THAT serious yet,” Tameria said, going red in the face once more, and hearing more than a few, “Sure you’re not,” and a lot of giggles. The guys went back to the football game and the ladies continued their hen party, until the timer went off signaling the bird might be ready for consumption.
Francesca’s question had been cathartic for the family, something many felt needed to be said but did not want to cause bigger rifts than already existed. Those on the receiving end of the question had been sincere in apologizing to everyone, even their own children, and that in and of itself, made this particular Thanksgiving all that more special. And it was Chester who offered the prayer when Silvia called everyone to the table.
“Lord, thank you for lettin’ us be together today, for having a loving family who sometimes forget the need to help each other when the need arises. And thank you for your helping hand when Tameria needed it, and may yet need it. And thank you for a little girl who was brave enough to say what had to be said, even though we may not have wanted to hear it. We’re never goin’ to be perfect, but we thank you that you’ll show us how to do the best we can every time we do something. And we thank you for the food we have and we ask all this in your name,”
And everyone said, “Amen,” and their Thanksgiving dinner began. Foster was given the honor to carve the turkey, with Bailey and Silvia placing just the right piece on each person’s plate. Jack, Drew, Joyce, and Chastity were more mindful during the conversation that ensued during the meal, and not once did they bad mouth anyone when this or that person was brought up in the conversations. In fact, when it was looked back upon, all four brought up some very insightful points that might be helpful to those being referenced. At one point, one of the conversations during that meal centered on school, who was doing what, how their grades had improved or slipped, and when it was found out Tameria was taking vocal, it was Aunt Joyce who asked Tameria how she liked singing and what voice group she was placed in. That question brought other conversations to a halt, because Tameria had a look on her face that showed she wasn’t sure how to answer the question, or how to explain the group she’d been put into. “Um...Aunt Joyce, I’m not sure how to explain what group I’m in, since I’m not really in any specific group.” That had Joyce puzzled, because Tameria had to be in with the Altos, Sopranos, or any of the other four groups assigned to girls. She then asked Tameria, “Could you maybe sing something after we’ve finished eating and have things cleaned up, I’d like to hear your voice.” Everyone saw the look on Tameria’s face, and took it to mean she was thinking about whether or not to sing, but in reality, Tameria was trying to think of one of the songs they’d been working on which would show Joyce why she couldn’t explain about the group she was in. When she finally settled on just the right song, she told her Aunt, “Sure, Aunt Joyce, I’ll sing for you, and then maybe you’ll understand why it’s hard to tell you what group I’m in.”
The rest of their meal passed in more general conversations, centered mostly on how the husbands were doing at work, what Foster and Chester had been doing to stay out from under the feet of their wives. And when dessert finally came, even though most said they were too full to eat any pumpkin pie, no one refused the piece handed to them. When everyone was through, the younger kids were excused to go and burn off what they’d eaten so there’d be no trouble later that night getting them into bed and asleep. All the adults, and older kids, helped clear the table, with the men being shooed once again out of the kitchen, even though they offered to help dry the dishes that would be washed. Bailey reminded Foster what happened the last time he helped her dry the dishes, and he agreed that he and the other men should find something else to do that was less destructive.
Once the dishes were done, Tameria asked her grandpa Chester if she could use their computer, because she wanted to find the song she wanted to sing. Fifteen minutes later she had the song printed out and ask her Aunt Bonnie is she’d play for her, waiting until everyone was seated and Bonnie had run through the song. When both women were ready, Bonnie began to play, and Tameria came in just as she had at school. Tameria’s voice started at the Alto range for the first part of the song, and then switched to the Soprano range during another part. And this is when Joyce about lost it, because Tameria then went down to the Baritone range during another part of the song. And she hit every possible range between those ranges with as clear a tonal quality as Joyce had ever heard for a girl Tameria’s age. When Tameria finished, the living room was deathly quiet, until Joyce woundered out of her daze and began to applaud, which caused everyone, including Bonnie, to join in. Like Joyce, Bonnie had never heard such a voice on such a young girl before, and believed as Tameria got older, her voice would only improve. “Tameria…” Bonnie asked, “...have you ever thought about studying music? You know, when you go to college, providing you want to go? You have such an amazing voice and such a wide range.” This caught Tameria by surprise, since she never had considered herself a singer, and something she’d never thought to study in college. “I’ve never even considered it, Aunt Bonnie, singing was just something I did around the house, usually in my room or when I took a shower.” Tameria’s last admission caused a round of chuckles, since many sang just in the shower, which was good for anyone who could hear the noise. Bonnie and Joyce took a bit more time with Tameria, having her sing scales, just to see what ranges she actually could handle. Both were blown away when she almost hit the Bass and the Mezzo Soprano ranges, and with just as pure a tonal quality as the song she just sang. If Joyce and Bonnie were that impressed, Brian and Carol were blown away at their daughters’ abilities. Of course, they thought that maybe their friends had something to do with Tameria’s exceptional ranges, but weren’t about to let that cat out of the bag unless it was absolutely necessary.
With everyone ladened with leftovers, everyone started saying their goodbyes; Drew, Jack, Joyce, and Chastity again apologizing to Tameria for their ill behavior. Silvia and Chester watched as everyone drove off, with Chester wondering out loud, “Francesca is going to be quite the fireball when she gets older.” Silvia just chuckled and told her husband, “Chester, she’s already a fireball.” The two retreated into their home, as the others sped off into the night, with thoughts of what they all experienced this Thanksgiving day.
It was quiet in the Jinks’ car as they drove home, the two younger brothers, Peter and Bradley, were asleep almost the moment they got inside the car. “Momma,” Tameria quietly said to her mother, “Do you think what Francesca said tonight will really change things?” Carol thought for a minute before telling her daughter, “Well, it made a difference tonight, we can only hope it has lasting effects.” “You have to remember, Tameria,” her father joined in, “Those people have been doing that for a long time, and it’s going to take time before what you saw tonight becomes the norm for them. We just have to give them time to adjust.” It wasn’t much longer before they were pulling up into the garage at their home. Carol carried Peter and Brian carried Bradley up to their room, undressing them and putting them in bed.
The morning after Thanksgiving found the older Jinks sawing logs, cutting z’s, dead to the world, out like lights, not only because of the amount of food that was eaten, but because of the emotional drama that played out before the meal. And what of the two younger Jinks? It was 6 a.m. and they were wide awake, Peter using the bathroom while Bradley got dressed and made his bed. When Peter was through in the bathroom, Bradley took over the bathroom while Peter got dressed and made his bed. And just why were the two youngest Jinks up at the crack of dawn, when it was almost impossible to get them up before 9 in the morning? Mark and Cindy, the Fisher children, the Jinks’ next door neighbors, had puppy dog eyed their parents into letting them ask Peter and Bradley to come with them the day after Thanksgiving to The Fun Park. What Mark and Cindy didn’t know was that their parents had already asked Carol and Brian if the boys could come. And what Mark and Cindy didn’t know was that both parents had set the whole thing up where Mark and Cindy would go over to the Jinks and ask if Peter and Bradely could go with them to The Fun Park. And that Carol and Brian would walk over to the Fisher’s house, with the kids, and talk with Susan and Randy about the plans. Both parents knew their children, and knew the four would use their puppy dog eyes to try and get each set of parents to agree; all four parents had to keep their mouths covered or the kids would see the smiles each parent had at the kids antics.
It was now 6:15 a.m., and both boys were ready for the day. A silent message passed between them and they quietly left their bedroom and made their way to their parents’ bedroom. Stopping at the door, to make sure there wasn’t a red plastic tag on the door knob, Peter looked at Bradley, who nodded, the door was quietly opened and closed, and then each boy quietly walked around to each parents’ side of the bed. Bradley held up his hand, slowly raised first one, then two, then three fingers and both boys together reached over and pinched the nose of their mom and dads’ noses shut.
“There had better be a house fire, or someone dead, or…” Brian said in a nasally sound before both boys were lifted off the floor by both parents and the tickle fest began. This had become a ritual with the boys and their parents, one they all enjoyed. After a few moments there were nothing but hugs, and Brian and Carol let the boys catch their breaths.
“Did you boys use the toilet and brush your teeth,” Carol asked, getting a “Yes ma’am” from both boys. “Okay, you two go quietly to the kitchen, get out bowls and spoons, then the cereal you both want. Get the milk and juice out of the fridge, but don’t poor any, and dad and I will be there in a few minutes.” “Okay,” was the only thing both boys said, as they kissed their parents on their cheeks, climbed off the bed, and quietly headed toward the kitchen.
Carol had turned towards Brian as she watched both boys leave their bedroom, and Brian took advantage of her position by gently putting his hand under her nighty and caressing her left breast. “Ummm...that feels nice,” Carol told Brian, as she slid her hand beneath the waistband of the shorts he was wearing, and began caressing his member. “Oh my dear, you have NOT lost your touch, but we have two very eager boys who need their breakfast,” he told her as he nibbled on Carol’s ear. “Oh wise sage, you’re so right, but they don’t have to be at the Fisher’s until 8:45, plenty of time for us to continue after their breakfast?” A passionate kiss was shared before both got up, used the bathroom then put on their robes and headed to the kitchen, where they found Peter and Bradley sitting calmly waiting for their parents. Brian looked at Carol, who raised an eyebrow at what they were seeing, before each parent poured a bowl of cereal, along with milk and a glass of juice, and sat with the boys as they calmly ate their breakfast. Nothing was said as Carol looked at Brian, but the message was clear. If the boys acted like this when they really wanted to do something, then maybe they should be allowed to do more. At least now they weren’t trying to see who could flick a piece of cereal the farthest across the room, or blow the biggest bubbles in their juice.
When both boys had finished their cereal, Peter got the step stool and moved it to the sink. Bradley handed Peter first one bowl then the other, which Peter rinsed off and handed back to Bradley to put into the dishwasher. Then after Peter put the step stool back, Bradley opened the fridge, and Peter handed him first the juice then the milk to put back into the fridge. Again a look passed between Carol and Brian, with the same message as before.
“Okay, guys, you don’t have to be at the Fisher’s until 8:45, so I want you two to go back to your room and do something quietly until it’s time to go. Got it?” Both boys nodded their heads and quietly went back to their room, closing the door after entering. Carol and Brian sat still for a few minutes, listening for any ruckus sounds that might be coming from their sons’ room. Very quietly, Carol got up, walked to the boys’ room, quietly cracked open the door, and saw both boys reading their books. She closed the door just as quietly, went back into the kitchen, and took Brian’s hand, leading him back to their bedroom, putting a red plastic tag on the door knob before closing the door.
At 8:45 Carol and Brian walked Peter and Bradley to the Fisher’s house; Mark and Cindy were standing on the porch bouncing with expectation. Susan came out, put a hand on each child’s head, to still them, and listened to what Peter and Bradley were told by their parents. Brian knelt down and told the boys, “Now listen carefully. You two are to listen to what Mr. and Mrs. Fisher tell you. You are to stay with them at all times. You are not to wander off by yourselves unless Mr. and Mrs. Fisher tell you you can or it’s that type of location. Got it?” Both boys nodded their heads and gave Brian a fierce hug. Pulling four ten dollar bills from his pocket, Brian told them, “Here is twenty dollars for each of you. Mr. and Mrs. Fisher will buy you lunch and dinner. This money is for snacks you might want or some keepsake you would like. It has to last you all the time you’re at The Fun Park, so don’t spend it all at once. Got it?” Neither boy had held twenty dollars before, and it took Brian to tickle the two to get the attention. “Got it? Don’t spend it all at once.” Brian got two more fierce hugs and a, “Thank you daddy,” from both boys.
Randy came outside, asked if everyone was ready to go, and the six piled into the Fisher’s car, while Brian and Carol watched as they drove off. Hand in hand, Brian and Carol returned home, putting the yellow tag on their bedroom door knob before closing it. No one came up for air until around 11 a.m., and when they did, Tameria and Karen could see the glow that surrounded their parents, and the smirk on their parent’s faces that went with it. Tameria expressed what she and Karen were feeling at seeing their parents when she said, “I hope I find someone who makes me as happy as you two make each other.” The three girls wiped tears out of their eyes, as the four hugged in a loving family embrace.
”We are The Haints. Brian Jinks. Carol Jinks. Karen Jinks. Tameria Jinks. Meet with us. Jenny Glasstow. Meet with us. Those who know of The Haints and The Haints are with. Meet with us.”
The Jinks’ group hug ended when they heard The Haints call a meeting. Jenny was lounging on the patio reading a book when she heard the call. The others, called by The Haints, were each somewhere that allowed others not to notice their strange expressions when they heard the call.
”We are The Haints. Be at peace. We will no one harm. Tameria Jinks must make a decision before your winter adjournment. The Haints have learned many will not return to the school construct after the winter adjournment. Why is that Jenny Glasstow?”
“Winter adjournment,” took everyone by surprise in a confused way. Everyone was quiet for a few minutes, trying to decipher “Winter adjournment,” when Tara said, “I think The Haints is talking about Christmas break.”
”That is correct. Tara Still. Why will some at the school construct not return after Christmas. Jenny Glasstow?”
Jenny had to think for a few moments before she understood what The Haints wanted to know. “Some of the students will be moving away from this City or State because their parents, or guardians, have found jobs elsewhere or their Company is moving them. Other students have acquired enough credit hours, and courses, to graduate at Christmas.” Thankfully, at least for those new to this type of meeting, anything anyone said would be heard by the others thanks to The Haints.
”We are The Haints. Tameria Jinks must make a decision to become fully human female before any leave the construct permanently. They must be adjusted so that Tameria has always been human female. Because they are leaving The Haints can go with them and bring harmony to those in need. They will not be harmed. But their will to do harm will be adjusted.”
It was Carol who brought up the question which had plagued them the first time The Haints brought up this subject. “You told us transmuting Tameria will take a day, but when? When is there a time she can have time to adjust to the complete changes? She also has to complete any school work as well during this time?”
Once again everyone was quiet, thinking about a time between now and Christmas when The Haints could work their magic and still allow Tameria to do her school work. “AW CRUD, HOW STUPID OF ME,” Jenny exclaimed. “In two weeks there are teacher meetings on Thursday and Friday. That would be a perfect time for Tameria to come back to school the following Monday as a full and complete girl. The change could take place starting Thursday and finish Friday if need be, and still give Tameria Saturday and Sunday to adjust and get any school work done.”
The Jinks could feel all “eyes” on them, Tameira especially, since the change was really their decision. “Well?” asked Brian, echoing Carol’s facial expression, and looking at Tameria. “This is something you’ve wanted for some time, have waited for, and now there will not be any medications or surgeries to make the change. And, someday you can be a mom.”
Brian’s last statement brought tears to Tameria’s eyes, and caused her to say, “Only if I can be as good a mom as I have right now.” Carol reached out and pulled her daughter into a tight hug, telling her, “You will be, sweetheart, you will be.”
When the tears had subsided, somewhat, the only thing that was said for the rest of that short meeting with The Haints was, “Let’s do it,” from Tameria. In three weeks, when Tameria returned to school after the teacher meetings, it would not be as Tameria the transgender girl, but as Tameria the born as a girl, girl. ALL records for Tameria would be altered by The Haints, thanks to records being stored on computers. Those who know nothing of The Haints will have their memories altered so they only remember Tameria always having been a girl, and not Robert Jinks. Those who know of The Haints will be allowed to remember Robert, but know they can never speak of it to anyone--besides, telling others Tameria used to be a boy would not only cost them their jobs, but possibly a trip to the hospital’s mental ward.
After the meeting ended, the four Jinks sat down and discussed what was going to take place in two weeks, planning on what to do afterwards, since Tameria would now be a full girl and need more than just those items which she had at the beginning. Now because of being a full girl, doctor visits would be an important part of her life, one which Carol felt was necessary after the change--if only to make sure their doctor recognized Tameria as a girl. Carol spent a few minutes mentally with The Haints, asking for them to work on changing Tameria’s medical records and scheduling a doctor’s appointment after school shortly after the change. The others asked why Carol was suddenly laughing, needing to wait for Carol to stop before everything was explained to them. “Because Tameria will soon be a full girl, I asked The Haints to work on changing her medical records and schedule an appointment after school after the change. They’d already worked to change her medical records and have already scheduled an appointment that Monday after school. They did it before I asked.” Upon hearing what The Haints had done, before being asked, the other three Jinks joined Carol as she again started laughing, getting Brian, who finally stopped laughing, to ask if they wanted to go out for brunch. Three loud “Yes” answered his question, and he took his three lovely ladies out to what turned out to be a wonderful meal.
Author’s Note: This story is a work of pure fiction, meant to be read for pure enjoyment. It is not based on facts of any kind, just those I made up in my mind. I realize some of which is in this story may seem far fetched, but it’s a story, dreamed up from the gray matter between my ears. So please read this story in the spirit it’s meant to be read, for fun. Jamie Lee
We had wandered the ether for millions upon millions of years, searching for an appropriate home that would serve our created purpose. Our creator had a dream to use us to bring harmony to her planet, but was too late, as with the rest of the planet, we were thrown out into the ether and left to drift until we found our purpose. We wandered past planet after planet, some having no life, and some with life but not needing our purpose. It wasn’t until we approached a system from the perpendicular that we observe a planet, a blue planet, with indications of needing our purpose, if only we could find the one which would become our catalyst.
When the Jinks returned home, the talk centered around Tameria’s physical appearance after The Haints transformed her. Sheepishly she told them, “Um...I sort of already had that talk with them, what I would look like afterwards. They told me after all their time with me at school and elsewhere, it would be possible to give me the body of a girl my age and at that level of puberty. They saw that I was a bit upset, worried that I wouldn’t be as developed up top as some girls, but assured me I had nothing to worry about. They even said they could change my eye color but I said I like the color I have now.”
When the reprimand Tameria thought would be headed her way because of her talking with The Haints didn’t come, Tameria let out the breath she didn’t realize she’d been holding. What did shock her was the statement she heard from her mother. “I’m glad you’ve decided how you want to appear to the world, and that you’re comfortable with your decision. Too many girls your age, and younger or older, still haven’t come to terms with their looks. And it plays on their self images. I think your decision to speak with The Haints shouldn’t come as a surprise since you were strong enough this past summer to tell us of your true self. Your dad and I are very proud of you for the courage you’ve so far shown in going through something extremely new to you. And the courage to stand up for yourself.” Tears started falling when Tameria heard her moms’ words, and thinking Tameria was upset, the three Jinks pulled Tameria into a tight hug, telling her it’d be okay. It was their turn to be surprised when Tameria told them, “I’m not upset, just so happy to have all three of you with me and helping me. I love you three very much.”
Everyone had dried their eyes when the front door to the house opened and two very excited boys came flying into the house. Both boys stopped and looked at their parents and sisters, noticing the looks on their faces. “Is something wrong?” Peter asked, wondering, for a kid his age, if a relative had been hurt. It was Tameria who went to her brothers, kneeled down in front of them, and gathered them into a hug before telling them, “No, we’re just very, very happy, and happy to see you two home.” She then kissed each boy on his cheek, eliciting the usual reaction from them of big sister giving them a kiss, before Tameria told them, “I love you both very much.” The sisterly kiss was forgotten because of Tameria’s last words, and both boys hugged her back before telling her, “We love you too...except when you kiss us,” they almost said simultaneously. “Oh, is that so?” Tameria told the two boys as a twinkle developed in her eyes. Peter and Bradley realized their mistake the moment they saw the twinkle in Tameria’s eyes, for the next instant, Tameria began tickling both boys. Neither boy was defenseless as they ganged up and Tameria and began tickling her. They were giving as good as they got until Brian, Carol, and Karen joined in and the free for all was on. And Peter and Bradely loved it all. The end came by way of the six Jinks going into a family group hug, causing the house to be filled with a love that could be cut with a knife.
Once the group hug broke up, Bradley walked back to the front door and came back with a sack they’d brought inside with them. Peter pulled something wrapped in tissue paper from the bag and handed it to his mom. “We got you this mom,” he told her, as everyone watched Carol unwrapped the object. When Carol saw the glass statuette of a beautiful Unicorn she was overwhelmed. Trying to talk through the lump in her throat, she told the boys, “Oh boys, it’s so beautiful. Thank you…” and tears ran down her cheeks. Bradley lifted another wrapped item from the bag and handed it to their dad. From the shape, it appeared to be a wine bottle. But as everyone watched, it was indeed a clear wine bottle, but with a three mast schooner inside. “Oh...I...um...oh my goodness, boys,” Brian tried to say more but like Carol, the lump in his throat wouldn’t let him. He gathered both boys into a hug and told them, “I love it, thank you.” (Neither boy saw Brian wipe the tears off his face.) Peter again pulled a wrapped item from the bag and handed it to Karen. As they all had done before, they watched as Karen unwrapped her package, and immediately broke out into sobs, as she held an exquisitely made glass statuette of a ballerina. Because she was crying so hard, the only thing she could do was pull her brothers into a hug long enough until she could say, “Thank you, I love you both.” Bradely once again pulled a package from the bag and handed it to Tameria. Tameria slowly unwrapped her package, almost dropping it when she saw the beautiful glass statuette of a woman holding a baby. Letting out a cry, which caused Brian to grab the statuette, Tameria’s hands flew to her face, covering it as she cried deep wracking sobs. Peter looked at Bradley, and Bradley at Peter, before both boys went to Tameria and pulled her into their own hug. “We’re sorry we upset you Tameria. We thought this was the perfect gift for you.” Tameria’s head snapped up and her hands encircled both boys, before telling them, “Oh you two, you haven’t upset me. You’ve made me very happy with your gift. It’s perfect.” She then reached up and wiped the tears from her brothers’ cheeks. “If you two aren’t the sweetest brothers to have,” Tameria told them before pulling them into another hug.
As the four older Jinks watched, Peter folded up the bag and took it out to the kitchen. This caused the four to ask the question Carol vocalized when Peter returned. “Um, boys? What did you get for yourselves at The Fun Park?” While Tameria and Karen may not have seen the slight smirk both boys gave each other, Brian and Carol did. Both knew from experience this could be both good and downright bad. But neither were prepared for what they heard next, as Bradely told the four, “We got to see how happy you all were with our gifts.” Peter was eight years old, and Bradley was seven years old, and what they had just said had caused the four older Jinks to regard the two boys as more than two young boys. The four could see unselfishness of their actions and the maturity it took for them to perform it. It was Tameria who asked, ”So, you still think they are too immature to know about you?”
”We are The Haints. Tameria Jinks. We are reconsidering our decision. Tameria Jinks.”
Glancing at the clock, Carol told Peter and Bradley, “Boys, I think it’s time for the two of you to go take your baths, before you go to bed. You’ve had a very busy day and I don’t want you two to be groggy all day tomorrow.” Before Peter and Bradley started towards the stairs, Brian asked, “Boys, these are very nice gifts you gave us, but where did you get the money to buy them?” Carol and Brian saw the smirk cross the boys’ faces before Bradley said, “Mark and Cindy told us their mom and dad had talked about going to The Fun Park a while before Thanksgiving. And they said they’d ask their parents if we could go with them, as long as you said we could go. So for the past...” and Bradley counted on his fingers, “...fifteen allowences, Peter and me have been saving for The Fun Park.” Brian did a quick calculation, at five dollars a week for fifteen weeks, and discovered each of his sons had sixty dollars for The Fun Park. That was one hundred and twenty plus the forty they’d been given, they took one hundred and sixty dollars, between them, to The Fun Park. “And did you have any money left over?” Brian asked. “Yes sir,” Peter replied. “After we asked Mr. Fisher if we could buy lunch for everyone, we had twenty dollars left.” Peter and Bradley didn’t understand when Brian looked at Carol, then the two looked at Tameria then Karen, and Tameria and Karen looked at their parents, but liked what they heard when Karen said, “You two did real good taking care of the money you had with you. Now, you two best do what mom said, and go get cleaned up before going to bed, or…” And Karen stood up and started for the boys, holding out her hands and acting as though she was about to start tickling the boys. This had the desired effect of getting both boys to run toward, and up the stairs to their room. It was Tameria who voiced what everyone was thinking by saying, “Those two stinkers had this whole thing planned weeks ago. They’re more than something else. ”Their planning is another reason to reconsider your decision, don’t you think.” Tameri thought to The Haints.
”We are The Haints. Tameria Jinks. This additional information has indeed provided further data to help reevaluate our decision. Tameria Jinks. We also gained access to the security devices at the entertainment construct, and monitored their activity. That too is being used to help The Haints reevaluate their decision. Tameria Jinks.”
Tameria didn’t realize she’d been nodding her head because of what The Haints said, but Carol did and asked, “Why are you nodding your head, Tameria?” The question brought Tameria back to the here and now after speaking with The Haints. “I’ve asked if what we’ve seen Peter and Bradley do today wouldn’t cause The Haints to change their minds about telling the boys about them. The Haints also watched over them while they were at The Fun Park, and because of the boys planning, their reasoning with the gifts, and what The Haints saw at the Park, they are reevaluating their decision not to tell Peter and Bradley about themselves.” Carol and Brian looked at each other, a look of concern crossing their faces. “But if The Haints do tell the boys, and the boys slip up at school or some other time, what then?” Because Tameria had been with The Haints the longest, she told her parents, “The Haints will help Peter and Bradley not tell anyone, it’s what they’ve done to those who know about The Haints. They’ll know about The Haints, but won’t be able to talk about them unless they are with others who also know about The Haints.” That bit of information caused Brian and Carol to relax, just at the moment when a loud thump was heard coming from upstairs. “So, I guess we’re back to normal,” Karen said, as Carol got up to go see what the imps were up to. They may have just demonstrated a level of maturity for boys their age, but they were still boys of their age and prone to just about anything.
No one was eager to climb out of bed Saturday, Carol and Brian especially, for obvious reasons. But breakfast finally started at nine in the morning, before chores were assigned, and homework after chores. The rest of Saturday and Sunday was a time for the Jinks to play together and rest, because it wouldn’t be long before things were going to change.
Monday was a different story, even more so because those who knew of The Haints were gushing with excitement over Tameria’s upcoming transformation. That excitement was first evident when all the girls were on the school bus that took them to school, making Tameria wish she had several gallons of ice water with her. “Well, come on, spill. Are you excited? What’s the first thing you’re going to do afterwards?” An excited Beckie asked Tameria. “You know, we should plan a shopping trip afterwards,” Grace said, “And then…” Tameria held up her hands and told the three, “Whoa whoa whoa...hold on a minute. You three have got to calm down. You get to school acting like you’ve just downed a whole bag of sugar and you know others are going to wonder what’s up. I don’t know what I’ll do afterwards, except get used to the change. After all, I’ll be completely like you are in every physical way. And it may take me some time to relearn how to do some things. You have to remember that right now I have a boy body, which is structurally different than the bodies you three have. Our center of gravity is different, our bone structure is different which makes us move differently. All of these things will change and will require relearning if I’m not to fall flat on my face. I’ll be like a baby taking its first steps, but a much older one.” Tameria started to notice how their excitement, and whispering, had started gaining attention and told the other three, “We’re gaining unwanted attention. Let’s table this talk until we can be alone.” That caused the three girls to look around and notice more than a few eyes on them, and nodded their heads in agreement.
If Tameria thought Beckie, Grace, and Tara were acting sugar ladened, she didn’t count on how those at school, who knew about The Haints, were going to act when they saw her. And as she did with her three close friends, she told those at school to act normal or they were going to be asked questions they couldn’t answer--literally. And so it went the rest of Monday at school, with Tameria calming down excited friends when she met them, a teacher here and there who was paying her a bit too much attention, all the while she tried to pay attention in her classes. The four girls did find time to talk privately in school, but decided walking home would give them more time to plan Tameria’s afterwards.
By Tuesday Tameria was about to scream. Everyone who knew about The Haints, and had been involved in the group meeting, were constantly asking her questions, and offering suggestions what to do after her transformation. With nine days to go, Tameria wasn’t sure she could stand much more of the bombardment she was receiving. She experienced more of the morons who took exception to how she presented herself, which The Haints cured, and all the concern about the change she would soon experience. And when she told her parents she was going to call off the change, and why, they sat her down and talked with her, reminding her that friends could get over bearing sometimes, but it was because they liked her and cared for her. That talk helped calm her down, and made her see the truth in what her parents said. But she still came home some days, went to her room, laid on her bed, pulled the pillow over her head, and screamed until she almost lost her voice. When this happened, Carol was always there for her, rubbing her back as Tameria lay on her bed, reminding Tameria that it wouldn’t be long now.
During the ten days before the change would take place, The Haints had made it clear to Tameria, and her parents, that Tameria needed to eat as much protein as possible, even more the day the change would start. They said it was to help make sure there would be sufficient building material when they started their work. And so it was The Wednesday when the change would start, when Tameria got home from school, and everyone who knew of the change was on edge. Tameria was quiet throughout the entire school day, quieter than normal. Her friends wished her well and would see her the following Monday. Beckie, Grace, and Tara said they’d call to see how things went and would come over after the change was finished. Even Tameria’s teachers, who knew about The Haints, gave her encouragement, though they themselves looked worried. The walk home was somber for the four friends, even though the three friends tried to carry on a normal conversation. When they finally arrived at Tameria’s house, there were tears in the eyes of the three girls, as they wished Tameria well before hugging her and watching as Tameria walked into her house. The three went their separate ways, each wondering if they’d really see Tameria again, alive.
Carol had been standing at the window watching for Tameria and her three close friends, hoping the decision Tameria had made was right for her. Carol had done enough research to know had Tameria chosen the medical way, it was a safe and sure method for Tameria to reach her goal. Even after her own conversation with The Haints, she still had reservations about letting The Haints do the transformation because she knew so little of their abilities and maybe ulterior motives. But Tameria trusted them, and her mind was made up, so all Carol and Brian could do was support her decision. Carol watched as the three girls gave Tameria hugs, wiping tears from their eyes--they were worried too--before Tameria headed to the house and walked through the front door. Tameria never said a word, but ran to her mom and held her in a tight hug, asking, “Have I made the right decision?” Tears ran down Carol’s cheeks, herself hurting because her daughter hurt, before asking, “Haven’t The Haints looked out for you this far? Haven’t they helped others change for the better? And don’t you trust them implicitly? Sweetheart, are you frightened because you are to become a whole girl, one who can give birth as other women do, or because Robert is going to never have existed?” All a surprised Carol heard was, “Yes!”
“I spoke with The Haints today,” Carol told Tameria, “And they told me when you go to bed tonight, they’d put you into a deep sleep, and we were not to go into your room until they contacted us. And because of this, and what Peter and Bradley showed The Haints, they have changed their minds and are willing to tell the boys about themselves. So when the boys get home, and your dad and Karen, we’re all going to sit down with the boys and start explaining The Haints to them. Then it will be The Haints turn to speak with the boys. And, they’d like it if you’d do the first part of the explaining, since they really look up to you. Okay, sweetheart?”
Carol felt Tameria’s head nod yes before telling her, “Why don’t you go get changed then come down to the kitchen. Okay?” Again Carol felt Tameria’s head nod yes, before Tameria released her mom and went up to her room. Carol watched as Tameria slowly climbed the stairs, realizing that all too soon a real girl would be coming down those same stairs. More tears fell from Carol’s eyes, knowing she would never have had an oldest son.
Carol and Tameria were in the kitchen talking and snacking when the front door opened and slammed shut, indicating the boys were home. Carol looked toward the front door as both boys walked into the kitchen. “Um...did I or did I not tell you two NOT to slam the front door before today?” Carol asked Peter and Bradley, who both found something interesting to look at on the kitchen floor. “Well, yeah, you sort of did,” Bradley replied, still looking at the kitchen floor. “Look at me boys,” Carol told them, trying her hardest not to laugh at their current expressions. “First off, I did tell you before today about slamming the front door, and it’s ‘Yes Ma’am’, not yeah! Got it?” When neither boy replied she asked, “Got it?” Carol could see the smirks on their faces, catching on they slammed the front door deliberately. “Yes ma’am,” both boys replied, before Peter asked, “Can we have a snack.” Carol kept a straight face, or as straight as she could, but was chuckling to herself inside at what those two imps had done. “It’s may I and yes you may have a snack,” Carol told the two and pointed to the food stuffs on the island counter.
When both boys had their mouths full, and therefore couldn’t respond right away, Carol told them, “We’re going to have a family meeting when your dad and sister get home. So save your questions until we’re all together. After you’ve finished eating what you have, I want you two to go change and lay down and rest until someone comes to get you.” Both Tameria and Carol saw the questions in the eyes of both boys, but knew when their mom gave an order, they’d follow it without question--sort of. After the boys left, and the door to their room was heard slamming shut, Tameria and Carol broke out in laughter. “Those two stinkers slammed the front door on purpose,” Tameria said. “Oh you know it,” Carol replied, as the two women resumed their laughter. “Do you think they’ll be okay after we tell them about The Haints? Or after The Haints talk to them?” Tameria asked her mom, who Tameria saw had a worried look on her face. “Sweetheart, The Haints have never physically hurt anyone, or let anyone get hurt physically. We’ve seen what it was like on their planet before it blew up, so I don’t think they’ll hurt Peter or Bradley. What worries me is how the boys will react when they learn what we know.” Tameria walked over to her mom and pulled her into a hug, telling her, “I think from what we’ve recently seen, they’ll be okay with what they hear. And if they’re not, I’ll just have to kiss them again.” That statement got both women laughing again, and earned Tameria a kiss on the top of her head from her mom.
Both women turned when they heard the front door open, and saw Karen walk into the house. Karen could see that Tameria and her mom had been having a serious conversation, just by the expressions on their faces. “Are you two okay, is there something I should know about?” Karen asked the two as she set the packages she was carrying down near the stairs. “Yes, you need to know that The Haints have changed their minds about revealing themselves to Peter and Bradley, and we’re going to tell them when your dad gets home,” Carol told Karen, as the front door opened again and Brian came into the house. “Perfect timing, dear, we were just talking about you,” Carol told him with just a bit of a smirk to her mouth. “Uh huh,” Brian replied, “And I’ll bet it wasn’t anything good, right,” Brian said as he walked into the kitchen, grabbing Carol and giving her a very sensuous kiss. “EEEEWWW,” they heard from Tameria, and “Get a room,” from Karen, before the couple started laughing at the antics of their two daughters.
Carol gave Brian a quick peck on the lips before telling him, “The Haints have decided to reveal themselves to the boys. They believe with what they saw from the boys the other day, that the boys can be trusted with their secret.” Carol saw concern on Brian’s face before he said, “But will the boys be able to handle what they are about to be told? You know how secrets can change how a person acts, and this talk could change how the boys act, and not for the better.” Carol had had this same thought, but after thinking about what the boys said and did last Friday, felt they’d be okay. And told Brian the exact same thing. “Karen, would you please go get the boys and bring them into the study?” Carol asked Karen, before taking Brian’s hand and leading him to the study, with Tameria following behind. Five minutes later, Peter, Bradley, and Karen following, walked into the study. Karen sat down in an armchair as Carol beckoned the boys to come sit on either side of Tameria on the small couch. “Boys,” Brian began, “We have something to tell you and then we’re going to have you listen to some friends we know. Tameria is going to be the one to tell you what we want you to know, but you must understand that it’s very important that you keep all of this to yourselves. It’s also important that you don’t act up around others just because you know something they may not know, GOT IT?” Peter and Bradley had heard their dad use the last two words on more than one occasion, and knew from experience when it was emphasized it was very serious. As if the two boys’ brains were wired together, they replied, “Yes sir,” at the same time.
Tameria held out her hands to her brothers, an indication to them that she wanted to hold their hands. After they took her hands, she started speaking. “Peter, Bradley,” Tameria said as she looked at each boy. “A few months ago something kind of neat happened to me, I met some things.” As Tameria watched the faces of her brothers, she saw the question form on Bradley’s face before he asked, “Don’t you mean someone? How can anyone mean some things?” Tameria chuckled and told him, “No, these are some things, let me explain…” Tameria finished telling the boys about The Haints and why they landed on Earth. And that at first they weren’t going to reveal themselves to the boys because they felt the boys were too immature. But because of what they did last Friday caused The Haints to reevaluate their decision, and that they decided to speak with the boys. “Now I want you two to relax, and not get upset or excited, because The Haints are going to speak directly to both of you. It’s going to seem strange hearing someone talk that you can’t see, but it will be okay. Got it?” Tameria looked at each of her brothers after what she told them, and saw each boy nod his head in understanding. “Okay, I want you to hold my hands, close your eyes and relax. Ready?” Tameria asked, getting two more nods.
”We are The Haints. Peter Jinks. Bradley Jinks. We will you no harm. You are safe with us. Do you understand?”
Carol, Brian, and Karen had been added by The Haints to the conference with Peter and Bradley, so they heard the question The Haints asked. “Peter, Bradley, The Haints can hear you if you speak, as well if you think speak. So just answer whichever way is easiest for the both of you,” Carol told the two boys.
“Yes ma’am,” they said in unison, “We understand.” And Bradley added, “WOW, this is sooo cool!”
”We are The Haints. Peter Jinks. Bradley Jinks. We come from a planet which was destroyed some millions of Earth years ago. A planet which was up from this solar systems ‘ rotation and a very long way away. Do you understand?”
“You’re telling us your planet was destroyed a very long time ago, and because our solar system is in a circle, your planet was a long way away and up from our solar system. I think the word you mean is perpendicular, right?” It took Peter a bit to pronounce the word, but he got his meaning across.
”We are The Haints. Peter Jinks. Bradley Jinks. Yes. You are correct . Peter Jinks. Our planet was far away in the perpendicular to this solar system. Our creator made us so we could put an end to all aggression on our planet. But there weren’t enough of us to act in time and the aggressive ones used a weapon which caused our planet to explode. We have traveled longer than your planet has existed. We have viewed planets and events which can’t be seen from this planet. We found this world and saw it was in need of our help, if it was to escape the fate our planet suffered. We saw in Tameria Jinks a human who would welcome us and help us save your planet. And if you allow us, we will be with Peter Jinks and Bradley Jinks. You must understand that no one else must know about us, unless we will it. You must understand that you must not act differently than you’ve already shown The Haints. You two are like Tameria Jinks in that you care for others and will do great things when you become mature humans.”
“WOW OH WOW,” Bradley exclaimed. “This is sooo really cool! Um...Tameria, how do we tell The Haints they can be with us?” Bradley asked Tameria, seeing the smile on his sisters’ face. “All you do is tell them you want them to be with you,” Tameria said, “You give them permission to be with you. But understand, what they said about no one knowing about them is very important. If the wrong people find out about them, they’ll try to use them for their own purposes. And those purposes could be bad. You two understand?” After Peter and Bradley acknowledged they understood, they then told The Haints they had permission to be with each boy, and then they each leaned into Tameria, realizing the nature of what occurred. It was Bradley who asked, as tears rolled down his cheeks, “a lot of people died when their planet blew up, didn’t they?” Tameria put her arms around her brothers before telling them, “Yes, Bradley, a lot of people died when their planet blew up. All because some people couldn’t stand that everyone didn’t believe as they did. Peter, Bradley, it’s okay to believe differently than others, as long as your beliefs don’t hurt others. Many wonderful things have been discovered because some had different beliefs, just as many have been hurt or killed because they believed differently. The difference is that of being more concerned about others than only concerned about yourself. Do you two understand, understand the difference?” Tameria had just given her brothers a lot of mature information, but wasn’t really surprised when they told her, “Yes.”
“Peter, Bradley, there’s something else you need to know. Tonight, when I go to bed, The Haints are going to transform me into a real girl. So I may not see the two of you until late Friday. And, you must NOT come into my room. Got it?” Tameria looked first to Peter then to Bradley, after telling them what she was about to undergo. Carol, Brian, and Karen, along with Tameria, saw the look on Bradley’s face, one which they all knew meant he was thinking about something. And that something ended up being, “Um...Tameria, are you saying that someday you’ll be like that glass statue of the lady holding the baby?” Tameria pulled Bradley in tight to her and told him, “Yes. It means exactly that, someday I’ll be a mother, like our mother is to us. And you two will become Uncles.” Bradley’s only reply was, “Cooool…”
It was Carol who first spotted the twinkle in Peter’s eyes. She nudged Brian and mouthed, ‘Look at Peter’s eyes’. She then got Karen’s attention and did the same to her. All three knew from experience when either boy got a twinkle in his eyes that something was up and it could be good or bad. And when Peter went into his act, all three had to cover their mouths tightly to avert the laughs the three had developed. “AW NO...AW NO…” Peter moaned, as his left hand went to his forehead and started rubbing it. “AW this is horrible, Bradley.” Tameria had already turned her head to look at Peter, and Bradley had leaned forward to look at Peter when he said Bradley’s name. “Bradley, do you know what this means, when Tameria is a real girl? She’s gonna wanna kiss us more, lots more.” Now the three older Jinks had both hands covering their mouths, desperately trying to prevent the rucas laughter from escaping their mouths. “Eww YUCK. How are we gonna stop her?” Bradley asked Peter, knowing full well what Peter was doing. The three older Jinks were now almost past their abilities to keep from laughing, with a few snickers escaping their lips. They watched as Tameria did a slow burn, or so it seemed, first looking at Peter, then Bradley, as both boys were wearing their patented disgusted looking faces. “Oh ho, so you aren’t going to like your real sister kissing you, is it? Well…,” but Tameria never finished the sentence, because she turned her hands into claws and proceeded to go after the ribs of both boys; pulling the boys into her as she did so. The laughter and squeal from both boys broke the dam the older Jinks had been holding back, and the room was awash with laughter. Peter and Bradley were squirming so much they slid right off the couch and onto the floor, where they proceeded to get back up and have a go at Tameria. Tameria had her hands full, trying to give back what she herself was receiving, until Carol and Karen snuck up behind Peter and Bradley and pulled both boys back to them and continued the tickle session. Tameria was laughing, Brian was laughing, Carol and Karen were laughing, and the boys loved what was happening. The tickling stopped a few moments later, with Carol and Karen hugging the two boys, and the boys leaning into the hugs. At that precise moment, the love in that room even touched The Haints, and they knew they’d chosen well with this family group.
Carol happened to glance at the clock on the wall and saw it close to 8:30 p.m. “Boys,” she said, “It’s time for you two to get ready for bed. Shower or bathe, brush your teeth and put your night clothes on.” She finished, and received an, “Okay mommy.” Peter turned and hugged Karen, before kissing her on the cheek. Bradley did the same to Carol, before both boys got up and headed to their bedroom. “Well, that went much better than I expected it would,” Brian said to the rest of his family. “I thought for sure when The Haints spoke to the boys they’d run off in terror because of hearing voices in their head.” It was Tameria who said, “I don’t think there ever was anything to worry about, given their attitudes of late. I almost think they knew something was up but not sure if they should ask or needed to ask. And I’ll add, I’m awfully glad they’re my brothers.” Carol patted Tameria’s knee and told her, “Well said, sweetheart, well said.” With the boys off getting ready for bed, the four headed to the kitchen, to get drinks and something to snack on until it was time for Tameria to head off for her transformation.
It was a subject they’d talked about before, but now that it was about to transpire, there was little more to say. The expressions on the others’ faces didn’t go unnoticed by Tameria, who told them, “It’s going to be okay, please don’t worry. I’ll be fine, and I won’t feel a thing the entire time.” Karen knuckled tears out of her eyes, as did Carol and Brian, all three knowing if something did go wrong, they’d lose a very precious and special girl forever. The boys finally came back down to say goodnight, with Bradley asking Tameria, “You sure you’re gonna be alright? Nothing gonna happen to you? ‘Cause I don’t want nothing to happen to you, Tameria.” Tameria pulled her little brother into a tight hug, and wiped tears out of her eyes with her free hand. “Yes, little one, I’m going to be alright. Now you get to bed and I’ll see you sometime Friday. Got it,” she gently asked him, kissing him lightly on the cheek. Bradley nodded his head, kissed Tameria on the cheek and headed off to bed, followed by Brian and Carol who would tuck the boys in and try to answer any questions they might have left.
Peter and Bradley awoke a little after 8 a.m., going through their usual routine of one in the bathroom and one getting dressed and making his bed. When both boys were ready, they went and stood before the door to Tameria’s room. “Do you think she’s okay,” Bradley asked Peter, as Peter puts his arm around his little brothers’ shoulder. “Well, The Haints did say they’d take care of Tameria, so I guess we gotta trust them,” Peter replied as they quietly walked back down the hall to their parents’ room, only to see the red plastic tag on the door knob; they didn’t know how much Brian and Carol needed each other through the night. Knowing not to disturb their parents, they headed down to the kitchen, finding Karen already there, a cup of coffee in her hands.
“Hi guys,” she said gently, “How are you two doing? Did you sleep well?” Bradley walked over to Karen, put his little arms around her neck, laid his head on her shoulder and started crying. Karen sat the cup down on the kitchen table and pulled her youngest brother into her lap. As she held Bradley, Peter walked over and repeated Bradley’s actions, getting himself pulled into a hug by Karen. “Karen,” Bradley said between cries, “Is...Tameria...gonna...be...okay...really?” Karen rubbed the boys’ back as she told him, “Bradley, I wasn’t with Tameria at school, or at the mall, when The Haints kept Tameria from being hurt by showing several people just what happens when hate takes total control of people. Yes, Bradley, Tameria is really going to be okay.” She laid her head on Bradley’s head, then kissing the top of his head asked, “How about scrambled eggs and bacon this morning?” She felt both boys nod their heads and told them, “Okay, you two set the table for everyone, get out the toaster and the bread, and we’ll get this show on the road.” Peter lifted his head off Karen’s shoulder before telling her, “This isn’t a show, we’re getting breakfast.” Karen gave Peter an incredulous look before replying, “Why this is so a show we’re putting on. You two are the prop men and I’m the director,” she said with just a bit of snootiness in her voice, causing both boys to laugh at her silliness. “Now scoot, let’s get things ready,” Karen told her brothers, kissing each on his cheek before the three got to work.
Carol and Brian were just concluding needing each other, again, as they’d done most of the night, when Carol said, “Hmmm...I smell bacon cooking. And eggs. You don’t suppose those two stinkers are doing something they know they’re not cleared to do, do you?” Brian lifted his head off Carol’s left breast and told her, “I’m administering to your needs and all you can say is, ‘I smell bacon cooking.’ What? Have I lost my touch?” “Sweetheart, your administrations were beyond wonderful, and I really needed you so much last night, and may again tonight, but we better go see if the boys aren’t trying to burn the kitchen down as a hint they’d like a bigger room.” The two shared another passionate kiss, as Carol reached down and gently caressed Brian’s member. “Darling, if you continue with that, we may have to buy a new house if the boys are indeed hinting they’d like a bigger room by burning down the kitchen.” They shared one more deep, passionate, kiss before getting out of bed and getting dressed.
“Okay, you two,” Karen told Carol and Brian, when they walked into the kitchen, “Sit down, breakfast is ready. I’ve had a terrible time keeping these two urchins out of everything until you two came out of your cave.” Karen winked at her brothers, causing both to snicker at what she just told their parents. “Oooo...I think we were just compared to bears, darling,” Brian told Carol. “Yeah, I got that impression,” Carol replied, as Brian circled the table one way and Carol the other, before pouncing on Peter and Bradley, and hugging Karen. The boys, as they usually did when pounced upon, laughed and screamed and loved every minute of the attention. Karen for her part, fiercely hugged each of her parents, wiping tears away afterwards. “Yeah, we know honey, we’re worried too,” they each whispered into Karen’s ear.
When everyone had eaten their fill, it was Brian who said to the boys, “Um...gentleman, you two are invited on an excursion to the local business conglomerate. There will be confections, merriment, and a connoisseur’s delight of edible sustenance.” Peter slowly turned his head toward Bradley, as Bradley did the same to Peter, before both boys slowly shook their heads, looked toward the kitchen ceiling and said in unison, while looking at the father, “HUH?” Neither Karen, Brian or Carol could hold back the laughter that built from the two boys’ theatrics. “Guys, your mom and I are going to take you to the mall. You know, that place with all the stores, that huge food court, candy stores, and the arcade.” When neither boy responded, Brian and Carol suddenly looked worried, until both boys broke out into laughter, high fiving each other. “Got ya,” Bradley said as he and Peter continued to laugh. Both boys quickly slid out of their chairs and under the table as the three older Jinks started their approach to even out the little score the boys achieved. “Oh, look dear,” Carol said to Brian, “Look how they cringe at our approach. Maybe we should cancel the outing to the mall.” “NO, NO, DON’T DO THAT,” both boys yelled, and immediately came out from under the kitchen table. Only to immediately be grabbed by Brian and Carol. It was quite noisy in the kitchen for the next few minutes, as the boys paid the price for putting one over on their parents. And they all loved it.
Brian, Carol, and Karen had discussed the night before how to keep Peter and Bradley busy so they wouldn’t worry about Tameria. While the two were young, they had always been fascinated by everything they saw at the mall, even the entire structure itself. And they asked more questions than Brian or Carol could even answer, some rather mature for one seven years old and one eight years old. All three Jinks also knew that by taking the boys to the mall they’d be dead tired when they returned home, making it easier for them to sleep soundly through the night, and not worry so much about Tameria. What the three would do Friday depended when, or if, Tameria was ready to walk out of her room; hopefully not, ever.
When the paybacks had been awarded, and everyone had calmed down, it was Carol who took charge and announced, “Peter, Bradley, if you will please help clean up, then got upstairs to your room, brush your teeth again, use the toilet, and put what knick-knacks you carry in your pockets, your dad and I will take you to the mall.” Flash Gordon was slow compared to how fast the two boys rinsed off the dishes, put them into the dishwasher, put away the now unplugged toaster and bread, put away the condiments, and helped dry the pans that Karen washed. In fact, they pushed and pulled Karen over to the sink and practically shoved the necessary items into her hands for washing the pans. It took all the will power Carol and Brian possessed to keep from laughing out loud watching their boys at work, but not hard to feel proud of their two young boys.
It was quiet in the house after the four left for the mall, and Karen found herself sitting on the floor outside of Tameria’s bedroom, with her knees drawn up to her chest. “You will take care of her, won’t you? We really need her to be okay.” Karen stabbed at tears that were rolling down her cheeks, not expecting what was said next.
”We are The Haints. Karen Jinks. Tameria Jinks is progressing as planned. Worry not for your sister. Karen Jinks. We will protect her during her transition. Karen Jinks. Be at peace. Karen Jinks. All is well.”
Such overwhelming relief washed over Karen that she rested her head on her knees and wept openly, finally knowing Tameria was alright. She didn’t know how long she had cried, or sat at Tameria’s bedroom door, but felt much lighter as she went to the kitchen to get something to drink. She even felt so much better that she decided to watch a movie, one which would provide the laughter she felt building inside her. One which would help her remember that Tameria would be walking out of her bedroom very soon now. One she knew her soon to be new sister loved to watch.
When the movie had finished, Karen fell asleep on the couch, only to be awakened some time later by a gentle kiss on her cheek. Heavy eyelids fluttered open to allow her to view Brandley standing before her, holding a bag in one of his hands. “Hi, sis,” Bradley said before raising the bag, “We brought you something from the mall.” Karen’s eyes went big as she saw the bag was from Jeb’s Candy’s, a candy store a person could easily spend half an hour perusing the shelves due to all the choices available. Karen also knew, from experience, that Jeb’s carried a chocolate that could only be described as nectar of the Gods. Sitting up, she took the bag Bradley offered, and all but squealed with delight when she saw that indeed, chocolate was in the bag. She gave Bradley a questioning look because this chocolate was not inexpensive. “Um...me and Peter had some allowance left over, and mom and dad helped.” Karen patted the couch to her left, indicating for Bradley to sit beside her. Looking up, she saw Peter sheepishly standing a few feet away, so she patted the right side of her and Peter crawled up beside her. When both boys were sitting beside her, she told them, “Oh you two are so special, thank you for this chocolate.” Then she did something both boys acted like they thoroughly hated, she kissed each on the cheek. Hearing Peter yell, “MOM,” brought Carol and Brian out of the kitchen, and had them holding back laughter when Peter asked, “Mom, is there any cleaning stuff for kissing cooties?” It started with uncontrollable snickers from Bradley, because of what Peter just said, and blossomed into full blown laughter, which caused Bradley to slide off the couch and land on flat his back on the floor. As Bradley continued to laugh, holding his stomach as he did so, Carol and Brian joined in, and increased their volume when Karen, giving Peter an icy stare, kissed him again. Peter gave Karen a contemptuous look before attacking her ribs. When Karen and Peter finished their attacks and counter-attacks, Karen had pulled Peter into a tight hug, reaching up every so often to wipe a tear from his cheeks. “Is Tameria going to be okay?” He asked Karen, as she wiped off another set of tears from his cheeks. “Sweetheart, I have it on very good authority that Tameria is doing just fine,” Karen told her brother as she held him close. “That’s good to hear,” Peter said, as she leaned into his older sister’s hug.
“Guys, I think you two need to go shower or bathe after your busy day, and then we’ll have a snack before you two go to bed.” Brian had seen how tired Peter and Bradley looked when they had returned home, so he and Carol had decided an early bedtime would be best for the two. Peter kissed Karen on the cheek before getting off the couch and following Bradley up to their bedroom. When the boys were out of earshot, Karen told her mom and dad, “The Haints spoke to me just after you all left for the mall. I guess I was so worried about Tameria they felt it necessary to reassure me she was alright and progressing as they had planned.” She reached up and wiped escaping tears off her cheeks, before the three found themselves in another hug. “She’s alright, mom and dad. We’ll see her shortly.”
With the boys fast asleep, Karen bid her parents a good night and watched as they walked hand in hand down the hall to their bedroom, putting the red plastic tag on the door knob before closing the door. Karen smiled at the thought of the love her parents were going to share again that night, hoping she too could someday find a man as wonderful as her dad. She didn’t realize how tired she actually was until after she’d used the bathroom. She didn’t remember falling asleep when she crawled into bed, but knew the next morning that this was the first time since Tameria had gone to bed Wednesday, that she had slept soundly.
As sleep abated, Karen started to realize there were noises coming from downstairs; they sounded like pans being banged. Not bothering to dress, she threw on her robe, opened the door to her bedroom, and saw Peter and Bradley looking at her blurry eyed. “What’s all that noise,” Bradley asked, just before Carol and Brian came out of their bedroom. “What the hell is going on?” A rather irritated Brian asked, receiving blank looks from the three children. “Well, we aren’t going to find out standing her,” Carol smartly told the small group, as she turned and started down the stairs, with the others right behind her.
The five Jinks came to an abrupt halt when they reached the kitchen, stunned looks plastered on their faces. It took only a moment after they heard, “Hi guys, ya’ll sleep good,” coming from Tameria, before a joyous riot broke out. Peter and Bradley were hugging Tameria’s waist, while the older Jinks had Tameria at the center of their hugs. “Guys, guys, air, I need air,” Tameria said before the pressure of the hugs lessened. Tameria saw the tears on everyone’s face, as she gently reached out to wipe them away. It was Carol who reached up to gently wipe the tears from Tameria’s cheeks as Tameria told them all, “Hey, I’m okay. Breakfast anyone? OH, THE BACON!!” Brian turned and turned the bacon just as it all had started to smoke. Thankfully it wasn’t burnt too bad, but that wasn’t a concern to everyone right now. The happy family went about their breakfast tasks, Peter and Bradley again becoming the prop men, with Carol becoming the director. Brian helped Peter skip the step stool by lifting his son high enough to reach the plates and glasses in the cabinet, which he dutifully handed to Bradley. Carol had pointed to Tameria’s chair and told her, “SIT,” before finishing what Tameria had started. Getting breakfast going was slower than usual, because everyone couldn’t keep from looking at Tameria and the slight changes they saw.
The three older Jinks found it almost comical as they watched Bradley and Peter eat their breakfast while they constantly looked at their new sister. And had they not had a free hand to cover their mouths, they’d have sprayed food all over the table when Bradley said to Tameria with a mouth full of scrambled eggs, “Wow, sis, you’re so much more beautiful.” And it caused them even more problems when Peter said, “Yeah, the old Tameria was pretty, but you’re really pretty.” It’s hard to snicker with a mouth full of scrambled eggs, and hard not to choke as they are swallowed. But the three managed it as they watched Tameria school her face into a perfect school marm and arched one eyebrow as she glared from little brother to little brother. And it was even funnier as both boys THOUGHT they’d stepped over the line before Tameria pulled them into a hug and told the two, “And I feel so much more prettier.” Brian, Carol, and Karen lost it and began to laugh out loud, seeing the look of relief on the two boys’ faces. “And I love you two very much,” Tameria told her brothers, right before she kissed each one on their cheeks. “Aww, yuck, MOM she’s done it again. She gave us cooties.” That statement of Peter’s brought down the house. Bradley slid off his chair and ended up under the kitchen table. Brian, Carol, and Karen were laughing so hard that tears were streaming down their cheeks. And Peter, Peter was caught in Tameria’s grip, and getting more kisses than he’d had since he was born. Everyone suddenly stopped laughing when they heard Peter crying as he told Tameria, “I sure missed you. I was worried we’d never see you again.” Tameria hugged the diminutive boy as he cried against her chest, helping Tameria realize that the breasts he was leaning against were real. And be used one day to cater to the needs of her own child.
Talk during the rest of breakfast centered around Tameria and her change. “Yes,” she replied when Karen asked if she felt different, “I can tell I walk differently, if a little bit off balance right now.” “No, I don’t remember anything that happened,” was the answer she gave Peter’s question. Bradley was studying Tameria’s face intently before he said, “Your nose is nicer looking, more like a girls’ nose.” That observation drew comments from the older Jinks, agreeing with Bradley’s assessment. Other features were pointed out, as their morning meal came to an end, which beget the reply from Tameria, “I hadn’t noticed. I haven’t been awake that long.” With everyone done eating, the prop men began their work, while the ladies started on the plates, glasses, and utensils. Brian stood off to the side and studied his new daughter, noticing the change of her hips, her narrower waist, and a few inches in height gain. While he didn’t know if The Haints could lengthen her hair, it did seem to be several inches longer--but this thought might be because he hadn’t seen his daughter in a day and a half. Still, The Haints do very good work.
Carol cleared her throat, causing Brian to stop his observations, and look to his wife. With eye movements and subtle head movements toward the garage, Brian finally caught on what his wife wanted. “Hey, boys. I need some help out in the garage moving things around to straighten up the place.” Peter looked over to Bradley, who looked back, before they both rolled their eyes, looked up to the ceiling, and shook their heads before Bradley told his dad, “Dad, why can’t you just say we need to go with you to the garage so the ladies can talk? Sheesh, parents.” Bradley’s words, and the stunned look on Brian’s face caused the three girls to start laughing, and continue to laugh as they watched both boys each take one of Brian’s hands and pull the man towards the garage. Only when the door to the garage did the laughter die out.
When the door to the garage closed, if there had been a fly on the wall it would have thought the noise in the kitchen was the start of a sleepover. First Carol shot Tameria a question, then Karen fired a question, then Carol, then Karen, all before Tameria had a chance to answer the first question asked. Tameria was so overcome with joy at the care her mother and sister were showing that she started crying and pulled the other two women into a hug. “Thank you so much for caring about me. Even after what The Haints told me I was really scared I’d never see all of you again.” And if that fly were big enough, it would have gone and brought back a box of tissues, a big box.
When the three had dried their eyes, Tameria told her mom and sister, “Both of you have helped me so much since I came out to the family, but I’m going to need help in an area that at the time wasn’t important. The Haints told me I’m going to have my first period tomorrow, and I’ll need help big time.” Tameria became annoyed when Carol and Karen both started snickering. “I don’t think it’s funny, I’m really scared about all this,” Tameria told the two women, and wiped at more tears that wanted to slide down her cheeks. “Oh honey, we’re sorry, it’s just that neither of us thought we’d ever have to deal with that subject with you. You would have gone on hormones, when you were of age after you had the surgery, and periods wouldn’t be a thing you’d needed to worry about. But now, now that The Haints have transformed you, well, it just caught us off guard. Plus, Tameria, you remember yourself as Robert, and will get to experience something regular boys will never experience. Someday you can become a mother, and know how it feels to bring a life into this world.”
The three ladies consoled each other again in another group hug, and almost emptied the box of tissues that Carol placed on the kitchen table. She looked at the time, 10 a.m., and told Tameria and Karen, “Girls, go get dressed, we’re going shopping, and have lunch out today.” Karen and Tameria kissed Carol before speeding off to their rooms, Carol following at a slower pace. With purses in hand, Carol led the three out to the garage where she told Brian and the boys, “You three hold down the house, we’re going shopping and lunch out today.” The three girls started laughing as they watched the three boys roll their eyes, look to the ceiling before shaking their heads. Brian kissed Carol goodbye, while Bradley hugged Karen--and received a kiss--as Peter hugged Tameria--and received a kiss. The boys watched as Carol backed her car out of the garage, down the driveway and away toward their shopping trip. “Guys, when you get married, you can look forward to this happening quite often. And if you get upset about it, you’ll spend the night out in the backyard in a sleeping bag.” The boys looked at each other before Peter told his dad, “Dad I got a bridge I’ll sell ya, cheap.” Brian knew when he’d been had, and grabbed both boys around their waist before hoisting them into the air and carrying them into the house--Bradley did the honors of opening the door to the house. And the boys loved it.
Because The Haints told Tameria she would have her first period tomorrow, Saturday, the ladies first stop was a major chain drug store to get the necessary sanitary items Tameria would need, it was also to help Tameria learn about something she previously would never have needed. After parking the car, going into the store, and finding the aisle containing the feminine sanitary products, Carol and Karen started answering Tameria’s questions as well as telling her the whens, whatfors, and how tos of using the sanitary products. After Karen’s rather unpleasant experience a year ago, they made sure to emphasize how important it was to maintain cleanliness at all times, or it was possible to develop some rather annoying unpleasantness. After selecting the necessary items, pads and tampons, plus cleansing products, Carol then took Tameria to the family planning aisle, and told her, “Tameria, I’m not naive to believe you’d wait until marriage before becoming sexually active, which is a decision only you can make. But if you decide to become sexually active, then I want you to make DAMN sure that boy uses a condom. NO CONDOM, NO ENTRY!! GOT IT?” Carol’s last statement had Tameria and Karen leaning on each other, holding each other up while they tried to suppress the laughter they tried not to broadcast all over the store. Even Carol started laughing at seeing what her last statement had done to her daughters. Carol untangled Tameria from Karen before telling her, “Sweetheart, I’ve known girls in my high school class who got pregnant before they turned eighteen, and it turned their lives upside down. At the time, they had to drop out of school and finish high school at home. And with some of the families, when the baby came, it was a burden on the family. And some of the girls were kicked out of their homes, needing to move in with family members who were more sympathetic with their needs. Sweetheart, right now the thought of having sex will be alluring to you because it’s something new, uncharted territory. I just want you to make sure you’re safe if you decide to become sexually active. There’s another couple of reasons to wait in becoming sexually active. Boys have a tendency to brag about their “conquests,” blab about the girls they’ve had sex with. You could develop a reputation of being “easy,” a girl who spreads her legs at the drop of a hat. Right now, from what I gather, you have a good reputation at school, so much so that many girls, and guys, look up to you. They’ve seen what many have put you through and have admired your perseverance. The other reason deals with STDs, some which you’d never get out of your system, some that’d stay with you for life, and maybe cause major problems down the road.” Carol’s words brought tears to Tameria’s eyes, making her pull her mother into a hug and whispering, “I love you so much, mom.” Once all three had dried their eyes, Carol explained to Tameria about condoms, and the various ones available. She also made Tameria understand that no condom was 100% safe, that they could, and sometimes did, leak. And so unlike the mom they saw at home, Carol then regaled the girls with a few of her adventures down the exploration path, and how none could compare to their father. Right then, right there, Tameria and Karen could not feel closer to their mom if they both sat right in her lap. And right then and right there, Tameria decided where her future path would lead after high school. But many things could change in three and a half years.
Carol paid for the item they’d selected, even throwing in a few snack items as well, before they went out to the car, placed their purchases into the trunk, and drove the short distance to the mall, where the real shopping would begin. Their first stop was at a very well known lingerie shop, not a major chain store, but one owned by a local woman Carol knew. This woman’s son had been like Robert, and like Carol, she helped him in every way possible to be the person he had to be. But at the time they found it hard to find items they liked, or could afford, so she and her daughter decided to open their own store. Over the years they’d built a reputation of helping not only naturally born girls but those who had been born into the wrong bodies. And they had a wide selection of everything a woman would want, and at a price she could afford.
Barb saw Carol and her daughters walk into her store, eagerly going up to Carol and giving her old friend a big hug. “Oh it’s good to see you again, dear, where have you been keeping yourself?” Carol returned the hug before telling her friend, “Busy with our youngest new daughter, and you know how Peter and Bradley can be, like trying to catch a train that’s running seventy miles per hour.” Barb laughed at Carol’s description of her sons, because she’d seen it for herself. “Well,” Barb started after breaking the hug with Carol, “What can I do for you three ladies today?” The three looked at each other for a moment, giving each other the “Are we sure about this” look. Tameria needed to be re-measured after her transformation, and Barb knew about Robert coming out to his family. As they drove to this area, Carol explained to Tameria and Karen that Barb had known about Robert’s coming out, but with Tameria’s change, she would start asking questions. And the only way she could see to explain everything was to introduce her to The Haints. The three kicked around the pros and cons but had the decision made for them when The Haints told them the idea had merit, since it would give them a chance to be at the mall.
Carol cleared her throat before saying, “Um...Barb, Tameria needs re-measured, but before that happens, is there somewhere we can talk in private? Real private?” Barb looked at the serious look on the face of her high school friend before telling Carol, “Yeah, sure, follow me. Stevie, I’m going to be helping these ladies, you and Toni keep watch, okay?” When Stevie said, “Okay mom,” Barb led the three ladies to the very back of the store, and into the office. After Barb closed the door, she turned to her friend and asked, “Is everything alright Carol? You look really worried.” Carol realized what Barb was implying before pulling her friend into a hug and telling her, “Oh I’m sorry Barb, I didn’t mean to scare you. Yes, everything is fine, but there is something you need to know about Tameria before you re-measure her.”
Carol took her friends’ hand and guided her to one of the chairs in the office, sitting down beside her as she started speaking. “Some time ago, Tameria met some...friends...that have really helped her through her changes. In fact they really helped her just recently. She is now a complete girl, totally girl, 100% girl, a girl who can conceive and the whole nine yards.” Barb looked over to where Tameria now sat, looked back to Carol, looked to Karen, and saw all three nodding their heads. “Is this some kind of a joke,” Barb asked, venom in her voice. “There’s no way she’s old enough to have had THE surgery, and no way in HELL there is any way she could have a womb.” Tameria came over and kneeled before Barb and took her hands before telling her, “Mrs. Gathers, this is no joke. No one is trying to play any tricks on you, I haven’t had any surgery, or hormones, or anything else. These friends who found me did it all and they did it all in a day and a half. Again Barb looked at Carol, who still had her hand on Barb’s arm, then at Karen and saw the three women were telling her the truth.
“Mrs. Gathers,” Tameria said softly, “These friends would like to speak with you, would like to explain themselves, but will do so only if you give them permission. They won’t force themselves on anyone who isn’t about to hurt someone.” When Barb looked into the faces of the three women before her, she saw only love and concern for her. Carol had told her girls of the hard time Stevie had had when he came out, and that Barb and her husband almost lost her because of some who took exception to her change. Those same people, adults by the way, are now rethinking their attitudes thanks to the taxpayers of the State. “What do I have to do,” Barb asked in a soft voice. “Nothing, Mrs. Gathers, just close your eyes and relax,” Tameria told her, as Carol removed her arm from Barb’s arm. “And Mrs. Gathers, don’t be alarmed by the voice you’ll hear, it’s just our friends.” The three ladies watched as Barb tried to relax before closing her eyes. Carol hoped they’d made the right decision.
”We are The Haints. Barbra Gathers.”
Barb’s eyes snapped open at the same time she jerked her hands back to her chest. “MY GAWD, was that your friends, Tameria?” Barb asked as her hands went to her mouth. “They...I...they were in my mind. I heard voices. OH GAWD! Tameria?” Barb reached her hands out to Tameria and continued with, “Is this really real? I’m not imagining it, right? Please, say I’m not?” Tameria released one of Barb’s hands and gently wiped the tears sliding down Barbs cheeks, while telling her, “No Mrs. Gathers, this is real, maybe more real than you could imagine, but real all the same.” “Oh my,” Barb said, reaching up to take the hand Tameria used to wipe off the tears, before she again closed her eyes and tried to relax.
”Be at peace. Barbra Gathers. We are The Haints. Barbra Gathers. We will you no harm. Barbra Gathers. We wish to speak with you. Barbra Gathers. We wish to tell you our story. Barbra Gathers. Only if you will us too. Barbra Gathers. Because it is a sad story, a story of how our planet died. Barbra Gathers. A story that could, one day, be the fate of this planet. Barbra Gathers.”
Carol, Karen, and Tameria, because of their links with The Haints, could hear what they had told Barb. And Carol was happy for her friend when they heard Barb tell The Haints, “Please, tell your story.” As The Haints had done with many before Barb, they told the general direction where their planet had been; how one group felt everyone should believe as they did, and seeing others disagreed, started a war. How their creator had made them in order to stop all the aggression which was tearing their world apart, but with so few of The Haints, they were too late. The war raged for years, killing hundreds of thousands, many of them their own aggressives. And when the aggressives saw their defeat was at hand, deployed a weapon that ruptured the planets’ core and completely destroyed the planet. They told of how long they drifted in space, how they learned and changed over the millions of years during their drifting. They told of the planets they passed, the ones they saw with life but not needing their purpose, and of finding the Earth and of the one person who could help them achieve their purpose.
”...if you permit. Barbra Gathers. We can allow you to see all we saw. Barbra Gathers.”
Barb felt soft hands wiping tears off her cheeks, “It’s alright Mrs. Gathers, you don’t have to see what happened to The Haints’ planet. They only want to make you aware that the same can happen to our planet, if things continue as they are going.” Tameria told Barb before taking her hands again. Barb simply nodded her head, mentally telling The Haints to show her all that they saw. As The Haints started their “recording,” Barb’s hands tightened in Tameria’s hands, more tears falling from her eyes, and a cry of agony coming from Barb’s mouth. Barb suddenly pulled her hands from Tameria’s, covered her face and began weeping in earnest. Tameria reached up and pulled the woman into a tight hug and let her cry on her shoulder. “Oh those poor people, dead, all of them, all because of those self righteous BASTARDS,” Barb said and continued to cry. As Barb’s crying slowed she asked Tameria, “Can they help Stevie, like they did you?” Tameria’s only reply was, “Ask them.”
”Be at peace. Barbra Gathers. If you allow, we will be with you. Barbra Gathers. With you we can bring harmony to those who will to harm others. We have learned from Tameria Jinks that some aggression is necessary for humans, but we will to stop that aggression which could end this planet as did ours.”
Barb’s crying had stopped, shortly before The Haints spoke to her again. She gently pushed back from Tameria and leaned back in the chair before asking, “Be with ME? They want to be with me. What do they mean, Tameria?” “Mrs. Gathers, you must now realize what The Haints are, right?” Tameria asked, and saw Barb nod her head, “Their nanites, hundreds of nanites.” “That’s right, Mrs. Gathers,” Tameria said before continuing with, “They can, if you allow it, be inside of you, or any person, and help you as well as help others. It wasn’t explained how, but they can, I guess, shield themselves in case of any medical exam which looks at the inside of the body. They want us to be their legs, getting them from place to place where they can quash aggression that’s aimed at hurting others. It will take years, but their goal is to bring harmony, peace, really, to our world. So our world, and those on it, don’t suffer the same fate as their planet. Mrs. Gathers, if you help them, let them be with you, just by going about your daily life they will take care of the rest.” As Tameria gently wiped tears off Barb’s cheeks, again, Barb asked, “How do I let them be with me?” Tameria smiled before telling Babr, “Just ask, Mrs. Gathers. Just ask.” The three ladies could hear Barb ask The Haints to be with her, and to help Stevie if they could, or would. They told Barb they’d need to speak with Stevie first, and as they did with Tameria, they had the ability to do the same with Stevie. Barb excused herself for a moment, before coming back with Stevie. And as what occurred to Barb, the same occurred to Stevie, with much the same results. The only difference was how grateful she was for what The Haints could do for her, and a promise The Haints would be with her always.
Six weeks later Carol got a phone call from Barb, telling her she and her new daughter would like to take the Jinks women out to dinner.
Carol phoned home before they arrived, telling Brian they’d need help unloading the car. And as Peter and Bradley watched, their dad rolled his eyes, looked toward the ceiling, shook his head before saying, “Oh...brother! They’ve broke the bank.” The two boys had heard this from their father before, so they knew their mom and sisters had purchased a whole lot of something. Something that cost a lot. And when Carol pulled into the garage, and the three Jinks males saw what was in the back seat, and the trunk, they all tried to remember something they’d forgotten to do. It took the three women and the Jinks males two trips each to completely empty the car, some of which was handed to the two boys and Brian. When the three saw what they’d been given, unloading the car didn’t seem such a chore after all.
What was left of Saturday was spent with Tameria taking a walk with Karen, trying to get used to her new body and the different balance it brought to light. Carol and the boys fixed a nice dinner which led to flipping of coins as to which movie they’d watch after dinner. The boys won the toss, causing several suppressed groans. But the two boys surprised the rest of the family when they chose a movie they knew everyone would like, and not one of their favorite movies. By the end of the movie, both boys could hardly keep their eyes open, so Brian and Carol carried them to their room, helped them get cleaned up and dressed before putting them to bed. Both parents couldn’t be more proud of how both boys had acted today, and hoped they’d continued to act. Of course, both boys were sound asleep and didn’t see the crossed fingers both parents had at the time. Tameria and Karen made their way to bed, showering before getting into bed. Brian and Carol went to their room, Brian hanging the red plastic card on the door knob before he and Carol helped each other bathe, and before continuing their administrations once they got into bed.
Sunday started off with brunch, even with Bradley and Peter. It was a day to make sure all homework was caught up. Another walk for Tameria with Karen, a general rest day before the business week hit them on Monday. And it was Tameria who really dreaded Monday, when her girlfriends would have more questions than she could, or would, answer. None of the girls had been able to come over Friday or the rest of the weekend, since their parents had plans of their own, so they would be on overdrive. Tameria now wished there was some way for the bus to haul a water tank filled with ice cold water, because her friends would be needing it.
The Haints had told Tameria that as soon as every student had been picked up, they’d altered memories concerning Tameria. As happened before, those students would experience a rapid onset of a headache that dissipated just as rapidly. Then they would only know that Tameria was a real girl and have no memory of having a headache. But first, Tameria had to deal with her girlfriends. Tameria felt it the minute she stepped on the bus, the buzz coming from the back where she and her girlfriends sat. Beckie and Tara were practically rocking the bus, they were so excited to hear about Tameria’s experience. Tameria had to put her hand over Beckie’s mouth to help keep the girl from blurting out her questions. “Guys, CALM DOWN,” an exasperated Tameria whispered harshly. “Listen, right now everyone knows me as Robert turned girl, and only you three and a few others know about the whole truth. When everyone had been picked up, “They” will do their thing and everyone on this bus will only remember me as Tameria, a girl. So keep it down, GOT IT?” Even Tameria’s rather harsh admonition couldn’t keep the two calm, so Tameria quietly answered the questions she could and deferred others until later. It didn’t get any better when Grace practically ran onto the bus and down the aisle, dropping in the seat next to Tameria and firing away with her questions. Tameria clamped a hand over Grace’s mouth and told her the same thing she told Beckie and Tara; it had the same effect, not a thing.
“Well how’s it feel to be real now?” “Have you fingered yourself yet?” “Have you played with your boobs?” “You know there’s this neat trick…,” and Tameria put her hand over Tara’s mouth before telling her, “NOT HERE!!” Tameria did try to tell her friends, in a low voice, how it felt for her to be a real girl, and how she’d have to be careful for a few days until she was used to her new body. And it was Beckie who offered with a smirk, “You know, now that you are you, we could have a sleepover and have a foursome.” That comment caused Tameria to blush, but Tara and Grace to giggle. The three also saw the twinkle in Tameria’s eyes, telling them she wasn’t completely opposed to the idea. It wasn’t long after the last student had been picked up, and while the bus was stopped at a red light, that everyone but the four girls had a sudden headache that vanished as quickly as it came. The three girls may have missed the moment, but Tameria didn’t, and told the girls about what had just happened. They were now safe to talk about “girl” things.
Tameria went on to tell the three girls that The Haints would start altering memories today at school. She described what the three would witness, and how important it was that they not react in any way or they might draw unwanted attention to themselves. Given the limited number of people who knew about The Haints, it would take them several days before everyone at school had their memories altered. Tameria also told them that The Haints would search for any who had known Robert, when the girls were anywhere out of school, so again, not react in any way when the change took place. Even though Tameria had told them what would begin happening today, their spirits just wouldn’t be dampened. They still wanted to ask Tameria lots of questions and couldn’t wait to see the changes take place. ‘Maybe telling these three about The Haints wasn’t such a good idea,’ Tameria thought to herself. ‘I can understand they’re being curious about my change, but they’re now acting like this is all a game of some sort. I do hope I’m wrong,’ Tameria’s thoughts continued. The bus finally arrived at the high school, allowing its passengers to escape the confines of their conveyance. Beckie, Grace, and Tara were just too giddy, and once again Tameria had to pull them aside and slam them about drawing unwanted attention to themselves. She had to remind them about people who would go to great lengths to acquire The Haints should they learn of them. And what could happen to the girls should it become known The Haints are with them, including taking the girls apart piece by piece until they found what they were after. Tameria hated herself for what she just told the girls, but they needed to hear the truth about some people.
That reminder helped to calm the three girls down a bit, just a bit, kind of, sort of, actually not at all. But they weren’t as vocal in their excitement. Thankfully. Everyone at school who knew of The Haints had also been told what to expect as classes started and as the day progressed. So when those same people started seeing people in school act like their heads were hurting, only to not acknowledge it afterwards, they didn’t become alarmed. Several girls did continue to act as though their heads were hurting, but that was because of something altogether different and would pass in a few days. There was something that started occurring after memories had been altered, and it was almost as bad for Tameria as the first time Robert came to school as Tameria.
When Robert first attended school as Tameria, she received all sorts of dirty looks, derogative comments, and many different attempts to embarrass her. She even had to be protected from some who wanted to physically hurt her. Now, with her change, and resculpted body, she had become a girl magnet. She couldn’t walk down the hall without almost every boy turning to watch her walk by. She couldn’t go to the restroom without coming out and finding a group of boys conveniently standing nearby. At one time the girls at school would have stood up for Tameria, helped protect her and admired her courage. But not now, at least for several of the girls. No, those few now considered Tameria to be a competitor, another beautiful girl who was drawing boys like roadkill draws flies. And it was these girls who went out of their way to be ice queens to Tameria, doing their best to put Tameria in a bad light so they became the boys sole focus.
As when Robert came out as Tameria, she wasn’t looking to garner attention from anyone. She just wanted to attend school as herself. And as the old Tameria had been confronted with violence in the restrooms, so too did Tameria experience her first confrontation in the girls restroom. She had just used a stall to take care of her continuing monthly, and was washing up when the restroom door slammed open and four very angry girls stomped in, blocking Tameria’s exit. “So,” Casey, the self appointed leader of the four started off, “Miss beauty queen thinks she’s going to waltz around school getting every boy interested in her so she can gain their votes at the upcoming Homecoming dance. Well guess what, missy, that ain’t gonna happen. We’re gonna fix it so no one votes for you.” Because Tameria had been through this garbage before, she knew what would happen next would not only surprise these four but shock them senseless.
As the four girls had all their attention riveted on Tameria, they didn’t notice Mrs. Glasstow or Mrs. Bridges walk into the restroom behind them. When the four girls were two steps away from Tameria, they suddenly froze in their tracks, completely unable to move. “You alright Tameria?” Jenny Glasstow asked, as she and Janet Bridges walked around the four girls and stood next to Tameria. “Girls,” Janet Bridges said, “You’ve made a very bad mistake threatening another girl over something as stupid as votes for the upcoming Homecoming dance. Not only have you shown how petty you are, but you’ve also gained yourself two weeks detention, and your parents told just how vain you really are.” The three standing in front of the girls watched as six sets of eyes widened at the mention of their parents knowing how they just acted, and of the two weeks detention. Casey, on the other hand, showed she was royally pissed, and cared nothing about the detention or her parents being notified. Tameria walked up to stand eye to Casey before telling her, “This was all you’re doing, Casey Marshall, you and no one else caused this to happen. You can’t blame me for your vanity, only yourself. But I assure you that is about to change.” As Jenny, Janet, and Tameria watched, the four girls suddenly developed hard hitting headaches; they’d been released so they’d all brought their hands up to the sides of their heads. As the three watched the next step, as all four girls’ eyes went wide at seeing what The Haints saw happen to their planet.
”We are The Haints. The four of you believe hate to be the solution? Look at what hate can really do. You will remember nothing of us. You will remember the lesson on hate, but not be able to speak of it to anyone. No longer will you hate. You will only want to care and help those in need. You will remember what you almost did to Tameria Jinks. You will remember how wrong you were to hate. We are The Haints.”
As the three women had seen before, after The Haints prevented Tameria from being hurt, the four girls broke down in tears, dropping into heaps on the restroom floor. It was several minutes before they’d regained some control over themselves before Casey told Tameria, “I’m so sorry, Tameria. You’re right, all of this is my fault, and over nothing really important.” As Jenny and Janet watched, Tameria knelt down before Casey and pulled her into a tight hug, which Casey returned, before telling her, “Casey, you have seen what happens when hate takes control of people. But it took this instance that forced you to face the real reason for the hate you carry, and it isn’t because of me. Is it?” Casey shook her head no, before going into details why she’s been so angry. Tears fell from Tameria’s eyes, and shocked Jenny and Janet, as well as the other three girls, as Casey told what her brother and father had been doing to her. And how they’d been constantly telling her how the wicked witch of the west was more attractive than she was. While Tameria held Casey close as she started crying again, Jenny called the police and CPS and reported the sexual abuse that the girl had been enduring.
“Tameria, help Casey up so she and the other girls can clean their faces before we all go to my office, the police and someone from CPS will be there shortly. And this puts a different light on why you four confronted Tameria, one we’re needing to talk about. I can’t let what you almost did go unpunished, but I think under the circumstances, it won’t be as severe as it would have had Casey’s abuse not come to light. And you three,” and Jenny pointed to the other three girls that came in the restroom with Casey, “This is not your story to tell, about the abuse. So not one word to anyone, you may have to give a statement of anything you may know about it. Girls, if any word of this gets out, other than by the police or CPS, your asses are going to be mine until you graduate or your family moves away. DO...YOU...UNDERSTAND...ME?” The three girls looked like Bobble dolls nodding their heads, yes. Hearing about the abuse Casey had been enduring brought back memories to Jenny about a girl about Casey’s age, several years ago, who was also being abused. And how the girls’ mother came home from work one day to find her hanging from the ceiling in the garage. The girl had left a video telling everything and how she couldn’t stand it anymore that no one would believe her about the fact that her pastor father had been raping her over the past five years. Jenny wiped away a tear and the group walked to her office.
Jenny had Janet take the four girls to one of the conference rooms in the office, to wait until the police and someone from CPS arrived. She also sent word to the teachers of the four girls that there had been an emergency and they were to be excused from this periods’ class--she’d play it by ear for the rest of their classes. Jenny knew from experience but she had to try anyway by telling Tameria, “Tameria, I think you best go on to class, we’ll give you a pass.” Jenny had to fight to hide the smile that wanted to break out when Tameria told her, “Sorry, Mrs. Glasstow, I’m going to stay with Casey and be there for her through all this.” Robert Jinks would never have wanted anything to do with anyone who had attacked him or been prevented from it happening. He would have told them where to go before walking off. As Tameria, it was a whole different story. As she’d done before, here she was, being there for a classmate who needed support, a classmate who was about to hurt her. Jenny pitied anyone in Tameria’s future, because she was going to be a force to be reckoned with. Jenny sent word to Tameria’s teacher of the emergency and Tameria’s to be excused from this periods’ class.
Fifteen minutes after the girls had been taken to one of the conference rooms, and Jenny had returned to her office, two detectives from the police department arrived at the school, asking to see Principal Glasstow. A few moments after the detectives arrived, a woman from CPS arrived, requesting the same. The three were escorted back to Jenny’s office, where introductions were made before Jenny had them come into her office, closing the door after them. When Jenny shook hands with each individual, she noticed how each had a sudden headache which vanished just as quickly--The Haints had adjusted the memories of these three people in case they knew of Robert Jinks becoming Tameria.
Detectives Kelly Bailey and Joyce Tripton were seasoned detectives, each with over fifteen years of service. Betty Wells, with the CPS, had been with that department over twenty years, and it showed on her face. “Principal Glasstow,” Kelly said, abruptly getting down to business, something not lost on Jenny. “Would you tell us what occurred that led to the revelation of this girls’ alleged sexual abuse?” Kelly didn’t notice the anger that flared in the eyes of Joyce and Betty, or knew the control Jenny was exerting on herself not to bite the man’s head off for his insensitive question. Grinding her teeth, Jenny told the detective, “Detective Bailey, it’s taking me a great deal of self control not to kick you butt from here to Sunday for the insensitive question you asked. Have you ever been RAPED DETECTIVE?”
Jenny saw a tear roll down the detective’s cheek before he said, “I had a cousin years ago who had been systematically raped by her pastor father. She tried telling everyone in the family, even those outside the family. But no one believed her. One day her mom arrived home to find my cousin hanging from the ceiling in the garage. After seeing the video she left, the family, and outsiders, tried to prosecute the father. But his lawyer was able to convince the Courts the girl was just angry over something her father wouldn’t let her do, and killed herself over it. So in a sense, Principal Glasstow, yes, I have been raped. Raped by a father who sexually abused his daughter to the point she killed herself, depriving everyone of a very beautifully spirited person.” Kelly didn’t register the shock that stood on Jenny’s or Joyce’s faces after hearing Kelly’s story. “I remember that tragedy,” Betty said, “She was a very beautiful girl. The couple divorced and the wife took him to the cleaners. He had to leave town, and could no longer be a pastor. Last I heard he was living on skid row somewhere out west.” Joyce had laid her hand on Kelly’s arm, and Kelly then said, “I’m sorry, Principal Glasstow if you believe my question is insensitive, but if we’re to put two sick dogs down, as they should be, we MUST NOT make any unsubstantiated allegations. Since my cousin’s death, I’ve watched as too many abusers have gotten off because of a technicality, and I’m tired of it happening. This time, Principal Glasstow, this time those two BASTARDS will be sent to prison because we did everything right. We are going to tie up this case with nice neat bows so that no shyster lawyer can get those assholes off with a technicality.” Joyce and Jenny were really shocked at the venom Kelly displayed, but more shocked when Betty said, “Amen!”
Jenny wiped her eyes before getting everyone bottled water from the small fridge she kept in her office. She then told the events which led up to Casey Marshall revealing the abuse she’d been enduring from her brother and father. She also told of Tameria Jinks, the girl who was the target, kneeling before Casey and taking the girl in her arms and letting Casey cry on her shoulder. “Detectives, Tameria is a very special girl, one who wears her heart on her sleeve. Tameria will stay with Casey through all this, and be there to support her. If you’re planning to interview the girls separately, know that Tameria will be with Casey during your interview or you may not get anything from Casey--she’ll be too scared to speak out against her brother and father.” The four discussed what they planned to do before they all left Jenny’s office and walked down to the conference room where everyone waited.
Jenny made the introductions after the three visitors had entered the conference room, noticing Casey being held by Tameria. Joyce could tell Kelly was still upset over the story he told, and gently squeezed his arm just as he was about to speak. With her eyes, and the expression on her face, he got the message that she’d talk to Casey while he took statements from the three girls who were with Casey. “Mrs. Bridges, would you please sit in with me while I take the three girls’ statements?” Kelly finally said. “I need to have a guardian of some nature with me during questioning,” he added before Janet led the way to the connecting door to the other conference room, bidding the girls to follow her.
Betty took the seat next to Casey, while Jenny sat next to Tameria; detective Tripton sat across the table from the two girls. Only Tameria had acknowledged the introductions, Casey still had tears running down her cheeks and hadn’t said a word. “Hi Casey, I’m detective Joyce Tripton, mind if I ask you a few questions?” Jenny, Betty, and Joyce felt some progress might be made when they heard Casey chuckle then say, “Tripton, I bet you heard every joke and pun the kids in your school could come up with. Right?” Joyce laughed herself, because Casey was right, she had heard every joke, pun, and slight the kids at her schools could come up with during her time in school. “Yes, you’re right, they did and I have. You’re very perceptive. Casey,” Joyce asked in a soft, gentle voice, as she set a portable recorder on the table and turned it on, “do you think you’re up to telling me your story, from when it started up to now?” Joyce’s question caused Casey to sit up and look at Joyce before asking, “You believe me? When others haven’t? When others blew me off as just a girl mad at her dad and brother?” Casey took the tissue Tameria gave her and wiped her eyes, before Joyce asked, “Didn’t you tell your mother what your dad and brother were doing to you?” Fresh tears started falling from Casey’s eyes before she told Joyce, “My dad almost killed her when she confronted him about what he was doing to me. He even threatened my little sister, Terry, threatened to start on her if mom didn’t keep her mouth shut.” Joyce shut off the recorder, looked at Betty, who got the message and excused herself to make a phone call. Joyce excused herself and went next door to speak with Kelly, who agreed with Joyce before Joyce made a call herself.
After Joyce and Betty returned, Joyce restarted the recorder and asked Casey, “Casey, please tell me your story from the beginning. And don’t leave anything out.” Casey looked at Tameria, who nodded, then at Jenny, who also nodded, before recalling the events that had occurred for the past two years. “I was twelve, I’d just finished my first period, when my dad came into my room after I’d gone to bed. He sat down next to me and started touching me, and told me he was going to make me a big girl. And if I gave him any trouble, he’d have to make Terry a big girl--she was ten at the time.”
For the next hour, Casey described everything her dad did and how he and her brother took turns coming into her room each night to have sex with her, all the while knowing if she didn’t comply, they’d go to Terry. She told how the first time it happened, she told her mom, who confronted her dad and watched as he beat her mom into unconsciousness. Or the time her mom came into her room when her dad was on top of her and tried to beat him off her, only to get a fist in her face, knocking her out into the hallway--he closed and locked the door. Or how Terry tried to stop her dad from slapping her mom and getting backhanded so hard it knocked her into the wall, knocking her out. Casey said her mom tried to get help, but everyone said they couldn’t help unless they had proof. And the ones who came to investigate, found nothing, but mom paid for it afterwards. Casey told Joyce the only time her brother or dad didn’t have sex with her was when they were so drunk or high they just passed out until morning. She also told them she would have committed suicide if it weren’t for what they’d start doing to Terry. At that point, Casey broke down, and Tameria pulled her into a tight hug to let her cry. Joyce shut off the recorder, she had enough to take to the DA and have charges brought against Casey’s father and brother. And get that family the much needed help they deserved; she’d slit some sacks if she got any guff about hands being tied.
When Casey had calmed down, Betty asked, “Casey, do you have any family in the area?” Casey nodded her head, afraid to speak at the moment. When she felt she could speak she told Betty, “My dads’ mom lives a couple of hours west of here, and I’ve an Uncle who lives about thirty minutes away.” “Do you think they’d let you stay with them,” Betty asked, hoping her Uncle would take the girls in since they could continue going to the same school. “Well, Uncle Steve always said we’d be welcome anytime, so maybe he’d let us stay with his family. I like to stay with him so I could continue school here; you’d have to call him.” Casey gave Betty Steve’s phone number, and she excused herself to make a call. When she came back she was ecstatic, having just received an ear full when she spoke with Steve and told him why she was calling. She had to caution him not to do anything rash, least he ended up in jail; he wanted to kill his brother and nephew. And the girls could stay with his family as long as it was needed--even their mom could stay. “Casey, I just talked with your Uncle Steve and he said you, Terry, and your mom could stay with his family for as long as was needed. Casey, you’re going to stay with him and his family until this entire mess is settled.” Upon hearing Betty words, Casey broke down again, uttering between sobs, “Oh thank God, it’s over.”
The three girls Kelly interviewed knew nothing of the trouble Casey had at home, Casey always changing the subject, and becoming angry, when one of the girls asked her about something that Casey let slip. One of Betty’s co-workers went to Terry’s school and spoke with the principal, who in turn had Terry brought to the office and let the CPS worker explain to Terry who would pick her up after school. She also told Terry that Casey had finally been able to tell about everything that’s been happening at her home, which caused Terry to break down just as Casey had, knowing it was finally over.
Kelly and Joyce thanked everyone for their cooperation before leaving, and phoned their boss on the way to speak with the DA. After Joyce explained what they had, their boss called the DA and told her to expect his two detectives and get two arrest warrants warmed up for two very nasty individuals. Two individuals who’d been raping the oldest daughter almost every night since she was twelve--the leutenent had to poor cold water over the phone receiver after what he heard from the DA.
The DA listened to the recording of Casey’s story, filled out the paperwork, took it and the recording to a judge, and dad and brother were behind bars before the sun had thought to set; both a little worse for wear since both tried to resist being arrested. Both Joyce and Kelly were at the house when the arrests were made, and stayed behind to tell Casey’s mom how brave Casey had been to tell the whole story about the family’s troubles. And that she and the girls would be staying with her brother-in-laws’ family until everything was worked out. To say their mom was relieved was an understatement, if how long she cried was any indication. Back at school, Jenny let the other three girls go back to their classes, but excused Tameria and Casey for the rest of the morning--Casey needed the time. When lunch rolled around, Casey was calmer and able to go with Tameria to get something to eat before going to her afternoon classes. No one knew how she did it, but Tameria was always at Casey’s class to walk her to her next class and not be late for her own next class. Because of one act of kindness, a strong bond of friendship developed between Casey and Tameria. One that lasted until Casey’s death, at the ripe old age of 102.
The court appointed attorneys for the brother and dad--he didn’t need no fucking lawyer--advised both to plead guilty after they saw everything the DA was going to present at a jury trial. Their attorneys told them if they had a jury trial, with what the DA was going to present, both of them might get parole after they had died in prison. But that wasn’t all of dads’ problems, though. Seems a further investigation into his finances revealed several accounts he’d kept hidden from his wife, which caused the IRS to get involved. The sixteen years he and his son received in a summary judgement, just turned into thirty five for him because of evading taxes. Once the IRS took their share, the rest went to Casey, Terry, and their mom--with what they received, they’d have no trouble buying another house, one without the horrible memories. Mom received the house and everything inside, plus all of his assets, and the divorce she so longed for but he refused to give her. Oh, and in their further investigation, the IRS discovered several offshore accounts he had kept, which meant more for the three ladies after the IRS got their share, and more prison time for him.
Tameria did experience a few more unexpected surprises before Thanksgiving and Christmas break. Before Thanksgiving, a group of boys decided they wanted to know Tameria better, and cornered her in the girls locker room one day after school. The Haints took over, froze the boys, alerted Jenny and others, and the boys are now guests of the States’ Juvenile Detention facility; they also got a huge dose of The Haints recording. Another group of girls had a go at Tameria because of her grades, just before the Christmas break. Those girls saw things they’d never imagined, and received an additional two weeks break beside the one week Christmas break; the school had cracked down and there were no more detentions for such infractions. And their parents were not happy with their daughters, something about being grounded until pigs could fly. All in all, after the start of the New Year, the rest of Tameria’s school year went well; only a few minor problems occurred.
Tameria had made a name for herself because of the help she’d give to those who were having problems with their classes, or problems with relationships, or like Casey, problems at home. She was asked to try out for this or that, and even the cheerleaders asked her to try out for next year’s team. As TG Tameria, she would never have thought to try out for the events she’d been asked, especially cheerleading, which she declined, telling the cheerleaders, she had four left feet and three right feet, but thanked them all the same. And when the end of her freshman year finally came, she already had an internship lined up at the local Mental Health Clinic, hoping it would help her make sure this was the path she had planned to follow.
Three Saturdays before the final week of school, Beckie, Grace, Tara, and Tameria were in Tameria’s bedroom trying to get their homework finished. It was rather hard for them to do because it was constantly interrupted by talk of the End of The Year dance that had become a custom the Friday before the last two weeks of school. Several years ago, teachers had come to Jenny and complained how stressed out their students were when finals started, and couldn’t something be done to help ease that stress? Several ideas were kicked around at a faculty meeting one day after school, when one frustrated teacher hollered, “Why not just have a dance the Friday before the last two weeks of school?” The teacher who hollered decided she wanted to be somewhere else when every eye in the room bore down on her. That is until she started seeing smiles, and affirmations of that being a wonderful idea. It wouldn’t be a formal dance, though the slouch look wouldn’t be allowed, but it would allow the students time to unwind a bit before reviews started the next week, with finals beginning later that week and into the last week of school.
During the year, Beckie, Tara, and Grace had seen numerous flies vying for their attention, but all had been shooed away for one reason or another--usually because they wore their egos in their pants. But the three girls did start friendships with three boys that over time blossomed into exclusivity that gave everyone the feeling that three weddings would take place one day. And as it happened, it did, in time.
“Aarrrggghhh, what am I going to wear?” Beckie moaned, causing the other three to chuckle at her anguish. “Beckie,” Grace said with her tongue in her cheek, “You know Sam won’t care what you wear. In fact, I have it on good authority he wouldn’t care if you didn’t wear anything.” Tameria ducked as the pillow Beckie threw hit Grace smack in the face, causing all four to break down into ruckus laughter. “Beckie, don’t sweat it, Sam will love anything nice you wear, and you know it,” Grace said, throwing the pillow back at Beckie. “Yeah, I know, he’s such a sweetheart. He even cried that day he came over and went to use the bathroom, only to find my sister there in her birthday suit. It took us about an hour to calm him down, he was crying so hard, and apologizing, he was so embarrassed and sorry about the whole thing.” She laughed before telling the three, “My mom and sister told me if I didn’t put a hook in that boy, they were going to kick my butt. They were that taken with him. There were several other instances where my butt was threatened, simply because of the things Sam had done.” She finished this by holding up her ring finger and showing the promise ring Sam had given her. Three pillows sailed through the air in an effort to pelt Beckie.
The three noticed Grace had left the building, staring out into space lost in thought. That didn’t last long as the pillow Tara threw brought Grace back to the bedroom in an instant. “Hey...what was that for?” Grace asked, as she took the pillow and hugged it to her chest, threatening to leave the building again, until Tameria and Beckie gave her the same treatment. “Aw come on, stop already. What is with you three? Can’t a girl dream and plan?” In a very dramatic fashion, Grace swept hair out of her eyes with the hand that contained a very nice promise ring. Three more pillows hit their mark. “Jake says I look real nice in that yellow dress I have. Don’t you all agree,” she finished in another dramatic fashion, only to get another three pillows for her effort.
“Well, I’m going to wear my Kelly green skirt and the light green satin blouse,” Tara said, as she too tried to dramatically show off her promise ring, only to stop at the look on Tameria’s face. “OH gawd, Tameria, I’m sorry,” she said before rushing over and taking Tameria into a hug, and tears rolled down Tameria’s cheeks. “That’s ALL right Tara, you three have a right to be happy, and I’m happy for you three, REALLY I am.” The three girls had been so happy they’d found three boys their parents, and grandparents, approved of, who treated them with respect and consideration, that they forgot Tameria was still without a boyfriend because of her past experience. “Tameria,” Beckie started to say, “I’ve seen several boys who would love to call you their girlfriend and who are every bit as nice as the three we have. Sweetheart,” she said before getting off the bed and going over to Tameria, kneeling down and taking Tameria’s hands, “You are the most sweetest, kindest, and most considerate girl I have ever known. And after they did their work, cuter than a mouse’s ear.” Beckie’s last statement had the required affect, it made Tameria laugh before telling Beckie, “That’s a bug’s ear, you dope.” The two girls hugged deeply before Tameria told her, “I love you my sister.”
What the three girls would wear was sort of sorted out, and they’d gone back to their homework, when Tameria’s cell phone rang. She looked at the caller ID on the small screen and saw James Kincade, and a memory came flooding back. James Kincade is the sophomore boy who punched Tameria in the stomach when she was TG Tameria. He was also the boy Tameria suggested to Jenny to let The Haints try to help him instead of his parents sending him off to a military school. James was not like most of the students now, who only knew Tameria as a girl, but the boy The Haints helped realize he needed help, and showed him what hate could do. He remembered what he had done, and after several sessions of counseling for him and his parents, he changed back into the fine young man he was when he started school as a freshman. His change showed him the apology he owed Tameria, and anything else she needed. Those memories cause Tameria to also remember James after he received counseling, and his profuse apologies and his asking her to forgive him. And when he asked her to sit with him and the story he told her. And the tears he shed as he told his story and offering her his apologies. And how he was always there when Tameria least expected it, but needed it, making her laugh with some snarky remark or joke; he was not the same boy who had punched her in the stomach.
“It’s James Kincade,” Tameria told the three girls. “Well DON’T leave the boy in la la la land girl, answer it,” Tara told her, as Tameria saw the smiles on the three girls. They like many others saw the change that had taken place in James Kincade since the incident with Tameria. Many had been skeptical at first, but with his apologizing to those he’d hurt one way or another, and his better overall attitude, he soon was considered a new person.
Pressing the accept icon on her cell phone, Tameria said, “Hello…”
“Um...hi, Tameria? This is James Kincade.”
“Oh, hi James, how are you doing,” Tameria asked.
“A lot better than that day I was a big jerk. I’ve told you this many times before, but I’m so sorry for punching you. And I’ll understand if you say no, but I was wondering if anyone was taking you to the End of Year dance next Friday?”
Beckie, Grace, and Tara had practically crawled into Tameria’s lap so they could hear the whole conversation. “Guys, please, give me some breathing room,” Tameria told the girls, as she tried to keep James from hearing what she said.
“Um...no, James, no one is taking me to the dance. In fact I really wasn’t planning to go. Why do you ask?” Deep down Tameria had started liking the new James, and had hoped they’d start going steady. But memories prevented her from going that direction, until now.
“Well...I...um...was wondering…”
“James?”
“Yes Tameria?”
“Take a breath. Relax. I can’t bite you over the phone.”
Tameria heard James chuckle, before she heard him take a deep breath, and let it out before he asked, “Would you like to go to the dance with me? I thought we could go to dinner first, your choice of places.
The look on Tameria’s face said it all to the three girls, who then proceeded to act like drunken fools. Tameria had to sush them before she said to James, “I’d been hoping you’d ask, James. And I’m sorry if I’ve been putting you off, memories you know. Oh, not of you but several others. And dinner, do you like Mexican?” Tameria could hear how elated James was and told him, “James...James, take a breath, calm down,” Tameria laughed at James’ antics. She then got serious when she heard James crying, asking, “James...are you alright?”
James fought back more tears before telling Tameria, “Yeah, Tameria, I’m alright. I was so happy you accepted but then realized you shouldn’t have because of what I did to you. You are such a sweet young lady, Tameria Jinks. Thank you for letting me take you to the dance. I’ll see you Monday, okay? Goodbye.”
“That’s really sweet of you to say, James. And I’ll see you Monday. ...bye.”
The scream Brian and Carol heard caused both of them to run up to Tameria’s bedroom to see what had happened. When they opened the door to Tameria’s bedroom, they saw Beckie, Grace, and Tara in a group hug with Tameria, yelling, “You got a date to the dance...you got a date to the dance…” Brian and Carol could only smile because of what they saw, but more so because of the huge smile on Tameria’s face, something which had been lacking for some time. She’d been happy, but not to the level they now saw. She was truly, and honestly, happy.
Homework was forgotten for some time as the four girls started planning, in earnest, for the dance. Because this would be Tameria’s first dance, all three girls jumped up and headed straight to Tameria’s closet, where they proceeded to find just the right casual dress for Tameria to wear. By the time they’d finished, every dress Tameria owned was laying on the bed or had been tried on by Tameria in order for her friends to determine if “it” was the one. And being her friend, they also had to make sure she chose the right shoes and lingerie, even though she insisted James would never see any of it. All three girls just giggled at her last statement--laughing even harder when Tameria tried to give them her stink eye. After all the dresses had been returned to Tameria’s closet, the idea of transportation came up, or the question of how they’d get to the dance or out to eat came up. None of the girls could come up with a solution to get all four girls and all four boys to the dance and out to eat, if any, other than James, wanted too. It was Tameria who told the three, “Guess we’d better go talk with my parents, maybe they have an idea. Oh, and you three might call your others and find out if they’d like to go out to eat with James and me before the dance.” Tameria just chuckled at how fast cell phones appeared and calls made. And how long it took to ask a simple question. When the girls saw the impatient look on Tameria’s face, all three stuck out their tongues at her before “sugaryly” saying goodbye to their intendeds. As Tameria turned to walk out of her bedroom, three pillows hit her in the back of the head, and a chorus of “so there” was heard from the girls.
The girls found Tameria’s parents in the kitchen playing a card game, so they all sat down to watch and wait until it was over to pose their questions. They watched as Carol took a card from the discard pile before discarding a card. Brian picked a card and discarded another card. Carol took a card off the discard pile, and discarded a card Brian immediately picked up before shouting, “GIN.” He laid down ace thru five then seven thru jack. Carol leaned back in her chair, threw her head back and exclaimed, “OH GAWD NOOOOO…” As the girls watched, Brian leaned back in his chair, folded his hands across his chest and said, “Nanner...nanner...naaanneerr!” All four girls put their hands over their mouths as they tried not to laugh out loud at the antics of the two adults. “Just do me one favor Brian, don’t pick THAT restaurant! Pick any other you want, just not THAT one.” Carol had her hands over her eyes as she pleaded with Brian, before Grace asked, “What restaurant is that Mr. J?” In as solemn a voice as he could muster, Brian said, “That rather new seafood restaurant, Grace. The one that serves seafood in a rather unique way.” “The damn place should be called the bait shack, it’s fresh enough,” Carol said with a lot of contempt in her voice. “Oh honey, it wasn’t that bad, at least I didn’t think so,” Brian told her as the girls saw him start to chuckle. “That damn seafood was so fresh you could have put it right on a hook,” Carol said with flame in her voice.
It was Beckie who ventured the next question by asking, “What was so bad about that seafood?” Carol’s head immediately snapped up before she told Brian, “Brian Devlin Jinks, DON’T YOU DARE! You keep your mouth shut, you hear. NOT ONE WORD OR YOU’RE GOING TO BE CELIBET UNTIL THE DAY YOU DIE.” The imps of the family came from Brian’s side of the family. It was never a good idea to tell him not to tell a funny story if you wanted to keep him quiet, and Carol knew it. “You see, girls, a couple Carol and I have known since high school, the James’, asked us out to dinner at that new seafood restaurant. It’s unlike any restaurant you’ve ever been to because they serve the food in an, um, unique way.” “UNIQUE WAY, hell, the damn food was still alive. If it’d been a cow we could have milked the thing,” Carol told the five in disgust.
“As I was saying before being interrupted, the food they bring to the table is very fresh, just seconds dead, sort of. Paul talked Carol into trying the octopus tentacle, which she did. They cut it up into six inch pieces and bring it out on a plate. And it’s, um, still moving.” “Yeah, it was moving alright, and all of you thought it was so hilarious.” The girls noticed Carol had started chuckling now as Brian got into more of the story. “Well, girls, Carol bucked up and took a piece, put it in her mouth, and one of the suckers stuck itself to the inside of Carol’s cheek.” It took microseconds before the snickering started, followed by full blown laughter by the four girls. The were banging the kitchen table, howling, and gasping for air as their laughter continued. When Tara’s laughter had slowed a bit, she asked, “How’d you get it out of your mouth, Mrs. Jinks?” Beckie, Grace, and Tameria quieted because they wanted to hear Carol’s answer. Carol’s face started turning red as she softly said, “I used a spoon to pry it loose.” The girls looked at each other before Beckie said, “We didn’t hear you, Mrs. Jinks.” Carol’s face was completely red now as she bellowed out, “I USED A DAMN SPOON TO PRY IT OFF MY CHEEK.” Microseconds later, all four girls had died in their chairs. They were laughing so hard they had tears rolling down their cheeks. And at one point each had slid out of their chair and ended up on the floor under the kitchen table, where they continue to laugh their heads off, picturing Carol with a spoon in her mouth, along with a piece of octopus tentacle stuck to the inside of her cheek, prying away to get the thing out of her mouth. Brian and Carol were laughing right along with the girls. Brian leaned over and kissed Carol before she told him, “I’ll get you for this.” Brian’s second kiss was much more passionate than the first, hearing from Carol, “Maybe after we straighten something out.”
The girls’ laughter finally stopped, and the four crawled out from under the kitchen table. Carol had gone to the fridge and brought back six bottles of bottled water, knowing after all the foolishness it would be needed. When the girls had tissued their eyes, Carol asked, “So girls, what’s up?” “Well mom, we have a bit of a transportation problem. You see, we all have dates to the End of The Year dance, but can’t figure out how we’re going to get to the restaurant, then to the dance, then home. And we were wondering if you had any ideas,” Tameria asked, as she saw a look come over her parents’ faces.” “You have a date, Tameria?” Carol asked, then, “Who’s the boy?” Tameria scrunched up her face and said, “Um, you remember that boy who punched me in the stomach shortly after school started, James Kincade, it’s him.” Carol knew of James Kincade, and had seen the remarkable change in him since that day. But she wanted to hear it from Tameria, and why the change took place, since no one has said a word. “Yes, I know him Tameria, and remember what he did to you. And I’ve seen such a change in him since that day but don’t know how it happened. Care to explain?”
Tameria told her parents, and the girls, that she had a feeling just after James punched her, one The Haints helped her see. “You see mom, James’ dad had visitation rights for James on the weekends, and he would give James the hate speech garbage every time James was with him. And if James told his dad he couldn’t do any of the things his dad said he should do, his dad would beat him. He never left any marks, but he’d beat James at some point the times he was with his dad. He became angry because of what his dad was doing, and angerier because his mom told him to just say ‘yes’ and then forget it. But as he told his mom that wouldn’t work, because his dad would then take him out and expect him to do exactly what his dad had just told him. And when he didn’t, he’d get beaten. Everything had boiled up inside him, and I just happened to be at the wrong spot at the wrong time, and he exploded. I told Jenny not to let his mom and step-dad send him to that military school because there was something else going on with him and he needed help. His mom and step-dad too. The Haints helped him see that he needed help, and when they got it the entire truth came out his mom went back to the Judge and had his dads’ visitation rights eliminated. The police got involved and he ended up getting five years in prison.”
“Mom, he’s really a sweet boy, after he stopped being forced to spend time with his dad. Jenny said he looks just like he did his freshman year. And mom, when he asked me to the dance, he cried while on the phone, thinking I really shouldn’t agree to go with him because of what he did. Please, mom, don’t say no.” Tameria was upset, worried that her parents would tell her she couldn’t go, and didn’t see the slight smiles on both Brian and Carol--but the girls did. “So, girls,” Brian began, “You have a transportation problem, eh. Hmm...I wonder how we can solve that problem, with two cars sitting in our garage? I wonder?” Tameria let out a squeal that caused everyone to cover their ears, before she jumped up and ran to hug both her parents. “I think we can kill two birds with one stone.” Carol gave Brian a suspicious look as he said that, knowing full well he was up to something. “Where did you girls want to eat before the dance?” Brian asked and received four, “The Mexican restaurant.” Carol’s eyes got wide as she saw the glint in Brian’s eyes. “Oh no you don’t mister,” Carol said emphatically, “You are NOT going to take me to the Mexican restaurant, not after that last time.”
Innocently, Tameria asked, “Gee, mom, what happened?” Brian looked at his daughter, and noticed the sweet, ‘who me’ look on her face. “Well, girls, Brian and I went to the Mexican restaurant before we went to the movies. Half way through the movie, Brian, all by himself, cleared the entire theater of anyone who wanted to breathe.” Carol watched as Brian’s face turned a deep red, just about the time the girls found themselves on the floor, under the kitchen table, again. The four girls were laughing so hard no sound was coming out of their mouths at one point. It was Grace who said, “Oh gawd, my stomach hurts so much,” as she continued laughing. Carol just air kissed Brian before telling him, “Paybacks a bitch, ain’t it?” She leaned over and sucked Brian’s tongue right out of his mouth. When she’d finished the kiss, Brian told her, “We’ll see who gets what later, lady.” Once again the girls crawled out from under the kitchen table, getting back into their chairs before Tameria asked, “So, you have a plan for us, daddy?” Carol knew what Brian intended and told the girls, “Brian’s plan is for me to take you four to the restaurant and then to the dance, while Brian takes the boys. Brian and I will have dinner at the same restaurant and stay at the dance until it’s time to leave. That way no one will have to make so many trips. I know it isn’t the way you girls would like it to go, but as young as you are, you shouldn’t be alone with these boys, yet.”
From the looks on the four girls’ faces, Carol was right, the girls didn’t like the arrangements. But at least they’d be with their boyfriends twice during the evening. Plus, they still had two weeks of school left before new arrangements would have to be made. Carol and Brian knew the parents of the four boys, and knew each boy would never think of being anything but a gentleman. Still, male human nature being what it was, it was better to err on the side of caution than let fate have its hand and cause any unplanned interruptions. “Girls, Brian and I will go and call all of the parents, but I believe you four still have homework to complete? Right?” Carol told and asked the girls, seeing sheepish looks on their faces. The four nodded their heads before leaving the kitchen table and returning to Tameria’s bedroom to finish their homework. While the girls worked on their homework, Brian called the boys’ parents and explained the plans for the night of the End of The Year dance, while Carol called Beckie, Grace, and Tara’s parents. When all the calls had been made, every parent, to a one, had thanked Carol and Brian for wanting to help the kids and offering to chaperone the evening. And after the calls, and while the girls were busy with their homework, Brian and Carol engage in a bit of freehand cuddling, almost causing the couple to lock the girls in Tameria’s bedroom. Sleep for this couple would be long in coming on this night.
Everyone’s interests were drawn elsewhere, what with only three weeks left of school. Most were studying for finals, while also making last minute plans for the upcoming dance, so Tameria had a fairly quiet week prior to the dance on Friday. The teachers tried not to go overboard with homework during the third week before the two weeks left in school, but neither would they let the classes slack off because it was close to the end of school. Plans called for the next to last week of school to be a review week, then for the final week, first and second period finals would be on Monday, third and fourth on Tuesday, and fifth and six on Wednesday, with Thursday as makeup for any with excused absences Monday thru Wednesday. Friday all students would report to their first period classes, receive their grades and then be dismissed for the summer. Seniors would be held to go over last minute changes for their graduation on Saturday, and to wish them the best for their future.
Several teachers started reviews a week early, giving those needing more help a chance to get the help they needed. Mock final exams were given, much to the displeasure of the students, but were reviewed in class and used to show each student what areas they were weak in and where to concentrate their studies; it took some doing by the teachers to put a lot of students at ease when taking the mock exams. Some teachers even brought surprises for their classes, some store bought, some made by each teacher. Each teacher, in their own way, was trying to reduce the stress they’d seen too much of and which caused many students to do poorly on their final exams, despite those same students exhibiting better work than shown on the exams. And their efforts seemed to have paid off, as the results of the final exams showed.
Friday turned out to be the worst day for all of the teachers, because the End of The Year dance was that night. While it seemed to be the only topic most of the girls wanted to discuss, many of the boys tried to act stoic, all manly, and not show their excitement. James Kincade was not one of those boys, he was excited, and showed it, almost acting like most of the girls. Until the memory of what he had done to Tameria came rushing back. Several times during their short time together between classes, Tameria had to reassure James that she’d forgiven him and wanted to go to the dance with him, and only him. She had even wiped the tears off his cheeks during many of those times. During the time they spent together at lunch, James finally had the courage to ask Tameria why, after what he did, she wanted to be with him. Tameria saw some tough love was needed right now or James would continue to beat himself up over what he’d done to her. “You listen to me, James Mitchell Kincade, you will stop beating yourself up over what happened, it’s in the past, done, over, can’t be fixed. You stop beating yourself up or I’m going to kick you butt up one side and down the other. You GOT THAT mister?” A shocked James looked into the fiery eyes of Tameria Jinks, not having seen that look before, and his heart melted. He took her hands in his and told her, “Yes, I understand, and I love you.” James started laughing as he watched Tameria’s face change expressions several times before she was looking at him with a gaping mouth. He gently pressed under her chin, closing her mouth before telling her, “You might catch flies if you leave your mouth hanging open like that.” Tameria’s mouth started working again, but no words came out, just tears forming in her eyes. As they started sliding down her cheeks, she said, “You love me? Really...no foolin’...honestly, me?”
James reached up and gently wiped the tears off her cheeks before explaining, “Tameria, I learned it was because of you that I didn’t end up at that military school. That it was because of what you said to Principal Glasstow that helped me, my mom, and step-dad get things straightened out. Since then I’ve been watching you and how you are with everyone, how you’re willing to help and how you really care. And the simple truth is, I fell in love with you, all of you. I can’t explain it any better than that, I...LOVE...you, Tameria Jinks.” As Tameria watched, James took a small box out of his backpack, opened it as he held the box in front of Tameria and showed her it contained a promise ring. Tameria had been so focused on James, and the ring, that she didn’t notice when Beckie and Sam, Grace and Jake, and Tara and Tony had sat down around them at the table. Beckie, Grace, and Tara had the biggest smiles on their faces as they saw what James was holding, while Sam, Jake, and Tony tried to hold theirs back and did a very poor job of it. All of them had seen the change in James, from his first few weeks at school, and proud to know him because of it. “Tameria,” James began, as he held the open box before her, “I have fallen deeply in love with you, and if the winds of fate have it in their power, I want to spend the rest of my life with you and only you. I know we’re too young right now to take steps in that direction, but when we can, I’d like to replace this ring with a proper one that has a bigger stone on it.” Grace, Tara, and Beckie had covered their mouths with their hands, holding back screams that were building up over what they were witnessing.
Tameria’s thoughts were all mush, she couldn’t get any of them put into any order. But that changed when she heard,
”We are The Haints. Tameria Jinks. We speak to you and you alone. Tameria Jinks. We have watched James Kincade and deem him truthful in all he has said. We also deem his truthfulness in his love for you. Tameria Jinks. Be not uncertain. Tameria Jinks. We The Haints have also deemed your love for him to be truthful, honest, and sincere. Be at peace. Tameria Jinks. In accepting the offer made by James Kincade.”
TG Tameria never gave herself a chance of finding a boyfriend, much less a husband. And it hadn’t changed much since her transition. But The Haints were right, she had come to love James Kincade since his path had been repaired, and had just kept denying it to herself. Now she was being forced to see the truth she’d been hiding for so long, her love for him, and she now noticed they weren’t alone. Tameria looked at each of the eight people who sat with her and James, and each one was nodding their head, telling her to accept. She looked back into James’ eyes before telling him in a soft voice, “I’ve fallen in love with you, too, James Mitchell Kincade. I’ve also watched you since your change, and while you try to hide it sometimes, you really care about people. I too would like to spend the rest of my life with you,” Tameria finished, as she held up her left hand for James to put the ring on her ring finger.
The entire cafeteria staff, and all the teachers in the cafeteria came running in the directions of the screams when the girls finally cut loose as James put the ring on Tameria’s finger. All the adults stopped short when they saw why the screams had occurred, and just smiled, shook their heads and left the group to themselves. Many of the nearby students weren’t so happy, now that they had trouble with their hearing. But they too were happy for the couple, some even getting paid off for bets they’d made several weeks ago. Tameria’s feet never touched the floor for the rest of the day. Even her teachers had to get her attention more than once, which was not like Tameria at all. But it didn’t take long for them to see the ring on her finger and to know where Tameria’s mind was at the moment. Several of her teachers even congratulated her, most just smiling as she left the class, but all cautioned her not to let this divert her attention to the upcoming finals.
Beckie, Grace, and Tara had to practically carry Tameria to the bus, sit her down, and make sure she got off at the right stop. They almost had to make sure she got home, but Carol was waiting and helped her floating daughter make it into the house. When they got into the house, Carol removed Tameria’s backpack, then guided her into the kitchen and sat her down. Carol waved her hand up and down in front of Tameria’s eyes, but saw no reaction. Carol then fixed herself a cup of tea and a mug of hot chocolate for Tameria--one of her greatest weaknesses. Where Carol’s hand waving had no effect, wafting the mug under Tameria’s nose did, as Tameria said, “Oh mom, I so love him, and he loves me. I never gave it much hope for something like this,” she finished as she looked at the promise ring on her ring finger.
Carol thought back to her high school days, and the moment Brian had done much the same thing with her. She also remembered the numerous times over the next few years where she thought it would all come crashing down. But it hadn’t, and here they are after many years with four wonderful children. Carol pulled Tameria into a hug and told her, “I’m so happy for you, but I’m also worried for you at the same time.” Carol held up her hand to stop Tameria from speaking before she went on to explain. “Sweetie, you weren’t the only one who had their doubts about you finding a boyfriend or getting married at the very start. Your father and I had our doubts, because this was all new to us. But after your transition, and how you looked after coming out of the body shop,” and Tameria playfully swatted her mom before Carol continued, “your father and I knew it was only a matter of time before you found the right boy for you. And even though James attacked you back then, he’s turned into a young man we’d be proud to call our son-in-law.” Tameria could hear it in her moms’ voice, the ‘but’ she hadn’t said. “But?” Tameria questioned. “But…,” Carol began, but stopped to gather her thoughts. “...you need to understand that right now you are flying higher than the moon about what just happened. And you will for a few more days. But you will come back to Earth, back to reality, and then you’re going to start seeing things you aren’t going to like or really bother you about James. This is normal, Tameria, between two people, but the trick is to understand that it is normal and not just one sided. James will likely see similar things in you. When this happens, and it will, DON’T clam up, be open about it with him, and encourage him to do the same. The only reason your father and I have been together for so long is not only because of our deep love for each other, but because we’re open about the times when we get mad at each other. We’ve had some pretty mean knock down, drag out fights over the years, and it’s been because we each thought we were right. But we learned not to walk away when they get that way, to stay and continue talking. And we both learned something else, to ask ourselves one question that has really saved us from blowing up over things that really weren’t that important.”
Tameria had never heard her mom talk like this before. Sure, she’s told about how to act when and where, how to treat people, but never about these types of topics. Tameria gained a greater measure of respect for her mom right then, and a deeper love because her mom trusted her enough to open up to her. “Mom, you said one question, what is it?” Carol closed her eyes, forming her words in her mind before speaking, “Tameria, it is one of the most difficult questions to ask because it has to be asked when you are about to chew nails, bite off someone’s head, or want to drop kick someone so far they’d be into next week before anyone else. When you get this way, don’t speak before you ask yourself, ’Just how important is this to be upset over.’ Doing this isn’t easy, because you may really want to light into someone right then. You may be boiling mad, spitting fire, or about too. You might even want to take what’s in your hand and launch it right at the person, but don’t do any of this until you ask yourself that question. And trust me, when you do, you may see just how petty it was to even become angry. I know it’s made me see that side of me many times. And don’t keep this to yourself, share it with James if you really want to spend the rest of your life with him. Because this will last you a lifetime together.” Tameria set her mug down on the kitchen table, and pulled her mom into a tight hug. “Thanks mom, I love you so very much.” Tameria’s tears wet Carol’s blouse, and she told Tameria, “I love you bunches, sweetheart.”
Tameria’s idea for Mexican had to be nixed when two of the boys said they were very allergic to many of the spices used in Mexican cooking. And Italian was ruled out when gluten intolerance was brought up. When Jake suggested Chinese, and there were no objections, the Chinese Buffet restaurant was chosen for their evening dinner. When Carol and Brian picked up their respective genders, they both laid down the law to each young person, right in front of their parent or parents; none of the parents complained about the law that was given. The law was simple, be on your best behavior or everyone goes home, whether they’ve had dinner or at the dance. Step out of line and everyone goes home. No one went home early that night.
All of the girls wore nice, but casual dresses, nylons and low heels, subdued makeup, as well as subdued jewelry, outfits which would be accepted if they were attending church. The boys were dressed just as casual, with dress pants, nice dress shirts, dress shoes, and would also be accepted if they were going to attend church. And even though everyone believed themselves casually dressed, they made quite an impression when they walked into the restaurant. They all made an even bigger impression by their behavior, which shocked some of the older people there, who expected them to be a rowdy bunch of kids. Some of the older people even questioned Brian and Carol, and offered words of kindness because of how well all eight young people were behaving. And how nicely the young men were treating the young ladies, compared how they’d seen some young men treat young ladies. As Brian had decided dessert was in order, he made sure to pass by the table where the kids were sitting, stopped and quietly told them, “You kids are making quite an impression because of your behavior. Carol and I have had more than one person compliment all of you on how nice you’re behaving. And gentlemen, you have REALLY impressed the older people by how you’re treating these beautiful young ladies. Carol and I are very proud of you all.” No bigger smiles could be seen in the immediate vicinity, after what Brian told them, and eight hands joined together under the table. All of them were really enjoying their time together, as couples and as a group. They didn’t know it at the time, but this togetherness was something that would last for years to come.
When it was time to leave, and everyone had had enough to eat, Brian paid the bill while the eight kids discussed whether to leave a tip, since it was a buffet. In the end, the boys each laid ten dollars on the table, believing if a tip wasn’t needed at least they showed their appreciation for what they ate. The dinner had been timed so once they left the restaurant they would arrive at the high school right at 7 p.m. when the dance started; Brian and Carol didn’t want them to be standing around outside where someone could take acception with who was with who and start something, or remember a slight and try to start something. It may have sounded ridiculous to some, but Brian and Carol wanted to find parking spaces adjacent to each other, so neither group had to walk across the parking lot, while the other group waited. This way, a young man could take a young girl’s arm and walk together into the dance. And it worked as Brian and Carol had hoped, with each young man taking the arm of his young lady and walking together into the gym for the dance. Of course, Carol and Brian lagged a few feet behind, not wanting to make it seem too obvious they were watching the kids. Carol had notified Jenny what she and Brian had planned to do, and Jenny was more than happy with their idea. She even said it would make it look like there were more than a few chaperones at the dance, even though it was only the eight kids Brian and Carol were chaperoning.
More than a few other students at the dance tried to make something out of Carol and Brian being there, but the eight said they had no problem with it because they had no desire to lose the trust Mr. and Mrs. Jinks had in them. Those same students, by the way, knowing which areas were off limits, were asked to leave the dance after a while because they’d tried to reach those same off limits areas for a bit of very alone time. Not only were they asked to leave, but their parents were called to inform them of the child’s behavior while at the dance--which was clearly spelled out in the student handbook under Dances. When this had been done at past dances, several of the students came to school on Monday with very different attitudes.
Brian and Carol took advantage of the slower songs to slow dance, needing to modify THEIR behavior so as not to give the kids any ideas. Their usual method of slow dancing was to get as close to each other as possible and see who could get whose motor going first, which at a high school dance, would have been cause to ask them to leave. Still, they enjoyed being together as they kept an eye on the four couples. The lights came on at 10:30 p.m., signaling the end of the dance. The couple thought they’d surprise the kids, and did, when the two cars pulled up outside The Frozen Cow Barn, the best ice cream place in town, allowing each couple a little more time together that night.
As Brian was about to pay for everyone’s ice cream, Sam stepped up and told him, “Not this time, Mr. J, us boys will pay the tab for everyone. And we want to thank you and your wife for doing this for us, we really appreciate it.” Every boy to a man, shook Brian’s hand and gave Carol a hug and a kiss on the cheek. The girls did likewise with Carol, but hugged Brian and kissed his cheek--Carol had to wipe off the lipstick colors they left behind. Brian seemed to have developed something in his eye, as they all watched as he wiped his eyes. Carol wasn’t that bashful, and had no problem letting everyone see the tears she wiped off her cheeks. “Thank you very much, kids, that was very kind of all of you,” Carol told the group; Brian had developed a sudden problem with his throat. Another thing Brian and Carol had discussed, taking both cars to each boys house to let the girls say goodnight as they dropped off each boy. The goodnight kisses lingered just a bit, but were sweet and without any sexual overtones--they couldn’t be, what with two sets of parents watching. And when they dropped James off, Brian and Carol thought they’d have to go get Tameria and keep her from drifting off into the atmosphere, after her kiss with James; he seemed to float into his house.
Peter and Bradley were already in bed, so when the three came into the house, Karen grabbed Tameria’s arm and drug her upstairs to her room. “Okay, little sister, give, and don’t leave anything out,” Karen told Tameria, as the two sat on Karen’s bed. “Hello, Karen to Tameria, Karen to Tameria,” Karen said, as she waved her hand in front of Tameria’s face. About that time Karen heard, “She did that the day James put that promise ring on her finger. Blow in her ear, that works for me sometimes. Dad and I are going to bed, goodnight Karen--and Tameria, Earth to Tameria. Night hon…,” Carol said before closing the door to Karen’s bedroom, taking Brian’s hand and going to their bedroom, hanging the red plastic tag on the door knob before she closed the bedroom door. Karen waved her hand up and down in front of Tameria’s face, but still wasn’t getting any response. Her eyes twinkled as she gently moved Tameria’s hair out of the way and gently blew into Tameria’s ear. “Hey,” Tameria said, as she pushed Karen’s face away from her ear, “What’d you do that for?” Karen laughed as she gently took Tameria’s face in both of her hands before telling her, “You, my dear sweet sister, were not on this planet. You were off in la la land. You, my dear sweet sister, are hopelessly in love and I’m so happy for you.” Tameria hugged Karen as happy tears rolled down her cheeks. “I do love him, Karen, God help me, I do,” Tameria said as she held her big sister. “I know sweetheart, I know, and I’m very happy you finally found the right someone just for you,” Karen told her younger sister as she held onto her. The girls talked for the next thirty minutes, Tameria telling Karen everything, before both realized they best get cleaned up and into bed. “I love you Karen, and always will,” Tameria told Karen, before kissing her on the cheek and leaving to get ready for bed. It had been a busy day and she was really tired.
Brian, Carol, and Karen all knew how stressed Tameria was about the upcoming final exams, though she did a good job hiding that fact, and they needed to help her unwind so she could study better. They knew if something wasn’t done during the weekend, Tameria would spend all of her time in her room finishing what homework she had, and studying for the finals. She needed to get out for part of each day Saturday and Sunday. Tameria wasn’t going to like what they were going to do, but they felt it was best for her. First, Tameria was going to be in bed no later than 11 p.m., period, no if’s and’s or but’s. Secondly, they were going out for lunch Saturday and Sunday, again, no if’s and’s or but’s. And thirdly, Carol and Karen were going to take her out shopping for two hours both Saturday and Sunday afternoons right after lunch, which in all likely-hood would royally piss Tameria off. But as they were going to tell her, cramming information into her brain before it’s needed will do more harm than good. Plus, she’d need a few distractions at times.
8 a.m. Saturday morning arrived to find only two Jinks up and getting dressed, or so those two thought. As they did every morning when they got up, one used the bathroom while the other dressed and made his bed. When they were both ready, they started towards their parents’ bedroom, only to see the red plastic tag on the door knob. Seeing the indication not to go into their parents’ bedroom, they turned around and went to Karen’s bedroom, only to find the door open and no Karen. When they made their way to the kitchen, they found Karen mixing something in a large glass bowl, and the large skillet on the stove and a package of bacon nearby. “Hi there, did you two sleep well?” Karen asked her brothers, and she continued mixing the mixture in the bowl. “How does pancakes sound for breakfast, and bacon?” Karen giggled as the two immediately flew into action to get the table set, that being their answer to her question. Once the fragrances of pancakes and bacon cooking started to permeate the air, it wasn’t long before Tameira, Brian, and Carol arrived in the kitchen, still looking like something the cat dug up and brought into the house. The three looked at each other, then at Karen with her hand over her mouth and her eyes sparkling with laughter, and said in unison, “NOT...ONE...WORD!!” Tameria wasn’t awake enough to see it, but Karen could see that her parents hadn’t slept much all night.
Karen poured her mom and dad a mug of coffee, and was about to ask Tameria if she would like a mug, but Tameria was sitting at the table, her chin resting on the palms of her hands with her elbows on the kitchen table. And she looked like she’d gone back to sleep. Karen saw the twinkle in the eyes of Peter and Bradley, and she nudged her parents, head pointing to the two boys. As the three watched, the two boys looked at Tameria, back at each other with a smirk, and after nodding their heads, got up and walked over to stand on each side of Tameria. Bradley held up his hand and started raising his fingers. When he reached three, both boys kissed the sleeping Tameria on each of her cheeks. “HEY,WHAT THE…,” Tameria hollered as her head shot up received two more kisses before hearing, “Morning sis,” from the two boys. Karen was laughing so hard she almost let the bacon burn. Brian and Carol almost coated the top of the kitchen table with coffee because of their younger children’s antics, which caused them to start laughing. But, Tameria was awake now, and could be asked what she would like to drink. With what sounded like a snarl, she said, “COFFEE...please.” That reaction to Karen’s question got the older Jinks laughing again, and it was Karen who walked over to Tameria, hugged her and said after she kissed Tameria’s cheek, “Morning sis. Coffee coming up.”
Breakfast perked up everyone, too much so for Peter and Bradley, who again acted as though they’d just had a five pound bag of sugar. Carol and Brian had already discussed how to keep the boys busy today, so they calmly explained the rules for Tameria’s weekend. She wasn’t as upset and the parents had believed she’d be, but she wasn’t exactly happy with the 11 p.m. bedtime. She argued, “But I could use one more hour to study, say until 1 a.m.” Both Brian and Carol gave her the stink eye before Tameria said, “Okay, midnight then.” The stink eyes continued until Tameria finally capitulated and said, “Okay, 11 p.m.” “Sweetheart,” Brian began, “Please don’t think we’re trying to be ogres with you, we’re not. We just want to make sure you take care of yourself as you get ready for your finals. And you can’t do that if you’re going to bed in the early morning.” Tameria was nodding her head as she told her parents, “Yeah, I know, but I’m worried that I won’t be ready. That if I use all the available time to study I’ll be that much more ready.” It was Carol who shook her head and said to Tameria, “It doesn’t work that way, honey. You think by studying longer hours you’ll be more prepared, but you only end up being more tired and less able to think during the test. I know, I’ve done it a few times and didn’t like my test results. No, sweetheart, study the best you can, get a good night’s sleep, study again the next day, more good sleep, and by the time the test comes around, you’ll be more than ready. Trust me dear, when I tell you this.” When Tameria looked at her parents, and then at Karen, all three were nodding their heads. Because all three had been there, done that, and learned the lesson the hard way.
With help from Bradley and Peter, the breakfast dishes had been taken care of and everything put away before Carol said, “Boys, how about you two go shopping with me?” Both boys let out a groan and they banged their heads against the kitchen table, occasionally glancing at their mom, who wasn’t fooled for one minute. “Come on guys, you two do need a few things, and there’s the arcade, and that movie playing you two wanted to see, and maybe that restaurant you like.” Peter almost knocked his dad down, while Bradley almost knocked Tameria down, as both boys took off like a shot back to their room to clean up, and grab their things--money included. “Mom, do you think you’ll need harnesses to control those two?” Tameria asked, as she laughed right along with Brian, Karen, and her mom. “No dear, I have mother control, and that’s enough.” It seemed like the four hadn’t blinked twice than both boys were back and heading to the garage, with Bradley saying, “Well, mom, are we going to waste time waiting for you?”
The laughter was so violent that all four Jinks found themselves on the floor. And when they looked at Bradley, he had his arms folded across his chest and was tapping his foot. That sight only increased the laughter before Brian could finally say, “Dear, I think your passengers are waiting on you,” as more laughter broke out. It increased again when they saw Peter standing next to Carol holding the same pose as his brother. “Okay boys,” Carol told the two boys between laughter, “Let me get dressed, and grab my things and then we’ll go.” Both boys followed Carol to her bedroom, once she was able to stand up, stood outside the door, and asked, and kept asking, “Are you ready yet, mom? We’re wasting time here mom.” Both boys ignored the laughter that was coming from the kitchen because of their antics. They were ready to go and wanted to get going. If they only acted this way when it was somewhere they didn’t want to go. Carol finally came out of her bedroom, put her arm around both her sons, kissed each one and told them, “I’m ready, let’s boogie.” Carol laughed when she saw the scrunched faces on her sons, telling them, “It means go, leave, rush off, let’s get out of here. In other words, why are you two just standing there? I thought you were in a hurry to leave?” Karen pulled her dad back, and he pulled Tameria back, as two flashes zipped past the three headed for the garage. Carol came down the stairs, laughing again because of the boys. “I sure hope they aren’t like this all day, I’ll be tired when we get home.” Carol sucked out Brian’s tongue before telling the girls bye, and following the boys to the garage. After Carol and the speedsters had left, Brian pointed upstairs and said one word to Tameria, “Homework.”
The plans they had for Saturday had to be changed when Karen happened to overhear the plans Peter and Bradley were making to help Tameria while she studied. They were planning when to bring her something to drink, when she might need a snack, and had planned to do whatever else was necessary to help their sister. When Karen told her parents what she overheard, they all were very proud of the two boys, but knew it could become more than just bringing drinks and snacks. And Tameria didn’t need things to become more than just drinks and snacks.
Tameria had finished her homework within the first hour she’d been in her room, and was now starting on reviewing for the first two finals she would have in two weeks. There was a knock on her bedroom door before Brian opened it and asked her, “How about you take a break and we go out for lunch? You choose the place.” Tameria looked at her dad for a moment, before telling him, “That sounds like a great idea. My choice, huh? Hmm…” Tameria thought about what the family had the most when they ordered out. Pizza, Italian, Chinese, hoggies, but not often burgers. “Has Karen said what she’d like?” Tameria asked before Brian turned and hollered, “KAREN, DO YOU HAVE A CHOICE FOR LUNCH?” As they listened, they heard one word, “ITALIAN.” Tameria looked at her dad and said, “Italian it is.”
The Italian restaurant they liked was across the street from the mall, so when they were finished eating, they drove to the mall to do a bit of shopping as planned. By the time they’d looked around and bought a few things, it was two in the afternoon, and time to head home. Once they arrived home, Tameria was much more relaxed, and better able to study. A little over an hour later, Carol and the boys arrived home. Carol looked fine, but the boys were dragging just a bit, which had been the idea of them going shopping with Carol. After all the bags had been brought in from the car, Carol told Brian and Karen, “The batteries in those two have drained down a lot.” Peter and Bradley had sat down on the couch, and as the three watched, both boys had a terrible time keeping their eyes open. Karen walked over to them and told them, “Come on guys, let’s get you up to your room for a nap before supper.” Even with a couple hour nap, the two would still need a full night's sleep before they were their usual selves again. When Carol looked in on Tameria, she found her sound asleep, with her school books scattered around her; the one she’d been reading resting on her chest. There was a little over an hour before supper, so Carol quietly closed the bedroom door and let Tameria sleep. An hour before the family’s supper time, Karen went in to wake her brothers, while Carol went to Tameria’s bedroom. Carol had the easier time because Tameria was awake and once again reading her school book. Tameria and Carol talked for a few minutes before Carol left Tameria’s bedroom to go down to the kitchen. Karen, on the other hand, had a bit more trouble waking Peter and Bradley. The minute she had one awake, the other would fall asleep again. It wasn’t until she got a glass of cold water and dribbled it on the faces of both boys that they finally stayed awake; and were a bit peeved about the water. During the wake up time, Brian had slipped out of the house to go and buy Chinese for their supper, a meal which would result in no leftovers. After supper they all watched a movie, before the boys were herded to their bedroom for a bath and/or shower. Tameria took a shower before going back to her studies, and was in bed by the agreed time of 11 p.m. And Peter and Bradley? The minute they finished their bath or shower they were ready for bed, falling asleep the minute they closed their eyes.
Sunday morning none of the Jinks were awake before 9 a.m., even the two early risers. In fact, the early risers had to be jostled several times before they finally woke up. Karen had gone down to the kitchen to get a breakfast of pancakes and sausages started, juice, and the usual drink for everyone. Tameria was the last to make it down for breakfast, blinking her eyes in an effort to clear them after reading so much Saturday. While they ate, Brian asked everyone, “Would anyone object if we went out for pizza for lunch? And maybe that family buffet restaurant for supper?” When all he heard was grunts of affirmation, because of mouths full of food, he told them, “Good, that’s what we’ll do today.” Looking at Tameria he said, “And you, young lady, will come out of your room every hour to take a break, get something to drink and maybe something to snack on. Got it?” After swallowing what she was chewing she told her dad, “After yesterday, and how I feel today, I think that’s a really good idea. My eyes are stinging from reading so much yesterday without taking breaks.” It was Carol who looked at Peter and Bradley and told them, “Boys, today is a quiet day, so find something quiet to do or you may go out back and play together. Got it?” Since both boys had a mouth full of pancakes, they both simply nodded their heads, they got it. Except for the shopping trip, a planned movie was watched in the morning and afternoon, before everyone went back to what they’d been doing. The boys were in bed by 8 p.m. and Tameria by 11 p.m., feeling much better after taking breaks every hour.
The weekend had gone as planned, Tameria had time to study and stay rested the entire time. And Peter and Bradley, they’d been good as gold, letting Tameria study and keeping things to a dull roar. So when Tameria arrived at school today, Monday, she was ready for the week of review before the finals. As Tameria looked around her as she walked to her first period class, she had the impression more than a few were also ready for this week and the next, with a few exceptions of course. But those exceptions were already heading in the wrong academic direction and didn’t care, something they might regret later on.
The teachers were trying something new this year during the week of review. Instead of going over the material verbatim, recounting their lessons plans, they were holding question and answer classes. And when the class missed the answer or couldn’t answer a question, they were told the page number in the textbook so they could find the answer to the question. In a way, this became their practice final exams, and a way for each student to find his or her weak area of study. And when Friday arrived, more questions were being answered than missed, something everyone was happy with.
The week flew by for Tameria, Beckie, Grace, and Tara, with each actually enjoying the reviews and the way they were conducted. And when the weekend arrived, it was decided they’d take some time to get together and enjoy something other than studying all weekend. That isn’t to say no one studied, just that each girl was ordered to do something with their friends before taking time to study. And what better way to do something with their friends than to go shopping. Which they did, for half a day Saturday. Afterwards they met at Tameria’s to study until supper, which was the signal to head home. Sunday was spent with their families, doing what they usually did on Sunday, then a bit of studying in the afternoon before all studying came to a halt. The parents had discussed the need for each girl to have several hours of doing nothing or what they wanted before going to bed. Plus, they felt that trying to put that last bit of information into their heads wasn’t going to help them more than if they just rested the rest of the evening.
Finals for the first two periods occurred on Monday, with school letting out after the finals had been completed. Those who had P.E. or another type class first period, didn’t have to arrive at school until the test for their second period class. While this gave the students the rest of the day to get in more studying, it gave teachers an opportunity to grade the tests. Tuesday followed much like Monday, except testing was for third and fourth period classes. And Wednesday, the last day of finals, testing was done for fifth and sixth period classes. Everyone reported to school as usual on Thursday, when they would receive their final report cards and be allowed to clean out their lockers--if not already done--and pick up anything left in any one class. Classes left out at noon, with the Seniors going where they had been instructed to get instructions for graduation that would take place Saturday afternoon. And what of the four couples, how did they fare? If they continued for the next three years as they did their Freshman year, they would be part of a large group vying for Salutatorian and Valedictorian in their Senior year of high school.
Beckie had invited everyone over to her house Friday afternoon for their own little ‘glad it’s over’ party, and to decompress after such an arduous two weeks. No one had to bring anything but themselves, as all eight moms had gotten together and planned everything so the kids could just relax and enjoy being together. As the four couples were lounging in the family room, Tara voiced what everyone was feeling, “GADS, AM I GLAD THAT’S OVER!” That seemed to break the ice, as everyone, to a person, agreed with her in one way or another. Well, everyone except Beckie and Sam, who had picked that precise moment to try and suck out each other’s tongues. Which earned them ‘ooohhs’ and ‘aahhs’ from the other six, shortly before they too followed suit. It was a loud throat clearing that brought the eight back to earth, but the smiles they saw on their mom’s faces that made it clear their mothers understood.
Everyone was having a nice time being with their friends, talking about school, what they’d hoped to be doing over the summer, and stuffing their faces with a bit of everything the mothers had prepared. It came as a bit of a shock what the four girls and Carol heard from The Haints.
”We are The Haints. Grace. Tameria. Beckie. Tara. Carol. Meet with us. We deem it necessary to reveal ourselves to all who are present. We have observed all who are present and find they are trustworthy to know about us. If Tameria, Grace, Beckie, and Tara are to join with Sam, Tony, Jake, and James, and we see the truth in their desires, they must know of us to keep the unions complete.”
While The Haints spoke to the five women, their blank looks didn’t go unnoticed. The boys and the other moms had concerned expressions on their faces as they saw the five become zombie like in their appearance. “Beckie,” Sam said, gently shaking Beckie and trying to get her attention, trying to bring her back from wherever she had gone. When the five finished listening to The Haints, and again were aware of their surroundings, they noticed the mothers had come and sat beside their children, all with worried looks on their faces as they looked at the four girls and Carol. It was Carol who realized what had happened and said, “We are sorry if we worried you, but we were talking to some friends who would like to meet all of you. They have been with the girls and myself for some time, and have helped in our time of need. They have also helped out with problems at school, which has made school a better place for everyone. I will tell you it will be a shock when you meet them, but I assure you they mean no one any harm. In fact their mission is to save our planet from ourselves.”
It was Beckie’s mom, Kelly, who asked the first question, “Who are these friends you speak of? There’s no one here but the sixteen of us.” Beckie gently took her mother’s hand and told her, “Mom, they are with us right now and couldn’t be seen if we tried. But Carol is right, they’re trying to save us from ourselves before it’s too late.”
Sam’s mom. Terry, who asked, “What do they want with us? Why do they want to talk to us, and now?” Terry, who looked the most frightened, was consoled when Tameria got up, walked over to sit beside Terry and told her, “Mrs. Wilkinson, The Haints need to tell you about themselves. They lost their planet because of hate and self absorption. They have watched the twelve of you, how you treat others, how you’ve treated Beckie, Grace, Tara, and me, and they feel the twelve of you can be trusted enough for them to reveal themselves to you.”
Tameria saw the puzzled look on Tony’s face before he asked, “What do you mean the twelve of us? What about you four?” And he pointed to Beckie, Tara, Grace, and Tameria before Carol said, “Tony, The Haints revealed themselves to Tameria the first day of school. And then they revealed themselves to the other three girls.”
With incredulity in her voice, Terri, Tarra’s mom, asked, “And you knew about this, Carol, and are okay with it? How do you know they weren’t, aren’t, trying to take over this world? Or your daughter?” Tara turned to her mom, laid a gentle hand on her mom’s hands and told her, “Mom, I’ve seen the horrible events The Haints witnessed in the destruction of their planet. I’ve seen what they recorded of the fighting and killing on their planet before it was destroyed. And mom, they saved me from some kids who really wanted to hurt me, and helped those same kids see how wrong they were for even wanting to hurt me. Mom, The Haints aren’t trying to take over anything, they just don’t want to witness another race destroy itself as theirs did.” Tara reached up and gently wiped the tears away from her mom’s cheeks, before both embraced the other.
“So, how do we meet these, The Haints, I believe you said Tara?” Gina was likely the more adventurous of the ladies, next to Carol, and was very interested in meeting The Haints and learning about them. Tameria went back to James and said to the group, “First, I think we better pull our seats close enough so we can hold hands and remain seated--you may need to be sitting when you first meet The Haints. Then, join hands, relax, and listen to what’s said within your minds. The Haints won’t hurt any of you, just the opposite, they want to help. Remember this as you listen to what they say.” Everyone pulled and pushed the seats together until they were close enough to hold hands, and listened while The Haints spoke.
”We are The Haints. Be at peace, we will you no harm. We speak to the future mates of Tameria, Beckie, Grace, Tara, and their maternal parents. Be calm, we will you no harm.”
“Santa madre di Dio,” Gina said, as her words broke the link with The Haints. “How can this be? How can I hear something I can’t see?” She looked to the four girls and then to Carol, hoping they’d explain. Tara moved so she was sitting next to Gina and after taking her hands asked her, “Momma Gina, have you heard of nanites, very small machines, so small it takes a microscope to see them?” When Gina shook her head no, Tony cut in with, “Yeah, I’ve heard of them. They are so small no human eye can see them. It’s said they can be programmed to one day help inside the human body where surgeons can’t reach. But right now it’s all just theory and testing and development. The Haints are nanites? These are the friends we are to speak with?” When the others saw the four girls and Carol nodding their heads, it was Monica, James’ mom, who said, “I don’t know about all of you, but I’d like to hear what The Haints have to say. It must be important or they wouldn’t want us to know.” What Gina did next must have been a sign of agreement, for she patted Tara’s hands, kissed her check and told her, “Grazie,” before leading her back to sit by her mom again. And once again they joined hands to hear what The Haints had to say.
”We are The Haints. We will you no harm. Be at peace and allow us to tell you our story. Many of your millions of years ago…”
And The Haints told their entire story as they’d done several times before. Even asking permission to show what happened to their planet. The twelve were told what they would see would be hard to accept, but would help them understand why The Haints felt compelled to help the people on the planet called Earth. And afterwards, silent sobbing is all that could be heard. From everyone. It was from Gina who softly said, “They feel guilty because there was nothing they could do to save their own world. Isn’t that right, The Haints?” None of the four girls, or Carol, had said anything about how to talk to The Haints, but here was Gina asking them a question they knew The Haints was bound to answer. This time when The Haints spoke, no one was holding anyone’s hand, but they all heard what The Haints said.
”We are The Haints. Gina Angelo. We do not understand guilt as you know it, but were inadequate in stopping the destruction of our own planet. During our travel, we agreed to never again be inadequate in helping to stop the destruction of a planet or those living on it. Our pledge is given to all here, so long as we exist on this planet, it shall not be destroyed or the life on it extinguished. We give all here the invitation to allow us to be with you and help others as you go about your own lives.”
There were quite a few puzzled looks on the faces of some in the room, and it wasn’t long before looks expressed themselves as Jake asked, “What do they mean, be with us? Does that mean they want to be inside us, go with us?” It was The Haints who beat the girls or Carol in answering Jake’s question.
”We are The Haints. Jake Barrows. Be at peace. You are correct. We The Haints wish to be in you, go with you to help others in need as you live your lives. We will you no harm so will not force ourselves on you or anyone else that is here. Jake Barrows.”
Again, no one was holding hands but all heard what The Haints had to say. As everyone looked around, it was Gina again who spoke first. While she was not the most educated, she was wise in other ways. “After what I’ve seen throughout the years, and from The Haints, I do not wish for my grandchildren to worry about dying because someone didn’t like what another believed. Too much of that has happened, and happens, on this planet. If I can help The Haints prevent that, then they can be with me for as long as I have life left to live.” Gina’s simple words caused more tears to be shed from all in the room, and all heads to nod in agreement. It was Barbara, Jake’s mom, who asked, “How do we tell The Haints they can be with us, as they want?” The chuckle that was heard came from Grace, as she told Barbara, “Just ask them to be with you, Barbara. It won’t hurt and you won’t know they’re there unless you talk to them. And you can talk to them by voice or thinking.” One by one, all twelve asked The Haints to be with them, and as Grace said, nothing was actually felt. But The Haints made sure to let each one know they were now with them by speaking to each one individually so the others couldn’t hear what was said.
When Tameria said, “I could use something to drink,” the original party resumed, along with more questions about The Haints. Which The Haints answered for each individual. Once all questions about The Haints had been answered, the topic turned to what everyone was going to do for the Summer, or rather a recap of what everyone was going to do.
Tameria already had an internship with the Mental Health Clinic, which was scheduled in the morning. Tara, who loved playing sports, developed an interest in Physical Therapy, and found an internship with a Rehab Clinic. James, Beckie, Sam, Grace, and Jake were all planning to go into medicine, with James specializing in Pediatrics, Beckie specializing in Psychiatry, Sam Radiology, Grace general practice, and Jake Geriatrics. The five were lucky in that the City hospital was starting a new program that allowed interested high school students to enter an internship type program that would allow them to shadow a doctor in their field of interest. And given the grades the five earned their freshman year, they had no trouble qualifying for the program. That left Tony, who found an interest in Business Administration. He was going to be in an internship with one of the largest companies in the City. Like Tameria, they all would be busy in the morning, and they all had managed to be busy in the afternoon by getting the local College to allow them to take a couple of general studies courses, because of their current high school grades. They also discussed the opportunity The Haints had to influence more people when the eight attended College. And if what they’d seen from some of the males around the City who attended that College, The Haints might be rather busy themselves. Especially because the four girls were very attractive in their own right. Their plans for Saturday were two fold: They weren’t going to get up before they had too, and they all planned to attend the graduation ceremony in the afternoon. And after the graduation ceremony, Gina had invited everyone to her home for the evening meal, as she put it. They had to do this weekend what they were going to do, because come Monday, they became interns and College students.
Their summer passed without incident, and they were very pleased with their chosen fields of interest. The internships had been rocky at the start, until they became familiar to those they tutelaged under. Their College courses were a different matter, but not a disappointment. They actually put several of those in the courses to shame by gaining straight ‘As’ in both courses they took. Impressing not only the College, due to their ages, but their parents too.
An idea occurred one Saturday, when all eight were at Sam’s house relaxing. Everyone noticed Tara seemed a bit spaced out for most of the time, until they pinned her down, asking why she’d been such a space cadet almost the entire time. “Um...I’ve been thinking,” she said, which got Tony giggling before saying, “Oh, so that’s what I smelled burning.” Seven pillows found their mark as Tony held up his hand to block them before he replied, “Okay okay...I’m sorry, I’m sorry. I guess I should have said…,” but he never finished what he was about to say because seven more pillows found their mark. “I saw that gleam in your eyes, Tony Angelo,” Tara told him. “It’s a good thing you never finished that sentence,” she told him, standing in front of him, shaking her finger at him. Tony reached up and pulled Tara into his lap and asked her, “What were you thinking?” before trying to see if he could pull her tongue out of her mouth. The lip lock demonstration got ‘ooohhhs’ and ‘aaahhhs’ before the two came up for air. “What were you thinking, Tara?” Grace asked, echoing Tony’s question.
Tara gave Tony a peck on the lips before standing up and in front of the other seven. “Well, I was thinking, when we finish all our schooling, and our required training, and get our licenses,” and here she became rather sheepish when she finally said, “We should open our own clinic, go into business together. Think about it; Beckie and Tameria would handle mental health; James, Sam, Grace, and Jake would handle medicine--Beckie too if need be; And Tony could run the office, hire our staff, keep the accounts, scheduling, all the things a Business Administrator does. Oh I know it won’t be soon but it can be a goal all of us work towards, can’t it?”
Even though Tara could be outspoken, she was still a very sensitive girl. It was Tony who spotted the glisten in her eyes, and knew she was about to cry, thinking she spoiled things for the others. He was out of his chair in a flash, hugging Tara tightly to him. “Hey now, this is no time for tears, you’ve given us a wonderful idea to think about. And if I could work in the same building with my future wife, I’d do it in a heartbeat. Think about it, Angelo and Angelo on the same sign. Wouldn’t that be a beautiful sight?” Tony got a shock when he heard, “You’re wrong, Tony.” When Beckie saw the anger on Tony’s face she held up her hand and told him, “It’d be Angelo and Angelo, Wilkinson and Wilkinson on that sign.” Sam squeezed Beckie’s hand, letting her know he approved. “Nope, you’re both wrong,” Jake said, as he looked at Grace and saw her nod her head. “It’d be Angelo and Angelo, Wilkinson and Wilkinson, Barrows and Barrows on that sign.” The six looked strangely at Tameria and James as they both were shaking their heads in unison. And as if they’d rehearsed it, they both said, “Wrong again. That sign would read Angelo and Angelo, Wilkinson and Wilkinson, Barrows and Barrows, and Kincade and Kincade. It’s sure going to be a big sign.” Tara then did shed tears, tears of happiness for what she heard. In fact, none of them had dry eyes, knowing they had a friendship that was going to endure the test of time. And they’d make it through. It was then they all heard from their silent partners.
”We are The Haints. We have watched all of you thus far, and see that you now have acquired a very wise plan for your future. This is how each of you can best help others. Each of you have experiences which you can use to help others live better lives. Each of you have demonstrated your ability to learn. And each of you are caring, something most essential for helping others. The idea put forth by Tara is a noble idea to pursue. “
The Haints made sure that Terry heard what they told the teens, and when she walked into the room, with a smile on her face, all the girls were sitting in the laps of their boyfriends, hugging them, as tears streamed down everyone’s face. No one had ever spoken to them like that before, making them feel as important as they all felt at that very moment. Terry joined in the moment when she said, “That is a very lofty goal to go after. And knowing the eight of you, it’s something you can achieve if it’s something you really want.” Knowing looks started going from couple to couple, before heads started nodding as the realization struck each couple that it was something they’d want to do with their lives. Something they’d need to do with their lives. They also realized it would be a long haul, but in the end they would have their clinic with everyone’s name on a big sign.
And that’s exactly what they did, though it took a little over twenty years before their clinic opened, since as they knew there was a lot of schooling to complete, as well as internships and licenses to acquire. And it all started with high school, then Bachelor’s degrees, then either medical school or graduate school. And between high school graduation and starting work on their Bachelor’s degrees, their promise rings were traded for engagement rings. And between getting their Bachelor’s degrees and starting either medical school or graduate school, four weddings were held. But all of that is the future, which didn’t tell of their time in high school.
Tara’s idea to open their own medical clinic sparked the eight teens like few parents have seen teens sparked. Not only did they deal with their summer internships and general college courses, but they met each Saturday for as long as they could and started a general bull session to iron out just what they wanted for their clinic. Everyone had a spiral backed notebook which they used to take down any and every suggestion that was offered by anyone in their group. They laid down rules at their first meeting to never put down anyone’s idea, no matter how crazy it might sound. They also decided to discuss any idea put forth and if there were more cons than pros, the idea would be either rejected or tabled for further discussion. They agreed amongst themselves to never get angry if their particular idea was rejected, provided there was a valid reason why it was rejected.
Once ideas started to become a trickle, it was decided that research was necessary if they were to be able to intelligently decide something that wouldn’t see fruition for some years to come. Even the style of building would need to be researched so they could make sure it would serve their clients without causing any stress. Tara’s ears pricked up when this topic was raised, and after several Saturday meetings, Tara came to the meeting with a portfolio folder under her arm. Even Tony was curious when he picked her up for another Saturday meeting, but all Tara would tell him was, “You’ll have to wait and see.” Even the kiss he gave her, causing Tara’s heart to skip several beats, wouldn’t get Tara to tell him what was in the folder.
The research they’d each done for their particular field was very fruitful, which Tara was to discover, would cause her surprises to be completely rejected or partially rejected. They were all very curious what Tara had brought with her besides her Physical Therapy research. And they found out once they’d finished discussing their research.
It was Beckie who decided enough was enough and asked Tara, “Okay, Tara, would you please tell us what you have in the portfolio folder that you’ve kept under wraps since this meeting started?” Tara smirked as she set the folder on the table, opened it, and began passing five 11x17 sheets of paper around the table. As they all started looking at the five sheets of paper, they saw proposed floor plans of their clinic, each page had written at the top of each sheet, ‘Proposed Floor Plan for Our Clinic’.
All the shuffling of paper got rather chaotic so it was decided to put each one up on the cork board they had purchased for their meetings, one at a time, so everyone could look at it together and discuss that one before moving on to the next. It was Beckie, again, who watched as Tara turned to a marked place in her spiral bound notebook and began looking intently at the others. Tara wrote profusely as each floor plan was discussed, writing down the pros and the cons given by everyone. Two of her floor plans were rejected outright, for various reasons, mostly because of size. Parts of the other three were liked, but in the end they too were rejected. Even though Beckie gave her opinions about each floor plan, she kept an eye on Tara, trying to gauge the girl’s reaction to the rejected plans. She needn’t worry because two weeks later Tara again brought her portfolio folder to their meeting, which was dealt with after they again presented more ideas and research about their particular fields. And like the first five proposed floor plans, each one went up on the cork board and discussed, with Tara again writing profusely the pros and cons given by the others. This time, even though all five were rejected, each person liked more and more of what they saw in each floor plan.
This went on until one Saturday meeting, where Tara presented proposed floor plans 21-25, that Beckie noticed a change in Tara. As they had during previous meetings, they discussed each field and what would be needed in their clinic before looking at the floor plans Tara had again brought with her. But Beckie noticed when they started discussing the floor plans, Tara wasn’t writing anything down in her notebook. In fact, Beckie saw Tara had her hand over her mouth and looked like the cat who ate the canary. Everyone liked bits and pieces of floor plans 21-24, but when it came to floor plan 25, no one could find a single thing they didn’t like.
Floor plan 25 had incorporated everything they like about some of the others plus ideas they’d given while viewing the other floor plans. The building was the size they wanted, the reception area was much bigger, with a reception desk in the center where everyone could see it. They had discussed having one main reception and waiting area and that had been incorporated in floor plan 25. They had discussed having four distinct wings, one for Mental Health, one for Physical Therapy, one for Medical, and one for Administration; the computers and servers they’d discussed would be housed in a special room in Administration. And all four were seen on floor plan 25. They also discussed storage and saw it was allowed for between the Mental Health and Physical Therapy wings, and between the Physical Therapy and Medical wings, with the area between the Medical and Administration wings used for employees. Each wing was laid out exactly as the others had suggested, with the number of offices or exam rooms to the small waiting areas for each wing close to the offices or exam rooms. They also saw an area in the Medical wing for small children to play while waiting to see their doctor or waiting for their parents who were seeing a doctor. Tara just sat there with a funny grin on her face and asked, “Well, doesn’t anyone have anything to say?” In response to her question, all seven stood up and applauded her. The seven didn’t know it yet but they would go through this again but with Tara’s interior design ideas. And they would whittle them down until one stood out and garnered Tara another round of applause.
Their Saturday meetings took them into several weeks of their sophomore year in high school, where they finally had a mission statement, a business plan, and a financial statement that came by way of an investment firm named Haints Investments. It was explained in the financial statement that the firm had received word of a group of high school students who were making plans for a Medical Clinic they planned to open when they were qualified to do so. In that statement the firm pledged ¾ of the costs to build and equip the clinic once the time was right. There was only one problem, none of the eight had the slightest idea what the costs were going to be. They could find out the cost of equipment for each of their areas but not for the building and other essentials. They needed help but weren’t sure where to turn, which was solved for them in an instant.
”We are The Haints. We will to help solve your problem. Are there not constructs called banks which provide help for such as yourselves? Can they not provide the needed information you seek.?”
After The Haints had spoken, everyone sat with a very dumb look on their face, realizing it was something they should have considered themselves. Tony just shook his head and said, “I should have thought of that myself, since I’m going to be the administrator of our clinic.” Tara saw how frustrated Tony looked, and pulled him into a hug and told him, “Aww, poor baby. See, you’re human after all.” Tony pulled out of Tara’s hug and gave her an indigent look before he started tickling her, which resulted in Tara sliding off her chair and onto the floor. That one act between the two lovers helped to loosen up everyone else. Tameria pulled out a school calendar and saw there was a teacher’s day coming in two weeks, and it would be the perfect time to go to the bank and speak with a financial officer or loan officer. So it was settled, they had two weeks to polish everything they had, so they could present it to the right person at the bank and hopefully get answers to the questions they still had.
Two weeks later, on Friday, everyone met at Tameria’s house for breakfast a little after 8 a.m. The bank in their town didn’t open until 9 a.m. so they went over everything they had after finishing breakfast. They weren’t dressed as though they were going to church, but they were all dressed smartly. The girls were wearing nice dresses, stockings,flats, and minimal makeup. The boys were wearing dress pants, not quite dress shirts, and dress shoes. They did worry about their clothing, since this meeting was important to them, until Carol and Brian commented, “You guys sure look sharp today.”
At 9 a.m. they left Tameria’s house and drove to their local bank in two cars. Once at the bank, they went in and explained to the receptionist why they were there, only to be told for something like they wanted, they’d have to go to the main branch in a city an hour’s drive away. They were a bit discouraged upon hearing the news but decided if they must, then they must. Each one called their parents and explained the situation before they piled back into the two cars and took off to try and get the information they were after.
Fate was on their side, as traffic was light and they made good time. They followed the directions they’d received from the receptionist at their bank and arrived at the main branch of their bank a little before 10:30 a.m. As they did in their bank, after going into the bank they explained to the receptionist what they wanted and almost died on the spot when the receptionist told them they were rather busy that day. Almost dashed hopes produced sad faces, and the receptionist couldn’t help herself in asking to see what they had brought with them. As the receptionist looked at what they’d given her, the teens heard, “Whoa” and “Wow” and, “How old are the eight of you and you’re in high school?” When they told her their ages and, yes, they were sophomores and what high school, the receptionist told them, “Just give me a minute,” and dashed off with everything the teens had given her. It seemed like they waited for an hour, but the receptionist was back in less than five minutes and beckoned them to follow her.
Because the main branch of the bank was huge, it seemed they walked several miles, even up a flight of stairs, until they came to the office of Mary Gothers, Financial and Loan officer for the bank; her name and title were on the door to her office. The receptionist announced them but Mary was so engrossed with what the teens had done, she simply waved them into the room, before the door was closed behind them. All eight gathered around her desk and it was only then Mary looked up and asked, “The eight of you did all this? By yourselves? Oh, gads, where are my manners, I’m Mary Gothers, and you are…?” Mary asked as she stood up and offered her hand to each of the eight, getting a “yes” from the group then a name as she shook each hand. She then gathered up everything the teens had brought with them from her desk and motioned to a large conference table in her office. “Why don’t we gather around that table over there, where we can be more comfortable and discuss what I was looking at before you came in?” As the teens each took a seat, and Mary sat everything down on the table, she asked if they would like something to drink, and proceeded to name what she could offer. Each teen took the offered water choice before Mary sat down and asked if they would start at the beginning and explain how they arrived at the material she had before her.
Mary saw the look of consternation on the faces of each teen, and asked, “Is something wrong? Have I done, or said, something that has you worried or upset?” Mary watched as Beckie, Tara, Grace, Sam, Jake, Tony, and James all looked at Tameria.
“Oh, no, Ms. Gothers,” Tameria said, since it seemed she’d been made the spokesperson at this instant. “It isn’t anything you’ve said or done but has to do with your request, that we explain how we arrived at our presentation material. Because, you see, it also deals with a certain experience we all have been exposed to that is part of the reason we decided to go in this direction for our lives.”
“Oh, I see,” Mary replied, before telling the teens as she smiled, “And it’s just Mary between us, okay?” Mary was an excellent judge of character, she had to be because of the decisions she often made for the bank. And right now she could tell she was looking at some very honest, and dedicated kids who had their futures all mapped out. And it was laying on the table in front of her. Based on the short time she had looked over the material she’d been given, these eight teens were worth every penny the bank could lend them when they were ready to build their clinic. “So, is the experience something you have to keep a secret, something you couldn’t share with me? As you might guess, I do make some rather huge deals for the bank, and those have to be kept under lock and key.” As Mary watched, it seemed she was watching the eight talk to each other but without saying a word. Heads nodded, or shook, until Tameria got a sort of far away look. Mary didn’t hear the conversation that Tameria was having, but she would shortly.
”We are The Haints. Tameria Jinks. We judge Mary Gothers to be a trustworthy person and agree she must meet with us. Tameria Jinks.”
The other seven teens heard everything The Haints had said to Tameria, and it was Sam who said, “Guess that answers that question, doesn’t it.” All eight were now looking at Mary, who had a questioning look on her face. Tameria was sitting next to Mary and told her, “Mary, we were concerned about how much to tell you about how we arrived at our present course. But our friends made it clear that they trust you and would like to meet you.” Of course this statement confused Mary even more, and she asked, “What friends? There’s only the nine of us in this room. Is this some kind of trick? Because if it is, then all of you can leave right now!” Mary was starting to get angry, and it showed in her voice. It was James who told Mary, “Mary, this is no trick, WE aren’t trying to trick you. Our being here is serious to us or we wouldn’t have come. We couldn’t have come, we would have been told how wrong it would be for us to do anything underhanded.” Mary looked at each teen and saw the truth in what James said written on each face. It also wasn’t hard to see the fading hope there either.
“Um...okay, I’m sorry, please forgive me. I’ve dealt with some shady people who have lied and tried to defraud the bank, so I get a bit testy when someone starts talking about people who they have with them but aren’t in the room.”
Again the other seven looked at Tameria and as she let out the breath she’d been holding she asked Mary, “Mary, do you have an open mind? Can you, or do you, believe in things you can’t see? Even as an adult? Because if you don’t or can’t, then we’ll have to leave and go elsewhere.” Mary saw how dead serious Tameria was with what she asked her. And Mary didn’t want to lose these eight teens, they had a bright future ahead of them, lying on the conference table.
Tameria’s questions, and her serious look, caused Mary to pause and think about the questions. Did she have an open mind? She had to have, given some of the things she and Terry, her fiancé, had done for fun and behind closed doors; Mary felt herself get wet thinking about those times in bed. Did she believe in things she couldn’t see? Yes, she did, and got into more than one argument over them. The teens had watched Mary’s face as she mulled over the questions Tameria had asked, and were relieved when Mary told Tameria, “Yes to all your questions, Tameria.”
“Mary, what I’m about to ask you to do won’t hurt you, but it might come as a shock when you hear something said. Know this, you will not be harmed in any way, they only want to talk with you. Please,” Tameria said to Mary, and held up her hand, as she saw the questions Mary was about to ask. “They will answer all your questions. Take my hand.” Mary looked at Tameria’s offered hand, then at the seven other teens. Each one was nodding their heads, giving Mary the okay to take Tameria’s hand. Mary’s world changed that day as she took Tameria’s hand, and changed for the better.
”We are The Haints. Mary Gothers. Be at peace, we will you no harm.”
Mary jerked her hand out of Tameria’s and asked, “Okay, one of you is throwing their voice, right. ‘Cause I just heard someone speaking to me and there’s only the eight of you who could have done it.” It was Sam who gave the answer for them all.
“No, Mary, no one is throwing their voice. You just heard from The Haints, the friends we mentioned. It’s hard to believe at first, but they do exist and will tell you about themselves, where they came from and a tragedy that happened to their planet. If you give them the chance. We all have, and it is quite the experience. An experience that made us decide to open our own clinic and help others. Please, Mary, give them a chance. You won’t regret it.”
Mary again looked at each teen, seeing again their encouragement by the nod of each head. As she looked at Tameria, not only did Tameria nod but actually had a pleading look on her face. Mary took a deep breath, let it out and again took Tameria’s hand. The teens watched Mary’s face as The Haints spoke with her. As the tears rolled down her cheeks at one point, the teens knew The Haints had gotten to the part where they showed what happened to their planet, and Mary was seeing it all. They also knew when Mary said, “I do want you to be with me,” that they had asked her permission to be with her.
When Mary opened her eyes, the teens knew The Haints had stopped speaking to her, and watched as she got up from her chair and walked over to her desk to get a tissue. She wiped her eyes as she walked back to the conference table and told them, “You were right, Sam, that is quite the experience. A sad one, but an experience nonetheless. I guess now that I’ve met your, our friends, we can dispense with my one question. How about we talk about all the material you’ve put together? Anyone need more water?” They spent the better part of an hour talking about the material, how it came about, how they decided as a group for this or that and even how they chose the floor plan and interior design for the building. Tony then explained how they could find prices for the equipment they wanted, but knew nothing about how to price the building. As the eight watched, Mary’s eyes lit up and asked if she could show everything to a friend of hers, an architect. Nothing was finalized so the teens saw no reason not to trust Mary. She did, after all, have their friends with her.
Mary excused herself and taking everything with her, went into another room where her fax machine was housed. She picked up the phone, dialed a number, and when her call was answered by the person she called, she said, “Does your fiancée know you’re screwing around with another woman?” Mary tried hard not to laugh, it was a game she and her fiancé, Terry Cooper, often played and usually resulted with them going out to dinner and then to a wonderful time in bed together. And then she was excitedly serious when she told Terry, “Babe, I really need you in me tonight. I need you to hold me.”
Terry Cooper was one of four partners of an architecture/engineer firm that has been in business for ten years now. The four started the firm right out of graduate school, on a shoestring and a prayer. Because of the excellent work they did, their firm had become one of the top ten firms in the Country. They were even sought after by some very big firms in other parts of the World. Mary’s initial question always made him laugh, and he made sure to reply, “Gads, I sure hope not.” But something in Mary’s voice during her last statement had him worried, since she only spoke that way when she’d had an extremely trying day. “Sweetheart, you know I’ll give you what you need in bed anytime you ask. So dinner, then take care of your needs?” They played phone sex a bit more before Mary became serious.
“Terry, I’m going to fax you over some material I want you to quickly scan and give me your opinion. As soon as you give me your opinion I’ll tell you where it came from.” Terry agreed and Mary faxed all the material the teens gave her. Terry had told her he’d be right back, since he had to go to their fax machine in another room to get what Mary was sending him. And Mary wasn’t surprised by Terry’s response as he picked up his phone again and began asking her ten different questions all at once. Terry was a quick study, which is one reason he was so good at his work.
“Mary, where’d you get this stuff, it’s marvelous. I can tell it’s preliminary work, but someone thought long and hard in writing it all up.” Terry heard Mary giggle on the other end of the phone before answering her question.
“Hold on to your hat, mister, what you’re looking at was put together by eight high school sophomores. And believe me when I tell you that they are dead serious about that clinic. I have first hand experience in that fact.” Mary had been told by The Haints why their existence had to be kept secret, that there were those in the World who would use them for ill if they found out about their existence. “Terry, I know what they are planning is going to be way down the road, but I’m going to make sure this bank backs them when they are ready to build their clinic. Seeing this many dedicated teens working together for a long term goal doesn’t happen often, if ever. This may be one of those ‘once in a lifetime shots’, and I don’t want to pass it up.”
Even though Terry was studying everything before him, he didn’t miss one word Mary said. “Yeah, sweetheart, from what I’m seeing in front of me you’re absolutely right. They are a unique bunch of teens, alright. Say, how much longer are you going to keep them? I ask because it’s getting close to lunch and I thought maybe if they can, you can send them here and I can provide them lunch and talk about all this stuff. Can you go find out right quick, and make sure you tell them I’ll provide lunch?” To Terry it seems like his ‘woman’ took forever before he heard, “They said yes, and yes. I give them one of your cards and explain how to reach your offices,” from Mary. They played kissy face over the phone before ending the call and Terry calling down to the lobby to tell them a group of eight teens is expected and if they would be kind enough to escort them up to his office.
Meanwhile, at the bank, Mary rushed back into her office, grabbed one of Terry’s firm’s business cards out of the center drawer of her desk, and sat down and explained her conversation she had with Mr. Cooper. She watched as the teens became excited over the prospect of having a real live architect look over their material and help them with that part of their needed information. Mary also told them the same thing she’d told Terry, that she knew this was a long term project, and wouldn’t come about for several years, but she wanted the bank to be there when the teens were ready to build. Mary also told the teens she’d make copies of everything before they left, but was told to keep what they’d given her because they planned to give it to the people who were interested enough to help them now and in the future. After giving Tameria Terry’s business card, and drawing a map of how to reach his offices, she bid each of them a goodbye and told them she’d be there when they were ready; she crossed her fingers that fate would oblige. She really wanted to see what these kids could do.
Author’s Note: This story is a work of pure fiction, meant to be read for pure enjoyment. It is not based on facts of any kind, just those I made up in my mind. I realize some of what is in this story may seem far fetched, but it’s a story, dreamed up from the gray matter between my ears. So please read this story in the spirit it’s meant to be read, for fun. ~ Jamie Lee ~
We had wandered the ether for millions upon millions of years, searching for an appropriate home that would serve our created purpose. Our creator had a dream to use us to bring harmony to her planet, but was too late, as with the rest of the planet, we were thrown out into the ether and left to drift until we found our purpose. We wandered past planet after planet, some having no life, and some with life but not needing our purpose. It wasn’t until we approached a system from the perpendicular that we observe a planet, a blue planet, with indications of needing our purpose, if only we could find the one which would become our catalyst.
It was less than a mile drive to reach Terry’s offices, but because of One-Way streets, and others under construction, it was a much longer drive. They found a public parking area near the building they were sent to, and after a short walk entered the building and after speaking with someone in the lobby, were told they were expected and escorted up to the fifth floor of the building.
When the eight teens had announced themselves at the desk in the lobby of the building, one of the people at that desk called upstairs to let Terry’s firm know the teens had arrived. Sherry Olson, one of the partners, took the call and asked one of their interns, Paula Chen, to meet the teens at the elevator and escort them to one of the smaller conference rooms. After which she was to inform Terry. Everything went according to plan, until Paula knocked on Terry’s office door, opened it, and received a royal butt chewing for interrupting him in the middle of a meeting. Paula was so upset that she slammed the door, went to her cubicle, picked up all her belongings and told Sherry she quit. And promptly left.
Sherry knew something was up with Terry so went straight to his office, walked right in and told Terry she needed to see him “RIGHT THAT MINUTE.” They’d been friends since childhood, so Terry knew when Sherry had ‘that look’ she meant business. Terry excused himself with Creg Smith, the man Terry had the meeting with when Paula came into his office. Creg Smith was not happy, he was a VERY important man and demanded to be treated so. As Terry was leaving his office with Sherry, they both heard, “Well this is a bunch of bullshit. Here I came ALL this way to meet with you and you walk out in the middle of our meeting. Damn, I should charge you for my wasted time. And I suppose you’re not even going to offer me anything to drink? Right? That’s one hell of a way to run a business.” Terry had just reached the door before stopping and turning to face Creg before he said, “Creg, shove it up your ass,” and walked out the door, slamming it behind him.
Sherry motioned to the other two partners and pointed to her office, which she and Terry walked towards. When all four were in Sherry’s office, she shut the door and turned to Terry and asked in a very venomous voice, “Just what the HELL did you say to Paula that caused her to quit?” Terry gave Sherry a questioning look, to which Sherry told him, “Yeah, she quit. Packed up all her belongings and walked out. Quit, as in not coming back. Damn, Terry, she was one of the best interns we’d ever had, and we were going to help finance her education so she MIGHT come work for us when she was licensed. So, what did you say to her?”
Terry looked from face to face before it finally sunk in what he had done. “Aw, shit, what have I done?” He quickly picked up the phone and called down to the lobby desk and asked them to tell Paula he wanted to talk with her. Please. Then he sat down in one of the chairs in Sherry’s office, ran his hands through his hair before saying, “It’s that damned boney assed Creg Smith. Last time he was pissed because we did what he asked, and not what he wanted. Then we do what he wanted and now he’s pissed again because we did what he wanted and not what he felt we should have done. I simply lost it when Paula walked in, and I shouldn’t have. She had nothing to do with how Mr. High and Mighty acted. Guys...he has to go, dumped, thrown out. I don’t care if we would see over nine figures, he just isn’t worth all the crap he’s been throwing our way. You three do remember we were warned not to get involved with him, when we checked him out? And not just by one firm, if you three remember. I’m sorry, but he has to go.”
Sherry Olson, David Runningbear, and Marti Comings have been friends since childhood. They grew up together attending all the same schools, even graduate school. It wasn’t long before they became disillusioned working for other firms because they saw a lot of shotty designs and work. One night over a few drinks, Sherry made an off handed comment about it being a shame they didn’t have their own firm. Then they could do some decent work. All four may have been a few sheets into the wind, because the next day they each walked into their respective firms and quit. They pooled their monies, bought a building and Olson/Runningbear/Commings/Cooper Architects/Engineering was born; they never did come up with another, simpler, name.
David voiced what Sherry and Marti were thinking when he said, “Then let’s do it. Let’s throw the boney assed runt out of our offices and out of the building. We own the building, after all. You shouldn’t have to take crap like he dishes out, Terry. You should have come to us before you blew up today; we’d have thrown him out sooner. Call down and ask for two security people to come up, and let’s go and throw boney assed Mr. High and Mighty out. Besides, you have to go and beg Pauls to come back, right?” Terry looked a bit sheepish after David’s last comment.
The four walked out of Sherry’s office and right into Terry’s office, meeting a barrage of profanity at keeping an IMPORTANT person waiting. Terry walked around behind his desk, sat down, and looked straight at Creg Smith. “Creg, ol’ buddy,” Creg hated when anyone called him that, but Terry held up his hand as Creg opened up his mouth. “No, Creg, ol’ buddy, you just shut your mouth and listen to me for a change.” Sherry, David, and Marti were standing off to the side and could see Creg Smith turn as red as a beet. “Creg, ol’ buddy, we, the four of us I mean, have come to a decision and we’ve decided you need to take your boney ass and get the HELL out of our offices and out of our building. Oh, and take your shit ass business elsewhere. I’d say it was a pleasure, but it hasn’t been.” Terry then stood up, leaned over his desk toward Creg Smith and growled, “Well, why is your boney ass still in our offices, or our building. GET. THE. HELL. OUT. OF. OUR. OFFICES. AND. BUILDING.” Creg Smith went white faced at the look on Terry’s face, but he wasn’t a person to take things lying down. He got up out of his chair and was about to give Terry both barrels, when he felt a hand one each of his shoulders. He then heard a voice right next to his left ear ask, “Well, the man asked you a question, Creg, ol’ buddy. Why is your boney ass still in the building? You have a choice, Creg ol’ buddy. You can walk out under your own power or we’ll carry you out and throw your boney ass back into the gutter where it came from. What’s it to be?”
To say Creg Smith was mad would be stating an understatement. He was boiling. No one, and he meant no one, ever talked to him like that and got away with it. He leaned towards Terry, raised an arm and pointed a finger at Terry, and felt himself lifted off the floor by one hand under one armpit and another arm under the other armpit. The two security guards carried Creg Smith out of the offices and to the stairs, where the door was opened for them and the three went quickly down the stairs, Creg Smith screaming profanities the whole way. When the three reached the lobby, Creg was still screaming profanities and continued to do so as the front door to the building was opened for them and the two guards literally threw Creg Smith out of the building. He landed hard on his brains, which didn’t stop the filth he was spewing. As the two guards stood by the building door, a woman passing by, stopped and slapped Creg so hard he fell sideways and heard, “Go back to the sewers where you came from. We got kids around here who don’t need to hear the filth your spewing.” The woman took a bow as passerbys gave her a round of applause for her work. All the shouting had attracted the attention of a policeman walking his beat, and he just turned a blind eye at what the woman just did. He bent down to look Creg in the face and told him, “Sir, I’m afraid you can’t sleep here. You’ll have to find some place else. Now move along.” The cop knew exactly who Creg Smith was, and like many others, hated the man’s guts.
When the two security guards walked back into the building, Terry was sitting next to Paula and talking quietly with her. They caught bits and pieces of his conversation, and when Paula looked up and saw the two, they both nodded their heads and with their heads, indicated, “go back up, stay.” They really liked this kid, she had spunk.
“Please, Paula, I am really sorry I bit your head off, it was wrong of me to take my frustrations and anger with Creg Smith out on you. Please...won’t you reconsider, come back up with me and stay? You’re really good at what you do and will make one heck of an architect one day. And we’re hoping it will be with us.” Terry didn’t tell her about the firm wanting to help finance her education, since it might seem like he was trying to bribe her into staying. “I do have eight teens waiting for me in the small conference room, and it might be something you will find interesting. Interesting because all the material Mary sent us was created by those eight teens. Including the layout for the clinic they’re going to build when they’re ready. Interested?” Paula gave Terry a dubious look, not because she doubted the sincerity of his apology, but that eight teenagers could put together something that had Terry really excited.
“Eight teenagers put together something that got you excited? How’s that possible? How old are they? Fifteen, Sixteen? At that age they shouldn’t be able to walk and chew gum at the same time. Are you blowing smoke just to get me to stay?”
Terry laughed because of what Paula said, but assured her, “This is no joke, Paula. They’ve put together a folder of material they’ll use to build a medical clinic when they get their education and licenses. Trust me. Come up and see the material for yourself, you’ll be amazed.” She gave Terry another dubious look before agreeing to come and look. But told him if this was a sham, she was going to kick him in the nuts before leaving for good.
The ride back up in the elevator was a quiet one, and Terry unknowingly held his hand in a very protective manner. The two went to the small conference room and found the eight teens sitting around the table talking quietly with each other. They all stood when Terry and Paula entered the room and Terry began the introductions by introducing Paula and himself. The teens then introduced themselves and Terry then asked, “How about we do lunch first and business after? What do you all like or want?” As the teens drove to the building Tony had spotted a deli less than a block away from the building. He wasn’t shy when he said, “How about sub sandwiches? I saw a deli just up the street, and would like an Italian sub with the works.” Terry smiled at Tony’s suggestion, and excused himself only to return with ten menus from Franco’s Deli. As everyone said what they wanted, Terry noted it on his copy of the menu. He asked about drinks, and received ‘tea’ from everyone. He phoned the deli and placed the orders, knowing they’d arrive in about fifteen minutes.
Paula had taken the seat next to Terry and was going through the material from the teens that Mary had faxed over. At one point everyone heard, “Whoa, this is good stuff. And you guys did all this?” Paula asked, as she looked up and around at the teens. The thing the four partners like about Paula was her directness, her not beating around the bush. In their business telling a client something they didn’t want to hear was often necessary when the client asked for something that was physically impossible to do. And if something impressed her, the four found out to take a closer look at whatever had impressed her. After looking over the material himself, Terry already knew how good it was. And was glad Paula agreed, because he had ideas to have Paula work on with the material. There was about five minutes until their lunch arrived and Terry watched happy teens become contrite teens when he asked one question.
“Well, we got another five minutes until our lunch should arrive, why don’t you tell me about yourselves and how you came to decide on opening your clinic?” Just as they’d done before with Mary, the seven teens all looked at Tameria, and Terry and Paula noticed this. “Um...is there something wrong? Have I asked a rather sticky question, maybe a question you’re rather not, or can’t answer?”
As Terry and Paula watched, it seemed the eight teens were holding their own unspoken conference. There were head nods, head shakes, and when it was over they again looked to Tameria.
”We are The Haints. Tameria Jinks. You worry how to answer the question put before you, yes? Have no fear. Tameria Jinks. We trust Terry Cooper. We trust Paula Dillings. Tameria Jinks. We will to know them. Tameria Jinks.”
“Um...Mr. Cooper. It isn’t that we don’t want to answer the question or can’t, it’s just a very complicated explanation. And it might be best to wait until we’ve eaten before giving you our answer. It may take some time.”
Terry, like Mary, had over the years become quite good at reading people, and he read something unfamiliar to him in the kids faces. Usually his clients were either happy, excited, sad, angry, or any number of other emotions. And it showed on their faces. Whatever these kids were feeling right now had him worried they might have gotten themselves into some kind of jam, and didn’t know how to solve it. So he said, “Guys, it’s Terry. Mr. Cooper makes me sound too ancient. And okay, Tameria, we’ll wait until we’ve eaten before you explain. Speaking of which, I see our lunch has arrived.” During lunch Terry and Paula kept up the small talk, asking what the teens liked, if they were into sports, music, or any clubs at school. But once lunch was over, two people in the room almost had to run to the restrooms in order to see what they’d just eaten. They were that shocked.
Everyone had finished their subs, thrown their trash in a nearby trash can, sat back down before Terry asked, “So, can you now explain how you came up with the idea of opening up your own clinic?” Terry watched Tameria’s face, as he could see her formulating an answer to his question. He actually expected a simple, “yes,” but wasn’t prepared for what Tameria said next.
“Terry, can the door to this room be locked? Or if it can’t be locked, will we be interrupted at any time?” Terry told her, no, the door can’t be locked but when a conference is in progress, unless it’s a real emergency, no one would interrupt. Terry watched Tameria nod her head before she continued with, “Good, that’s good. Do you and Paula have an open mind, Terry? Can you, or do you believe in things you can’t see? These questions are important Terry, Paula, because our friends won’t meet you unless you are truthful in your answers.”
Paula’s directness saved Terry trying to be the diplomat when she asked, “What friends? You got someone else we’re supposed to meet? How long before they get here and where are they coming from?”
Tameria chuckled before she told Paula, “Paula, they are already here, and you might not believe where they came from. Would you two like to take a few minutes to think about my questions. How about the time it takes us to use your restrooms?” It took Terry a few moments to catch on that the teens needed to use the restrooms, and told them where to find them. While the teens were gone, he and Pauls discussed the questions Tameria asked, and whether these kids were on the level. About ten minutes later the eight teens re-entered the small conference room and sat back down. Tameria turned to Terry and asked him, “Have you decided, do you meet our friends or do we leave now and go to another firm for help?”
Both he and Paula saw how serious Tameria was with her question, and that she meant it that they would leave if need be. Paula was again direct when she told Tameria, “Hell yeah, I have an open mind. You have to have one working in this field. You won’t last long if you close off your mind. Believing in things I can’t see? Again, we do that all the time. We design and help build structures that hold together by way of connections no one can see.” She saw Tameria smile because of her answer before looking at Terry. Terry was more circumspect in his thinking than Paula. He thought about the love he had for Mary. As Paula said, his ability to see what the client wanted and to be able to make it happen. And he believed in something more than the life he lived on Earth, something he’d been thinking about most of his adult life. “Yeah, Tameria, I’d like to meet these friends of yours.”
Tameria asked the two to allow her to sit between them, then explained what was about to happen. She asked each one to take one of her hands, and when they did, only Paula reacted as many others had first reacted when The Haints first spoke.
”We are The Haints. We will to do you no harm. Terry Cooper. Paula Dillings. Be at peace.”
“MY GAWD, WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT,” Paula shouted as she jerked her hand away from Tameria’s. As Tameria was about to tell her, Terry calmly said, “Those are their friends, Paula, and it would appear they’d like to talk with us.” Paula looked at Tameria, then each of the other seven teens. As each one nodded their head, she noticed something she hadn’t seen before. Each one had a peaceful look on their face. Just as though they’d been touched by an Angel or something. “Is Terry right? Those are the friends you were talking about? The something that can’t be seen but requires an open mind?”
Tameria just answered, “Yes.” Then added, “You won’t be sorry for the experience. Won’t you trust and continue, let them talk with you. Please?” Paula had grown up around a lot of BSers and liars, and now could spot both as easy as taking a breath. Because of that, she could also spot those who were sincere in their words, and could see that sincerity written on Tameria’s face. Paula just nodded her head before taking Tameria’s hand again. And Tameria was right, she didn’t regret it.
As with Mary, the teens could tell when The Haints were showing what happened to their planet. Paula, direct as ever, said, “Holy fucking shit,” while Terry only said, “Oh my gawd, all those people killed because of some stupid reason.” The teens knew when Terry and Paula opened their eyes The Haints had finished talking to the two. It was quiet in the room until Terry said, “Um...I think I need to use the restroom. I’ll be right back.” Paula said much the same. But when both returned it was obvious by the redness of their eyes that both had been crying, mourning the death of all the people on that planet because some couldn’t tolerate others believing differently than themselves. Paula’s attitude seemed to have changed a bit as she asked, “And the eight of you have been carrying this around with you all this time? Doesn’t it get to you? How can you tolerate it?”
It was Beckie who answered, “Paula, we have memories of what we were shown, and could watch the whole thing again if we asked. But it’s because of what happened that we want to try and help The Haints do on our planet what they couldn’t do, or had the time to do, on their planet. You see, Paula, and Terry, we each carry part of The Haints with us. If, as they’ve done with others who’ve met them, they asked you if they could be with you, right? You see if they are with us, as we go about our day we give them the opportunity to do away with the aggression that could one day destroy our own world. They’re learning that not all aggression is bad, that we need some aggression in our lives. But it’s that aggression that might cause someone to press ‘THE BUTTON’ they want to neutralize. And you can help by letting them be with you. It doesn’t hurt, and is kind of fun, especially when you can talk with anyone who they’re with without using anything but your mind.”
The teens recognized the look by now, the one that was asking how they asked The Haints to be with them. Giggling, it was Tara who said, “Just ask them and they will stay with both of you.” Tara giggled again as she saw the puzzled looks on Terry and Paula’s faces, the look that said, ‘how did you know what we were asking’. She did her best not to laugh out loud as she told the two, “We’ve seen that same look on everyone The Haints have asked to be with. You’ll get to recognize it too as time goes on.” This time she did laugh, as she saw the ‘what do you mean’ question on their faces because of her last statement. “As Beckie said,” she began, “having The Haints with you will allow them to neutralize any aggression that would cause someone harm. That means if you are, say, at a department store, and they see aggression displayed by someone who is going to hurt another person, they will step in and show that person just what aggression can really do. They will then adjust that person’s thinking so they only want to help others from that point on.”
After hearing Tara’s explanation, Terry thought back to his recent encounter with Creg Smith, and how The Haints might have dealt with him, or the others Terry could think about from his past.
Paula, on the other hand, thought back to all those times, at home when she was younger, when The Haints would have prevented her sperm donor from beating the hell out of her when he was drunk simply because, the one time, she spilled a bit of milk from the glass of milk she’d been drinking. That beating caused her to use concealer for two weeks before the bruising faded. Or the other beatings she received because of similar happenings when he was drunk. Or the night he came into her room and almost raped her. And he would have too, if she hadn’t had the forethought to keep that bat close by her bed. She saw him come into her room and knew what he was going to try to do to her, so she grabbed the bat and waited. As soon as he was close enough she swung the bat and caught him on the side of the head, he dropped like a rock. Somehow she was able to drag him out of her room, went back into her room, closed the door, and pushed her chest of drawers in front of the door. The next morning her sperm donor didn’t have a clue what happened the night before, which she thanked God for or things might have gotten much worse.
As the teens watched, they again recognized the look on the faces of the two as they asked The Haints to be with them. They also knew, from experience, there were going to be a lot of questions that only The Haints could answer. And they told Terry and Paula that very thing as the two started peppering the teens with questions.
Thankfully it was The Haints who reminded Terry and Paula why the teens had come to see them, and maybe they should get on with the matter at hand? The teens all laughed when they heard what The Haints told Terry and Pauls, and the looks on their faces when they realized exactly why they were in the conference room. “It’s okay, you two,” James said, smiling as he did so. “We all have lost track of what we were doing at the time after meeting them.” Terry called a break, and everyone got up to either use the restroom or to stretch their legs. When Terry came back into the conference room he was carrying a model and a set of papers. And he was again very excited.
When everyone had returned, and were seated, Terry started in with an enthusiasm he hadn’t had a short time ago. Thanks to one Creg Smith! “Okay...guys, I have an idea and with your permission I’ll explain it to you all. All of you want to know what it would cost, right now, to build your clinic and equip it. I can’t do that off the top of my head, or out of any books we have. What I can do is treat all of this exactly like we would if we were drawing up a project for a client who wanted to build something similar. We’d have our interns use your material to make a model of your clinic, complete with interior and exterior designs. In short, you’d be seeing a miniature of your completed clinic. We’d also draw up complete blueprints that could be used if you were having the clinic built today. Once we had all that done we could then calculate the cost for everything needed for your clinic. What do you all think? I can’t give you a time frame when it all would be done, we do have other clients to deal with, but it won’t be put on the back burner either. What do you all say? Guys, to be perfectly honest, when you are ready to build, and I realize it won’t be for some time, I want our firm to do all the work for you. You are a remarkable group of teens who deserve our best.”
This time it was the teens who saw the pleading looks in Terry and Paula’s faces, and got the answer they needed when they heard one word.
”Yes.”
Terry and Paula were shocked when they too heard that one word, but then realized they’d just been given the green light to do what Terry wanted. Terry then took down the teens personal information, addresses and phone numbers, so he could contact each one when the firm was ready to make its presentation. Handshakes and hugs were exchanged as their meeting broke up, leaving everyone in that room feeling good by what had transpired. They were on their way, now all they had to do is get through the next umtenth number of years of schooling, and hope two very special people were still around when they were needed. And speaking of schooling, they still had to get through high school, and the gauntlet it presented.
Even though the eight teens had a very profitable Friday, and another planning session Saturday, it was inevitable that school would resume on Monday. And what was there to say about the rest of their sophomore year, not much. Each one became more involved in school and community activities. A month after they met with Terry he called Tameria and told her their presentation was ready, and when could the eight teens come. Tameria talked with the other seven and then checked the school calendar before calling Terry back and setting a date. In fact, their next meeting with Terry was likely the best part of their sophomore year.
It was a longer weekend for the teens this time, Thursday through Sunday, due to the teachers meetings taking place on Thursday and Friday. As they did before, they met at Tameria’s house, had breakfast and headed to Terry’s office a little after 9 a.m. on that Thursday. This time they knew how to find the public parking, near Terry’s and his partner’s building, once they reached the City, and had no trouble once they entered the building and were about to say why they were there. The same guard who’d escorted them the first time, beckoned them onward as he once again led them to Terry’s office on the fifth floor. And of course someone from the lobby had phoned Terry to let him know they were on their way up. This time, though, it was both Terry and Paula who met them at the elevator and were so excited they couldn’t stop talking as they led the teens to the same conference room as before. But they stopped talking and let the teens enter first, because they wanted to see their reactions as they set eyes on the model of their clinic for the first time. As the teens entered, there in the center of the small conference table sat a model of their dreams, just as they envisioned it. Terry and Paula couldn’t suppress big smiles as the teens began all talking at once, pointing out this or that or offering ideas for this or that. Terry almost had to shout to get the teens attention until they finally realized he was waiting on them to quiet down. They sheepishly apologized before sitting down, in much the same order as before, and Terry and Paula got to work at what they did best, sell.
“So, I guess you like what you’ve seen so far?” It was a dumb question but one he just had to ask to get more reactions from the teens. It sort of turned into a mistake as the teens again began talking all at once, and again Terry almost shouted for quiet so they could move on. “Now,” he said, as he turned on a huge screen on the wall behind him, “Do any of you know what a blueprint is or how to read one?” Yes, they’d all heard of blueprints, but no they didn’t know how to read one. Hearing this, Terry entered a territory he often wondered if he shouldn’t have pursued, teaching.
As the teens watched, Paula dismantled the model until only the floor of the model was left. “Okay, lesson time,” Terry said as he used the remote to put the front page of the blueprint for their clinic on the huge screen. “I know from experience what I’m going to explain may sound tedious at first, but I think as sharp as you eight are, you’ll get the hang of things quickly. Now, what you see on the screen behind me is the front page of the blueprint…,” and Terry explained everything on that page, the title of the blueprint, the date drawn, for whom, and so on. He watched each teen as he explained each segment to make sure they weren’t getting bored. As he clicked the remote, another page appeared on the screen, and he turned the page on the blueprint in front of him.
“Just as a building starts with a foundation and works up to the roof, so does a blueprint. What you see on the screen now are all the specifications for the foundation for your clinic, which you can see on the model of the foundation. That foundation represents the dimensions and overall look that everything else will be built around. Here,” and using a pointer Terry continued with, “is the Mental Health wing. Over here is the Administration wing. Here and here are the Medical and Physical Therapy wings. And here, here, and here are storage and the employee area. And if you look up at the screen, you’ll see every measurement is listed for the entire foundation. Even the rough-outs for water, sewer, and electrical. Oh, and over here is your computer room.”
As the teens watched, Paula added interior and exterior walls, and all the exterior windows to the model, as Terry flipped another page in front of him and on the screen. The teens had all stood up by now so they could get a good view of the interior of their someday clinic. “As you can see, when the walls and windows are added your clinic really starts to take shape. And if you look at the screen, you’ll again see all the measurements for the exterior walls on this page,” and as Terry turned pages again, “and interior walls on this page. If you’ll look at the image on the screen, when you see these symbols, they are for electrical outlets. And as you can see, there will be a lot of them. And if you look at this box down here, it specifies the gauge of wire that’s to be used.”
Terry went on explaining things on the blueprint as Paula put things back together on the model. After an hour, James asked, “Is it possible to take a potty break right now?” James’ question brought Terry and Paula up short, as both realized they’d been at it for a little more than an hour without a break; they were so engrossed with the project presentation they forgot about the needs of the teens.
“Oh...guys, I’m so sorry. Paula and I were so excited to present all this to you, I forgot we needed to take a break sometime. Yes, by all means, go, go, take what time you need.” Paula almost got trampled as the eight teens all but ran out of the room in a mad dash for the restrooms. Terry and Paula weren’t far behind as they suddenly realized their need as well.
By the time everyone was back in the small conference room, their eyes had settled once again in their eye sockets, and Terry and Paula continued with their presentation. As 11:30 a.m. rolled around, Terry, who had been watching the teens closely for signs of boredom, asked what they’d like for lunch. Tara just rolled her eyes when Tony said, “an Italian sub from Franco’s Deli.” She then said, “Leave it to you to want an Italian sub every time someone asks about lunch.” Tony shrugged his shoulders and said, “I like them, so sue me.” Tara playfully swatted his arm before he caught her hand and gently kissed it. The ‘Awwws’ in the room were so thick they could have been cut with a knife. The presentation stopped there as Terry phoned in their lunch order, and they waited for it to arrive. What he didn’t expect was all the intelligent questions the teens started asking, some very detailed. Paula had stood back and watched the teens as they started asking questions. She watched as each almost asked a progressive question once the first question was answered.
She also saw a love between the eight that she’d never seen before, maybe because their relationship with The Haints allowed them to be completely open with each other. She never had this type of relationship in her life, and there were times she wished she did. She received a shock as the eight teens turned as one to face her before she heard Tameria’s voice tell her, “Palua, you are part of our family now. You never have to feel left out again. We want you to be with us for as long as any of us has on this planet. Anytime you need to talk just think of who you want to talk with and our friends will put the call through for you.” Paula felt something on her cheeks, and when she touched it she found out they were tears, tears of joy. A joy she had never felt since the day she was born. She was even more surprised as the eight teens surrounded her and gave her a group hug, welcoming her to their family. When the hug ended, Paula’s eyes were red from crying. Crying because a group of people, teens, had accepted her just the way she was.
Tony hamed it up when the subs arrived, getting another playful swat from Tara, who received a deep kiss this time. After they finished eating, Terry and Paula went back to the Terry and Paula show, slowly putting the model back together while explaining what was on each page of the blueprint. Two hours later they closed the last page of the blueprint and the roof was finally on the model. The teens just stared at the model, commenting every so often, “Just think, one day it will be ours.”
“The eight of you came to us to find out the cost of building something like you see on the table in front of you. But telling you today’s costs will do you no good, say, in twenty years. The price for some things might stay the same, but you can bet anything we quote you today would double or triple by then. Still, you asked for a cost, so if you built this building today, fully equipped, you’d be looking at something between 5 million and 10 million dollars. And if you used our firm, we would insist nothing less than the best building materials. Plus, you have to remember that there are regulations that have to be built into that building.” Both Terry and Paula had watched the teens closely when Terry quoted them an estimate of the cost to build the clinic. Both were puzzled, and looked at each other, until Paula thumbed through the material they had, and found the part where an investment firm had pledged to put up ¾ of the cost to build the building. That meant the teens only had to foot ¼ of the cost. Even so, ¼ of 5 or 10 million dollars was still a hunk of change. But given what she now knew about these teens, they’d raise the money or borrow it without any problems.
Terry told the teens one more thing before he let them leave. “That model,” and he pointed to the model on the table, “will be going into our vault, as will this set of blueprints. We will keep them until you’re ready to build, and we hope, I hope, you’ll let us do the work for you. You really are a special bunch of teens.” Just two meetings had brought the two professionals closer to the teens than they’d ever been to any other client. Hand shakes wouldn’t do as the teens got up to leave. Both Terry and Paula received hugs from all eight teens before they watched the teens leave the small conference room. Both Terry and Paula smiled, as they heard the teens holler shortly after they left the room. It may have been The Haints who gave Terry the feeling he’d be seeing those teens after twenty or so years, or just a gut feeling. But somehow he knew they’d be back, back and ready to build.
Two unexpected events were about to center around the high school, thanks to everything The Haints had done. Or maybe it might be better to say because of what they had done. Shannon Kenlowski is a reporter for the Daily News, who has made a name for herself because of the warmth and compassion she puts into the human interest articles she writes for the paper. She has heard of the changes that have taken place at the high school and wants to write an article about Then and Now, how things were Then and how they are Now. But during her research, she uncovers what appears to be embezzlement by six of the seven local school board members for the past five years. She runs what she found by her editor and they both see a story so big that Shannon is given the go ahead to look into it.
Also, because they helped to rid the school of bullying, those students who would have suffered because they were different, somehow, were now able to concentrate on their classes. And because of all this, tension in the school has all but dropped and everyone’s grade average has increased, which has made the high school one of the top schools in the State. This fact has not escaped the notice of State School Board investigator Sandy Carmody, whose reputation as a human rottweiler is duly deserved. When Sandy brings this before the State School Superintendent she gets the go ahead to investigate, and take whatever action is necessary. Including terminating anyone found to be involved with illegal activities.
Before The Haints arrived, even before Tameria was, bullying at the high school was rampt. Jenny did what she could but with only one security guard, and no cameras, what little she could do wasn’t enough. She and some parents would go before the school board and plead their cases. And each year, and time, all they received was “Maybe next year, but right now we just don’t have the money.” Each year at least five students from each grade level would leave school because of being bullied or from constantly being harassed. Some would just drop out, some would start homeschooling, and some would just work on getting their GED. Some parents turned a blind eye to their child’s plight and several students were found in their beds the following morning permanently asleep. And some were found in the garage at the end of a rope. Though too late for their child, those parents who lost a child because of bullying or constant harassment, joined those parents who were screaming at the local school board for changes to be made at the high school.
But then Tameria and The Haints arrived and things made a 180 degree turn. With Tameria’s help, The Haints learned what aggression was needed and what aggression was used to hurt others. Those who had it in themselves to hurt those who were different, found out where such aggression could lead in vivid details. They also had a change of attitude which forever changed not only their life but those around them. And when it was found that a parent, or parents, were encouraging such behavior, they too were given the same lesson.
This is the story Shannon Kenlowski wanted to write about, how it was before and how it was now. She called the high school office and asked if Principal Jenny Glasstow would have time for an interview. She was told, “One moment please,” and placed on hold. When the line was picked up again, she was speaking directly to Jenny, who was pleased to be interviewed and had time that afternoon. After hanging up the phone, Shannon saw she had several hours before her meeting with Jenny and started the research she’d need if she was going to sound intelligent when she interviewed Jenny.
Much of what she needed was in public records, so gaining that information proved no problem. But when she started going over those records, she found some inconsistencies that seemed rather odd. For instance. According to the school board minutes she skimmed, when Principal Glasstow went before the local school board to ask for more money to hire more security guards and install cameras at the high school, for the past five years she was told the school board didn’t have the extra money. That the State hadn’t given them what they’d been given the previous year. And yet when Shannon quickly looked up what the State sent to the high school for the past five years, she saw there should have been more than enough to accommodate Jenny’s request. On a hunch, she made a phone call to someone who was skilled enough to get her some information she wanted to check out.
The guy Shannon called was more than your average hacker. The man could do things with a computer even the inventors of the computer never knew could be done. He and Shannon were on good terms because he once got into the files of an organization who was not happy with what he had done, and were about to explain it to him. Shannon got wind of what they were going to do and warned him before they got the chance to ‘teach him a lesson’. And they never got a chance to do anything to him or anything else for over 50 years. When he had hacked into their system, he downloaded everything that was on their server. Shannon’s warning caused him to send it all anonymously to the DA’s office. When the DA saw what he had received, arrest warrants were issued and every member of that organization was arrested. When presented with the evidence against them, they accepted the DA’s plea agreement and were promptly sentenced to 25 years on each count of the indictment. It was a very short trial.
“Hi, it’s me...I need you to do me a favor...I’ve got a hunch something fishy is going on with the local school board, and maybe the Superintendent of School...Well, I’d rather not say right now...You think you could get me the financial statements for all the school board members and the Superintendent?...Yeah, the usual place, and I’ll buy this time...Great, see you then.”
Shannon had time to catch lunch before her interview with Jenny, and headed to her favorite spot, The Fish Palace. As she drove to the restaurant she kept thinking about what she had uncovered, and who all might be involved if it was true. She also wondered if she should share the information with Principal Glasstow. That determination would have to wait until she met Jenny.
Shannon pulled into the high school parking lot, parked her car in the first spot she found, and walked across the parking lot and into the school, explaining to the person at the door why she was there. She was directed to the office, and as she walked towards the office, she saw how clean the building was, and how it looked as new as the day it was built. She also noticed a change in atmosphere from the last time she was there covering an awards ceremony. The tension she felt then was now gone. There was a peacefulness she knew was there but had no explanation. Even the students were friendlier as she was greeted by several as she walked to the office. Once in the office, and telling who she was and why she was there, she was taken to a small meeting room where Jenny sat waiting. Jenny stood when Shannon entered the room, introductions were made, and Jenny asked if Shannon would like something to drink. After Jenny got Shannon a bottle of bottled water out of the small fridge, it was made clear that she was just Jenny and not Principal Glasstow. Shannon laughed and said it was just Shannon back at Jenny. Unknown to Shannon, Jenny had a short conversation before Shannon explained why she was at the school
”We are The Haints. Jenny Glasstow. We trust Shannon Kenlowski. Jenny Glasstow. Shannon Kenlowski has important information you must hear. Jenny Glasstow.”
Jenny never let on that she’d just talked to someone as Shannon began by explaining why she was there. “Jenny, it has gotten around the City that real changes have been made at this school. I remember how it used to be when I attended school here, and the stories that were told over the years. And now there are stories of no more bullying or harassment, grades have improved, and even when I walked into the building I felt the difference. Even the student’s are different, as several said hi as they walked by me. I want to do a story of ‘Then and Now’, how the school was and how it is now.”
Jenny knew in an instant the type of questions Shannon was going to ask, and how awkward it was going to be in answering them because of the secret which had to be kept at this point in time. She also remembered what
The Haints told her and decided to plunge ahead with the truth. “Shannon, do you have an open mind? Do you believe in things you can’t see or prove easily? For me to give you truthful answers to your questions, you must answer these few questions.”
The questions Jenny asked have become standard questions when The Haints wanted to meet someone they trusted. And the look Shannon gave Jenny was the same look they always received after those questions were asked. Jenny held up her hand as she saw Shannon start to ask a question, and told her, “Shannon, I’m sorry, but unless you can answer those questions for yourself I may not be able to answer any of the questions you want to ask.” Jenny knew this statement was a risk, given Shannon’s profession, but it was necessary if Shannon was to be told the whole truth.
Shannon could see by the look on Jenny’s face that no further answers would be coming from Jenny until she answered Jenny’s questions. Looking at Jenny’s first question, did she have an open mind, yes, she felt she did, given her profession. She’d be a poor journalist/reporter if she had preconceived opinions about any story she wrote. The job of a journalist/reporter was to give the readers the facts, not make them up as the story went along. Did she believe in things she couldn’t see? Well, duh, there were a lot of things she couldn’t see that she believed in. Like air, a very necessary item if life was to exist on Earth. But Shannon didn’t think that’s what Jenny meant. “Jenny, why the questions,” she asked, “my profession requires me to have an open mind if I’m to do my job properly. But belief in things I can’t see or easily prove? There are many things that can’t be seen or easily proved, without specialized equipment, and I believe in those things. But I’ve a feeling that’s not what you mean by that question.”
Jenny just smiled before answering Shannon’s question. “Shannon, I have some friends who would like to meet you because they trust you and have told me you have information I need to hear. Unless you have an open mind, and can believe in things you cannot see, you may have a very hard time when they meet you.”
Shannon was nodding her head after she heard Jenny’s reasoning for the questions, and if she was in her position she’d be asking the same questions. “Yes, Jenny, I have an open mind and do believe in things I can’t see or would be hard to prove. And you’ve piqued my interest concerning your friends. I’d like to meet them. Will it take long for them to arrive?” When Shannon quit speaking she again saw a smile form on Jenny’s face, presumably because of what she had just said.
“Shannon, I’m glad to hear your answers because it will make it easier on you when you meet my friends. And it won’t take any time at all before they arrive, take my hand.” Jenny smiled inwardly as she saw the same puzzled look on Shannon’s face as every other person who was told, “Take my hand.”
Shannon saw the warm and jovial Jenny disappear the minute she asked her questions. Even now she saw an extremely serious looking Jenny staring at her with her hand extended. Shannon didn’t understand why it was necessary to take Jenny’s hand, or felt there was any danger in doing so, so she placed her hand into Jenny’s outstretched hand.
”We are The Haints. Shannon Kenlowski. Be at Peace. We will to do you no harm.”
Shannon was no different than many of those who had previously met The Haints and pulled her hand out of Jenny’s. “Whoa, there, that was interesting. Those are the friends you talked about, Jenny?” Shannon asked Jenny and received a nod in return. “And I’m guessing there’s more they have to say?,” Shannon asked, again receiving a nod from Jenny. “Okaayy...too late to back out now isn’t it,” Shannon said, more to herself than to Jenny. As she looked at Jenny she saw a big smile on her face and received another nod.
Jenny watched as Shannon once again took her hand, and when she closed her eyes she knew The Haints had resumed speaking. And when she heard Shannon say, “Oh, my gawd, bloody hell,” she knew they had shown Shannon what occurred on their planet and the results. The end came when Shannon opened her eyes and gently took her hand out of Jenny’s hand, before she covered her face and wept openly. Jenny reached across the short distance between them and pulled Shannon into a gentle embrace and let her cry herself out. And as many had who had spoken to The Haints Shannon said, through tears, “My gawd, a whole planet destroyed because some were acting like five year olds who brought the ball to the game, and wanted to pitch even though they couldn’t throw.” When Shannon had calmed down a bit, the two women pulled apart and Jenny produced a tissue as though by magic. “All of those people, dead, even the ones who started the wars. What a waste, what STUPIDITY. And yeah, Jenny, I have some information you need to hear. Information that may show why you’ve had trouble getting those items on your bucket list. Though with friends like them around, some of those items really aren’t needed, are they?” Shannon had yet to see The Haints in action with an aggressive person, but she felt in her bones they were a force to reckon with.”
Jenny got up and went to the little fridge in the room, returning with two more bottles of bottled water and handing one to Shannon. She watched as Shannon cracked the cap, then drained about half of the water in the bottle. “Feeling better, now?,” Jenny asked, and Shannon just nodded her head. “Your meeting with The Haints was at their request, and necessary if you were to know the truth about the changes that have taken place in this school. Plus, because they trust you, you will be able to help them reach more people and hopefully prevent what occurred to their planet. They probably told you, but at this point in time, their existence must, MUST, be kept secret. I don’t think I have to explain to you what could happen if the wrong people discovered their existence.” And Shannon did understand, and told Jenny so before Jenny started explaining the changes that had occurred.
Jenny had been speaking for the past hour nonstop. She compared now with Shannon’s time at the school and everything she’d heard. Jenny then had told of how, because of The Haints only new students to the school had to be watched for aggression that would hurt others. Jenny even told Shannon about the changes that had occurred in some homes because of them. She then went on to explain how grade averages had shot up because those who were seen as different no longer had to worry about being bullied or harassed. Jenny then asked Shannon a big question, “Given what you now know, and what I’ve told you, how will you write a story that won’t give the whole truth away? You can fudge the truth a bit, but from what I’ve read, that isn’t your style.”
It was Jenny’s turn to be a bit shocked, as a predatory smile appeared on Shannon’s face. “When I finish telling you everything I’ve found, and suspect, my original story would have appeared on page 50, if our paper had 50 pages. Jenny, my story was to be a human interest story about this high school, about all the changes that have taken place in such a short amount of time. But when I started my research I found several inconsistencies going back five years. And it seems six of the seven school board members, and the school Superintendent, are involved. I have...um...a friend who is helping me get more information. Information I can’t show anyone, but will confirm my suspicions.” Shannon then handed Jenny a thumb drive and explained it was a copy of the information she had gathered so far. And like the secret that must be kept secret, what was on the thumb drive had to be kept secret until enough information could be gathered and taken to the DA.
It was Jenny’s turn to offer up a predatory smile and told Shannon she’d be right back, as she got up from her chair and left the room. A few minutes later she returned with her laptop, plugged in the power cord and turned it on. “This might seem like every other laptop, Shannon, but it has a very special protection that prevents anyone using it but me. And something else you’ll eventually find out about our friends, Shannon, they are a wiz with computers. And your friend, who I assume is an ace hacker? He knows nothing compared to our friends.” Jenny plugged in the thumb drive and instantly its contents came up on the screen. As Shannon watched, Jenny said, “Please search the entire contents and correlate any anomalies going back five years.” As both women watched, line after line scrolled up the screen faster than either could read. Within moments, another screen opened and both saw financial figures going back five years. On the left were the figures the State had sent to the school district. In the middle were the figures showing what the school received. On the right were the figures that showed the differences between the two previous figures.
It was Shannon who broke the silence by asking, “So, where did the rest of the money go? If all this,” and she pointed to the left hand column, “was earmarked for this school, why did you only receive this,” and she pointed to the middle column. “Local taxes should have been enough to handle administrative costs, so where’s the rest of the money?”
Jenny gave Shannon another predatory smile and told her, “Watch and learn, grasshopper.” Shannon just smiled at the TV reference before she heard Jenny say, “Deep dive, please. We need to know where the rest of the money went and who was involved with its disappearance.” Jenny sat back in her chair, put both hands behind her head, locking her fingers together and told Shannon, “This might take a few minutes. Might as well get comfortable.”
Shannon had almost drifted off to sleep when Jenny’s laptop dinged, after only twenty minutes. The sound snapped her alert and as she and Jenny looked at the window which had opened, Shannon let out a whistle, while Jenny said, “Those stinking BASTARDS!” There on the screen was the rest of the money, and the names behind its disappearance. It took the two women over an hour and a half to scroll through everything The Haints had uncovered. The information had been broken down by year, showing the missing amount on the left and an invoice showing the company the items were supposed to have been purchased from, and the date. Directly below this were copies of that company’s books for the date on the invoice. When Shannon and Jenny looked at those copies, for the invoice date, they didn’t see anything relating to the school at all. And it was like this throughout all the information on the screen.
When the two ladies had looked at all the information currently on the screen, a flashing icon popped up at the top right of the screen. Jenny clicked on it and another window opened with names, dates, and amounts listed. On the left was the missing money. In the second column was the name of six of the seven school board members. In the third column was an amount next to each name, with the date in the last column. The two ladies realized they were looking at the bank statements for six of the school board members going back for five years. But they weren’t finished yet, as another flashing icon appeared at the top right of the screen after the ladies had looked through what was currently on the screen.
When Jenny clicked on that icon, she and Shannon just whistled together. What The Haints had done this time was to compare those six school board members’ salaries with their personal expenditures, and what Jenny and Shannon saw showed each member spending way above their income level. And, without a bit of debt to their names. Even the Superintendent, with his six figure salary, shouldn’t have been able to buy a six figure Lamborghini without having debt because of the purchase. As Shannon watched, Jenny pulled out her cell phone and dialed a number. Shannon’s eyes got big when she heard who Jenny had just called.
“Gerry, it’s me...You busy right now?...Good, excellent...Are you alone?...That’s even better...Get out your special laptop and fire it up...You ready?...Our friends dug this up after I talked with Shannon Kenlowski on a story she was going to do about the high school…” Jenny then said, “Send all to Gerry Stevens,” then she got back on her phone. “You get it?...Excellent...Yeah, I know, but it will give your investigators a starting point, and they can uncover the same information that can be used...Just say it was a tip you received from Shannon while she was researching her story about the high school, it is the truth...Tell me about it, this school was the one that got screwed royally...Yeah, we already figured it all better be kept on the QT for now or some or all of those six might rabbit...Alright, see ya when, bye.” Jenny saw the apoplectic look on Shannon’s face, and she laughed. “Yes, that was DA Gerry Stevens, the first woman DA in over five years, and one of the best this City has ever had. She’s a bulldog, but only puts her teeth in when she has too.”
Jenny had met Gerry Stevens because of an incident that occurred shortly after Tameria had started school. She found out Gerry had a steel trap for a mind and wouldn’t let go about how certain things were discovered. As others in the close knit family, she was told that Gerry could be trusted and should be told the truth, which she was. And like others before had, when she was shown the consequences of stupidity and arrogance, she broke down and cried. Jenny told all this to Shannon, also letting her know that any time she uncovered something illegal, as she had done recently, she could call Gerry and Gerry would willingly run with it. As the two had been at it for more than three hours, and Jenny had another PIA to deal with tomorrow, both women decided it was time to go, promising to keep in touch. Jenny left Shannon with one parting bit of information. “Shannon, before you go you need to know something else. Anytime you want to speak with anyone who’ve met our friends, all you need to do is think of their name, and our friends will make the call for you. It saves a few bucks,” and Jenny grinned when this was said.
Jenny was ready for the State Board of Education investigators when the three pulled into the school parking lot the next morning. Her guns were primed and her friends were there if they were needed, which according to them, they would be for Sandy Carmody, a real bitch when she got her teeth into something. She was even given the pet name of Rottweiler, a dog with an attitude. After parking their car, in a place for school staff only, Sandy got out of the car, and not waiting for her two colleagues, practically ran to the front doors of the high school. She walked right past the person at the front door without saying a word, hell bent on her mission to get into the office to roast Principal Jenny Glasstow’s ass. Billie Randolph and Thomas Stewarts, Sandy’s colleagues, both out of breath, finally caught up with Sandy in the office as Sandy loudly demanded, “I’m from the State Board of Education Investigations, here to see Principal Jenny Glasstow. I DEMAND to see her NOW.” Billie looked at Thomas and Thomas looked at Billie, and both shook their heads at Sandy’s crude manners. Though Thomas wasn’t really surprised by Sandy’s actions, it was the exact thing Thomas had been asked to look for, as he held some papers he would present to Sandy very shortly.
Each teacher in the school took turns helping at the office reception desk during one of their free periods. And today Janet Bridges was there when Sandy went into her domination routine. Janet calmly told the students, also helping out, to go about their work, that she’d take care of this problem. She took her time walking to the other side of the counter from Sandy and asked, “And you are?” Every time Sandy played her domination routine, everyone in the school office jumped before asking how high. This time, though, she had a woman standing in front of her who wasn’t phased in the least by Sandy’s act.
When Sandy shouted who she was and who she was with, she expected everyone, including the woman before her, to jump as high as they could. But all she got from the woman before her was, “I don’t know who the hell you think you are, but if you shout in here one more time, I’ll pull your ass out through your mouth. Got it? Now you be a good little girl and go over there and sit down until Principal Glasstow is available.” Sandy was red faced now, she was boiling mad, how dare anyone treat her this way. And was about to give a retort when something in the look the woman across from her gave her actually frightened her. Frightened her so much she simply followed the woman’s instructions. Sandy didn’t see it, but Janet did, as Sandy’s two companions each covered their mouths to keep from laughing out loud. One even winked at Janet before following Sandy to the chairs against one wall of the office. Janet then picked up the phone and pretended to call the Principal, even speaking her name, to let her know the people from the State Board of Education had arrived, when they were actually thought-speaking amongst themselves. And Jenny just laughed, congratulating Janet on a job well done, since they had let Jenny see what took place at the reception desk as it happened.
Sandy believed if she arrived before her appointed meeting time of 9 a.m. she’d catch everyone off guard, panic them into doing exactly what they were told by her, it had worked many times before. But there she sat, confused, wondering what had gone wrong this time. Billie looked at Thomas and Thomas looked at Billie and both just smirked at Sandy being taken down a peg. A peg that had only just begun for Sandy.
At precisely 9 a.m. Jenny came out of her office, doing her best to suppress a laugh that threatened to escape her mouth as she took in the fumes pouring off Sandy. Jenny schooled herself, walked around the reception desk, and said, “Ms. Carmody, I’m Principal Glasstow.”
If someone had a pot of water right then, it could have boiled in short order if placed on Sandy’s head. She was furious, hopping mad that she’d been kept waiting for a whole half hour. Sandy jumped up from the chair she’d been sitting in and practically ran up to Jenny before saying, “How dare you keep me waiting. Do you realize I’ve been sitting here for a half hour waiting for you? Do you realize how important I am to be kept waiting? I have the power to shut this entire school down with just a word.” This time both Billie and Thomas, who followed Sandy at a more sedate pace, both rolled their eyes at Sandy’s statements. Thomas knew what he was about to do was going to be the sweetest thing he’d done since being hired by the State Board of Education. And he was going to savor it.
Jenny looked past Sandy to the clock over the main door into the office, and saw it showed a little after 9 a.m. Looking back at Sandy, Jenny said, “Ms. Carmody, our meeting was scheduled for 9 a.m., and here it’s a little after that time. That you came early was your own decision, not mine. I had things to take care of and was not able to meet with you until our scheduled 9 a.m. time frame.” Jenny kept her voice the same as Janet had, light, uncaring, and very, very sweet. She could see how her manner was affecting Sandy, who was so red in the face Jenny thought the woman might explode any second.
Sandy made the mistake of getting right into Jenny’s face, lowering her voice, before telling her with a growl, “Listen to me you bitch. When I arrive you drop everything you’re doing and come running. Got it? You jump when I say jump and don’t ask how high. You do anything and everything I say or you and this rat ass excuse for a high school will be history.” Sandy was trying to regain control of this situation by what she said. And was expecting Jenny to start showing fear, but what she saw showed Jenny, like Janet, wasn’t phased by Sandy’s actions.
Sandy’s voice had been loud enough for everyone in the office to hear. And what Jenny was about to say was also heard by all in the office. Jenny gave Sandy a huge smile before telling her, “I understand Mrs. Bridges threatened to pull your ass out through your mouth. Well, understand me, sweetie, you bad mouth me or this school again and I’ll pull your head out through your ass and hang it and you up on the flagpole. GOT IT, sweetie?” There were giggles heard in the office until Jenny told everyone to get back to their jobs. Jenny’s sweet expression never wavered, never changed by what she told Sandy. Even so, when Sandy looked into Jenny’s face, she received that same look that frightened her right down to her toes. And then Jenny said, “Shall we go?,” and proceeded to lead the three to one of the conference rooms in the back of the office.
As Sandy, Billie, and Thomas followed Jenny, Sandy was furiously wracking her brain to find a way to regain control over this meeting. It should not have started the way it had, she should have been in control from the minute she walked into the school. Why? Why hadn’t it gone as it always had? What went wrong? She had to regain control somehow. Jenny stopped at the conference room door, opened it and indicated the three should enter. Sandy pushed her way past Jenny before Jenny had time to step out of the way. Billie and Thomas, on the other hand, waited until Jenny had stepped back before entering the room. Thomas only smiled as he looked at Jenny, before he winked and entered the room. Jenny wasn’t sure, but she got the feeling something was up and it wasn’t going to be pleasant for one individual.
As Jenny stepped into the conference room, closing the door behind her, she saw that Sandy had taken the seat at the head of the table. Amused, she asked if anyone wanted something to drink, and when all three indicated no, she took the seat to the right of Sandy.
Jenny’s lack of anticipated response still had Sandy puzzled, it actually frightened her, but she plowed ahead anyway. “Now, Principal Glasstow, Thomas is our IT person and will need a place to set up his computer so he can begin to look at all the files on the school server. He will also need all the codes and passwords for the server. Billie will be dealing with the teacher interviews, so will need a room to hold those. And you and I will get nice and cozy while I interview you and get to the bottom of all the fraud that’s taken place at this school.” Sandy thought she could finally see her control once again established as the expression on Jenny’s face changed. But Sandy’s belief of regaining control became something altogether different.
Jenny just laughed after hearing what Sandy just said, causing Sandy to become infuriated. “Ms. Carmody, there is another conference room just down the hall that Billie may use to interview the teachers during their free periods, but I’m afraid there’s a problem with letting Thomas into the school servers. Unless you brought with you the proper verifiable documentation that authenticates who the three of you are, and for Thomas to have the authority to access the school servers, I’m afraid this meeting is over. It’s a State Law, Ms. Carmody.” And Jenny just smiled at Sandy.
Sandy was livid because of what Jenny just told her. How dare some low life Principal give her a lecture on State Law, didn’t she realize who Sandy was and could do to the school. And if that wasn’t enough, she heard Thomas tell her, “Sandy, I tried to tell you we needed those documents before we left the office. But noo...you said you didn’t need any damn documents. That you could do whatever you wanted whenever you wanted.”
Sandy just glared at Thomas before telling him, “I’ll handle your hash later, this will be the last time you ever work in the education field. I’ll see to it that you’re thrown out on your ass.” Sandy turned to Jenny and told her, in no uncertain terms, “Listen here, you trumped up asshole, you’ll do what I want, when I want and how I say it will be done. Or I’ll close this school down immediately. Got it, sweetie?”
All three heard a loud BANG, that immediately got Sandy’s attention. She looked over to where the noise had come and saw Thomas had dropped his briefcase hard onto the table. It didn’t register at first, but when it did, Billie, Thomas, and Jenny watched as Sandy had a five year old’s melt down. “Um...no she won’t, Sandy. And you can’t get me fired, Jackie hired me personally. In fact, Jackie asked Billie and me to watch you this trip,” and Thomas took an envelope out of his briefcase and handed Sandy the envelope and continued with, “And to give you this envelope if you tried any of your power trips like you’ve been pulling. She is sick and tired of the complaints she’s been receiving and is fed up with you. Oh, and Billie and I already investigated this school and found nothing amiss.”
Jenny puckered her mouth as tight as she could, to keep from laughing. It didn’t take her but a few seconds to realize what was in that envelope, based on what Thomas just said. Sandy was canned, fired, getting the boot, shoved aside, kicked to the curb, through, kaput, in short, out of a job. Sandy extended her hand and took the envelope, a stunned look on her face. She slowly opened the envelope, took out the contents, a letter, and began to read. It wasn’t long before the other three saw that Sandy was ready to blow. And when she did, Jenny thought she was looking at a five-year-old child.
When Sandy looked up from the letter, Jenny had never seen someone so mad as Sandy was right now. She looked at Thomas and growled, “What the hell is this, Thomas?” And when he didn’t respond right that minute, she yelled, “I SAID, WHAT THE HELL IS ALL THIS, THOMAS?” Thomas just sat there with a blank look on his face that bordered on boredom. He too, like Jackie, and Billie, was tired of Sandy and her antics. Thomas knew, from Jackie, the number of complaints Sandy had caused because of her antics. And Sandy was far from through. “DAMN IT, THOMAS, I ASKED YOU WHAT THE HELL THIS IS? YOU WILL ANSWER ME OR SO HELP ME I MAKE YOU LIFE A LIVING HELL.” Sandy had crumpled up the letter and thrown it at Thomas. Thomas caught it, flattened it back out and told Sandy as an insult, “Well, Sandy, if you read the letter slow enough it tells you that you’re fired. That you’ve caused too much strife in the office and when you go out to the schools. It also states that because of your past actions, it would be wise of you to seek professional help for the affliction you seem to have. It also states that because you are terminated at receipt of this letter, the State will not provide transportation back to the Capitol for you. In short, Sandy, you’ve been fired.
“OF ALL THE MITIGATED GAUL, THAT BITCH DIDN’T HAVE THE COURAGE TO TELL ME THIS TO MY FACE. SO ALL THIS WAS A SETUP? IT WAS ALL PLANNED JUST TO GET ME FIRED, IS THAT IT? WELL LET ME TELL YOU SOMETHING, MR. THOMASS, WHEN MY LAWYER GETS THROUGH WITH ALL OF YOU, YOU’LL REGRET EVER SCREWING WITH ME. DO YOU HEAR ME. SCREW WITH ME AND YOU’LL ALL DIE!!
All of a sudden Sandy went quiet and stiff as a board. Jenny had seen this several times before when someone was threatening others, and knew what had happened. Billie and Thomas, on the other hand, didn’t know The Haints were working on Sandy and looked rather scared because of Sandy’s sudden stillness. Jenny looked at the two and told them, “She’s okay, just getting a serious lesson about aggression.” Jenny then got the message that they were okay with what Jenny told the two, even that they wanted to meet both people. As the three watched, Sandy got up from her chair, asked to use the phone, and they heard her order a cab to take her to the airport. Sandy then picked up her briefcase and left the room, almost in a zombie manner. Jenny got on the phone and called the front desk, asking Janet to watch over Sandy because she just had an aggression lesson. Janet knew exactly what Jenny meant, as she turned and saw Sandy walking toward the front in a zombie manner. She followed Sandy out of the office and out of the school to a waiting cab. Sandy got into the cab, told the driver where she wanted to go, and the cab pulled out of the parking lot headed to the airport.
“Um...what just happened?” Billie asked. “One minute Sandy was a raving maniac and the next she acted like a zombie.”
Jenny just smiled and asked the two, “Would you two like something to drink?” Both indicated, water, and Jenny got up, walked to the small fridge and took out three bottles of bottled water. After handing one to Billie and Thomas, she sat back in her chair and asked, “Do you two have open minds? Do you two believe in things you can’t readily see or easily prove? I ask because I have some friends who’d like to meet the two of you, and the questions I just asked will help you when you meet my friends.”
Thomas answered Jenny’s questions by saying, “Jenny, may I address you as Jenny?” Jenny nodded yes. “Good. Okay, Jenny, I have to have an open mind with the IT work I do. I can’t have any preconceived notions if I’m trying to fix a problem or write a program.” Billie answered by telling Jenny about her faith in God, and that her faith in God had helped her through some trying times.
Jenny smiled and told the two, “Each of you take one of my hands,” and she reached her hands across the table, knowing exactly what was going to happen next. And it did, with Thomas. And Jenny just smiled and told him, as she’d told others, “Trust them, they mean you no harm.” After The Haints finished with Billie and Thomas, they and Jenny talked for another hour about The Haints and what they’d done for the school. Jenny related some stories where some students were actually about to hurt another student before They stepped in and showed what aggression often led too. Jenny then cautioned the pair about keeping the secret at this time, until those who might use them against others had been reached. The three shook hands and Jenny led them out of the conference room and out to the parking lot, where they got into their car and drove off. And The Haints went with them.
The eight teens continued meeting each Saturday, going over what they’d developed, adding more ideas, and overall wondering how much will have changed in twenty years. They became more involved in their school life, volunteering when and where they could. And where they were strongest, they only got better.
The entire atmosphere of the school had changed, since bullying was almost unheard of now. There were a few problems, mostly from transfers or from the freshmen class, but overall, The Haints allowed the school to function as it never had. And it was proven by the test sores and improvement in grades. Some other Principals had called Jenny in order to find out how she had done away with her problem students, only to hear her ask if they had time to visit her at the high school. Almost everyone of those Principals learned the truth and took it back to their high schools. More teachers and staff were introduced to the truth, and gladly accepted their quiet guests in their lives. A lot of attitudes were changed every time they saw what happens if aggression is taken to its ultimate extreme. And a lot wept when they saw it happen.
The Haints caused an unforeseen problem when the eight teens reached their senior year. Because they had rid the school of bullying students could study better, concentrate on their classes and just be themselves. As a result, almost the entire senior class was either on the Valedictorian or Salutatorian list. Those who weren’t on either list were just happy they’d raised their overall grade average to a ‘B’ average, instead of a ‘C’, ‘D’, or failing grade. With a little over ¾ of the senior class on either list, it wasn’t possible for everyone to give the obligatory speech at Commencement. Jenny had a staff meeting to discuss the problem and no one could come up with a plausible solution. One teacher did come up with an idea of asking the entire senior class for a solution. When that was said, eyes rolled, and a few facepalmed themselves for not thinking of that in the first place. So Jenny scheduled a meeting of the entire senior class in the auditorium for the following morning. And what the staff would hear would cause them all to groan.
All seniors had received notice of the meeting in the auditorium the following morning at 8 a.m. They would go to the auditorium first, and then afterwards to their next class. Questions were flying fast and furious, but no answers could be found. As they walked into the auditorium the next morning, Jenny, the Vice-Principal, and several teachers were sitting on the edge of the auditorium stage. When the last of the seniors arrived, Jenny hoisted herself up onto the stage and gave out a loud whistle to get the attention of the students and to have them quiet down.
Jenny waited until it was quiet before telling the seniors, “Folks, we have a problem we’d like your help with. Since bullies have been run out of this school all of the grades have improved. Improved to the point that this is the first graduating class where more than ¾ of you are either on the Valedictorian or Salutatorian list. I will tell you there are 295 students in this class, you do the math. And for those who are graduating with very respectable grades compared to a few years ago, congratulations.”
Jenny then continued with, “The problem is a simple one. On Commencement night, the Valedictorian and Salutatorian are supposed to give a speech, but with as many on either list, we can’t let everyone give a speech or we’d be there until the following morning. The teachers and I have had meeting after meeting to try and solve this problem, but have come up blank. So we’re coming to you to see if you can come up with a solution.”
The general buzz started, with students talking to each other in lowered voices. But no one brought up any ideas. That is, until a tentative hand was raised and students around the student started getting quiet, which rippled throughout the auditorium. Patsy Volton was a very shy person, though smart as a whip. And everyone knew it. Teachers had to specifically call on Patsy for answers or she’d just sit quietly in the back of any of her classes. Seeing Patsy raise her hand before being called on was out of character for her, and that’s what got everyone’s attention.
Patsy’s name was whispered from one student to another, causing everyone to become quiet and turn to look at Patsy. Even Jenny and the teachers were surprised by this event, and had looked at each other with nods and smiles. As soon as the auditorium was quiet again, Jenny said, “Yes, Patsy, you have something you’d like to say?” Those sitting near her, and those with a clear view of her, could see she was nervous, and those sitting near her simply told her, “You can do it.”
Patsy hesitantly stood, and saw everyone was looking at her. A girl sitting next to her gently took Patsy’s hand, and when Patsy looked down, the girl mouthed, ‘You can do it’. Patsy smiled at the girl then took a deep breath and said, “Um...Principal Glasstow...um...well...have you considered a lottery? Have two boxes, one for the Valedictorians and one for the Salutatorians. Those of the Valedictorians who want to give a speech put their name in their box and the same for the Salutatorians.” And the auditorium was dead quiet, until applause started from the far corner nearest the stage. And it spread, as did every student who started standing while applauding. Even Jenny and the teachers joined in, because this was a monumental moment for one Patsy Volton, the shy girl of the entire senior class. A girl who at that moment may have just come out of her shell.
As the applause died down, and the students sat back down, Jenny said, “So, I guess you like the idea of a lottery.” And the entire senior class replied, “YES.” A solution to a vexing problem was found, given by a girl who may never have spoken a word during class. But had the courage to stand up and be heard when it was needed. Jenny then said, “Okay, that is solved. For those of you who want to give a speech, there will be two boxes up at the front office. Just write your name on a piece of paper, it doesn’t have to be a full sheet of paper, and put it into the appropriate box.” Then she looked at Patsy Volton and told her, “Well done Patsy, well done indeed.” And Patsy received another standing ovation before everyone was dismissed to their next class. Jenny and the teachers had decided to only inform the student whose name was drawn for Valedictorian and the Salutatorian that they were chosen to each give a speech. And if either person wanted to tell others, that was up to them. But this time fate put its hand in and everyone would be surprised when the Valedictorian of the senior class got up to speak. And she would again receive a standing ovation from the entire senior class and those in attendance. Her time will have come. And the years would prove how true it was.
The eight teens bowed out from putting their names in the hat, so to speak, and concentrate on their plans and decide which University they all would attend. As it turned out, the University nearby offered all the Majors and Minors the eight were after, so they decided to attend there as they could live at home and commute. Each had received a full scholarship to any University they chose, and were bombarded by offers because of their grades and their main goal. Even though the other offers were tempting, they all wanted to spend four more years at home, since their next adventure would take them away from home, permanently. Because each couple would be setting up their own homes.
Something expected and something unusual happened after Commencement had concluded. The four boys each got down on one knee, took the promise ring off of four fingers, and replaced them with an engagement ring. Everyone in school knew the eight teens were promised to each other, so when the exchange was made in front of everyone, everyone applauded and cheered. What the eight teens didn’t expect were the envelopes that had been given to each of their parents. When they opened the envelopes, they were shocked to find that an anonymous donor was going to finance anything and everything above what their scholarships covered. The letter also went on to say that the person would finance everything once they were in either medical school or graduate school. Including all housing, which by then, according to the letter, they all would be married. None of the eight had told anyone other than their parents of their plans to marry after receiving their Bachelor’s degrees, or what field they were going into, so each had an idea who the letter could be from. But when they stated it hadn’t come from them, the mystery only deepened.
Beckie, Grace, Tara, and Tameria didn’t let the grass grow under their feet that summer, they had weddings to plan, even though they wouldn’t be held for four more years. And to only say their moms’ were willing to help would be like saying a kid isn’t eager to raid a candy store. The four women jumped in with all eight feet, and then some.
The eight women started by visiting a wedding boutique, to look at wedding dresses and to try them on. They made sure to tell the owner, who was helping them, of their plans to be wed in four years. And she suggested getting dresses that would take into account any changes to their bodies in four years time. This entire time turned to a big bonding moment for the daughters and their moms, and the dresses selected were paid for and put away in storage, at the store, for the girls’ upcoming marriages.
Because the weddings would be four years away, no one had any idea what they style would be for bride’s maid dresses, or the color or choice, but they looked at them anyway. Tameria fell in love with the hue of blue she saw in one dress. Beckie did the same only with a light green she saw. Tara did the same with a light pink colored dress, and Grace fell in love with a cobalt blue dress. Notes of the colors chosen were pinned to each wedding gown, but that was now, and in four years minds could change. Besides colors for their weddings, they also looked at shoes and lingerie. Each chose a shoe that wouldn’t make them taller than the boys, but would make a statement. As to the lingerie, the four girls bought the sexist available, and the moms’ did the same. They planned on having a night their men would remember for the rest of their lives. A venue was discussed, but as it was pointed out, four years was a long time to hold a reservation, so they agreed to come back when the dates had been set. The owner of the boutique put a bug into the womens’ ears by asking, “Have you given any thought of having a four couple wedding? Just watching the four of you young ladies, you appear to have a very close relationship, and a four couple wedding would be all the more special.” All that was agreed to at that moment was to think the idea over, they had four years to do it.
For their summer jobs, the four went back to the businesses who took them on as interns during their earlier years in high school. This time, though, they were paid interns, learning some of the ropes they’d learn while in school and during their job internships. And then fall arrived, enrollments had been turned in and classes selected. It had begun, their walk on the path that would take them to their dream.
None of the eight knew how every organization on the University campus learned about them, but every organization on campus had and they all came recruiting. Knowing the reputation of several, they turned them down flat. Researching others, the eight found they weren’t much better and turned them down. Even the organizations in their field called and when looked into, the eight discovered it was in their best interest to just concentrate on their studies and stay out of any of the organizations.
And it seemed just like that, their first semester was through. It didn’t surprise their parents, or many of their old teachers, but it did the eight as they all received straight ‘As’ for the semester. And they did the same for the second semester, and their second year, and their third year, and their fourth year. From their freshman year to their senior year, eight semesters, all eight had received straight ‘As’. And once again they were part of the group receiving honors for the work they’d done in school. University is a different nature than high school, in that attending the Commencement ceremony is up to the person graduating. The eight had kept pretty much to themselves, having their intern jobs and going over their plans, and with several hundred more graduating than in their high school, decided to skip the Commencement ceremony and go out with their parents and celebrate instead. They were partway to their goal.
During the first semester of their senior year, the moms and girls went back to the wedding boutique to try on their dresses and have any alterations done so they could wear them when the second Saturday in June arrived.
Prior to going to the wedding boutique, everyone had sat down and discussed the idea of having the four couples married during one ceremony, or having four separate ceremonies. Over the years the parents had all seen the tight relationship the eight had formed, and Tara’s parents brought up that fact. James’ parents brought up that if they had individual ceremonies they would most assuredly invite the same people to each wedding. And some may not be able to attend each wedding or afford the costs involved in attending four weddings. The parents went on to offer more opinions, and when they stopped speaking, the eight began to discuss what their parents had said. As the parents watched the discussion, it became apparent to them that their ‘kids’ had reached a decision, and it was confirmed when Beckie said with a smirk on her face, “Whelp, looks like we’re gonna have one big wedding.”
Grace had a thoughtful look on her face that was noticed by her mom. When her mom asked what she was thinking about she told everyone, “You know, the bride usually has four or five bridesmaids, or maybe more, with one being the maid of honor and one the bride’s maid. And the guys have maybe the same number of guys with one being the best man. Since we’re getting married in one ceremony that’s going to be a lot of people standing up front with the couples. Maybe we should limit ourselves to one person each. There’d end up being four bridesmaids and four bestmans, and if I know who Tara, Beckie, Tameria would ask then they’d be the same ones I would ask. So we’d each have four bridesmaids. And I think the guys would ask the same ones, so there’d be four bestmans for each of them.”
Grace was still lost in thought, and didn’t notice the parents all looking at each other and each ‘kid’, or the seven ‘kids’ looking at each other and all the parents. All except Grace started nodding their heads, because what Grace just said made a whole lot of sense. If each girl asked four or five of her friends, there’d be sixteen or twenty standing up with the couples. And the same held true for the guys. There’d be between thirty two and forty additional people standing up front with the couples, way too many and way too costly for everyone. It took Jake kissing Grace on the cheek to get her attention, where she was told her idea had been accepted, and one they’d never even thought of. And during the first semester of their senior year at the University, the girls did ask for girls and the guys asked four guys, and they would have been the same ones if each was going to ask four for themselves.
So on the day the moms and daughters revisited the wedding boutique, the four asked to be bridesmaids were able to attend as well, since all lived close by. The brides-to-be had already chosen their colors, so it was just a matter of finding a style of bridesmaid dress in the bride’s chosen color. And one everyone liked; more than one comment was about hearing how some bridesmaids hated their dresses and the four soon to be brides wanted that to be avoided.
If the letter the ‘kids’ received at their high school graduation wasn’t mysterious enough, a courier delivered a single letter to each home of the ‘kids’ parents. In it was a letter that told the parents to meet at a certain place at a certain time. The place turned out to be one of their favorite restaurants and the time was 7 p.m. When they all arrived, they were expected, and seated in one of the restaurant’s more private sections. Once they were all seated, and drinks had been ordered and served, a smartly dressed gentleman came up to their table, sat an envelope down on the table, and told the eight parents, “This is for all of you. Have a good evening,” and left. The parents looked at each other, dumbfounded, until Grace’s mother, Marge, picked up the envelope, opened it, took out the letter inside and read it. The other parents could see the shock on Marge’s face, until, one by one, each acquired the same look after reading the letter.
The reason for all the parents being in such a state of shock was the certified check that came along with the letter for $250,000. The letter explained that the money was to cover the cost for everything dealing with the wedding. All dresses, all tuxedos, car rentals, any hotel reservations, cartiers, flowers, and the short honeymoon the couples would be limited too. And anything else that came up for the wedding, even airfare. And what was left was to be divided up between each couple so they’d have something to spend on their new apartments that were reserved for them near the University they all would be attending. Also, the newlyweds were to be told, as with their undergraduate schooling, all cost for their postgraduate schooling would be covered. Including everything associated with their apartments. And the letter was signed, ‘Your anonymous donor’. But what put the icing on the cake was the PS at the bottom of the letter. “PS: I took the liberty to reserve the venue you were going to use, in all your names. You need not worry about the cost, for it has already been taken care of.” Their waitress had seen the look on the faces of each parent, and had come over to ask if everything was okay. It took her a couple of tries, but when she finally got their attention, it was Beckie’s mom, Kelly, who said, “Yes, ma’am, everything is more than fine. May we see menus now?” It was a lovely evening for all the parents.
When the ‘kids’ looked at Universities for their postgraduate work, and medical school, they wanted one that offered both and chose one that was only a three hour drive from home. It had an excellent medical school, and excellent programs for a Masters, MBA, and PhD. But as what happened with their undergraduate school choice, the same happened with their postgraduate and medical school choices. Every University in the Nation came calling, some even offering inducements the ‘kids’ knew had to be under the table. But with each and every one they were polite in declining their offers, which didn’t make several happy. Several tried to use threats to get the eight to comply, but soon found out what happened to any who threatened the eight ‘kids’.
Their wedding went off without a hitch, and it was gorgeous. The colors chosen by each bride actually complimented each other bridesmaid dress, with the grooms dressed to match a bridesmaid. And the food was to die for, even the huge wedding cake, fit for four couples, was magnificent. And when the parents went to tip the cartiers and the band, they both said it was already taken care of. Handsomely.
Because medical school started the first week of July, and because they wanted to get settled in their new apartments, the ‘kids’ took an abbreviated honeymoon at a resort near the mountains, only a four hour drive from where they currently lived. And yes, they went together, but had separate rooms. For obvious reasons. During the day they swam in a nearby lake, hiked trails, road horses and took in some tourist traps in the small town. They tasted local dishes and even asked for a few recipes. And after dinner, after they went to their rooms, and well, they just enjoyed each other’s company in a very intimate and long lasting way.
After a lovely week it was time to head home and start packing so they could get to their new apartments and get set up before medical school started. But what to take? Clothing sure, but what about their other things, trinkets and the like? They didn’t have any furniture to take, it was going to be purchased once they got there. And some things needed to stay if only for their parents’ sake. After twenty two years living at home, they were about to start their own homes, and made a lot of realizations as they packed. No more could they ask their mom or dad for this or that, they’d have to do it for themselves. No longer could they count on their parents being there if the bottom fell out of something, they’d have to figure that out for themselves too. Mom and dad would still be there for advice, but once they left home and started their own homes, in many respects, they’d have to learn on the fly and use what they saw their parents say and do as guides. And secretly, all the parents hoped they’d done a good job raising their ‘kids’.
The ‘kids’ arrived back home late that Friday, and though they wanted to stay with their spouses, they realized it would take less time packing if they each stayed with their parents. It was 10 a.m. Saturday morning and at precisely 10 a.m. four men each rang the doorbell at each boys’ home, as did four women at the four girls’ home. At most of the homes one of the parents answered the door, invited the person in after that person asked for one of the eight ‘kids’. In a few of the homes, the tried and true method was applied as the younger sibling simply yelled out the ‘kids’ name. And because said sibling had been told more than once about yelling for someone, that yell brought one or both parents to the front door, where the person was invited inside while they waited for the wanted son or daughter.
Four years before eight envelopes had been given to the parents of one of the eight ‘kids’ at the Commencement ceremony. When they were opened it revealed a very pleasant surprise. As everyone who had gathered watched, the man or woman gave each of the eight ‘kids’ an envelope, and watched as each ‘kid’ opened the envelope, took out the letter inside, read it, and promptly plopped down in a nearby chair. Seeing the shocked look on the face of the son or daughter, one of the parents gently took the letter out of their daughter’s or son’s hand and read it, looking at the man or woman standing before them. And before any questions could be asked, the man or woman said the exact same thing, “Yes, what you’ve just read is legitimate. Everything is on the up and up. If you’ll look out front you’ll see them parked at the curb in front of your home.” And the kicker, every letter was signed, ‘Your anonymous donor’.
Gentle urging had to be used to snap each of the ‘kids’ out of their shocked reaction after reading the letters. And when that was done each of the entire families would open the front door to their homes, and stand and stare at the brand new, nine passenger car parked out in front of the homes. And it belonged to each of the eight ‘kids’. And the reaction at seeing the cars was the same, they turned to look at the man or woman who brought them and who was standing there with a big smile on their face. The man or woman would then encourage everyone to go out and look them over after handing one of the eight ‘kids’ the keys, while they would stand near the house and watch the fun. When everyone finally returned to the house, the man or woman would then give one of the eight ‘kids’ another envelope, which contained the title to the new car. Each car had a free and clear title and it now belonged to one of the eight ‘kids’. While the families were looking over the new cars each man or woman made a call on their cell phone. And it wasn’t long after the titles were handed over that a horn honked from outside, signifying that their ride had arrived. Leaving each family with, “Please, enjoy your new car. If you have any problems look at the letter that came with the title.” And they were gone, just like that.
Then the phone calls started, spouse to spouse, parents to parents, everyone asking the same questions. And the answers were always the same. Their anonymous donor had to have known what type of cars the ‘kids’ drove in high school and while attending University. And must have known it was going to be a very uncomfortable three hour drive for all of the parents but those in the front seats in the ‘kids’ fully packed cars. Now, being able to seat nine, and with plenty of storage, it was going to be a very comfortable three hour drive to the ‘kids’ new apartments and University. It took a few hours for the excitement to die down, and when it did it was back to getting ready to leave on Monday.
They all had agreed to meet at their favorite coffee shop on Monday morning to have breakfast then head out, with each newlywed couple driving one of their cars and their parents deciding who’d drive the other four; the parents had booked tickets to fly home. Any younger siblings in the house would spend the day and a half with friends. Breakfast among the eight was usually very active, talking about this or that or about more ideas for their clinic. This morning everyone was very subdued, the parents saddened by the fact their ‘kids’ were now leaving home for good. Oh, they knew they’d come back for visits, or the parents would go for visits, and they would return when it was time to build their clinic. But that would be years down the road and the visits would only occur if their education permitted. They also knew Tameria and Tony would finish their education first because neither was going into the medical field; Tony would be studying medical administration as part of his education since he would be the administrator of the clinic. Even so, both wouldn’t be back until their spouses had completed all the training they’d need to strike out on their own.
There was no need to rush getting to the City where they’d live while attending the University, so they’d stop every hour or so, or when nature called. No one said it, but they all were trying to draw out being together as long as they could, it would be the last time for quite some time. And then they were there, actually driving by the University on their way to the apartments, three hours had passed as though it had been only an hour. The directions to the apartments were very explicit, and they had no trouble finding them or a place to park.
When they arrived at the apartment complex, it literally took their breath away. Here they thought they’d be living in a modest complex that might have seen a few years. But what they saw were manicured lawns, well kept shrubbery, brick buildings that could have been built yesterday, and it was all very clean. There were four apartments to a quad, built back to back and side to side. And as they would soon discover, after meeting with the apartment manager, they were going to have one of those quads all to themselves. They stopped counting quads at fifteen, but could see there were many more off in the distance. Once they came back down to earth, they set off to meet with the apartment manager, who would have them sign some papers and give them the keys to the apartments. And who would guide them to their apartments driving her golf cart. Someone continued counting as they followed the apartment manager because when they reached the apartments, some said, twenty-five total. The manager laughed and said, “Ah, nope. You missed a few, there’s thirty two quads.
Now came the real problem, who got what apartment? Two apartments faced east and two apartments faced west, with the east ones getting the morning sun and the west ones getting the evening sun. It was the sun that actually settled the problem because James and Tameria liked the morning sun along with Beckie and Sam. That left Grace and Jake, and Tara and Tony taking the two on the west side. But the surprises hadn’t stopped yet, as everyone found out as they unlocked the doors to their apartments. Kelly, Beckie’s mom, had noticed something funny with the apartment manager. Kelly saw the twinkle in the woman’s eyes and she had her hands covering her mouth. And maybe understood better when Beckie and Sam opened the door to their apartment and discovered...it had already been furnished. And just the way the ‘kids’ had talked about. And so had the other apartments, as those couples had discussed. Still in shock, they gathered back at their parked cars and gave the apartment manager a hard stare, as she broke out into a wide grin.
Mimi Jenkins just laughed at the looks on all the faces staring at her. “They said you’d react this way, because of what they did. And they were right, you have.”
Brian Jinks gave the woman a hard stare and asked, “They who?”
And if finding their apartments fully furnished wasn’t shocking enough, they received an even bigger one when they heard in their minds, “Why The Haints, silly boy. Who else would know exactly what the newlyweds had planned for their apartments, other than their parents, that is. And in case you’re wondering, the letter you all received about all costs for the apartments being taken care of, applies to the furnishing as well. I hope you eight ‘kids’ enjoy your time here, and if you need me you know who to place the call with, right?” Still laughing, Mimi got back in her golf cart and drove back to her apartment, leaving twenty-four dumbfounded people watching her drive off. When everyone collected their jaws off the asphalt parking lot, as a group they “this I gotta see” into all four apartments. And they were shocked by what they saw.
Each apartment had a separate living room, dining room, and kitchen, none of the combining all three as some do. There were two spacious bedrooms, both with large walk-in closets, and about twice the size of each couples’ bedroom back home; one even having an en suite bathroom. The other bathroom, likely for guests, and just off the hallway to the bedrooms, was the size of the couples’ bedrooms at home, with both a separate tub and shower, two sinks, and a privacy wall for the toilet. It also had a real roomy linen closet that seemed designed to service both bathrooms. When they went into the kitchen they saw it had state of the art appliances, with a two sink bowl and a touch sensitivity faucet. Just off the kitchen was a smaller room where they found a washer and dryer, again state of the art. And when they opened another door they found a large pantry, completely stocked.
When they saw the stocked pantry, they began opening cabinet doors. The above cabinets held drinking glasses, plates, saucers, spices, snacks, and more canned goods. The lower cabinets held all of the pots and pans, baking sheets, muffin tins, pizza platters, cutting boards, and every handheld appliance they would need. There was even a meat grinder, bread maker, and waffle maker. And in one lower cabinet, and one upper cabinet, they found just about every kind of storage container that was made, so leftovers, or anything else, could be saved. And opening the drawers they found silverware, knives, cooking and baking utensils, and a slew of other things commonly stuffed into any kitchen drawer. They looked at each other before opening each fridge, only to find, when they did, a fully stocked fridge. There was milk, eggs, butter, sodas, water, and again, a slew of other things the couples would want and use. And it was like this with each apartment, only tailored to each couples’ tastes. After looking at the last apartment, they really had to sit down. They were so shocked by all they’d seen. And it didn’t help when they heard Mimi laughing in their minds.
Once the shock had worn off, and everyone had something to drink, they started unloading all of the eight cars. And with twenty-four people it didn’t take long, or in putting everything away. Once the cars were unloaded, and everything was put away, they decided to go out and find something for lunch. And as they were looking up places on their smartphones, Mimi thought told them a good place to get a really fine meal. This time it was the twenty-four who were laughing, since they should have asked Mimi in the first place.
After lunch the parents of each couple stayed with that couple, trying to spend as much time with them as they could before it would be supper time and time for the parents to check into the hotel they’d use for the night; their flight left at 10 a.m. the following morning. Because the hotel had a restaurant, it was decided to have one last meal there so the ‘kids’ wouldn’t have to make a special trip to take them to the hotel before going back to their apartments. The parents had planned to use the hotel services to take them to the airport in the morning, but the ‘kids’ put their feet down and said they’d pick them up at 7 a.m. Saying goodnight brought more tears, but parting was necessary since everyone was tired and needed their sleep. Or so everyone thought until every couple was alone. It would have paid to be a fly on the wall that night.
The ‘kids’ knew their parents well enough to know they all would be in the restaurant shortly after opening at 6 a.m., so they’d planned to arrive at the hotel right at 6 a.m. As the ‘kids’ walked into the hotel their parents were at the front desk checking out. None of the parents noticed the ‘kids’ until they all cleared their throats at the same time, then gave their parents a big smile as the parents turned to see who had made all the noise. Once the parents had completed checking out, the group walked into the restaurant together, and were asked if they’d prefer the buffet or order off the menu. Because everything on the buffet looked good they all chose the buffet, and then were shown to four tables that had place settings for six.
And then it was time to get their parents to the airport so they could get through security and catch their 10 a.m. flight. This time each one of the ‘kids’ had driven their new car so they could spend a little more time with their parents before leaving them at the airport. It was a tearful time as they reached the airport, parked in the short term parking and before they even walked into the terminal. And more so when they had to leave their parents at the security checkpoint, everyone knowing it would be some time before they’d see each other again. As their parents disappeared on the other side of the checkpoint, the ‘kids’ returned to their apartments, where the girls showed that they needed comforting in a way only their husbands could provide.
Comforting their ladies lasted until mid afternoon, when exhaustion overcame everyone and they all fell asleep. It wasn’t until about three hours later that everyone stirred, and when finally awake, contacted each other to find out what to do for dinner. Because they had pleasantly missed lunch everyone was hungry, so it was decided to go out for dinner, stopping to ask Mimi for directions to a nice restaurant. They didn’t know it, but Mimi heard their plans and was prepared to guide them to a very nice restaurant, and give them a meal on her dime. The eight also decided to meet at Tameria and Sam’s apartment in an hour and a half, but had to change the time once each couple started showering together. That experience was one they would repeat as often as they could throughout their marriages.
Two and a half hours later, Tameria was knocking on Mimi’s apartment door. When Mimi answered Tameria told her they were going out to dinner, and could she recommend a nice restaurant. Mimi told her, “just a minute,” and went back into her apartment and acted like she was drawing a map to one she liked; the map was already drawn, but Mimi didn’t want to give that fact away. Mimi came back and took a few moments to explain the streets and locations to Tameria, before Tameria thanked her and Mimi wished them a good evening, as she knew it would be.
Mimi’s directions were easy to follow, and in no time they arrived at the restaurant. When they entered the restaurant the waitress asked if they had a reservation, and their names. The ‘kids’ answered no, but when the waitress looked up their names, she saw a table reserved for eight under all four of their last names. The waitress picked up eight menus and asked the eight stunned young people to follow her, “please.” As she sat them at their reserved table, she asked what they’d like to drink, getting “ice tea” from all eight. After the waitress left, they looked at their menus but were actually thought talking, trying to find out which of them made the reservations. But when everyone said, “It wasn’t me,” they reasoned it might have been their anonymous donor, since he or she seemed to know them better then they knew themselves. When their server arrived with their drinks, she asked what everyone was having, getting a resounding, “the fish platter.” That meal came with a salad, with their choice of dressing, shrimp, scallops, lobster, mahi mahi, hush puppies, coleslaw, potato salad, and a roll. And when their server returned some time later, to ask about dessert, every plate had been cleaned and they each asked for the chocolate cake with vanilla ice cream. And they never heard Mimi chuckle. She was going to make sure the ‘kids’ had everything they needed while they were here, and then some; the then some also applied to their clinic.
As they enjoyed another refill of their tea, they started talking about what they would do with their time until the first week of July arrived and the fall classes started. They were under no delusions that this next step towards their clinic was going to be a walk in the park, so decided to visit the University’s office in the morning and find out what they’d need that allowed them to park on campus and to be on campus. They also decided to visit the bookstore and see if any books for their classes were in and if so, they’d buy what they’d need to get a jump start on their classes.
Their server came back after seeing they’d finished their dessert and asked if they’d like anything else. When the eight answered no thank you, it was very filling, their server laid a black folder on their table. Having seen this type folder before, they knew it was their bill for the meal, and all the guys took out their wallets to chip in for the meal, and leave a tip. But when Jake opened the folder, all he saw was a message that read, “Have a good evening. Your bill has been taken care of, including a tip.” Jake just sat there rereading the message, until Grace took it out of his hands. And in turn it was taken out of Grace’s hand and so on until all eight had read the message. The reason they were all taken aback was because at the bottom of the slip of paper was the signature of ‘Your anonymous donor’. Again the ‘kids’ didn’t hear Mimi chuckle, and was glad they’d enjoyed their meals. Even the staff of the restaurant enjoyed the ‘kids’ reactions, and did hear Mimi’s chuckle.
It was brought up they should drive around the City to take in the sights. But it was also brought up that they’d had a long day and if they were to get an early start in the morning, they needed to get some sleep. They bid each other good night after they returned to their apartments, but it was some time before they finally fell into a deep, restful, sleep.
Their planned early start was delayed a bit, since their showers lasted a lot longer than they had in the past. Each couple had their first breakfast in their new apartment, before cleaning up, getting dressed, and this time, taking Beckie and Sam’s car. Once they arrived at the University they had no trouble finding the visitors parking lot. The guard on duty asked why they were there, and gave them a temporary parking pass and a map of the campus. He was even kind enough to show Sam where the administration building was on the map. They found a place to park, got out of the car, got their bearings and started the rather long walk to the administration building. And the surprises kept coming.
After walking into the administration building they explained why they were there to the young man sitting at the reception desk. He gave them directions to the room they were looking for and they proceeded to that room. When they reached the room it reminded them of the DMV, with a line of windows, signs over each window, and a lot of chairs. This morning it was mostly vacant, so they simply walked up to one of the windows and again explained why they were there. The woman behind the counter asked for their names, entering them into the computer sitting in front of her. When the information came back to her, she reached under the counter and took out several sheets of paper, handing several to each of the eight. They were instructed to fill them out and then bring them back up to her, not forgetting to sign each one at the bottom. As she watched the eight take eight seats and begin filling out the papers, she smiled to herself as she was finally meeting the eight ‘kids’ who had done so much for their high school and others. She too heard Mimi chuckle at the woman’s thoughts. And she smiled even more.
When they’d finished filling out the papers they took them back up to the woman, who looked all of them over before giving them eight parking stickers, and having them step over to a wall to have their pictures taken. Ten minutes later she handed each of them their id cards, each attached to a lanyard, and told them they must be worn at all times they are on campus. She even handed them a map of all the parking lots they were allowed to use, and suggested they might want to arrive early or they might have quite a walk ahead of them. They thanked her and she told them, “You’re welcome. And enjoy your time here.” It wouldn’t hit them until years later, but the woman’s parting statement was very similar to what Mimi said to them.
Pulling the campus map out of his pocket, Sam found where the bookstore was located on the map, and saw it was in the basement of the Student Union, a short walk from the administration building. Once they reached the Student Union, they decided to get something to drink and to snack on before heading into bowels of the earth. They were wearing the ids so had no trouble paying for what they had chosen. They sat and talked, and gawked at what they saw in the Student Union and what they’d seen so far. Once finished they follow the signs to the basement and the bookstore, where they found all the books they’d need were in stock. And even what those going to medical school would also need in addition to their books.
They all had their class schedules with them, and the books, and items required, and after seeing the number of books each would have to buy, they chose to also buy wheeled totes so they wouldn’t have to lug all the books, and miscellaneous items, to the car. They also gather notepads, pencils, pens, paperclips, and several other things, including a backpack. After deciding they’d chosen enough for one day they took everything to the register. They were told to run their ids past the scanner to tally up their bills, but they weren’t expecting what the clerk said next.
“Um...you all do know that each of you are entitled to a laptop computer, right? Here, let me show you which ones.” Eight stunned ‘kids’ numbly followed the clerk to the electronics section. They each figured it’d be a basic laptop but were again shocked when the clerk walked past all the basic ones and stopped in front of their high end laptops. The ones with every bell and whistle that could be packed into a laptop. Each taking one of the boxed laptops, they followed the clerk back to the register. They were each told to rescan their ids, so the laptops could be added, and instead of being told the amount they owed, each were given a receipt that listed the date and time, all the items they’d purchased, and PAID IN FULL at the bottom under the Total Amount. They knew their books and other items would be paid by their anonymous donor, but a high end laptop? That they hadn’t expected. And Mimi was laughing her head off at the ‘kids’ reactions to getting the laptops. The clerk had to work hard to hide her smirk at seeing their reactions. They deserved what they’d earned.
They loaded their books, the laptops, and the sacks of other things they’d chosen, into the totes and wheeled everything out to the car. Since it was close to noon they talked about where to eat. James said that while they were in the Student Union he smelled something that made his mouth water, so they decided to give the Student Union a try since they would be eating there often enough. James’ nose led them to the meatloaf, to which they added mashed potatoes and gravy, green beans, a huge roll, cake for dessert, and ice tea to wash it all down. And it all was fantastic. None of them would have any problem eating there if all the food was as delicious.
Once they finished eating they did take the time to tour the City, noting places of interest they might want to visit, and getting a general feel for the layout of the City. They also noted where shopping malls were located and some of the location of some of the stores that were familiar to them. When they decided to head home, strange to them calling their new apartments home, Tara and Tony asked if they all would like to come over for a pizza dinner and to watch a movie. They loved the idea of the pizza but gave both Tara and Tony a strange look when they mentioned a movie. They each had a 48 inch led TV in their apartments, but the other couples hadn’t taken the time to turn them on. It seemed, according to Tara, each apartment had both cable and the internet. Plus, she said, in a cabinet above the washer and dryers was a Wi-Fi modem still in its box. Everyone but Tara and Tony shook their heads, with Tameria asking, “What else are we going to find or receive?” Because they’d done the pizza ‘thing’ before, Tony knew what everyone wanted. And as Sam drove them back to their apartments, Tony looked up a pizza parlor on his smartphone, dialed the number and ordered the pizzas. They enjoyed each other’s company with the pizzas and the movie, but had an even better time once they all went to bed.
The eight ‘kids’ wasted no time getting ready for their classes, with most of the next day spent reading their textbooks and taking notes as they read. When they’d had enough for one day one of the couples would fix dinner for them all before they’d decided what to do for the evening. Once or twice a week they’d go to a movie, or to a play a local theatrical group was presenting. Or they’d take in other entainments the City had to offer. They had to take advantage of these times, because when the first week of July arrived, the medical students in the group wouldn’t have time for very many outings. And when July did arrive, the medical students of the group had plowed through all of their textbooks, had made copious notes, even grilling each other about the human anatomy just to refresh their memories. All five felt more than ready.
Because Tony, Tara, and Tameria had several weeks until their classes started, the three decided to make breakfast for everyone, with Tameria making part of it, Tony another part, and Tara the third part. They’d switched taking it to her or his apartment each week, so no one would be a constant host. Plus, like mothers who kiss their children goodbye before sending them off to school, once everyone was out the door they’d help each other clean up. And when the first Monday in July arrived, they were ready, and had a good breakfast ready for everyone. And they did kiss their children goodbye as they went out the door to school.
As Beckie, Sam, Jake, Grace, and James arrived at the University they were glad they’d taken the advice of the to arrive early to find a place to park, the lot they were in was filling up fast. It may have been fate, or something else entirely, but they all had the exact same schedule for the exact same class in the exact same rooms, so they were going to switch off each week who would drive, saving the need to find five separate parking spaces. They’d parked as close as they could to the medical school, and the large lecture hall where they were headed first thing this morning for orientation. They’d read the dress requirements while attending medical school and made sure they had everything so they wouldn’t become “that student who forgot” on their first day. And after the hour long orientation, things got down to business, serious medical business, that would keep them busy for the next several years. But they had a goal, a single minded goal they’d held onto since their freshman year in high school. And they were not about to give up now, no matter how hard things got. They WERE going to have that clinic, come hell or high water.
Tony, Tara, and Tameria didn’t let grass grow under their feet either, as the three drove together to the University to visit the library. Because Tameria would be working towards her Masters degree in Psychology, Tony his Masters in Business Administration (MBA), and Tara a Masters in Physical Therapy, they all knew a thesis would be required for their final act in getting their Masters. Even though the three knew they’d have to approach their advisors about the subject of their thesis, they wanted to research their ideas to see if there was enough material available to make it worth trying to persuade their advisors that their ideas were valid topics.
When they broke for lunch at the Student Union they met up with their other halves, and regaled the five with their morning escapades. Tameria, Tony, and Tara then went on to compare notes on finding enough material to use for their thesis.
Tony just chuckled and told Tameria, “I have six pages of notes on reference material and there’s a lot more.” Tameria just nodded her head and said, “Yeah, I know what you mean. I’ve got five pages and I didn’t even get through all the references on the page I was looking at.” When it was Tata’s turn, she said, “I have six pages of notes, and will run out of paper if I write down every reference I found.” And they were going to spend another two hours at the library before they headed home. What they’d found in the morning, and what they’d yet to find, gave them confidence to believe they could convince their advisors to let them use their ideas for their thesis. And if they couldn’t be convincing enough, they had other ideas they’d run with.
When the three returned to their apartments, it was like ballet. They each booted their laptops with the intent to write a synopsis of their ideas, then write out a preliminary outline. They wanted to have all the ammunition they could when presenting their ideas for their thesis. But when the screens on the laptops finally brought up a display, they all saw, “Please place your left thumb on the scanning pad located at the bottom left of the keyboard.” And when they did that, they saw, ”We are The Haints. We are the guardians of this laptop. Only those we recognize may access this laptop.” Three jaws dropped to the floor, and when they told the others what they’d discovered, five more would be there as well.
At 4 p.m. they got together to decide what to fix everyone for dinner, which would become standard practice until they started classes in the fall. At that time each couple would have to take responsibility for their own meals, since all eight would be going to class. This became the routine throughout the four years Beckie, Jake, Grace, Sam, and James were in medical school, while Tony worked towards his MBA, Tara her Masters in Physical Therapy, and Tameria her Masters in Psychology. And three years later, Tony towards his DHA (Doctor Healthcare Administration), Tameria her PhD in Psychology, and Tara her PhD in Physical Therapy. Even their preplanning paid off, as they had enough ammunition each time to persuade their advisors to allow them to use their ideas for their theses and dissertations.
As each school year ended all eight would drive home to spend a week with their families, since they wanted to use the rest of the time before classes started to get prepared. They’d spend two and a half days with one side of the family then two and a half days with the other side, before leaving Saturday to drive home.
But they got to see all the parents when Tameria, Tony, and Tara first completed their Masters program and attended Commencement to receive their degrees and the honors they’d earned. Then when Jake, Beckie, James, Grace, and Sam graduated medical school. And again when Tameria, and Tara received their PhD’s and Tony his DHA. It was a wild time when all these events occurred, especially when Beckie, Jake, Grace, James, and Sam learned where they would do their residency.
Everything changed again after Tameria received her PhD, Tony his DHA, and Tara her PhD, as word of the excellent work they’d done in school got around. One day as they each opened their mail boxes they found them jam packed with letters, letters from various healthcare businesses in the City for internships. Tony had one from just about every hospital and healthcare clinic in the City. Tameria had one from every private practice, every healthcare clinic, and even the hospitals in the City. And Tara had one from every hospital, rehab center and healthcare clinic in the City. They all looked at each other, laughed, and just shook their heads. They had a lot of research to do before saying ‘yes’ to anyone. And they didn’t hear Mimi chuckle.
After doing a lot of research, both financial and legal, they narrowed their choices down to five each; the others received letters of appreciation at being considered for the position, but they wanted to go in a different direction. They each phoned their five choices and asked to be scheduled to speak with the head of each facility, in order to see if the facility was a fit for them and they for the facility; they actually wanted The Haints to guide them in their choices and would have them do the evaluating. During four of the meetings, The Haints actually warned the three to reject that choice before heading off to make some corrections of their own. When it came to their fifth choice, The Haints gave their approval and Tameria, Tony, and Tara asked when they could start; Tameria went with a private practice, while Tara and Tony went with one of the hospitals in the City.
While Tameria, Tara, and Tony were working towards their Masters then their PhDs and DHA, the medical students of the group had completed medical school and entered into their residencies. Again fate, or something else, intervened and the six found themselves assigned to the hospitals there in the City; someone or something wanted everyone to stay together. It was at this time they learned the real meaning of their chosen field, as they were taught not only how to diagnose and treat what was found wrong with each patient, but also how to treat each patient as a person, and with the respect due that person. They also learned what it was like to go without sleep.
They also ran up against some doctors who only saw a patient as an ailment, and considered them as such. These doctors were super arrogant, having the ‘god’ like attitude some have been known to have. And when objections were raised about the lack of respect for the patient, the one raising the objection was threatened by that doctor with expulsion from the hospital and medical program. It was rather strange that not long after that threat was made, that doctor had a complete change of personality and attitude about each patient. Several nurses had that same situation happen to them as well.
It is best to note that some of the medical students the five started medical school with never made it past the first year, or the first major exam. Five students decided their time away from home was party time, and spent most of their time partying instead of studying. When the first major exam approached, they realized they weren’t prepared and decided to take a shortcut by breaking into the offices of their professor. Unfortunately for them, this was not the first time this had happened and the Medical School, along with the professor, had installed a silent alarm system in that office that would signal Security in case of a breakin. Imagine their surprise when as they left the professor’s office they ran right into the arms of Campus Security, and the local police. Of course the five were kicked out of school, and faced criminal charges. And to her credit, because the five had no criminal record the Judge gave them three years of probation. And a warning that if they violated their probation they would spend the time behind bars.
The five started making names for themselves the first day of their residency. Of all those in residence, they caught on the quickest, were not hesitant in applying what they’d learned in Medical School, and became each patient’s favorite doctor. They did have some help when it came to diagnosing an aliment and could recall the treatment from memory, but treating each patient as a person and with respect, came from their own parents’ teachings and how they’d been treated in the past.
Three years into their residency the five were called before the hospital board of review to be evaluated, a standard procedure with new doctors. The board was made up of the Chief Physician and the head of each department the five had worked under. And no one had any negative things to say about all five of the ‘kids’. In fact, the board gave the five the go ahead to pursue their specialities, something that wasn’t usually done for several more years. Beckie would then begin Psychiatry, James Pediatrics, Sam Radiology, Jake Geriatrics, and Grace General Practice. And they were told to report to the individual department heads in the morning at 8 a.m. The time of very little sleep was finally coming to an end, they hoped.
Meeting their department head entailed an interview where their past grades, honors, and current reviews were looked at by the department head. Not many in the hospitals knew of the eight ‘kids’ plans to open their own clinic, and it came as a big surprise to the department heads when each of the five were asked about their future plans. It was an even bigger surprise when the department head learned there were not five but eight in the group who had held the goal of opening up their own medical clinic since their freshman year of high school. Some of the department heads did receive a shock when several of the ‘kids’ were told The Haints wanted to meet that person. And yes, they reacted much like everyone had in the past.
Five more years pass, and it is now more than twenty years after their freshman year in high school, when they receive a message from The Haints. It wasn’t a long message, but the eight knew exactly what it meant. ”We are The Haints. It is time.” Again it may have been fate or something, or someone else, but it so happened each of the eight had two weeks off at the same time, officially starting the following Monday. But since they now had the weekends free, for them, that two weeks would start Saturday. They each pulled out their cell phones and called their parents, telling them they’d be home Saturday morning and would be there for the next two weeks. And as they had been told, so they told their parents, “It’s time.” That night they asked their personal operator to put them through to Mimi and asked her if she’d like to come to dinner, they wanted to talk with her and tell her their plans for the next two weeks. When their operator cut the connection, Mimi just chuckled, since she knew what they wanted to talk about and what they’d be doing for the next two weeks. Her friends had already told her.
They had decided to meet at Tameria and James’ apartment for a potluck dinner. Each couple arrived a little before 6 p.m. with a side dish and a meat dish, Tony brought everything they’d put together for their clinic. Shortly after 6 p.m. there was a knock on the door and when James opened it he found Mimi standing there holding a bowl of what she considered the best potato salad ever made. Almost as one they all yelled, “Come on in Mimi, make yourself at home.” Mimi found that being around these eight young people made her feel young again, even though she was actually three times their ages and part of The Family. Because everything had been put on the kitchen counters, the meal became a serve yourself meal. After everyone had made up a plate, grabbed a drink and sat down, the questions Mimi had expected began.
With a mouth full of food, and her boldness flying high, Tara asked, “So, Mimi, how did you meet The Haints?” And when the other seven gave her ‘the look’, all she said was, “WHAT?” Mimi broke out into a fit of laughter because of the reaction of the seven over Tara’s question, and her response. She could see the bond they each had, almost as deep as for their spouses. When Mimi stopped laughing, she apologized and began to tell her story.
Patiently, the eight ‘kids’ waited as they watched Mimi think back to the time when she was introduced to The Haints. “Well, there was this married couple who came to attend the University in the fall four years ago, and since most of my units are filled with University students during school, I had several vacancies. It must have been three weeks after they arrived that they invited me over for dinner, much like you all did tonight. And after we finished dinner they started asking me some rather strange questions, questions that almost made me walk out right then and there. I thought for sure they were some religious nuts who were going to try and get me to join their church. I don’t know quite why, but I didn’t leave, I stayed and thought about those questions. And when I said ‘Yes’ to them all the woman said was, “Take my hand.” And boy, let me tell you, that was a big shock when they first spoke. I even accused one of them of being a ventriloquist, something they said most accused them of when meeting their friends for the first time. They both asked me to trust them, and I did, and the rest, as you eight know, is history. And gawd was I upset when they showed me what happened to their planet, I so wanted to go there and kick some ass. But how can you go somewhere that doesn’t exist anymore?” Mimi bringing up what happened to the planet caused not only Mimi but the eight to have something in their eyes. Something that had to be wiped off their cheeks.
After they’d finished eating all they wanted, they each grabbed a piece of the chocolate cake Grace had brought for dessert. As they were eating Tony asked, “Mimi, would you like to see what we have planned?” The eight watched as Mimi shoved the last big bite of cake into her mouth and could only answer by nodding her head. This comical action elicited laughter from the ‘kids’ and Tony got up, put his plate on the kitchen counter before pulling out the portfolio folder that contained all of their plans and drawings. Everyone gathered around the dining room table, after putting their plates on the kitchen counter, as Tony started removing everything from the folder. He started by showing Mimi the interior and exterior drawings and explained the reasons for this and that. Then he started explaining the blueprint to Mimi, going through it slowly page by page. And when he finished, all Mimi said was, “Damn, you kids sure know what you want to do with your lives. And all this proves it.”
They then told Mimi they were going home for two weeks to get the construction of their clinic started, and to be with their families. Little did the ‘kids’ know that Mimi was thinking to herself, ‘I see now how wise a decision I made when I heard about these kids. These kids are going to be extremely successful and that City will be extremely grateful’.
It was close to 9 p.m. when their party broke up, and as Mimi was about to leave the apartment, she stopped, turned, and asked one last question. “I’ve seen how carefully you’ve planned for this clinic of yours. But nowhere have I seen what you plan on naming your clinic. Any thoughts on that?” She chuckled to herself as that realization showed on each of the eight ‘kids’ faces. Jokingly James said, “How about, ‘Our Medical Clinic’? Because after all, it will be our clinic, the one we’ve planned for since high school.” Mimi covered her mouth with a hand, hiding the smile that wanted to escape. As she watched, James’ idea circulated from one ‘kid’ to another, until heads started nodding and they gave James a big smile, telling him, “What a marvelous idea, James.” Then they saw the big smile on Mimi’s face, as she told them, “See, that wasn’t so hard, was it?” She waved as she turned and left the apartment, heading back to her own apartment.
As she drove her golf cart back to her apartment, she held a silent conversation, asking what else they would need over the coming months and years. She was told what was needed immediately, and suggestions made for the coming months. But not even they could guess everything that would be needed over the coming years. They would have to watch and see what needs arose.
The others helped Tameria and James clean up before going to their apartments. Because they were leaving Saturday to go back home, tomorrow, Friday, was going to seem like a very long day. The excitement of spending two weeks with their families, and getting their clinic started, must have excited everyone in another way, since no one finally fell asleep for another two hours.
And Friday did drag by, with the eight making sure their patients and work product would be taken care of for the next two weeks. When they all got home that night, they were too keyed up to cook, and called the restaurant Mimi had sent them to their first night in the City. Because they had been putting most of their earnings into an account for their clinic, they shied away from high end restaurants and entertainment. So they had no way to know that the restaurant they called usually had a three week waiting list. And when the person answering their call heard the names given, she immediately told them they had a table open and would reserve it for the eight ‘kids’. Little did they know that that restaurant always had at least one table open for special occasions and special people like these ‘kids’. If pressed, the owner would say how they always kept a table open for the eight ‘kids’.
Once again the staff at the restaurant made their visit a pleasant one, offering their congratulations to the ‘kids’ for accomplishing part of their goals. And as before, it was the fish platter, but with a few bits added because it was for the ‘kids’. All eight knew they had packing to do for a two week stay at home, so decided to make it a short night together. Before leaving the restaurant they decided what time they’d leave and talked about going to the little cafe they liked for breakfast. The subject of whose parent’s house they’d stay at was brought up, but the guys did their best to brush it off since they’d already made plans to stay at their in-laws for the first week; the girls knew nothing of the calls the boys had made to their parents and their in-laws, telling each that the girls were really missing their parents. And if it was okay with each boys’ parents, they’d spend the first week with the in-laws.
Because everyone was excited to see their parents, the three hour drive seemed to drag on. Even making the stops for breaks seemed to take forever. But around midday each couple pulled into the driveway of their in-law’s homes, with each husband just standing back and letting their wives have the spotlight as each girl ran to her parents when both came out to greet the ‘kids’. And each husband received a mouthed, “Thank you” as the parents hugged their daughters. When the fathers-in-law shook hands with their sons-in-law a whispered, “You did good” was heard from each father-in-law. And when the husbands gave their mothers-in-law a hug each mom simply whispered, “Thank you” in their ears. Something else happened when the ‘kids’ brought their luggage into the houses, the sons-in-law’s parents magically appeared from the kitchen, as planned. Anyone witnessing the reunions wouldn’t have a dry eye either. And who said men don’t cry?
As they all sat down to eat the secretly planned big meal, each couple filled both sets of parents in on their exploits of the last few months. They even told them how much help Mimi had been. With the meal and dessert over with, and after cleaning up and putting away the leftovers, every household went to the living rooms and began discussing the clinic. Because like all four couples, the parents also got a message from Them about, “It’s time.” As the afternoon wore on it became apparent all four couples were tired, and it was suggested they go ahead and get some rest before dinner. The four girls took the hand of the four boys, and led them to their old bedrooms, all eight chuckling a bit because it would be the first time they’d sleep with their wives under the parent’s roofs. Two and a half hours later, each couple was gently woken and told dinner would be in about an hour, but never mentioned where. That was another secret planned by all sixteen parents.
At precisely 6 p.m. the fathers told the sons/sons-in-law, “You drive, we’ll guide,” and that household piled into each couple’s car. Ten minutes later four cars gorged twenty-four people, plus some, onto the parking lot at everyone’s favorite BBQ restaurant, a place the four couples knew well. Somehow news of the eight returning, and why, had started circulation around the City, and after the ‘kids’ had entered the restaurant those of the staff and customers who knew the eight, stood up and gave them a standing ovation. Embarrassing the hell out of all eight. The group was led back to one of the banquet rooms, drink orders were taken, and menus passed out. When the waitresses returned with their drinks everyone had decided what they’d have. All around the table each person said, “rib plate.” This was an all you could eat meal, with baked beans, coleslaw, potato salad, and hushpuppies. After the waitresses took the orders, conversation once again turned to the clinic, until three men entered the room, causing everyone to become quiet. It didn’t take the doctors in the room long to recognize the three as part of the five who had been kicked out of the University for breaking into the professor’s office.
“Oh, lookie there, Bobby,” the man on the left said, slurring his words. “Lookie at the five goody-two-shoes sittin’ here without a care in the world.” The man on the right then said, “Yeah, I see ‘em and still don’t like ‘em,” slurring his words as well. The man in the middle, George, then said, also slurring his words, “So, maybe we should fix them so’s they aren’t so goody and two shoes anymore.”
“Who are these three drunken fools,” Tara’s mother, Stevie Still, asked. It was easy to see where Tara got her bluntness.
Beckie answered by saying, “These three drunken fools are three of the five who were kicked out of the medical program and out of the University for breaking into our Anatomy professor’s office. Seems these three, and the other two, thought time away from home was just for parting, and when our big test came for our Anatomy class, the five weren’t ready. They thought they’d get the answers from the professor’s office, but got more than they bargained for that night.”
“Shut up, bitch. We’ll take care of you in a minute,” the man on the right said as he pulled a large knife from behind his back. Just before the man on the left did the same.
The man in the middle, George, also pulled out a large knife before he said, “See, if the five of you had just come to our parties, and let us have the girls for the night, and helped us in class, none of what’s about to happen had to happen. Now if you gentleman don’t want anything to happen to the ladies you won’t do anything stupid. We’ll take the girls for a while, and then you can have them back, but maybe a bit worse for wear.”
The laughter started with Jake then spread around the table until everyone but the three stooges were laughing. “WHAT’S SO FUCKING FUNNY?,” George shouted and the laughter increased. When the laughter died down, Tameria calmly explained it to the men using words they’d understand.
Smiling sweetly, Tameria said, “Boys, you are so drunk on your asses you couldn’t get it up if you used popsicle sticks for supports. And if you got it up, us girls would have to spend an hour just trying to find it. You bozos got yourselves in trouble at the University, no one else. You were the ones who wanted to party instead of study, and no one forced you too. So before you experience something you never dreamed of, leave, go home, sleep it off, and think about how stupid you’ve been tonight.” It was James who started, but everyone joined in when he said, “Bravo, encore encore.” And he started applauding. Tameria hammed it up and said, “Thank you, thank you, my dear fans.”
Everyone in the group watched as the three men went through every shade of red in a split second. It was the man on the left who growled, “None of you will think it’s so funny when we get through with all of you.” And all three took one step forward before they all froze in place, still holding the knives. The only thing they could do was see, hear, and breathe. Tameria calmly got up out of her chair and walked over to the three men until she was standing two steps in front of them.
Tameria tisked a few times before telling the men, “Guess you three didn’t learn anything from your rather short University experience. Guess you’re still little boys thinking you’re all grown up and trying to act like grown-ups. Guess one experience with the police wasn’t enough for you boys, was it? Oh, we’ll call them after our friends have a little talk with you three. And it’s a talk you will remember but won’t be able to talk about. I sure hope you learn something from some of the things they show you, because if you don’t, you may not live through next time.”
As Tameria calmly walked back to her chair and sat down, as The Haints started in on the three men. It wasn’t hard for everyone in the group to see the utter fear etched on the men’s faces. Or the horror when they were shown what real aggression can do and has done. While the men were having their session Tony’s dad slipped out of the room, contacted the restaurant owner, explained what was taking place in the banquet room and suggested she call the police. When he returned to the banquet room, he could see by their faces the men were just starting to watch as an entire planet exploded, caused by a bunch of fools who believed everyone should believe as they did.
When the police officers arrived at the restaurant, the owner showed them to the banquet room, where the six officers entered the room with their guns drawn. One of the officers yelled, “DROP THE KNIVES AND DON’T MOVE.” The officers didn’t know the three men couldn’t drop their knives voluntarily because they couldn’t move. But with a bit of internal control the hands holding the knives opened and the knives fell to the floor. Each man was then handcuffed and taken out of the restaurant, offering no resistance to the officers.
Three of the officers stayed behind to take everyone’s statement, until they realized everyone’s statement was going to be the same. So they took one statement and took everyone’s name instead. While the three men didn’t actually do anything to anyone in the room, they were still going to be charged because of being drunk and because of what the officers saw when they entered the room. Fortunately for the three their probation expired several years ago or they’d also be facing a charge of violating their probation. When the three police officers finally left, the owner of the restaurant came into the room and told the group all of their meals were ‘on the house’, it was the least she could do to try and make the rest of their time at the restaurant enjoyable, given what had just happened.
The five doctors took a little time to go into more detail about what occurred in their first year of medical school. They told everyone that the three men were part of a group of five who broke into the office of their professor, for the purpose of copying the big test they were having the next day. What the five didn’t know, and the five ‘kids’ learned later, was that the Medical School, and the professor, had installed a silent alarm system in the professor’s office because he’d had several break ins before. And when the five came out of the professor’s office, they walked right into the hands of campus Security and the police. The five were dropped from the medical program and kicked out of school, and they went before a Judge who gave them each three years probation because they all had a clean record up to that point.
After that information had been disseminated they got back to discussing the clinic, and the one thing the ‘kids’ were worried about. Land, the ten acres they wanted for their clinic. Land they’d looked at while in high school and from information they’d obtained, was still for sale because it was priced ridiculously high. Land that no one in the City would touch because of the asking price. When asked, they admitted they had several other parcels in mind, but the one they wanted was the perfect place for their clinic. And an ever wise and knowing Kelly said, “Oh don’t worry, kids. It will sort itself out in the wash.” After the nights’ activities, everyone had a second helping of everything.
When they all reached the parking lot, the eight exchanged hugs with each other, and then with each other’s parents, before wishing everyone a good night. No one realized how tired they were until they all returned home. That’s when everything of that day hit the eight ‘kids’ and the almost attack at the restaurant hit the parents. His parents said their good nights and everyone in her house said their good nights, and it wasn’t long before the only thing stirring in the houses were the fridges. A device which did a very good job keeping things cold.
Sunday was a day of rest, and no one got up before 9, or 10, or 11 in the morning. They actually ended up having brunch. As they ate brunch, the discussions became serious, with the parents asking how they were doing in their marriages. The couples were brutally honest in telling their parents about the ups and downs, nothing different than they saw in their parents marriages. But, they were still deeply in love with each other and had decided the little things weren’t worth getting upset over. After brunch was over, and everything cleaned up, calls were made and it was decided they all would go see a movie playing at a theater in one of the malls. The guys let the gals choose, and even though it was a love-ish type movie, later that night all the guys would appreciate their earlier decisions. And everyone slept like a log.
It was a good thing the young couples got a good night’s sleep, because they had a 10 a.m. meeting with Terry Cooper, one of the partners of the engineering firm they spoke with more than twenty years ago. Sam and Beckie had volunteered to drive everyone to their meeting, picking everyone up at 8:30 a.m. The couples were up at 6 a.m., got dressed, did their bathroom routines, and still had time to eat breakfast before Beckie and Sam arrived.
During the drive to that City not much was said, the ‘kids’ were too nervous. They did talk once and awhile, but it was mostly about nothing. No one wanted to ask, ‘what if we can’t get the land’, or ‘what if we can’t get the rest of the money we’ll need’. Even when reassured by their friends that everything would be alright, they still worried.
As they drove into that City they could see quite a lot had changed in over twenty years, including the parking lot they first used all those years ago. Now they had to pay to park there, but it was worth it since it was close to their destination. They got a surprise when they walked into the building and up to the reception desk, all the same faces were still there, just a bit older. The same receptionist who had called upstairs the first time, never acknowledged them as she picked up the phone, dialed a number and said, “They’re here.” She then told them, “You all know the way, it’s on the same floor, in the same office. And congratulations, and welcome back.”
When the elevator doors opened on the fifth floor, the ‘kids’ were again met by Paula, who hugged everyone before she turned to lead them to the small conference room. But before she took a step, the sharp doctors asked, “Is that a wedding ring on your left hand.” Paula turned back to the group, answered it is, and proceeded to tell them everything. She and her husband met while they were attending college, and married shortly after they graduated. They’ve been married eighteen years, have three children ages 10, 8, and 6, two girls and a boy. They held off having children until they both finished graduate school. And of course, everyone had to see pictures, and Paula did that after taking them to the small conference room.
Paula told them to sit where they wanted, and drinks were in the small fridge on the counter. She then said Terry would be free shortly and to just relax, everything would be fine. The ‘kids’ had been told more than this once to relax, everything would be fine, but they were still nervous. They were as nervous as a cat in a room full of rocking chairs, with a little kid in each chair who loved to rock fast. Again, as some years before, it seemed to take forever, but the door opened and Terry and Paula came into the room. Handshakes wouldn’t do it for Terry, as everyone got a big hug and the girls a kiss on the cheek. The eight were so nervous they never noticed the cart at the back of the room, or if they did they didn’t know it was for them. While Terry was saying hello, Paula had gone and gotten the cart, pushing it up to the front of the room. Terry took a few minutes for small talk before they got down to why the ‘kids’ had come.
“As I told you ‘kids’ when you were here your sophomore year in high school, everything we discussed was put into our storage vault. The main structure of the building had not changed,” Terry told them as Paula uncovered only the model of their clinic. “But, ith the technical changes that have taken place over the last twenty some years, and the change in regulations, we had to also make sure your clinic would be up to code. So, as we did last time, for the past month our interns have been creating a brand new blueprint.” As Terry finished telling them about why changes were made, Paula activated the screen in front of them.
As Terry did all those years ago, he went through the new blueprints page by page, explaining how some things were upgraded to meet code or because of new technology that would save them money in the long run. When Terry was finished, Jake whistled and said “Wow, Paula, you interns did a wonderful job on those blueprints.”
Paula just laughed before saying, “I had nothing to do with redrawing the blueprints, and I’m not an intern anymore.”
The ‘kids’ noticed that Grace had that far away look on her face when she was thinking deep thoughts. She turned to Terry and in a far away voice asked, “Terry are the partners who were here our first time here still here?” And when Terry told her they are, she then looked at Paula and said, “Then you must be the Pepper on the firms’ plaque on the front of the building. You’re a partner!” Paula blushed a deep red and she told them she made partner five years after she received her postgraduate degree and starting working for the firm full time. She also told them that while she does some blueprint work, she is mainly in charge of all the interns, and oversees the work they do.
And Grace wasn’t finished yet, as she again had that far away look. “Um...Terry,” Grace said in a dreamy voice, “How did you know to upgrade everything so it’d be ready for us today?” Seven pairs of eyes turned from Grace to focus on Terry, who seemed to act as though he was a deer caught in a car’s headlights. Terry was confused and it showed.
Even Grace was looking at Terry now, as Terry looked each one in the eye before responding, “Well, two months ago They told us, ‘it’s time’, so we pulled everything out of storage, updated everything to be ready when you ‘kids’ arrived.” The ‘kids’ didn’t need to ask how he knew they’d be coming today, they already knew the answer to that question. “Oh, darn it,” Terry said so abruptly that it startled all eight ‘kids’. “Paula, in the top middle drawer of my desk is an envelope. Would you get it please?” Just after Paula left the room Terry asked, “Do any of you have any questions so far?”
The eight looked at each other and just by looking appointed Tony to ask the main question on their minds. “Terry, while we were in high school we found 10 acres that would be perfect for our clinic, but the asking price was ridiculous compared to other acreages of like size. Do you know if it’s still for sale and the asking price?”
The ‘kids’ saw the somber look on Terry’s face as he told them, “I remember which 10 acres you’re referring too, and you’re right, it would have been perfect for the clinic. Unfortunately the old buzzard who owned it died three years ago of a heart attack and left it to his daughters. Even when they dropped the asking price they had a terrible time selling it because of the reputation their father earned. But, and I’m sorry to say, it’s been sold to some anonymous purchaser.” As if Terry and Paula had rehearsed it, Paula entered the conference room carrying the envelope just as Terry told the eight ‘kids’ the fate of the property they’d wanted. And when she sat it in front of the eight ‘kids’, they noticed it was addressed to all eight of them. Grace reached out and pushed the envelope to Tony, who then pushed it to Tara, who then pushed it to Sam, who then pushed it to Tameria, who then pushed it to Jake, who then pushed it to James, who then pushed it to Beckie. Terry was amused as he watched the ‘kids’ play hot potato with the envelope. Paula, on the other hand, said, “Oh, good gawd,” and snatched the envelope off the table. She opened it and began reading out loud.
“Dear ‘kids’,
By now you’ve probably asked Terry about that 10 acres you saw when you were in high school and still planning for your clinic. And Terry has told you that it was purchased by an anonymous buyer. ‘Kids’, that’s a shame. I’m so sorry to hear that. Along with this letter you’ll find a deed to the whole 10 acres, signed over to all eight of you ‘kids’. Naner naner naaaner.”
“Your anonymous donor”
When Paula finished reading the letter she looked in the envelope again and pulled out another folded piece of paper. When she unfolded it, she saw it was an official deed to the entire 10 acres and signed over to the eight ‘kids’. Written out on that deed was the State, the County, the District, the Township, longitude and latitude, the physical location and the Notary’s seal. And somehow, who gave the land to the ‘kids was still unknown. At that precise moment the only thing anyone could hear was the slight hissing sound as the forced air was pushed out of the air ducts in the ceiling. Dumbfounded failed to describe how everyone looked after the deed was passed around the table. Shocked came closer, but still didn’t hit the mark. And Mimi was on the floor laughing her ass off. It was Terry who broke the silence with, “Um...well...I...um...guess I was wrong. You eight now own that 10 acres free and clear.”
When the ‘kids’ started, both Terry and Paula had to clamp their hands over their ears, the sound of eight ecstatic young adults was thunderous. They were so loud even the other three partners came rushing into the small conference room to see what was going on. And when they rushed into the conference room, all they could hear be chanted was, “We got the land,” over and over again. As loud as the ‘kids’ could shout. It took a bit of time to calm the ‘kids’ down, but when they were only bouncing in their seats, Terry suggested they all could use a break, before explaining everything to his three partners.
The ‘kids’ were still excited but way calmer as they came back into the small conference room. During this time Terry quoted the ‘kids’ the firm’s projected costs of building the clinic; it’s much less than if they had to buy land. He also told them that the firm had received another letter from Haints Investments, stating again that they would pick up ¾ th of the cost for building the clinic. So that left ⅛ th to be financed. He smiled when the ‘kids’ caught the ⅛ th fraction, and explained that their Anonymous Donor had also sent them a letter stating they’d cover half of the ¼ th left to finance. So the ‘kids’ only had to finance ⅛ th of the total cost of building their clinic. Terry just shook his head, seeing how some few people wanted to make sure that clinic was built. Terry then ran the numbers and came up with $2.5 million left to finance, the eight ‘kids’ share of the cost for the clinic.
Because everyone’s undergraduate and postgraduate expenses had been paid for, plus a handsome weekly allowance, and because of their earned reputations in their fields, they’d been able to set something aside each week for the day when it would be time to build their clinic. Tony pulled a notebook out of his case and told Terry, “Terry, over the years, actually since high school, we’ve set aside something each week for this very day. As it stands right now, we only need to finance $1.5 million of that $2.5 million.” It was the ‘kids’ turn to laugh as they watched Pauls and Terry’s jaws drop. As Terry and Paula watched, all eight heads were nodding ‘yes’ to the question on both Terry and Paula’s faces. They’d saved that much.
After Paula and Terry picked their jaws off the floor, Paula asked, “So, would you like us to do the work, handle everything or do you have someone else in mind? We’ve gone this far with you guys, we’d really like to go all the way and finish this project.”
All eight ‘kids’ flipped an imaginary coin, caught it in one hand, flipped it on the back of the other hand, removed their hands, looked at the imaginary coin and said, “Heads, looks like you guys win.” Now if the bank will let them borrow $1.5 million. Paula had slipped out of the room with the letters and deed to the land in order to make copies to send to Mary Cooper; the ‘kid’s knew her as Mary Gothers those many years ago. She called a courier service for a pickup and quick delivery, then put a copy of the blueprints, letters, and deed to the land in a folder. When the courier arrived Paula gave the girl the address, watched her leave, then returned to the small conference room, telling everyone there that copies of everything had been couriered to the bank. Terry told the eight ‘kids’ that if the bank approved the loan Mary would notify the firm and then a contract would be drawn up for the ‘kids’ to read, make any changes, and then sign. And once they submitted the plans to the City building inspection office for approval and building permits, construction on the clinic would begin. And he wanted the eight there when the first shovel went into the ground. They exchanged more pleasantries, even finding out Mary and Terry finally got married shortly after the ‘kids’ went off to college, before the eight said their goodbyes and left to see Mary once again.
They drove the short distance to the bank from the firm’s building, this time being able to park the car without having to pay. As they entered the bank and started walking to the reception desk, they could see the same woman behind the desk as they saw years before, only years older. Even before any of the eight said anything the woman jumped up from her chair, came out from behind the desk and hugged all eight at the same time. Then her questions started until several bank employee’s cleared their throats, bringing her back down to earth, She then reached over the counter, dialed a number and said, “They’re here. Okay, right away,” and told the eight to follow her, almost as she did many years ago. Except this time they stayed on the ground floor.
When they reached an office Mary was standing in the doorway, and stepped out and hugged each of the eight before they entered her office. And the name change on her door didn’t go unnoticed either, Mary Cooper. “Oh, it’s so good to see you all again. I will confess I’ve been keeping track of you all, and am very impressed with your accomplishments. I even heard what happened at the restaurant, what a shameful way to act. But, they paid for their stupidity, didn’t they? Well, sit down sit down. Can I get anything for you to drink before we get started?” Everyone asked for water before sitting down around the table as they did once before.
After Mary got everyone a bottle of bottled water she closed her office door, then sat down in one of the empty seats around the table; the folder brought to the bank by the courier sitting at that place. There was a bit of small talk at first, Mary asking how they were doing and did they miss being home. She then went on to say that since their first visit there had been some major changes within the bank, thanks to the things they saw which needed to be fixed. As a result, several higher ups were arrested for embezzlement, some juniors were fired for incompetence since they no longer had the protection of those who were arrested, and Mary got herself a new office during the employee shuffle. Even the branch banks had shake ups which resulted in better service for the bank’s customers. As she wound down, she looked around the table at the eight sitting there, and could see how eager they all were to find out what Mary would tell them about their getting the needed loan.
She had time before they arrived to peruse the material Terry sent her and felt confident there wouldn’t be a problem granting the loan. She took the material out of the folder, again, and began telling them her feelings about the loan.
“Like Terry, the bank received another letter from Haints Investments, telling us they were still going to provide ¾ th of financing needed for construction of your clinic. And like Terry, we received a letter from your Anonymous Donor who stated they will provide ⅛ th of the last ¼ th that is needed for the clinic. So, that means you eight want to borrow the rest of the ⅛ th, or $2.5 million.”
As he did while they met with Terry, Tony told Mary, “Um...no Mary, only $1.5 million, we have $1 million in savings.”
The ‘kids’ chuckled at the look on Mary’s face, and Tony went on to explain that they started saving while they were still in high school. He also told her how they were able to put something into saving each week while in undergraduate and postgraduate school because all their finances were taking care of and due to receiving a handsome weekly allowance. He added that once they were established in their fields, their incomes had allowed them to increase the amount that went into the clinic savings account each week. Hence the $1 million they now were going to put towards the construction of the clinic.
After hearing Tony’s explanation Mary shook her head in amazement at what these eight had been doing all this time, even while getting their degrees and starting their careers and marriages. “You people are amazing, simply amazing. I don’t think I’ve ever come across another group of people who had as much drive as you eight have. A drive that started while you were still teenages. I will be very honest with the eight of you, with everything before me, and the fact you started all this while in high school, and because of having a reputable investment firm backing you, and because your Anonymous Donor is also backing you, and you eight are putting in $1 million, when I take this to the Board of Directors I don’t see any reason why they’d turn you down. In fact, and maybe I’m speaking out of turn, you may discover that some of the Directors want to help you out of their own pockets. But you didn’t hear that from me, got it? Now listen, the next Directors meeting is in two days, and I’ll know that day their decisions. And I’ll phone Tony and give him the news. So between now and then, go home, relax, take in your old haunts, but don’t worry. Everything is going to be alright. We will get your clinic built.” And with that their meeting ended, with hugs all around before Mary shooed them out of her office. She had a presentation to give and only two days to prepare.
There were tears all around as their two week vacations ended and they headed back to their careers. They had sat down with Terry several times over the past week and a half, reading contracts, suggesting changes before finally signing them. They spent several days going over the exterior facade and everything that would be seen inside the building. Terry even called in a landscaper to give the ‘kids’ her opinion of the best way to landscape around their clinic; they also told Terry to use her and her company to do the work.
Two weeks later the ‘kids’ came back to their hometown on a Saturday, and went directly out to the site for their clinic. When they got there they weren’t expecting the huge crowd that was there for the ground breaking ceremony. Nor were they expecting the applause they received as they stepped out of their cars. Eight hardhats were handed out as well as eight shovels, and on the count of three, thirteen shovels bit into the earth, signifying the construction of a dream that began over twenty years ago.
It’s now ten years later, and their clinic had to expand twice. First after being open only five years and now, ten years later. Tameria and Beckie had been the original mental health care providers, but over the years they were forced to hire two more psychologists and two more psychiatrists. Tara had been their physical therapist, but even in her department it was necessary to hire three more people. Even the medical department was forced to hire two and three more in each speciality they dealt with. With the ever increasing workload, Tony had to hire two more IT techs, two more assistance, and several to accept payments and make, and keep track of, appointments.
Their creator had wanted to use them to stop the constant wars that raged on her planet, wars that were caused because blind and stupid individuals couldn’t see that differing beliefs were what made them all unique. Instead, she ran out of time, as the stupid and blind individuals caused the utter distruction of her planet and everyone, and everything, on it. And yet, while she was scattered amongst the Universe her creations found a drop of water on another planet. A drop that slowly formed a puddle, which formed a pool, which formed a lake, which, hopefully, is on its way to forming an ocean. An ocean which will let the inhabitants of the planet live long and fruitful lives.
Ever read a story where the ending is told at the beginning, and the beginning is told at the end? That’s what happens in this story of the Twenty Dollar Bet. Jimmy Horton is just another, smart, high school student who tries to get along with everyone. He’s well-liked and will take time to help anyone with a math problem. But he never expected his life to take the turn it did when Roy, Billie, and Robert got to him one day at school. And he never expected that those three would give him the opportunity he actually needed to finally tell his parents something he has known for a long time. Something his girlfriend, Terry Surlowing, has been encouraging him to do for a long time, ever since she dressed him one day at her house and instantly fell in love with her.
Author’s Note: This is another story that was wandering around my gray matter and refused to stay quiet, so I finally decided to get it out into the open in the hopes it would stop reminding me it was there. Just remember, this is Jimmy’s story, not mine. So any omissions are his and not mine. As usual, public comments about the story are welcomed, technical comments should be PM’d to me.
My name is Jimmy Horton, I’m 15 and I’m in a rather tight spot at the moment. Literally. I’m in the woods in our area, hiding in an abandoned fox den that’s obscured by bushes, so if a person didn’t know the location of the den they’d walk right on by. Thankfully. And why am I hiding in an abandoned fox den? Because three gelatinous masses who go by the names of Roy Staples, Billie Dolle, and Robert Filler are looking for me.
And why do I call them gelatinous masses, you might wonder? Because I’m not really a PC person, but calling them extremely fat is rather cruel. Don’t you think? And how big are they, you may be wondering? All three are 15 years old, 5 feet 8 inches tall, and that big around also. They are so big around that if they walk shoulder to shoulder down the hallways at school they completely block the hallway. When they do this, the students have three choices to get out of the way. They can duck into an open classroom, cram themselves into the short alcoves to the classrooms, or turn around and go to the other end of the hallway and use the doors to get out of that hallway. The administration tried warning them several times, but when that failed to produce results they started suspending the three. But even suspending the three didn’t produce the desired results since they are still doing it.
Roy, Billie, and Robert were not this big in elementary school. They were like the rest of us, still growing, skinny, and could run around for hours and not get tired. But something happened to them between elementary and middle school, something they refuse to talk about. Even when our parents ask each boy’s parents, no one will say a thing. The parents would just offer a lame excuse of eating too much, glandular problems, etc. Another thing that happened was the bigger they got, the meaner they got, hateful even, and became bullies, what with their current body size. I always liked the three guys, but I sure hate what they have been doing.
And why are they looking for me today? Um...that’s a story I’ll get to in a moment. Right now I’m looking through the voids in the bushes hiding the fox den to see if the three have entered the woods. Guess I better back up a bit and tell you more about where I live and the three gelatinous masses.
When the developer decided to build a new subdivision, he wanted something completely different. Usually, when subdivisions are built, the land is laid bare of all vegetation, then plats are laid out and the infrastructure is put in. Then the streets are laid and you end up with a street with houses on both sides, an alley, another street with houses on both sides, another alley, ad infinitum. You get the picture, it’s nothing but streets and houses.
This developer had another vision, plats that butted up against a woodland that would give each homeowner a bit of nature right outside of their backyard. His idea royally pissed off the City Council because all they could see was the loss of revenue if only a few houses were built on the amount of property being developed. There was a big battle, with the City Council refusing to provide any permits to build, and of course, the developer took them to Court and when the truth came out, what the City Council was trying to do, it was the City Council who got it in the end. He got all the needed permits, told the City to shove the monies they were going to chip in, in an attempt to try and get a say how things would be done, and paid for everything out of his seemingly endless bank account. I found out later he was one of those who was able to make money hand over fist and never knew what to do with it all.
So now, everyone who lives in this area has woodland that butts up against their property and can sit in their backyards and watch the wildlife. Oh, I forgot. Every so many houses he had a dead-end street laid and trails cut from those dead-end streets from one side of the woods to the other. There are about five per area and it can save a lot of time using the trails to reach the other side of the ‘block’ instead of walking down the sidewalks.
What else was I going to say...oh yeah, the gelatinous masses. You know how Flash Gordon can outrun any normal person? Even if that person is running? Well, Roy, Billie, and Robert are so big that if a person is just walking, it seems like the person is running to the three boys. And if the person is running, well, think of Flash Gordon here. Ho boy, they have arrived. And it only took them about twenty minutes to walk from where I saw them, two houses down from mine, to get here now.
Roy has stopped by a fallen tree trunk; Billie and Robert walked on past that point. What the heck is Roy going to do? Ah, now I see, he’s found a way to get his enormous bulk up onto that fallen tree trunk, which now puts him about three feet above the ground. He’s gingerly walking towards what appears to be the middle of that fallen tree trunk and now seems to be searching the area in front of him.
Something else I forgot to mention. Because of their size, they can’t turn their heads the normal 90 degrees left or right. So if they want to look more than 2 degrees left or right they have to turn their whole body, which is what Roy is starting to do now. He’s turning to his left...whups, he almost slipped...and is now looking in this general direction.
Where’s Billie and Robert? Billie’s stopped before a depression in the ground. Robert has stopped in front of a bush.
What’s Roy doing? Guess Roy didn’t see anything because he’s turning to his left again. Ooohhh...I bet that hurt. Yep, it hurt. As Roy was turning to his left again, his feet slipped out from under him and he fell straddling that fallen tree trunk. I don’t think I have to explain what the bulk of his weight fell on, do I? Yep, it hurt alright. Roy’s screaming and crying, he’s also holding himself while he screams and cries. Oh, my, I’ve never heard those words before. Or that combination of words. My mom would have gone through a half a box of bar soap had she heard what he was saying. Now what’s he trying to do? Oh I get it now. He’s trying to get off that fallen tree trunk by swinging his left leg up and over so he can get off. Except, maybe he’s leaning way too far to his right? Ooohhh, ouch! He did lean too far to his right. His overweight pulled him right off that fallen tree trunk and caused him to roll as he fell, face-first onto the ground. He isn’t moving or screaming or crying, I sure hope he’ll be alright. You must think I’m contradicting myself here when I say I hope he’ll be alright. I may hate what they are doing since they ballooned up but I never want to see them get hurt, that’d be just cruel of me.
Why is Billie standing before that depression in the ground? Oh he wouldn’t, would he? He can’t be serious, right? He could walk to his left or right and get around that depression, but I think he’s about to walk down into it. It isn’t very deep, maybe three feet, but he can see I’m not there so why would he go down into it? Plus, two days ago it was full of rainwater that’s now soaked into the ground. Still, without much sun the past couple of days, the only thing at the bottom of that depression is...whelp, there he goes. And down he went. Like Roy, his overweight pulled him too fast down into that depression and he fell face-first into the mud. Oh, gads, he is mad. I can’t hear all he’s saying because it’s muffled, but just the sound of his voice is furious. Wait, he’s pulling himself up by grabbing a couple of tree roots that have grown down into that depression. Oh, my, now I can hear what he’s saying. Whoa, where did he learn those words? Or that combination of words? He and Roy must have had the same vocabulary teacher. Come on, pull hard, just a bit further. He’s out! He is covered with mud from the top of his forehead to the tops of his shoes. And spitting mud, and a few other things. Mom would have gone through a case of bar soap on him. Now he’s trying to wipe the mud off his hands on the back of his jeans, I’d guess so he can wipe mud off elsewhere.
How’s Roy doing? Let’s see. It looks like he’s starting to move around, and he’s started crying again so that’s a good sign. Is Robert still standing in front of that bush?
Yep, Robert is still standing in front of that bush. Oh no, he isn’t going to do what I think he’s going to do, is he? And this isn’t good. He stuck his hands into the bush to try and separate them so he could walk into that bush. That is NOT a good idea since that’s a prickly bush. The leaves are serrated and have little thorns at the ends. They won’t break off, but they will scratch the whale out of you. If he’d only look he’d see the leaves start about eighteen inches up on the stalks, making it easy to see if anyone is in that bush just by bending over and looking. But, none of the three can bend over. Oh this is going to be messy. Robert is wearing jeans, which will provide some protection to his legs, but he’s not wearing anything that will protect his arms, neck, or face. I wish he wouldn’t do this. There he goes, and he’s already finding out why it’s best to stay out of that bush. And he must have been at the same vocabulary lesson as Roy and Billie, ‘cause he’s using just about the same words. Mom might go through a box and a half with Robert. Oh man, he just came out the other side, and he’s a mess. His arms, neck, and face are a mass of bleeding scratches. And I can see what looks like red pinpoints on his jeans. That poor guy, it hurts just looking at him.
Now what? Billie’s screaming and pointing. Oh, he’s pointing to one of the trails that were cut through these woods. He’s also telling Robert what he thinks of his mother--Robert just flipped Billie off. Where’s Roy? There he is, using a branch on that fallen tree trunk to pull himself up--he’s only using one arm, the other is holding himself. Robert is walking towards Billie, as is Roy, now that he’s standing. Roy sure is walking slower than usual, and holding himself as he walks. Billie’s now screaming at both Roy and Robert and pointing to that trail again. Wow, Roy just slapped Billie upside his head. Boy, this is getting mean, Billie just spit in Roy’s face and again pointed to the trail. Now all three are screaming at each other. Billie just flipped both Roy and Robert off as they scream at each other and is slowly walking towards the trail. Roy yelled something I didn’t catch, but Billie did and flipped Roy off again. Now Roy and Robert are headed towards the trail, and they are still screaming at each other. That must have been some vocabulary teacher those three had.
Well, it looks like they’re far enough away that I can try and get out of this abandoned fox den. I sure hope I didn’t tear my dress. Oh, um...that too is part of the story I’ll get to after I get out of this old fox den.
Finally, fresh air and I can stand up. Well, my dress is sure dirty, but it doesn’t seem torn anywhere. Where are those three now? Ah, they’re almost to the dead-end street, and where all the trails meet; can’t say start because someone could argue they start on the other side of this area. But just to be safe, I’ll stand behind that same bush Robert walked through, it’s tall enough to hide me. Wait, what’s that? There’s one...two...three...four...five...six, police cars headed in the direction of my house. Oh, and there goes a police panel van. Um, did I forget to tell you Roy, Billie, and Robert are under house arrest? That all three are wearing ankle monitors? And they’ve been suspended from school for beating a boy who had to be hospitalized? Or that the boy was...me?
Guess now would be a good time to tell you what happened and how I ended up wearing a dress since it’s going to take those three close to half an hour to get back down to my house, where I imagine the police are waiting for them. They may see that police before they get to my house, but as big as they are they won’t outrun them. Wonder if the police found them because of the ankle monitors or if someone saw them and knew they weren’t supposed to be anywhere near my house? Guess it doesn’t matter, their goose is well done this time. My story, yeah, I haven’t forgotten it.
I was standing in front of my opened hall locker at school trying to decide if I should take my calculus book with me to English or fight the downstream traffic to come back and get it. I hated carrying that book because it weighed a ton, but if I took it with me now then it would be an almost easy matter of working my way across the current of students to the hallway leading to my calculus class. Yeah, I know what you’re thinking. How can a Sophomore student be taking calculus instead of geometry? Well, I sort of already took geometry my Freshman year. I tested out of algebra and was placed in geometry, I have a thing for math. What can I say?
Anyway, as I was standing in front of my locker at school, and I emphasize standing, something hit my right shoulder and threw me into the inside side of the locker door. I turned to my left to see who pushed me but saw no one. I turned left again and saw them, Roy, Billie, and Robert walking shoulder to shoulder down the hallway. I just shook my head ‘cause I knew they’d get suspended again and turned back to my decision making about my calculus book. I had decided to take it and had just started reaching for it when a hand grabbed my right shoulder, spun me around, and shoved me into the locker to the left of mine. I banged my head at the time I was shoved into that locker and it took a few moments for my eyes to settle down. When they did I saw Roy standing in front of me and staring at me. I had to mull over what he said next because I couldn’t see how he came to his conclusion.
“You owe me an apology for running into me,” was what I heard him say to me.
I think I may have made a face as I ran what he just said over and over in my mind. If I was STANDING in front of my locker, not moving, how is it I owe him an apology for running into him when it was Roy who ran into me? After I ran that thought around several times in my mind, this is what I told Roy.
“Roy, since I was standing at my locker I wasn’t moving. You, Billie, and Robert, on the other hand, were moving and it was you who ran into me. If anyone owes anyone an apology it’s you who owes me one. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have a class to get to.” I wasn’t afraid of Roy or the other two, so I turned back to my locker and started to reach for my calculus book again. The next thing I knew, a hand again grabbed my right shoulder, spun me around and someone must have overloaded the electrical circuits because suddenly all the lights went off.
When the lights came back on, a few things occurred to me at the same time. Why did my face hurt? Why did my chest hurt? Why did my groin hurt? Why was there a plastic bag with light yellow liquid in it hanging on the side rail on the left side of my bed? Where was that beeping sound coming from? Why was I looking through something that was like those old Knight helmets with the slits for visors? And...OH MY GAWD, I’M IN A HOSPITAL!
I rolled my head to the left and saw the monitoring machine that was where the beeping noise came from. The leads came over to me and disappeared under the covers. That bag, with the light liquid, OH MY GAWD, I’VE GOT A CATHETER IN ME! There’s a plastic tube that goes from the bag to me and under the covers. Why?
I roll my head to the right and see my mom sitting in one chair and my dad in another, both seemed to be asleep. Then I saw Terry, sitting in a third chair, doing something on her tablet. Gads I hurt. What happened next made me think someone had wired the chairs my mom and dad were sitting in with 120 volts, because they suddenly seemed to be related to Flash Gordon.
“Mom, dad,” I croaked out ‘cause my throat was really dry. I don’t think either of my parents touched the floor as they seemed to instantly appear beside my bed; mom on the right and dad on the left. Mom took my right hand and dad took my left hand, Terry had walked over and was standing next to mom, putting her hand on my upper left arm. “Why am I in the hospital? How long have I been here?” I looked between my mom and dad for answers, but it was dad who said something but didn’t answer my questions.
“Easy, Jimmy. Lay still, you’ve had some serious injuries. We’ll answer all your questions after the doctor has examined you. He wanted to be notified when you woke up.” I watched as mom patted my hand then walked out of the room. A few moments later I heard, “if you folks will give me a moment to see how Jimmy is doing.” Dad patted my hand, Terry moved an errant piece of hair off my forehead, giving me a quick kiss on my forehead, before they both left the room.
A man in a white coat next appeared on the right side of my bed. “Hello, Jimmy, I’m Dr. Droll, yeah, I know, my name makes you wonder, doesn’t it. We were really worried about you. I’m glad to see you’re awake now. Jimmy, I want to look at everything we had to do to make sure everything is fine. The young lady with me is nurse Angela, she’s going to take your pulse and temperature. I was about to start asking questions, I guess Dr. Droll saw this and told me, “I want you to hold all your questions, I’ll answer everything I can. Please lie still and I’ll try not to cause you any more stress.”
Nurse Angela walked around to the left side of my bed and took something off the wall. She then put a cuff around my left upper arm and my arm started going to sleep as she pumped up the cuff. She told Dr. Droll some numbers, he just said, “good,” as she held something up to my forehead. She again said some numbers, this time I knew they were my temperature, and she pressed a clamp on the plastic tubing, then unhooked the plastic bag with the light yellow liquid in it, from the tubing running to me and went into the restroom. It wasn’t long until I heard the toilet flush. And it wasn’t long until nurse Angela was back with the bag and had reattached it to the tubing and released the clamp.
As nurse Angela was doing her thing, Dr. Droll had started examining me by palpitating my face. He was gentle, but I winced several times as he felt in different places. Then he pulled down the top of my hospital gown, and I could see not only the leads from the monitor on my chest but a very large bandage running from the top of my sternum to my abdomen. I guess he could see the question about to be asked because he said, “I’ll answer that question after I’m finished.” He gently removed the bandage and hummed and hawed before he had nurse Angela to put on a fresh bandage. After he pulled the top of the gown back up he said, “Jimmy, I’m going to look at your groin now. I know this may seem embarrassing but it’s important. OK?” What was I going to say? I don’t know why he had to look or why my groin hurt. So I just nodded and Dr. Droll pulled down the covers to the foot of the bed before he pulled up the bottom of my hospital gown. I guess I was in a lot of pain, ‘cause I felt nothing stir as nurse Angela also looked at my groin. I felt some gentle tugging then Dr. Droll humming and hawing again before telling nurse Angela to apply a lighter bandage. When they were finished, down there, my gown was pulled down and the covers pulled back up, Dr. Droll pulled over one of the chairs next to my bed as nurse Angela stood behind him.
“Okay, Jimmy, shoot, ask your questions.” He actually chuckled when I asked, “may I have some water?” They both almost tripped over each other getting me a glass of water with a straw in the glass. I drained that glass and asked for more before I started up my question generator.
“How long have I been here,” was my first question. The answer I received was, “since yesterday morning.” “What happened to me,” was my next question. I was told I had been beaten up at school by some boys; he didn’t know the specifics. Dr. Droll then gave me a rundown of all they found.
“Jimmy, I don’t know who the boys were, but they really hurt you. The reason you’re having trouble seeing is due to your face being swollen. Your right cheekbone is cracked, thankfully your nose isn’t broken, and you aren’t missing any teeth. We’ll get you some cold compresses and that should help bring the swelling down.”
“Now to the more serious problems we found,” Dr. Droll continued. “Almost all of the chest ribs were either cracked or broken. Two of the broken ribs almost cost you your life. One had been pushed down and almost pierced your left lung. Another was pushed down and was a few centimeters from your heart. Because of all the severe breaks, we had to open your chest to wire the broken ribs back together. Those cracked ribs will heal on their own.” I watched as nurse Angela walked to the left side of my bed, took my left hand, and gave me a sympathetic look. She saw my question and pointed to Dr. Droll, he didn’t look much better. I could see he was picking his words, then decided straight forward was best. “Jimmy, there’s no gentle way to say this, but we had to remove your testicles because they had been severely damaged. It was decided to remove them now instead of leaving them, for fear they’d become infected and cause you trouble down the road. If that happened, you’d be back here having another operation. I’m truly sorry, Jimmy. After your body has healed, we’ll get your evaluated for hormones that you’ll have to take the rest of your life.” I think he could see I was in shock, but it wasn’t the shock he thought it was. “You have a lot to consider, Angela and I will go and I’ll send your parents and girlfriend back in.” I just nodded my head, as Dr. Droll moved the chair back where it had been, and walked out of the room with nurse Angela.
I didn’t even notice my mom, dad, and Terry come into the room until I felt someone take my left and right hand, and a hand on my left upper arm. I looked at all three before asking, “you all know what happened to me? You know what they did during surgery?” Sad faces looked back at me as three heads nodded. Terry reached up and gently wiped a tear off my right cheek that slipped out of my right eye. “How did all this happen,” I asked next, hoping to find out how I ended up where I was.
As I watched, Terry took her tablet and punched a few places on the screen before gently sitting it on my chest where I could see the screen. As I watched the screen, I started remembering that morning.
There I was on the screen, getting thrown against the locker to the left of mine, and Roy telling me I owed him an apology. I remembered that. I watched what I said to him, how I turned back to my locker again, watched as he spun me around again and hit me in the face with his fist. I went down like a sack of gravel. I couldn’t believe what I saw next, as Roy started kicking my face, Billie started kicking my chest, and Robert started kicking my groin. I felt someone wipe more tears off my face. What happened next shouldn’t have surprised me, but it did.
Mr. Smith, one of our History teachers, and Mrs. Lether, one of our Social Studies teachers, both pushed their way through the students that had gathered there and tried to stop Roy, Billie, and Robert. Both teachers were pushed backward and were caught by the students behind them, who kept them from hitting the floor. Somewhere off camera was heard, “WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON HERE?” Like God parted the Red Sea for the Hebrews, Mr. Field’s voice parted the students standing to the left of the camera. Mr. Field, Thomas Field, played pro football for fourteen years before an injury caused him to retire. He stands about 6-6 or 6-7 and it’s all muscle; we saw him bare-chested during football practice. We also saw him bench 550 one day during weight training, talk about jaw-dropping. I think it’s because of him I love math. He got his bachelor in Mathematics before being drafted into the pros. Then on his offseasons, he got his masters. He can explain math in more ways than other teachers I’ve had and he stays at it until the student understands it. And while he’s tough in football practice, he’s very fair and encouraging. Of all the teachers in our school, he’s likely the best liked. So what he did on the screen shouldn’t have come as a surprise.
Robert was kicking my groin, and he was first. Mr. Field grabbed him by the back of the neck and actually threw him across the hallway, where Robert slammed into three upper and three lower lockers. I watched as Robert slid down to the floor and didn’t move, he was out cold. The doors on those six lockers will have to be replaced.
Billie was next, standing there kicking my chest. Billie made the mistake and turned towards Mr. Field. Using both arms, Mr. Field put his hands on Billie’s chest and pushed, sending Billie flying where he hit the floor flat on his back. He too stopped moving when he hit the floor. You should have seen the students scatter as Billie went flying.
Even when Robert and Billie were sent flying, Roy kept kicking my face. When Mr. Field approached him Roy made the big mistake and tried to punch Mr. Field. Mr. Field blocked Roy’s punch and gave him one of his own, dropping Roy to the floor. With all three out of action, Mr. Field knelt next to me and said, “Jimmy, can you hear me, son?” I chuckled when I saw myself give him a thumbs up with my right thumb. “Good. Now don’t move, we’ll get you help,” Mr. Field told me.
I watched the screen and saw the school nurse excuse her way through the students and knelt down beside me. She can be a right bear, at times, but this wasn’t one of those times. “Hi, Jimmy, please don’t move until we find out how badly you’re hurt. Okay?” I again chuckled as I watched myself give another thumbs up. The nurse asked where I hurt and had to get close to my mouth to hear what I was saying. I watched as she looked closely at my face, a face I could see starting to swell. She then gently unbuttoned my shirt and looked at my chest, even I could see it didn’t look right. She carefully buttoned up my shirt and got real close and asked me about my groin, I guess, since I don’t remember her asking and it was the only place left that hurt. Then as I watched, she pulled out a cell phone and I could hear she’d dialed 911, giving the location, my name, what happened, and the possible injuries. She sure got all that right, especially the last part. I winced when pain shot up from my groin, causing everyone to ask if I was okay. I explained it was just a pain and I’d had them before now. And no, they didn’t need to call the doctor because he told me I might get them now and again.
By now Mr. Tows and Mrs. Swarm had arrived; they are the principal and vice-principal. And they weren’t alone, six school security people were with them. Mr. Field explained what he saw as he came to break up the gathering. When asked about Roy, Billie, and Robert, he told Mr. Tows, “Aw, let them sleep. We’ll take care of them after we take care of Jimmy. He’s hurt much worse.” Mr. Tows is sort of like Mr. Field, in that he’s tough but fair, and encourages any time he sees a student having troubles. He’ll deny it, but he’s also helped several students who had been having trouble at home. Some of those students now live with their relatives. I think most principals, and teachers, would tell the gathered students to move along, get to class, but all Mr. Tows asked was, “those of you who videoed what happened here, please send me a copy of that video to my office.”
Not long after Mr. Tows and Mrs. Swarm arrived, the paramedics were there, along with a gurney and other equipment sitting on the gurney. Everyone was asked to back up so the paramedics could work. Even Roy was dragged back by the security people to get him out of the way; I never heard so much grunting and groaning in my life. One of the paramedics got out some type of phone in a box and I heard her call the hospital. I only know what the hospital said because she repeated everything back to them. I hate needles, but guess I wasn’t in any condition to object as I watched her start an IV in my right arm; my left was still under me where I’d fallen. Since I was on my left side, it was an easy matter for them to get me on the backboard they’d brought with them, hold me as they gently laid me and the backboard flat on the ground. Glad I was out of it then because I don’t remember why I groaned as they laid me flat. Now the paramedics really went to work, examining me, taking my blood pressure, and checking my pulse; again I only know that’s what they did because the lady paramedic told the hospital all of the readings. Then they stabilized my neck with some kind of collar, did something to protect my chest, and decided the other injury I suffered in my groin should be examined at the hospital. Then they tied me down to the backboard and the two paramedics, with the help of Mr. Tows and Mr. Field, I was lifted up and put on the gurney. This time straps were put through the handles on the backboard to secure it to the gurney, and I watched as they wheeled me out of the video frame. Another pair of paramedics, and several police officers, arrived and started looking at Roy, Billie, and Robert, who were just now coming around. One of the police officers asked Mr. Tows if the boy’s parents had been notified, and they had. Another officer started passing out business cards, asking those with videos of what happened to please email a copy to the email address on the card.
Roy, Billie, and Robert were finally totally awake, you could tell by the language they were using. They were told their rights and told they were under arrest for assault and battery. They were also told that no questions would be asked of them until their parents were present; I think this was a case of CYA. It took four to a boy, but between the police officers and the school security people, all three were helped off the floor before being handcuffed. I again chuckled when I saw the officers had to use two sets of handcuffs per boy. Guess I was feeling a bit ghoulish right then because another shot of pain hit.
The video ended and Terry shut off her tablet. I think she knew what I was thinking because she gave me that sweet encouraging look. I guess my parents saw it too because my mom asked, “what is it, sweetheart?” I looked again at Terry and she gave me a firmer nod this time.
“Um...mom, dad, there’s something I need to tell you both.” I must have shown some fear because Terry said, “it will be okay, just tell them.”
“Um...I’ve known for some time that I should have been...born...a...girl. TerryknowscauseIhadtotellsomeoneorIwasgoingtogonuts.” I sped through that last part, thinking the big rock in the sky was going to drop on me at any moment but didn’t expect what my dad said. “Jimmy, slow down and tell us again, please.”
“I’ve known for some time I should have been born a girl. I was scared to tell you two so I told Terry. I had to tell someone or I was going to go nuts.” I guess you could say I was shocked when my mom held out her hand and did the finger move telling the other person, give. I was equally shocked when my dad took out his wallet and gave my mom a twenty-dollar bill. I looked from mom to dad, and back again before saying, in maybe too loud a voice, “you two bet on me telling you? You knew and didn’t say anything to me about it?” Terry put her hand on my arm and simply said, “easy, Jimmy, be calm, let them explain.” I must have given Terry a strange look because she nodded her head, she knew they knew.
“Jimmy,” my mom started, “your dad and I had a bet when you’d tell us. He said you’d wait until the summer, I said you’d tell us sometime during the school year. Also, we didn’t come to you because the counselor we’ve been seeing, for a few years now, advised us to wait for you to come to us. That way we wouldn’t put any undue stress or pressure on you. And yes, we talked to Terry, or rather she came to us because she was worried about you. That time she helped you dress at her house she saw how happy you were, and how depressed you got when it was time for you to come home. And yes, we knew about you being different and didn’t care because we both love you very much. We saw when you were young that you were different, and it didn’t change as you got older. Your nature wasn’t what other boys had, you were ‘leaning’, if you will, more towards the feminine side of things. I’m just sorry you had to be in this situation before telling us.”
As I did with what Roy said to me, I did the same with what mom just told me. And I could see the reasoning behind what my parents were told by that counselor. I had been depressed, but trying hard to hide it; guess I can’t put anything over on Terry. I had been ecstatic when Terry helped me dress at her house. And again depressed when I had to go home, but that was some kiss she gave me before I left, toe-curling in fact. And as I looked at my current situation, I was basically now forced to face plain, spit in your face, facts. I should have been born a girl and now was the perfect time to admit it and let those I love know it. And because my testicles had to be removed, a perfect time to talk about female hormones.
Whatever expression I was able to muster on my swollen face must have been understood by my parents and Terry, because it was dad who told me, “it appears you agree with what we were told. And more than happy Terry came to us instead of someone else. Eh?” I slowly, and somewhat painfully, lifted my right forearm and gently put my hand on Terry’s hand holding my right upper arm. “Yeah, I am,” I said as I lightly squeezed her hand. Believe it or not, I felt a sense of peace wash over me at that very moment because I knew everything would be alright, that I’d become the person I should have been born too. It didn’t hurt that mom, dad, and Terry also had contented looks on their faces as well.
“So, have you decided on a girl name yet?” I looked at mom and she seemed way too cheerful with that question. When I looked at dad, he looked worried. And Terry, she was trying to stifle a laugh by covering her mouth with her other hand. I looked from mom to dad to Terry, and back again. Something was up, again.
And when I said, “Jacqueline,” dad almost hollered, ‘yes’ before holding out his hand and doing the finger wave that said, gimme. Terry just snarked as mom pulled the twenty dad had given her out of her pants pocket and handed it back to dad. They’d bet on me again. Parents...where did I get these two?
The slight comedy routine between my parents was put aside as my did said, “Jimmy, or should I say, Jacqueline, our counselor gave us an open appointment for you when you told us about your feelings. We’ll call her and let her know you’ve told us but will explain why meeting her will have to wait. Also,” and here he looked at mom and Terry, “the girls have decided to take you on a shopping trip once you’ve been given the go-ahead by the doctor. And don’t worry, the trip won’t be local, but a few miles away. One other thing, and because we love you take this to heart right now, Jacqueline can only be out and about at home. Or going to the counselor. You have two teachers who have decided you have a lot to learn about being a girl. And until Jacqueline can walk the walk and talk the talk, she gets to be at home or at the counselors. Okay?” I still had my hand on Terry’s hand and when I looked at her and mom, both nodded their heads asking, please.
“Sure, dad, that’s fine by me.” I thought mom and Terry were going to start acting like two teens at a rock concert when I agreed to dad’s terms. I don’t know all they had planned, but I planned to dive into it like it was a bowl of cherry Jello.
I was kept at the hospital for the rest of that week, in order to make sure no complications set in. Terry visited all my classes and brought me what work I had to do for each class. By Friday, Dr. Droll was satisfied I was on the mend without any problems and allowed me to be released from the hospital, but with stipulations. No heavy lifting of any kind. No sports of any kind or any activity which put torque on my chest. I could go back to school but would need someone to walk with me to carry my books from class to class. That would be no problem since Terry had already made that chore her chore until I was given the go-ahead to carry my own books. Also, he showed us a hard plastic chest protector he recommended I wear at school since it was possible to get jostled by other students. And he wanted to see me once a week, after school, to make sure I hadn’t ruined his handy work.
A funny thing happened when I returned to school the following Monday. I was worried about fighting my way through the throngs of students every time I changed classes. Worried that my chest would be bumped, thumped, and just plain hurt every time this or that student bumped into me on their way to class. But that didn’t happen. Instead, every time I changed classes, a bubble was formed around me by the other students. I mean, as I walked every other student I passed kept at least two steps away from me. And when I got into the stream of students going to their classes, the same thing happened. No student ever got near me the entire time, unless we were just standing around. I don’t know who put the word out, but I’m glad they did. And something else I noticed, I seemed to have garnered more respect from the whole student body. I used to hear snide comments about ‘there goes Mr. Brain, the snob’, but never heard any of those comments ever again. In fact, I found out I had more friends than I ever knew I had. Guess everyone saw the video about me getting beaten and heard about my injuries, it’s the only thing I can think happened.
A month after I was put back together, not the Six Million Dollar Man type being put back together, Dr. Droll was real happy with my recovery and decided once a month would now be sufficient for visits to him. After three months, I was proclaimed healed, but with caution to take it slow to make sure I didn’t experience any pain as I started back into my regular routine. And should I experience any pain in my chest or groin, or develop a fever, I was to get my butt to the hospital yesterday, last week, two years ago. By the look on Dr. Droll’s face, I knew he was very serious, so I didn’t try to joke around with him.
Remember I said mom and Terry acted like two teens attending a rock concert when they heard we’d have to go shopping for Jacqueline? Well, when Dr. Droll pronounced me healed, those two teens reappeared, and we went shopping that very day. Oh, mom and Terry had done a bit of shopping for Jacqueline so she’d have something to wear around the house, but this shopping was the three of us, Jacqueline included, with dad’s permission, hitting the stores. Mom had purchased Jacqueline false breasts until her real ones developed, so mom actually buying her daughter her first bra, with her daughter present, was like a religious experience for the two of us. And it was very sweet how mom acted. Even Terry denied she had tears in her eyes as she saw how mom and I bonded while shopping. Terry claimed it was something coming from the clothing they had me try on. Uh-huh, Terry has trouble keeping a straight face whenever she lies. So I kissed her and told her so. Good thing we were in the changing room when she kissed me back, it was another toe curler.
During my recovery, the counselor my parents had been seeing, and who made an open appointment for me, made house calls each week. I’d never talked to anyone outside my family, or with Terry, about my feelings, what I was thinking, and how I felt about this or that. And when Dr. Droll had totally released me, I started visiting her office. Sometimes she’d meet with me and then with me and my parents or me and Terry and yes, Terry was included in our counseling sessions. She was after all, in love with me and I with her, and we were going to spend our lives together.
One week she had all four of us meet with her and surprised me with a reference to an endocrinologist who would evaluate my needs for hormones and gave her blessings to start on what was needed. She still wanted to see me once a week just to make sure I was doing okay but told all of us that Jacqueline was here to stay.
With a bunch of doctor documents, mom and dad went to the school board and Mr. Tows, and I was given the green light to start my Junior year of high school as Jacqueline. The usual warnings were given, like ones I’d read about, I didn’t have to worry about gym class because my parents were still concerned about my ribs not fully, completely, healed; despite what Dr. Droll said. Restroom use was a sticking point until several of the girls spoke to Mr. Tows and told him they would have no trouble with Jacqueline using the girl’s restrooms. They even told him they’d known for some time that Jimmy wasn’t really a boy at heart. Talk about a shock to me, I was taken under their wings like a new chick.
Maybe you’re still wondering how I ended up in that abandoned fox den, the one where I hid from Roy, Billie, and Robert? It was stupid on my part, really stupid. I told you about Roy, Billie, and Robert being put under house arrest, having to wear ankle monitors, and were suspended from school. I didn’t mention there’d been an injunction issued which made it mandatory they stay away from me and where I live when not in school. It was hard to stay away from me in school, but they were told to do it just the same. If they saw me they were supposed to turn around and walk the other way. All three had been in the same classes together, that changed when two of the three were assigned different teachers so that they weren’t together in one class. They weren’t even allowed to sit together at lunch.
Anyway, I’d been given the green light by Dr. Droll and was in Jacqueline mode when the mail came; everyone’s mailbox is out at the curb. Not thinking, as sometimes happens, I dashed out to the mailbox to get the mail and was dressed as Jacqueline; I was expecting some important papers. Well, I took the mail out of the mailbox, turned, and saw Roy, Billie, and Robert walking down the sidewalk heading my way. I ran back to the house only to find I didn’t unlock the front door before coming outside. Thinking the backdoor was unlocked, I dashed around to the backyard, tried the backdoor, and found it locked. I then ran back around to the front yard only to see Roy, Billie, and Robert were now only two houses away. So, with no other options, I ran to the one place I thought I’d be safe, the abandoned fox den. Why I thought of that place, I couldn’t tell you. Why, you might be asking, didn’t I go to any of the neighbors? Maybe because the neighbors don’t know Jacqueline, yet? Or maybe I didn’t think of it at the time?
And what happened to those three when they got back to the street? I crept back to the house next door to mine and was able to hide in one of the bushes near the front of that house. You should have seen all the police officers waiting in front of my house. I know Roy, Billie, and Robert didn’t see them because they were still arguing and yelling at each other. But they saw them the minute they reached my house, and boy were they shocked. And the funny thing, none of the three put up a fight, as they once might have done. Roy was still hurting and holding himself. Billie was still covered with mud and still steamed. And Robert, that poor guy was still bleeding from his walkthrough that prickly bush. I think they were finally defeated because that’s how they looked. One of the officers had called for the paramedics once they saw how the three looked, and after Roy was examined, Billie cleaned off, and Robert’s scratches tended to, the three were cuffed and placed in the police panel truck. I never did hear what became of them because of breaking their house arrest. No one ever saw them at school again after all this.
Well, this had been my story of how Jacqueline was finally able to exist after all the years of keeping her hidden. And the events surrounding her coming of age. I went on to finish high school, got the Valedictorian spot, made the obligatory speech, and joined my classmates at the graduation party. And no, I didn’t get drunk, if that’s what you’re wondering. My parents laid down the law, NO ALCOHOL, PERIOD!! Besides, I was taking meds so was worried how they would be affected by alcohol. Terry and I had a real good time even without any alcohol, and then some more after the party. I did say she can curl my toes, right? She showed how good she was at something else that night. And it was more than my toes that curled.
The university Terry and I attended in the Fall wasn’t too far from home, so we commuted the days we had classes. Some days we could go in together, taking turns driving on those days. Other days we had to go in separately because our classes were at different times. And after four years, I received my Bachelor’s degree in mathematics, with a minor in physics, and Terry received hers in computer science, with a minor in graphic design. I went on to get my teaching certificate and got a job teaching math at my old high school. Terry, on the other hand, had to fight off job offers because she was that good of a graphic designer. In the end, she took an offer with the small firm she worked for during the summers, and it wasn’t long before that small firm began to grow because of Terry. It was two years later they made her a partner and ended up having so much work come their way that they had to hire several more people.
And Terry and me? We found a nice little house to buy and moved in together; it would be several more years before the law was changed and we could get married. Because of my injury, and the resulting surgery, I couldn’t store any sperm so we talked about adopting, but Terry wanted to actually give birth so we went to the sperm bank and now have a very pretty, and healthy little girl. The delivery was hard on Terry so our next child, a boy, was adopted. And we love the dickens out of them both.
It was two years after I received my Bachelor’s degree that I was back at the university working on my Master’s degree and as I was walking back to my car I heard someone call my name. It was a man’s voice, but when I turned and saw the man who called my name, it took me several moments to recognize him. It was Roy Staples, but it wasn’t. Standing before me was a man about 6 feet tall, not rail-thin but well kept, not the Roy Staples of high school days. And talk about a gorgeous smile, it was.
“Hi Jacqueline, how have you been? If you have a few minutes I’d like to talk to you, explain some things to you. I know I was an ass all those years ago, and how bad we hurt you, but I would like it if you’d let me answer that question which we couldn’t answer back then,” Roy told me, with a pleading voice and a look to match. I really couldn’t refuse to listen, after all, if not for those three Jacqueline wouldn’t be here today, maybe. I agreed and we decided to talk in the student union, where we could get something to drink.
“First off,” Roy started, “I know an apology isn’t enough for what we did to you back in high school. Nothing I say can make things right, but I’m offering an apology anyway.” He held up his hand as he saw I was going to respond and went on with, “please, let me get all this out before you say anything. Okay?” I nodded and he continued.
“Billie, Robert, and I really screwed up during the summer between the end of sixth grade and the beginning of seventh grade. We were walking down to the theater to watch a movie when we spotted this enormous woman walking on the sidewalk. I don’t remember who started it, but we began shouting insults at her until she finally had enough and told us we were going to see how it felt being huge. Well, we blew her off as a crackpot until a few days later when all three of us started gaining weight. The rest you know, and how big we got. We became angry at ourselves for what we had done, because it kept us from doing much during that or any summer afterward. And we took out our anger on you and others. We were so damn wrong, but they say hindsight is 20/20.”
“After that day we looked for you in the woods, you remember, well we were beaten, we’d had enough. We ended up in juvenile hall because of breaking house arrest and stayed until we were 18. We got our GED while there and because we were minors at the time, our records were sealed and we were released. The three of us were sitting in the park talking when a lady walked up to us and asked us the strangest question.
“Well, boys, how does it feel to be huge? Learn anything from it?”
We must have had blank looks on our faces because, in the next instant, that very attractive lady turned into the huge lady we’d insulted all those years ago. It was the same huge lady who told us we were going to find out how it felt to be huge. The only answer we could give her was, “yes, ma’am, and then some.” As we watched, she went back to being the lady who walked up to us and proceeded to sit down and explain a few things to us.
“Boys, I am sorry you had to go through this, but it was the only way you’d learn how it felt to be on the receiving end of insults like those you said to me. You walked a mile in someone else’s shoes. You see boys, I’m a witch, and a darn good one too. That day I had tried a new spell and went out to see how others would react. Most just looked and walked on, some asked if I needed any help when they saw me struggling with something, and then there were you three, who thought it was funny insulting someone different than yourselves. And the only way I knew you’d understand how wrong you were at that time, was to let you experience the insults for yourselves. Didn’t feel so good, didn’t it? Hearing all the fat jokes and jibes. Being laughed at because you could hardly do anything including walking. I also made sure you couldn’t talk about it, which no doubt angered you all the more. Right? I’ve watched the three of you over the years and can see you’ve finally learned the lesson I intended. So gentlemen…”
Roy continued with, “and right after she said gentlemen, we started getting slimmer until we were down to the weight we’d be at 18. I hadn’t cried since I was little, but I bawled like a baby after she changed up back, as did Billie and Robert. We thanked her for changing us back and assured her we had learned a very hard lesson. And we had. Like you, and yes I’ve been keeping tabs on you, I’m working towards my Masters in psychology. Billie got his Bachelor’s degree in history and found a teaching job in the next town over. Robert, if you can believe it, went pre-med and is now in medical school. He wants to specialize in psychiatry. Yeah, we learned a lesson, the hard way, and we want to make up for everything we did during those years by helping others.”
I sat there stunned listening to Roy’s story, especially the part about what they chose for careers. Guess I should have been more stunned hearing about a witch but anything is possible, right? I smiled when Roy finished his story and told him,
“Roy, believe it or not, I never stopped liking the three of you. But I came to hate what you three were doing. That said, and again you may not believe this, but, thank you for what you did to me. I, Jacqueline, wouldn’t be here today if not for what the three of you did to me.” This time it was my turn to hold up my hand and ask for him to let me finish.
“You see, Roy, for the longest time I knew I should have been born a girl. But didn’t have the courage to tell my parents. Those injuries I received made it possible for me to finally tell my parents and allow Jacqueline, me, to finally exist. So you actually did me a favor, though it was a painful one. And I have to thank you for the kick in the pants. Literally.”
We talked more until it was time for both of us to leave, Roy had to pick up his kids from practice. Yeah, he got married, as did Robert; Billie and his girlfriend have yet to set a date. I saw more of Roy around the university now and then and eventually ran into Billie and Robert, both offering their profuse apologies. I told them the same as I told Roy, “no, thank you.”
I often wonder why Fate has to make life’s lessons so hard at times. I could have gone for the gentle nudge that helped me tell my parents, but would they have been in the same frame of mind? Or would Terry have fallen in love with Jimmy instead of Jacqueline the day she helped me dress? Life can be real funny at times, it’s like a lot of slots have to line up at the right time so all the balls fall at just the right time and just the right speed. Um...maybe talking about balls isn’t the right thing to do right now? Mine dropped through a slot several years ago.
Right Time
By Jamie Lee
Most often people talk about being in the right place at the right time. Maybe they achieved a beautiful photo of a sunrise, or the antics of children or animals. Maybe they found something someone lost and received a big reward when it was returned. But how often do they talk about being in the wrong place at the right time? If they do, it’s often about the death of someone or maybe witnessing a crime. And if this is the case, they are sad or horrified. Walter Williams often is in the wrong place at the right time, though his reaction to the incidents he encounters is much different than anyone would expect. And, life-changing.
Walter Williams was your normal boy growing up. He was bostrius, curious, adventurous, and had more energy than the sun itself. Girls had cooties. When frogs were found they were carried home in the front pocket of his jeans, never mind the discovery during wash day scared the bejesus out of his mom, Terry Williams. And never, ever, let a girl kiss you. ‘Cause then you’d get cooties too.’ He played football with the guys, and baseball, and anything else. And when he came home his mom would just “tsk tsk tsk,” upon seeing how dirty he and his clothes were. He also ended up taking more baths than he wanted.
There was only one, small, problem. Walter had the uncanny knack of being in the wrong place at the right time. Take for instance the time in first grade, just after he peed and went to the sink to wash his hands. For some reason the tubing going from the water shut off valve to the faucet decided it didn’t want to be friends anymore with the shut off valve. So, it broke the connection, and poor Walter was drenched by the time the janitor arrived, thanks to Walter’s screams, and closed the valve.
Or the time a few weeks later as Walter was walking down the hall at school, and the valve on a fire extinguisher failed at the exact time Walter was next to it. Walter ended up looking like a snowman. Or in second grade, again just after Walter used the toilet, and as he was washing his hands, the head of the arm on the faucet broke, and Walter looked like he just jumped into a pool with all his clothes on. Or the time his third grade class went out for recess. Walter was last in line, but got distracted by something on the science bulletin board. Before he knew it, everyone was outside except him. He took two steps out of the door and a careless workman, working above, knocked over a bucket of pink paint and the paint fell and hit Walter just as though it was all planned; that workman thought all the kids had passed by when no more kids came out of the building, and started painting again.
These are just a few examples of the events Walter encountered during his time in school, eventually causing the other students to keep their heads on a swivel when they were with Walter. And Terry’s reaction to all these events? “Tsk tsk tsk…” And out of school was no better, though those incidents were shrugged off as boys being boys.
Walter and some of the boys were building a treehouse out in the woods. It hadn’t rained in several weeks, so there shouldn’t have been a muddy spot anywhere near the boys’ construction site. But there was one, and Walter found it. He was looking at something near that spot, when he heard a cracking sound, looked up and saw a tree branch falling toward him, causing Walter to jump back. Right into the mud. And as he tried to step out of the mud his foot slipped, and he landed face first in the mud. And when he tried to get up he slipped again and landed flat on his back in the mud. Each time he tried standing he’d end up back on his face or flat on his back. He eventually got out of that mud by crawling on his hands and knees until he reached terra firma.
And when his mom saw him?
Terry was standing at the kitchen sink, looking out of the windows above the sink, when she saw movement in the woods behind their house, but couldn’t make out who, or what it was. Her patience was rewarded by seeing a boy walk out of the woods, heading for her house. Then the light went on, it was Walter. And he was a mess, covered from head to toe with mud. Again it was “tsk tsk tsk,” before Terry walked from the kitchen through the mud room and out the back door. When Walter was a few feet from her she held up her hand then said, “Whoa there, buster. Don’t come any closer. What happened this time?”
Walter started laughing before he started telling his mom what happened. “Well, where we were building our treehouse there happened to be a muddy spot nearby. While the guys were pulling some things up into a tree, I spotted something that interested me. I was looking at it when I heard this cracking sound, and looked up to see a branch falling toward me. Well I sure didn’t want to get hit so I jumped back, and landed in that muddy spot. Right then, the only thing muddy was my shoes. But when I took a step to get out of that mud, my foot slipped and I landed on my face. I tried to stand up again but again slipped and fell flat on my back. This all happened a couple of times before I decided it was best not to stand, and just crawled out of that mud.”
Terry eyed Walter for a few moments before telling him, “Stay right there and take off your shoes and socks.” She watched as Walter sat down in the grass and started taking off his shoes and socks. Terry turned and walked to a small garden shed behind the house, opened the door, rummaged around inside for a bit, then came back out carrying a nozzle for the garden hose. She walked over to where the garden hose lay, picked up the end, screwed on the nozzle, turned on the water and walked back where Walter was now standing. “Alright, mudman, arms straight out to your sides and close your eyes,” Terry told him before opening the end of the nozzle until it was a medium force spray. Staying back so she wouldn't get sprayed with muddy water, Terry started at the top of Walter and hosed him all the way to the ground. Seeing he needed more mud removed, and that he was now standing in mud, she instructed him to, “Take three steps to your right.”
The hose down and then move happened three more times until Terry was satisfied she had hosed all of the mud off Walter’s hair, head, hands and feet. But there was underneath all the, now, sopping wet clothing she questioned. It took a lot to embarrass Walter so when she told him, “Okay, take everything off except your underwear.” Walter took three steps to his right, on his own, before first pulling his T-shirt up over his head. He then unzipped his jeans, then popped the snap at the top, but had to sit down to take them all the way off because they were so wet he could only get the bunched up mess down to his knees. Once the jeans were off, Terry set the nozzle to a gentler spray and again hosed Walter down; he was almost as muddy underneath his clothing. He side-stepped a couple of times until Terry proclaimed him fit to enter HER house, and head straight to the bathroom for a good washing in the tub. Terry did have Walter wait until she shut off the water for the hose and got a towel so he could dry off as much as possible before he went into the house and headed to the bathroom. Terry did help Walter clean himself by helping clean his ears, after bringing him clean everything. Walter had put the washcloth over his groin, but Terry just chuckled and told him, “Son, I’ve seen what you carry down there. Remember, I gave birth to you.” Walter just laughed as he handed Terry the washcloth so she could give his ears a good cleaning.
Another time he was playing football with the other boys, and suddenly disappeared from the field. It didn’t take the others long to see what happened, as Walter had found the only soft spot on that field. And while standing on it, it collapsed under him, dropping him two feet deeper than his height of 4 feet 6 inches.
Or the time he was out riding his bike. He had biked to a park just a few blocks from his house, and stopped to get a drink of water from a drinking fountain. There was a shed near the drinking fountain, so Walter leaned his bike against it instead of laying it on the ground. After getting his drink he lifted his bike to get it away from the shed so he could get on and ride home. Just as he lifted his bike, the front wheel, back wheel and chain fell off. He was able to put everything back on and finger tighten the nuts for the wheels, but ended up walking his bike back home. And Terry’s reaction? Right, “tsk tsk tsk.” After this incident, Walter started carrying a few tools with him any time he rode his bike.
However, all these experiences would pale in comparison to how his life was going to be thrown into a tizzy once he reached his freshman year in high school. And mom was going to have more to say than just, “tsk tsk tsk.” Much more.
A person would think after all he experienced and being laughed at because of it all, Walter would have created a thick defensive wall around himself. But the opposite happened, he laughed along with the others, cracking wise each time something happened. Laughing at himself after each incident helped him be more accepted by the other students and kids he knew. They actually admired him for not flying off the handle and just accepting what happened. It would also be what helps him get through something that was going to happen a few days into his freshman science class. Something that would show him and everyone else who Walter’s true friends were.
Walter didn’t know it, or had even considered it, but he had an admirer who became enamored with him during middle school; this actually started in elementary/grade school. The reason Walter never noticed her was due to his having more fun doing all the things he liked than having a personal relationship with a girl. Plus, while he was all boy, and although the other boys had started noticing girls, and talking about them, the subject never seemed to interest Walter in any way. He did meet her, one day during their eighth grade art class, just after he had another run in with an encounter.
The art teacher, Mr. Steve Combs, was trying to teach the students how to paint using watercolors. He showed them pictures of some of the best watercolors ever done, before starting to explain the proper technique and demonstrating everything he told them. Once he was through explaining and demonstrating, he had everyone get the needed supplies out of the supply cabinet and do their best to paint the still life they saw in the middle of the circled desks. Each student had a small container of water to rinse off their brushes, plus an assortment of brushes and paints they could use. For their first try, Mr. Combs only wanted to make sure they understood that a little water went a long way when using watercolor paints, but was pleasantly surprised when he saw very passable pictures emerge of the chair with a bowl of fruit sitting in the seat of the chair.
Because Mr. Combs had heard from the janitor about clogged sink drain pipes, from pouring rinse water or anything else down the sink drain, they had come up with a way to filter everything non-flammable so all large particles were filtered out as the liquid was poured down the sink drain. With ten minutes to go before the first bell, Mr. Combs told the students it was time to clean up and instructed them where to pour their rinse water before rinsing out their containers. The janitor had come up with a fine mesh filter which they found did an excellent job filtering out the large particles that were the reason for the clogged sink drain pipes. The filter was stretched over a five gallon bucket which was placed on a table near the sink.
As usual, Walter was distracted by what he was doing and had to rush to clean up, pour out his rinse water and rinse out the container. He finished putting his paints and brushes away and was hurrying to pour out his rinse water when right as he reached the table with the five gallon bucket on it, he hit a previously unknown slick spot on the floor. He hit the floor on his back, and slid into the table so hard that the force of the collision toppled the five gallon bucket. As Walter looked up from the floor he watched as that five gallon bucket tipped over in his direction, and its contents gave him a bath. The collision of Walter and the table grabbed Mr. Combs’ attention, causing him to almost run from the other end of the classroom to make sure no one was hurt. As he hurried to inspect any damage he started hearing laughter, something he wasn’t expecting. When he reached the location of the laughter he saw Walter lying on the floor, drenched with water and laughing. Mr. Combs told Walter to stay where he was and called the school nurse using the phone on his desk. The nurse came into the classroom, out of breath, gave Walter a good examination, asked him a few questions and pronounced him no worse for wear. The nurse and Mr. Combs had Walter stay where he was while they used paper towels to clean up the spilt water, before helping him to his feet; they didn’t want him to slip again. And as usual, Walter cracked wise as he said, looking down at his shirt, “Guess the next time I want a tie dyed shirt I better take it off first.” It had the desired effect of causing the nurse and Mr. Combs to chuckle and the kids to laugh. The nurse then took Walter back to her office in order to help him clean up and to dry the clothes he was wearing.
Marge Stillman had been in the same class with Walter since both started school eight years ago. She always felt bad for Walter every time something happened to him but never had the chance to help when something did happen. This time, she had been sitting at the end of a table that allowed her to watch as everything unfolded. She watched Walter’s feet slip out from under him, as he fell to the floor and slid into the table, and watched as the five gallon bucket tipped over and dumped the water all over Walter. She also watched as Walter started to laugh, that lovely laugh he did when things happened to him. She loved his laugh, and secretly loved him, and had for some years. He’d always been kind to her, helped her when she asked, but nothing she could do ever got Walter’s attention enough to be more than friends. Marge wasn’t going to give up, though. She was going to win Walter’s heart if it was the last thing she ever did. And like Walter, she didn’t know how much Walter was going to need not only her help, but her friendship as well in the next few months. And her desire for more than friendship? She would have some decisions to make when Walter needed her the most.
Walter turned out to be an excellent student, because he loved to learn and was curious about almost everything. So it was no surprise to his mom and dad, Terry and Shelby Williams, or anyone, when Walter passed from elementary school with top grades. Or out of middle school, Junior High, with top grades. Now he was entering high school as a freshman, and, besides his classmates, was known by many of the students because of the past events they witnessed. Those who didn’t know Walter were told by those who did to keep their eyes moving at all times if they were with Walter. And if something looked funny, run, because it was going to hit Walter. And if a new person asked Walter about those events, he would laugh and tell the whole story. And continue to laugh right along with that new person. He was not ashamed or embarrassed by any of those events.
Walter’s first day as a freshman in high school was kind of hectic, learning where all his classes were and his hall locker. And making sure he had all the required books, or the books the bookstore said he needed for each class. His first class was freshman science, with Mrs. Brigette Stokes, one of the best liked teachers in school, Walter discovered later. Freshman science was basically an introductory class which covered Biology, Chemistry, and Physics. None of the sections were covered in depth, but it was felt by the school board that introducing each topic would help the students when they actually took each of those classes. Once the second bell rang, Mrs. Stokes closed the classroom door, took out her grade book and called roll. Only one student found out they were in the wrong first period science class and left to walk next door to the correct science class. After taking roll, Mrs. Stokes laid down the law as to conduct while in class. Telling the students, “A lot of things in this class can hurt you if you clown around while using them. First person I see clowning around goes to see the Principal, and will be assigned to a new science class. Next, anytime you are doing any class lessons and using anything more than your textbooks, you WILL wear safety glasses or goggles. And if you are handling any chemicals, you WILL wear protective gloves as well. Also, do NOT sniff any chemical you are working with, I don’t want to explain to the Principal, or to your parents, why you had to go to the hospital. Or even worse, why you died.” That last statement of Mrs. Stokes had the effect she wanted, everyone gasped at the thought of dying at school. She then showed them the emergency shower and eyewash station and told the students what they were for and when, and how, to use each one.
For the rest of the period, she went over the textbook and made sure everyone had one, and the correct one. She then explained how part of the class would be lecture, questions and answers, and part hands on lessons. She told them how many tests there’d be and that they’d cover the material covered in class and the textbook. She then took everyone back to the supply room, giving out either safety glasses, or goggles for those with glasses, for them to keep in their own bin in the classroom. In the supply room she pointed out the glass equipment they’d use, and the name of each item. She showed them the other items they’d use during their classroom lessons. Mrs. Stokes then showed them the chemicals they’d use, and how to treat each one when using it, warning them again about not clowning around when using them. Once Mrs. Stokes finished explaining everything in the supply room, she had everyone take off their eye protection and return to their seats, where they started the dreaded, “Hi, I’m…” and explained a bit about themselves until the first bell rang.
Brigette Stokes was pleased with the bunch of freshman students she had this year for her first period science class. They all seemed level headed and interested in the class. But Brigette Stokes knew nothing about the problems Walter Williams often encountered, no one had bothered to tell her. She was going to learn, though, within a very few days. In a very few days, Walter was going to experience a life changing event that no one would ever forget.
Walter had made it through third period and took time to use the boys’ restroom between classes. As he was sitting on the toilet something caused a big surge of water to come out of the drain pipes for the toilets, something that should NOT have happened. The other boys heard the sound of the rushing water and then a scream, followed by a deep throated laughter, as the door to the stall Walter was in opened and everyone saw a completely soaked Walter walk out of the stall. Laughing his head off. Of course the other boys had to laugh along with him, it wasn’t every day they could laugh at someone’s misfortune. Or with someone because of their misfortune. One of the boys went for a teacher, who then called the Principal and reported what happened. Walter was then taken to the boys locker room where he was given soap and a towel, and told to shower and wait while his mom brought him clean clothes and shoes. A teacher stayed with Walter to make sure he was alright, and found it strange to see Walter laughing instead of ranting because of what happened to him.
After cleaning up, and getting clean clothes and shoes, Walter made it to the last fifteen minutes of his fourth period class, American History. He gave the note from the Principal to Miss Dunkin, which explained why Walter was late. Of course, student drums had already relayed news about the event, so everyone in class knew; those who knew about Walter’s past weren’t surprised by what happened. Miss Dunkin told Walter to take one of the empty seats and to see her right after class, she had some material to give him. And class continued where it left off when Walter walked into the class.
The rest of the day went well for Walter, and anyone with him. And when he got home from school that afternoon, his mom only said, “Tsk tsk tsk.” And shook her head, before hugging him and asking if he was okay. When he replied he was, she kissed him on the cheek before telling him to go work on any homework he had before dinner. As she watched him walk down the hall to his bedroom, she wondered, not for the first time, why all these things happened to Walter. And if they would ever put him into the hospital. Little did she know that thought would come to fruition at school in a few days. And change the family’s life forever.
Walter’s second day at high school started off without any incidents through all of his morning classes. Those who knew of Walter’s proclivity for being in the wrong place at the right time kept watching for the next event to occur. When one didn’t occur during the morning classes, they thought the entire day would be event free. Everything that had happened to Walter happened while in class or in the school hallway. Nothing had ever happened anywhere else in school.
Because Walter made it through the morning without another event, those familiar with Walter’s misfortune stopped paying attention to him when he walked into the cafeteria and got in line to buy his lunch. Everything was fine up to the point when Walter paid for the spaghetti, mixed salad, and iced tea he’d chosen for lunch. It was after he paid that things went into the air. Another boy had paid for his lunch before Walter, and after paying for his lunch, Walter naturally followed behind the other boy to find a place to sit. About ten feet past the cashier the boy in front of Walter took a step, and that foot shot out from under him. The boy’s legs went forward, his torso went backwards, and as he fell backwards, the tray he was carrying was thrown backwards, causing the tray’s contents to fly backwards as well. It was like a catapult, as everything on that tray flew through the air and hit Walter in the chest and face. And the noise in the cafeteria suddenly died, as everyone’s attention was drawn to Walter. There Walter stood, spaghetti and meat sauce on his face, in his hair, and sliding down the front of his shirt. And the other boy lying flat on his back on the floor.
Those who’d seen these types of events just shook their heads. Those who were witnessing a Walter event for the first time weren’t prepared for what others knew would happen. Those first timers had often seen someone go nuts with anger when something happened to them. But they were shocked when Walter started laughing, and continued to laugh as he sat his tray down on a nearby table and helped the other boy get to his feet, asking, “Are you alright?” When the other boy said he was okay, just embarrassed, Walter told him, “You sure are a good shot,” and started laughing again. The other boy couldn’t help himself and laughed along with Walter. As did those in the cafeteria. Walter gave the boy his lunch, cleaned himself off the best he could, then paid for another spaghetti, mixed salad, and iced tea. He made sure no one was in front of him as he found an empty spot just past the cashier, sat down and ate his lunch. And if you guessed what Terry said when Walter got home and she saw his spaghetti stained shirt, you’d be right. “Tsk tsk tsk.”
Brigetti always liked to cover the Chemistry section first, then Physics and Biology last. Chemistry and Physics always seemed to keep the interest of the students, since Biology could get dry sometimes if it wasn’t an interest to the student. And she always started off with a demonstration of combining baking soda and vinegar. And as usual, the container she was going to use was a paper model of a volcano.
After she took the roll she asked, “Can anyone tell me what Sodium Bicarbonate is called in everyday language?” As she waited to see if anyone could, or would, answer, she put on a pair of safety glasses and disposal gloves. “Anyone?” Brigette asked when no one initially answered. A rather sheepish looking boy in the back of the class slowly raised his hand and said, “Um...baking soda?” Brigette knew of the boy and his problem with expressing himself in class. She reached under her lab table, pulled out a few hard candies, walked back where Danny was sitting, laid the candy on his desk before saying, “Correct, Danny Borden.” Brigette walked back to the front of the class, picked up a stoppered bottle with liquid in it and asked, “How about the common name for Acetic Acid? And not you this time, Danny.” Danny smiled and turned a light shade of pink because of what Brigette said to him. “Oh, come on, you or your moms or dads may use this on salads.” A girl sitting to Brigette’s right said in an exuberant voice, “It’s vinegar.” Again Brigette reached under her lab table, pulled out the hard candies and placed them on the girl’s desk. “You got it, Tonya Springer.”
Brigette walked behind her lab table, bent down and took out a model of a volcano. “Now, can anyone tell me what happens when you mix baking soda, or Sodium Bicarbonate, and vinegar, or acetic acid, together?” As she waited for an answer, she poured some of the baking soda into the top of the volcano model. About five different answers hit her ears at the same time; they all said the same thing but in different ways. Brigette knew who the five were, she’d been keeping an eye on her students as she poured in the baking soda. She pulled out the bag of hard candy from under her lab table and walked around the room handing out a few pieces to each who’d given an answer. “That’s right, if you pour vinegar into baking soda you’re going to get a lot of foam. Does anyone know what’s actually produced as a result of that combination.” She saw Dany start to raise his hand, he actually should be in chemistry right now but it wasn’t allowed. Stupid fools, Brigette thought to herself. “No one? Okay, Danny, you started raising your hand. What’s the answer?” As Brigette watched, Danny swallowed hard before saying, “Um...um...Carbonic Acid and Sodium Acetate?” Danny received more hard candy.
Brigette went on to explain what never to do with the two chemicals because someone could get seriously hurt. She then told the students she already put baking soda in the volcano model and as they watched, she poured the vinegar in the bottle into the top of the volcano model. As the students watched, lots of foam bubbled out of the top of the model and down the sides. And as happened in past classes, the students were awed by the sight. She then started explaining about the chemical reaction they all had just seen, going on to molecules, atoms, and covalent bonds. She also wrote out the chemical equation for the combining of baking soda and vinegar, and the results, before giving them reading assignments for the next day, telling them they’d be doing a hands-on experiment during the first part of class, just as the first bell rang.
Walter’s second period class, algebra, was just down the hall from his science class. He turned right after leaving the science class, had walked right up to where the entrance for the other science class was, and walked right into the door to that class as someone threw it open. Everyone in the hallway heard the thud, and saw Walter sitting on the floor, dazed a bit, but laughing nonetheless. The thud was so loud even Brigette heard it and came rushing out of her class to see what had happened; as did the teacher for that science class. When both teachers reached Walter he had a big knot on his forehead where the door hit him and was laughing. The teacher of that classroom phoned the nurse, who came and made sure Walter wasn’t otherwise hurt before helping him up off the floor and taking him to the school infirmary. Of course the Principal was notified, as was Terry, and both the nurse and the Principal insisted Walter be taken to the emergency room to make sure he was alright. So much for his algebra class. Walter was back at school by third period, and no worse for wear. Except for the big knot in the middle of his forehead.
And yes, when Terry first walked into the school infirmary she was shocked by the large knot on her son’s forehead. And after sitting down on the bed beside him, asking if he was okay, and getting Walter’s usual, “Yeah, sure, mom, I’m fine,” she kissed him on the cheek before shaking her head and saying, “tsk tsk tsk.”
The doctors in emergency had performed a scan on Walter’s head, found nothing wrong and told Terry Walter might experience headaches for a while, and to use whatever they used for headaches. And, if he started acting differently to get him back to the hospital immediately. So when Walter got home from school that afternoon, Terry had Walter take a couple of headache tablets, just in case, made sure he was okay, then sent him up to his room to start work on his homework before dinner. Walter didn’t see his mom in the kitchen wiping tears off her cheeks. Knowing things could have been a lot worse than they were.
Right Time
By Jamie Lee
Most often people talk about being in the right place at the right time. Maybe they achieved a beautiful photo of a sunrise, or the antics of children or animals. Maybe they found something someone lost and received a big reward when it was returned. But how often do they talk about being in the wrong place at the right time? If they do, it’s often about the death of someone or maybe witnessing a crime. And if this is the case, they are sad or horrified. Walter Williams often is in the wrong place at the right time, though his reaction to the incidents he encounters is much different than anyone would expect. And, life changing.
Walter’s third day of high school started as the other days had started. He slapped the alarm clock quiet at 6:30 a.m., got out of bed and shuffled to the bathroom to do all he needed to do before getting dressed, making his bed, and after grabbing his backpack, heading to the kitchen for breakfast. At 7:15 a.m. he was standing at the pick up point for the school bus, along with about fifteen other students. If the other students looked a bit nervous being around Walter, they had good reason. They’d all seen what could happen to Walter and didn’t want to be near him if/when it happened. But their fears were premature, as the school bus arrived, they and Walter were still in one piece, and when everyone was aboard the school bus, the school bus driver guided the school bus nicely down all the streets until they arrived safe and sound at school. It was rather interesting, though, right after the bus stopped in front of the high school and the bus driver opened the door, a race began to see how fast everyone could get away from where Walter was sitting on the bus. Or where they knew he’d go right after Walter got off the bus. They were not taking any chances.
When most of the students arrived at school they’d head to their hall lockers to swap out books and grab whatever other things they’d need for the classes they’d have up to their lunch period. Some would wait until the first bell rang before doing this, causing some upset feelings as they’d rush by and bump into others going to class. Walter had always been of the former group, often to be found afterwards either standing by his first period class or already sitting in the classroom. When Mrs. Stokes arrived at her classroom, she found Walte leaning up against the wall reading his science textbook.
“Ah Walter, good morning. How are you doing today after you and that door met?” Brigette could still see the knot on Walter’s forehead, though it wasn’t as pronounced as it had been yesterday. Walter chuckled, rubbed the knot and told Brigette, “Well, better than I was yesterday, though it’s still sore where the door and I met. And I don’t have a headache today.” And then to lighten the mood a bit he said, “Yeah know, I don’t mind meeting a door, but I’d wish they wooden be so quick to make my acquaintance.” It took Brigette a few moments to realize Walter had said ‘wooden’ instead of ‘wouldn’t.’ She rolled her eyes, shook her head and told Walter, “Walter, that was really terrible.” They both laughed, then Walter followed Mrs. Stokes into his first period science class. Just as the first bell rang.
A couple of students came rushing into Brigette’s science class just as the second bell began to ring. She waited until they were seated before taking roll. What had surprised everyone as they had taken their seats, were the few pieces of hard candy sitting on the desk tops. Brigette had even provided sugar free candy for those who had to watch their sugar intake, she didn’t want anyone left out. “Alright everyone, before you spoil your breakfast with what you found on your desk tops, don’t. Put those candies away for another time. Now, today we’re going to do our first hands on experiment, and you’ll need to have your thinking caps with you for this one.” Brigette had seen several start to unwrap the candies she’d given them, and watched several rewrap the pieces they’d almost put into their mouths. Once everyone had put the candy into their pockets or purses, Brigette continued with, “Remember we talked about molecules and atoms yesterday? And that when you combine two chemicals there is a specific result? Well, today, you’re going to be combining H2O and C2H6O. Not yet Danny,” Brigette told him as he had anticipated her next question and started to raise his hand. “Does anyone besides Danny know what H2O and C2H6O are called in common terms?” This time several hands were raised, Walter’s included. “Okday, Walter, you’ve been quiet these past two days. Let’s see if your meeting with that door caused any lasting effects.” Brigette had seen some kids go red in the face when she’d bring up something that happened to them. But after she saw how Walter reacted yesterday she felt she could tease him a bit. Walter did laugh before telling Mrs. Stokes, “Well, Mrs. Stokes, that door didn’t grain any knowledge from me so the answer to your question is Water and Alcohol.” The class was silent, digesting what Walter just said. When his play on words caught on there were groans and candy flying in Walter’s direction. Even Brigette had rolled her eyes and shook her head before telling him in a deadpan voice, “Walter, that one was worse than your first one.”
Once Brigette had settled everyone back down, she had them turn to a page in their textbooks. She had them look at a small experiment on that page, one that told what glass equipment they’d need and the amount of water and alcohol they’d need. She also directed their attention to the question that followed the instructions for the experiment, telling them, “I don’t want you to speculate at the results now, but write down your thoughts just before you pour the alcohol into the water. Remember to put on your safety glasses or goggles, and you’ll find everything you need in the supply room already marked for this experiment. Remember what I said about clowning around. Okay, let’s go do some chemistry, shall we?” And with Brigette’s last question, everyone walked over to their assigned bin, took out their own eye protection then lined up to get what they needed from the supply room. Walter, of course, found something fascinating in the material he’d been reading, and was reading it now when he heard Brigette say, “Walter, you going to join us today?” Walter’s head snapped up, and looking around him, found the seats vacant and everyone lined up for the supply room. He chuckled then told Brigette, “Sorry, Mrs. Stokes, just reading something I found interesting in our textbook.” He got up from his seat, grabbed his eye protection from his assigned bin, and became tail end Charlie in the line for the supply room.
Brigette had told everyone which shelf the stoppered bottles of alcohol were on and there was enough for each person to have one bottle. Finding the milliliter beakers they would use didn’t require her instructions. Brigette had divided her attention to what each student took out of the supply room and having them take any lab table space that was vacant. As the students started filling their beakers with the required amount of water, Brigette lost track of the one student still in the supply room, Walter, as she made sure each student put on a pair of disposable gloves before removing the stopper from the bottle with the alcohol in it.
Walter had picked up the correct size beaker but when he looked on the shelf for the bottle of alcohol, he found it empty. He started looking at the other shelves and saw one bottle on the top shelf of the cabinet that should have been for inert chemicals only. Walter had always been self reliant, so the thought of talking to Mrs. Stokes never crossed his mind. He sat the beaker back down on the shelf it came from and stood back to determine how he could get to that one bottle of alcohol. He tested the height of the second shelf by lifting his leg and placing it on that shelf. “That will work,” he muttered to himself, as he grabbed the sides of the cabinet carcass with both hands, stepped up onto the second shelf and pulling himself up against all of the shelves, let go with his right hand and reached up and took the bottle off the top shelf.
Brigette had been helping one student who was having trouble removing the glass stopper from the bottle, when she heard a terrible crash coming from the supply room. A sudden thought struck Brigette and she quickly scanned the students at the various lab tables. Walter was missing. Some of the students closest to the supply room had started walking toward the room when they heard Brigette yell, “EVERYONE! STAY WHERE YOU ARE. PUT EVERYTHING DOWN, PUT THE STOPPERS BACK IN THE BOTTLE OF ALCOHOL, AND GO BACK TO YOUR SEATS!” When some stood where they were she hollered, “NOW!” After her last order, and seeing the look on her face, no one stayed where they were any longer than it took for the student in front of them to move.
When Brigette saw everyone, except Walter, had returned to their seats, she quickly made her way to the supply room, hoping it wasn’t as bad as it sounded. When she reached the door to the supply room she froze, as she saw Walter lying at the bottom of the cabinet carcass on his right side. As she surveyed the scene, she heard Walter moan, but also saw him covered in broken glass, broken shelving, and a mixture of all the inert chemicals that were stored on the shelves of that cabinet. She turned to the wall on her left, lifted the receiver of the phone on the wall and dialed the nurse, telling her when she answered, “Code RED in Science Classroom 1, Code RED in Science Classroom 1.” There was no need for her to hear what the nurse replied because it was a well rehearsed action plan for any accidents in any of the science classes. The teacher called the nurse, the nurse immediately called the office and repeated the Code. The office then called the paramedics who would bring the ambulance and make their way to the appropriate classroom; the rescue services had been given the school layout, with every classroom listed.
Part of the emergency plan called for getting the students out of the classroom, so Brigette went back out to the classroom portion of the room and told everyone, “I want you all to pick up your things and go out into the hall. Quickly now, I need all of you to hurry.” She waved off questions and almost screamed at a few who thought they had a right to know what happened. Eventually all of her students were out in the hallway when she told them, “Follow me, quickly.” She led them to the next door Science Classroom, and not bothering to knock, opened the door and told Bobbi Abbernathy, “Code RED!” Bobbi then turned to her class and told them, “Alright everyone, listen closely. There’s been an emergency in Mrs. Stokes class, so her students will be in with us until the first bell rings. I want everyone to behave themselves while they are here. All of you have reading to do so you can get busy reading. Mrs. Stokes, have your students sit at the lab stations in the back of the class. And if there aren’t enough seats they can sit on the tables.” Bobbi took over the responsibility for Brigette’s students, as Brigette ran from the classroom and back to hers. Once in her classroom she grabbed a rubber apron and chemical resistant gloves before going back into the supply room. Just as she stepped into the supply room, the nurse came running into the classroom, carrying an emergency kit doctors and emergency personnel suggested they have on hand. She too put on a rubber apron and chemical resistant gloves before following Brigette into the supply room.
Walter was moaning louder than when Brigette first saw him, which was good, but there was still the problem of the broken glass, shelving, and all the chemicals. The nurse went over to where Walter lay, got down on the floor, mindful of all the glass, and checked to make sure Walter didn’t have any broken bones. “Poor kid,” she said aloud, as she saw the lump on his forehead that had gone down. “Brigette, get a broom so we can get this broken glass on the floor out our way, so neither of us gets cut while getting him out of here.” Brigette didn’t move an inch, just reached around the door frame of the supply room door and pulled the broom back into the room. She handed it to the nurse who quickly swept everything she saw aside. Then the ladies went to work carefully pulling out the broken shelving laying next to and on Walter. Once the broken shelving was out of the way they worked on getting the bigger pieces of broken glass off him. Once those two steps were done, both women carefully lifted a dazed Walter to his feet and hurriedly took him to the emergency shower in the corner of the lab area. The two women had just got Walter, clothes and all, under the water when two paramedics came into the classroom. Since no one had said why the Code Red, and the two paramedics weren’t dressed for chemical problems, it was decided by the four to let the women continue holding Walter under the shower to make sure he was well rinsed off. Walter had started coming around as he was held under the spray of the shower, and bit by bit felt his clothing being taken off. For modesty they left his underwear on but handed over his clothing to the paramedics to be bagged and tagged.
As they took each piece of clothing off Walter, they could better see where he’d been cut by the glass. Some of the cuts were superficial, while others were quite deep and would need stitches. Even though those deep cuts were bleeding, they had to wait to be treated until they were sure all the chemicals were rinsed off Walter’s body. When the nurse said, “That’s enough time,” one of the paramedics turned off the water, while her partner found the towels used for emergency showers. The two paramedics had gloved up and while Brigette and the nurse held Walter up, the paramedics dried Walter enough to get him out of the shower and down on the floor, on more towels, so he could be treated.
The Principal had arrived by then, and Brigette and the nurse went over to talk with him while the paramedics worked on Walter. One of the paramedics got on his two-way and within a few minutes a fireman had brought in a gurney that would be used to take Walter out to the waiting ambulance.
.
Peter Stepel, the high school’s Principal, was as cool as a cucumber when it came to a crisis. He’d put in his time in some of the worst places people would ever see, and saw things he’d just as soon not talk about. “Brigette, what happened? How did Walter get hurt this time?” His eyes bored into Brigette’s eyes with more love and concern than anger and hate. “Peter...I...I really don’t know to be honest with you. I was helping a student with a problem she was having with a bottle of alcohol when I heard a loud crash. When I went into the supply room Walter was laying on his right side at the bottom of the cabinet carcass. It was the cabinet that held the inert chemicals. I immediately phoned nurse Bailey with a Code RED, got the other students out of the room, Dorothy checked Walter for broken bones before we moved him into the emergency shower and the paramedics arrived.”
Peter looked over where the paramedics were still working on Walter, covering the deeper cuts to stop the bleeding and stifle further contamination. He also noticed they had started Walter on an IV, likely a saline solution, if his memory served. “Let’s go see if we can’t figure out what happened. I guess we won’t know for sure until we can talk to Walter.” The three walked into the supply room and began looking closely at the shelving to see if they might give up a clue as to why they broke. There was going to be a thorough investigation because of the accident, and if they didn’t find anything then maybe the investigators would. As Brigette and Peter were looking at the broken shelving, Dorothy found something that struck her as funny. “Um, Brigette, why is there an unbroken bottle of alcohol there amongst everything else?” Brigette and Peter stopped looking at the broken shelving to look where Dorothy was pointing. There on the bottom left hand side of the cabinet carcass was one of the bottles of alcohol her students were to use for today’s experiment. Brigette looked at the shelf where that alcohol should have been, then back at that bottle of alcohol, then up and down that cabinet carcass, before saying, “I think someone put that bottle up on the top shelf of this cabinet. There couldn’t have been any way it went from that shelf,” and she pointed to the shelf where it should have been, “and end up there. Unbroken. I’m thinking Walter thought he could stand on one of those shelves and reach that bottle.” And Brigette was exactly right, Walter had stood on a shelf, thinking he could get the bottle of alcohol himself. When the shelves started collapsing, Walter had been pulling his body towards the shelves at his chest, thighs, and knees. As the shelves collapsed, his body weight was forward, and without the pressure from the three shelves, as those three shelves dropped, he went forward, hitting his head against the back of the cabinet carcass and falling to the bottom of that cabinet.
Peter frowned at Brigette’s idea, as he again looked at the broken shelving. “Maybe, Brigette. But look how thick those shelves are, they must be at least three fourths to an inch thick. Walter weighs what, maybe 130, 135 pounds? His weight shouldn’t have been enough to cause those shelves to break. Not the ones he wasn’t standing on. No, something else caused all this, something else caused those upper shelves to break and fall down to the lower shelves, which broke and fell until everything gave way and Walter fell. Well,” Peter said, walking over to the doorway to the supply room, “we can’t do any more now, we’ll have to let an investigators look into it. For now, let’s seal off this room, and we’ll look into getting you more supplies, Brigette; the room will also have to be decontaminated before it can be used again. When I find out where Walter’s being taken I’ve got another phone call to make. One that I dread.” First bell rang just as the paramedics had placed Walter on a backboard, placed a neck brace, secured him to the board, then lifted him and the board onto the gurney. As they were securing Walter to the gurney, Peter asked that they wait a few moments until the second bell rang so the hallway would be clear. He also asked where they’d be taking Walter and once he had that information, went to make a call he was going to hate making. A call he’d made once before. He just hoped he could sleep that night.
Once the second bell rang, the paramedics wheeled the gurney out to the waiting ambulance, with Peter following. Once the ambulance left, Peter started walking to the school office, thinking as he walked. ’Terry was going to be a mess when I tell her about Walter. She’ll want to speed to the hospital and maybe speed herself into an accident. With Shelby out of town, no one will be able to get her there and home again. To HELL with a phone call. I’ll help her myself.’ Peter’s mind made up, once in the office he went to Tina Strapworthy’s office, the school’s assistant Principal. He knocked on her office door, heard a, “Come in,” before opening the door, stepping into her office and closing the door behind him. “Um...Tina, we’ve had a bit of a situation in Science Room 1, Walter Williams was hurt and is right now being taken to the hospital. I’m going to his home to tell his mom, Terry, and then take her to the hospital. I may be gone the rest of the day, so I’d like it if you’ll take over for me. Make whatever decisions necessary when necessary, and knowing you, I’ll back whatever you decide. I’ll have to tell Margot about leaving, you know how she is,” and they both chuckled at Peter’s reference to Margot, “so, get with her and find out everything she has on schedule. Hopefully I’ll see you tomorrow morning.” Tina was a no nonsense person, but had a heart wider than the Grand Canyon. She had a way with the students that made them respect her as she confronted them about what they’d done. She never put that student down, only made him or her see how wrong they were to do what they did. Of course, that student got detention, or worse, but that was to be expected. Tina followed Peter out of her office, she didn’t want to miss Peter’s experience with Margot, his secretary.
Margot Dwater had been the Principal’s secretary ever since the Earth cooled and life began on its surface. She took no prisoners and would scare King Kong in returning to his island, but she was as fair a person as could be found. Peter walked to Margot’s desk, sat down in the chair in front of it and said, “Margot…” but never got the rest of his words out. “Yes, I heard. Walter Williams met another of his famous encounters. Damn, why him all the time?” She looked up at Peter, studied his face then told him, “And you can’t just make a phone call. You’re going to Walter’s house and tell his mom. And likely take her to the hospital and stay with her, so won’t be around the rest of the day.” And she looked around Peter to look at Tina. “And Tina will take over for you until you return, right?” Margot chuckled as she saw Peter’s expression, and said, “Peter, close your mouth, you’ll attract flies that way.” Peter closed his mouth as Tina chuckled behind him. All Peter could say in reply was, “Um...right. I’ve got to go.” And with that said, the two women watched as Peter grabbed some things out of his office before he all but ran out of the office and to the parking lot.
Margot looked at Tina before telling her, “Ya know, Tina, of all the Principals I’ve mothered at this school, that man is by far the best son I ever had. You make sure to take good care of him, RIGHT.” It was Tina’s turn to blush, since she thought no one knew about her and Peter, that they had been dating for several months and had fallen in love with each other. And that Tina felt Peter would ask her to marry her sometime soon. At least she hoped. “I will Margot, I most certainly will.” Margot hardly ever smiled, getting a pet name from the students. But this time she did, just after what Tina said. Peter had found himself a keeper, she thought to herself before going back to the task at hand.
Peter had sat in his car for a few moments in order to calm himself before he started the car and drove to Walter’s house. It wouldn’t do any good if he was involved in an accident on the way. Twenty minutes later he was pulling into the driveway for Walter’s house, again sitting for a few minutes before getting out of his car. Terry had seen a car pull up into the driveway and stood by the front window trying to see who it might be. Her stomach fell to her knees when she saw Peter Stepel get out of the car and walk up to the front door. He never got a chance to know of ring the doorbell, as Terry ripped the door open and in a hysterical voice asked, “How bad is he hurt?” Terry was shaking as Peter walked up to her, took her arm and walked her back into her house, closing the front door behind him. He guided her to the sofa, sat her down, found the kitchen and a glass, and brought her a glass of water before sitting down beside her.
With shaking hands, Terry accepted the glass of water, took a sip, and calmer this time asked, “How bad is Walter hurt?” Peter cleared his throat a couple of times before he told Terry, “Walter was in his first period Science class. The class was going to do an experiment that had them pouring alcohol into water and taking the resultant measurement. Each student was to have their own bottle of alcohol to use. Walter was the last student who went into the supply room to get his supplies. We believe the bottle of alcohol he would have gotten was put on the wrong shelf, and he tried to get it himself by standing on one shelf and reaching up to get the bottle. We don’t know why, but all the shelves picked that moment to collapse, and Walter fell into the cabinet and to the bottom as the shelves collapsed.” Peter let Terry take another drink of water before he continued explaining what they knew.
When Peter hesitated, Terry prodded him by saying, “Okay, but how badly was he hurt?” Peter looked down a moment, then looked up at Terry and replied, “The shelves in that cabinet contained inert chemicals in glass bottles.” And he held up his hand to forestall Terry from asking a question. “When those shelves collapsed, they fell down to the next shelf, which broke the bottles before that shelf fell, and so on. Walter was found at the bottom of the cabinet, covered with broken glass and a mixture of all those chemicals in that cabinet. His science teacher and the nurse got him as quickly as they could under the emergency shower in that room, after they removed as much glass as they could before they moved him. Walter has both superficial and deep cuts, those will need stitches. What we don’t know is how much of all those chemicals got into Walter’s bloodstream, or if any did, what effect they’ll have on him. A complete list of everything in that particular cabinet was sent with the paramedics for the doctors.” He held up his hand again and told Terry, “That’s all I know at this point. I’m going to take you to the hospital and stay with you as long as needed. Why don’t you get your purse, and whatever else you need and let’s get you up there.”
Terry reflected back to the day when she wondered when Walter was going to get badly hurt and need a hospital. Looks like that day has arrived, she thought to herself. “I have to call Shelby, he’ll need to know.” As she started to get up off the sofa, Peter gently laid his hand on her arm and reminded her, “Terry. Right now you only know Walter is in the hospital. You don’t know his condition at the moment. Why not wait to call Shelby after speaking with the doctors so you can give him that information at the same time?” Terry was quiet a moment, before nodding her head, setting down the glass of water on the end table, getting up off the sofa, grabbing her purse of the kitchen table, and taking a coat from the closet by the front door. She said no more as she opened the front, locked it, and started for Peter’s car. Peter followed her out the front door, closing it behind him. He then caught up with Terry, opening the front passenger door for her. She quietly got in, Peter walked to the driver’s side and got in the car, started the engine, backed out of the driveway and as calmly as he could, drove them to the hospital. His insides were doing flip flops at this point. He hoped he wasn’t taking Terry to see her dead son.
Right Time
By Jamie Lee
Most often people talk about being in the right place at the right time. Maybe they achieved a beautiful photo of a sunrise, or the antics of children or animals. Maybe they found something someone lost and received a big reward when it was returned. But how often do they talk about being in the wrong place at the right time? If they do, it’s often about the death of someone or maybe witnessing a crime. And if this is the case, they are sad or horrified. Walter Williams often is in the wrong place at the right time, though his reaction to the incidents he encounters is much different than anyone would expect. And, life changing.
When the paramedics arrived at the hospital with Walter, and wheeled him in on the gurney, they handed the attending emergency physician the pages listing all the chemicals Walter may have been exposed to. All that doctor said was, “Holy shit, take him to station three.” She got on the phone and paged several other doctors. What she was going to be dealing with was out of her league and she’d need a few specialists to lend a hand. But she could start treating the minor cuts and stanch the bleeding for the deeper ones. She had a feeling suturing up the deeper ones was not an option right at the moment. And she was shown correct, as the specialists arrived and they too couldn’t believe what Walter had been exposed to. And it was the correct decision not to suture the deeper cuts. Not until they were decontaminated and blood taken to see what had gotten into Walter’s bloodstream.
Peter and Terry had arrived an hour after Walter had arrived at the hospital. Even before Pete had pulled into a parking space and completely stopped his car, Terry was out of the car and running to the emergency room entrance. Peter followed a few moments after and when he entered the emergency room found a very distraught Terry giving the receptionist a very bad time. “I’m Terry Williams, my son, Walter Williams, was brought into this emergency room an hour ago. I need to see him, a doctor, anyone who can tell me what’s happening and how he is.” When the receptionist asked Terry to take a seat and she’d look into it, Terry blew up in her face. “LISTEN, YOU DAMN BITCH! I DON’T WANT TO TAKE A SEAT OR ANY OTHER DAMN THING. I WANT TO SEE MY SON AND I WANT TO SEE HIM NOW! DO...YOU...UNDERSTAND...ME, BITCH?” Peter grabbed Terry by the shoulders, turned her around and told her, “Terry, I know you’re upset, and so does this lady, but you can’t take your frustrations out on her. Let her do her job. Give her a few minutes to find out where Walter is and what they’re doing for him. Okay?” With tears in her eyes, she nodded her head, then turned back to the receptionist and apologized. The receptionist patted Terry’s hand and told her, “Had it been my son? I’d have torn this hospital apart looking for him. Give me one moment.” She picked up the phone and said a code which doctor’s knew meant get their butts to the emergency reception desk, family was here. Peter had started steering Terry to the seats in the waiting area, when they heard, “Mrs. Williams. I’m doctor Marsha Taylor. If you’ll come with me, and you too sir. I’ll take you to your son, and try explaining what we’re up against.”
As Terry and Peter walked with Dr. Taylor, she started explaining why they were having trouble deciding what treatment to give Walter. “You see, Mrs. Williams, we have protocols set up to handle specific chemicals, but your son was exposed to multiple chemicals, which by themselves, if handled properly, aren’t normally dangerous. But they mixed when the accident occured, and we aren’t quite sure which chemical to treat him for. Besides myself, there are three specialists discussing treatment possibilities, and it looks like we may be leaning towards trying dialysis. We think it’ll be the best way to filter out what may have entered his blood. But we’re waiting on the blood test results before making our final decision. Walter has several superficial cuts, which were easy to care for. The deeper cuts we left open, but stanched any bleeding; we didn’t want to close them up until we decided on a treatment.”
The three arrived at the room Walter had been moved to, in order to isolate him because of his chemical exposure. The doctor handed Peter and Terry masks before they went into Walter’s room, and as Terry looked at her son, she saw how pale he looked, and more like the little boy who made it this far without getting banged up too much. He was hooked to a monitor, which was beeping with each beat of Walter’s heart. She also saw he was being given an IV, likely to replace the fluid he lost because of all the cuts. She went over to his side, sat down in a chair and softly said his name. “Walter, it’s mom. Can you hear me, sweetheart?” She was about to take his hand in hers but remembered the chemicals, and instead brushed a stray hair back off his forehead. As she looked at her baby, Walter’s eyes fluttered open and he slowly turned his head to his mom. “Um...hi...mom. Guess my luck finally gave out, huh?” He tried to laugh as he always did, but the pain he felt was too much for him, and he winced instead. “What...are...the...doctors...going...to...do, mom?” It almost took a breath a word, because of the pain, for Walter to speak. “Walter. You were exposed to a lot of chemicals. They know how to treat a person exposed to one or two chemicals, but they’re trying to determine the best treatment for all the ones you were exposed to. Don’t worry, sweetheart, I can tell they’re doing their best to help you.” Walter’s eyes closed just as Terry finished talking. He was asleep again. The doctor motioned for her and Peter to follow her, and the three stepped out into the hallway.
“Mrs. Williams, until we know more, I’d like to limit your time with Walter because of all the chemicals. Right now he’s doing fine, if in some pain. Why don’t you and your husband,” and Terry laughed when Marsha said husband, as did Peter. “Dr. Taylor, Mr. Stepel is the Principal of Walter’s high school, and my brother. My husband is out of town at the moment working on a project for his firm.” Marsha chuckled, apologized and continued with, “Why don’t you and Mr. Stepel go to the cafeteria and get something to eat or drink. Call your husband, tell him what happened and that we’re doing everything to come up with a treatment. I’ll know where you are and will come and get you if there is any change, and when we’ve decided how to proceed.” Terry so wanted to stay by Walter’s side, but understood the possible danger to her and Peter, so allowed Peter to put his arm around her waist and guide her to the cafeteria. Where she spent some time on the phone talking to Shelby.
Shelby Williams was a partner in an architectural firm, out of town working with a client on a large apartment complex. He was finalizing everything with their client, even helping the contractor order all of the special material and items that would be needed. As he was explaining things to Tom Warmer, the client he was working with, his cell phone rang, showing 911 from Terry. Tom saw the look on Shelby’s face as he answered the call. “Hi honey…,” but he never got another word said, as Terry proceeded to tell him everything and where they were. Tom watched as Shelby’s face went white, and poured a glass of water, setting it in front of Shelby. The other words Tom heard were, “Okay, I’m on my way,” before Shelby ended the call, took a drink of the water Tom sat in front of him and told Tom, “Tom, I’m sorry, but my son is in the hospital after an accident in his science class today. I’ve got to go.” Shelby didn’t wait for Tom to reply, he simply got up and started for the door. “SHELBY,” Tom said loud enough to break through the haze he saw in Shelby’s eyes, “come back and sit down, please.” Shelby saw the pleading look on Tom’s face and did as Tom asked. Shelby picked up the glass of water and drank more, as he watched Tom make two phone calls.
“Patrick? This is Tom. I want the Lear fueled, stocked and ready to go in thirty minutes. Where to?” And Tom told Patrick which city they’d be flying to with one passenger. He made another call and Shelby heard, “Charlie, bring the limo around in fifteen minutes, you’re taking Mr. Williams to the airport.” Shelby started to protest everything Tom was doing but failed in his efforts. “Shelby, I would have fired your firm on the spot if you hadn’t done what you just did. I learned the hard way that family comes first. Besides, my plane can get you home in an hour and a half. You fly commercial, and it’s what, two, two and a half hours? If that? And you’re in no condition right now, you’re too worried about your wife and son, to do anything for yourself. Go, we’ll pick this up when you feel you can come back. Git…,” and Tom made shooing motions with his hands.
Shelby didn’t even bother to get his things from the hotel. He just called them and told them he had a family emergency and would someone pack his things and send them to Tom Warmer’s office. He’d pick them up when he came back. By the time Shelby reached the ground floor, Charlie was waiting by the reception desk and led Shelby out to the limo. When they reached the airport, Charlie drove to the private terminal and took Shelby inside to find one of the two pilots waiting for them. Shelby went through what security there was, climbed aboard the Lear and was off the ground headed home to his wife and son. It was only after they were in the air that Shelby started crying, thinking the worst had happened to Walter. To Shelby’s surprise, the attendant sat down beside Shelby and held him as he cried. Giving the man as much support as she could without getting too personal. When Shelby had cried himself out, he told Patty, the attendant on the flight, everything, and shed a few more tears for good measure. Patty left him for a few moments and returned with a warm washcloth, which she gave to Shelby. Followed by a bottle of bottled water. When she asked if he’d like something to eat, Shelby realized he hadn’t eaten lunch and asked what they had. Patty brought back a menu that listed some things a person would only find in an up-scale restaurant. However, Shelby picked the meatloaf, corn, mashed potatoes, and coffee as his choices. Then he sat back in his seat and looked out the window, wondering how Walter was doing right now. It wouldn’t be long and he’d find out for himself.
The Lear did land an hour and a half later, at the airport in the city where Shelby and his family lived. The plane taxied to the private terminal, where Shelby was met by David, a driver who had orders from Tom to take Shelby to the hospital. When Shelby started to tell David which hospital David told him, “Mr. Warmer already gave me that information, Mr. Williams. I was told to tell you, sit back, and just think about your family.” What Shelby didn’t see was the police cruiser sitting not too far in front of David’s limo. David signaled the officer, who turned on his lights, and David, with Shelby in the back, was escorted to the hospital where Walter was awaiting treatment. Shelby didn’t even notice that David never stopped at any stop sign or traffic light, but went right through both. Shelby didn’t even notice when they’d arrived at the hospital until the limo stopped and David opened the passenger side door. “Mr. Williams, we’re here, sir.” Shelby didn’t even reply as he shot out of the limo and ran into the emergency room entrance where he was met by Peter.
“How’s Walter, Peter? What are they doing for him? Can I see him?” Shelby fired more questions at Peter, but Peter just told him, “I’ll let Terry tell you everything, okay? She’s been in contact with Dr. Taylor more than I have.” And with that said, Peter took Shelby to the cafeteria, where, when an anxious Terry saw Shelby walk into the cafeteria, bolted out of her chair, knocking it over in the process. She grabbed Shelby as he grabbed her and the two cried on each other’s shoulders for several minutes before a passionate kiss occurred. Peter stepped up to the couple and suggested, “Why don’t we sit down and you can fill Shelby in, Terry?” The couple followed Peter’s suggestions, and noticed others watching as the couple walked over and sat down at the table Terry had been using.
Peter brought Shelby a sandwich and a cup of coffee as Terry started telling Shelby everything that happened at school and with the doctors. Peter excused himself, using the excuse he needed the restroom, and left Terry and Shelby talking with each other. When Peter entered the men’s restroom, he looked in the four stalls to make sure no one was in the restroom with him. He walked to a wall just past the last stall, put his back to the wall and slid down onto his calves. And began to cry. He hated to see his sister and her family going through all this. Even his nephew, Walter, didn’t deserve what happened. They’d done a good job keeping the family relationship with Walter a secret, least others think Peter was playing favorites with Walter. Peter didn’t know how long he cried, or was in the restroom, before he felt a hand on his shoulder, and looking up, saw Shelby standing in front of him. Peter could see Shelby’s eyes were red from crying, and after Shelby helped Peter stand, the two embraced in an attempt to comfort each other. Peter broke the embrace and went to the sink to splash water on his face, before the two rejoined Terry.
While Shelby had been in the air, Dr. Taylor had come to the cafeteria to talk with Terry about the treatment they believed would have the best chance to rid Walter’s blood of the chemicals that had entered into his bloodstream. After Dr. Taylor and three specialists had had a roundhouse discussion of the pros and cons of suggested treatments, they finally came to a consensus that dialysis would offer the best hope to clean Walter’s blood. They’d also be giving him fresh blood at the same time, hoping the new blood would help push out most of the chemicals. What they were worried about was the amount his skin had absorbed, which would be absorbed by the fatty tissue. They reasoned that by cleaning what they could, the rest would eventually leach out into Walter’s bloodstream or simply be rejected by his body.
It wasn’t long after Shelby brought a still hurting Peter back to the table that Dr. Taylor came into the cafeteria. She sat down in the fourth chair at the table and told all three, “Well, Walter is hooked up to a dialysis machine, and we’re giving him whole blood. If you’d like, I can take you all to the Dialysis Unit so you can see Walter for a few minutes.” The three didn’t have to be asked twice, as all three quickly stood up and followed Dr. Taylor. Because of the chemicals he’d been exposed to, Walter was again placed in a separate room while the dialysis machine did its work. Before the three went in to see Walter, they were made to ‘gown up’ and wear gloves and masks.
When Peter, Terry, and Shelby walked into the room, Terry noticed the monitor was beeping the same rhythm it had been when she first saw Walter. The three took in all the tubes going to and from Walter, and the fresh blood hung next to the IV. Terry sat down next to Walter’s bed and again softly said, “Walter, it’s mom, hun. Can you hear me? Your dad’s here and so is Uncle Peter.” Walter’s eyes fluttered open and he took in first his dad then his Uncle, as he said, better this time, “Oh, hi dad, Uncle Peter. I must look a real mess, huh? You should see the other guy.” As before he tried to make light of the situation, but winced instead. “Guess I’m not going anywhere for a while, huh? What about school, Uncle Peter? About my classes?” Both Shelby and Peter replied to Walter’s hello, before both had to clear their throats several times before Shelby told Walter, “Ah, no, son. It looks like you’ll be in the hospital until the doctors think it’s safe for you to leave.” It was Peter’s turn as he said, “Walter, don’t worry about your classes, this is one heck of a reason to get out of school.” Walter could see his Uncle was trying to lighten the mood with his levity, and smiled but winced instead of laughing. Then he drifted off to sleep again. It was about that time Dr. Taylor told the three their time limit was up and they needed to come out of the room.
Once all three had removed the gowns, gloves and masks, Dr. Taylor took them to a waiting room, offering the three something to drink before she sat them down and became rather technical with them. She told them about the discussion the four doctors had and why they believed the dialysis would be the best upfront treatment. They could give Walter drugs designed to counteract a few of the chemicals in Walter’s blood, but wouldn’t affect the others. So they’d have to give him more to counteract the others. The four felt the side effects from the combination of several different counter agents were too risky for Walter in the long run. Marsha told them they were taking blood samples every half hour, and checking to see if, and how much, the level of chemicals in Walter’s blood was dropping. And so far, things look good. The levels were dropping. Marsha was completely honest with the three when she said, “The unknown right now is how much his body absorbed through the skin. Or if there would be any adverse effects over the long haul. That teacher did an excellent job of getting Walter washed off as quickly as she could, but there was still some absorption.”
It didn’t take a doctor to see the exhaustion on the faces of Peter, Terry, and Shelby. So Marsha was stern when she told them, “Now, you three. You’re exhausted. Waiting around here isn’t going to get things done any faster.” She held up her hand to forestall a complaint Terry was about to give. “I know, Terry, you’re concerned about your son, you all are. But you’re exhausted. Especially you, Shelby. And Peter, you aren’t much better. GO...HOME. Get something to eat and go to bed. I have all of your phone numbers and will call you if you need to be called. You can return in the morning, bright eyed and bushy tailed. And don’t worry, even though I know you won’t, we’ll take excellent care of Walter.” Marsha almost had a mutiny on her hands until she simply laid down the law, and told them sternly, go home, eat, rest.
All three saw the look on Marsha’s face and knew she met business, so as they talked amongst themselves, they decided to go out to eat supper, since it was almost 8 p.m. They thanked Dr. Taylor, and on the way to the parking lot, Shelby made a call to his partner, then to Tom. Peter made a call to Tina to tell her he may not be in school the following day. While none of them said they were very hungry, once they arrived at the restaurant, they ate like pigs, though polite pigs. After the restaurant, Peter drove Terry and Shelby home, hugging both, kissing his sister on the cheek, before going home himself. They all could feel how tired they were once they laid down in bed. But it would be several hours before anyone actually fell into a deep sleep. Their minds were on Walter.
It had been decided that Peter would pick up Terry and Shelby at 9 a.m. the next morning and take them to the hospital. Terry and Shelby tried to argue with him, but as he pointed out, Walter is their son, and they are still upset. Terry tried to pull the “But you’re upset too” trick, but Peter, knowing his sister, countered with “Yes, I’m upset, but you are his parents.” Terry had simply kissed him on the cheek and thanked him for being there for them.
Peter rang the Williams doorbell at 9 a.m., almost getting run over as Terry came flying out of the house, followed by Shelby, who locked and closed the front door. He looked at Peter and told him, “She’s been like this since 6 this morning. We’d better get going.” Though the situation was serious, Peter chuckled and followed Shelby to his car. Terry had already called shotgun, though no one heard her actually say it, and was so fidgety that Shelby and Peter thought she may need something to calm her down; they’d talk to Dr. Taylor when they arrived at the hospital. And when they did arrive at the hospital, Terry did the same thing she did the first time Peter brought her. She jumped out of Peter’s car even before it’d completely stopped moving in the parking space. And as before, ran into the hospital. Peter looked at Shelby, and he Peter, and both knew Dr. Taylor had to give Terry something to calm her down.
When both men entered the hospital, they saw Terry standing at the reception desk, pacing back and forth. Shelby told the receptionist who they were and why they were there, before both men took Terry by the arms and forced her to go with them and sit down. “Terry, you’ve got to calm down or you’re going to end up here when Walter’s released. Dr. Taylor told us they’d do all they could for Walter. She also told us, last night, that she would call if we needed to be called.” Shelby then gently reached up and cupped his wife’s chin, turned her head to face him and asked, “Did we receive any calls from the hospital last night?” He then took his other hand and gently wiped the tears of Terry’s cheeks. And as the tears fell, Terry told her husband, “But he’s my baby, Shelby,” and leaned into him and let the tears fall.
Marsha had just turned the corner and started into the waiting room, when she saw what was taking place between Terry and Shelby. She stopped, backed up a step, and waited until she felt it was right to approach the three people. When Terry started wiping her eyes, Marsha felt it was the right time to intrude, and started walking again, sitting down in a chair she pulled over and turned around to face Peter, Terry, and Shelby. She reached over and took Terry’s hand, before telling them, “The dialysis did as we hoped. The levels of chemicals in Walter’s bloodstream have dropped to almost nothing. It will take his body a few days to kick out the rest, but he’s going to be okay. Now, as I told you yesterday, we don’t know how what his body absorbed is going to affect him or if it will affect him. So he’ll need to come see us once a week for the next month. He’s off the dialysis machine and was washed down again, his deep cuts have been sutured, and we’ve moved him into a private room. By the looks on your faces, I’d guess you’re anxious to see him. He’s in room 410 on the fourth floor.” Peter had to grab Terry to slow her down, as she all but rocketed out of her chair. Shelby told Peter, “You go ahead and go with Terry, I’d like to talk with Dr. Taylor a bit.” When Terry and Peter were out of earshot, he told Marsha about how Terry had been acting since yesterday, and was worried she’d end up in the hospital if she didn’t calm down. Marsha patted Shelby’s hand and told him, “I’ll have a talk with her, and prescribe something to help with her anxieties.” Shelby thanked Marsha before he took the elevator to the fourth floor and walked into room 410, only to find a tearful Terry holding her bright eyed son’s hand with a gloved hand. He thought to himself as he looked at Walter, ‘That boy has a smile that just doesn’t quit.’ Then he too started wiping tears out of his eyes, and joined his wife and son.
Marsha gave the three about an hour with Walter, alone, before she walked into the room and exclaimed, “My, don’t you look better this morning, Walter. How do you feel?” She waited for his answer as she checked his chart on her tablet, checked his vitals, then stood and looked at him. Terry knew her son was feeling much better when they all heard him say, “Well, now I know how a car feels when it has its oil changed. It’s no wonder they are a bit slow afterwards.” Terry dropped her head, shook it from side to side before laughing and telling Marsha, “Yep, he’s feeling better, Marsha, when he starts saying corn like that.” Marsha had pulled back the covers, lifted the gown Walter was wearing and took a close look at every place that had been sutured. She helped Walter roll to his side so she could look at his back. She helped him roll back onto his back, pulled the gown back down, then gently pulled the covers back over him. “Well, young man, all of those stitches look fine, as do the superficial cuts. We drained a bit more of your blood several times during the night and even that looks fine. You still have some of the chemicals in your blood, but we believe your kidneys should be able to filter even that little out.”
Then Marsha got real serious, and looked at all four before she told them, “What we’re worried about the most is the amount absorbed through your skin, Walter. We can’t very well take samples to find out or you’d be full of holes where we took the samples. We believe, and here I’m giving you our best guess, we believe your body will eventually get rid of what it absorbed without any help from us. We’re trying to come up with a way to actually look at your entire body to determine how to measure what you absorbed, without having to stick you a bunch of times to take samples; my colleagues are right now talking to some of the best in that field. However, we want to see you once a week for a check up and blood test. And if you continue to improve as you have, I don’t see any reason you can’t get out of here and go home on Saturday. Providing you eat all your vegetables at meal time.” Marsha smirked when she said the last part, getting the reaction out of Walter she wanted. Walter had rolled his eyes, chuckled, held up the corner of the white sheet covering him, waved it in the air and declared, “Okay, doc, you win, I’ll eat those nasty tasting things. It would be nice if the cook made up his, or her, mind, though. Are they going to be uncooked or cooked, ‘cause in between just doesn’t taste right.” Everyone chuckled at this, having just been given a sign by Walter that he was going to be okay after all. Terry, Shelby, and Peter all wiped tears out of their eyes.
Right Time
By Jamie Lee
Most often people talk about being in the right place at the right time. Maybe they achieved a beautiful photo of a sunrise, or the antics of children or animals. Maybe they found something someone lost and received a big reward when it was returned. But how often do they talk about being in the wrong place at the right time? If they do, it’s often about the death of someone or maybe witnessing a crime. And if this is the case, they are sad or horrified. Walter Williams often is in the wrong place at the right time, though his reaction to the incidents he encounters is much different than anyone would expect. And, life changing.
Marsha could see Walter was getting tired and told Terry, Shelby, and Peter, “Walter looks like he could do with some rest before lunch. Let’s go and let him get that rest, then you all can come back and have lunch with him here in his room; I’ll have three extra trays brought up.” Marsha actually had an ulterior motive for wanting the three out of Walter’s room, she wanted to talk with them out of Walter’s hearing. After telling Walter they’d be back for lunch with him, they followed Marsha out of the room, and into another room when she had signaled them to follow her there. She closed the door, had the three sit down and went into what she had to tell them. “I wasn’t lying to Walter about everything looking good, so far. But what I didn’t tell him was our concern about long term effects. You see, all of the chemicals he was exposed to are called inert chemicals, and if stored and handled correctly, are harmless by themselves. It’s just we don’t know how Walter will be affected by the combination of all of them on a human body. His body could expel everything as we hope, or some time, years from now, something more serious could develop.” Marsha saw the worry in Terry’s eyes and looking at her said, “I’m sorry to have to tell you that, Terry, but I won’t lie to you at any time. That possibility has to be considered. That’s part of the reason we’ll want to see him once a week for three months, then twice a month for six months, then once a month for a year. I hope you don’t think I’m goulish when I say, Walter has become a test case for this type of accident. We hope the data we collect will help us if/when something like this happens again. Now, you all can stay in this room and relax or go to the cafeteria and get something to drink. I’ll come get you when it’s Walter’s lunch time.”
Before Marsha left, she knelt in front of a tearful Terry and softly told her, “Terry, Shelby and Peter are worried you’re too wound up over what happened to Walter. As his doctor, I’m telling you he will be alright. Now,” and she pulled a pad from her lab coat pocket, and wrote on it, “I want you to get this prescription filled. It’s a mild sedative and will help you relax and get the rest you need.” Terry started to protest but Marsha actually put her fingers up to Terry’s lips before telling her, “Even I can see how wound up you are. And I’d guess you hardly slept last night, did you?” When Terry shook her head no, Marsha replied, “Uh, huh, I thought so. Listen to me Terry. You aren’t going to be any good to your son if you wear yourself out and end up here in the hospital. He doesn’t need that right now. He needs the mom I can see he dearly loves. Now, no more protest, get this filled,” she sternly told Terry, and handed Terry the piece of paper.
After Marsha left Shelby got up out of his chair, walked over to Terry, put his arm around her shoulders, pulled her into his side and suggested, “How about we go and get something to drink? I could kill for some coffee.” Terry nodded her head, let Shelby pull her up out of her chair, and with his arm around her waist and Terry’s head on his shoulder, walked out of the room; Peter was holding the door open.
Peter sat with Terry as Shelby went to buy everyone what they wanted. When he came back he was also carrying three pastries; he knew they all needed something to eat if only to take the edge off. Peter excused himself, walked a few feet away from Terry and Shelby, and made a phone call to Tina. When she answered he asked how things were going, then filled her in about Walter’s condition. He also asked her to get Brigette a message to call him when she had time, he wanted to let her know as well. Nothing was on fire, the students hadn’t run anyone up the flagpole, and with Walter likely coming home Saturday, he decided to be at school tomorrow, Friday. He went back to the table, sat down and started in on his pastry, not realizing how hungry he actually was. He hadn’t noticed it at first, but Terry now had a second pastry in front of her, as did Shelby. He laughed as Shelby lifted his arm from under the table and set another one in front of him. They all laughed at Shelby’s little joke, they needed to release their pent up tension.
It was 12:30 p.m. when Marsha came to get them so they could have lunch with Walter. As the four walked back to Walter’s room, Terry and Shelby noticed how close Peter and Marsha were as they walked ahead of them. Terry smirked, Shelby smirked, they looked at each other, and knew the other was thinking that maybe Peter found a woman he was interested in after the death of Pamela, his wife, five years ago from metastatic cancer. He’d never dated since. They didn’t know about Peter and Tina. Yet.
Peter and Pamela had been trying to conceive since a year after they were married. Both wanted a big family, so when Pamela failed to get pregnant they went in for fertility testing. Their phone rang at 6 a.m. the following day, with the doctor telling Pamela he wanted to see them now. The urgency in the doctor’s voice caused the couple to simply use the toilet, dress and head to the doctor’s office. They didn’t have to wait, once they told the receptionist who they were. Once in the doctor’s office, he got right to the matter, didn’t sugar coat anything, but simply told the couple the reason Pamela couldn’t conceive. She had cancer, and they believed it was metastatic cancer, but would need to do more tests to be sure.
The additional tests confirmed their beliefs, Pamela did have metastatic cancer. She was then rushed to Oncology, where they did more tests before immediately starting her on chemo. Thirty days later Peter, his friends and family attended Pamela’s funeral. She never had any symptoms that anything was wrong. Never had any pains, or signs that something was wrong until they had the fertility test done. By then even the chemo medication couldn’t combat what had taken over her organs.
Peter was a mess for weeks after the funeral, until his Assistant Principal, Tina, visited him one evening after school. Peter could see she was pissed, she had the look he’d seen on her before, and lit into him once she was in his home, literally kicking his butt verbally. It was that night he learned Tina’s brother had been killed several years ago by a hit and run driver as he was crossing a street. And it was seeing how hurt Tina still was over the death of her brother that snapped Peter out of the funt he was in, if only to comfort Tina at that moment. He returned to school the next Monday.
Walter wasn’t blind either as he saw Marsha and Peter walk into his room, followed by his parents. The three could see how the two were standing, how they looked at each other, and when Walter looked at his parents, he gave a head nod towards Peter and Marsha and raised an eyebrow. He watched as both of his parents nodded their heads, Terry showing she had her fingers crossed. It was a few moments later when their lunches arrived and Marsha excused herself to go have her lunch. Walter, Terry, and Shelby watched how the two parted ways, and smiled when Peter turned towards them and saw the three smiling. “WHAT?” He basically yelled, as Terry walked over to her brother, hugged him, then told him, “Don’t let her get away.” Peter laid his head on his sister’s shoulder and cried, the memories of losing Pamela overwhelming him at that very moment. “Peter,” Terry softly said, “we can see how interested you two are in each other. Isn’t it time you start sharing your life with someone again? You’ve been alone for far too long. Eat, then go after her. Please?” She kissed him softly on his cheek, gave him a tissue she pulled from the pocket of her slacks, and watched as he nodded his head and told Terry, “Yeah, you’re right, I have been alone too long. But all of you are wrong about Marsha and I, she’s just an interesting woman to talk with.” He took a deep breath before saying, “I already have a girlfriend, one I hope to marry.” By the look on Walter’s, Terry’s, and Shelby’s faces, you’d think they were watching some murder mystery, until Peter said, “It’s Tina.”
It took a moment for the three to process the name Peter spoke, but when they did, Walter had a smile on his face, while Terry and Shelby had shocked expressions on their faces. It was Shelby who asked, “Um, Tina like in your Assistant Principal, Tina?” Sheepishly Peter nodded his head, before Terry asked, “How long have you two been going together?” Walter put his hand over his mouth to keep from giggling, he was enjoying seeing his Uncle act like a kid who got caught cutting into the dessert for dinner. Peter was looking down, shuffling one foot, then mumbled, “Several months. We started as friends after Pam died, Tina actually pulled me out of my depression. And it wasn’t long before we became more than friends. I’m planning to ask her to marry me.” He looked at Walter, who was almost giddy with glee, and told him, “And you, kid, keep this to yourself. Alright? Please?” Walter just nodded, then held his arms out to his Uncle, who came over and the two hugged. It was Walter’s turn to speak, as he told Peter, “I’m really happy for you, Peter.”
Walter’s lunch tray had been set on the portable table, rolled up in front of him. Terry and Shelby each took a tray and the two chairs in the room. Walter took one look at what he was brought, made a face before telling his parents, “Well, one nice thing eating at the hospital. I won’t gain any weight, not with this stuff.” His parents, and Peter, chuckled along with him as the four had a quiet lunch together.
When Peter arrived at school the following day, Friday, Tina swore he was walking on air. She saw him after Walter got hurt, how scared he was and worried for his sister’s family. Today, though, he was happy, almost giddy, as he walked into the office, kissing Margot on the cheek and telling her, “Good morning, Margot,” before going into his office. Margot looked at Tina then did a slow turn to look at Peter’s back as he walked into his office. “Now what do you suppose got into that lout, Tina?” Margot asked, as she continued to stare in Peter’s direction. Tina chuckled as she told Margot, “Um...love, Margot. Love.” Margot turned back to look at Tina, giving her a stink eye before Tina nodded her head and repeated what she just said. “Well, I’ll be. It’s about damn time some gal roped that bull,” Margot said as a real smile grew on her face. And Tina agreed. She didn’t tell Margot that Peter had called last night, telling her he told his family about her, and his plans for their immediate future. They’d talked about marriage before, about how they felt towards each other, and the problems their jobs might pose if they were married. Peter had scoured all the rules and regulations, but couldn’t find anything about his and Tina’s situation. There might be those who felt they’d work better at separate schools, but there weren’t any rules against married couples working at the same school.
Peter spent time with Tina, catching up on everything from the past two days. As he found out, the school was still in one piece, with a few minor problems taken care of. He then told Margot he was going to speak with Brigette Stokes, and talk to her first period class. He again kissed Margot on the cheek, getting a fake swat from Margot, before actually skipping out of the office. Margot reached up and felt where he’d kissed her on the cheek. She also wiped a few tears that threatened to roll down her cheeks. She muttered to no one in particular, “That man will make that gal a fine husband.”
Brigette Stokes was in early to her first period science class, so Peter had a chance to tell her everything before the students arrived. When the first bell rang, he sat back and let Brigette conduct her class after the second bell. After Brigette had taken roll, she turned the class over to Peter. “Morning everyone. I wanted to let all of you know that Walter is going to be alright. The doctors put him on a dialysis machine that was able to filter out the majority of the chemicals that enter into Walter’s bloodstream. He was run through a very detailed decontamination process, which washed out all the cuts he sustained from the broken glass. Most of the cuts were superficial, but he did have several deep cuts that had to be closed with sutures. Now, we still don’t know why the accident happened, the lab everything was taken to is still processing it all. But it’s more important that Walter is going to be alright and returning to school on Monday, if everything still looks good on Saturday, when he will be released from the hospital. He will be under restrictions because of the sutures. He will have to see the doctor once a week for three months, then twice a month for six months, then once a month for a year. I won’t lie to any of you, there are still some unknowns. While the dialysis machine was able to filter out the majority of the chemicals, and his body is doing more, the doctors still have no idea how much of the chemicals he absorbed through his skin. And that’s why the scheduled visits. They’re hoping, given time, his body will eventually rid itself of everything, and Walter will be back to his normal self.” Several students laughed, and one who knew what Walter’s normal self was, said, “Principal Stepel, don’t you mean his normal accident magnet self?” Peter laughed because of what Patsy said. “You’re probably right, Patsy. We can only hope this will be his last Wrong Place at the Right Time.” Peter thanked the class for their attention, and Brigette for letting him have the time, left the classroom and took the long way back to his office. Thinking about his time here as a student and the girl he met, while here, who became his wife.
There were a few problems that Peter had to solve during the rest of the day, nothing unusual though. And when the last bell of the day rang, and the students had all gone home, or to practice, and he’d finished his work, he quickly left the office and headed to the hospital. Wanting to see how Walter was doing today.
When he arrived on the fourth floor, he found Marsha doing paperwork and looked around for Terry, being told by Marsha she was with Walter. As the chance presented itself, Peter asked Marsha frank questions about Walter, and his chances of having his normal life again. Marsha understood the reason for Peter’s questions, and looking around, to make sure Terry wasn’t near, told Peter, “It’s as I told all of you yesterday, we just don’t know what’s in his future. I imagine you saw the mess after the accident, so you likely saw what happened to those bottles of chemicals. Chemicals Walter was lying in and which covered his body. I’ve tried to put an upbeat spin on all of this, for Terry’s sake, but, Peter, things could get interesting down the road. We honestly don’t know.”
Marsha went back to her paperwork and Peter went to Walter’s room. Terry, Shelby, and Walter only smiled at each other as Peter came bouncing into Walter’s room, each giving the other a knowing smile. The old Peter was back. The happy, energetic man who they’d missed these past five years. And Terry secretly hoped nothing would go wrong for him, she dearly loved her brother.
The old Peter they all knew was back because he’d finally told them about Tina, and his plans to marry her. He no longer had to worry about hiding their relationship for fear of what the three would say. The three made it plainly clear how happy they were for him.
When Saturday finally arrived, Peter picked up Terry and Shelby and drove them to the hospital. It was 9 a.m. Marsha had called the lab first thing, they would have taken another blood sample around 7 that morning. Walter, Peter, Terry, and Shelby only heard her say, “That’s great, thanks,” before she hung up the phone. She then started checking the sutures for the deeper cuts, and Walter’s chart. She played it up big, or tried too, as she frowned, picked up the backpack, solemnly walked over to Terry, tried to look sad as she looked Terry in the eyes before telling her, “Terry, I hate to say this,” and saw immediately it was a mistake, as Terry’s eyes filled with tears.
“Oh, Terry, I’m sorry, I was trying to play all this up but goofed. I’m so sorry.” Marsha hugged a distraught Terry before telling her, “He’s doing fine, take him home. Get Walter dressed and I’ll have a nurse come afterwards. I’ll go get the release papers started, come to reception when you’re ready.” The tears flowed from Terry’s eyes, as she heard Walter could come home. But Marsha wasn’t finished, as she released Terry and turned to Walter. “Walter, everything looks good and I’m going to kick you out of here.” She walked over to stand right near him and told him, in no uncertain terms, “Listen to me good, young man. You are not out of the woods just yet. Your body has gone through a tremendous event, one I hope you never go through again. You need to rest the remainder of the weekend, give your body a chance to build itself back up. Do not do anything that puts a strain on all your stitches. Do not exercise until we tell you it’s okay. Maybe short walks, but with someone.” Walter interrupted Marsha by asking, “What about school? Can I go back to school on Monday?”
Marsha gave Walter a serious look before telling him, “Walter, it depends on you. If you’re completely honest with your parents come Sunday, and if you’re feeling well enough to go back to school on Monday, then I see no reason you can’t. However, if you feel like crap Sunday but tell your parents the opposite, just so you can go back to school, and end up back here, you’re going to miss a lot of school while you recover right here in the hospital. Do you follow me, young man?” Walter could see Marsha was not playing around, she was deadly serious. He also realized then how much she really cared about him, she might one day become his Aunt. “Yes, ma’am, I understand.”
Before Peter and Marsha left Walter’s room, Marsha told Terry and Shelby she didn’t want Walter walking to school or riding the bus to school until she gave the okay. For the time being, it would be best if they took him to school and picked him up afterwards. Just for a couple of weeks, she thought, just until his body has had time to settle down, and the deeper cuts had time to heal.”
Terry and Shelby were so happy Walter was going to be released, they gently pulled Walter into a group hug, before someone cleared their throat, causing the three to look towards the door to see a nurse standing there. “Pardon me for breaking up a wonderful site, but I need to unhook Walter from the monitors so he can get dressed and go home.” With that said, Terry and Shelby stepped back to give the nurse room to work, after which she turned back the covers over Walter and helped him get out of bed, before saying she’d be back when Walter was dressed. Shelby closed the room’s door, as Terry removed Walter’s clothing from a backpack and helped Walter get dressed. Once the door was opened again, the same nurse was back with a wheelchair, and with a smile on her face, pointed from Walter to the chair. Walter got the message and sat down in the chair, as the nurse then took him and his parents to reception, so he could be signed out of the hospital to go home. Once they reached the reception desk, Marsha took the time to give Walter another speech before his parents signed the release forms and the six headed to the elevators and down to the parking lot, where Peter pulled his car to the curb so Walter wouldn’t have to walk far.
Peter was careful driving them home, trying to miss any divots in the road, and bringing the car to as soft a stop as he could when they had to stop. Once Peter helped Shelby get Walter into their house, and left, tiger mom raised its head when they got into the house. She immediately went into super protection mode, having Walter sit down, not work on any school work he wanted to get done, before Walter cried out in a way Terry had never heard. “MOM! I’m okay. Please, stop being overprotective. I know you’re worried about me and I love you for it, but please, let me do a few things for myself.” It was only then that Terry saw what she was doing, and sitting down next to Walter, gently pulled him into her and cried softly on his shoulder. “I was so afraid we’d lost you, Walter. I’m sorry,” she said to him before pulling back and looking into his eyes. “But I do want you to take it easy the rest of the weekend. Understand?” Terry asked, as she wiped tears off first her cheeks then Walter’s. “Yeah, mom, I understand. And I love you bunches too.”
Terry could see that Walter was thinking about something, and found out what it was as he told her, “Mom. Don’t ask me how I know, ‘cause I’m not sure myself. But it feels like my days of unintended accidents have come to an end. I think this is the last one.” Terry studied Walter’s face for a moment, then had the same feeling herself. Walter saw the frown on his mom’s face and asked, “What is it, mom? Something wrong? I have jelly on my face, or something?” Both Walter and Terry laughed at his levity, before she replied with, “More like something, Walter. Something tells me, too, this is the last accident you’ll be involved in. And like you, I can’t explain how I know. Enough of our silliness, you get some rest while I fix you something to drink and snack on. Okay?” Terry’s last words got a nod from Walter, as Terry got up from the couch and went into the kitchen. Terry didn’t see the look on Walter’s face as he thought about what his mom just told him, about her also knowing his unintended accident days were behind him. He muttered to himself, “I wonder how we both know the same thing?”
Right Time
By Jamie Lee
Most often people talk about being in the right place at the right time. Maybe they achieved a beautiful photo of a sunrise, or the antics of children or animals. Maybe they found something someone lost and received a big reward when it was returned. But how often do they talk about being in the wrong place at the right time? If they do, it’s often about the death of someone or maybe witnessing a crime. And if this is the case, they are sad or horrified. Walter Williams often is in the wrong place at the right time, though his reaction to the incidents he encounters is much different than anyone would expect. And, life changing.
The phone calls started about 11 a.m., calls from some of those students in Walter’s Freshman science class. Some wanting to talk with Walter and see how he was doing, and some wanting to see if they could come see him after lunch. When Walter asked, “Mom, can I have visitors after lunch,” Terry was about to put her foot down and tell him, no. But she thought back to what Walter asked her, to do some things for himself. So instead of giving a resounding, “NO,” she simply said, “If you feel up to them visiting.” Of course Walter felt up to having visitors, after all, he’d missed two and a half days of school. Which meant two and a half days of not seeing anyone at school. So Walter told those who want to come by, “Sure, but I can’t have you stay long. The doctor wants me to get plenty of rest.” When everyone heard he had doctor’s orders, they were more than amicable in agreeing not to stay long.
Terry had fixed grilled ham and cheese sandwiches and soup for their lunch. The talk around the dining room table was light when the phone rang. Walter and Shelby had just tucked into their sandwiches, so Terry answered the phone. “Hi Terry, it’s Brigette Stokes.” Terry covered the mouthpiece of the phone and mouthed to Walter, “It’s your science teacher.” Walter still had a mouth full of sandwich so pointed to his mom to take the call.
“Hi Brigette, how are you?” Terry could tell by Brigette’s voice that she wasn’t doing very well. “Um, Terry, and I’ll understand if you say no, but I’d like to come over and see Walter. Talk with him, tell him how sorry I am for what happened to him.” Brigette’s voice had betrayed her as the tears were flowing down her cheeks. “Brigette, you have nothing to apologize for, none of this was your fault. Walter is fine, though a few pints shy of a full load.” Several napkins flew Terry’s way because of what she said. “But yes, I think Walter would love to see you and talk with you for a while. We have to limit visits because his doctor wants him to get plenty of rest this weekend before he returns to school on Monday.” There was silence for a moment, before Terry heard a whispered, “Thank God. I’m glad to hear that. Um...okay, right. I’ll be over around 2 this afternoon. Would that be okay?” Terry was nodding her head as she answered Brigette, “Yes, Brigette. Around 2 this afternoon will be fine. We’ll see you then, okay? Bye now.”
It was around 1 p.m. when the show started, as Walter put it. Actually he told his mom, “Well, mom. Here come the clowns.” Terry playfully swatted him on the arm as Walter sat himself down on the couch, getting as comfortable as he could with the still healing cuts in places he didn’t know he had. And in some places he wasn’t going to talk about. Terry had set a glass of water near him as his classmates started to arrive along with others in school. True to their word, each stayed only about ten minutes, after finding out he was okay and would be back in school on Monday. When 2 p.m. rolled around, it seemed all the students who were going to visit had visited, and the next knock on the front turned out to be by Brigette Stokes, Walter’s science teacher.
Terry had been answering the door and when she opened it to Brigette, she could tell the woman had been crying. And still was. She took Brigette into a hug, whispering, “Brigette, it wasn’t your fault. Walter will be fine. Come on, come in and see for yourself.” Brigette let Terry guide her into the house, and Terry kept her arm around Brigette’s waist. When Brigette saw Walter for the first time after the accident, she didn’t realize just how much he’d been cut by all the broken glass. He was wearing pajama bottoms, because they were loose on his legs, so she couldn’t see the cuts and sutures on his legs and hips where he fell into all the glass. But she could see the cuts on his face and arms, some minor and some sutured. It was a good thing Terry had a hold of Brigette, because she burst into tears upon seeing Walter. Walter slowly got up off the couch, walked over to Brigette, put his arms around her and while hugging her said, “Mrs. Stokes, none of this is your fault. It was my stupidity that got me into all this. Please, Mrs. Stokes, come sit down. Please,” he pleaded before Terry helped Brigette to the couch.
After Brigette was seated, Terry went to the kitchen to get Brigette a glass of water, and the box of tissues. Shelby had been sitting nearby but hadn’t said anything until Brigette had wiped her eyes and had a good drink of water. “Brigette, I’ve been talking with Peter, and he with the investigators. And they’re not sure yet, but they think there was something wrong with all those shelves other than Walter standing on one and leaning on the others. It will take them some time for them to be sure, but based on their preliminary inspection, they think those shelves had been over stressed long before you took over the class. Until they can do a microscopic exam and speak to your predecessor, they won’t give a definitive answer.” Shelby’s words seemed to help cheer Brigette up, a bit. They didn’t keep count of the number of times Brigette apologized, but each time she did, they stressed it wasn’t her fault. And not to play the ‘if I only had’ game with herself, as she kept saying, “If only I’d kept an eye on everyone this wouldn’t have happened.” As Brigette was taking another drink of water from her glass, Terry and Shelby saw the smirk form on Walter’s lips before he said, “But hey, Mrs. Stokes. At least now with all these cuts, I finally match my reputation of being a cut up in class.” Terry and Shelby rolled their eyes before they both groaned. Brigette, on the other hand, had been drinking water from the glass Terry gave her, and spit water, choked, and laughed all at the same time. Spraying Walter and the couch. When she finally stopped choke-laughing, she told Walter, “Williams, that is by far the worst of your word plays yet. But, young man, it’s good to hear them again.” And she leaned over and gently hugged Walter, before saying it was time she left.
As Brigette got up from the couch, Walter tried to be a good host and get up with her. But Terry and Shelby saw how tired he looked and asked him to stay where he was, they’d see Brigette out. The three talked a bit more at the front door before Brigette, feeling much better, walked to her car, got in and drove home. When Terry and Shelby returned to the living room, Walter was stretched out on the couch, sound asleep. Shelby covered him with the afgan they kept thrown over the back of the couch, and the two quietly left the room. Fours hours later, both parents heard the toilet flush, before Walter walked into the kitchen. “Sorry about falling asleep when Brigette was here, but I couldn’t keep my eyes open any longer.” Shelby walked over to Walter, put his arm gently around Walter’s shoulders, and told him, “Walter. Your body has been through a lot in the past few days. It’s going to need time and rest in order to be as it was before all this. You don’t need to apologize for getting tired. Now come and sit down, mom has supper almost ready.”
The rest of their Saturday was quiet, with the three watching TV that evening and Walter just taking it easy. Walter was sitting in one of the easy chairs and Terry and Shelby had settled themselves into a cuddle on the couch. Terry glanced over at Walter, who was sound asleep, and nudged Shelby, using her head to indicate Walter. “That kid, I don’t know how he’s made it all these years going through all the things he has,” Shelby softly told Terry. “Come, on,” Terry said as she untangled herself from Shelby, “let’s get him to bed.” Terry gently woke Walter, telling him, “Hey kiddo, how about we get you to bed?” Walter didn’t argue, as he once would, as he let both of his parents help him out of the chair, and take him to his bedroom. Shelby stayed with him as he used the bathroom, allowing Terry to tuck him into bed. She kissed him on the cheek before saying, “Sleep well, my little warrior.” Walter never heard his mom call him her ‘little warrior,’ he was asleep before his head had found a comfortable spot on his pillow. Shelby held Terry as the two looked down on their sleeping son. “Honey, I sure hope what Walter told me is true, about his feeling this was the last of his unexpected accidents.” Shelby pulled Terry closer and whispered back, “I think he’s right.” Terry gave Shelby a funny look as she whispered back, “You too?” Shelby simply nodded.
Both parents had kept an ear open as they slept, in case Walter needed them. So while Walter appeared better rested than the day before, they were a bit shabby. Terry and Shelby heard the toilet flush and knew Walter was up, so they too thought it was now their time to ‘rise and shine,’ as best they could. Terry and Shelby had just walked into the kitchen, as Walter was already getting out the needed pans to cook scrambled eggs and bacon. When Terry saw what Walter was doing she started for him, in order to stop him from exerting himself. But she only took half a step, before Shelby grabbed her arm, shook his head, and pulled Terry back towards him. He turned his head to whisper in Terry’s ear, “He’s doing fine. Don’t overreact.” Terry stood where Shelby had stopped them, not exactly happy with her husband, even though she knew he was right, and saw Walter was doing okay and was taking things slow. Walter turned to go to the fridge when he saw his parents and said, “Hi, good morning. Ah, would one of you mind getting the eggs and bacon out of the fridge? I’m afraid bending over isn’t what it once was, right now.”
One of the sutured cuts was just at Walter’s right waste line, where a jagged piece of glass had cut a deep gash, and was causing him a bit of pain if he had to bend over or twist. He found this out as he bent down to take the pans out of one of the lower cabinets. “Sure, sweetheart,” Terry told him, as Shelby let her go to get what was needed out of the fridge. “How are you feeling today, kid?” Shelby asked, as he pulled out plates, glasses and silverware to set the table. “Well, dad,” Walter started, taking the eggs and milk from his mom, thanking her, and setting them next to the stove. “I’m still sore, and have to be careful how I sit and move, but I feel more rested than I did yesterday.” He then put the bacon in one pan, turned on the burner below the pan, cracked the egg shells and emptied the contents into a bowl, before adding a bit of milk, salt and pepper, and stirring until everything was well mixed. As Terry watched, hovering just behind him, Walter took a fork and turned the bacon, getting a plate down and putting paper towels on it to drain the bacon. Once the bacon was out of the pan, he poured the egg mixture in the pan, stirring it into the bacon grease. He kept his eye on the eggs, and when it was time started stirring them until they were as fluffy as his family liked. Walter turned off the burner, took the now scrambled eggs out of the pan, put them into another bowl, picked up the bacon place, turned and said to his parents, “Madame et monsieur, breakfast is served.” Terry had taken the butter and jellies from the fridge as Shelby was in charge of the toast. Both chuckled at Walter’s antics, very glad they still had him to hear his antics. Both could see after Walter fixed breakfast that he was going to need a rest, and shooed him out of the kitchen after they’d finished breakfast. They both, almost at the same time, told him to go and rest, watch TV or read. Walter didn’t argue, and soon they heard the TV showing one of Walter’s favorite programs. When they finished clearing the table and had the dishes and pans washed and put away, they too went into the den to watch TV only to find Walter sound asleep in one of the easy chairs. They settled onto the couch, cuddled, and joined Walter. The TV being ignored. This would be the pattern for the rest of Sunday, meals then napping. All three had had three very exhausting days. Walter more than his parents, since he was the one who was put on dialysis and had blood samples taken every half hour. And was the one who came into contact with more chemicals than he should have, with lasting effects still unknown. When bedtime came, Shelby and Terry had no trouble getting Walter up to bed. Shelby again stayed with him in the bathroom, and Terry tucked him into bed. And as he had the night before, he was asleep before his head found that comfortable spot on the pillow. After Terry and Shelby left Walter’s room, it was Terry who pulled Shelby into their bedroom, kissing him passionately before she closed the bedroom door. It was 9:30 p.m. when they fell into bed, and a little after midnight before they fell asleep.
Terry and Shelby awoke earlier than normal, and got out of bed an hour later. While Terry went to the kitchen, Shelby went in to wake Walter; it was going to take him longer to get ready for school, until everything healed. As he had been doing, Shelby stayed with Walter in the bathroom, helped him put on all of his clothes, then picked up Walter’s backpack and followed his son to the kitchen, where Terry had a simple, but filling, breakfast ready for her two men. They had talked last night, Shelby telling Terry he would take Walter to school because he wanted to go into the office early. He needed to fill his partners in and wanted to talk with Tom. Walter did seem better this Monday morning, he didn’t seem as tired and was moving a bit better, still favoring some of the cuts he sustained. Terry’s men kissed her goodbye, before going out to Shelby’s car. “How are you feeling this morning, Walter?” Shelby asked this before starting his car, he wanted to make sure Walter still felt he could return to school. “Dad, if you don’t start the car, the wheels can’t roll and you can’t get me to school on time.” That was all Shelby needed to hear from his son, as he started the car’s engine, backed out of the driveway and headed to the high school.
There seemed to be quite the commotion when Shelby and Walter pulled up in front of the school doors. As Walter was about to get out of Shelby’s car, Shelby told him, “Son, please take it easy today. It’s your first day back and you’re still recovering. If someone wants to carry your backpack, let ‘em, they mean well. And if you’re allowed to leave class early to make your next class, do it. Your teachers mean well too. Promise me, Walter, that you will take it easy.” Walter leaned over and hugged his dad before telling him, “I promise,” and got out of Shelby’s car. Shelby stayed a few minutes and watched Walter walk up to the group who had gathered around the school doors. And as he watched, he saw student after student either hug Walter or shook his hand, welcoming him back to school. Shelby wiped his eyes before leaving the school and heading to his firm.
Peter had called the night before to make sure Walter hadn’t changed his mind about coming back to school on Monday. When he found out he was still coming, he told Shelby he wanted to talk with Walter first thing when he arrived at school. After Walter made it through all the well wishers, he headed directly to the school office. Margot saw him come into the office and told him, “He’s expecting you, go right in. And Walter,” she added as Walter had walked past her desk, “it’s good to have you back.” Walter smiled at Margot before saying, “Thank you, Mrs. Dwater, I’m glad I could come back.” Walter knocked on Peter’s office door and went in after Peter called, “Come in.” After Walter closed the door Peter pointed to a chair in front of his desk. After Walter had sat down Uncle Peter went to work. “How are you feeling? I realize you’ve just been grilled by the same question, but your Uncle needs to know.”
Walter looked at his Uncle, and his Uncle saw the smirk form on Walter’s mouth. That smirk had always signaled Walter was about to say something that would sound innocent but would guarantee either laughter or groans, or both. “I feel fine. I’m more rested than when I came home Saturday, and am following Marsha’s orders to take it easy. And who’s idea was the welcoming committee this morning? I didn’t know that many had thought about me.”
Peter got up out of the chair behind his desk, walked around to the front of the desk, turned the second chair there to face Walter, sat down and looked at his nephew. “Walter. You don’t realize how much you affected each of those kids’ lives. More than half of them grew up with you, watched as everything happened to you and how you reacted each time. You gained their admiration because of how you reacted. You never treated any of them with anything but kindness and care. You helped them when asked, and never put any of them down for any reason. And since you’ve been here, in high school, those who got to know you, and saw those unintended events, and how you reacted, also grew to admire you for the character you displayed.” Peter stopped speaking as he gathered his thoughts. When he spoke again it wasn’t something Walter was expecting. “Walter, you may not see it, but you have been a Godsend to this high school. In the few weeks you’ve been here, and made it through the events, and your reactions, the students are all acting differently. Oh, there still are those who think they are the cock-of-the-walk, but the majority are more outgoing, helpful to each other, and if something occurs to them, have a different attitude in how they react. Walter, believe it or not, you’ve been a lighthouse for everyone.” And here Peter lowered his voice in a sonspitory way. “And between you and me, even ol’ Margot has softened a bit.” That caused Walter to laugh, since he knew how Margot was when he first came to high school. Margot had no trouble taking the ‘F’ out of fun at one time.
Peter then went on to tell Walter all of his teachers knew his condition, and if he needed any help just let them know. Peter would normally scruf Walter’s hair before saying goodbye or have him go to class. Instead he gently laid a hand on Walter’s shoulder before telling him, “I know you’ve already heard this from Marsha and your folks, but you are to take it easy today, and for the next few days. Ask for help, don’t get all bull headed, as you usually do, and think you can’t do things on your own. Because if you end up with the nurse because you got bull headed, and tried to do something you shouldn’t right now, I’m going to be really pissed you didn’t follow doctor’s orders.” Peter then told Walter he better get to class. Walter made it to his locker and then his first period class, science, just as the first bell rang.
When he walked into class he wasn’t expecting anyone to be there except Mrs. Stokes. What he saw as he walked in was a room full of students, those he usually saw during class. He’d was stopped dead in the doorway by what he saw, but wasn’t expecting everyone to stand up and applaud for him. It was their way of welcoming him back. Walter found he had something in his eye that had to be wiped off, before walking to the desk he normally sat at. They were still applauding as the second bell sounded; Walter found it hard to see through wet, blurry eyes. Brigette got everyone to finally settle down and took roll. She asked Walter to see her after class so she could give him the assignments he’d missed. And to see when he could come in after school to do the hands-on experiments he’d missed. Walter just nodded his head, and Brigette carried on.
The rest of his day went well. He had volunteers help him get to his next classes. While in the halls, other students gave him the right of way, so as not bump into him. At lunch, the boy Walter helped off the floor, then gave his lunch to, helped Walter get his lunch and even bused his tray. No one said it, but they all could see how tired Walter would get going from class to class, doing better once he was in class and had a chance to rest during class.
As the days passed, they could also see Walter improve, so the help he had been receiving slowly leveled off, until they could see he was back to his old self and didn’t need their help anymore. They knew he was back when he let go with a few of his word plays during a few of his classes, garnering the groans and laughter they needed. No one had said it when Walter came back to school, but almost everyone had missed him being in school. He had a habit of brightening people’s days.
Right Time
By Jamie Lee
Most often people talk about being in the right place at the right time. Maybe they achieved a beautiful photo of a sunrise, or the antics of children or animals. Maybe they found something someone lost and received a big reward when it was returned. But how often do they talk about being in the wrong place at the right time? If they do, it’s often about the death of someone or maybe witnessing a crime. And if this is the case, they are sad or horrified. Walter Williams often is in the wrong place at the right time, though his reaction to the incidents he encounters is much different than anyone would expect. And, life-changing.
Walter had his first weekly checkup with Marsha that Wednesday after he’d been released from the hospital. She could see that Walter was feeling better just by the way he walked into the exam room. She ran through a battery of general questions, how have you been feeling, are you sleeping okay, have you had any pains or other ailments, etc. With each question Walter answered either ‘no’ or ‘okay,’ or explained some things. Marsha then took a few blood samples, wanting them rushed so she’d know the results before Walter went home.
Two things had been happening since Walter was released from the hospital. Shelby had gone into the office each morning to continue working on the project for Tom Warmer. And Terry insisted Walter take a nap the moment he got home from school, hence the reason the students at school saw Walter improve each day.
Shelby had also called Tom to let him know how Walter was doing, and Tom again told Shelby to let him know when he felt he could return and he’d send his Lear for him. That night, when he got home, the day Walter had his first checkup, Shelby found out Walter’s checkup showed everything was as the doctor’s had hoped, the chemical levels in Walter’s blood were almost completely non-existent. There were still a few traces but even those, they felt, weren’t enough to cause any problems. After supper, Shelby conference called his partners and Tom Warmer, telling them the results of Walter’s checkup, and feeling he could catch a flight in the morning to continue the work with Tom.
Ever the blunt, straight forward person he was, Tom said, “Bullshit, Shelby. I told you to call me when you felt you could come back out and I’d have the Lear waiting for you at your airport. Now, while you may think you’re back to your old self, I’ve a feeling you’re still worried about Walter. And you don’t need the hassle of all the crap you’d have to put up with flying commercial. My Lear will be waiting for you at 8 a.m. at your airport, and the same folks will be onboard; they were as worried about your son as I was. And Shelby, thank you. Thank you for showing me that family is important.” Shelby hadn’t been able to get a word in the entire time Tom was speaking. It was quiet for a few moments until Lori, one of Shelby’s partners, asked, “Shelby, are you still there?” All four heard Shelby clear his throat a few times before saying, “Um, yeah, Lori, I’m still here. I’m just overwhelmed by Tom’s generosity.” Charging right ahead, Tom blurted out, “Right, then, Shelby I’ll see you about 10 tomorrow morning,” before his line went dead. The partners had worked with Tom Warmer on several projects, and still had trouble adjusting to his no nonsense style of business, and his bluntness. “So, Shelby,” David, another of the partners, started, “you’ll fly out tomorrow morning just after 8? You have everything you need from us?” It was quiet again until Marti, the third partner, asked, as had Lori, “Shelby, you still there? Are you alright?” Again they heard Shelby clear his throat several times before he told them, in a throaty voice, “Yeah, I have everything I need. I still have all of my family.”
That night over supper, Terry and Shelby discussed getting Walter to school and Shelby to the airport. Terry didn’t see the need to let Shelby take his car then leave it parked at the private terminal for however long he’d be gone. So they decided they’d take Shelby to the airport first, then take Walter to school, since it was only a fifteen minute drive to the airport, then another fifteen minute to the high school. They’d leave the house at 7:15 a.m. so they could allow for traffic both times.
The next morning they did make their departure time of 7:15, and arrived at the private terminal a little after 7:30; traffic wasn’t as bad as they feared. Walter started getting out of the car, following his parents, when they both told him at the same time, “You stay here. Save your strength for school.” Terry looked at Shelby, and he her, then at Walter, and the three laughed because of what they both had just said, at the same time. Shelby came around to the passenger side of the car, opened the back passenger door, knelt down, and took Walter into a hug, telling him, “You take care of yourself, you hear me? Do what your mom and Marsha ask. I’ll be back as soon as I can, okay? And son, I love you.” He then helped Walter out of the backseat, and into the front passenger seat. No sense making it look like he’s being chauffeured. Walter hugged his dad again, before getting into the front passenger seat, and watched as his mom and dad, arms around each other’s waist, walked to, and into, the private terminal. It was only a few minutes later when Terry came walking back to the car, wiping her eyes as she walked. And only a few minutes later they arrived at school and the start of another school day.
The days leading up to Walter’s second checkup were uneventful, thankfully. Walter would get up in the morning, hit the bathroom, and do everything he needed to do, before getting dressed and going down to breakfast. Terry would get up in the morning, do her bathroom routine, get dressed then get breakfast ready for her and Walter, before driving him to school. Some days after dropping Walter off at school, she’d go shopping, either for groceries or just for herself; she was still a bit wound up after what happened to her son, and needed to do just for herself once in a while. Shelby would call in the evenings to see how Walter was doing, before he and Terry had their own version of phone sex, both taking longer falling asleep when they did go to bed; Walter never heard any of those conversations since he was in his room doing homework. He was able to speak with Shelby, though, before the couple had their exciting conversations.
It was the second Wednesday since Walter had been released from the hospital, and the day for his second checkup. He’d stayed up late Tuesday night, studying for two tests and finishing his homework. Terry came running into his room and shouted, “WALTER! WAKEUP UP, WE’VE OVERSLEPT!” Terry’s shouting was the equivalent of someone banging a metal spoon on the bottom of a metal pan. Walter was instantly awake. He looked at his clock and saw it was already ten minutes to 8, and he had to be at school at 8:30. He jumped out of bed, Terry flew down to the kitchen, Walter threw on his underwear, socks and pants, then headed to the bathroom.
Because they both overslept, there wasn’t time to fix a hot breakfast. Instead, Terry got two bowels out of a cabinet, cereal out of another, and the milk from the fridge. She had just sat the milk on the table when she heard Walter scream, and a thud coming from upstairs. She ran from the kitchen and up the stairs, where she found Walter sitting on the floor hugging his chest, crying and saying through sobs, “Oh, GAWD it hurts,” over and over again as he cried. Terry got down on the floor with him, and gently moved his hands aside, and saw a faint pink line running down across Walter’s left nipple. When she asked what had happened Walter told her, “I was hurrying and turned into the bathroom too quickly and hit the door jamb with my chest. Oh gawd it hurts, mom.” Walter had moved his hands back as Terry had found him, so she again gently moved his hands out of the way.
The line down across his nipple was now a darker pink, and as Terry touched his nipple, Walter flinched and cried out. Terry thought she’d felt something, and much gentler now, felt around the nipple. Then she felt his right nipple and the surrounding area. “Come on, let’s get you into the bathroom so you can use the toilet.” Terry helped Walter up, and helped him to the toilet and with pulling his pants and underwear down; he was still hugging his chest. She had him sit down and pee, then reversed everything before flushing the toilet and walking him into his room. She had him sit on his bed and told him she was going to make some phone calls and would be back. Her first call was to Peter, telling him she was taking Walter to see Marsha and he wouldn’t be in school today. When Peter asked why, she simply told him, “I don’t know for sure, Peter, so I’d rather not say right now.” She didn’t wait for the pleasantries of goodbyes, and simply hung up and dialed Marsha’s number. When Marsha heard what had happened, and what Terry discovered, she told Terry she’d be waiting at the emergency room entrance for them.
Terry ran back upstairs and into Walter’s bedroom. He was still clutching his chest, and tears still running down his cheeks. Terry grabbed one of his button up shirts out of the closet and was about to help him put it on, when she stopped and thought, ‘If what I think is happening, is happening, then they’re going to be tender.” She laid the shirt on Walter’s bed then ran into her bedroom, opening a dresser drawer and taking out a white, satin, camisole. She ran back into Walter’s bedroom, and knelt down in front of him and said, “Walter, look at me.” When Walter brought his head up and was looking at Terry she went on with, “I think I know why your chest hurts so bad where you banged into the door jamb. No, don’t ask questions now, just let me put this camisole on you before putting on your shirt. It will feel better against your skin than just your shirt.” Walter just nodded his head, and after Terry had him raise his arms, his left arm went up slower than his right arm, she slipped the camisole over his head, pulled it down, then helped him put his shirt on. After it was buttoned, Walter again hugged his chest, and Terry helped him to his feet and back downstairs. She grabbed her purse, pulled out the car keys, and holding Walter by the waist, took him out to her car. She was careful opening the front passenger door, mindful of where Walter was standing. He slowly got into the car, Terry fastened the seatbelt for him, ran around to the driver’s side, got in, did her seatbelt, started the car, and left tracks as she backed out of the driveway. To say she exceeded the speed limit, or didn’t break a few traffic laws would be far below an understatement. But they were at the hospital ten minutes later; it’s normally a twenty minute drive. And she may have angered a few other drivers on their way to the hospital.
Terry received a lot of dirty looks, as she sped into the drive for the emergency room entrance. A security guard had started walking Terry’s way until he saw her jump out of her car, run around to the passenger side, and help a boy get out of the car before they went into the emergency room. He remembered back when he was about that age, and the times his parents had done the same for him. He hoped the boy would be alright.
Marsha was waiting for them as she had said, and told them to follow her as she led them back to an exam room. A lab tech was already waiting and was told to go ahead and get blood samples from Walter. After taking four vials, Marsha told the lab tech to put a rush on those samples. When he gave her a ‘look’ she told him it was very important. Then when he still looked at her funny, she told him, “This is the same boy we treated two weeks ago for that chemical contamination.” It was only then the tech’s light went on and he hurried out of the exam room.
Marsha had had Walter initially lie down on the exam table when he first entered the room, so she could look him over from head to foot. When saw nothing that caught her eye, she helped him sit up, then said more to herself than to him or Terry, “Let’s get this shirt off you and see why it hurts so bad.” After what Terry told her she wasn’t surprised when she saw the camisole, her own mother had done the same for her when she first started to develop breasts. She saw Walter winch as he raised his left arm so she could take off the camisole. Terry saw how much more pronounced that line had become, explaining to Marsha what she saw at first. “Walter,” and she gently cupped his chin and lifted his head until he was looking at her, “I’m going to be as gentle as I can, but it might hurt a bit. Understand. I need to feel around your nipples to see if what your mom suspects is really happening.” There was a knock on the door just as Marsha had started to palpate the left side of Walter’s chest. Marsha opened the door and saw Dr. Gale Stomer, the resident Ob-Gyn standing there. “Hi Gale, thank you for coming,” Marsha said to Gale as Gale walked into the room. Terry knew Gale, and the field of medicine she practiced, and the two exchanged pleasantries as Marsha returned to Walter.
“Okay, Walter, here we go. I’ll try to be as gentle as I can.” To show Walter she meant what she said, instead of starting on the left side of Walter’s chest she started on the right side, palpating the nipple then the surrounding area. Then, even more gentler, she started palpating his right side, eliciting a cry from Walter as she palpated near the top and bottom where the line from the doorjamb ran. When she was done, she used her head to have Gale come over, and after introducing her to Walter, she told him she just wanted another doctor to double check her findings. Even before Gale started her exam of Walter’s chest, Walter saw Gale’s ID badge and asked, “Um...why are you having an Ob-Gyn doctor look at me, Marsha? That field of medicine deals with women and pregnancies.” The look he gave Marsha and Gale, then his mom, let Terry know he was not a happy camper. She’d only seen that look one other time, and it didn’t turn out well for the boy who was bullying a small girl.
Marsha hadn’t been around Walter that much, but could spot steam coming from someone’s ears with ease. She actually pushed Gale back, got into Walter’s face and told him, in no uncertain terms, “Listen, young man. You will NOT get upset at me, Gale, or your mom because of what we may or may not find. You WILL keep that temper of yours in check so we can find out why you are in so much pain.” She then softened her approach by placing the palms of her hands against each of Walter’s cheeks before she told him, “Walter, I know you are scared, so is your mom. But you have to trust us to do what’s best for you. Don’t go all space cadet on us now.” She used the fingers of both hands to wipe tears from his cheeks, and he apologized and let Gale start examining his chest. As Marsha did, she started on the right side of his chest, then moved to the left side, again getting a cry of pain from Walter as she palpated the areas near the dark line running across Walter’s left nipple. Gale looked at Marsha and nodded, as did Marsha. Terry knew why they were nodding and tears started falling from her eyes.
Though Walter was still in pain, he was not blind, and caught the nods of Gale and Marsha. And the tears falling from his mother’s eyes. “Um...HELLO! Remember me, Walter? The one in pain? The one half dressed in a room with three beautiful women?” Walter’s antics cause all three women to chuckle before Gale replied, “Yes, Walter, we know you’re there. Keep your shorts on.” Terry actually laughed even as tears rolled down her cheeks. Walter just met another person able to give him his own medicine, figuratively and literally.
Gale was another doctor who wouldn’t pull punches when she talked with a patient. She pulled up a stool so she could sit directly in front of Walter, as Terry walked around behind him and put her hands on his shoulders. Gale looked him directly in the eyes as she spoke. “You asked why an Ob-Gyn doctor was checking you out, medically? Though if I were several years younger you’d be quite a catch. Walter, has your chest seemed...puffy to you recently? Have you felt like you’ve just eaten a lot at times but haven’t? Have you noticed anything different about your genitals lately?” Gale finished her questions and watched as Walter thought about her questions; Terry also tightened her grip on his shoulders.
Walter hadn’t really thought much of it, but he could answer ‘yes’ to all of Gale’s questions. And that’s how he answered. “Well, yeah, my chest has seemed kind of puffy, but I just thought it was because of the treatments I have been given. And now that you mention it, I have felt like I’ve just eaten something when it’s been several hours since I ate anything. And...um...my...genitals have seemed a bit different than I remembered. What’s all this mean? Am I turning into a girl or something?” Walter laughed as he said the last bit, but he was the only one who did. Gale took his left hand and told him, “Walter, I’m going to guide you hand and I want you to gently feel around your right nipple. Very gently now.” Gale controlled Walter’s hand as he gently felt in the areas she led him. When he gave her a questioning look, because he did feel something, she told him, “Walter, hold onto your hat. You are developing breasts.” Terry braced her son as he fainted and fell backward.
Walter scrunched his eyes and tried to swat the odor away, as the ammonia ampoule was broken under Walter’s nostrils. The ammonia smell made him start coughing, but brought him back around. Where he had been sitting on the exam table, he was now lying down, looking up at three worried faces. “Um...Hi? What happened?” Terry moved an errant bit of hair off his forehead and told him, “You fainted after Gale said you were developing breasts.” Walter looked from his mom, to Gale, to Marsha, and all three were nodding their heads. He was developing breasts, and what he had felt, what all three women had felt, were breast buds. “Um...and all the other things? They’re part of me developing breasts?” Marsha took Walter’s left hand in hers before telling him, “We think so, but we’re not sure. While you were sleeping, Gale and I decided to run you through a few machines to look at the inside of you, and do a few more ‘female’ tests. Walter mouthed ‘female tests’ before he asked, “What type of female tests?” Just then there was a knock on the exam room door. Gale opened it, spoke to the person there, took the pages she was handed, closed the door and walked back over to the exam table and their little group.
As Gale and Marsha are looking over the pages Gale was given, it dawned on Walter that something was missing. He looked down the length of his body and saw he was wearing a paper gown. When he lifted the collar of the gown, he saw he was in his birthday suit, as naked as he could be. “Um...I’ve another question for you three voyeurs. Why am I naked under this paper dress?” Terry clamped her hand over her mouth, as Marsha giggled
Marsha gently reached down and wiped the few tears that had escaped Walter’s eyes. “I’m sorry Walter, I was trying to help you get through this.” He just nodded as more tears rolled to his ears. “It’s okay, I’m just scared.” As Walter gathered himself, he noticed Gale was attaching two ‘things’ to the exam table. “Um...what are those,” and he pointed to the two metal stirrups Gale just attached to the table.
Terry chuckled and gently placed her left hand on Walter’s right shoulder. “Well, Walter,” Marsha began, “you remember I said we wanted to perform a few more ‘female’ tests on you? Well, putting your feet in those stirrups will allow Dr. Stromer to examine your genitals better.” Terry saw it coming, because of the smirk on Walter’s lips, but there was nothing she could do. “What, you want to play with my woo hoo?” It wasn’t so much what he said but how he said it, and the pantomime he added by just flicking his fingers back and forth, and the lilt in his voice. It got real quiet in the room for a moment, then all three women couldn’t help it, they cracked up. Marsha ended up leaning against one wall laughing. Terry against another, also laughing. And Gale simply dropped her head on the examination table, right between Walter’s legs, and was the worst of all. When the three had collected themselves, it was Gale, still chuckling, who told him, “Yes, Walter, I’m going to handle your woo hoo. And I’ll be as easy as I can. You ready?” Walter knew it was a rhetorical question, shook his head ‘no’ before ‘yes’ then following Gale’s instructions, lifted his legs, put them into the stirrups, scooted a bit towards Gale, laid back and tried to relax. A thought occurred to him and he laughed, but Terry told him, “Don’t you dare say it.” That caused both of them to laugh. “Okay, Walter, here we go. Please try and lay as still as you can. We don’t want anything to happen to your woo hoo.” Gale chuckled to herself just after she said that, glancing up to see Walter rolling his eyes and shaking his head.
There was no humor in Gale’s voice as she told Walter, “Okay, Walter, you may put your legs down and scoot back a bit. I’m through with the exam.” She picked up the pages she’d set down before examining Walter’s genitals, looked through them much slower this time, got up off the stool she’d been sitting on and pursed her lips before saying, “Walter, you can sit up now.” Gale walked over until she was directly in front of Walter, and speaking to him, and Terry, who was again standing behind her son, said, “I’m not sure how you’re going to take this, Walter, so brace yourself. Besides the breast development we discovered, your genitals are shrinking. Your testicals are about half the size they should be for a boy your age, as is your penis.” Terry had placed both hands on Walter’s shoulders, and could feel Walter shaking. “And your testosterone levels are dropping, being replaced would be a better choice of words.” Gale could see the question Walter was about to ask and told him before he could ask, “Being replaced with estrogen. Walter, I believe your DNA is being written, or parts of it are being switched on, and it will continue until you have become a full fledged girl. With all the parts natural born girls are born with. That’s why I want more tests run, beginning with several imaging ones.” She reached up and gently wiped off the tears running down Walter’s cheeks, telling him, “We’ll be here for you Walter, my word of honor.”
Walter suddenly spun around on the exam table, grabbed his mom and burst out in tears. Marsha and Gale felt it best to let his mom comfort him and stepped out of the room. Gale showed Marsha the pages she’d received, and got a whistle out of Marsha as she read through all of the results of the blood tests. “Oh, GAWD, that poor boy. First all of those accidents and now this. Did you read the report on his last accident, the one he had two weeks ago?” When Gale shook her head ‘no,’ Marsha pulled out her tablet, opened the file containing Walter’s last accident, and handed the tablet to Gale. “Whoa, shit,” was all Gale said as she handed the tablet back to Marsha. Gale got a questioning look on her face before asking, “You think all the chemicals he was exposed to are doing this, don’t you?” Marsha nodded her head and replied, “Yeah, I do. And maybe we would have seen this coming had we thought to look for it. But we were so worried about getting the chemicals out of his bloodstream we never considered something like this might happen.” The door to the exam room opened and Terry poked her head out, telling the two doctors, “You can come back in now. Walter and I had a nice talk.”
When the doctors again saw Walter, his eyes were red from crying, his face was tear streaked, and his nose was running; the trash can now had more tissues in it. Marsha picked up the box of tissues, offered them to Walter, who took one and wiped his eyes before wiping his nose. As he held the tissue in his hands, he asked in a quivering voice, “Um...what now? How long before I’m a full girl? Can it be stopped? Is it because of all those chemicals?”
Marsha had watched Walter go through all of the treatments to remove the accumulated chemicals he was exposed to from his bloodstream. Right now, though, his pleading face showed that he was a boy who had been beaten down by what he just learned. “Walter, you know I don’t pull punches when I tell my patients things they may not want to hear? Well, I’m not going to start now with you. Now, we’re going to run more tests on you, starting with imaging, as Gale said. I’m afraid we will need more of your red go juice, because I want more exhaustive tests run. As to how long, I don’t know, no one does. As far as I know, you’re the first person to have this happen to you. Can it be stopped? Walter, I’m sorry, but, I don’t know. No one does at this point.”
Marsha was close enough to Walter that he leaned forward, put his head on her chest, reached around her waist, pulled her closer to him, and began crying again. Marsha reached over and pulled him into her, looked up at the ceiling as tears ran down her cheeks. As she stood holding Walter, and Walter held her, Terry and Gale wrapped their arms around her from opposite sides, with Gale saying so all four could hear, “We’ll get through this, however it turns out.”
It was several minutes before the group hug broke up, and the trash can gained more tissues. Gale went to the phone on the wall, picked up the receiver before punching a few numbers, and when the phone at the other end was answered, asked, “Do you have anything scheduled right now?...That’s good. I have a patient I was a full workup done on, right now. ...That’s right, right now. ...Yes I consider it an emergency. And when you read the full report, so will you. ...Okay, good, we’re on our way.”
Gale hung up the receiver then turned to the other three. “Imaging doesn’t have anyone scheduled right now, so, Walter, we’re going to go and get a few pictures of your insides. Terry, this will take a while, so why don’t you go to the cafeteria and get something to eat or drink. And maybe you’d want to make a phone call of your own? We’ll come and get you when we’re done.” Gale picked up the receiver on the phone and punched in a few more numbers, asking for a gurney to be brought to exam room 3. Terry put her arms around her son and pulled him into her, stroking his hair as she did so. “Sweetheart, we will get through this, just like all the other times. You’ll see.” Marsha had been around Walter enough to know what a smirk on his lips meant, and she wasn’t disappointed as he said, “But mom, my woo hoo wasn’t at stake those other times.” Terry just shook her head, dropped her chin onto the top of Walter’s head and said, “Only you could make light of a situation like this.” About that time there was a knock on the door, before it opened and an orderly came in pulling the gurney Gale had ordered. Terry kissed Walter on the top of his forehead before telling him, “It will be okay, Walter. Do you understand?” Walter nodded his head before telling Terry, “I love you, mom.” The orderly and Terry helped Walter get onto the gurney, before Gale told him where they were going, and followed them out of the exam room.
Marsha saw the look on Terry’s face and grabbed her in a hug and let Terry cry on her shoulder. “He’s going to be okay, Terry. He may become a she, but he will get through this. I’ve seen that strength in him the short time I’ve been with him. All of us will get through this together.” The two women embraced a few moments longer until Marsha patted Terry’s back and told her, “Come on, let’s go fix our war paint. Then go to the cafeteria and get something to eat and drink. Gale doesn’t need me right now, she’s a big girl, she knows what she’s doing.” Despite how Terry was feeling at that moment, she had to laugh at Marsha’s flippant words. They walked out of the exam room arm in arm, stopping by Marsha’s office so she could grab her purse, before going to the women’s restroom then on to the cafeteria.
Right Time
By Jamie Lee
Most often people talk about being in the right place at the right time. Maybe they achieved a beautiful photo of a sunrise, or the antics of children or animals. Maybe they found something someone lost and received a big reward when it was returned. But how often do they talk about being in the wrong place at the right time? If they do, it’s often about the death of someone or maybe witnessing a crime. And if this is the case, they are sad or horrified. Walter Williams often is in the wrong place at the right time, though his reaction to the incidents he encounters is much different than anyone would expect. And, life-changing.
Marsha had just taken the last bite of the omelette she’d ordered in the cafeteria when her cell phone rang. She picked it up, accepted the call and Terry heard her say, “Okay, I’ll be right there.” As Terry was still eating the scrambled eggs and bacon she’d ordered, Marsha told her, “They’ve finished taking pictures, so I’m going down to see what they think. You sit here, finish your food, and make that phone call you’ve been putting off. I’ll come back and get you when we know more.” She kissed Terry on the cheek before walking off towards the imaging department. Terry’s last bite was rather difficult to swallow, since she knew she couldn’t put off calling Shelby any longer. She continued eating as she tried to think of all she needed to say to her husband. She chuckled at herself as the thought of, “Hi Shelby. Guess what. We’re going to have a new daughter any day now. No, I’m not pregnant. Our son will soon become our daughter.” She just shook her head at her own silliness. She ate the last bit of bacon she had, washed it all down with the rest of her coffee, went up to the cooler, took out a bottle of bottled water, paid for it and sat back down before taking out her cell phone and dialing Shelby’s number. When Shelby answered he asked, “What’s up, sweetheart.” With tears in her eyes she told him, “Shelby, you need to come home. They discovered Walter’s changing into a girl.” All he said in return was, “I’m on my way.” She folded her arms on the table top, put her head down on her arms and silently cried. She felt an arm go around her shoulders and pull her into a hug. She didn’t really care who was holding her just then, but was surprised when she heard, “It’s okay sis, we’re all here for you guys,” as Peter held her tight. When she asked, “Who?” Peter replied with, “Marsha.”
When Terry let go of Peter he let go of her, then pulled a chair around so he was sitting right next to, and facing, his sister. Terry took a tissue out of her purse, dried her eyes then opened the bottle of water and took a long drink. “What else have they told you?” Peter asked, while Terry drank. She shook her head as she swallowed, then recounted everything that took place from the time Walter hit the door jamb, to Gale taking him to imaging, to Marsha getting called to go there. She didn’t know any more. Peter gently rubbed the back of Terry’s neck, as she drank more water. He got up, went to the cooler, took out two bottles of water, paid for them before returning to the table and again sitting down next to Terry. She thanked Peter for getting the water, before opening the new bottle and taking another long drink.
It was 11:30 a.m. when Terry suddenly jumped up from her chair and ran off towards the cafeteria entrance. Peter didn’t know why she took off like a shot until he turned around and saw her fiercely holding Shelby; the luggage he’d been pulling forgotten behind him at the moment. He saw Shelby was speaking but couldn’t hear what was being said, though he felt it was clearly meant to put Terry at ease. When Terry and Shelby finally reached the table where Terry and Peter had been sitting, Terry didn’t realize Peter wasn’t there, until a tray was placed on the table, full of food and drinks. Peter put his arm around Shelby’s shoulders before asking, “How was the flight?” He didn’t have to ask ‘how are you doing,’ it was written on Shelby’s face. When Shelby and Terry saw what Peter had set before them, they both gave him a questioning look, because it was a little of everything they liked for lunch. Peter just shrugged his shoulders, chuckled, and replied, “I’ve been around the two of you far too long.” Terry gave her brother a hug then sat down and started eating, as did Shelby before he too sat down to enjoy what Peter bought for them.
Peter stood for a moment more, watching his sister and her husband, as they ate. They were going through something right now that might have torn other families apart. But these two people clung to each other when they were hurting the most. He just hoped he and Tina would do the same when their times came. He then sat down and grabbed something before his sister and her hungry husband ate it all.
Terry’s cell phone rang at 1:00 p.m., it was from Marsha. After taking her phone out of her purse, and accepting the call, all Shelby and Peter heard her say was, “Okay, give us a few minutes.” She put her cell phone back in her purse then told Peter and Shelby, “They’ve finished taking pictures and want to see us in the Imaging Department’s waiting room. But not before I use the little girl’s room.” Terry, saying she needed to visit the restroom, hit both men at the same time, as did a warning from their bladders. They’d been so busy comforting each other that they’d ignored the dire request from their own bodies. And both men moved at light speed to honor that now urgent request. In fact, by the time Peter took the tray and plates back, Shelby was nowhere in sight. But Peter didn’t question where he’d gone, as he saw the door to the men’s room, just outside the cafeteria, closing. And he was not far behind Shelby.
The two men were waiting for Terry just outside both restrooms, as Shelby started to pace. Peter put his hand on Shelby’s shoulder, as he passed by, and told him, “You need to relax, we’ll get there when Terry is ready. She gave birth to Walter, so this is especially hard on her. And from the number of times I’ve seen her like this, since this whole thing started, she needs to take all the time she wants.” Peter’s words had the desired effect on Shelby, they made him stop pacing and realize his wife had been here by herself, and dealing with it all, by herself. A few moments later the door to the ladies room opened and Terry walked out, looking much better than when she went in. She’d combed her hair and fixed her makeup. Though she looked physically better, she was still a wreck inside. She latched onto Shelby and the three headed to Imaging.
When the three reached the Imaging Department’s waiting room, they saw Gale, Marsha, and a fully dressed Walter. Terry introduced Gale to Shelby before Gale suggested they use one of the small conference rooms to talk. She and Marsha led the way and all six entered the indicated room. As everyone took a seat, just after Terry sat down, Walter sat down in her lap, latching onto her. Terry kissed the top of Walter’s head before telling him, “It’ll be alright, baby.” Shelby was sitting to Terry’s left, and had put his hand on Walter’s shoulder just as Gale started explaining what they’d seen in the images.
“When we initially examined Walter, we believed he had developed breast buds, something a girl starting puberty would develop. And I know it isn’t what you want to hear, but they are developing nicely.” Walter lifted his head off Terry’s chest, turned his head to face Gale, and stuck his tongue out at her. She laughed before telling Walter, “Yes, I know, Walter. That isn’t something you want to hear. But would you want me to tell you something much worse?” Walter just shook his head ‘no’ before laying his head back on Terry’s chest. “Also, we know the average width of the hips of boys about Walter’s age. It appears his hips are slowly getting wider. And his pelvis is showing slow changes as well.” She held up her hand as Walter had again turned his head to face Gale. “Yes, Walter. I know, you hate hearing that too.” She watched as he put his head back on Terry’s chest before she continued. “And Walter, I really know you hate hearing this part, so go ahead, stick out your tongue at me before I continue.” Walter just laughed and stayed as he was against Terry’s chest. “We had several people look at the images of Walter’s groin, and everyone is in agreement, he is developing new structures in his lower abdomen.” Gale had become quite adept at reading the questions on people’s faces over the years, so when Shelby’s face was asking ‘what type of structures’ Gale told him, “Yes, Shelby. Ovaries, a uterus, and fallopian tubes. They are in the very early stages, but they ARE forming. And we believe once Walter’s genitals have totally disappeared, the vagina will then form.”
Terry felt her blouse getting wet where Walter’s head lay, and her tears were dripping onto the top of his head. Even Shelby had to wipe his eyes several times during Gale’s talk, but he never let go of his son’s shoulder. Peter had seen a small fridge in the corner of the conference room, and had taken three bottles of water out of it and placed them on the table in front of the hurting three. He looked at Gale and Marsha, pointing to the bottles of water, and both nodded to him; he got three more out of that fridge.
It was Marsha who took up explaining things to the three as she told them, “The blood samples we took were sent off for extensive testing, so it’ll be several days before we know the results. As was said in the exam room, we don’t know if only parts of Walter’s DNA are being affected or if his entire DNA is being rewritten, but we’ll know for sure once we get the results of the tests. For now we wait. Walter is in good health,” Walter turned his head toward Marsha and stuck his tongue out at her, before turning back to his mom’s chest. Marsha dropped her head, and laughed before telling Walter, “Yes, you don’t think you’re in good health by transforming into a girl. But you are, despite your likes or dislikes. The chemicals that entered into your bloodstream have all but vanished, the levels are acceptable. Your mom and dad are here and love you deeply, some aren’t so lucky, Walter. And,” and here she laughed a bit as she told Walter, “you get to go with your mom to buy your first bra.” Walter looked up at his mom and gave her a stink eye, before he did the same at a smiling Marsha. “Whoopie,” he said, and dropped his head back on Terry’s chest, causing her to tell him, “Hey, miss, watch what you’re slamming your head into.” Walter looked up at Terry and stuck his tongue out at her. That got a laugh from everyone.
Peter had been quiet throughout the entire talk; he was sitting to Terry’s left. He got out of his chair, pushed the chair out of the was so he could kneel where Walter could see his face, and told Walter, “Walter, look at me.” Peter had been watching Walter all through the presentation, and had seen his stare but not ‘see anything look.’ It was still the look he saw when he told Walter to look at him, he wanted Walter to focus. When Walter’s eyes finally sought his Uncle, Peter went on with, “I’ve seen how you dealt with those incidents at school. Your mom has told me how you’ve dealt with all of the incidents while you’ve been in school. Even the ones you encountered when not in school, and each time you took them in stride and laughed at them all. You need to hang onto that attitude now. Now is not the time to start acting anything but you are in your heart. You’ve proven you’re better than anything you’ve experienced, and what you’re going through now is another of those experiences. Don’t let it make you bitter, and DON’T get angry and take it out on those trying to help you get through this. They are truly concerned about you and love you very much. As Marsha said, some aren’t as lucky as you are, having so many wanting to help you. Some parents would have kicked their own children out of the house, even if it was no fault of their own. It wasn’t your fault those shelves broke. It wasn’t your fault that bottle was on the wrong shelf. Your only fault was thinking you could get that bottle without any help, a fault you seem to have developed early in your life. It’s okay to depend on yourself most of the time. But, like now, and in getting that bottle, there’s nothing wrong with asking for help. Or letting others help you.”
Peter was the only one who could see Walter thinking about everything he was just told. But everyone heard him say, “You’re right, Uncle Peter. I’m just really scared, more so than I’ve ever been. I feel like the dog that’s been beaten so much it can’t tell the difference between a loving hand and the one that’s going to hit him again. And it’s hard for me to ask for help when I’ve been doing a lot of things for myself for so long. I feel like I’ll let me down if I do.” Peter reached up and wiped tears off Walter’s face before telling him, “Self reliant can only get you so far, Walter. Sometimes it’s necessary to ask for help if you want to get anywhere.”
Peter could see Walter thinking about what he just told Walter. He saw another look on Walter’s face, before Walter said, “So, one day I’ll get married, oh, wait. That would mean we’d, um, that he would,” and he looked up at Terry and continued with, “that means you and dad...I think I’ll become a nun.” Terry and Peter facepalmed themselves. Marsha had fallen backward laughing so hard. Gale sat down hard in a chair laughing, and Shelby was shaking his head and laughing. Terry reached with her left hand and gently cupped Walter’s chin, lifting it so he was looking at her. “Don’t you think that one was a bit over the top, even for you?” And then Terry got a softer look to her as she told Walter, “Soon to be daughter of ours. When you have your soulmate in you it’s the most wonderful feeling in this world. At that moment the two of you are one,” and she turned her head to look at Shelby. “And in that moment, you lose sight of all the other problems you think you have.” Shelby had wiped his eyes because of what Terry was not only saying to Walter but to him as well.
Peter saw the smirk again appear on Walter’s face, as Walter continued to look at his mom. “Um...mom? You mean it only lasts a moment? Isn’t that rather a short amount of time to, you know?” Shelby scrunched his eyes closed, then held his face in his hands, shaking his head as he did so. Marsha, Gale, and Peter lost it, and the room was again filled with laughter. Terry, on the other hand, slowly turned her head back to look down at the innocent smile on her soon to be daughter’s face. “Young lady! If it only lasts a moment, then it isn’t love, and you better be getting a good price for your services, or part of the movie rights?” When Terry said that, Shelby could be heard saying, “Oh, gawd, not that,” and looked up at the ceiling, again scrunching his eyes closed. It was several minutes before Peter, Marsha, and Gale could stop laughing. Even Terry couldn’t hold back laughter because of the banter between her and Walter. She actually felt relieved because she knew Walter was back. She didn’t know if it was because of what Peter told him, um, her, or if Walter finally realized he’d need all the help he could get. She didn’t really care, he/she was back.
Peter had helped Marsha up off the floor before he went to the small fridge in the corner and took out six bottles of water, giving one to everyone. It was Walter who posed the question of, “What now? Do I need to do anything special? I mean, this turning into a girl is all new to me, or becoming one at any rate. And I don’t know how to be a girl.” Peter had pulled his chair back to the table and sat down. He looked over at his Nephew, reached over and wiped off tears that had escaped from his eyes. He looked at Walter and told him, “Nephew, you have three very experienced women in this room who might be willing to help you in the girl department if you asked them nicely. Plus, you have several cousins who would love to help.” It was a subdued Walter who asked the question no one could answer, “How are others going to take me becoming a girl? How about the rest of our family, will they understand? Will anyone who’s known me as a boy understand when I become a girl?” He let his tears fall freely as he buried his head in his mother’s chest. Terry didn’t try to stop her own, as she fiercely told him, “Walter, to HELL with what others think. If they can’t understand this was caused by an accident, then to HELL with them. And if anyone gives you any grief at school, they’ll have to deal with me, regardless.” Shelby had reached over and placed his hand on Walter’s back, rubbing it to help sooth his new daughter. What Shelby said next was with a voice Walter had never heard him use. “And I’ll deal with their parents, daughter of mine.” For the first time since they met in the small conference room, Walter turned around, got off Terry’s lap and went over to Shelby. Walter wrapped his/her arms around his/her father, was pulled into Shelby’s lap, and let out his/her frustrations and hurt while being held by Shelby. And Shelby couldn’t help letting his own tears fall. He hated seeing his child hurt to the point he couldn’t do anything to make things better.
Peter claimed he had something in his eyes, as he wiped them. Marsha and Gale were not ashamed to let their tears slide down their cheeks, and when everyone had calmed down, Gale told Terry and Shelby, “I think we’ve told you everything we know up to this point. It seems to be the chemicals absorbed through Walter’s skin that have started the transformation process, and I’m sorry we didn’t have a way to remove any of it. Terry, Walter will need something to protect his developing breasts, you’re likely to remember how sensitive they are when they start developing. And Walter. Look at me Walter.” Walter lifted his/her head off Shelby’s chest and turned his/her head to look at Gale. “Walter, I realize all of this is hard on you. But don’t try to fight what’s happening to you, you’ll only get more upset. Let your mom help you, learn from her, learn from your other girl friends. I won’t trivialize that some people aren’t going to like what’s happening to you, and they may get downright nasty. Some will even call you a liar when you explain how it happened. But what I know of you, and everything Marsha has told me, there are a lot more people who will be there to help you when you need help. Williams family, go home. Eat, sleep, plan. And we’ll see Walter next Wednesday.” Walter got off Shelby’s lap, and walked over to hug first Marsha then Gale. Terry and Shelby shook hands with the two doctors, and thanked them for all they were doing for Walter.
Peter followed his sister, nephew, soon to be niece, and Shelby out of the small conference room before he told them, “I’ll clear Walter for being out of school today. Please let me know if Walter will be there tomorrow.” They hadn’t taken but a few steps when Walter said, “I will be, Uncle Peter. I may be changing but I’m not sick.” Peter smiled at his soon to be niece, and put his arm around his/her shoulders. Terry put her arm around Walter’s waist before she brought up a subject Walter was going to love to hate. “Um...I think before we head home we need to find the appropriate protection for those breasts you’re developing, daughter of ours.” Walter let out an audible sigh then said, “Yeah, I guess you’re right, mom. I hope no one gets upset tomorrow if they discover I’m wearing a bra. Some of the guys could get awful mean about it.” Terry pulled Walter to a stop, looked down at him and told him, “If anyone gives you any trouble you first let them know it will be me and your dad who they will have to deal with in Court. They will be charged with a hate crime, and I’ll work my butt off to see they go to jail. You tell them that.” Peter knew how angry his sister could become when something pressed that button. But this was new even to him, she was actually breathing fire as she spoke to Walter. “And Walter, if you do have any problems I want to hear about it. If you can’t get to me go to a teacher, I will be briefing all the teachers; Gads, I’ll even have to go to the school board. But that’s my cross to bear.
They went their separate ways, when they reached the parking lot. Peter had a lot on his mind and faintly heard the three goodbyes as he walked to his car. He waved a hand in the air but never turned around. “I hope the school board doesn’t give him any grief over this,” Terry said to the air. Shelby put his arm around Terry’s waist and told her, “He won’t be the one they come after. It will be us. But I think we have them over a barrel because of the accident, and those faulty shelves. We’ll have to wait and see which way the wind blows.” Neither Shelby nor Terry saw the smirk on Walter’s face, as he stuck his left index finger in his mouth then held it up in the air. “Um, dad, the wind is from the southwest today.” Both Shelby and Terry dropped their heads to their chests and shook them. “Walter, sometimes I don’t know about you, or where you inherited that quirk. But I love you all the same.” Terry said, then pulled Walter into her, kissed him/her on the top of the head just as they reached their car.
The three drove to a mall that was a ten minute drive from the hospital and their home. Terry could hear Walter mumbling the whole time during the drive. When his/her mom looked at him/her, she had an understanding look on her face. “I can appreciate how you feel about this, son, but believe me your chest will feel much better with something protecting your developing breasts. And I’m going to guess it itches too, right?” Walter nodded, then told his/her mom, “Yeah, been like that for a few days now. And again, I just thought it was something I was allergic to or something about the shirts I was wearing.” Terry nodded her head and answered with, “I can see how you could think that, given you wouldn’t expect to be developing breasts like a girl your age. Walter, and I’m serious, if there’s anything else you’ve noticed, tell us. No more surprises, okay? You have to remember what may not be important to you, may be important to Marsha and Gale. And to me.” Terry reached back, across the front seat, and gently stroked Walter’s cheek, as he nodded his head in understanding.
When they reached the mall, Shelby was fortunate to find a parking place near one of the entrances. As they left their car and walked towards the entrance, Terry said to the air, “First we find bras, then panties while getting the bras. Then while we’re here, look for tops, skirts, dresses and shoes.” Terry was so intent on her mental shopping list, and Shelby was walking with Terry, that neither noticed Walter had stopped walking several feet behind them. Terry turned her head to the left to ask Walter a question and noticed he wasn’t there. “Shelby,” Terry said, as she stopped and turned around. What they saw broke their hearts.
There was Walter, shaking as he was standing there, with his hands covering his face, crying. “Oh, Lordy, what have I done?” Terry said as she ran to her son and held him tight. Tears were flowing down her cheeks as she told Walter, “Oh, Walter, I’m sooo sorry. My excitement to help you got out of hand. I should have talked to you first and told you my idea. Instead, I decided how we were going to do things. I’m such a fool.” In a muffled voice Walter replied, “No you’re not, mom. You’re a very loving mom. But I do wish you’d told me your idea first, instead of springing it on me. I might have been able to handle it better.” Shelby had been standing next to Terry as she held Walter. He put his arm around his/her shoulders before telling him/her, “Walter. If you want, we can just get the bras so your chest feels better then go home. There isn’t any rush on the other items.”
Shelby could see Walter was shaking his head ‘no,’ when he said, “No, dad. Mom’s right, I’ll need those things. We’re here so we might as well look for the things mom mentioned. A girl needs to learn how to shop. And what better teacher than her mom?” Shelby bent down and kissed Walter on the top of his/her head, then told the two, “Come on, let’s go tear up some shops.” Walter just chuckled, then said, “Okay, let’s.” This time as they walked to the entrance, Walter walked between his parents. Terry with her arm around his/her waist, Shelby with his around his/her shoulders. It was the best support a kid could get.
Walter’s facial features took after Terry, with an oval face, an almost button nose, high cheekbones, and a more feminine brow ridge, and he had the bluest eyes anyone had ever seen. He’d always kept his hair shoulder length, so it wasn’t unusual for him to sometimes be mistaken for a girl.
The mall had several stories which catered to the ‘tween’ girl, so when they entered the ‘tween’ lingerie store, a woman came up to them and asked, “Hello, madam. How may we help you and your daughter today?” Walter looked up to his dad, rolled his/her eyes, then shook his/her head. Shelby bent down and whispered in Walter’s ear, “Just go with the flow, kid. Go with the flow.” Walter nodded his/her head and kept his/her mouth shut. Terry explained, “That their ‘daughter’ had just started puberty and needed a few training bras. They also wanted to get her more panties, a few slips, and some sleepwear.” Walter again looked up at his/her dad, with a disgusted look on his/her face. Shelby just patted his/her shoulder before saying, “Just remember what I said.” Walter did three things at once. S/he rolled his/her eyes, shook his/her head, and nodded, all at the same time. Shelby chuckled at Walter’s antics, then put his arm back around his new daughter’s shoulders.
After Terry told the woman what they wanted, the woman turned to Shelby and said, “Sir, if you’d like to wait, we have a small waiting room right over there,” and she pointed to a small alcove just inside the store. Shelby shook his head and replied, “No, that’s quite alright. I’ll stay with my family. It’s not everyday a father gets to see his daughter get her first bra.” Hearing himself referred to as his father’s daughter, made Walter turn right into Shelby, hugging him and saying, “Thanks dad. That means a lot right now.” The woman had a questioning look on her face that Terry answered with, “Her father has been working out of town until recently. And she’s been missing him terribly.” The woman told Terry, “Oh, I understand,” and led the three to find the items they wanted. Terry looked at Shelby, shrugged her shoulders, causing Shelby to laugh, as they followed the woman deeper into the store.
It was three hours later, plus a pit stop at the food court, that Shelby became their pack mule. Terry and Walter each had four bags, and Shelby carried the other eight. The dread Walter felt before they entered the mall faded as Terry allowed her to decide on most of the items they purchased. She also explained things as they shopped, so Walter wasn’t as clueless as he’d been. And Walter found out she was more comfortable wearing a bra.
Right Time
By Jamie Lee
Most often people talk about being in the right place at the right time. Maybe they achieved a beautiful photo of a sunrise, or the antics of children or animals. Maybe they found something someone lost and received a big reward when it was returned. But how often do they talk about being in the wrong place at the right time? If they do, it’s often about the death of someone or maybe witnessing a crime. And if this is the case, they are sad or horrified. Walter Williams often is in the wrong place at the right time, though his reaction to the incidents he encounters is much different than anyone would expect. And, life-changing.
The first thing Peter did when he got back to school was to send an email to all the teachers, letting them know there’d be a short meeting in the office conference room. Coaches included. The next thing he did, after talking with Tina, and answering Margot’s questions, was to call the President of the school board. She asked how Walter was doing, how badly he was hurt, and a few more questions, before Peter told her, “Um, it’s about another matter with Walter. One I don’t feel comfortable discussing over the phone.” She told Peter she was free the rest of the day, and perhaps they could meet in his office after lunch at one. Peter countered with “Lunch, here at the school. Then we can talk afterwards.” She agreed and they met fifteen minutes later when Margot brought her into Peter’s office.
Margot knew Peter was alone, so she knocked on his office door, then opened it and let Mary Turner go into Peter’s office before closing the door behind her. Peter got up out of his desk chair, walked around his desk, held out his hand and told Mary, “Mary, it’s nice to see you again. And agreeing to meet me on such short notice. But I assure you, it’s important.” Mary shook Peter’s hand before telling him, “It’s good to see you again, Peter. And it must be important, as you usually schedule meetings days in advance.” Peter nodded his head and replied, “It is, Mary. Very important. Let’s get some lunch then I can tell you everything.” Peter opened his office door and let Mary walk out first, then followed, closing the door behind him.
As the two walked towards the cafeteria, Peter wasn’t sure if he should tell Mary about his impending marriage. He quickly weighed the pros and cons before telling her, “Mary, I’m planning to ask a wonderful woman to marry me, though some might have a problem with it.” Mary stopped, turned to face him, she ignored the last part of his statement, for the moment, as she grabbed him in a huge bear hug, and told him, “It’s about time you did, Peter. I think Pamela would like that you’ve finally found someone to share your life with. I’m really happy for you. So, why might some have a problem with your upcoming marriage?” Peter stopped walking, looked down at his shoes, then back at Mary, before saying, “Because it’s Tina I’m going to ask. I’ve checked every regulation I could find, every rule out there, and nothing says a married couple can’t work at the same school.” Mary could see how nervous Peter was, just like a student caught cheating on a test. She decided not to prolong his agony and told him, “Peter, there isn’t anything which says a married couple can’t work at the same school. I’ve known a few in the past who have. And if any of those stick in the mud morons I work with have a problem with it, I’ll just have to be my sweet self and ask them to show me where it says they can’t. Now, before I starve, can we go eat?” Peter laughed, offered his arm to Mary, who took it, and as they walked to the cafeteria Mary peppered him with questions about this all came about with Tina.
“...and that’s the whole story, Mary. My nephew will soon become my niece, unless they can find a way to reverse the effect those chemicals are having on Walter’s body.” Mary sat back in her chair, blew out some air before saying, “Wow, we may have bigger problems than we thought. I read the prelim report the investigator sent us about those shelves having been overloaded at some point, which was the cause of their failing, but nothing about all this. Did you send a report to us? Because I don’t remember seeing one.” Peter opened a desk drawer and took out several sheets of paper, giving them to Mary to read. “We never received any of these. Who’d you send them to? Peter had a questioning look on his face as he told Mary, “I faxed them to your normal fax number. You should have received them, because my machine said they were received. I don’t understand. Here, let me print out the fax history.” Mary waved him off saying, “No need, I can check our machine instead. Before I go, Peter, how’s your nephew handling all this, this transformation? I would guess he isn’t too thrilled about it?” Peter was quiet a moment, wiped his eyes, then told Mary, “He’s putting on a brave front, but he’s scared. Right down to his boots. Even so, he’s handling it better than some people might. It just might be he’s handling it better than some because he’s had more experience with strange encounters than most. I think he’s really afraid of what others are going to say, how they’ll react. And that he’ll become a target for the morons here at school. And Mary, there’s not a hell of a lot I can do to help. Except be there if/when he needs me.” Mary looked at Peter for a moment before she told him, “You know, Peter. Sometimes the only thing we can do to help someone IS be there for them. I know you’ll handle anything that happens to him here at school, and pity the jerk who does, I know the temper Terry has. And just do the best you can the rest of the time. Well, I have my own investigating to do, so I better get going. I’ll let you know what I find.” Peter got up out of his desk chair, walked around his desk to shake Mary’s hand, but didn’t count on her hugging him instead. He opened the office door for her and watched as she walked down the short hallway to his office, said bye to Margot before walking to the main office door. As he was about to close his office door, Margot stuck her head in and told him, “Peter, Walter will be okay. Boy or girl.” Peter snickered, shook his head, not understanding how Margot found out things, and said, “Thanks, Margot.”
After Mary had left, Peter called Terry and asked if she, Shelby, and Walter could come to the school earlier than usual so he could tell them about his talk with the school board President. Terry told him it wouldn’t be a problem, and they’d see him the following day.
The three were sitting in Peter’s office the following morning, talking, when they heard, “WHERE IS THAT BASTARD OF A PRINCIPAL? NEVER, MIND, I SEE HIS DOOR,” a man yelled. Then Margot could be heard yelling, “SIR, YOU CAN’T GO IN THERE. THE PRINCIPAL IS BUSY IN A MEETING AT THE MOMENT.” The door to Peter’s office slammed open, hitting the wall, and the glass threatened to fall to the floor, but didn’t, and a pig of a man barged into Peter’s office. The man filled the doorway because of his girth, and shouted at Peter, “WHO IN THE HELL GAVE YOU THE AUTHORITY TO CALL AND TALK TO THE SCHOOL BOARD PRESIDENT?” He then waddled over to Peter’s desk, his girth had actually caused Terry and Shelby to lean left and right, as he’d forced his way between them. “YOU WANT TO TALK TO HER, YOU GET PERMISSION FROM ME,” and he brought up his right hand and pointed to himself with his thumb. “I’M THE ONE WHO DECIDES WHO TALKS TO WHO BECAUSE OF THAT BRATS ACTIONS. DO YOU KNOW HOW MUCH THIS WILL COST THE SCHOOL?” The man stepped back a step before looking at Walter and said in a snide voice, “So, this is the freak that’s costing this school system all the money. What’s wrong with it, has it come to shake down the school for more money?” He’d raised his hand to slap Walter on the back of the head, when Terry growled at him, “You do and it will be the last thing you ever do on this Earth, fat man” Terry’s voice, and the look in her eyes caused the fat man to change his mind, and take another step back.
Bill Wordsman, actually, William Charles Wordsman III, often used his great weight to intimidate people, but it wasn’t working this time. Shelby had also seen what the fat man was about to do to Walter and had stood up and almost got into the man’s face. Peter had seen this man’s antics before, and wasn’t threatened by them in the least, as he calmly picked up the phone and dialed a number. “Robert, hi, it’s Peter. Are you boys busy right now? No? Goood. Would you gentlemen please come to my office, equipped, I’ve a little problem that I’d like you to handle.” Robert Walker was the head of the school’s security, and he was all muscle, as were the others who worked with him. After talking with Robert, Peter phoned Mary, and filled her in. Robert and his team showed up in Peter’s office moments later, Mary a little after.
When Robert and his team had arrived, only then did Peter address Bill Wordsman. “Bill, here’s the deal. You can go with these gentlemen quietly to one of the conference rooms down the hall, or they’ll take you to one of the conference rooms down the hall.” Peter had stood up when he started speaking to Wordsman, and was now blowing fire as he leaned on his desk, telling the fat man, “But you are going to one of those conference rooms down the hall” Bill had never failed to intimidate people with his great girth, but he’d failed this time, and he could see it in all of the faces that were looking at him. Mary’s included; she had walked around Peter’s desk and was now standing next to him.. And they all had the same fire in their eyes as did Peter and Terry.
Bill felt sweat trickle down the side of his face, he knew he’d stepped into it this time. He waved a hand at Peter and told him, “Well FUCK you, mister high and mighty.” Robert then stepped in front of Bill, cracking his knuckles after doing so. Bill held up both hands to Robert before telling the big man, “Alright, alright, I’m going, I’M GOING!” Two of Robert’s partners led the way, with Bill behind them and Robert and one other following. As the five walked down the short hallway leading to Peter’s office, those in Peter’s office, and those in the outer office, heard the fat man say, “GAWD! What a FUCKED UP mess!” They then heard a loud pop, then, “WHAT THE HELL DID YOU DO THAT FOR?” and another loud pop before Robert said, “Watch your language.”
Walter couldn’t help himself, and started laughing. He was laughing so hard that when he took a breath, he snorted, which caused him to laugh harder. And snort more. His laughing and snorting had the effect of causing the others to start laughing as well. When he’d finally slowed down, and was able to talk, he said, “That man reminds me of a scene in Animal Farm, where the pigs come walking out of the farm house on their two hind legs, chanting, ‘Four legs good, two legs better’.” And he started laughing again. Margot had judiciously closed Peter’s office door after the parade was clear of the short hallway. She came back a few minutes later, opened the office door, walked into the office, and placed five bottles of bottled water on Peter’s desk, before leaving and closing the door behind her. She had to chuckle after what Walter said.
Peter handed out the bottles of water, as everyone was starting to calm down, even wiping their eyes from laughing so hard. It was Mary who spoke first, and was not happy when she said, “I found out it was,” and she pointed in the direction of Bill, “who collected that fax you sent me, Peter. We had some trouble some time back with people taking faxes without letting anyone know. So we went to a vendor and they worked with us to come up with a fax machine that wouldn’t immediately spit out the fax. In order to get the fax, the person had to put in their ID code, and only then would the fax be printed. Dumbo forgot that our machine keeps a history of everything done on that machine.”
After Mary explained about the missing fax, Terry asked, “So why is he so fired up thinking we have to go through him to speak with you?” Peter sat back down in his chair, and Shelby, seeing Mary looking at a chair against one wall, walked over and brought the chair to Peter’s desk. Mary thanked him then said, “Bill thinks himself more important than he is. He is only the accountant for the schools, not the head cheerleader. We’ve had problems with him before, doing something similar, and warned him, but I guess having a big head he forgot what we told him. Plus, his taking the fax in order to keep me, or the other members, from seeing it is his last straw. Now…” And Mary outlined everything she’d talked with the other board members about, concerning Walter and his transformation. And the accident, which was still under investigation; extensive lab work was being done to determine why those shelves failed.
“...so that’s it. None of the other school board members have a problem with Walter being in school as Walter the boy, or if you continue to transform, Walter, as a girl. Most were only concerned when you’d start coming to school as a girl and how the other students would react. Plus, since you’d be new to being a girl, you might dress a bit, um, how should I put this?” And Terry finished with, “Slutty?” Mary chuckled, smiled at Terry, and told her, “Well, it was what they were thinking but I didn’t want to put it that way.” Terry looked at an amused Walter before telling Mary, “Don’t worry, Mary, no slut will leave our house for school.” Terry and Peter saw the smirk first, with Peter saying, “Don’t say it, Walter!”
Mary got serious as she looked at the Willams family. “Now there is another matter we need to address. Because Walter was hurt on school property, the school will cover all of his medical expenses, up to the point he was found to be transforming.” She held up her hand to stop Shelby from speaking, as she went on with, “But, we’re not sure if we can cover the rest of the medical expenses. That’s why we’ve given it to the School Board’s attorney to look into. We believe, based on the preliminary findings of the investigations, the school is also at fault for those shelves failing, so would be liable for any further medical expenses. My personal opinion, and it doesn’t leave this room, the school should foot whatever bill is necessary for Walter’s good health. And yes, Shelby, I’m mindful this whole thing could end up in court if the legal opinion goes against Walter. But I doubt it will. That’s all the school district would need, experts going into a courtroom and pointing out it was the schools fault those shelves failed. The settlement would be much more than we would be willing to settle for. But as I said, that’s my personal opinion, so you didn’t hear anything from me.” The first bell sounded, and Walter was told he best get to his first period class. He wouldn’t be needed for this next part of their meeting. Walter heard Mary chuckle as she repeated, “Four legs good, two legs better,” over and over again.
After Walter headed for his first period science class, Peter said to the other three, “Well, shall we go and butcher Bill, the pig?” And as they started filing out of Peter’s office, Mary told them, “And I’ll make all the necessary cuts.”
The door to the conference room Robert and his fellows had escorted Bill to was standing open, and they could hear Bill ranting and raving over being kept waiting. They heard, “WHERE THE FUCK ARE THEY,” before they heard a pop and Robert say, “I won’t tell you again. Next time we’re going to gag you and tie you to a chair.” Bill was rubbing the back of his head, again, where Robert had not bothered to control the force he used to smack Bill in the back of the head; Bill’s head actually snapped forward from the force of the blow. When they walked into the conference room, Mary spoke first by telling Bill, “Sit your butt down and keep your mouth shut. You’re in it deep this time, mister.”
Bill made the mistake of getting up in her face before he told her, “NO BITCH TELLS ME WHAT TO DO!” Bill suddenly went flying backwards, grabbed by the back of the neck by Robert, and thrown into a chair. His hands were pulled back behind him and tied, as a gag was forced into his mouth and tied tight at the back of his head. Mary’s hand-print on his face deepened in color. Robert leaned down so he was in Bill’s line of sight and told him, “If I were you I’d go see an audiologist. You seem to have trouble with your hearing. And if you EVER speak to a woman like that again, in my presence, I will knock you so far into last year you’ll need a calendar to find your way back to the present.” He waved at Bill and said to Peter, “He’s all yours, boss.”
Mary and Peter took the seats on either side of the chair holding a tied up William Charles Wordsman III, self appointed financial director of the School Board. Peter asked Terry and Shelby to sit across the table from them, lest they be tempted to kick the shit out of Bill; Peter knew the two would, given that Bill was about to slap Walter in the back of the head. Once everyone was seated, Robert’s partners standing outside in the hallway, came into the room, closed the door and stood guard. No one was getting into that room who had no business in that meeting. Robert and his other partner stood behind Bill on either side of the chair.
“Bill,” Mary said in a calm, yet firm, voice. “I really don’t know where to begin. You pulled this same stunt several months ago and we told you never to do it again. But here we are, and you did it again. For those of you who don’t know Bill’s position with the School Board, it’s as an accountant, nothing more. Several months ago we had a problem at another school, which required a settlement, and mister William Charles Wordsman III, thinking himself more important than he is, chewed that Principal out because she and I spoke, much like we did Peter. He got a few days off for that stunt, and I had to do some fast talking to prevent an excellent Principal from quitting. And here we are again, Billy.” Mary knew Bill hated to be called Billy, it’s how he was teased while in school. “So, Billy, what are we to do with you? Give you more days off without pay, like last time? Noooo, you showed today you didn’t learn from that.”
“You’ve also shown how ignorant you are about new technology. You thought if you got the fax Peter sent me before I did, you could prevent our meeting from taking place. Well, Mr. Ignorant, you didn’t seem to know about our new fax machine, besides requiring a person’s ID, it also keeps a history of everything it does. And when I pulled up the history, imagine my surprise when it showed your ID was used to accept a fax from this school. TO ME!. Now why did you think an accountant would need to see a fax sent, TO ME? Answer, YOU DIDN’T AND DON’T! No, Bill, I’m afraid you’ve shot yourself in the foot this one too many times, and we’ve not choice but to,” and Mary leaned over to look Bill right in the eyes and snarled when she told him, “KICK YOUR ASS DOWN THE ROAD! YOU’RE FIRED! You will go collect your personal things from your desk, while escorted of course, hand your ID badge and any and all keys to the people escorting you, AND GET THE HELL OUT OF THE BUILDING.” Very calmly, Mary sat back in her chair and looking at Peter said, “Um, your turn.” Hamming it up, Peter replied, “Why thank you kind lady.”
Peter turned to look at Bill and started with, “You know, Billy, you caused a lot of problems this morning. Problems we didn’t need. First you come into the office acting like the ass you appear to be, which, I guess, is true to form. Then you come storming into my office and interrupt a meeting I was having, which was none of your business, by the way. It probably never occurred to you I may have been meeting with someone else about another sensitive matter, did it? No, it didn’t, but you didn’t care anyway, did you Billy. Because you’re the big bad William Charles Wordsman III, an accountant. Billy, if you ever storm into my office like that again, Robert there, won’t be the one knocking you into last year. It will be me, then we’ll send you to the butchers to get dressed out.” Peter had said all this with a calm voice, but with fire in his eyes. Then he pointed to Terry and Shelby sitting across the table from the three.
“You know, Billy, I should let you and the Williams, there, have your own meeting, one I don’t think you’d like. You almost hit their child. You almost had your eyes and jewels taken out by an enraged mother, who saw what you were about to do.” Bill had looked across the table and saw the same fire in the eyes of Terry and Shelby as he saw in Peter’s eyes. “Ya know, Billy, I won’t let that happen, your meeting with the Williams alone. I don’t want to make any more work for the janitors than they already have. So here’s what I’m going to do. I’m going to ask Robert, here,” and he pointed to Robert, “to escort you out to your car. He’ll make sure you don’t fall down and hurt yourself on your way out. He’ll also make sure you keep your tongue silent, or he will take you down, call the police and have you arrested for trespassing on school property. So, Billy, I won’t tell you to have a nice day because yours hasn’t started that way. Untie him Robert, and make sure he gets safely to his car and off school property. And I meant what I said, Billy. You open your mouth until you’re off school property and Robert and his men will take you down and call the police. Nod your head if you understand me?” The fat man was pissed. ‘How dare they treat him like that, including that bitch,’ he thought to himself as Robert untied hands and took the gag off.
William Charles Wordsman III had always been a slow learner, in understanding he wasn’t as important as he thought he was. The minute his hands were untied, and the gag removed, he turned to Mary and snarled at her, “NO BITCH FIRES ME,” and backhanded Mary across the face, knocking her out of her chair and onto the floor. He started to get up and pound on her, but forgot about Robert and his men, as he was again picked up by the back of his neck and slammed onto the floor face first. This time handcuffs were used to secure his hands, and as he started spewing filth, the gag went back into his mouth. Peter took out his cell phone and dialed the nurse, telling her where they were and to hurry. Robert took out his cell phone and called the police, explaining the situation and where they were. The nurse arrived out of breath, and carefully helped Mary back into a chair, after making sure she wasn’t seriously hurt. Mary had a split lip where Bill had hit her, and that would be used to file assault and battery charges against Bill. Because of Bill’s actions, Peter would be filing trespassing charges as well. Bill had just earned himself a trip to jail, and court.
It wasn’t long before four police officers had arrived. Margot had escorted them to the conference room, knocked on the door, and when Robert’s other two men saw who they were, let them into the room. The situation was explained to the four officers, and why Bill was gagged and cuffed. The two female officers spoke with Mary, while the other two officers, and Robert’s men, helped get Bill off the floor and out into one of the patrol cars. When statements had been taken from everyone who witnessed the event, and pictures of Mary’s face had been taken, the officers gave Peter and Mary the needed case information about Mr. Wordsman. The school nurse then took Mary to the school infirmary to treat her split lip, while Peter, Terry, and Shelby went back to his office. Mary returned to Peter’s office a short time later, looking better but now with a split and fat lip, and bruising on her left cheek; the nurse saw it developing and took a picture, sending it to Mary’s and Peter’s phones. They in turn sent it to the police. They talked a bit more about Walter being in school as a boy or girl, a bit about what Bill had done, before going their separate ways. Both Mary and Peter telling Terry and Shelby to contact them if Walter started having any trouble at school or with himself.
Mary had to go to the police department to file an official report. She called the office after she got into her car and told them what happened, asking that all of Bill’s personal things be boxed and taken to reception; she’d get everything else from the police. It was only then that what had just happened hit her, and she broke down in tears. As she was crying there was a knock on the driver window. Mary looked up and saw Peter standing there, and she opened the door to him. He reached in and a tearful Mary held onto him as she cried. “It will be alright, Mary, you’ll see,” Peter softly told her as she let her cry on his shoulder. After a few moments she pulled back, laughed because his shirt was wet on the shoulder, told Peter she’d be alright now, closed the driver’s door after Peter stepped back, started her car and drove off.
Shelby knew Terry was going to need time to cool off, so he took them to their favorite cafe to get something to eat and drink. Terry was quiet the entire time, though when he parked the car in the cafe’s parking lot, she blew up. “How DARE that pig think he was going to hit my child. Who the HELL does he think he is? Give me five minutes with that BASTARD and there’ll never be another child in his lineage.” Shelby knew to let Terry unwind herself, it was safer for him that way. When Terry wound down, he asked, “Ready to get something to eat?” Terry blushed before saying, “Sorry, yeah.” Shelby rubbed the back of Terry’s neck and told her, “I know how you feel, honey. But it’d be safer for Bill if we let the police and the courts handle it. Okay?” Terry tried to give him ‘the eye,’ but failed, as he started laughing before pulling her close and tried to see if her tonsils had grown back.
Right Time
By Jamie Lee
Most often people talk about being in the right place at the right time. Maybe they achieved a beautiful photo of a sunrise, or the antics of children or animals. Maybe they found something someone lost and received a big reward when it was returned. But how often do they talk about being in the wrong place at the right time? If they do, it’s often about the death of someone or maybe witnessing a crime. And if this is the case, they are sad or horrified. Walter Williams often is in the wrong place at the right time, though his reaction to the incidents he encounters is much different than anyone would expect. And, life-changing.
As Walter walked to his first period class, he was careful not to bump into anyone or anything, his chest was still sore from when he hit the door jamb. Plus, he discovered, tender because of the developing breasts. He also had another reason not to bump into anyone or let anyone touch him, Terry made him wear a bra to school so his developing breasts wouldn’t be bothered by his shirt rubbing against them. The last thing he wanted was to be found wearing a bra and having to try and explain why. But what he wanted and what was about to occur weren’t sympatico.
Walter ended up being the last student to walk into his first period science class, walking from the office to class through the throng of students did take time. He sat in his usual seat just as the second bell rang. Brigette closed the classroom door and before taking roll, told the class, “Walter, it’s good to have you back. How are you doing?” Walter’s hands were folded on top of his desk as he had leaned forward and told Brigette that he was doing better, now. Jeffery Stoneman sat to Walter’s right, and in his zeal to welcome Walter back, slapped Walter on the back. He just happened to slap Walter where the bands of the bra fastened together in the back, and when he felt something under Walter’s shirt, reached over and rubbed up and down on Walter’s back. Walter immediately sat up, looked at Jeffery just as he asked, “Dude, are you wearing a bra?” Walter went from pink all the way to red, since Jeffery had asked his question out loud. Every face turned to look at Walter and Jeffery continued with, “Dude, you are wearing a bra,” and he began to laugh, as did the other boys in the class.
Marge Stillman, the girl who’d had a crush on Walter since grade school, wiped tears out of her eyes, as she watched the boys making fun of Walter. She wanted to go over and slap Jeffery’s face off, but knew she’d likely get suspended and besides, it wasn’t the right thing to do. Instead, she got up out of her chair and walked over to Walter, seeing tears sliding down his cheeks, took his hand and told him, “It’ll be alright, I’ll stand with you, Walter.” Walter leaned his head into her side, as she then put her arm around him and glared at the rest of the class. “So, you boys think it’s funny because he is wearing a bra. After what he’s been through, did you morons ever stop to think why he has to? Did any of you see him after he was cut by all that broken glass? No, it looks like none of you did.” She reached up and wiped tears off her cheeks, as she bent down and kissed Walter on the top of the head before telling him again, “It will be alright, Walter. I’m here for you.” Many of the boys had tried to go out with Marge over the years, or tried to get her interested in them, but she always refused them. Now they understood why, she wanted to be with Walter. After kissing him on the top of his head, Marge returned to her seat, where she received looks of admiration from the other girls.
Peter had met with all the school staff, coaches included, and had told them everything about Walter’s physical condition, with Terry’s and Shelby’s permission. Brigette came and stood by Walter, looked down at him and asked him, “Might be the right time to be honest with everyone Walter, including yourself. Would you feel up to being honest with everyone today?” She saw Walter start to shake, and put her hand on his shoulder to reassure him she was there for him. Walter looked up at Brigette and told her, “I’ve been hoping they were wrong, that maybe they’d find a way to stop it all. But I guess I’ve been fooling myself, huh?” Brigette nodded her head, and answered with, “Only you can answer that question Walter. It’s up to you, but it will get around about you wearing a bra today,” and she looked at Jeffery Stoneman as she told him, “And you, mister, I’ll see after class.” Walter hung his head, laughed then said more to himself than anyone, “Yeah, I’ve been fooling myself into thinking something more can be done.” He looked up to Brigette before saying, “Yes, Mrs. Stokes, it’s time I’m honest with everyone.” He got up from his seat and walked up to stand in front of Brigette’s lab desk.
Since it had been discovered he was wearing a bra he decided to start there then tell the rest of what happened. Walter took a deep breath, looked at the faces watching him, Marge especially, who was nodding her head, then said, “Jeffery’s right, I am wearing a bra. Because I’m starting to develop breasts. This was discovered last Wednesday at my checkup. I overslept and was rushing into the bathroom and hit the door jamb with my chest.” Walter saw all of the girls cringe, and some even putting their arms across their own breasts, just as though they’d been there and done that. “I thought at the time I’d just hit one of the deep cuts that had to be sewn closed, but when my mom felt around where I’d hit my chest, she called my doctor and was told to get me to the emergency room right away. Two doctors looked at my chest, Dr. Taylor, my doctor, and Dr. Gale Stomer, an Ob-Gyn doctor. After they looked me over they then took me to the Imaging Department and took a bunch of pictures of my insides, and determined I was indeed developing breasts. Right now I have breasts buds, what girls develop when they start puberty. Their best guess, right now, and they won’t know for sure until the in-depth blood test results are back, but they think all of the chemicals absorbed through my skin combined to start affecting my DNA. They don’t know, yet, whether it’s only a few parts of my DNA or all of my DNA. And unless they can find something to reverse all of this, sometime soon I’ll be a full girl. And yes, I said, full girl. Because some of those pictures showed the development of internal structures in my groin region.” After he finished speaking he hung his head, as tears flowed from his eyes. Marge again got up from her chair, walked up to Walter, put her arms around him and pulled him into her. Where he laid his head on her shoulder and cried. Chuckling could be heard in the back of the class, and then there was a loud, smack, as the girl sitting in front of Jeffery and turned around and put everything behind the slap she gave to his face. Jeffery picked himself off the floor, as Brigetter told him, “You best rethink your attitude right now, mister. It will be interesting to see what your parents have to say about your conduct in this class this morning.” Jeffery suddenly went white. Brigette had walked over to Jeffery’s desk, as she said it. And as she started walking to the front of the class, she patted the girl who’d slapped Jeffery on the back.
Jeffery received two weeks detention, and was grounded, by his parents, for the rest of that semester, and was volunteered by his mom to work two hours after school at the shelter where she worked during the day. Where she was one of four psychologists counselling abuse and battered spouses. The girl who slapped Jeffery? She received accolades from the other girls and some of the boys. And admiration for Walter grew even more, after he had the courage to stand up in front of his science class and tell them everything. Those who had grown up with Walter, and seen his other encounters, knew this time things were going to be different. But they did wonder what name he would eventually go by.
As with all schools, word of Walter becoming a girl, because of the accident, spread like wildfire. Most felt sorry for him, for him having to go through all this. Some thought it was a play for sympathy, saying, “He just wants you to feel sorry for him.” More than one of those received a very stern talking to by those who knew Walter and had witnessed some of his encounters. And some hated the idea of Walter becoming a girl, accident or not. And it was three of those who hated the idea who were going to show Walter how much they hated the idea this very day after school. But a mother bear protects her cubs with a ferocity like no one can believe. And those three boys would see it in action for themselves.
Terry had arrived early to pick up Walter, and had parked in the ‘loading/unloading’ zone at the curb in front of the main doors. As she watched school let out, she spotted Walter walk out of the main doors and start towards her car. Suddenly, she saw three boys grab Walter and take him around the corner of one of the classroom wings. Terry had had a scare a little over a year ago, and when talking to a detective about it, she asked how she could protect herself if something like that happened again. The detective told her she might think of enrolling in a self defence class, or, “And you didn’t hear it from me,” and told her about carrying a collapsible baton, like the officers carried. She researched the baton and ended up buying one for her purse and one for the glove box in her car.
Terry opened the glove box, grabbed the baton, and fired out of the car, running across the lawn towards where those three took Walter. Peter had just come out of the office and spotted Terry running across the lawn, snapping her hand as she did so. He recognized what she was now carrying and started running to follow her.
When Terry rounded the corner of that wing, she saw two of the boys holding Walter by the shoulders against the building, while the other boy was punching Walter in the abdomen. She never let up on her speed, as she reached the boy punching Walter and swung the baton and caught the boy behind his left knee. She continued her swing and caught the boy holding Walter by his left shoulder on his knee cap. The third boy got a shot in the groin. Peter had come around the building in time to watch the first boy fall, then the second one as he was hit hard on his right knee cap. Then the third boy go down as Terry hit him in the groin. He watched as Terry caught a falling Walter before he fell forward onto the ground. He was out of breath when he reached Terry and Walter, and felt the wrath of her eyes as she yelled at him, “SO THIS IS HOW YOU PROTECT MY SON?” Peter called Robert and his men, then called the police and school nurse. Then he called Margot and told her to call the parents of each boy’s name he gave her. All of the noise had caused students to see what was going on, and Peter had to forcefully tell them to go home.
Because of Walter’s condition, the nurse looked at him first. He had a bruise forming on his left cheek where he was first hit, and bruising starting on his abdomen where he’d been repeatedly punched. The nurse told Terry the bruise on his face didn’t look too bad, but she couldn’t say about the punches, and best get him to the hospital to be examined. Peter called Marsha and told her to stand by, Walter had been beat up and was going to be heading to the emergency room. Walter was finally able to breathe better, and after Terry helped him up, helped him to her car. She started the car and ended up breaking more than one traffic law as she sped to the hospital.
Robert and his men arrived and handcuffed the three boys. When the police arrived they took Peter’s statement, and after asking about the victim, were told the boy’s mother had already taken him to the emergency room; he gave the police Terry’s information so they could contact her. The police also radioed to have another unit go to the hospital to get a statement from the boy and his mom. EMTs arrived to examine the three boys, saying all three needed to go to the hospital. The parents of the three boys arrived shortly after the police, and Peter took them to his office to explain what they had done. Robert saw the look on one of the fathers and had sent two of his men with Peter. It was wise of him to do so as one of the fathers said, after Peter told what happened, “Serves that faggot right. Any boy wanting to be a girl should get the same treatment.” The man turned white when a deep voice, from one of the men Robert sent with Peter, said right next to his ear, “Sir, that boy didn’t choose to be a girl. He was involved in an accident in his science class and exposed to a lot of chemicals. Sir, NO ONE deserves to be treated like your son treated that boy. But it’s now clear where he got his attitude from.” Peter went on to explain that the police had arrested their sons, and were taking them to the hospital to be examined. He also told the parents, as of now all three were suspended, pending a formal hearing by the school, and pending a hearing in Court. When they asked what would happen to the woman who hit their sons, Peter looked at the woman who asked the question and asked her, “What should happen to a mother protecting her son from a beating by three thugs?” The woman dropped her head and said, “Nothing, she was doing the right thing.”
When Terry got Walter to the hospital, Marsha and Gale, along with an orderly with a gurney, were waiting for them. They helped Walter out of the car and onto the gurney, where they rushed him inside to one of the exam rooms. Terry left her car where it was and ran in behind them, going into the exam room with her son. As Marsha and Gale were examining Walter, the police, and EMTs were bringing the three boys into the emergency room. A short time later six parents came into the emergency room and asked about their sons. The receptionist, and the police officer by reception, told the parents their sons were being examined at the moment. And if they could be released from the hospital, they would be taken to the police station and booked for assault and a hate crime. And a short time after the Parents arrived, Peter arrived, asking about Walter.
It wasn’t long after Peter’s arrival Marsha was bringing Terry out to the waiting room, while Glae and the orderly took Walter to the Imaging Department. After Marsha sat Terry down, she went to get bottled water from the staff lounge. Peter had just sat down next to Terry, put his arm around her, when an officer asked if she was Terry Williams. She said she was and the officer asked if she could give him a statement about what happened at the high school. Marsha had returned with the bottled water, gave one to Terry, and sat down on Terry’s other side, as Terry told the officer everything she saw and did to protect her son. When the parents heard Terry give the officer her statement, all six came over where she was sitting and started giving her a hard time for hurting their sons. Terry knew of these parents, and figured out which son was with which set of parents.
Peter saw Terry was about to get out of her chair and put his hand on her shoulder, getting a dirty look from Terry. With fire in her eyes she asked the six, “So, you consider your boys’ actions appropriate?” Pointing to the parents of the two boys who held Walter against the building she asked those four, “You consider it appropriate for your sons to hold MY son against a building,” and here she pointed to the other parents, “so your son could repeatedly punch MY son in the abdomen?” Marsha now put a hand on Terry’s other shoulder because she was trying to shrug off Peter’s hand. “And you’re angry with ME because I protected my son from the beating he was getting by YOUR sons? “HOW DARE YOU ACCUSE ME OF ANY WRONG DOING. HOW DARE YOU THINK MY SON DESERVED WHAT THOSE ANIMALS DID TO HIM BECAUSE OF SOMETHING HE HAD NO CONTROL OVER!” This time it took Peter and Marsh the use of both hands to keep Terry seated. Still seething, Terry told the six parents, “It will be a pleasure to take all six of you to court because of your sons!” Hospital security had to move the parents away from a still seething Terry, just as Marsha got a text on her phone. “Come on, they’re through taking pictures,” and took Terry’s arm, pulling her out of the chair and forcing her to walk down the hall to the Imaging Department; Peter had taken Terry’s other arm.
With Marsha leading, the three found Gale and Walter, he still lying down on a gurney, in a side room in the Imaging Department. Terry rushed to Walter’s side, asking how he was feeling. Typical of Walter, he asked, “Did anyone get the license of the truck that hit me?” Then laughed, then winced, and told his mom, “Except for a sore cheek and stomach, I feel okay.” Terry then looked at Gale and asked her how he was doing. Gale said they’re still waiting on the pictures, but from what she saw, none of his internal organs had been damaged by the repeated blows. And when the pictures did come back, and Gale could study them more closely, she again told Terry nothing had been damaged. Walter would be sore for several days, and the bruising would eventually fade, but otherwise, he was okay.
Peter, Gale, and Marsha stepped outside the room while Terry helped Walter get dressed. Once he was dressed, the five walked back to reception, where an officer asked to speak with Walter. As Gale and Marsha were signing Walter out, Terry and Peter sat with Walter as he gave the officer his statement. The officer thanked him, gave Terry his card, and said if they had any more information they could reach him at the number on the card. He also told Terry they’d be in touch if they needed any further information. He then quietly told Terry, “I wouldn’t worry about any charges being brought against you, after what those boys were doing to your son. But just in case, you should contact your own attorney and let them know what happened. Terry’s seething look returned as she told the officer, “Oh I plan on doing just that. They are going to pay for hurting my son!” Seeing Terry’s eyes, the office was glad it wasn’t his son who was mixed up in this mess.
Gale told Terry Walter was checked out so they could leave when they wanted. Peter excused himself as he needed to get back to the school and make some phone calls. When Terry got Walter home, the phone was ringing. When she answered it she told Walter, “There’s a Marge Stillman on the phone and walks to talk with you.” Walter took the phone from his mom who then went into the kitchen and had a quiet cry while Walter was talking to Marge.
The next day at school, Tuesday, when Jeffery walked into Brigette’s science class he seemed different. He wasn’t goofing around with the other boys, or being loud as he often did. He simply walked into the class and sat at his usual seat. After the second bell rang, and Brigette took roll, Jeffery raised his hand and asked if he could say something. Brigette expected him to have some snide remark about Walter again, but wasn’t prepared for what he actually said.
“Um...I owe all of you an apology for my behavior yesterday, you most of all, Walter. Um...my mom volunteered me at the shelter she works at during the day, a shelter for abused and battered spouses. Um...she...um...picked me up after school and took me there to sit in on one of her group meetings. I...um...never knew men could be abused or battered as well as women. Um...there...um...there...was one man who lost his job due to downsizing and he and he decided to stay home to take care of their seven month old daughter and keep house, and do the cooking. Um...his wife came home angry, and when he told her what he’d fixed for dinner, she became enraged because she didn’t want that for dinner. She picked up a fry pan and hit him with the bottom of the pan on the right side of his head.” Everyone could see tears sliding down Jeffery’s cheeks, and the girl who slapped him, got up, stood next to him, put her arm around him and told him, “It’s okay, go on.” Jeffery nodded his head, told her thanks, and continued with his story. “She...um...hit him so hard it knocked it to the floor and dazed him. When he finally regained some sense of things, he heard their daughter screaming. When he went into their daughter’s room, his wife had picked up their daughter and was shaking her. He got his wife’s attention by calling her a ‘bitch’ and after she roughly put their daughter down, she came at him and he punched her in the jaw, knocking her out. He then picked up their daughter, wrapped her in a blanket, called 911, explained what had just happened, and told them the police would find him and his daughter with the next door neighbors. Um...the little girl was okay, according to the EMTs who looked at her, but the guy had to go to the hospital. When his wife hit him with that fry pan, the bottom of that pan hit him squarely on the right side of his head, right on his right ear. He’s just now getting his hearing back in that ear.” Jeffery wiped tears off his face before he continued.
“Um...I...um...there...a woman told her story and it...um...her husband...he...a...he...a...came home drunk and she confronted him about it. He punched her in the face with his fist, knocking her out. And while she was unconscious...he...he...um...um...he took a knife...and um…he...um...a...took a knife...and he...um...cut off one of her breasts.” Jeffrey was sobbing now, and the girl holding him pulled him into a hug and let him cry on her shoulder. Several in the class were wiping their eyes after hearing what Jeffrey told them. With a catch in his voice, after lifting his head off the girl’s shoulder, Jeffrey told the class, “Um...I’m really sorry for the way I acted yesterday,” before putting his head back on the girl’s shoulder. It was a few minutes before Jeffrey sat down, as did the girl, and Brigette could try and salvage class time. Jeffrey was calming down, but wouldn’t be concentrating on science today, so Brigette decided to skip her lesson and do something different.
When Tanya Stoneman, Jeffrey’s mother, heard what he had done in his first period science class after Walter had told the class everything, she wasn’t really surprised. He had been acting differently ever since her husband had been killed in a botched bank robbery. Her husband had been talking to a teller as he was making a deposit, when two men came into the bank, ordering everyone to get down on the floor and not to move. The teller her husband had been talking with, while she did the necessary transaction to add the deposit to their account, moved a little to her left and pressed the alarm button. One of the gunmen saw her move just as the alarm sounded, and became so angry he pointed his hand gun at the woman. Steve stepped into the man’s line of fire, he was shot once in the chest, killing him instantly. With the alarm sounding, the two men ran out of the bank and into the line of fire of four police officers. The four had been next door in a cafe on their scheduled break, when they heard the alarm and received the call over their radios. One of the bank robbers gave up immediately, the other thought he was Rambo and started shooting at the officers. For his bravado, he received six shots to his chest. He died before he ever fell to the ground.
Something changed in Jeffrey when he learned his dad had been killed in that botched bank robbery, and it had really worried Tanya. As a psychologist, with her doctorate, she could see all the signs of grief in her son, and how that grief was being bottled up inside Jeffrey. He and his father had been close, they’d done a lot of things together, and her husband had been even handed when it was necessary to discipline Jeffrey. She even scheduled Jeffrey to meet with a grief counselor, but he never really opened up to that counselor.
Tanya worked as a counselor, during the day, at a shelter for abused and battered spouses and their children. It didn’t matter to those who ran the shelter if they were men or women, if they’d been abused or battered, they were welcome. After hearing what her son had done in class on Monday, Tanya decided a good dose of reality was needed to show Jeffrey what others had gone through at the hands of someone else; he would spend two hours a day there after school helping out as part of his being grounded.
Tanya had taken the time to come from the shelter to pick up Jeffrey after school that very day, Monday. They arrived at the shelter just about the time her afternoon group meeting was about to start. She introduced him to those attending the group meeting, it was open to anyone at the shelter who wanted to attend, and then had him sit back from the circle and listen. When the session was over, Tanya couldn’t find him in the room and started looking for him. When she finally found him, he was sitting on the porch steps, his arms across his knees and his head resting on his arms. And he was crying hard. She went out onto the porch, sat beside him, put her arm around him and pulled him into her in an effort to try and comfort him as he cried.
His crying finally eases and with tears in his eyes, he looked up at his mom and asked, “How can people do such things to others?” Tanya didn’t immediately answer his question, as she reached up to wipe the tears off his face. Instead she asked him, “Didn’t you do the same thing to Walter, after he told all of you what he’s going through? Oh, you didn’t beat him or do anything physical to him, but laughing at him hurts just as bad.” Jeffrey looked down as his mom still held him and after a few moments told his mom, “Yeah, I guess I did, didn’t I?” He looked up to his mom and saw she was nodding her head. She then asked, “So, what do you plan to do about it?” Tanya saw the little smile, then heard the chuckle, and heard her son say, “I’m gonna have to apologize. To Walter and the whole class.” He looked up at his mom and again saw she was nodding her head.
Tanya was looking into Jeffrey’s face and saw the tears start to fall again as he asked her, “Mom, why did dad have to die?” In eight months, Jeffrey had never acknowledged his dad’s death. And now he wanted her to answer a question she didn’t know how to answer. Steve had always been one to stand up for the other guy, when the other guy was getting the short end of the stick. Tanya felt it best to emphasize this part of his character as she told Jeffrey, “He died protecting another person. It’s who he was as a person. While I know you and I miss him, be proud of his actions so that another person could live.” The two sat on the porch steps until another of the counselors came and got Tanya. She then took Jeffrey inside and showed where he could help for the rest of his time there.
“Jeffrey, thank you for having the courage to tell us what you did. And for apologizing for yesterday. It was evident it wasn’t easy for you. So, class, we’re going to do something different for the rest of class. It will be about what Walter told us yesterday, and what happened to him after school, and what Jeffrey just told us.” And Brigette went on to start talking about treating everyone how they themselves wanted to be treated. And no one sat quietly during the entire time.
When the first bell sounded, Jeffrey stood up and started walking out of the classroom. It was a bit of a shock when someone took his right hand in theirs. Jeffrey looked to his right and found the girl who slapped him, and held him, walking next to him and holding his hand. “We have second period class together, and I thought we could walk together.” Jeffrey smiled, the girl gave him a peck on the cheek, and together they walked to their second period class. What occurred wasn’t lost on Brigette, as she thought about how different relationships had started.
As a side note, Jeffrey and the girl, Paula Garber, stayed together the rest of their time at that high school. They attended the same University, Jeffrey following his mother and going into psychology, eventually getting his Doctorate. And Paula went into medicine, eventually specializing in psychiatry. They both had their own clinic where they helped those who’d been abused and/or battered.
Right Time
By Jamie Lee
Most often people talk about being in the right place at the right time. Maybe they achieved a beautiful photo of a sunrise, or the antics of children or animals. Maybe they found something someone lost and received a big reward when it was returned. But how often do they talk about being in the wrong place at the right time? If they do, it’s often about the death of someone or maybe witnessing a crime. And if this is the case, they are sad or horrified. Walter Williams often is in the wrong place at the right time, though his reaction to the incidents he encounters is much different than anyone would expect. And, life changing.
For three months, Walter met with Dr. Taylor once a week. And for three months, Walter’s health was found to be good. During some of his checkups, Gale would also be there to give him a ‘female’ exam. Over the course of several weeks, Walter’s breasts had increased to where he needed an ‘A’ cup bra. And over the same course of weeks, his genitals became even smaller.
Walter had now started seeing Dr. Taylor, and on occasion Dr. Stomer, twice a month. It was the day he was to have his third twice a month checkup when it again hit the fan. He got up to get ready for school, as he always did, and made his way to the bathroom to pee. Terry was downstairs fixing breakfast when she heard him scream. The last time she heard that scream, he’d run into the door jamb and the discovery he was developing breasts. When she made it to the bathroom, Walter was standing in front of the toilet, totally naked, looking down at his groin. “Walter, what happened? Did you hurt yourself again?” Frantically, Terry went over to Walter, but all she heard him whispering was, “I can’t find it,” over and over again. When Terry looked down to his groin, she saw his right hand feeling around his groin region. Then it dawned on her what he meant, he couldn’t find his penis, it was gone. She bent down to have a closer look, and saw the same thing she’d see on a natural girl. She stood up, physically turned a shocked Walter around, pushed him until he was sitting down on the toilet, and told him how to pee. She actually had to shake him because he was so shocked, but once she had his attention, she again explained how to pee. She reached up and wiped tears off his cheeks, as Walter told her, “Mom, I can’t find my penis.” All Terry told him, as he peed, was, “I know, honey. I know.”
When Walter was finished peeing, as before, Terry took him, her, to her bedroom and helped her get dressed in some of the girl clothes he’d been wearing around the house. She then took her daughter downstairs, sat her in a kitchen chair, and called Marsha, telling her it had finally happened. Marsha understood what Terry meant, as they’d discussed this very thing some weeks ago. Marsha told Terry to bring Walter in and she’d have Gale standing by as well. Terry then called Peter, telling him she was taking Walter to the hospital, and why. Terry almost had to spoon feed Walter since he was still somewhat shocked by not finding his penis. She left the dishes on the table, grabbed her purse, and guided her daughter out to the car. Walter was still not responding normally when they reached the hospital, so she had to get her out of the car and again guide her where they needed to go in order to meet with Marsha and Gale.
The two doctors saw Walter and Terry walking down the hall towards them, and the dazed look in Walter’s eyes. They also realized that Walter wasn’t actually walking on his own, but guided by Terry as they walked. The two directed Terry into an exam room, and had her help Walter get up and sit on the exam table. Marsha walked over to a cabinet, took out a vial, walked back over where Walter was sitting, broke the vial, then waved it under Walter’s nose. The ammonia caused Walter to shake his head and try to back away from the pungent smell. But it did what Marsha wanted, it snapped Walter out of the daze she was in. Walter looked at the three women looking at her and said, “My penis is gone, and so are my balls. Does that mean I’m now a full girl?” Marsha stepped up and embraced the distraught girl, letting her cry on her shoulder. As Walter cried on Marsha’s shoulder, she told him, “We think so, Walter. That’s why Gale is here.” Marsha felt Walter nod his head, then asked in a muffled voice, “Pictures too?” Gale and Terry had gone on either side of Walter and put their arms around his back. As Marsha held Walter, Gale told him, “Yes, Walter, more pictures too. But after you get your ‘female’ exam.” Walter’s head was facing Gale, and she laughed at Walter when she stuck out her tongue at Gale.
When Walter had calmed down, and let go of Marsha, Marsha walked over and closed the exam room door, as Gale and Terry helped Walter off the examination table. The two women then helped Walter undress, completely, and put on his favorite ‘paper dress’ before helping her back onto the examination table. As Walter lay on the table, she saw Gale again attach the stirrups to the end of the table and said, “Oh, joy, I get to ride the horsey again.” Even though Walter had made a startling discovery that morning, her crack about riding the ‘horsey’ showed her old self seemed to have risen to the occasion.
As she’d done several times before, Gale instructed Walter where to put her feet, and to move closer. But this time, the ‘female’ exam was more thorough, with Gale using instruments she’d not used before. She took a deep breath, let it out before telling Walter, “Walter, examining the exterior of your groin region, I’d say you were a naturally born girl. Anatomically, you look no different than any other girl I’ve examined. And like any other girl I’ve examined, I have to look inside of you. Which might be a bit uncomfortable for you. But it has to be done, especially because of what you’ve gone through. I’ll try and be as gentle as I can, okay?” She quirked an eyebrow as she said the last part, actually waiting for Walter to respond. All three women saw the smirk at the same time, as Walter responded to Gale’s question, “Do I get a blindfold first?” All three women shook their heads because of what Walter asked.
Because of Walter’s size, Gale had decided to use the smaller speculum to inspect her vagina and cervix. But she failed to tell Walter that it might be cold as she inserted it into her vagina. As she started inserting the speculum, Walter let out an, “Whhoooaaa, there doc,” and raised her head to look at Gale. “Holy frozen popsicles, doc! What’d you stick into me? That thing’s cold.” Gale used all her willpower not to laugh, as Terry and Marsha were doing. She removed the speculum, showed it to Walter, and explained what it was used for. She also told her, “I’m so sorry, Walter. I forgot to tell you it might be a bit cold.” Walter looked at the speculum Gale was holding, then at Gale, then back at the speculum before she said, “Cold? That thing is cold enough to freeze a polar bear, doc.” This time Gale did laugh, but told Walter to hang on and she’d soon be through with her internal exam. Gale started inserting the speculum again, Walter let out a “Brrrrr,” and Gale did a thorough inspection of Walter’s internal female structures. She could even see Walter’s uterine walls. She gently removed the speculum, set it in a basin, had Walter take her legs down and sit up.
There was a knock on the exam room door, and when Marsha opened it, Walter’s ride to Imaging had arrived. When Walter saw it was the same orderly who had been her chauffeur, she said, “Ah, my ride’s here. And so is my favorite chauffeur.” The orderly smiled at Walter then asked, “Are you doing okay, Walter? You look real good.” Walter raised one hand, fluttered it in the air, shrugged her shoulders, and replied, “Given that I just found out I’m all girl now, eh, I’m okay.” Gale then told Walter to hop up on the gurney, but Walter had other ideas, first, as he told Gale, “Um, good idea. But I need to pee first.” Terry gave Walter a look, which asked ‘do you need help.’ Walter rolled her eyes, looked to the ceiling as she shook her head, and told her mom, “Ah, no, mom. I remember what you said about peeing as a girl. I don’t stand up.” The toilet was heard flushing, and so was the water from the faucet, before Walter came out of the restroom and hopped up onto the gurney. She laid down, then got that smirk, as she said, “Home James, and don’t spare the horsepower.” Terry took a deep breath, let it out, shook her head then said, “Waalltteerr.” Walter giggled, surprising herself, since she seldom giggled as a boy, before the gurney and Walter were taken to Imaging.
Marsha took Terry to the cafeteria to get something to eat and drink, getting the pictures of Walter’s interior would take time. As the two women sat and ate what they’d purchased, taking sips from their drinks now and then, their conversation went from Walter to Shelby and Peter and everything in between. When the topic was Walter, Terry asked Marsha if she thought it a good idea to have Walter attend counseling sessions in order to help her come to terms with her change. Marsha thought about that for a few moments, before she said, “Judging from the way Walter has been taking it all, I’d talk with her before you made any decisions. I think right now,” and she stopped talking to take a sip of her coffee, “she needs a lot of information about being a girl and how to take care of her body. If your mother was like mine, we had a girl’s day out, where she laid everything on the table. Told me everything about being a girl and how to take care of myself.” Terry nodded her head, because her mother had taken her aside and done pretty much the same. “One thing I’ve noticed about your family, Terry, is the closeness the three of you have. It’s obvious Shelby and Walter love you very much, so if you ask Walter what she would like, I think she’ll give you an honest answer.” Marsha took another bite of her sandwich, swallowed before adding, “Though, it wouldn’t hurt if she saw someone for a short period of time. Just to make sure she isn’t hiding anything because of the change. But I still would talk with her about it.” About that time Marsha’s phone pinged with a message, picture taking was done. “Well, it looks like our movie star has finished shooting a scene. Let’s go find out how the pictures turned out,” Marsha told Terry, then drained the rest of her coffee.
After the two women left the cafeteria, Marsha guided Terry to a small conference room a few doors down where Walter had her exam. When Marsha opened the door and they started to walk into the room, they saw Walter, already dressed, and Gale already seated around the small table in the room. Terry saw the smirk on Walter’s face but beat her to the punch by asking, “Well, daughter of mine, did you sign any autographs while having your pictures taken?” Terry’s question didn’t cause Walter to lose the smirk on her lips as she hoped; it was still there. Walter answered her mom’s question with, “No, mom, no one asked.” And then getting a dreamy look on her face, or as dreamy as Walter thought she was displaying, said, “But I did see this dreamy looking tech there.” And she fluttered her eyes at Terry, before all four women burst out laughing. Terry walked over to her daughter, put her arm around her, pulled her into her side and told her, “Don’t ever lose that sense of humor you have, Walter. It’s priceless.” She then kissed Walter on the top of her head before pulling out the chair next to Walter and sitting down.
Gale had a remote control in her hand, and pressed one of the buttons on it, causing a panel off to her side to light up and display an image. “Okay, everyone, this is our first slide of Walter’s insides, to use a simple term.” With a laser pointer she pointed it to Walter’s groin region in the image. “This is the picture we took of Walter’s groin region, as I believe the three of you can see. Walter, here and here are your ovaries. Here and here are your fallopian tubes. This structure here is your cervix, and here,” and Gale ran the laser light up and down then said, “is your vagina. Walter, from now on you have to be very careful or you will get pregnant. You will have to learn how to properly take care of this entire area,” and Gale used the laser pointer to indicate Wlater’s pelvic region. “Your penis and testicles are gone, reformed by your body. And Walter, you’re going to start having periods.”
Walter was just shaking her head at everything Gale was saying and showed her, trying to take it in stride as she’d done time and again before. All three women were looking at Walter, trying to judge her feelings for what Gale just told her. Terry saw the look on her daughter’s face, the one she got when she was trying to form a question. “Um...I’m kind of new at being a girl, ya know. So I’m going to need a lot more information than fireworks and ‘yea, you’re a girl now.’ How do I handle my period? How often will I have a period? How do I keep from getting pregnant before I want to? Ya know, little things like that.” Terry had seldom seen Walter as serious as she looked at this moment. She also looked scared, as tears threatened to leave her eyes. “I’m sort of scared right now, cause I don’t know how to be something I wasn’t born to be. I could sure use help from all three of you.” And tears did start rolling down her cheeks. Terry turned her chair to face Walter. She then turned Walter’s chair to face her before she pulled Walter to her and held her tight. Telling her, “Baby, all three of us are here for you. We’ll teach you what you’ve missed out on all these years.” As Walter held her mom, she said, “Thanks mom. I love you.”
Gale excused herself and left the conference room. She came back a little later with a hand full of material for Walter. For the rest of the time, the three women started explaining to Walter the mysteries that surrounded being a woman. They were blunt, leaving nothing out. They even explained what occurs between men and women ‘in the bedroom.’ Walter’s response to that was, “Ewww, oh yuck.” Her mom gave her the stink eye as she told her, “Yeah, how do you think all of us got here in the first place? By stork?” Terry then went on to explain to Walter that ‘ewww’ and ‘yuck’ go out the window when a woman finds her soulmate. “She’ll want him in her and as often as they can. Walter, it becomes a magical moment between two people who deeply love each other. And if they’re fortunate, they’ll produce wonderful kids like I did with you.” Gale sat a box of tissues on the table, because all four needed one. Their meeting finally came to an end. Walter and Terry left with an arm load of information for Walter to read through. Gale and Marsha sat and talked a bit more about Walter before both headed back to their own work.
Walter made it back to school towards the end of her third period class. But before she could go to her fourth period class, she and Terry had to go and break the news to Peter that he now had a full fledged niece. And all Walter’s records would have to be changed once Terry and Shelby applied for a name change. Until that took place, things were going to be a bit complicated with a name like Walter, and when she came to school the following day dressed as a girl. And how would the school board react to the news?
Once Terry and Walter were done in the school office, Terry went out to her car and after getting in, called Shelby. He had gone back to work with Tom Warmer after he found out Walter was going to be alright after Walter’s second check up. Terry dialed his number, and prayed. When Shelby answered his phone he asked, “How’s Walter,” before Terry had time to even say, “Hello.” “Um...weeelll…,” Terry said, drawing things out just a bit. “You are the proud father of a healthy bouncing new girl. In every way. Inside and out. One who can give us a grandchild some day.” Shelby didn’t say a word, and Terry thought they’d lost their connection, until she said, “Shelby? Are you still there? Say something, I could use some help here. For instance, Walter won’t do for her first name anymore. Shelby? Damnit, say something?”
Shelby suddenly realized that Terry had just cussed at him, which meant she was getting extremely mad because he’d remained silent. “Um, yeah, Terry, I’m here. Um, grandchildren, someday? Um, a new daughter? Ho boy… What about school? Are there any problems with, um, Walter, attending as a girl? What’d Peter say? Terry, I just don’t know what we need to do now. It’s not every day a son changes into a daughter. Um, call Marshall and Marshall and give them everything up to now, and find out what we need to do. I should come back and help you, but how? I’ve never talked to a daughter before, and she, um, actually needs to hear the facts of life from a woman’s perspective. And what about clothes, she’ll have to get a new wardrobe. And shoes, and…” “SHELBY,” Terry shouted, to get Shelby’s attention, because he was almost in hysterics. “Um, yeah, Terry?” Shelby replied before listening to Terry. “Shelby, calm down,” Terry told her husband. “Don’t you remember the day we went shopping at the mall, the day we brought home twelve bags of clothing and things for Walter? We have the clothing angle covered. What we need now is to find out what to do next. Walter the boy is now Walter the girl, and that needs to be changed on all of his, oh damn, her records. Will Marshall and Marshall be able to help us in that area? And what about his, aw crap, her birth certificate? And Shelby, stay there. There’s nothing you can do here now that I can’t do if it involves getting records, and names, changed. The sooner you finish Tom’s project, the sooner you’ll be home. And the sooner you can be in me...sweetheart.”
Terry giggled when she heard Shelby stutter in trying to talk to her after her last statement. “Ah...you…gads, this is embarrassing. I hope no one comes into this office right now. Or I’m called to go anywhere right now. You devil you.” Terry giggled then said, “Ooohhh, is little Johnny standing at attention? You know where he likes to hide, don’t you?” Terry giggled again when she heard Shelby softly curse to himself. “You just wait. You’ll pay for what you just caused.” Shelby heard Terry laughing so hard he had to wait to finish what he was going to tell her. When he heard Terry winding down, he said, “Yes, Marshall and Marshall can get the ball rolling, or knows who can. I’m sure they will check with the State about the birth certificate, hopefully they won’t get some lame brain fool who can’t understand the situation. As to a new name, I think we best talk to Walter first. She might have a few things to say about her new name. Are you sure I shouldn’t come back? Tom will have me flown back as before?” Shelby paused to hear Terry’s response. “Yes, stay, get finished so I can have more time letting you fill me like you do. I’ll go see Marshall and Marshall right now and see what they say.” This time Terry laughed as Shelby tells her, “Darn you, woman! It just relaxed and you just caused it to get hard again. You are going to pay for this when I get home.” And in a husky voice Terry tells her husband, “I certainly hope so.”
Walter had walked out of the school office and started heading to her fourth period class. As she was walking down the breezeway, a hand slipped into her right hand, startling her for a moment. She stopped walking and turned to see Marge standing there, holding her hand and smiling. “Um, so, another doctor’s visit this morning?” Walter was so taken in by Marge’s smile that she didn’t really hear what Marge asked. Marge thumped her on the chest before asking, again, “Hey. Did you have another doctor’s appointment this morning?” Shaking her head, Walter told her, “Um...not exactly.” Walter looked around them, at the number of students walking near them and told Marge, “Um, I do need to tell you something, but maybe now isn’t the best time. Too many ears, and all.” Marge’s smile never left her face as she said, “Okay, tell me at lunch. Oh, wait, too many ears again. How about after school, when we can be alone?” Walter nodded her head as she again started walking to her fourth period class. The same class Marge was in.
Terry’s impromptu visit to Marshall and Marshall caused her to wait until one of the partners was free. Twenty minutes later, Marshal Sr. came out of his office and greeted her, before showing her to his office. Terry started asking about getting records and names changed before she told Brett Marshall Sr. the whole story. He started getting puzzled when Terry asked about changing genders on a person’s birth certificate. Brett stopped Terry and asked, “Terry, what’s this all about?” And Terry explained everything, including the findings a short time ago. Brett was silent for a moment before he picked up his phone and dialed a two digit number. “Son, are you busy right now? I think I’m going to need your help on a matter that just landed in our laps.”
When Brett Jr. came into his dad’s office, dad had him sit down and asked Terry to tell his son her story again. When Terry finished the story, Junior whistled, ran his hand through his hair and said, “Wow, that is a wild story. You have proof of everything, right?” He asked Terry, and watched her pull a thick folder out of a satchel she had with her. “It’s all in here. The day the accident happened. The treatment given to Walter. The day it was discovered Walter was developing breasts, all of it, including the findings from today. And before you asked about a lawsuit, the school board has agreed to pay all medical bills and a generous out of court settlement. The final results of the investigation were sent to the school board, concluding the school was liable because the shelves involved had been severely overloaded sometime in the past. They were just waiting to fail. Walter, our son, is now Walter our daughter, in every sense of the word. In every way a girl can be a girl. Because of that, her name will have to be changed as will all her records. Including her birth certificate. Can you two do it or is that outside the scope your legal abilities?” Brett Sr. shook his head and told Terry, “No, Terry, this is something we can handle. I’m just concerned that some jackass is going to stick their nose in it when they hear what happened to your son, um, daughter. They’re going to claim you forced your son into becoming your daughter, even though you have proof to the contrary. Stupid beauracratic jackasses.” Then Brett Sr. got excited and said, “Son, take all those documents and make copies of them. Then get Pam to start looking into what all will have to be changed and who needs contacted. Terry, we’ll get to work on this and give you a call when we’ve learned more. And, um, has Walter decided what name she’s going to use? If not, we’ll need to know that before we can start changing anything.”
Brett’s son took the documents Terry had and was back in a few minutes with a complete set of copies. As both Marshalls were bidding Terry goodbye, Brett Sr. asked, “If we need to, can you contact your doctors and give them permission to speak to us on the record? I want to make sure we have authoritative confirmation about all this so if some yahoo comes after you, we have definitive proof.” Terry pulled out her cell phone, called Marsha and explained the situation. Telling Marsha she had permission to share Walter’s medical file with Marshall and Marshall. And to ask them if they have a dog named Bingo. And if they told her it was a ferret and not a dog, they were the people she could talk with. Both Marshalls caught on to what Terry was doing, and Junior wrote down the code phrase in the file he had for the Williams. Terry hung up and they again said their goodbyes before Terry left their offices. She had to relax, she was too wound up. So, she went shopping, and had lunch.
When fourth period class let out, Marge again took Walter’s hand, and this is how they walked to the cafeteria for lunch. Marge kept looking at Walter as they walked, and could see that something was playing on ‘his’ mind. She tried using the old phrase, “A penny for your thoughts,” but all Walter would say was, “Later. Not right now, too many in earshot.” And she saw him go back to ‘his’ own thoughts. Marge had watched Walter in a cafeteria ever since they’d been in grade school, and who she saw now was not the same person. He used to be boisterous, attentive to others, and always quick with a play on words he picked up from what someone else had said. ‘He’ even ate with gusto, enjoying even the most vile smelling food they were served.
But not today. Today he barely said a word to her or anyone else, even when someone talked to ‘him.’ ‘He’ was more robotic in ‘his’ actions, getting in line, taking what was given ‘him’ without comment, letting her lead them to a table, and barely acknowledging what they were eating. Marge put her fork down, reached across the table, put her hand on ‘his’ hand resting on the table and asked, “Walter, talk to me. Let me in, I won’t bite, much, unless it’s when we’re alone. I’ve cared about you ever since the first day in grade school, when I first saw you, and I’ve come to care for you more than just a friend. Walter...I’ve fallen in love with you, the you you’ve shown others you really are over the years.”
Walter just looked at Marge after she said she’d fallen in love with ‘him.’ She felt tears start forming in her eyes, things were blurry to look at. When the tears started sliding down her cheeks, Marge reached up and wiped them off. As the tears fell, Walter told Marge, “You may think differently of me when you hear what I have to tell you. You may not want to be with me any more.” Walter patted the back of Marge’s hand, before pulling her hand out from under Marge’s, got up from the chair and walked away, leaving a confused Marge sitting at the table.
Because of the call Peter received from Terry, and what he told her, and because of what those boys had done to Walter, Peter had been more attentive to watching out for his niece. He was in the cafeteria when Walter and Marge Stillman came into the cafeteria, holding hands, and had just watched an exchange between them that left a bewildered girl sitting at the lunch table. Peter made his excuses to the teachers he was sitting with and walked over to where Marge was sitting. “Mind if I sit down, Miss Stillman?” Peter asked the bewildered looking girl. Mechanically, Marge looked up to see Principal Stepel standing on the other side of the table, asking if he could sit down. Mechanically, she nodded her head and Peter sat in the very chair Walter had used. Peter could see Marge was not there, mentally, just by the look on her face. So he said in a low voice, “Marge, Walter is going through a lot at the moment. Don’t give up on Walter, keep loving Walter. Walter needs you more now than ever.”
Peter watched as Marge thought about what he just said. He could see several emotions cross her face, as the one which said she’d made a decision looked back at him before she said, “But it’s as though Walter is trying to push me away. Why, Principal Stepel? Why would ‘he’ want to push me away?” Even though Peter knew the truth, he felt it was Walter’s story and she should be the one to tell Marge the truth. “Marge, that’s a question you need to ask Walter about. It’s Walter’s story and best be told by Walter. All I can tell you, Marge, when the truth comes out Walter will need your support more than ever. All of Walter’s friends too.” Marge saw Principal Stepel nodding his head, and she quickly got up from her chair and followed Walter out of the cafeteria.
She spotted Walter walking to one of the outdoor benches, and ran to catch up. “Walter, wait up,” Marge called out, causing Walter to stop and turn around. When Marge caught up to Walter, she put her arms around his neck, pulled him close, and whispered, “I don’t care if you have changed, are developing breasts, I still love who you are inside. That’s the person I fell in love with. That’s the person I want to spend my life with.” Walter pushed Marge back so she could see her face. “But you don’t understand. I’ll not...it’s best you find someone who can.” Marge was puzzled by what Walter just said, and asked, “You’ll not what, Walter. What can’t you do? Please tell me? Don’t push me away, I love you.” Marge pleaded with her but she simply shook her head and said, “Later.” Marge felt Walter’s pain so strongly she did the only thing she thought of and she kissed her love, passionately. They then continued walking to the bench, sat down, and Walter tried to tell Marge as much as time would allow, Marge now and then wiping off the tears slowly sliding down Walter’s cheeks.
When Marge bolted out of her chair and out of the cafeteria, Peter stood up to follow her and make sure she’d be alright. He saw where she was heading and stepped to one of the windows in the cafeteria that afforded him a view of that direction. As he watched, Walter stopped, then turned around; Marge must have called to him. He then saw Marge put her arms around Walter’s neck and pull her to her. Marge must have told Walter something, because she pushed them apart, and was shaking her head. He was really surprised when Marge then gave Walter one whale of a kiss, on the lips. Peter had a feeling Walter still hadn’t told Marge the truth, just by how she looked. The two then continued walking to the bench, where they sat down and Marge continued asking questions, and Walter continued shaking her head. Peter hoped the two would be okay, when Marge finally learned the truth. First bell sounded, and the two got up and hand in hand, headed to their next class. Peter knew Terry and Shelby wouldn’t object to the relationship between Marge and Walter. But how would the Markman feel? Their daughter in love with another girl, who used to be the boy she loved? Peter made a mental note to bring that up with Terry next time he saw her, he didn’t want his niece getting hurt if Merge’s parents were intolerant about such relationships. Peter reminded himself he needed to have another staff meeting to tell them about Walter and her change. And that starting tomorrow, Walter would be coming to school dressed as a girl. And they were to crack down hard if/when they saw anyone giving her a hard time, especially considering what just occurred a few days ago. No one was going to hurt his niece while he was Principal of the school.
Terry was again waiting for Walter when school let out for the day. This time instead of seeing just Walter, she saw her walking towards the car with another girl. And they were holding hands. Terry mentally scolded herself not to snap to a judgement until she heard the facts, not that she or Shelby would have any objections if Walter’s soulmate was a girl. When Walter opened the front door on the passenger side, she poked her head in and said, “Hi mom. This is Marge Stillman. Marge, that’s my mom, Terry Williams. And um, mom, Marge is my girlfriend. Think we could go get some ice cream so we can continue talking? Oh, and um, mom?”
When Walter had started talking, Terry had brought her left hand up to her cheek, then tucked her right hand under her left elbow. Her head was tilted slightly towards the left and she stayed that way for some moments after Walter finished talking. It took Walter to say, “Mom? Are you alright? Did I talk too fast again? Marge knows about Uncle Peter and most of what’s happened to me?” Terry still didn’t respond, even when Walter waved her hand in front of Terry’s face. “Mom? Ice cream? Chocolate fudge ripple? Your favorite?” Walter saw her mom’s brow furrow before she shook herself, and told the two, “Yeah, sure, ice cream. Good, great idea. Let’s go get some. What do you say, Walter? Marge?” Walter and Marge looked at each other then laughed, Walter letting Marge get in first so she was sitting next to Terry. Terry did have the presence of mind to make sure her two passengers fastened their seatbelts, before numbly driving out of the school parking lot and to their favorite ice cream shop. Walter again looked at Marge and both looked at Terry, as they heard Terry softly mumble, “Walter has a girlfriend, but then they can’t...what about grandchildren...what will her parents say?” Walter reached across Marge and lightly shook her mom, telling her, “Mom, I think you need to pull over for a few minutes. You don’t sound too good right now.” Walter could see her mom was on autopilot at the moment, but she was able to pull into another parking lot and shut off the car safely.
Terry was staring straight ahead, both hands gripping the steering wheel and didn’t hear Walter ask her, “Mom? Are you alright? Have I done something wrong that’s made you mad at me?” Walter had to shake Terry’s shoulder before Terry finally snapped out of her trance. “Hmm, yes, I’m alright Walter. And no, you’d done nothing wrong to make me mad. And it’s nice to meet you Marge.” Then Terry looked seriously at the two before saying, “It’s just that some people aren’t going to like seeing two girls being girlfriends, like a boy and girl would be boyfriend/girlfriend. And please, I’m not trying to break up the two of you, I think it’s great that both of you have found someone you want to be with. I’m just worried one of those intolerant jackasses will try and physically hurt one or both of you. And I don’t want to be in prison if the two of you happen to get married sometime in the future.”
Both teens were confused when Terry mentioned her being in prison. A questioning look formed on Walter’s face before she asked, “Why would you be in prison, mom, if someone hurt either of us?” Marge didn’t know Terry at all, so couldn’t interpret the expression on Terry’s face. But Walter could, and had seen it several times in the past. “Because, my sweet daughter. I’d have killed the son of a bitch," Terry growled. “But hey, enough talk right now. Let’s go get some ice cream. Then we can talk some more.” Terry started the engine of her car, put it into gear and leaving the parking lot, drove them to an ice cream shop that made all of its ice creams by hand.
Right Time
By Jamie Lee
Most often people talk about being in the right place at the right time. Maybe they achieved a beautiful photo of a sunrise, or the antics of children or animals. Maybe they found something someone lost and received a big reward when it was returned. But how often do they talk about being in the wrong place at the right time? If they do, it’s often about the death of someone or maybe witnessing a crime. And if this is the case, they are sad or horrified. Walter Williams often is in the wrong place at the right time, though his reaction to the incidents he encounters is much different than anyone would expect. And, life-changing.
Terry had come back to her senses and was able to drive them safely to the ice cream shop. Once she pulled up in front of the shop, shut off the engine, the three went inside and a few minutes later, came back outside. Because it was a nice day, they sat at one of several outside tables the shop provided, and started eating. Terry did get her favorite chocolate fudge ripple, while Marge had chocolate. Walter, on the other hand, had the two women looking at her funny, since she had a scoop of strawberry, a scoop of grape (yes, that shop made grape ice cream), and a scoop of lemon. When Terry asked if she was sure that was what she really wanted, Walter said, “Sure, because the ice cream,” and she pointed to her bowl of ice cream, “is fruity and I’m toot…,” and the smile on Walter’s face disappeared, replaced with a somber and sad look, as she softly finished with, “...-sie.” Terry and Marge saw the look on Walter’s face when she said toot-sie, and it was a sad look. Terry knew why, but it was Marge who asked, “Why the sad face, Walter? And there’s no one near us, so can this be the ‘later’ you kept saying?” Walter suddenly went very quiet, looked down at her bowl and slowly ate her ice cream. It was hard for Terry to remain quiet, sitting there eating her ice cream, watching her child hurting. Knowing if she told Marge the truth, their relationship might come to an end.
As Walter ate bite after bite of her ice cream, tears slowly found their way down her cheek. Terry watched as Marge placed her spoon in her bowl, reached over and took the hand Walter was holding her spoon in, then took the spoon and put it in Walter’s bowl before asking her, “Walter, why won’t you tell me what’s going on with you? Why are you trying to push me away? Didn’t you understand when I told you I loved you, and have since grade school? Walter, please, tell me. We can get through this together, and your friends will be there for you too.”
Walter had been looking down at her bowl of ice cream as Marge spoke. She lifted her head and looked past Marge to her mom, having Terry shake her head and tell her, “No, Walter, I won’t tell Marge for you. This is something YOU have to do. You have to decide. And sweetheart, after tomorrow it won’t be a secret anyway.” Marge again had the puzzled expression on her face after Terry’s last statement. She turned back to Walter and asked, “What won’t be a secret after tomorrow? What’s tomorrow?”
Walter had dropped her head after her mom spoke, just looking at the ice cream in her bowl. Marge was still looking at Walter, waiting, when Walter said, “When I tell you everything, Marge, you’re not going to want me as your girlfriend.” Marge’s expressions ran through the gambit of emotions, until the word ‘girlfriend’ registered. “What do you mean, ‘girlfriend,’ Water? How can you be my ‘girlfriend?” Tears were flowing freely from Walter’s eyes now as she looked up at Marge and told her, “Because, Marge, we found out today that I’m a full functioning girl.” Marge turned to look at Terry and saw Terry nodding her head. She looked back at Walter, who had laid her head down on the table and started crying. In a broken voice, and with more tears flowing, Walter told Marge, “Don’t you understand? If we stayed together I could never help you have any children like a man would be able to do.” Everything suddenly clicked for Marge, as she scooted over on the bench seat, put her arms around Walter, who still had her head on the table, laid her head on Walter’s back, and told her, “Oh, you idiot! Having children, however you have them, is only part of loving someone. Children come after a person loves someone enough to want to spend their life with that person. And I want to spend my life with you, and we’ll figure out the children later.”
Walter sat up, causing Marge to sit up as well, but she didn’t let go of her. With a tear streaked face, and snot running from her nose, she asked in a broken voice, “Even though I’m now a girl, you still want to be with me? Want me to be with you? But I can’t give you children, and what will you parents say, two girls getting married some day? And...and...what will other people say, everyone at school? It’s going to be bad enough when I come to school tomorrow dressed in girls’ clothing. Three boys already attacked me once, it could happen again, and I don’t want to see you getting hurt because of me.”
Marge pulled Walter to her so they were almost touching noses, then told her, “Listen to me, Walter James Williams, you dopey girl, and I’ll say it slowly so you can understand what I’m saying.” Terry had to chuckle after Marge used all three of Walter’s current names. “ I...that’s me,” and Marge pointed to herself, “love...that’s the strong emotion someone gets for someone else, you...that means you, Walter James Williams. By the way, Walter is a dumb name for any girl. How about we start using Katherine Elizabeth Williams? Has a nice ring to it, sounds classy, like you. What do you say, Kathy?” Despite herself, Walter had to laugh at Marge’s antics. She looked past Marge to her mom, raised an eyebrow, and saw her mom nod her head in agreement; Walter did, after all, need a new name.
Walter snuffed her nose, reached up and wiped her eyes before telling Marge, “I like that name. And to be honest, I’ve felt the same for you just about as long as you’ve felt about me, only I didn’t know how to tell you.” Walter had been around Marge long enough to know that when she got a twinkle in her eye, she was about to do something. And Walter wasn’t disappointed, as Marge turned her head so their lips could meet, and gently kissed her for a long time. It took Terry’s throat clearing to bring the two back to earth, but they were smiling at each other when they landed.
When their ice cream was gone Terry decided it was time to take Marge home, and get home themselves. However, that’s not quite how it worked out, at least immediately.
Marge gave Terry directions to her house, and when Terry pulled her car up the driveway at Marge’s house, Marge dropped a bombshell by saying, “I’d like you both to come in and meet my parents. My step-dad should be home by now and mom works from home on her own business.” When Walter started to protest Marge reminded her, “Why not? Tomorrow everyone will spread the word about your change and then even my parents will know. Give them a chance to hear the true story, don’t let it be from rumors and made up stories. Pllleeeaaassseee, for me?” Walter couldn’t help herself and laughed at Marge’s antics. She looked at the innocent, pleading look on Marge’s face, leaned over and softly kissed Marge, before telling her, “I do love you, you monkey.” When Walter said, “Okay,” Terry asked, “Are you sure Kathy, we can wait until word gets out?” Walter nodded her head and told her mom, “I’m sure mom. Marge is right. It’s best they hear the truth before a bunch of made up stories start running around.”
Hearing Walter agree to meet her parents, Marge acted like she’d just won some pageant title that paid her thousands of dollars for life. The three got out of Terry’s car, Marge took Walter’s hand and they walked up to the front door of the house. Marge took out a key, unlocked the door, and led them into the house, yelling, “MOM, I’M HOME, WITH FRIENDS.” Marge knew exactly what was about to happen, because she’d been warned about it before. But as she had learned, it was a sure fire way to get both of her parents attention right away. And it was no different this time either.
As if it had been rehearsed, the three heard, “Marge Wanonna Stillman,” from a woman coming down a hall to their left. “How many times have you been told not to shout in the house?” And as the woman entered the living room she said in a surprised voice, “Oh, we have guests, sorry. But that’s no reason to yell, young lady.” Shortly they heard a man’s voice coming from the kitchen, and then saw him when he asked, “Why are you yelling? You know…,” and when the man saw who was with his step-daughter he stopped, looked at Terry and Walter, and siad, “Hello, Walter, Mrs. Williams. I didn’t know you knew my step-daughter.” It was Walter’s hospital chauffeur, the orderly.
Terry and Walter were looking at Marge as she said, “Mom, dad, this is Mrs. Terry Williams and her, um, ah…,” “Daughter,” Walter supplied. When Marge looked at Walter, she nodded her head and said, “Your step-dad already knows, why try to hide it?” Marge kissed Walter before finishing, “And her daughter Walter, soon to be Katherine Elizabeth Williams. And these are my parents, Dorothy and Thomas Markman.” Thomas gently hugged Terry before asking, “Are you doing okay, Terry? And you Walter, soon to be Katherine? How’re you doing?” Dorothy had followed her husband and first hugged Terry then Walter, telling the two, “You have to stay for dinner,” and with a pleading look on her face, asked, “please?” Walter looked at Terry before saying, “Now I know where she gets that pleading look from.” Marge playfully swatted Walter on the arm, gently kissed her, then said, “That’s not true, mom got it from me?” That got the reaction Marge wanted, as her mom playfully chased her a few steps before Thomas got serious and asked, “Terry, Walter, please. We’d like it if you both would stay for dinner. We’d like to hear how our daughter’s girlfriend is doing.” Thomas saw the shocked look on Terry’s face and told her, “Marge told us all about it, for the last several years, though it was Walter the boy.” And he looked at Walter and said in a soft voice, “And we can’t be more pleased.”
Terry looked over to Walter, who was trying to imitate Marge, then laughed out loud. “Give it up girl, you couldn’t do a pleading look if your panties were on fire. But, okay, we’ll stay for dinner.” Again Marge acted like the grand prize winner of the latest lottery, kissed Walter before running off, coming back later in a change of clothes, and sat down next to Walter on the couch. Thomas explained to Terry that he had talked with Dorothy about Walter, because he really felt bad for what she was going through and Dorothy always helped him get through times like these. But hadn’t told Marge because he felt she needed to hear the truth from Walter, or not. Walter then confessed she would be going to school the following day dressed in girls clothing, and was a bit scared how everyone would react. “As you know Mr. Markman,” and Walter was interrupted with, “Ah, Walter, at home it’s just Thomas, okay?” Walter nodded then continued “Oh, okay, Thomas. You already know Principal Stepel is my Uncle, so he knows everything, and won’t be a problem. It’s all the others who scare me. I’ve already been attacked by three boys, who my mom put into the hospital, before they were arrested. What if there are more like them? What do I do? If no one’s around, I’m toast.” Walter started shaking, causing both Terry and Marge to put their arms around her.
Thomas got up out of the chair he’d been sitting in, walked over to Walter, kneeled in front of her, took her hands in his, and told her, “Walter, Dorothy and I have been hearing nothing but good things about you for a number of years. And not just from Marge. You really don’t know how many people you’ve helped over the years just by the way you’ve handled yourself when something happened to you. When your name comes up in a conversation, and believe me it does, a lot of parents say because you showed a strength and courage after those accidents, their children emulated when they had their own accidents. And even now, with your changes, people have watched how you’ve handled yourself during this whole thing. And Walter, you have a lot more on your side than you possibly realize. And not just parents. So when they find out you’re a real girl now, if anyone tries to give you any problems, student or parent, they best bring an army with them. Because you’ll have one at your back.” Thomas gently reached up and wiped tears finding their way down Walter’s cheeks. And like others have told her, Thomas said, “It will be alright, Walter. You will get through all this.”
Terry and Walter jumped when a horn sounded, causing Marge to laugh and Dorothy to chuckle before telling them, “It’s a timer we bought some time ago. None of us could ever hear the ‘ding’ of those other timers, and we happened to be at a swap meet, one time, and found it there. It means, dinner is served, or at least ready.” Dorothy giggled before telling everyone to gather around the dining room table. The rest of the time was about Walter and Marge and their relationship. And the problems they might face from those who had their heads so far up their butts they saw the world from the back of their throats. But there was a promise from all three adults, like what Terry told Marge and Walter in the car. All three would end up in jail, after killing the sons of a bitches. Terry and Walter helped clear the table, under protests from Dorothy and Thomas, helped with the dishes, again under protest, then Terry told the Markmans they needed to get home, Walter had homework and clothes to choose for tomorrow. As Walter and Terry were just about to walk out the front door, Marge grabbed Walter and played tonsil tag with her, until several throats cleared, several times. Terry looked at Walter’s eyes then said, grabbing her by the hand, “Come on, lover girl, let’s get you home. I’ll lead, you’re in no condition to walk straight.”
Walter was still in a daze after Marge’s kiss, so Terry had to help Walter into the car and put her seat belt on for her. She shook her head, and chuckled to herself, as she walked around to the driver’s side, got in the car, started the engine and drove them home. And when they got home, Walter was still in a daze, until Terry said, “Stirrups,” which immediately got Walter’s attention. Terry laughed then shrugged her shoulders, and told Walter, “Well, I had to do something to get your attention. You’ve been zoned out ever since Marge tried to pull your stomach out through your mouth.” Then she kissed Walter on the cheek before telling her, “But I’m really happy for you. You two make a cute couple. Now, homework, then we need to choose what you’ll wear tomorrow before getting ready for bed. Just so I know how to help, dress, skirt, or slacks?”
Terry saw the worried look on her daughter’s face, then heard, “I really don’t know, mom. I mean, I’ve only worn pants, so I wouldn’t really know how to behave wearing a dress or skirt. Still, I’ll have to wear them sometime. If I do wear a dress or skirt, would it cause trouble by those who’re going to cause trouble anyway? I just don’t know mom.” Terry pulled her distraught daughter to her, holding her as she told her, “We’ll figure it out, hon. Why don’t you go get your homework done, then we’ll see about the clothes, okay?” Terry kissed Walter on top of her head, before Walter let go of her mom and went up to her room. Terry wished Shelby was here right now so they could discuss all of this. Instead, she decided to call Peter and ask his opinion about Walter’s clothing for tomorrow. He was the Principal of the school, so should have a feeling how everyone would react depending on how Walter was dressed. She just hoped those who bothered Walter had good lawyers, because they were going to need them.
Peter cursed under his breath when his phone rang, he and Tina had been doing some interpersonal relationship discussions, with their lips. Tina laughed at Peter’s frustration, just before she swatted in the butt, getting a playful fist shown to her. “Hello, and this better be good. I mean, this is Peter Stepel.” Peter heard laughter on the other end of the phone, then heard, “Don’t tell me, let me guess, big brother. You and Tina were playing oral inspectors with your tongues?” And Terry laughed again. “Sis,” Peter began, “one of these days you and Shelby are going to be exercising that mattress in your bedroom and I’m going to call. And be able to laugh at you because your insertion play was interrupted.” Both laughed before Terry told her brother, “Brother dear, when Shelby and I are exercising on the mattress in our bedroom, we don’t hear anything short of the house falling down. He’s too busy making me scream for more.” Then Terry heard, “Oh, my gawd...tmi tmi tmi,” then, “Hmm…” and Peter looked at Tina with a wicked look on his face. Then, so Tina could hear what he and Terry had been talking about, said aloud, “I wonder if I could get Tina to the point where she’s screaming for more?”
Right Time
By Jamie Lee
Most often people talk about being in the right place at the right time. Maybe they achieved a beautiful photo of a sunrise, or the antics of children or animals. Maybe they found something someone lost and received a big reward when it was returned. But how often do they talk about being in the wrong place at the right time? If they do, it’s often about the death of someone or maybe witnessing a crime. And if this is the case, they are sad or horrified. Walter Williams often is in the wrong place at the right time, though his reaction to the incidents he encounters is much different than anyone would expect. And, life-changing.
It was a shocked Peter who saw the fake shocked look on Tina’s face before she giggled and started unbuttoning her blouse. Peter was having problems, and not just concentrating on what Terry was saying to him. As Peter watched Tina, she’d stood up from the couch, let her blouse fall to the floor, and was now reaching behind her and in an instant, let her bra drop to the floor. She seductively walked over to him, took his hand, brought it to her left breast, and began guiding his fingers. Peter saw the pleasure erupt on Tina’s face, and heard the low moans she was eliciting. He heard a voice in his ear and realized Terry had been talking and was now asking him a question. Blushing, he told Terry, “Um...sis...I’ve an event developing here and missed everything you said.” For the next several minutes, all Peter heard was laughter from his sister. When Terry finally stopped laughing she asked, “Let me guess, you got your hand on one of Tina’s breasts. Right? And you can’t bring her to fruition and talk at the same time?” Tina could hear some of what Terry was saying, since Peter hadn’t kept the receiver to his ear. She watched as Peter blushed a deeper pink then said aloud, “Terry, you should see his face right now.” That set Terry off again, and Tina joined her. Then the two women heard Peter say, “I’ll get both of you for this.” Terry started laughing again, before telling her brother, “You aren’t going to be getting me, but I’ll bet you get Tina tonight.” Tina had a big smile on her face because of the teasing she and Terry were giving Peter. She leaned forward and kissed him before moving his hand to her right breast, guiding his fingers again, causing her to close her eyes and elicit the same moans as before.
Peter was having a very hard time concentrating on what Terry was saying again, and had to ask her, “Terry, why’d you...call?” His voice went up when he asked that question, because Tina had used her other hand to reach down and start messaging Peter. Terry laughed again when she heard how her brother asked that question, and had a good idea why. “Well, brother, I’ll make this quick then, since it seems you’re about to play hide and seek with Tina. Walter’s worried about school tomorrow, specifically the clothes she’ll be wearing.” When Peter heard this was about Walter, he pulled his hand back from Tina’s breast, reached down and stopped her hand’s pleasurable actions. He mouthed ‘Walter’ to Tina, when she’d given him a questioning look, then held the receiver so Tina could hear what Terry was saying.
With Tina listening, Peter said, “So she’s going to dress as a girl tomorrow, come out to everyone?” When Terry said, “Yes, but she’s scared how she’ll be received. She’s worried about those who might come after her, thinking all she’s doing is fake. That she’s nothing but a boy trying to be a girl. And Peter, I’m scared too.” Peter thought for a minute before reminding Terry, “Sweetheart, the school already knows Walter is developing breasts because of that accident, can it be any harder to believe those chemicals had affected her to the point of actually causing her gender to change? You have to remember, Terry. Most of those kinds grew up with Walter and watched as she experienced all of those incidents. And her reactions. I don’t think you realize how much they admire her for the courage it took to stand up in front of her science class and tell them what she was experiencing. Terry, tell her to be the girl she is, but not to go over the top. And I can guarantee you, and her, she will be well received. And if I’d guess here, she’ll tell her science class everything.” Tina couldn’t help herself after what she heard Peter say, and took her right hand and again started messaging Peter, then kissed him on the neck. Peter reached down with his free hand and pressed Tina’s hand harder into himself, before telling Terry, “Sis, Walter will be fine tomorrow. But you have to excuse me right now, I’ve a game of hide and seek to play.” He heard Terry erupt in laughter, before wishing her brother, and Tina, happy hunting.
Peter had no sooner hung up the phone then Tina had unbuttoned his pants, pulled down the zipper, and had her hand inside his underwear. He reciprocated and began walking them to his bedroom, all the while playing with Tina’s tongue with his own.
Terry was sitting at the kitchen table when Walter slowly walked in, sat down, put her arms on the table then plopped her head down on her arms, looking across the kitchen table. Terry didn’t say anything, since her daughter’s face told her everything she needed to know. Walter had made a decision, if one she didn’t like. Talking with one’s head on one’s arms can be terribly uncomfortable, it makes one’s head move up and down instead of just the jaw. But Walter managed it as she said, “Mom, I can’t see any way around it. I’m gonna have to look like a girl tomorrow and that means wearing a dress or skirt and blouse, and the correct shoes. But I think my hair might be a problem. It isn’t styled right, and it’s too late to get it styled. What do I do?” Terry calmly took a sip of her coffee, sat the cup down on the kitchen table, then told Walter, “I know owning up to how you’ll have to appear tomorrow wasn’t an easy thing for you to do. But as Thomas told you, and Peter’s been telling you, you WILL be okay. You’ll make it through this like you’ve always done. As to your hair, I agree, it does need styled. And it is too late for that tonight. But maybe in the morning we might fiddle with it to make it look a bit better, and I’ll be sure to get you an appointment tomorrow for after school. Now, how about we go up and see what would look good for school tomorrow?” Walter didn’t move, as Terry started to get up from her chair. She sat back down and gave Walter a questioning look. “Um...I already picked out something, along with everything else needed. Um...maybe you can look at all of it and see if it’s okay?”
Walter lifted her head, looked at her mom and burst into tears. Terry got up out of the kitchen chair, walked around the kitchen table, and gathered up her daughter and held her until her crying had eased. As she held Walter she felt helpless, unable to do anything more than be there for her daughter. This was another encounter Walter would have to face, but was unlike any of the ones before. She had seen Walter do things and go places most kids wouldn’t think of. And each time, if it somehow turned against him, he got up, took his lumps, and continued on. Unfortunately, this time Walter was going someplace and doing something few boys would ever consider for a variety of reasons, simply because she had no choice. It had been forced on her. And she was scared, more scared than she’d ever been. And Terry knew it. “Come on, sweetheart, let’s go see what you’ve picked out for tomorrow.” Terry felt Walter nod her head in response to what Terry said, and while holding each other, they went up to Walter’s bedroom.
When they walked into Walter’s bedroom, Terry expected to see some bizarre combination of clothes waiting to assault her eyes. Instead, she saw the light yellow dress they’d purchased at the mall lying on Walter’s bed. When Walter tried it on at the mall, it was a couple inches above her knees. The sleeves were puffy without being obscenely puffy, and it had a nice modest neckline. Terry did worry, though, because it zipped in the back, something Walter had had trouble with at the time. Next to the dress was a white slip a bit shorter than the dress. Next to that was a matching white bra and panties, and a pair of white knee high socks. And sitting on the floor was a pair of cream colored kitten heel shoes.
Terry could feel Walter shaking, and she knew why. She was worried the combination of clothes she’d chosen were all wrong. Terry pulled Walter in tighter to her and told her daughter, “You have a good eye for what works together. I know you don’t want to hear this, but you’re going to look really cute tomorrow. Just remember what I told you about how to sit when wearing a dress, okay. Most of those boys are going to get way overly excited when they see you, no sense giving them any more to look at.” Walter chuckled at the way her mom told her not to flash any of the boys while she was sitting down. “I remember, mom. I just hope those but...um...morons don’t start making trouble.” Terry laughed at Walter’s change of words. “Honey, everyone has a butthole. But not everyone is a moron.” Terry’s use of the word Walter edited caused the desired effect, Walter burst out laughing. And so did Terry.
“Honey, would you please turn on your computer for me? I want to show you something,” Terry asked, having come up with a quick hairstyle that might work for tomorrow. After Walter had turned up her laptop, Terry did a search and found pictures she could use to show Walter what she had in mind. “Now, we won’t have much time in the morning, and you’ll have to get up earlier than before, but if we try this simple style,” and Terry showed Walter a Half Up Half Down style, where hair on both sides of her head were brought back and over the top of the rest of her hair, then lightly twisted and held together in the center with a hair clip. The rest of the length then falls straight down over the top of the hair in the back. “And I have just the clip that might work, give me a minute,” Terry told Walter as she left Walter’s bedroom and returned a minute later with a brush, comb, and the hair clip. She went over to Walter’s desk, pulled out the chair and had Walter sit there so she could work on Walter’s hair.
After brushing Walter’s hair for a few minutes, Terry then gathered up hair from the sides, lightly twisted each group, then pinned the two groups together with the hair clip she had brought from her bedroom. She then used the comb and brush to play a bit more with Walter’s hair until she felt it looked right. When Terry said, “There, I think that’s got it,” Walter wanted to see how she looked, but Terry told her, “Put your dress on first.” When Walter gave her mom a funny look, Terry told her, “Get undressed, and get dressed in what you’re wearing to school tomorrow. Go on, you’ll see why in a moment.” When Walter got up out of the chair and turned to see herself in the mirror over her chest of drawers, Terry grabbed her and took her over to her bed and said, “Get dressed.” Terry then took a small blanket off Walter’s bed and covered the mirror about the chest of drawers, it was going to be too small anyway for Walter to really see herself.
As Terry watched, Walter was out of the clothes she was wearing and into the bra, panties, and slip in almost no time. Terry crossed her fingers, as Walter picked up the light yellow dress, unzipped the back zipper, stepped into it, putting her arms through the short sleeves, then reached behind her, and though had a bit of trouble, finally zipped up the zipper. She then sat down on her bed to put on the socks and shoes. When she was all dressed, Terry told her, “Okay, close your eyes and don’t open them, or peek, until I tell you to.” When Walter gave her mom another funny look, Terry said, “Go on, cover your eyes.” When Walter had covered her eyes, Terry took her hand and gently pulled her up until she was standing, then led Walter down the hall to her bedroom. Terry turned on the ceiling light before having Walter stop almost in front of the closet door. Terry said, “No peeking now,” and walked over and opened the closet door. When Terry had the door opened to the right angle, she told Walter, “Okay, you can open your eyes now.” Terry stood back and watched, as Walter just stared at her reflection in the full length mirror on the inside of the closet door. It took a bit but then Walter said, “Wow, you were right mom. I’m going to kill them tomorrow.” Terry watched as Walter turned first to the left then to the right. Then she turned so she could look over her shoulder. Then in typical Walter fashion, she said, “Ya know, mom, maybe it’d be a good idea if I carried a baseball bat with me tomorrow.” Terry came up behind her daughter, put her arms around her and said, “Ah, no. No baseball bat. But you do look absolutely gorgeous. You won’t need to use a bat on any of those boys. They’ll die of heart attacks from the shock of seeing how beautiful you are.” Both women laughed, before Terry told Walter it was late, and they’d better get her ready for bed.
Walter slept fairly well through the night, one nightmare waking her in the early morning hours. But thinking about how she looked in the mirror, helped her go back to sleep. Walter’s alarm went off at 6 a.m., and continued to buzz until Terry came into the room and shut it off. She then roughly shook Walter, telling her, “Hey, sleepyhead, time to get up. We got things to do before you go to school.” Walter was lying on her right side, and opened one eye to look at her mom, before she stuck her tongue out at her mom. She groaned, closed her eye and mumbled, “Okay, in a bit.” Terry had been expecting this and had planned it all out. She took hold of the edge of the coverings, and said, at the same time she pulled them clear down to the foot of the bed, “No...NOW.” Walter let out a screech as the covers were pulled out of the hand she’d been holding them with, now lying there in her nightie and feeling the chill in the room. “MOM, THAT’S DIRTY POOL,” Walter hollered, causing Terry to laugh.
Walter was now looking at her mom, as she still lay on the bed. Terry got right down into her face and told her, “All’s fair in love and getting my daughter up for school.” Terry was close enough to Walter and she moved her head to her mom’s face, lightly kissed her on the lips, then said, “You’re heartless.” Terry chuckled, kissed her back, then said, “Yeah, I know.” Walter’s arms reached out and went around Terry’s neck, and Terry did the same to Walter. Whispering in each other’s ears, Walter said, “Thanks for everything mom. I love you.” And Terry replied with, “You’re more than welcome, sweetheart. And I love you too. Now, get your robe on and let’s go get breakfast.” Terry felt Walter nod her head, let go of her daughter, and turned to leave Walter to herself as she went down to the kitchen to get breakfast started. A few moments later Terry heard the toilet flush, and shortly after Walter came walking into the kitchen. Walter saw her mom starting to fix scrambled eggs and bacon, so she got plates out of the cabinet, then silverware out of the drawer. She then got out the toaster and bread before getting butter and jam out of the fridge. When everything was about done Walter put four pieces of bread in the toaster and pulled the lever down on the toaster down. The toaster popped just as the scrambled eggs were ready, and the two women sat down to eat. And talk.
When they’d finished eating they quickly took care of the dishes, before heading upstairs to Walter’s bedroom; Terry wanted to help Walter get ready on her first day going to school as a girl. When Walter finished cleaning herself in the bathroom after breakfast, she then got dressed much as she had the night before, before Terry did her hair as they’d planned and applied a bit of mascara and lip gloss to Walter’s eyelashes and lips. Terry then told Walter to get her purse, as Terry left the room but came back a moment later carrying a few things. Walter watched as her mom sat a couple of panty liners and tampons on her bed, before going to the chest of drawers and taking out a pair of white panties. Walter gave her mom a questioning look before Terry told her, “Just in case of unexpected accidents or we figured wrong for your first period. Plus, another girl might ask you to help her out.” Terry had explained about using panty liners and tampons, and had helped Walter use both so she’d know how to use them. She then told Walter to put the mascara and lip gloss in her purse along with her wallet and school ID and a few tissues. It was now 7:45 a.m., time enough to relax a bit before Terry would drive her daughter to school. With backpack in hand, along with her purse, the two went downstairs and sat and talked a bit more before they left for school at eight.
As Terry drove to the high school, she kept glancing towards Walter, who had been quiet ever since they got into the car. She could see the worried look on Walter’s face, and the fear in her eyes. She took her right hand off the steering wheel, reached across and put her hand on Walter’s arm, telling her, “Honey, I know you’re scared and worried how you will be treated. But I think you’re going to find out there are more there who will support you, and look out for you, than you think. You’ve made quite an impression with a lot of people over the years. And they know you’re going through a rough time right now. Do as you’ve always done, laugh it off, get up and move on.” Walter lowered her head to look at the floor on the passenger side, then told her mom, “Yeah, I did do that as a boy. But I’m not a boy anymore, mom. And I don’t know how to do the same thing as a girl.”
They pulled into the school parking lot, and Terry stopped her car at the loading/unloading zone. She turned off the engine then turned to her daughter. “Walter,” she said, “boy or girl, it’s the same. Something happens to you, and you decide how to react. Before when something happened, you chose to laugh about it and then went on just as though nothing happened. Being a girl is no different, in deciding how to react to things that happen to you. Right now you’re feeling sorry for yourself because of what’s happened. And you’re scared. Okay, those are natural reactions, but you can push past those and not let them change you into a bitter person no one wants to be around. And unless I miss my guess,” and she pointed to the girl practically running to their car, “there’s one girl who wants to be with you.” Walter looked up and in the direction her mom was pointing. The girl running towards them had the biggest smile on her face. It was so big it threatened to completely take over her beautiful look. Walter looked back at her mom and asked, “Did you set this up, mom? Cause if you did, thanks.” The two shared a quick kiss before Walter got out of the car and was immediately captured in a hug that threatened to crush her chest. “Hey, girlfriend, let me look at you,” Marge told her, as she pushed Walter back so she could get a good look at Walter. Walter had yet to close the passenger door, as Marge bent down to look at Terry and asked, “Did you bring a bat, Mrs. Williams? I think Walter’s going to need one.” “Kathy, it’s Kathy’s going to need one,” Walter told Marge. “My name is going to be Katherine Elizabeth Williams, Kathy for short.” Marge brightened up after hearing the proclamation from Walter. She stood up and looked at Walter and said, “Yeah, that does sound better than Walter, for a girl.” Then Marge lightly kissed Kathy on the lips, before Kathy said goodbye to her mom and closed the passenger side door. Terry watched as the two headed to the main school doors, walking hand in hand. Kathy looked back, waved, and the two disappeared into the school. Terry decided she needed to do a bit of shopping to help her calm down, and lunch after.
Peter had asked Kathy, aka Walter, to come by the office before going to her first period class. He was standing, nervously, by Margot’s desk as he saw Walter walk into the office holding Marge Stillman’s hand. When Margot saw the two enter the office, she got up out of her chair and came to stand next to Peter. “My oh my, she is a pretty thing, isn’t she Peter. And they make a really cute couple.” Peter couldn’t take his eyes off his new niece as he told Margot, “She sure is, Margot, and they sure are.”
Peter and Margot could see the fear in Walter’s eyes, she had yet to tell her Uncle, or Margot what her new name would be. Marge and Kathy, aka Walter, stopped a few steps away from Peter and Margot before Marge asked, “Well, what do you think? Doesn’t she clean up nicely?” Kathy, aka Walter, deadpanned as she turned her head to look at Marge before saying to her, “You know you’re a pig, right?” Marge laughed before lightly kissing Kathy, and before two throats cleared, then told her, “Yeah, but I’m your pig.” It seemed that was the right amount of banter, at the right time, because Kathy, aka Walter, dropped her head and laughed. In a serious voice, Marge told her, “That’s better. No more Miss glumly, okay?”
Kathy, aka Walter, nodded her head before turning to her Uncle and telling him “Principal Stepel, I’m going by the name of Kathy Elisabeth Williams, unofficially until we get my name changed. I’ll still answer to Walter in school, but just wanted to let you know beforehand.” Margot couldn’t help herself, and walked over to Kathy, giving her a hug and telling her, “My, sweetheart, you sure are pretty,” and lightly kissed her on the cheek. Blushing, Kathy thanked Margot before Peter said, “Thank you for telling me, Wa...um...Kathy. I’ll make a note of the name change in your file and will make it permanent when you get it done officially.” Peter walked up to Kathy, took both of her hands in his and asked her, “How are you really doing? I see you’re trying to put on a brave face, but…?”
A tear threatened to roll down her cheek as she told her Uncle, “I’m scared, Uncle Peter.” Peter pulled his niece into a hug and told her, “With this gallant young lady with you, and more than you know standing by, things will be alright, Walter. You wait and see. Now, you two better get off to your first period class, you don’t want to be late for your first day of classes, Kathy Elizabeth Williams. Do you?” Kathy said “No,” in a choked voice, wiped her eyes before taking Marge’s hand, turning around and walking out of the school office. Peter felt a hand on his back as Margot told him, “She’ll be alright, Peter. The entire school is going to protect her.” Peter nodded his head and replied, “I sure hope you’re right, Margot. I sure, hope you’re right.” When Marge and Kathy had disappeared, Margot returned to her desk and Peter to his office, both hoping Margot was right in what she said.
If you ever visited a fair, and it had carnival rides, and one of those rides was bumper cars, then you have some idea what was occurring as Marge and Kathy walked hand in hand down the hallway to their lockers. Boys and girls were banging into the open classroom doors, and open hall locker doors. Students were running into each other, either because they were walking forward and looking sideways or backward. Or those walking towards the two girls, ran into those who were looking sideways or backward. And as the two girls walked first to Marge’s locker, then to Kathy’s, the throng of students seemed to part in the middle to let the two walk down the hallway. All the while, watching and wondering who the ‘new’ girl happened to be.
While the boys were having trouble with their jeans, some of the girls weren’t taking this ‘new’ girl as politely. As one girl walked by the two, she uttered, “Sluts,” which to her dismay was heard by one of the teachers who came out of their class. “Ah, Miss Camron, one moment, please.” Charles Miller had heard the commotion out in the hallway and stepped out to see what it was about, just as Cora Camron walked by the two girls and said, “Sluts.” “Ah, Miss Camron. I believe you know the rules of student conduct while on school grounds? And I believe you know they include calling other students demeaning names? So for your reward for forgetting those rules, you will spend a week in detention with me, and a few others.”
Cora’s eyes got big, and her mouth started before her brain told it to, as she said, “Well, they are sluts. Just look at them, holding hands, and the way they’re walking down the hall, oblivious to the commotion they’re causing.” Charles just chuckled as he said, “Why Miss Camron, I didn’t know you wanted to make it two weeks detention with me and a few others. I’ll see you after school today.” Charles left the girl standing as she tried to sputter and come up with some excuse to get out of two weeks detention. She slowly turned and stared at Marge and the other girl, forming a plan how to get back at the two bitches for costing her two weeks detention. But as she stood there forming a plan, one of her girl friends hurried up to her and asked, “Wow, Cora. Doesn’t Walter look great?”
Cora’s jaw dropped to the floor, and her tongue rolled out to join it, as she looked back down the hallway to watch the two girls. In a squeaky voice she said, “That’s Walter Williams? The guy who had the accident in his science class?” Cora’s friend nodded her head and replied, “Ah huh, that’s him. Or rather her, now. Wow, she looks great. I love her hairstyle, wonder if she’ll tell me how it’s done?” Cora squeezed her eyes shut, looked at the ceiling and said, “Aw...shit. Great! Juusst, great.” When her friend asked what she was talking about Cora told her, “I just made an ass out of myself and got two weeks detention for my troubles.” Cora and her friend had started school with Walter, and were two of the many who had watched Walter’s reactions when something happened to him. Cora turned and as she walked into Charles Miller’s algebra class, she said more to herself than anyone, “Ah, well, learn something new everyday.”
Charles Miller hadn’t been the only teacher to walk out into the hall to see about all the commotion, Brigette had too. And when she saw Marge, and what could only be Walter, walking towards her, she put her hand over her mouth in surprise, and said so the two girls could hear her, “My, Walter, you are very pretty today.” And when the two girls stopped in front of Brigette she asked, “Has anyone given you any trouble so far, Walter?” Walter answered with, “Not so far, Mrs. Stokes. And I’m going to change my name to Katherine Elizabeth Williams, Kathy for short.” It wasn’t quite Kosher for a teacher to hug a student, but Brigette stepped up to Walter and hugged her, whispering in her ear, “I’m very proud of how you’ve handled this whole thing.” When Brigette let go of Walter she saw a tear in the girl’s eye. After wiping her eyes, Kathy said, “Thank you Mrs. Stokes. That means a lot coming from you. Um...maybe I better explain to the class like I did last time. And maybe you can start calling me Kathy. I don’t really look like a Walter any more.” Brigette reached out and put her hand on Kathy’s arm, then told her, “I think talking to the class is a good idea. And I’ll be happy to call you Kathy. You two best get inside, the second bell should ring at any moment.”
Most already in the science class had seen Marge and the ‘new’ girl walking down the hallway, so weren’t as shocked when she walked into their class. But a few raised their eyebrows when the ‘new’ girl sat down in Walter’s seat, until Jeffrey, the boy who first made fun of Walter needing to wear a bra, then getting slapped so hard it knocked him out of his chair, who got two weeks detention and ended up grounded for the semester, turned his head to look at the girl when she sat down, and told her, “Wow, you look really nice, Walter. It’s going to be okay, ya know.” Kathy put her hand on Jeffrey’s arm and told him, “Thanks. And I’m going by Katherine now. Kathy for short.”
Working at the shelter with his mom had taught the once flippant boy a thing or two about how to treat people better, and the results when they are treated badly. He looked Walter in the eyes and said, “Alright, Kathy it is, Walter.” Then he just smiled, and Kathy playfully slapped his arm. The room now sounded like a hive of bees, as the students had heard what Jeffrey had called the ‘new’ girl. And everyone had turned in their seats and were now staring at Walter, Kathy. What surprised Brigette was when Jeffrey said to all those staring at Kathy, “What are all of you looking at? Didn’t Walter tell us those chemicals were messing with his body? Well, it looks like they’ve done their work, and we now have Kathy with us instead of Walter.” Jeffrey stood up and held out his arm, sweeping it to take in everyone sitting ahead of Kathy, and said, “Kathy, meet the class. Class, meet Kathy Williams, the former Walter Williams.” Brigette may have been surprised by what Jeffrey did, but he was a different boy since this all started.
The second bell rang, Brigette walked to the back of the class and closed the classroom door. After walking back to her lab desk, she picked up her grade book and took roll. There was still buzzing in the class and whispers about Walter, so to get everyone’s attention, Brigette slammed a book down on her lab table. More than one in the class jumped because of the loud sound but it did what Brigette wanted. “Now that I have your undivided attention,” and she looked at Kathy and nodded her head, “you all seemed to have noticed we have a ‘new’ girl in class today. So, I’m going to let her introduce herself and explain a little about herself.” Kathy had got up from her chair and walked to Brigette’s lab desk, and was standing there as Brigette finished talking. Marge saw how frightened Kathy was and got up, walked up to stand beside her, took her hand and whispered, “It’s going to be alright, you’ll see.”
Kathy dug deep and pulled up Walter’s courage and began with, “Several weeks ago, we had an in class experiment to pour alcohol into water and measure the change in the level of the liquid in the beaker. I was the last one to get into the supply room, and the one bottle of alcohol left was on the top shelf in the wrong cabinet. As I stood on the second shelf and was reaching for that bottle of alcohol, all of the shelves collapsed, and I fell, getting cut by broken glass and contaminated by all of the chemicals in that cabinet. It wasn’t long before I was standing up here telling you that I found out I was developing breasts, and if the doctors didn’t find a way to stop the changes, I was going to become a girl. And...yesterday...I...um, I um, found out I was a total girl. Just like the girls in this school. I’m going to go through what girls go through once a month, and be able to give birth. It is just as though I was born a girl. And I’ll be going by the name of Katherine Elizabeth Williams, Kathy for short.” Marge reached up and wiped tears off Kathy’s cheeks, then gently pulled her hand and led her back to her seat, before returning to her own. No one said a word, there was no buzzing either, as everyone in that class was digesting what Kathy had just told them.
The silence was broken by someone clapping their hands, and when everyone looked where the sound was coming from, they saw Jeffrey standing, looking at Kathy and clapping. It didn’t take long for the others to realize what he was doing, and joined in applauding Kathy for having the courage to stand up in front of the class and tell them what had happened to her. Kathy looked around at those looking at her as they applauded, and couldn’t believe what she saw. And like other girls, tears were running down her cheeks because of the warmth she felt from the others in her class. It took a few minutes before the class calmed down and everyone had sat back down, and a few minutes more as she talked about what the class had just heard. Brigette did manage to get some of the planned lesson in before the first bell rang, and made it her business to speak with Kathy before she went to her next class. “I’m very proud of you, Kathy. Standing up there and saying what you did took a lot of courage. I can only imagine how strange all this must be to you, but after watching how Walter handled his encounters, I have a feeling you’ll do just the same at some point in time.” Brigette pulled Kathy into a hug before telling the two girls they best get going.
Right Time
By Jamie Lee
Most often people talk about being in the right place at the right time. Maybe they achieved a beautiful photo of a sunrise, or the antics of children or animals. Maybe they found something someone lost and received a big reward when it was returned. But how often do they talk about being in the wrong place at the right time? If they do, it’s often about the death of someone or maybe witnessing a crime. And if this is the case, they are sad or horrified. Walter Williams often is in the wrong place at the right time, though his reaction to the incidents he encounters is much different than anyone would expect. And, life-changing.
Marge and Kathy’s walk wasn’t as interesting to the other students filling the hallway as it had been when Kathy first appeared. One boy, in particular, decided it was time he made his move on his first conquest. Just as Marge and Kathy reached where he was standing, he stepped out in front of the two and said to Kathy in what he considered a sexy voice, “Hey, sweetcheeks, I’m Robert. Why don’t you ditch your sister and you and me go somewhere private. I can show you a better time than your sister can.”
Robert Bakes was a transfer from several previous schools. He’d been kicked out of one after another until he landed in school today. No one would say exactly why he’d been kicked out of school, but rumor had it, and it was a true rumor, his parents had paid a lot of people to keep their mouth’s shut. It seemed Robert thought himself a ladies man, and he’d actually been kicked out after getting several girls at each school pregnant. The parents of those girls had wanted to go to the police and have Robert arrested, but when his parents stepped in and gave each family a hefty sum, they changed their minds. His parents had warned him each time he’d change schools, but nothing they said made any difference. But this time it wasn’t going to be his parents who gave him a warning, it was going to be the school.
Kathy turned to Marge and asked, “Did you hear something, Marge? It sounded like a whiny mosquito. Don’t you think so?” Marge looked Robert up and down before saying, “No, not a mosquito, but it’s so full of itself I’m surprised someone hasn’t changed its diaper.” At one of the schools Robert was kicked out of, he’d assaulted a girl when she’d made fun of him; the doctors had to wire her jaw shut because Robert hit her so hard he broke her jaw in two places.
Robert stepped closer to Marge before telling her, “Listen, bitch, no girl makes fun of me and gets away with it.” Robert started to bring his hand back to slap Marge when his hand was caught by someone standing behind him. He turned around to face the bastard who interfered with him, only to find a boy standing there looking at him. And about ten others standing behind Jeffrey Stoneman. “I don’t know what you fuckers think you’re doing but you don’t want to mess with me,” Robert angrily told the eleven. Jeffrey just smiled at Robert and replied, “Um, I think you’ve got it wrong there, sport. It’s you who doesn’t want to mess with those two girls, especially the one on your left. You don’t even want to have her mother on your case. She’d tear you limb from limb, then shove it all down your throat.” Robert turned around to look at Kathy and saw her nodding her head. “Yep, Robert, Jeffrey’s right,” Kathy said. Then in a growl she said, “She already put three boys who attacked me in the hospital. Want to try to be number four? You best run along and put me out of your mind.” Quite a crowd had gathered around the three, and they didn’t look happy. As Robert started to walk away, he said in a nasty voice, “This ain’t over, bitch. You wait and see.” No one moved to let Robert pass, so he had to push his way through all of the gathered students. And the same throng started walking in the direction of Marge and Kathy’s next class, only after the two girls walked into the classroom did the crowd disband. The school was protecting Marge and Kathy.
For the rest of the day, Kathy answered questions, even telling some classes what she’d said in her science class. And like her science classmates, some even applauded her courage in standing up before everyone and telling her story. The surprise came when she and Marge walked into the cafeteria for lunch, and everyone in the cafeteria, even those in the kitchen, stood and gave Kathy an ovation. She was so overcome with emotions she couldn’t help but cry. Thomas was right, she had touched more people than she’d ever know.
When the last bell rang, signaling the end of school, Marge and Kathy again walked hand in hand as they walked out to get into Terry’s waiting car. Neither girl saw Robert standing just around the corner of a building, watching them, planning how he was going to fuck the hell out of that bitch he was told to leave alone. He’d show her what a real man felt like. And he’d slap her in line as well.
Like many high schools, being Friday there’d be a football game followed by a dance. Terry was worried when Kathy asked to go to the game and then dance with Marge. When Terry called Thomas she had planned to tell him she didn’t want Kathy to go out with just the two of them, but got a surprise when Thomas told her he and Dorothy were going to take the two girls to the game and were one of several couples who chaperoned the dance. Terry felt much better, and gave Kathy permission to go, reminding her she was a girl now, and to keep her eyes open. In Walter’s usual way, she told her mom, “Mom, I’ll be fine. Don’t worry.”
Marge and Kathy yelled their heads off at the game, and enjoyed their time together. But even though they enthusiastically cheered on their team, the boys lost by three points. The girls followed Marge’s parents to the gym, where the dance was to be held. Robert kept in the shadows, biding his time to teach the bitch a lesson. It was after the second dance that Robert saw his chance, as Kathy was walking to the girls restroom. Robert shadowed her and was about to grab her when several hands grabbed him instead, dragging him off down the hallway; Kathy never knew anything about what almost happened to her right then.
When it turned 11 p.m., the lights in the gym came on, a signal the dance was over. Marge and Kathy helped others pick up and put things away before going home, Thomas and Dorothy dropping Kathy off at her house.
It was standard practice by the Police Department, while patrolling the area, to drive into the school parking lot, turn on their flashing light and headlight high beams, and slowly drive to the far end of the lot before turning around and going back to the entrance. As they slowly drove by the wings which housed the classrooms, the riding partner would play the spotlight on the car along the building looking for any anomalies. It wasn’t unusual on the weekends to find one or two cars parked at the far end of the parking lot, since it was much darker there. Once the young lovers saw the flashing lights coming their way, it didn’t take them long to leave the school area. On one occasion, they even spotted two young lovers running naked to their car before the car sped out of the lot.
It was 12:30 a.m. when a patrol car pulled into the high school parking lot, turned on their lights and slowly drove their usual pattern. It wasn’t until they were slowly heading back to the entrance that the headlight high beams illuminated something high up on the flagpole. The officers in the patrol car were too far away, and it was too dark for them to recognize what they were seeing, but as they got closer, the riding partner shined the spotlight up at the top of the flagpole and everything became clear. What they saw caught both officers off guard, and caused them to chuckle.
Suspended up on the flagpole was a boy, completely naked. Duct tape over his mouth and his hands duct taped behind his back. He had some type of harness on that was used to attach him to the rope going up the pole. About that time they received a radio call, asking for their location and to try and find a boy named Robert Bakes. They radioed back a description of the boy hanging from the flagpole, and when dispatch said that was the boy, they told their dispatcher they found the boy but would need the fire department and their ladder truck. And no, it wasn’t an emergency, so lights and sirens weren’t needed.
The riding partner turned to the other and asked, “You figure he did something he wasn’t supposed to or maybe this was a prank?”
The driving partner shrugged her shoulders and said, “Could be either, but my money’s on he did something he shouldn’t have done. We had something like this happen when I was in school. Seems a guy got his girlfriend pregnant and some in the school didn’t like it. The school admin never found out who did it, but that kid was found by a patrol car checking the school, naked, gagged, and tied to the back side of the statue of the school mascot that was on a small island in the parking lot. No one could see the kid from the street, it was only when that police car came back around that the guys spotted him. That kid had been out there for three hours before he was found. Kid’s family moved out of town the very next day. A few months later I saw that kid again, with his mom. And it was the darndest thing. Every time that kid got all whiny or started to act all uppity, his mom would say, ‘It must have felt nice wearing those nylons with that garter belt,’ and that kid’s attitude would change in a heartbeat. It’d be all yes ma’am, no ma’am, yes sir, no sir. Never did figure out why.”
The other officer looked closer at the boy suspended on the flagpole, and saw a sign hanging around his neck. He pointed up and his partner saw it too. “We told you to leave her alone. Maybe you’ll get the message now.” The officer who had been listening to his partner’s story then said, “Yep, guess he DID do something he shouldn’t have done.”
Three things happened about that time, the fire department ladder truck arrived, Peter arrived, and Robert’s parents arrived. The firemen were chuckling seeing the naked boy suspended from the flagpole, but the parents were fuming. Robert’s father said, “This is it, Beth. We told him what was going to happen if he screwed up again. Did you pack his bag according to the instructions from that boarding school?” Beth nodded her head then said, “Ten pairs of panties, ten bras, ten pairs of nylons and garter belts. Five dresses and skirts, along with five blouses, five pairs of shoes, kitten heels and high heels, and five nighties. The instructions said they’d provide anything else she was going to need. It’s all packed in the luggage they sent and secured with a padlock they will unlock when Robert gets to school.” They both stood and watched as a woman firefighter climbed the extended ladder, held Robert while those on the ground untied the rope. As they slowly let the rope slacken, the woman firefighter holding Robert pulled him towards her so he was standing on a rung of the ladder and leaning against the flagpole. She gently took the duct tape off his mouth, then reached around and cut the tape securing his wrists. She then took her coat off and helped Robert put it on, giving him the first piece of clothing he had on since he disappeared from the dance at 11 p.m. It was now 1:30 a.m.
The woman firefighter helped Robert to slowly descend the ladder, then he was helped off the ladder truck by two firefighters standing on the ground. Once the ladder was secured to the bed of the truck, the woman firefighter came over to where Robert was being questioned and said she needed to get her coat back since they were leaving. Robert’s dad didn’t wait for the officer who was pulling a blanket out of the trunk of their patrol car to return, he simply took the coat off Robert and gave it back to the firefighter. Leaving his son standing there in his birthday suit, thanking her for all she’d done. As any boy of Robert’s caliber would do, his hands immediately went to his groin, covering his genitals the best he could. But he never thought of how he looked from behind, as the female officer, bringing the blanket over, got a good view of everything Robert hadn’t covered. She just chuckled and shook her head.
Once Robert was covered by the blanket, the male officer resumed his questions, while Beth had asked to speak with the female officer. As the women talked, Robert and his father could hear bits and pieces of what was being said. Robert heard boarding school, panties, bras, and a few other things that more than puzzled him. He knew his parents had warned him several times before about his behavior, and when they sent him to this high school, their warning was one of ‘this is your last chance’ type of warning. Beth and the female officer had rejoined the three men, the male officer asking the last of his questions. In front of the officers and Peter, Robert’s father told him, “Son, we’ve warned you on more than one occasion about your behavior and intolerable actions. Well, this was your last chance. Tomorrow we’re going to be driving you to your new boarding school.” Robert’s father bent down so he was looking directly into Robert’s eyes, and told him, “Son, if I were you, between now and when we arrive at that school tomorrow, you have a change of attitude. Because those at that school won’t tolerate how it is right now.” Robert had an ugly look on his face as he said, “There ain’t been any pigs in any school that’s made me scared of them. I’ll handle them pigs at that school just fine.” Robert’s father, Tony Bakes, and his wife Beth, had visited that school and had seen what it was really about, and knew their son was in for a very rude awakening. One even he wasn’t expecting.
Peter had been standing by the officer questioning Robert and listened as the officer asked questions he would also have had to ask.
“Robert, did you see who did this to you?”
“No sir, after they grabbed me they put some type of cloth bag over my head.”
“And when they put the tape over your mouth, could you identify any of them at that point?”
“No, sir. They taped my hands behind my back then took off the bag over my head. There were six of them, all dressed in black and wearing full face masks.”
“Could you tell their hair coloring or could you see their eye coloring? Anything that would help us catch those who did this?”
“No sir. Whatever they was wearing on their heads completely hid the color of their hair. And it was too dark to really see their eyes.”
“Well, did you recognize their voices, did they use names?”
“No sir. None of them ever made a sound.”
Peter walked a short distance away to be by himself, he had a decision to make. There was nothing to go on to prove who did this, or if they were even from his school; he’d talked with the Principals of the other schools Robert had attended and learned that a lot of students hated what he had done while at those schools. And if he called for a general assembly in the gym then blasted the entire student body, without any proof, he was going to accuse the innocent as well as the guilty, if they were present. Plus, whoever did this kept it so quiet so Kathy never found out what had just about happened, so they were actually protecting her. And if he blasted everyone, she would learn what they were trying to keep from her. His only option, as he saw it, was to keep his ears open. See if word gets around and then try and backtrack where it came from, though with this many kids they might have heard about it from anyone. And not just at this school.
Peter walked back over where the officer was talking to Robert’s father. He had handed Tony a copy of the case number and was explaining who to call if he had any further information or had any question. When Peter reached the two, the officer gave him another copy of the same case number and the same instructions. The two officers bid the three goodnight, got into their patrol car and left. Tony turned to Peter and said, “Peter, I’m so sorry this happened. But I can assure you it won’t happen again. Tomorrow we’re taking Robert to a boarding school that won’t tolerate his attitude or antics. One that he won’t like because they will force him to behave as they want, not as he wants. And, he’s going to learn a lot more about a side of himself he never expected to explore. So we’ll be here tomorrow to withdraw him from school.”
Peter mulled over how he was going to respond, and came up with, “Well, one thing I know, you have nothing to apologize for, none of this was your fault. I’d been hearing things about Robert I didn’t like, things like what was printed on that sign hung around his neck. I think that warning was because of a new girl we have in school, a very popular girl, a girl Robert had been told to leave alone when he tried to convince her to go somewhere private with him. Seems he was going to show her a good time as only a ‘man’ could do; she already has a girlfriend, something your son didn’t think much of. No, Tony, don’t apologize for your son’s behavior. He brought all of this on himself and the consequences of his actions.”
When Peter finished talking Tony then told him, “You’re right, Robert has to suffer the consequences of his actions, but while he chose how to act, his mom and I should have done a better job of being his parents. We spent too much time working or being involved in civic groups, and weren’t there to teach our son how to act properly. And I honestly believe his attitude towards that girl, and the ones before, actually came from me, though I’m embarrassed to admit it. You wouldn’t happen to have a time machine around, would you? Then we could go back and fix all this before it got this far.” Tony chuckled, then added, “I bet that’s a wish a lot of people have.” Peter and Tony shook hands before Tony got into his car and left the parking lot, headed home. Peter doing the same. As he drove home he wondered if Tina would be awake when he got home, or wake up when he got in bed; he needed to talk to someone.
Marge and Kathy had planned to spend the afternoon at Kathy’s house doing their homework. But at 9 in the morning Terry heard a knock on their front door. When she opened the door she was surprised to find Marge standing there, backpack in hand and that sun blinding smile on her face. “Hi Mrs. Williams, I thought I’d surprise Kathy and came real early.” Terry looked past Marge and saw Dorothy in their car, and waved to her as she let Marge into the house. “Well, she is sure going to be surprised, since she’s still asleep. Maybe you can go wake her up, hmm?” When Terry suggested that, she had an impish smile on her face, and it transferred to Marge’s face, as Marge sat down her backpack, and quietly went up the stairs and into Kathy’s bedroom, opening and closing the bedroom door as softly as she could.
Marge stood and watched her girlfriend for a few moments, watched how she stretched one time, and the soft snoring sound she made. And as she watched, she slowly took off her shoes and socks, then her top, then the shorts she was wearing. Then ever so slowly she pulled back the covers over Kathy, slowly got into bed with her, and scooted so close to Kathy their noses were almost touching. And then with her right hand slowly reached down and began to gently rub Kathy between her legs, then slipped her fingers underneath the panties Kathy was wearing.
Marge watched Kathy’s face as her ministrations were being felt. Marge could also feel how wet Kathy was getting as she continued the action. Kathy let out a moan before her eyes snapped open and she was staring into Marge’s face. “Hi sweetheart, thought I’d surprise you and arrive a bit early today. Your mom said I should come up and wake you. How’d I do? Are you awake yet?” In response to Marge’s questions, Kathy inched closer and began kissing Marge, and reached down with her left hand and pressed Marge’s hand harder into herself.
It was 10:30 a.m. before Terry heard the upstairs shower running, she wondered how many were showering. She also had an idea Marge had woken Kathy up much earlier, but felt the two needed to get to know each other better. At least Kathy couldn’t get pregnant and they were in a safe place. She had debated with herself whether or not to let this happen, but realized this was something she had to experience and not something she could teach Kathy. She chuckled to herself as she realized the shower was running much longer than it normally took Kathy to take a shower. She hoped Marge was too rough on her daughter, or her daughter too euphoric to walk straight.
It was 11:30 a.m. by the time both girls finally came downstairs, both wearing silly grins, both glowing. Terry didn’t even beat around the bush, but asked them directly, “Did you girls have a good time?” Marge buried her face into Kathy’s chest and laughed. Kathy tried to look shocked by her mother’s question, but failed and she turned a lovely shade of pink. Terry walked over and gathered both girls into a hug before telling them, “Let’s go sit down.” The three walked into the living room and sat down on the couch, Terry between both girls. “Girls, I let both of you be together like this because, number one, neither of you would get pregnant. And number two,” and Terry looked at Kathy, “this was something I couldn’t teach you, sweetheart. I had to let you experience it for yourself, but someplace safe. And you both are safe in this house.” Then Terry looked back and forth to each girl before telling them, “My giving my permission doesn’t mean you two enjoy each other every time you’re alone here, or at Marge’s house; you need to talk with your mom, Marge. It means you act responsible about your time together. And make sure you keep yourselves clean, that’s important.”
Terry looked back and forth to each girl, and saw the light pink shading on their faces. She chuckled before telling them, “I felt the same way my first time with another girl, long ago, before I met Shelby.” That sparked a conversation that lasted until Kathy’s stomach told her she was hungry, and Terry suggested they go out for pizza.
After they returned from getting lunch, the rest of their time was spent studying, or helping each other in the same subject but with different teachers. Two hours into their study time, Terry took a tray of drinks and snacks up to Kathy’s bedroom, knocking lightly on the bedroom door before entering. She snickered with what she saw as she entered the room, for Kathy was lying across her bed with her back against the wall and Marge was lying lengthwise with her head resting on Kathy’s hips. And both were reading. “Hey, how about taking a break. I’ve drinks and snacks,” Terry told the two girls before sitting the tray down on Kathy’s desk. Both girls sat their school books aside, stretched, Kathy bent over and gently kissed Marge on the lips, before Marge sat up, turned, got off the bed and walked over to the desk. Kathy had to scoot off the bed, given how she was sitting, but followed Marge over to the desk.
They both took a glass of orange juice Terry brought them and a couple of the cookies from the plate on the tray. The girls had just sat down on Kathy’s bed when Terry asked, “How’s the studying going?” She had to wait a few chews since both girls had a mouth full of cookie. When the swallowing and drink of orange juice had been done, Marge said, “I’ve just a few more pages to read for my World History class.” “Same here, but for Science,” Kathy chimed in after Marge. “I’m just asking because we have to get you home before five, Marge. Guess your family has plans for tonight,” Terry reminded Marge. Marge nodded her head before saying, “Yeah, it’s the birthday of one of my parents’ friends. We’re going over there for supper then help her blow out the candles with a fire extinguisher.” Marged chuckled after what she just said, explaining just how old the woman was going to be. And someone had the bright idea to put the same number of candles on the birthday cake, instead of getting those number candles. She slowly shook her head and said, “Sure hope they don’t burn the house down.”
Both girls finished the rest of their homework by 3:30 in the afternoon. Marge had put her school books back into her backpack and was now sitting next to Kathy with her back against the wall. They wouldn’t see each other until Monday, as each family had plans for Sunday. When Terry knocked on Kathy’s bedroom door, and walked in, she saw the two sitting on Kathy’s bed, backs against the wall, holding each other and Marge’s head on Kathy’s shoulder. “Hey, girls, I hate to break up this lovely scene, but we need to get you home, Marge. Your mom called to make sure you’d be home in time to get ready for the birthday party. So if you have everything, we best get you home.” Terry saw Marge nod her head, then let go of Kathy and scoot off the bed. Kathy followed her then picked up her purse and the two girls followed Terry out of the bedroom, down the stairs and out to Terry’s car parked in the driveway.
Neither girl took notice that Terry was headed in the wrong direction, as Terry decided to take the circumspect route to Marge’s home, giving the girls a little more time together. There was no throat clearing this time, when they arrived at Marge’s home, as the two girls said goodbye in their own personal way. When their kiss ended, they both reached up and wiped tears on the other’s cheeks, telling each other, “See you Monday at school.” It was a quiet ride back to the Williams’ home, and when Terry pulled the car into the driveway, Kathy asked, “Does love always make a person hurt when the one they love can’t be with them?” Kathy was looking straight ahead when she asked the question, but Terry could see tears running down her daughter’s face. She reached over and pulled Kathy to her and replied, “Yeah, it does, honey. Every time.”
Right Time
By Jamie Lee
Most often people talk about being in the right place at the right time. Maybe they achieved a beautiful photo of a sunrise, or the antics of children or animals. Maybe they found something someone lost and received a big reward when it was returned. But how often do they talk about being in the wrong place at the right time? If they do, it’s often about the death of someone or maybe witnessing a crime. And if this is the case, they are sad or horrified. Walter Williams often is in the wrong place at the right time, though his reaction to the incidents he encounters is much different than anyone would expect. And, life-changing.
Sunday was a happy time for the Williams’ family, since Tom Warmer’s project was complete he was having Shelby flown home in the morning. The family was going to spend some much needed family time together, and Terry was going to spend a lot of time hiding little Johnny.
When Kathy got out of the car Monday morning at school, Terry watched as the two eager girls rushed together, not sure which one bowled over the other. In her mind, Terry could imagine the sonic boom that resulted from their meeting. Their hug was long, their kiss short, they were at school and kisses lasting more than the blink of an eye was grounds for a lot of throat clearing. And a possible reminder about the school code of conduct.
The two walked hand in hand to their lockers then onto their first period science class. As they walked, Kathy noticed everyone was looking at them as they passed by. Just like the first day Walter came to school as Kathy. “Um, Marge. Why is everyone looking at us? They’ve seen us walking like this before, so it shouldn’t be anything new to them.” Marge knew why, but tried to sound as though she knew nothing; she’d been asked not to say anything to Kathy. Peter had called Thomas and explained what he thought had led up to Robert being hoisted up the flagpole naked, and wanted to warn Thomas in case someone had their sights on Marge. And of course, Thomas had to tell Marge, so she’d be on the lookout for anything strange coming her way.
Kathy had been with Marge too long and knew something was up as Marge told her, in a very unconvincing, nonchalant voice, “Um..I don’t know.” Kathy stopped walking, turned and faced Marge, who couldn’t look into Kathy’s eyes. “Okay, give. I can tell you know more than you’re telling. So what’s really going on?” With tears in her eyes, and in a meek voice, Marge said, “I promised not to say anything.” Kathy saw how upset Marge was because of the promise she made. She put her arms around Marge, pulled her close and whispered, “Then don’t break your promise. That wouldn’t be right.” And Marge whispered back, “Thank you for that.” Kathy searched and found one of the several clocks hanging on the wall around school. They had twenty minutes until the first bell, plenty of time for Kathy to find out what the hell was going on. She took Marge’s hand and turned them around and headed for the school office and her Uncle Peter.
When the door to the school office opened, Margot had looked up and started smiling as she saw who had come into the building. But that smile faded when she saw the determined look on Kathy’s face. She was actually shocked into silence when Kathy growled at her, “I want to see Uncle Peter, now!” Margot knew from past dealings with Walter/Kathy this was not normal behavior for her, so immediately got up out of her chair and took the girls back to Peter’s office. Margot knocked on Peter’s office door, opened and before she could say anything, Kathy, pulling Marge along with her, barged past Margot and almost shouted, “I want to know what the hell is going on, Uncle Peter!”
Peter looked past his angry niece, nodded his head to Margot, who closed the office door and headed back to her desk. “Well, hello to you too, Kathy. And do you think just barging into my office is the right thing to do?” He could see Kathy wasn’t going to reasoned with so he told the girls to, “Please, sit down.” When Kathy failed to comply he told her, “SIT...DOWN!” In a huff, Kathy finally sat down, Marge then did the same. “Now, young lady. Please be so kind as to tell me what you’re talking about, and why you’re being very rude this morning.” Peter waited for a response from Kathy, but wasn’t expecting one from Marge. “Um, Principal, Stepel, you called my step-dad, and he talked to me. And I promised not to say anything, and well, Kathy noticed everyone looking at her, and, well, I promised not to say anything.”
Peter’s head fell back onto his shoulders, his eyes closed, and shook his head. So the kids had heard about Friday night, and were doing what kids do when they hear something about someone else, they stare at that person like they’ve got two heads. He brought his head back down so he was looking at the still seething Kathy. She was a bit more civil this time, as she asked, “Well, are you going to tell me Uncle? Or do I have to ask Marge’s dad?” Peter shook his head again, as he told her, “It wouldn’t do you any good asking him, he won’t tell you either. You’ve put me in a very awkward position, here, Kathy. I shouldn’t tell you anything because there’s no proof of anything. Just a lot of guesses and suspicions. But as it appears the story has already spread, given the school student drums, it can’t hurt to tell you what we think.” Peter reached for the phone on his desk, picked up the receiver and dialed a two digit number. It wasn’t long before the girls heard him say, “Brigette, Marge and Kathy will be a bit late to class. They’re with me about you know what.”
Peter pursed his lips, forcefully breathed out through his nose, shook his head again, before telling Kathy, “Last Friday night, after the dance, in the early hours of the morning, Robert Bakes was found naked and suspended up high on the flagpole by two police officers. Apparently, a group of people grabbed him after the dance was over, stripped him naked, put a harness on him, duct taped his mouth closed and his hands behind his back, before hoisting him up the flagpole. We don’t have any proof but we think he was going after you at the dance. We don’t know if the people who did this attend school here or are from one of the other schools he attended. And the reason no one told you was because we didn’t want to upset you,” and he held up his hand to forestall Kathy’s comment, “which I can see now was a big mistake. And if I were to guess why the other students are looking at you, they know all about it, or have heard all about it. And you don’t have to worry about Robert Bakes any more, he’s been taken to a boarding school, which I understand isn’t going to tolerate his attitude or behavior.” Peter sat back in his chair and watched as Kathy processed everything he just told her. And when she did speak, she was a bit calmer than she had been coming into the office.
“So, I wasn’t told because you thought I’d be upset? Is that it, Uncle Peter? Do I look not upset now, just finding out about all this, NOW?” Peter held up his hand to silence Kathy, then told her, “How long have you been a girl, a full girl? What? A few months now? How would you have felt if we’d sat you down and told you, ‘we just wanted to let you know a bunch of people stopped a boy from grabbing you and possibly raping you the night of the dance.?’ Do you have any idea what that thought even does to a girl? Do you even understand how brutal rape is, or that you might have even been beaten before you were raped? Kathy, when you transformed into a girl, you entered a whole different world. Where guys start thinking differently about girls, especially pretty ones like you and Marge. And you humiliated him in the hallway, didn’t you? Boys like Robert don’t take kindly to girls who humiliate them. Especially when others are watching. And let me guess, he was about to hit you, wasn’t he?” Peter was seething at the moment, trying to make his niece look at things not from Walter’s perspective, but from Kathy’s perspective, a girl’s perspective. He held up his hand again to stop Kathy from saying what she was about to say, then told her, “You, Marge, Terry, Dorothy, Marsha, and Gale need to sit down and have a serious girl talk about the world of women. And not some flitter talk either. They need to give it to you straight, the dangers girls face every day from boys like Robert and men with the same attitudes. Kathy, sweetheart, I don’t mean to sound gruff towards you, but life as a girl is filled with dangers you know nothing about. And you need to learn about them before they actually happen to you. Because I can tell you from dealing with a girl who was raped, it drastically changes your life.” Peter held up his hand again, saying, “ No, don’t say anything else. You two need to get to class. Margot will give you both a pass.” Peter saw the stunned look on Kathy’s face. This had been the first time Peter had spoken to his niece as he just did. And he was upset that it had to be done.
After the door to his office closed behind the two girls, Peter put his elbows on his desk, closed his eyes and dropped his head into his hands. “Terry is going to rip me a new one when she hears I had to tell Kathy everything,” he said out loud to himself. He sighed deeply then just sat there, thinking, wondering if he could have handled this whole mess in a different way.
The girls hadn’t been gone long when Peter heard a soft knock on his door, but chose to ignore it. He heard his office door open then close, the cushion in one of the chairs creak, then, “Are you alright, Peter?” Peter never lifted his head as he replied, “Margot, Terry is going to kill me when she finds out I had to tell Kathy everything we believed happened. She wanted to be the one who told her, but Kathy came in here with a full head of steam, what else could I do to calm her down? She was not going to let it go until she found out what was going on. Maybe we should have included her from the beginning. I just don’t know.”
Peter did look up at the terrible sound of the chair Margot was dragging across the floor until she was sitting next to him. “Peter, Terry is her mother. And almost all mothers protect their children, it’s built into them. Kathy has been Kathy just a few months now, right? So Terry is trying to help Kathy get comfortable being a girl by not telling her some of the nastier sides of being a girl. Like this one. Yes, she’ll likely eat you for lunch, but when she calms down she’ll see you had no choice, unless she wanted to be called to come and pick up her unruly daughter.”
Then Margot stopped speaking, looking down at the floor. Peter saw the expression on Margot’s face, knowing it was the expression she used when she was trying to make a decision. “Margot, what is it?” Peter asked her, placing his hand gently on her arm. Margot took a deep breath, nodded her head, then looked at Peter.
“I was raped when I was sixteen, by a boy much like Robert Bakes. He thought he was a catch for any girl in school, and could have any girl he wanted. But after he raped two girls and they became pregnant, word got around and none of the girls would give him the time of day.” Peter gave Margot a questioning look, which she answered by saying, “The girls he got pregnant were of legal age back then, so it turned into his word against their word with no witnesses to prove she hadn’t consented.”
“I was standing at my hall locker getting some things when he came up behind me and reached up under my skirt and felt me between my legs. I screamed, turned around and saw his smug face inches from mine. I hauled off and put all my weight behind the slap I gave him, knocking him down, before yelling at him to never touch me again. Everyone in the hall saw what he did and what I did so you can imagine how angry he got because I just humiliated him in front of a lot of other students.”
“I thought everything had been settled when I slapped him, but I was wrong. Three days later, Friday, we had a dance after the football game. I needed to use the girl’s room and as I was walking to the restroom, he grabbed me, covered my mouth with his hand, and dragged me into the mechanical room just down the hall. He pushed me into the room, closed the door then started slapping me before he punched me, causing me to fall. Then he undid his pants, pulled them down, along with his underwear, got down on me and pulled my panties off, and started raping me. Peter, I tried to push him off me, get him out of me but he grabbed my arms and pinned them to the floor when I started hitting him.”
“I must have screamed at some point, because the next thing I saw was the surprised look on that bastard’s face as he suddenly shot backwards and pulled out of me. When I started to get some of my senses back, I saw a man slamming that bastard repeatedly against the wall. It was my father, I’d forgotten he was coming to pick me up early from the dance. I called out to him, several times, to stop before he killed the boy. When I finally got through to him, he let the boy go and watched as that boy just dropped to the floor in a heap. He came over to me, helped me to stand, helped me put my panties back on and told me to follow him, after finding out if I could walk. Peter, my pappa was a huge man. When he picked up a basketball, his fingers met on the opposite of the ball. When he found out I was okay, he grabbed that bastard by both ankles with one hand, threw the mechanical door open, and started dragging that pig down the hall; his pants and underwear were still down at his ankles.”
“Pappa drug that boy right into the gym and out to the middle of the floor. Then he turned and found where the Principal was standing, and I’ll never forget what he said then. He yelled at the Principal, ‘THIS PIECE OF SHIT WAS IN THE PROCESS OF RAPING MY DAUGHTER. WHERE THE FUCK WERE ALL OF YOU WHEN IT WAS HAPPENING? YOU FUCKERS BETTER CALL THE POLICE, AND HOLD THIS PIECE OF SHIT UNTIL THEY GET HERE. I’M TAKING MY DAUGHTER TO THE HOSPITAL TO HAVE A RAPE KIT PERFORMED. SOME SAFE SCHOOL YOU BASTARDS RUN HERE’”
“I’d been standing at the door to the gym, and pappa walked back to me and saw I was having trouble standing. He picked me up and carried me out to the car before he broke every traffic law getting me to the hospital. I guess I forgot to say that he was a retired detective from the police department of the city we came from, so he knew the ins and outs of getting a rape victim examined. I had to caution him several times when he took me into the emergence room and told them I’d just been raped. They wanted him to wait, wanted him to fill out a bunch of papers, said they needed to wait on the police. Peter, if I hadn’t helped keep him focused he would have torn that receptionist apart. Finally a level headed doctor heard the ruckus and when he found out the reason, told the receptionist to get his head out of his ass and call the police. Then he led us back to an exam room, called a nurse and told her to get a rape kit, asked pappa to wait in the hallway so he wouldn’t contaminate their findings, and proceeded to have me put on a gown and started the exam.”
“To say I wasn’t scared was an understatement, Peter. But the doctor and nurse helped put me at ease and the exam, while embarrassing, it wasn’t all that bad. The police had showed up by that time and were questioning pappa, I know, I heard how he responded to the officer’s questions. And how the officer tried to calm down my pappa. When they finished the exam, they let pappa and the officer into the room, and while pappa held my hand the officer asked me a lot of questions. Did I do anything to make the boy think I wanted to have sex with him; how was I dressed--which got pappa riled up because as pappa told the officer, all the girls were dressed in similar dresses. Had I had trouble with that boy before, and I told the officer about the incident earlier in the week. Did I know if he’d done this kind of thing before, and told him he had, but there were no witnesses to prove it. Pappa had to remind the officer that I was only sixteen, and under the State Law, any sex I had was considered rape due to my age. And when the officer made the mistake of questioning how pappa knew so much about rape laws, pappa gave him chapter and verse of his previous job.” Margot laughed as she said, “You should have seen the look on that officer’s face when pappa told him he was a retired police detective of twenty years. The whole atmosphere in the room changed when that fact came out.” Margot got quiet, her decision making expression playing across her face, before she told Peter, “Peter, I’ve never told anyone here at this school about what happened to me back then, very few of my friends even know. So I’d appreciate it if this stays between you and I. Okay.”
Peter nodded his head in reply, as he reached over and gently wiped the tears off Margot’s face. “Yeah, Margot. Your story goes no further.” He then pulled her into a hug and held her until she stopped crying. Maybe they should have included Kathy in their circle of knowledge after all.
When Margot stopped crying, as she was wiping her eyes, Peter asked, “What happened to that boy, and your pappa for slamming that kid against the wall?” Margot blew her nose then told Peter, “Because he was seventeen and I was sixteen he was charged with statutory rape. I was a witness against him and so was pappa, and thankfully the two other girls he raped came forward and testified against him; they had their toddlers with them in the courtroom. Other girls came forward to tell what he’d done to them, short of raping them. It went really bad for him in court. He ended up being charged as an adult and sentenced to ten years in prison. And when he got out he had to register as a sex offender. He really screwed up his life. I heard he died several years ago from AIDS he acquired while in prison. And pappa, they ruled what he did was in the course of protecting me and filed no charges against him. The boys’ parents, real winners they were, tried to take us to court, but no lawyer would take their case. They eventually moved out of town.”
Peter looked at Margot’s tear stained face and asked, “Will you be alright? You can take an early break as long as you need, go somewhere, get something to eat.” Margot smiled, gently rubbed Peter’s cheek before telling him, “No, I’ll be okay. You’re going to make Tina a wonderful husband, Peter. You care about others before thinking about yourself. That seems to be less prevalent in men these days. No, I’ll be okay. But if you’ll excuse me, I really gotta pee.” Peter laughed as he watched Margot quickly leave his office, even leaving the office door open. Peter muttered to himself, “She must have really had to go.”
Peter got up from his chair and walked over and closed his office door. He walked back to his desk, sat down in his chair, picked up the phone and made a phone call. He hoped she’d eventually forgive him for what he had to do. “Hi, Terry, got a minute?”
Marge kept giving Kathy sideways glances as the two walked to their first period science class. Marge could see how angry Kathy still was that she hadn’t been told about Robert’s attempt to attack her. “I’m sorry, Kathy. I did make a promise not to say anything, or I would have told you what I was told. Please don’t be mad at me.” Marge let go of Kathy’s hand, after what she said to Kathy, and stopped walking, causing Kathy to stop, and turn to face Marge. Kathy saw the tears running down Marge’s cheeks, and suddenly felt bad that Marge thought she was mad at her. “Oh, gawd, Marge,” Kathy said before walking up to Marge, pulling her into a hug and saying, “I’m not mad at you, but at Uncle Peter and everyone else who knew about it all. I actually admire your ability to keep your promises, something that can be hard to do.” She held Marge until Marge told her, “Guess we better get to class, we’re late enough as it is.” Kathy kept her arm around Marge as the two continued to their science class, breaking apart as they entered the classroom. And when Brigette saw them enter, the entire class turned and watched as the two walked to their seats and sat down. And the buzzing started.
Kathy was catching snips of conversations going around the room, and had had enough. She stood up and asked, “Okay! Would anyone care to tell me what’s going on that’s got everyone talking about me? I’m rather fed up being talked about without being included. Anyone? Anyone at all?” It wasn’t heard for everyone to see that Kathy was mad, seething mad, just by the expression on her face.
Tonya Springer had yet to learn when it was okay to say something and when it wasn’t, or how to say what someone might not like to hear in a way that didn’t shock them. She jumped up out of her seat and eagerly said, “We heard you got raped after the dance last Friday. And that you’re pregnant.” After she said that, all eyes turned to Kathy, still standing with a shocked look on her face. Brigette closed her eyes, shook her head because of the erroneous statement Tonya just made. “Tonya, is that what the whole school thinks or just what you heard?” In response to Brigette’s question, more than just Tonya answered, “Yes.” It was Jeffrey who looked at the stunned Kathy and said, “It’s what we heard, Kathy. It was Robert Bakes who raped you.” Kathy slowly turned her head, looked at Jeffrey, started shaking her head, ‘no,’ then looked back at those again looking at her and continued shaking her head, ‘no.’
As Kathy continued shaking her head, ‘no,’ she then told everyone, “I don’t know where you got your information, but whoever told you that told you a bold face lie. I wasn’t raped by Robert Bakes or any other boy. No one laid a hand on me at the dance or afterwards. Mrs. Stokes, what the hell is going on?” The minute Kathy told them everything they’d heard was a lie, and asked Brigette what was going on, the room erupted in a buzz again. It wasn’t until a girl sitting near the front of the class broke through the buzz with, “Kathy, it’s not healthy to try and deny not being raped. You need to get help.”
Two things happened almost at the same time. Brigette closed her eyes, shook her head, then looked up at the ceiling as she said, “Oh, my gawd.” Kathy stared at the girl who accused Kathy of trying to deny she was raped, and pointedly said to her, “Are you fucking brain dead? Didn’t you just hear me tell you I was NOT raped, by Robert Bakes or any other boy. I have not had sex with any boy since that accident turned me into a girl. Gawd, what a bunch of fucking, brain dead, bastards.” Kathy picked up her backpack and stormed out of class, going where, she didn’t know. She just had to get out of there. Marge got up, picked up her backpack and followed, neither girl knowing once Brigette regained control of her class, she told them the entire story. “Kathy had not been raped. Robert Bakes had tried to assault Kathy but some people grabbed him before he could do anything. He was stripped naked and hoisted up the flagpole outside the school offices, and wasn’t found until around 12:30 a.m. with tape over his mouth and his hands taped behind his back. And Kathy had known nothing about any of it until ‘you all’ caused a stir which made her go talk with the Principal. So, all knowing, all wise, fools. Tell THAT to everyone who thinks Kathy was raped, because, and listen closely fools, IT...NEVER...HAPPENED!” And if someone had dropped a pin, everyone would have heard it hit the floor.
Brigette angrily told the students which chapters to read, and to start reading, now. She then picked up the phone and called Peter, telling him what just occurred in her class and about Kathy storming out of class. And no, she didn’t know where she was headed, she had to straighten out a pack of lies the students had been fed, and bit on. Yes, she told them everything. Once she hung up the phone, she just stared out at the students sitting in her class, wondering if students were ever going to grow up and stop believing everything they heard without proof. She made another call, one that was going to light a fire under a woman who would lay waste to the school unless Kathy was found.
Margot heard it first, “Aw, shit,” coming from Peter’s office. It was followed by a very loud conversation with Robert, the head of security. She heard Peter’s phone ring again, then heard, “Look, Terry, we’re trying to find her right now. Look, it was your idea not to tell her the truth, which I pointed out was a bad idea, given her ability to deal with situations as she does. Oh, no. Don’t point that finger to me. We had no idea what that little prick was up to that night. Well, dear, sister, if you would have sat down with my niece and stopped sugar coating what it’s like to be a woman, and told her everything, none of this would have happened because she would have known never to go anywhere alone at night.” She also heard as Peter slammed down the phone before storming out of his office, passing her without saying a word. His hand was on the door to the school office, before he turned around and told Margot, “Send an email to everyone, assembly in the gym, 1:30 this afternoon. This shit is going to stop right now.” He turned around and stormed out of the school office, on his way to do his own search.
Terry had arrived as Peter was searching the parking lot and the front of the school, and she lit into him the minute he was close enough to her. “Just what in the hell did you tell her this morning? I told you I didn’t want her to know about any of this. Which part didn’t you understand?” Terry stood there glaring at Peter, but wasn’t expecting him to give her what he did. “You know, sometimes you’re as stupid as the students in this school. You think you know what’s best for everyone and haven’t a clue how it will affect them once they finally find out. I told you it was a bad idea to withhold this from Kathy. I told you she’d be able to handle it just as she did as Walter. But no, you knew better. You didn’t want your precious baby to know the reality of being female. You didn’t want to spoil the illusion of how nice it is to be a woman. I also told you she needed to be seeing a counselor so she could be helped come to terms with her change. Oh, but nooo, you could handle it, you told me. Nooo, she didn’t need a counselor, you could help her cope with everything. Well, dear, sister, you’re so full of shit it’s leaking out of your ears. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have to find a missing student.” Peter stormed off, leaving a stunned Terry standing there with her mouth open.
Peter had just started to go into one of the classroom wings, when he heard Robert’s voice over the two-way he was carrying. “Peter, we found them. They’re sitting in the bleachers at the football field. And they’re both okay.” Peter said a soft, “Thank God,” before telling Robert, “That’s good news, Robert. Bring them up to my office.” He turned around to find Terry and saw her still standing where they had their argument. He walked back over to her and told her, “Robert found Kathy and Marge sitting in the bleachers at the football field. He’s bringing them to my office. Care to come along?”
Terry gave her brother a seething stare, before roughly pushing past him and hurrying to the school office. They hadn’t been in Peter’s office but for a few minutes when there was a knock on his office door, it opened and Kathy and Marge were standing there in front of Robert. “Here they are, Peter,” Robert said before gently pushing both girls into Peter’s office. When the door closed, Terry pounced. “What the hell do you think you were…,” but she never finished the sentence. Peter grabbed her arm, drugged her over to a chair, pushed her down into it and told her, “Sit there and shut up. This is my ballfield, my rules, my students. You sit there and keep your mouth shut. You’ve caused enough problems for one day.” Peter then turned to Kathy and Marge and unceremoniously told them to sit down and keep their mouths shut.
Peter looked at the three sitting in his office. Marge looked frightened. Terry and Kathy looked as though they each could chew through bar steel. Peter turned and walked over to the window in his office, looked outside, took several deep breaths before saying, “This is one hell of a mess.” He turned back to face the three and continued. “One hell of a mess, the two of you,” and he pointed first to Kathy then Terry, “have caused. You,” and he pointed to Kathy, “through no fault of your own, other than storming out of class when an idiot accused you of trying to deny being raped. Apparently you didn’t learn much as Walter. How Walter reacted to these type situations. How Walter used to laugh them off. But no, not Kathy. Kathy had to blow her top and cuss out the entire class, including the girl who accused you. And you,” and he pointed at Terry, “had to have things your way and keep all this from your own daughter.”
Peter saw the frown appear on Kathy’s face as she turned to look at her mother before asking, “You knew about this and didn’t tell me? Or want me to know about it? Why in the hell shouldn’t I know? It’s about me, after all. I had to hear it from Uncle Peter, and then was accused of trying to deny being raped, because that’s what those assholes had been spreading around school. Thanks, mother, thanks for nothing.” When she said that, she got up from her chair and started for the door. She got her hand on the door knob before she heard, “GET BACK HERE AND SET YOU ASS BACK IN THAT CHAIR!” Kathy’s head snapped around to look at her Uncle, and saw a very ugly, serious look on his face. But she didn’t care, she’d had enough of all the bullshit, and opened the door, took one step and heard, “ONE MORE STEP AND YOU’LL HAVE FOUR WEEKS SUSPENSION. AND YOU’LL RECEIVE AN ‘F’ FOR EACH DAY YOUR ABSENT!”
Kathy’s head again snapped around to glare at her Uncle, her face past the red she was seeing through her eyes. “FINE! JUST FUCKING FINE!” Kathy stepped back into the office, slammed the door, causing the glass panel to rattle, stomped back to the chair she’d been sitting in, flopped into the seat, crossed her left leg over her right knee, started rapidly swinging the lower portion of her left leg, crossed her arms over her chest and sat there, glaring at nothing.
Right Time
By Jamie Lee
Most often people talk about being in the right place at the right time. Maybe they achieved a beautiful photo of a sunrise, or the antics of children or animals. Maybe they found something someone lost and received a big reward when it was returned. But how often do they talk about being in the wrong place at the right time? If they do, it’s often about the death of someone or maybe witnessing a crime. And if this is the case, they are sad or horrified. Walter Williams often is in the wrong place at the right time, though his reaction to the incidents he encounters is much different than anyone would expect. And, life-changing.
Peter turned back to the window in his office and stood there looking outside while he tried to calm down. He so wanted to put his niece over his knee and spank her butt yet knew that wasn’t what was needed. He’d had enough psychology during the time he was at the University getting his Bachelors, Masters, then Doctorate to know what Kathy experienced in her science class this morning was only the trigger of her real problem. Becoming a girl. And she needed counseling, as he told Terry she would. He turned back to his desk, picked up the phone, dialed a number, and said, “Hi Jenny. If you have a minute I’d like you to come to my office. Okay, good. I’ll see you in a few minutes.” Jenny Thomas was the school’s psychologist, and had her offices next to the school infirmary. Peter had expected her to take about ten minutes to walk from her offices to his, given she’d have to wade through all the students changing classes, but was surprised when he heard a knock on his door, it opened and Jenny walked in. He gave her a curious look, which she answered with, “I call forwarded my calls to my cell phone. I heard about the flap this morning in Kathy’s science class, and all the rumors flying around, and figured you’d want some help so I was waiting for your call as I talked to Margot.” Jenny walked over to stand by Peter, appraising the faces on the three women sitting in front of Peter’s desk. Marge’s was a mixture of fear, concern, and love. Kathy’s was raging anger. And Terry’s? Jenny saw a mixture of emotions cycle on her face. Concern, fear, anger, love, and longing, likely for her husband. Of the three Kathy was the worst right now, with her raging emotions having boiled over and threatening to do so again. She walked around Peter’s desk, knelt in front of Kathy and told her, “Kathy, look at me.” But Kathy continued to glare at nothing, furiously swinging her left lower leg back and forth. Jenny knew in this state it was unlikely the gentle approach would work, so she reached up and firmly took Kathy’s chin and forced her head up and said in a firm voice, “I said, look at me!” Not only was there fury in Kathy’s face but also in her eyes, as she now angrily glared at Jenny.
Kathy was expecting to get chewed out because of what she said and did in her science class, so wasn’t prepared when Jenny told her, “I know exactly why you’re angry, and it’s got nothing to do with the rumors or that girl accusing you of trying to deny you were raped.” Jenny was slowly shaking her head as she dropped the bomb by saying, “No, that’s not why you’re angry. You’re angry because that accident caused you to transform into a girl. Isn’t that right?” Jenny let go of Kathy’s chin and saw the fire in Kathy’s eyes replaced with tears. As they ran down Kathy’s face she said in an angry voice, “I never wanted any of this. I never wanted to be a girl. I just wanted to be Walter. And I want it to go back like it was before that accident!”
Jenny then looked at Marge and told her, “You must love Kathy very much, to stay by her side through all this. That takes a lot of courage to do so given everything that’s happening right now.” Jenny saw Marge purse her lips then nod her head, saying, “Yeah, I do.” Jenny smiled at Marge, patted her knee then turned her attention back to Kathy. “Kathy, I’ve been allowed to read your medical file, and the doctor’s reports. And you know as I know, there is no going back to being Walter. All the chemicals that contaminated your body have permanently transformed you into a girl. There is no going back to the way things were before the accident. You are a very beautiful girl and will be a girl until the day you die. You need to come to terms with that or your life is going to be a living hell. And I’d like to help you if you’ll let me. It might not be easy for you to be honest with yourself, but if you let me I will help you get through all this.”
Kathy’s head dropped, the tears now dropping onto her dress. She slowly nodded her head and said in a soft voice, “I just wanted to be Walter. That’s all.” She fell forward onto Jenny’s shoulder and began to cry. Jenny held her as she whispered to her, “It’s going to be alright. I’ll help you get through this.” Marge reached over and put her arms around Kathy, and her head on Kathy’s back. Jenny reached over and put her left hand around Marge’s back, and comforted her as she helped comfort Kathy.
Peter looked at his sister, and saw she too had dropped her head and was shaking it from side to side. She was kicking herself for not listening when Peter told her that Kathy needed counseling. He walked over to his sister, put his arms around her and pulled her into him before telling her, “I do love you sis. We’ll all get through this together.” She wrapped her arms around her brother’s waist as he held her, and let the tears fall freely. She needed Shelby tonight.
As silence reigned in that office, they all heard, “Attention please, this is an announcement. All students and teachers will report to the main gym for an assembly at 1:30 this afternoon. This assembly is not optional. Security will be watching the main corridors and teachers having a free period will be monitoring the halls. Each teacher is to take their class out into the hallway, then lock their classroom door before leading the class to the gym. Any student caught trying to avoid the assembly will immediately receive a one week suspension. This announcement has ended.”
Peter had told the receptionist exactly what to say, he wanted to make sure everyone knew something serious was up but not what. He saw the girls had calmed down somewhat, and Terry was more relaxed in her holding onto him, so he told the four, “I think we all should go get some lunch. Then after lunch, Kathy, you and Marge can go with Dr. Thomas and talk for as long as you need. And make plans for you two to continue to meet with Dr. Thomas for as long as she feels you need to talk.” Peter saw the two girls nod their heads, and felt Terry nod hers as well. Whether she was nodding at lunch or Kathy and Marge talking with Jenny, he didn’t know, but would ask her later. Then Jenny turned her head to look at Terry and told her, “That applies to you, too, Terry. I can see this whole thing has had you on edge from the beginning. We’ll set up a time for us to meet.” Peter expected his sister to explode and tell Jenny she didn’t need to talk to anyone, she was fine. But was surprised when she said, “Okay. I’d like that.”
It was Terry who said, “If we’re going to lunch, I need to freshen up first. Plus, I need to pee.” Her last declaration caused everyone to laugh, before it struck both Marge and Kathy they too needed the ladies room. “Mind if we come along, mom? I have the same urge as you?” Terry chuckled then told her daughter, “Not at all, sweetheart. It’s how girls often go to the ladies room. It’s safer that way.” Peter told Terry, Marge, and Kathy to go ahead and he and Jenny would wait for them at Margot’s desk. Once the three left Peter’s office, he asked Jenny several questions about how to handle this afternoon’s assembly. Her suggestion? Don’t put the blame on one individual. Find out where the rumors came from then go from there. “I can’t really tell you what to say, Peter, but I think once you find out where the rumors came from you’ll figure out the rest for yourself.” Jenny patted Peter’s hand before walking out of his office, down the short hallway, and stood waiting at Margot’s desk. Peter joined her a few moments later.
When the five walked into the cafeteria, silence had followed them from Peter’s office. As the five stood in line, then got their food, all eyes followed their every move. Once the five sat down, away from everyone else, murmurs started before talking once again filled the cafeteria. Terry could see the concern on Peter’s face, and asked if there was anything she could do, getting a, “No, but thanks,” from Peter. When the four women finished their lunches, they stood up, leaving Peter to his thoughts. Before Jenny walked away she told Peter, “Just be as concerned for the students as you’ve always been. You’ll figure out the rest.” She patted his shoulder and followed the other three women out of the cafeteria.
At 1:20 p.m., there was another announcement telling the school to proceed to the main gym for the assembly. When teachers and students started entering the gym, they saw Principal Stepel walking in a circle around the picture of the school mascot painted at center court on the gym floor. He was holding a wireless microphone. A few stragglers came running into the gym, found their classes and sat down before Peter looked up, got a nod from one of the teachers, then looked at the teachers standing by the four double doors in the gym, nodded his head and the four double doors slammed shut. Echoing throughout the gym. He continued walking in a circle before he lifted the microphone to his mouth and said, “Tonya Springer. Would you stand up,please.” The girl who is always exuberant in class was suddenly very shy, having the eyes of the whole school watching her. Peter looked where he knew her class was sitting, looked at her and asked, “You told Kathy Williams that a rumor was going around that she’d been raped after the dance last Friday. Who told you about that?” Tonya blinked a few times before answering, “Um, it was Mary Sternner.” “Thank you Tonya, you may sit down. Mary Sternner. Would you please stand,” Peter told Mary. And so it went, student after student, asking who they heard the rumor from and what they were told.
Mark Bass had just told Peter who told him and it was now Tommy Wertz who was standing, facing a patient Principal Stepel. “Tommy, it would seem you are the one who brought the rumor into school. Where did you hear it and who from?” Instead of looking at Tommy, Peter had started walking in circles around the mascot at center court. Waiting for Tommy to answer his question. When he heard Tommy say, “I heard my mom and dad talking about it, Principal Stepel,” he stopped dead in his tracks and looked up where Tommy was standing. Tommy’s last name was Waltz, but that wasn’t his step-father’s last name. Marten’s last name was Drover, and he was one of the police officers who found Robert suspended high up on the flagpole. “What did you hear you dad say, Tommy?” Peter tried to radiate calmness as he waited for Tommy to give his answer. “Well, sir, he told my mom because of the sign that was hung around Robert’s neck, he and his partner, Brenda Maxwell, thought the kid might have been after some girl at the dance. And my mom asked him if that boy might have tried to rape the girl. My dad said it was a possibility. And because of what Kathy Williams did to Robert earlier last week, I, um, just figured he was going to try and rape Kathy to get back at her.”
Jenny had quietly entered the gym and had been listening to how Peter was handling himself and the subject of the assembly. So far, she was pleased to see how he was handling things and actually giving a demonstration of how things can get out of control. “Thank you, Tommy. You may sit down.” As everyone watched, Peter again walked the circle around the school mascot, before bringing the microphone to his mouth as he walked. “Folks. When I first heard about this rumor I wanted to rip all of you a new one for your stupidity at passing on something you hadn’t even bothered to find out if true. But that wouldn’t have been right, it would have done more harm than the good I wanted it to do. Instead, we’ve been in here going backwards from person to person until we finally reached the beginning of the rumor. And if you were listening closely, as we went backwards, the bits and pieces added to each successive telling was removed. Until we heard the truth, that Robert might have had the rape of Kathy Williams on his mind last Friday night. I am, though, very disappointed with all of you for spreading something that has caused several people to be hurt. Though in a way, you actually did those people a favor, because they’d been harboring anger and this finally brought it out into the open.”
Peter continued to walk the circle, giving the students time to digest what he just told them. Then he went on. “I was called last Friday night by the police department and told there was a boy suspended from the flagpole in front of the school offices. When I arrived, Robert Bakes had been hoisted to the top of the flagpole, his mouth was taped shut and his hands had been taped behind his back. And he was stark naked. A sign had been hung around his neck that said, ‘We warned you to leave her alone. Now maybe you’ll get the message.’ No one knows who did this or when Robert was grabbed. We don’t know if it was a group from this school or a group from any of the other schools he had attended. But it has been postulated that he was after a girl at last Friday’s dance, and because as Tommy pointed out, it could have been Kathy Williams because of how she humiliated him earlier in the week. But the important thing here is that, THERE...IS...NO...PROOF what he intended. And because Tommy wasn’t included in his parents’ discussion, he didn’t get the whole story. And because he didn’t get the entire story, none of you got it either, and added your own bits and pieces as each of you passed the story along. Until it got to Tonya, where she told Kathy an erroneous rumor. And that started her anger rolling and as those in her science class know, wasn’t pretty.” Peter stopped his walk, stood in the middle of the painted mascot, and started turning so he looked at everyone as he turned. “Can you now see why rumors should never be repeated. That you should ALWAYS verify what you hear before passing it on. Because what you hear and what you actually discover, may not be the same thing. I know most of you grew up with Walter, now Kathy. You saw how he reacted when he encountered those situations. I’ve seen the admiration many of you have for him because of the way he does handle those situations. Even those of you who were just introduced to him at the beginning of the year, have come to admire him for his courage to face a situation not with anger but with humor and acceptance. So none of you set out to hurt Kathy, but you have. Just by spreading a rumor that wasn’t true. I can’t really fault any of you for doing it, it’s something students have been doing since they started attending school. But learn from this hard lesson. Think about how the person you’re talking about will feel if/when they hear something that turns out to be a lie.”
Jenny was very proud of how Peter handled a tough situation. Instead of using harshness, he used love and compassion. Instead of acting as a tyrant, he acted as a mentor. He showed patience when he could have been highly aggressive. And as Jenny looked at the students looking at Peter, it showed on their faces. His status with them went up ten fold.
Peter looked up at the clock on the gym wall, saw it was 2:30 p.m. and made another decision. “I see it’s 2:30, so for today you will go back to the class you were about to attend and be dismissed from school at 3:30 from that class. But please, people. Think about everything I’ve said to you. Think about how you’d feel if you were in Kathy’s shoes right now. Not only did she hear something she knew wasn’t true, and called a liar, but because of that accident that happened to her, she’s now struggling because she became a girl. That’s it, go to your classes. And thank you for your courteous behavior while in the gym.”
Peter just stood in the middle of the gym floor, his head hung to his chest. Jenny wasn’t sure, but she thought she could see tears falling to the floor. It had been tough on him to keep his temper in check, and yet try to impart a lesson these kids needed to hear. She’d have to pull him in for a chat, and soon.
Jenny had talked with Terry and the girls for about a half hour, setting up appointments for the girls right after school and for Terry in her other office, downtown, at seven in the evening. She had kept their first meeting short, since all three were still upset by today’s events and needed to calm down so they could think clearly when they again met with her. Plus, she needed to get to the gym to make sure Peter was going to be alright and not blast the entire school because of that stupid rumor. Everyone associated with that family needed help because of what happened to Walter, and she hoped she could convince them of that over the next few meetings.
As the girls left Jenny’s office at the high school, Terry walked between both girls, an arm around both of them. Both had an arm around her and were leaning into Terry as they walked to the parking lot. As they reached Terry’s car, Marge softly said, “I could use some ice cream right about now.” Terry chuckled and answered with, “Yeah, three bowls of chocolate this time. A girl’s comfort food for times like this.” Terry climbed into the driver’s side of the car, as the girls again sat beside her in the front seat, again with Marge sitting beside her. It was Kathy who broached the subject when she said, “How can people hear the truth but choose to believe a lie? I don’t understand it. Are they so hungry to latch onto something that they’ll accept anything they hear? Aren’t they interested in the truth?” They were a block from the ice cream parlor when Terry said, “Sweetheart, if a lie is told often enough people soon accept it as the truth. And when they hear the truth, they accept that as THE lie and refuse to believe what they’re being told. What you experienced today is not an isolated event, it happens all the time, all around you. People have become lazy, too lazy to try and find out the truth for themselves. They want to sit back and let someone else tell them what they believe the truth happens to be. Whether that’s the truth or not. While it was a hard lesson you received today, always believe what you hear with a degree of skepticism. Until you can verify it for yourself, no matter how long it takes.” They pulled into the parking lot for the strip mall, Terry parked in front of the ice cream parlor. When they came back out of the parlor each had a bowl with three scoops of Dutch chocolate in it. They sat down at one of the outdoor tables and proceeded to luxuriate in the calming effects the chocolate provided them. Not noticing the shadow that had parked some distance away.
Robert’s radio came alive with Peter’s voice, asking, “How are they doing, Robert?” Robert laughed and told Peter, “They just went back into that ice cream parlor and came back out with another bowl full of chocolate ice cream. Peter, they’re either going to be some sick ladies later tonight, or they were really bothered by the events from today.” “Thanks, Robert. Just make sure they get home safely.” Peter had spoken to Robert before he went into the gym, asking Robert to keep an eye on the three once they finished their meeting with Jenny. Peter told Robert that he wasn’t sure, but he felt the first thing they’d do after leaving the school would be to hit that ice cream parlor, it’s what they usually do if one of them is upset. And Peter was right. After Peter signed off, Rober just shook his head, saying to himself, “Damn, such nice people having to go through shit like today. On top of everything Walter’s had to go through so far. Sure hope Kathy doesn’t have more of this shit to go through, or can weather it if there is more.” He reached into his top shirt pocket, took out an energy bar, tore the wrapper open and sat there eating the bar as he watched the three girls go back into the parlor and get yet another bowl of chocolate ice cream. He chuckled to himself and said, “Yep, they’re gonna be three very sick ladies tonight.”
Three bowls of Dutch chocolate ice cream hardly phased the three, at least not right at the moment. All three had been that upset by the day’s events. They got back into Terry’s car and headed to Marge’s home, where the girls again said their own intimate goodbyes until tomorrow. It wasn’t until Terry and Kathy got home that things got a bit interesting, as both hurried into the house and occupied both bathrooms at the same time. It wasn’t as though they were green about the gills, just that the amount of ice cream they had eaten had caught up with them. And made things a bit painful at the moment.
When Shelby walked through the front door, he saw Terry and Kathy sitting on the couch, leaning against each other, their eyes closed, holding their stomachs. He laughed before asking, “Let me guess, too much ice cream again?” When he laughed again, Terry opened one eye, looked at her husband and told him, “Blow it out your ear, buster,” before closing that eye and moaning just a tiny bit. Kathy didn’t even open her eyes as she told her dad, “Yeah, what she said.” Shelby laughed again then walked over and sat next to Terry, pulling her into him. “Must have been pretty bad for you two to eat enough ice cream to make you wish you hadn’t. Wanna tell me about it?” It was Kathy who told her dad, “It was about what happened last Friday at the dance.” Shelby gave Kathy a puzzled look, which she didn’t see since her eyes were still closed, as her stomach continued to complain, and asked, “What happened last Friday night?” Terry gave Shelby the short version by saying, “Robert Bakes happened.”
Shelby gave both of his women a real puzzled look as he told them, “Okay, how about you two back up, start at the beginning, and stop giving me crib notes. Who’s Robert Bakes.?”
Kathy let out a very unlady like burp before telling her dad, “He is a boy who used to go to our school. He had transferred from another school, and had transferred from another school and another and…,” “Um, okay I get the point. He got kicked out of several schools before settling in your school,” Shelby said to shorten what he knew was going to get long winded. “Okay, what did he do that got him kicked out of your school, sweetheart?” This time Kathy opened her eyes, sat up and looked at her dad before asking, “How’d you know he got kicked out of our school?” Shelby rolled his eyes, looked up quickly, shook his head before replying, “Well, you did say he ‘used’ to go to your school, and he was kicked out of several other schools, so it followed he got kicked out of your school too.” Kathy gave her dad a funny look and said, “Oh, yeah, I guess it does,” and closed her eyes and put her head back on Terry’s shoulder.
Shelby waited a few moments then asked, “Um, isn’t someone going to get to the rest of the story? Like, why he got kicked out of your school? How all this involved you, Kathy? And why did you eat so much ice cream you both come close to looking like death warmed over?” Terry raised her head off Shelby’s shoulder, turned to look at her daughter, who had lifted her head off her mom’s shoulder, and was now looking at her mom, before they both turned to look at Shelby and performed synchronized raspberries at Shelby. They both resumed their original positions. “That bad, huh?” Shelby wisely asked the two women.
“Earlier last week, that butthole came up to Marge and I and proceeded to tell me I could do better than with my sister. He was talking about Marge. So in my Walter fashion, I gave him better than he gave us. It carried on for a few moments until I ended up humiliating him as a lot of students watched the exchange. You see, dad, he is, or was, one of those boys whose only goal at school was to see how many notches he could carve in his bedpost, and that’s what he wanted with me,” Kathy told her dad without moving from Terry’s shoulder or opening her eyes. “And what he was going to do at the dance is just conjecture, since no one’s talking, dad. But it isn’t conjecture what happened to him, though, because it was witnessed by two police officers making their rounds at school. One of the officers happened to be the step-dad of the boy who started the whole rumor thing today.”
Shelby was having a lot of trouble following what Kathy was talking about, since it sounded like this and that had something to do with this and that. “Um...I think I just walked in on the middle part of this movie. Care to start with the conjecture then go to what the officers found on their rounds at the school?” Kathy suddenly sat up, Terry did the same. Kathy quickly got up off the couch and headed for the stairs at a fast walk. And as she started running up the stairs, she hollered, “SURE DAD, JUST AS SOON AS I TAKE CARE OF SOMETHING FIRST.” Terry bolted off the couch and did another fast walk before telling Shelby, “Yeah, what she said,” and Shelby heard two bathroom doors slam shut. Shelby chuckled to himself and said to no one, “You’d think after the last time those two would learn. Too much ice cream goes right through those two.”
Shelby heard two toilets flush almost simultaneously, then the faucets were turned on, then Terry came down the hallway about the time Kathy came down the stairs. Both went into the kitchen, Shelby heard two glasses clink, the faucet run, then two glasses being placed on the counter before Terry and Kathy came back and resumed their original positions. Once Terry and Kathy were settled, Shelby said, “So, conjecture, and rumor?”
Right Time
By Jamie Lee
Most often people talk about being in the right place at the right time. Maybe they achieved a beautiful photo of a sunrise, or the antics of children or animals. Maybe they found something someone lost and received a big reward when it was returned. But how often do they talk about being in the wrong place at the right time? If they do, it’s often about the death of someone or maybe witnessing a crime. And if this is the case, they are sad or horrified. Walter Williams often is in the wrong place at the right time, though his reaction to the incidents he encounters is much different than anyone would expect. And, life-changing.
“Oh, right, the conjecture,” Kathy said. “Well, best guess was that Robert Bakes was at the dance to get his revenge on me for humiliating him earlier in the week. Only he didn’t get the chance. No one knows when it happened, but a group of people, students or adults, no one knows, grabbed him, put a cloth bag over his head then dragged him off somewhere before stripping him naked, then taping his hands behind his back and putting tape over his mouth. They then put him in some kind of harness and hoisted him up to the very top of the flagpole at school. The two police officers were making their usual rounds at the school when they spotted him suspended up on the flagpole. They guess he’d been up there since the dance let out at 11:00 that night. Robert couldn’t identify anyone because the people were completely covered with black clothing and were wearing full face masks. They never spoke so he doesn’t know if they were girls or boys, adults or students.”
In telling her dad the story, her voice had been rather calm. But it changed as she went on with the story. “No one bothered to tell me what happened, not even mom. I had to find out about part of it, the wrong part of it, from a rumor that was flying around school today. I say wrong, because according to that rumor, I’d been raped after the dance.” Shelby sat up so fast to look at Kathy that Terry slid off his shoulder and flopped down behind Shelby onto the cushion. “Gee, thanks a bunch, dear,” Terry said in a muffled voice. Terry sat back up as Shelby asked Kathy, “What do you mean raped after the dance? Who raped you?” Terry put her hand in the middle of Shelby’s chest, pushed him back against the back of the couch, put her head back on his shoulder before telling him, “It was part of the rumor that was floating around school. No one got raped. You should know about rumors, Shelby, how one person says something, then the next person adds a bit more, and more is added, until the whole thing is nothing but a lie. That’s what happened to that rumor. Now, be quiet and let Kathy continue.”
“As Marge and I were walking to our lockers, then to our first period science class, everyone was looking at us. And we didn’t know why.” And Kathy’s voice got even angrier as she told Shelby, “We didn’t know why until in our science class I asked them what was going on. Then good ol’ Tonya Springer blurted out that rumor had it that I’d been raped by Robert Bakes after the dance. Guess you don’t have to imagine how hot I got when I heard that. And I told them so. I called them some names I shouldn’t have, and even got called a liar for trying to deny I’d been raped. I’d had enough of the BS so I stormed out of class, Marge came with me. I just started walking, Marge was having a time keeping up with me, I was walking so fast. I just had to get away from it all. Well, we ended up sitting in the bleachers at the football field when the head of school security found us, said they’d been looking for us, and Uncle Peter wanted him to take us to his office. I’ll be right back,” and Kathy got up from the couch and walked upstairs this time.
While Kathy was in the bathroom, Shelby turned his head so he could see Terry’s face and asked her, “You knew and didn’t bother to tell Kathy about all this? How’d you find out?” Shelby watched as Terry shook her head slowly before telling him, “Peter called me the next morning and told me. And no, I didn’t tell Kathy because I thought it’d be better if she didn’t know. I found out I was wrong not telling her. Maybe if I had things would have gone better for her today.” Shelby saw the tears falling down Terry’s face, before he realized Kathy had sat back down, was pulling her mom to her and telling her, “It’s okay, mom. I know you thought it was for the best. I still love you though.” Terry held onto Kathy and openly wept. Muttering as she did, “I’m so sorry, hon, I’m soo sorry.” Kathy could no longer keep her tears bottled up, and just held onto her mom as she let hers fall.
“When Marge and I got to Uncle Peter’s office, Uncle Peter was there along with mom. Mom started to give Marge and I the riot act but Uncle Peter stopped her, pushed her into a chair and told her to be quiet, it was his ballpark and his rules. Then he gave us the riot act. I’ve never heard Uncle Peter talk like that, and it kind of scared me. He then called the school shrink and asked her to come to his office, and some more things were said, and again I’d had enough of the BS and tried to storm out of his office, only to be told by Principal Stepel, if I left the office I’d get four weeks of suspension. And would receive an ‘F’ for each day I was absent. Still hot under the collar, I slammed his office door and sat back down. I um, said a few things rather unlady-like then too. Jenny, the school shrink, talked to me then, pointed out a few things, and after lunch mom, Marge, and I went to Jenny’s school office and talked. Marge and I have a standing appointment with her every day after school. Mom and her are going to talk sometime in the evenings. And while we were talking to Jenny, Uncle Peter was in the gym with the rest of the school, telling them what, I didn’t hear. Yet. And that’s about it, dad. Any more questions?” It was Shelby’s turn to say, “Um, yeah, one. But I’ll be right back.” It was Terry and Kathy’s turn to laugh.
When Shelby returned from the bathroom, and sat back down on the couch, he asked, “So...what happened to Robert Bakes? Did he get kicked out of school?” Kathy chuckled before telling her dad, “Ah, no. His parents withdrew him. They were taking him that Saturday to a boarding school, one where the teachers won’t put up with his BS. And if the bits and pieces Uncle Peter caught are right, Robert isn’t going to be going by Robert while there. It will be more like Roberta.” Shelby gave Kathy another puzzled look until the light came on. “Oh, Roberta, a girl. Oh, I’ll be that’s going to come as a BIG surprise to Robert. I seem to remember hearing about schools of that type. Seems they’ve helped straighten out many a boy or young man.” Shelby looked at his watch, it was 6:00 p.m. He looked at his two girls, still holding each other and asked, “Would Chinese take out be alright with you two ladies? I can call and have all our favorites delivered.” Terry looked up at Kathy, who looked at her mom. Both shrugged their shoulders and almost said together, “Yeah, sounds like a plan.” Shelby patted Terry on her butt before getting off the couch, going to the kitchen and getting out the menu from their favorite Chinese restaurant. He picked up the phone, dialed their number and placed their order. He added a bit more of Terry’s and Kathy’s favorite things, since he felt they needed all the comfort they could get.
Thirty minutes later the doorbell rang and when Shelby opened the door, instead of the delivery, Marge, Dorothy, and Thomas were standing there. Shelby asked, “Have you all eaten yet? I’ve ordered Chinese take out.” The three laughed, because as Thomas told Shelby, “We just came by to see if you all wanted to go out to dinner with us.” Terry and Kathy had gotten up off the couch and walked over to the front door, heard what Thomas said, and laughed along with everyone else. Thomas then asked Dorothy and Marge, “Chinese alright with you two?” When both said yes, Shelby then told them to come in and make themselves at home. He then went to the phone and called the restaurant again, asking them to double his order. Thirty minutes after Thomas, Dorothy, and Marge had arrived, their take out was delivered. It turned out to be a wonderful evening, with three women getting the slow down they so desperately needed, even though Thomas and Dorothy brought up what happened Friday night, and at school today. The perspective Thomas and Dorothy gave on the subject helped Terry, Kathy, and Marge see things in a different light. And hopefully help Kathy and Marge deal with what might be waiting for them tomorrow at school, after Kathy’s explosive response.
When the six finally said their goodbyes, and Kathy and Marge in their own way, there was nothing left of the take out Shelby ordered except empty containers. Terry suggested Kathy go take care of what homework she had, given the circumstances of the day, before bathing and getting ready for bed. Before Kathy went up to her room, she walked into the kitchen where Shelby and Terry were bagging the containers to take to the trash, threw her arms around a surprised Terry and told her, “I’m sooo sorry for causing so much trouble today, mom. I didn’t handle things very well. Guess I’ll have to pay the piper tomorrow.” Terry had put her arms around Kathy and listened as Kathy spoke. When she did speak she reminded Kathy of a few things. “Honey, just a few weeks ago you were Walter, a boy. Then you had that accident and now you’re a girl. Basically a brand new girl, ignorant of all the experiences a girl would gain as she grew up. You’re still coming to terms with the change, and how people now see you as Kathy instead of Walter. Those kids grew up with Walter, they’re just getting to know Kathy. I have a feeling after what Peter told them during that assembly, they’ll be more forgiving than you think. Especially if, as I believe you will, as you usually do, apologize for how you acted and what you said. I think you’ll find that everyone would want a do over, make up and move on. Chalk it all up to another ‘Walter’ moment and go from there.” Terry kissed Kathy on the cheek before telling her to go on and get at what homework she had. Kathy kissed Terry back then headed up to her room to see what homework she did have, which ended up being nothing since she basically missed school today.
The next morning Shelby had just finished his breakfast, before heading to his office, as Terry walked out of the kitchen, heading to Kathy’s bedroom to make sure she was up and getting ready for school. She had put her right foot on the bottom step when Shelby grabbed her left arm, pulled her around, and tried to find out if her wisdom teeth had regrown. Terry put her arms around his neck and reciprocated, kissing him passionately. Terry stood there and watched Shelby start to go out of the front door, but stopped, turned to face her and told her, “Marshall and Marshall called me yesterday and want to see us at 4:30 this afternoon. Then afterwards I thought the three of us could go out to dinner. What do you think?” Shelby had seen the look in Terry’s eyes many times before, as she seductively walked towards him. When she reached him, her left hand went around to the back of Shelby’s head, pulled it to her and gave Shelby’s tongue a thorough inspection. As this was occurring, her right hand was inspecting the center seam where the left and right sides of his dress slacks met. When Terry broke the kiss, and her right hand continued its inspection, she told Shelby, “Only if I get to choose the after dinner entertainment.” She could feel how aroused he was, and knew from past times his brain would have trouble controlling his vocal cords. And Shelby knew it too, so just nodded before backing out of the embrace and cautiously walking to his car. Terry was chuckling as she watched him walk, trying hard not to appear as wound up as he was. She blew him a kiss just as he started backing the car out of the driveway and again as he drove away. She closed the front door then stood with her head against the inside of the door, trying to let her blood pressure come back to normal. “Hopefully I don’t look as flushed as I feel at the moment,” Terry said to herself, as she turned and went up the stairs.
When she reached Kathy’s bedroom door, she opened it as quietly as she could, in case Kathy was still asleep, no sense startling her, but was surprised by what she saw. Kathy was awake, and sitting on the side of her bed, feet dangling, her hands in her lap, and her head down. Her long hair had fallen forward, hiding her face so Terry was unable to see the expression on her face. Terry stood in the doorway for a few moments before walking over to the bed and sitting down next to her daughter. She didn’t speak, but waited to see if Kathy had something to tell her. And she did, and it was similar to her first day at school as Kathy.
“I’m scared, mom,” Kathy explained. “Really scared. I really messed up yesterday and can’t see why anyone wouldn’t still be mad with me because of it. Why didn’t I go get Mrs. Stokes to help get that bottle of alcohol so none of this would have happened? I’d still be Walter, your son.” Terry reached over and gathered Kathy’s long hair and pulled it back behind her shoulders. Doing that allowed her to see that Kathy had been crying, and still was, given her puffy eyes and tear streaked cheeks. She put her arms around Kathy, pulled her in close to her and told her, “Yeah, but my beautiful, smart, daughter wouldn’t be here with me now. I’d have that smelly old boy sitting here trying to think of some smart aleck thing to say.”
Kathy slowly pushed herself out of her mom’s embrace, turned to face her, and blew her a long raspberry. Then told her mom, “Yeah, I love you too, mom.” And blew a raspberry at her mom again. Despite the fear she could see on Kathy’s face, Terry started laughing. Not a chuckle, or titter, but a belly roaring laugh. And Kathy joined her, reaching for her mom to reacquire her mom’s hug. When they both had slowly stopped laughing, Terry told Kathy, “Listen, Peter called me earlier this morning and told me everything he told the entire school. Even though you blew your top, even though you used some rather unlady-like language, I’ve a feeling things will be better than you think.” When Kathy looked up at Terry with a questioning look, Terry shook her head and said, “Nope, you don’t have time to hear it right now. YOU have to get breakfast then dressed for school. Don’t forget we’re picking Marge up this morning too. Now scoot.” And with that, Terry kissed her daughter, got up off the bed then pulled Kathy after her, before heading out of the bedroom and down to the kitchen. Kathy followed a few moments later as she grabbed her robe then visited the bathroom.
The greeting with Marge, when they stopped at her house and picked her up, was light and quick between the two girls. Terry had no trouble reading Marge’s face, which was the same Kathy was wearing. Terry also noticed they were holding hands, and had been doing so ever since Marge got into Terry’s car. When they arrived at the school, at their usual stopping point, no one saw any of the students standing around holding ‘kick Kathy out’ placards or pitchforks or tar and feathers. They saw the usual groupings of students waiting for the first bell. With trepidation, Marge and Kathy got out of Terry’s car, after Kathy gave her mom a kiss. Terry sat and watched her girls walk hand in hand towards the main door, saw a few students look at them but none going towards them. A girl standing near the main doors said something to Kathy, which caused Kathy to hug her, wipe her eyes, then the two went into the school. As Terry watched the girl, she saw the girl wipe her eyes several times, before a boy took her into a hug and it looked as though she was crying on his shoulder.
As Marge and Kathy walked down the hallway towards Kathy’s hall locker, they saw a boy there, talking to himself and walking back and forth in front of Kathy’s hall locker. As they got closer they heard, “Hi Kathy...noo, that’s too lame. Maybe, hey Kathy...naw, lamer still.” The boy’s back was turned to the girls as they stopped in front of Kathy’s hall locker and when the boy turned around for another pass in front of Kathy’s hall locker, what he planned to say was totally forgotten. “Oh, hey. Um...hi, girls, um, Kathy, um Marge. Oh, this isn’t going how I planned. Like always.” It was Tommy Waltz, the boy who brought the rumor to school, the rumor that was severely embellished by the time it reached Kathy’s ears.
Tommy was blushing now, as he looked into Kathy’s eyes. She stood there silent, with her right eyebrow raised, waiting for Tommy to explain himself. Tommy looked down at the floor for a few moments before he looked up and hum hawed around saying, “You see...um, I...well, I mean...um, after what Principal Stepel said yesterday at the assembly, I...um, well…,” And Kathy put her hand on Tommy’s shoulder and said to him, “Tommy, stop. Think about what you want to say and say it. Okay?” Tommy hadn’t slept very well the night before, thinking how he was the cause of Kathy getting all upset yesterday at school. Kathy and Marge watched Tommy take a deep breath, then told them, “I couldn’t sleep last night, thinking how much I hurt you because of what I told someone else.” As Kathy looked into Tommy’s eyes, she could see tears forming and ever so slowly start sliding out of his eyes and down his cheeks. “I’m soo very sorry for hurting you, I...I…, I’m sorry.” And he turned around and walked off down the hallway, using the sleeve of his shirt to wipe his eyes as he walked. The girls wiped their eyes too before Kathy opened her hall locker and grabbed what books she’d need. After stopping at Marge’s hall locker for her to get what she needed, they both looked a few doors down the hallway and saw the door to their first period science class standing open. They looked at each other, both taking deep breaths, took the other’s hand, and walked into what they thought was the shadow of death. Only what they thought, turned out to be anything but what they believed would happen.
The two walked into their first period science class just as the second bell rang. Brigette had been standing by the doorway, and when both girls walked into the classroom, she closed the door behind them; she’d seen them walking toward her classroom and was going to wait until they entered the classroom second bell or no second bell, before closing the door. Kathy and Marge hadn’t taken more than two steps when Brigette said, in what sounded like a very strict tone, “Girls, follow me, please.” Marge looked at Kathy and Kathy at Marge, before both rolled their eyes, shook their heads, and just knew they were in for a lot of trouble. But what they weren’t expecting was what happened next.
Brigette led the girls to the front of the class and had them stand by her lab table. They gripped each other’s hand tighter, preparing themselves for the worst. “First off, girls,” Brigette started with, “how are you doing today? Under the circumstances yesterday, I’m just glad neither of you didn’t anything really foolish.” Both girls instantly had puzzled expressions on their faces. They looked at each other, then at Brigette, then back at each other, then again at Brigette before Kathy asked, “Um...we’re...doing...better? What…,” but she never got to finish asking that question, for Brigette had held up her hand before saying, “What’s going on?” Brigette then turned to the rest of the class and asked, “Who’d like to be first?” The first person to stand was the girl who accused Kathy of trying to hide that she’d been raped. “Um...I wanted to say I’m sorry for accusing you of something that wasn’t true. I, rather we, talked before the two of you arrived, and realized it was our fault how you reacted yesterday. And I, rather we, want to apologize for hurting you and upsetting you, and Marge, yesterday. I, um...I’m sorry.” Jeffrey was the next to stand, and was Jeffrey when he said, in very plain English, “Kathy, Marge, we were a bunch of jackasses, accusing you of somethin’ we just heard floating around the school. I’m really sorry to have seen you so upset, you don’t deserve to be upset, what with the other stuff you’re dealing with. But hey, if you’d have been Walter, you could have chalked it up to another Walter moment. You aren’t starting a Kathy moment, are you?” Wads of paper flew from every direction in the class at Jeffrey, who batted each and every one before sitting back down in his seat. Several more students stood and gave Kathy and Marge their thoughts and apologies, before the class became quiet and heard from Kathy.
When Marge saw the tears in Kathy’s eyes, she put her arm around her, pulled her close, and held her. Kathy wiped her eyes before saying to the entire class, “Thank you for what all of you said, it means a great deal to me. But I owe all of you an apology of my own, for the way I acted in class and what I called all of you. It was so wrong of me to take my anger and frustrations out on all of you, none of you deserved any of it. I hope we can take a do over, and move on from there. I’d really like it if we could.” Kathy wiped her eyes again, then hearing Brigette tell them to take their seats, both walked and saw down where they usually sat. It was strange to both girls as each was touched by each student they passed and “I’m sorry” heard from each one. Jeffrey reached out and took Kathy’s arm, after she sat down. When she looked at him, he told her, “Hang in there girl, we’re here for ya.” Kathy put her hand on his and replied, “Thanks, Jeffrey.”
Right Time
By Jamie Lee
Most often people talk about being in the right place at the right time. Maybe they achieved a beautiful photo of a sunrise, or the antics of children or animals. Maybe they found something someone lost and received a big reward when it was returned. But how often do they talk about being in the wrong place at the right time? If they do, it’s often about the death of someone or maybe witnessing a crime. And if this is the case, they are sad or horrified. Walter Williams often is in the wrong place at the right time, though his reaction to the incidents he encounters is much different than anyone would expect. And, life-changing.
The rest of their classes went with a similar pattern for Kathy and Marge, students telling how sorry they were for spreading a rumor that wasn’t true, and upsetting the two girls. When it came time for lunch Kathy and Marge met up and walked to the cafeteria together, getting more apologies along the way. It wasn’t until they entered the cafeteria that they felt like animals on exhibit at a zoo. As they joined the queue to get their food, it seemed every eye followed them as the line slowly progressed towards the food servers. Even the servers asked how they were doing, as the girls selected what they wanted and paid for their meals. It seemed strange to them that every table but one had every seat filled, almost as though the school had reserved a table just for them. The girls took the hint and sat down next to each other at that lonely table, and hadn’t taken more than two bites when Peter walked up, standing opposite them and asked, “Mind if I sit down girls?” Marge and Kathy looked at each other then at Peter, telling him, “No, Principal Stepel. We don’t mind. In fact, it’d be nice if you did, since we seem to have been isolated in here today.” Peter chuckled as he sat down and answered them with, “No, girls, you aren’t being isolated by the rest of the school. It’s just the opposite in fact.” Both girls got that puzzled look on their faces, and Peter let them try and figure out why the table had been left for them. When they looked at each other then back at Peter he laughed then said, “They are respecting your privacy. You two know how hard it can be for two people to find places where they can sit together. And after yesterday, and you two going ga-ga and what I told them at the assembly, they are helping you two be able to find two places where you can sit together without a lot of hoopla. Plus, it’s their way of saying they are sorry for everything that happened yesterday.”
While Peter sat with the girls Kathy tried to get him to tell them everything he said at the assembly, but like her mom, told them there wasn’t time right then and that Terry could tell them everything he told her. It was about then they heard, “Mind if we sit with you girls?” Kathy and Marge looked to their right and saw Jeffrey, Tommy, and the girl who accused Kathy of lying, standing there holding their food trays. Peter saw the three and said to all of them, “Well, I just wanted to see how you two girls were doing. If you need anything you know where my office is, girls.” Having said that, he got up out of the chair and walked off towards the table where Margot and Tina were sitting, coyly watching Peter’s interaction with the girls. After Principal Stepel left, it was Marge who told the three, “Well, I don’t know. This table is sooo crowded, what do you think, Kathy?” “Well, unless those empty chairs are filled with people we can’t see, they’re still empty,” and she smiled at the three. The three walked around the other side of the table, sat their trays down then pulled out the chairs and sat facing Kathy and Marge. Those three had just sat down when they all heard, in a very timid voice, “Um...would any of you mind if I joined you?” Turning to the voice, they saw Tonya Springer standing there, trepidation written on her face, her eyes moist. Kathy got up out of her chair, took Tonya’s tray out of her hand and sat it down in front of the chair to the right of where Kathy was sitting, then turned and pulled Tonya into a hug. As she held Tonya, the girl told her over and over, “I’m sorry, I’m sorry…” When Tonya had calmed down a bit, Kathy whispered to her, “It’s going to be okay. You’ll be okay, okay?” When Kathy felt Tonya nod her head, she pushed Tonya away from her, reached up and gently wiped the tears off her cheeks then said, “Come on, sit down and eat. I don’t know about you but I am hungry.” A few others came and asked if they could join the table, and each was told they could. The girls didn’t bite...much.
The girls hadn’t noticed, but every teacher did, as had Margot, Peter and Tina. When students had walked up to Marge and Kathy sitting alone, everyone in the cafeteria had watched to see how the girls would respond. And after each response, everyone continued eating until the next student approached them. When that table was full, and everyone there chatting as they ate, everyone could see that Kathy and Marge held no ill will towards anyone at that table, or it appeared, anyone in the school. As Peter scanned those in the cafeteria he could only hope the events yesterday were a lesson all of those in the cafeteria at the moment, and in the rest of the school, would take with them throughout their lives. It was a hard lesson to go through, but a valuable one nonetheless.
There were a few students left in the cafeteria by the time the first bell sounded, signaling it was time for the second shift to hit the cafeteria. Peter had made it a point to stay and watch for any trouble that might arise against Kathy and Marge. He thought it strange, no not strange, but interesting that some of the few students who’d remained until the first bell rang, were those at the full table where Kathy and Marge sat. And that table was still very animated even as they got up from their chairs to bus their trays and head off to their next classes. Peter smiled as he saw his niece take Marge’s hand as the two walked out of the cafeteria. They looked so good together. They were also good for each other, standing by the other when things got rough.
Right then Peter’s cell phone rang. “Oh, hi there sweetheart.” “I think I have the perfect dessert for you tonight.” “What is it?” “Guess.” “No.” “No.” “You’re not even close.” Peter made sure no one was in hearing as he told Tina, “It’s Peter, au naturel.” “Oh, it’ll be Tina au naturel, too?” “And can she sing?” “Oh, you think I’ll make you sing?” “How will I do that?” “Oh, my, that I look forward to.” “I love you too sweetheart.” Peter had to sit where he was longer than expected, after his talk with Tina, and it was imperative he do so. Peter’s cell phone rang again, this time it was Margot, telling him he had a meeting with the school board president in twenty minutes.
Margot had been with Peter long enough to tell by his voice when he was angry, happy, sad, and even after he’d talked to Tina. And she laughed after he told her he’d be there in a few minutes. “Um, Peter. Did you just talk to Tina? Is that why you’ll be a few minutes late?” Peter tried to think of a response to not say ‘yes,’ but failed. So he dove in and told her, “Um, yeah, I just did.” He had to laugh when Margot told him, “You have it bad for that girl. But next time you might pick a better spot for your phone sex conversation. A room full of students is hardly the place for things to calm down.” Peter heard Margot break out in laughter as she cut the connection with him. Peter had to laugh again, as he knew she was absolutely right, as a teacher just then asked if Peter minded if she sat down. Even as the table started to fill with other teachers, Peter had to stay seated.
“Do you mind if I sit down, Principal Stepel?” Peter looked up and into the eyes of Mary Turner, the school board President. “Margot said you’d be a little late, and why, so I thought I’d get some lunch and join you here instead of in your office.” Mary had an impish grin on her face, as Peter blushed and asked, “She told you the real reason?” Mary sat her tray down across the table from where Peter was sitting and said, “Yep, the real reason.” And then she winked at him, before the two started talking shop.
The girl’s afternoon classes went pretty much as the morning had, with those in their classes offering their apologies, or stopping the girls in the hall and apologizing, or just stopping the girls and asking how they were doing. But a rubber band can be stretched just so far before it breaks, and Jenny saw it in Marge and Kathy’s faces when they entered her office after school let out at 3:30 p.m.
She didn’t say anything to the girls, as they both walked through the open door to her office and flopped down on two of the chairs there. Jenny closed her office door, picked up a candy jar, took off the glass lid and held it out to both girls, telling them, “Take one.” When both girls gave Jenny the ‘look,’ she told them, “That wasn’t a suggestion. Each of you take one and suck on it.” When both girls finally took a sucker each, removed the wrappers before popping them into their mouths, discovering they were cherry flavored, their minds were now focused on the flavor they were tasting. And not the sympathy overload they’d first displayed when walking into Jenny’s office. Jenny pulled a chair around so she was facing both girls, took a sucker herself, removed the wrapper, popped it into her mouth, and sat there as the three concentrated on their suckers. Jenny had done this before and knew from experience they’d have calmed down by the time the suckers were gone. And when both girls threw the sucker sticks into the trash can, Jenny knew they were calm enough to talk about their day.
“So,” Jenny began, as she got up and tossed her sucker stick into the trash, “how was your day? Was it as bad as you feared? Were there any dragons lurking about ready to spit flames at you?” Jenny’s seemingly flippant questions had the desired effect, as both girls looked at each other, rolled their eyes, and said almost together, “Oh, brother!” Jenny looked at both girls and went on with, “Well good, that got you out of your ‘if one more person apologizes’ mood and better able to answer my first question, ‘how was your day?’”
Kathy shook her head and chuckled as she told Jenny, “You’re a slick one, Jenny. I’ll give you that. But to answer your question, honestly, I was scared about coming to school today. I realized I’d stepped over the line with my actions yesterday, and what I said. And was scared I’d get the third degree from everyone. Instead, all I heard today were apologies or those asking how I was doing. Principal Stepel must have said something fierce at that assembly yesterday.” Jenny chuckled when Kathy called her Uncle, Principal Stepel, and told Kathy, “I know Peter is your Uncle, so you don’t have to try and hide that fact from me.” Jenny then looked at Marge and asked, “And you Marge? How was your day?” Marge first shrugged her shoulders then said, “I was worried about missing classes yesterday, they could have said I ditched classes and given me detention or worse. I didn’t say anything unladylike, as someone I know,” and she turned her head to look at Kathy, “but I did leave class and stayed with Kathy the whole time. And like Kathy, all I heard were apologies or those who asked how we were doing. And Jenny, to tell the truth, I’m all apologized out. I don’t know how I’d react if one more person apologizes to us.” Jenny noted Kathy was nodding her head in agreement, both had reached their limits of kindness from the other students.
Jenny took the lead from Marge when she told the two, “Girls, in all my time at this school, this is the first time the school as a whole ever admitted being wrong for what they did. I’m guessing in your classes you both heard how wrong they were for spreading a rumor they didn’t know if it was true or false. Right?” Jenny saw both girls nod their heads and continued, “Girls, something like this rarely happens at a place this big, with this many people attending. Oh, maybe a few will admit they were wrong, but not the vast majority.” Jenny saw puzzled looks form on both girl’s faces and asked, “You still don’t know what Peter did and said during the assembly, do you? Either of you?” When both girls shook their heads Jenny told them, “Then it’s about time you heard what he did and said.” Jenny turned around and took the candy jar off her desk, took the glass lid off and told the girls, “Here, have another one. It’s a long story.”
Jenny started off telling the girls they should be proud of the way Peter handled a very trying situation yesterday. He could have jumped down their throats for spreading a false rumor that terribly upset the girls. Instead, he started with Tonya Springer and followed the rumor backwards until he came to Tommy Waltz, the boy who brought the rumor to school. Or rather, started it from incomplete information he heard during a conversation his mom and step-dad had. And how in successive tellings, each speaker added their own bits and pieces until the rumor was a monster that didn’t resemble its beginning. And how Peter reasoned with everyone, asking them to put themselves in the girl’s place, and asking how they’d feel if the rumor had been about them. And, on top of that, learning to be the opposite gender than they had been. “No, girls. Be proud Peter kept his cool, never accusing anyone directly or making them angry for being blamed for something they may not have had a hand in creating. You see, girls. What Peter was talking about applies to everyday life, not just at school. False rumors, ugly rumors, have caused a lot of people to take their own lives, after they tried and corrected it themselves. They finally had had enough, and couldn’t face anyone, or themselves, anymore. And they wanted the hurting to stop. Girls, be glad all you heard today were apologies, because it could have been much worse. And the two of you might not have been sitting here right now.” Jenny let what she said sink in before she said any more. Before Jenny could say anything else, there was a knock on her office door. She got out of her chair, walked over to the door, opened it and found Terry standing there. “It’s 4:00 and I’ve come to pick up Marge and Kathy,” Terry told Jenny as Jenny let Terry step into her office. Jenny looked at her watch and exclaimed, “Oh, my, will you look at the time. You girls were talking my head off, I never thought about the time.”
Kathy let her head fall backward, rolled her eyes, shook her head before letting her head fall to her chest. Marge simply dropped her head, rolled her eyes, shook her head before she said, “Don’t listen to her, Mrs. Williams. She was the one talking our heads off, filling us in about the assembly yesterday.” Jenny made a shushing motion and told the girls, “Shhhhh, you’re not supposed to let others know I say something once in a while. It’s supposed to be a trade secret.” Kathy turned to Marge and said, “Come on, Marge. We’d better go before it gets any deeper in here. I didn’t bring my overshoes with me today.” Hearing the banter from the girls, Jenny looked at Terry and nodded her head, letting Terry know the girls were doing okay. Both girls had gotten out of their chairs and walked over to Jenny and Terry, hugging Jenny before leaving her office with Terry.
As the three walked through the hallway towards the parking lot at the front of the school, Terry told Marge, “Marge. Kathy, Shelby, and I have a meeting with Marshall and Marshall at 4:30, so I won’t have time to take you home before we go to our meeting. Nothing at this meeting is confidential so you can sit in it with us. And maybe go out to dinner with us after?” It seemed like magic how Marge’s cell phone appeared in her hand, as she called home and explained things to Dorothy, who was the one that answered the phone at home. Terry and Kathy heard, “Okay, thanks mom. I love you too.” After putting her cell phone back into her purse, she told Terry, “Mom says it’s okay, just so long as we don’t go submarine spotting after dinner.” That caused Terry to laugh and Kathy to give Marge a puzzled look. Marge saw the puzzled look on Kathy’s face, shook her head then kissed Kathy, and explained, “Submarine spotting is slang for parking somewhere dark to kiss and do...um...an assortment of other things. Girlfriend, your mom and I got a lot of things to teach you.” Kathy got the kissing part of submarine spotting, but it took a moment to work out ‘an assortment of other things.’ And when she did she said, “OH! You mean…,” and Marge and Terry replied simultaneously, “Yes.” Then both started laughing because of the look on Kathy’s face.
Marge and Terry each put an arm around Kathy, who was walking between them, and Terry told her, “Sweetheart, submarine spotting has been going on since God created green apples, though under different names. It is often used by some boys in order to get into a girl’s panties, have sex with them,” Terry added after seeing the questioning look on Kathy’s face. “Kathy, one of the things you have to learn, being a girl, is that a lot of boys have an overabundance of hormones and are not mature enough to deal with how it makes them feel or act. Plus, they hear stories from other boys which make them want to try the same thing. Kathy, many parents find it difficult to talk with their children about sex, about having sexual intercourse, and what can happen if they have unprotected sex. So if an ill informed boy does have sex with a girl, unprotected sex, the way he heard other boys talk about it, he’s risking getting the girl pregnant. Plus, there are a variety of diseases people can get by having unprotected sex. And if she gets pregnant or if they both contract one of those diseases, a whole lot of problems are created.”
“Something else the two of you need to be aware of if you ever go to a party at someone’s house. You two girls are very beautiful, and are in a loving relationship right now. You may know a lot of kids at that party who go to this school, but you’ll also see a lot of boys you don’t know who don’t go to this school. Those boys won’t know you two are a couple, or care. All they’ll care about is getting one of you, or both of you, in bed to have sex with you. And it is likely to have unprotected sex. So, if you are ever allowed to go to one of these parties, never accept a drink from any boy, or girl, that you didn’t see being poured yourself. Never leave your drink sitting anywhere, or set your drink down, walk off then come back and pick up your drink. There is a substance that can be put into a girl’s drink that makes her lose control of herself. Make her act like she’s extremely drunk. When this happens, the boy, or girl, who ‘spiked’ her drink will then take her to a bedroom in the house in order to undress her and have sex with her. And it make not be just one boy who has sex with her while she’s like that. So, when you’re eighteen, Kathy, and you go to one of these parties, remember what I just told you.”
Terry saying ‘eighteen’ didn’t go unnoticed by Kathy, or Marge, though Marge just laughed when she saw her girlfriend’s facial expression. “Eighteen mom? Really?” Terry just laughed before saying, “It’s open to negotiations.”
When they reached Terry’s car, she unlocked the front passenger door first, then walked around to the driver’s side, unlocked the door, then got into her car. The girls were seated as they always were, Marge in the middle and Kathy near the door. Once out of the school parking lot, it took only a few minutes to reach the offices of Marshall and Marshall, where Terry pulled her car into the parking lot for their offices. Shelby was standing by his car, waiting for them, and raised an eyebrow when he saw Marge with Terry and Kathy. After the three got out of Terry’s car and walked up to Shelby, Terry saw the look and told him, “The girl’s session with Jenny ran a bit over, thanks to a couple of snarky girls, so we didn’t have time to take Marge home before coming here. And she’s called her parents and was given permission to go out to dinner with us. Plus, I didn’t feel anything the Marshalls were going to tell us was that private. Any more facial questions, dear?” In a show of surrender, Shelby pulled his white handkerchief out of his back pocket and waved it in the air. The girls laughed at Shelby’s antics, Terry just said, “Now I know where she gets it from?” The two girls were the ones clearing their throats this time, as Terry and Shelby said hello in THEIR own way, before the four walked into the offices of Marshall and Marshall.
Bret Sr. was waiting to greet them, as they walked into his and his son’s offices. He did question Marge’s presence, but found Terry’s explanation satisfactory, given Marge and Kathy being girlfriends. As he told them, once the four were seated in his office, “Because none of what I am about to tell you is really privileged, it is acceptable for Marge to be present. Had it been otherwise, I would have asked you to wait at reception, Marge. And if an old fart like me might say, you two young ladies make a fine couple. Right, then,” and Bret Sr. told Terry and Shelby that all the necessary documents and supporting evidence had been filed with the Courts. And they should hear back from them in a few days. They would need a ruling from the Courts before they could pursue a change in Walter’s birth certificate, and would deal with that in due time. He had just finished telling them everything they needed to hear, when there was a knock on his office door. He got up, walked around his desk, opened the door and was told, “This just came by courier and after reading it, thought you’d like to see it immediately.” Bret Sr. thanked his son, closed the door, and started reading the tri-fold of papers as he walked back to the chair behind his desk. When he said, “Aw, buggers,” Terry and Shelby looked at each other before Shelby asked, “What’s wrong Bret? Bad news?”
Instead of answering Slhelby’s questions, he picked up the phone, punched in two numbers as said, “Bret, would you please come to my office?” Once he hung up the phone he put his head in his hands, remaining silent until he heard a knock on his office door and Bret Jr. walked into his office. “How much of this did you have a chance to read?” Bret Jr. shook his head and told his dad, “I skimmed the front page, and glanced at the rest. Why?” Bret Sr. then told his son, “Son, please pull up a chair and sit down.” It wasn’t hard for any of the Williams or Marge to see Bret Sr. was trying to control his temper, as they saw him look to the ceiling and shake his head.
“Terry, Shelby, Kathy, and Marge, forgive me for not answering your questions, Shelby. But after reading that document, I was about to lose my temper. It seems there are a group of parents who take exception to ‘Walter’ being allowed to change ‘his’ name. They don’t want a ‘boy’ prancing around ‘their’ school acting like the girl ‘he’ isn’t.” He saw the question Shelby was about to ask but beat him to it as he then said, “How did they find out about this? Once we filed our petition it becomes public record, and anyone can learn what’s being asked. It seems they don’t believe what that accident has done to you, Kathy. Seems some of those parents have students in your science class, and don’t believe what their children told them. And it seems, the lawyer they’ve hired has filed an injunction to stop the name change and wants a hearing to put an end of you going to school dressed as a girl.”
After the way Kathy reacted Monday because she was called a liar, in trying to hide she’d been raped after the dance, which was later proven false, Marge, Terry, and Shelby were looking at Kathy, and didn’t like what they were seeing. Marge pinned one of Kathy’s arms to the chair she was sitting in, and Terry pinned the other. And it got rather loud as Kathy told Bret Sr., “Just what the hell part of all those records didn’t they believe? The fact those shelves collapsed and I was cut by broken glass and contaminated by all the chemicals on those shelves? Or the fact I started developing breasts because of that contamination. Or the fact I one day went to use our bathroom and discovered by dick and balls were gone. And that I now have a vigina? Tell me Mr. Marshall, which fucking part of all that didn’t they understand? ‘Cause I’d really like to know. I’ll tell you what, Mr. Marshall. Let’s get them all in a room and I’ll drop my panties and the men can fuck me and see for themselves that I’m a girl.” Kathy was pissed, so pissed she yanked her arms free, got up out of her chair so quickly it fell over backwards, and fled from the office. Marge following after her.
Through gritted teeth Terry told Bret Sr., “Bret, please don’t be unset how Kathy responded. It’s the second time this week she’s been called a liar after telling the truth. And if you’ll excuse me, I better go and find them to make sure they’re okay. But Bret, I want the balls of every one of those people put up on a pike, right after their heads go on first.” Shelby grabbed Terry’s hand just after Terry stood up from her chair, trying to help her calm down after what Bret Sr. just told them. She patted his hand, told him she’d be okay, and left the office to try and find Kathy and Marge.
It was Shelby who began with, “Damn, this is all we need on top of Kathy being called a liar and becoming a full girl.” He looked at Bret Sr. and asked, “Does that paper say when the hearing will take place? And if Kathy has to attend? Marge will have to go as well, if for no other reason than to keep Kathy as calm as she can. DAMN! What business is it of those people anyway? Does that paper list any of their witnesses? And kids from school? I hope not because they may have just ended their school year if there are any from the school.” Shelby had fired off his questions so fast Bret Sr. didn’t have time to respond.
Bret Sr. chuckled then told Shelby, “Shelby, ol’ man, slow down, give me a chance to answer your questions. To answer your first question, the hearing is scheduled for next Monday at nine in the morning. And yes, Kathy does have to attend. And if it will help keep Kathy calmer than she just was in this office, then Marge needs to attend also. Yes, there is a list of witnesses their lawyer is calling, mostly doctors. But a large number of parents. And no, no students are on the list we received, but that doesn’t preclude their lawyer from calling them at the last minute.” Then Bret Sr. turned to his son and asked him, “Junior, would you take this and get a background on all of the doctors on the witness list, then the parents. You know what we normally look for. And I want a detailed rundown on those doctors, their specialties, training, education, the works. And call doctors Taylor and Stomer and tell them they’ll be needed and when.” He turned back to Shelby and said, “Shelby, I’m sorry about all of this. With all of the records we have, that lawyer should have turned those parents down cold. I’ve a feeling this is either their first case and they’re trying to make a name for themselves, or they haven’t bothered to look at everything we filed. In which case, they are about to learn a valuable lesson. This should have been a very simple process of going before the Judge, presenting our case and Walter’s name gets officially changed. But no, some people just don’t know when to keep their noses out of other people’s business. Look, you better go find those beautiful women, they may need you about now.” Bret Sr. and Shelby stood, shook hands before Shelby left the office and went in search of the three women. He too would like to know how anyone with half a brain couldn’t believe Walter is now a full fledged girl. In every way.
Right Time
By Jamie Lee
Most often people talk about being in the right place at the right time. Maybe they achieved a beautiful photo of a sunrise, or the antics of children or animals. Maybe they found something someone lost and received a big reward when it was returned. But how often do they talk about being in the wrong place at the right time? If they do, it’s often about the death of someone or maybe witnessing a crime. And if this is the case, they are sad or horrified. Walter Williams often is in the wrong place at the right time, though his reaction to the incidents he encounters is much different than anyone would expect. And, life-changing.
When Shelby walked out of the offices of Marshall and Marshall, he had no trouble finding the three women, they were all sitting on the curb of the sidewalk in front of Marshall’s offices. Kathy was in the middle of a sandwich, with Terry on one side and Marge on the other, both women had an arm around Kathy’s back. Shelby walked around the three, knelt down in front of his daughter, reached out and pulled her into a hug. Where she proceeded to cry on his shoulder. It was easy for Shelby to see the tear streaks on both Terry and Marge’s faces and the anger on his wife’s face. He pitied the complaining parent who crossed her path any time soon, they’d walk away a few pounds lighter when Terry finished giving them her opinion of their moral character. As stoic as Shelby tried to be, he reached up now and then, as he held his daughter, and wiped the tears off his cheeks.
The Marshalls had been standing at the front door to their offices watching the four people sitting, or kneeling, just in front of their offices. It was Bret Jr. who commented, “Dad, I’ve met some really stupid people in my time, but I think we’re going up against some really ignorant ones in this case. I’m not trained in medicine, but even I can understand the anatomy of that girl’s body from all of those images. Why do those people have trouble seeing it?” Bret Sr. chuckled, put his arm around his son’s shoulder and answered him with, “Bret, it isn’t that they can’t see the same thing you see. It’s that they don’t want to see what you see. They don’t want to be proven wrong, so they simply deny what they’ve likely been shown, at least I hope their attorney has shown them everything. For people like those, Bret, life is supposed to be how they deem it should be. And if anything tries to change their point of view, even if it refutes their point of view, they simply ignore it or, as in this case, raise a stink. Come on. Let’s go prepare a case not even Houdini could get out of.”
Kathy had stopped crying, but was still holding, and being held by, her father, when everyone heard a loud growl, causing Kathy to laugh. She lifted her head off her father’s shoulder, turned to look at Marge and asked, “Hungry?” Marge’s face was a lovely shade of pink because of her stomach growling. “Um, yeah. I kinda am.” Kathy let go of her father, stood up and reached her hands to Marge and helped her stand before saying, “Well, someone did ask us out to dinner. Didn’t they?” And she turned to look at Shelby, who was now standing in front of the three women. He wiped his eyes again and said, as Terry had walked over to him, put her arm around his waist, “Yep, I did ask you three lovely ladies out to dinner. So, where would you like to go?” In a meek voice Marge asked, “Could we go Chinese? It always helps me to feel better after I’ve been upset. Kinda like that ice cream did the other day.” Kathy slowly turned her head to look at Marge, and together with her mother, blew Marge twin raspberries because of how the two felt after eating so much Dutch chocolate ice cream that afternoon. That caused everyone to laugh, and Marge to get a kiss on the cheek from Kathy. “Okay, if there are no objections, Chinese it is,” Shelby said, as he led Terry to the front passenger side of his car, then opened the rear passenger door for the girls.
The four didn’t know it at that time, but a resolve had been made by them all. Whether at school, or the following Monday when they walked into Court, or just out and about, no one was again going to bring them down because they couldn’t accept that Walter no longer existed. That because of that freak accident, Walter had been transformed into Kathy Elizabeth Williams. A girl who now, while still posing Walter’s sympathy and concern for others, had a fire in her belly that she was not afraid to let escape when necessary. And would likely do so again before others learned to accept her as she is now.
Everyone did feel better after their meal at the Chinese restaurant. But it was getting late and both girls still had homework to get done for the next day. As the girls had done on previous occasions, after Shelby pulled up to Marge’s house, and the girls got out of his car, they said their own special goodbyes until the next day. None of the four parents bothered to clear their throats this time, but let the girls kiss until they were ready to part. And when they did, Kathy had reached up and wiped tears that had escaped Marge’s eye, and softly told her, “It’s going to be okay.” Marge nodded her head before turning and both girls drug their hands along each other’s arms until the hands met. They didn’t hold hands long, just long enough to savor their time together until tomorrow. When Marge was standing on the porch, next to her parents, all three waved to the Willams as Shelby drove off towards home. Kathy hadn’t gotten into the back seat as they drove home, but sat up front next to Terry, who was now holding her hand, as Kathy laid her head on Terry’s shoulder. “Why do people have to be so stupid?” Kathy asked to no one in particular, but it was Terry who responded, “I don’t know, sweetheart. I just don’t know.” The three were silent the rest of the way home, Kathy going up to her room when they got home, and Terry and Shelby making themselves comfortable on the couch in their living room after getting changed; Terry’s head resting on Shelby’s shoulder. “Shelby? Do you really think we have a chance in Court next Monday?” Shelby turned his head, kissed Terry on top of her head, as he said, “Yeah, I do. When everything we have is presented it will only be someone who is blind who could deny the truth. And that would be because they couldn’t see everything we have presented. By the way, didn’t you say something about picking tonight’s entertainment? You haven’t said what it will be.” Shelby got his answer as Terry took her head off of his shoulder, pulled him to her and kissed him more passionately than she’d even done in the past. When the kiss ended, she told Shelby in a husky voice, “You’re tonight’s entertainment.”
Kathy had come down the stairs to say goodnight to her parents, but stopped when she saw them passionately kissing. She smiled when she heard her father ask her mom that question, and smiled even more at her mom’s reply. She quietly retreated to the top of the stairs, then stomped her way down the stairs, deliberately letting her parents hear her on the stairs. When she was standing in front of Terry and Shelby, she told them, “I just wanted to say goodnight. And thank you both for being there today.” It was Shelby who told her, “Honey, we’ll always be there for you because we love you.” Kathy had a strange look on her face, one similar to the smirk she often got before saying something that caused others to groan. It was Terry who asked, “Sweetheart, what are you up to this time?” The look persisted as Kathy went to her mom, bent down and hugged her, then whispered in her ear, “Enjoy your entertainment tonight.” Terry’s eyes got big before she laughed and whispered back, “Don’t worry. I plan too!” The two laughed together, then lightly kissed each other on the lips, before Kathy kissed Shelby, told her parents goodnight, and went up to her bedroom. Shelby had watched the interplay between daughter and mother and asked, “What was that all about?” Terry had a Chesire cat grin on her face as she told Shelby, “Oh, just girl talk dear. Juuust girl talk.” Terry then took Shelby’s hand, pulled him up with her, and together they walked back to their bedroom. And to tonight’s entertainment.
When Terry got up the next morning she feared Kathy would be reacting the same as she did this past Tuesday. And she planned to do the same this morning as she did on that morning. Only when she heard Shelby say, “Good morning sweetheart,” and heard, “Good morning, daddy,” were her fears alleviated. She turned around, walked over to a robed Kathy, gave her a hug and asked, “Did you sleep okay last night?” Terry waited for Kathy’s answer, as she told her to get the milk, orange juice, and butter out of the fridge, and the syrup out of the cabinet. After setting all three on the kitchen table, Kathy said, “Yeah, I did, mom. And when I woke up this morning, I didn’t have the same worry as I had on Tuesday. In fact, I don’t really care if someone mouths off today, it’s their right to do so. Just like it’s my right not to care or pay attention to them.” Terry hugged Kathy again, before flipping the pancakes over and rotating the sausages.
“Kathy. That’s a good attitude to have, as long as you know when it should be applied,” Shelby told his daughter. “Knowing others have the right to express their opinions is often harder to put into practice than a person would think. Especially if they disagree with you about something. And you have to know when to ignore what they’re saying and when to take them on their word, since sometimes it can be the difference between life and death.” Kathy had listened intently to her father’s words, since she might need that advice today.
Terry lifted the edge of one pancake to see if it was done, and seeing it was done started piling all of them on a plate. She cut open one of the sausages and saw they too were done and placed them on a separate plate. After they sat down at the kitchen table, Terry saw a smirl form on Kathy’s lips, and said one word, “WHAT?” Kathy wiggled her head before saying, “I see you’re not walking funny this morning.” Shelby had a puzzled look on his face from his daughter’s statement. Terry, on the other hand, had her mouth open, her eyes bugged out and her head tilted at a funny angle. When Kathy started to smile, Terry just shook her head and said to her daughter, “Why you little imp. You just wait, missy. I’ll get to tell you that one day.” Shelby was still puzzled, so he asked, “Um, what are you two talking about?” Terry gave him a bemused smile and told him, “Nothing, dear. Juuust girl talk.” Shelby shook his head and continued eating. What Shelby didn’t see was Terry shaking a mock fist at Kathy, causing her to laugh.
As usual, Shelby was the first out of the house, after rinsing off his plates and placing them into the dishwasher. Terry walked him to the door, and as the two kissed, Kathy watched as her father’s hand drifted down between the two of them, causing her mom to push her hips into him. She let out a chuckle, which caused her parents to end their kiss, and her to get the ‘look’ from her mother. When Terry walked back out into the kitchen, she got behind Kathy and put her hands on Kathy’s shoulders, telling her, “You are such an imp.” She then bent down and kissed Kathy on the cheek. What Terry wasn’t expecting was the next question Kathy asked. “So, um, mom. Did dad rock you world last night? Did you sing for him?” Terry slowly turned away from the sink, put her hands on her hips, and tried to say in a shocked voice, “KATHERINE ELIZABETH WILLIAMS, where DO you get such ideas?” She then walked over and put her arms around her daughter from behind and answered Kathy’s question with, “Oh, yes sweetheart. He took me to another galaxy. And yes, I sang for more.” Kathy reached up and took hold of her mother’s arms and replied, “I’m glad mom, for both of you.” Both of their grips tightened before Terry told her she better go get ready for school. Kathy quickly put the last bit of pancake into her mouth, got up from the kitchen table and after following her dad’s example, went up the stairs to get ready for school.
Kathy felt a renewed confidence within her, despite the feeling that many had already heard about the parents who were suing to stop her getting her name changed. But she didn’t care, she was going to let them have their say. Even if what she heard was geared towards pushing her ‘go’ button again. Today, she was going to hold her head high and act like nothing was wrong.
After picking Marge up, Terry drove them to school, where they saw Peter standing by the main doors to the school. Kisses were exchanged, with Marge too, this time, and Terry watched her brother talk to the girls before they headed to the school office. Terry’s self control kicked in just before she got out of her car to go find out what Peter wanted. Instead, she drove out of the school parking lot and went shopping. She’d find things out when she picked Kathy and Marge up this afternoon. If she didn’t call Peter first.
The girls walked with Peter to his office, where Margot said good morning to the girls as they walked by her desk. Once in his office, and he’d closed the door, instead of sitting in his chair, Peter sat on the front edge of his desk. Kathy and Marge had sat down in two of the chairs in front of Peter’s desk and heard him ask, “I just wanted to let the both of you know that some parents are suing to keep you, Kathy, from getting your name changed. And from coming to school dressed as a girl. Those morons seem to think you’re still physically Walter, and nothing I’ve been able to say to them has changed their minds. I just wanted you both to be prepared for today in case some of their children have the same attitude.” Peter saw the smile on the face of both girls, as he heard Kathy tell him, “We know, Uncle Peter. Mr. Marshall Sr. was telling us all they’d done so far when he received some papers telling him about the suit. And don’t worry about me going cuckoo today, Uncle Peter, I won’t. I’ve realized others have the right to give their opinions, and I have the right to ignore or accept what they say. So if someone is snotty, and I can logically reason with them, I will. Otherwise, I’m going to thank them for their opinion and walk on. And I have a feeling by doing that, it will be a bigger slap in their face than yelling at them would ever be.” After Kathy finished filling Peter inon what they heard, he told them, “And because what they’re after involves the school, I’m going to be involved as well. So I’ll be talking to the school’s attorneys about the matter. And Kathy, please don’t get upset if they advise me to have you stop coming to school dressed as a girl.”
Kathy laughed again and told her Uncle, “Oh, Uncle Peter. It won’t be me who’ll get upset if that’s what the attorneys advise. And you know it. But just in case, maybe you should warn them of the fury they’ll unleash if they make such a decision. And besides, what will I wear to school? Boy clothes or girls clothes? Will I then have to use the boys or girls restrooms? Will I be transferred to the boys PE class or stay in the girls class? Points they need to consider, if they make such a decision for you. Oh, and when you talk to them, maybe take all of the documentation with you? You know, all of the pictures and images? The ones that show my insides being that of a girl’s?”
Marge had cringed when Kathy started pointing out things to her Uncle, afraid it would be a repeat from yesterday at Marshall and Marshall. But she was surprised as Kathy kept her voice level, never getting angry, just laying things out for her Uncle to tell the school attorneys. Kathy noticed the look of pride on Marge’s face, and like her mom had done to her earlier this morning, she asked, “WHAT?” Marge snorted as she said, “Well, Mrs. Williams,” which caused Marge to start laughing at the sour look on Kathy’s face. “Yes, pain in my butt? You were saying?” Kathy retorted as she too started laughing at their antics. When they stopped laughing, Marge told Kathy, “When you started pointing out those items to Principal Stepel, I was afraid you were going to do like you did yesterday at the lawyer’s office. But you didn’t, and I’m very proud of you.” When Peter asked what happened at the lawyer’s office, Kathy meekly said, “Um, I sort of blew my top, again, when we heard what those parents wanted to do.” Kathy raised her hands when she saw both Marge and her Uncle were about to say something. “No, you both don’t have to worry about me today. I told mom I realized everyone has a right to express their opinion, whether I agree with it or not. If they get snotty, I’m going to thank them for their opinion and just walk off. I think that’ll sting more than me shouting at them. Don’t you think Uncle Peter? They won’t be expecting me to thank them and walk off.” Peter was nodding his head because of what Kathy said, and answered with, “It just might, Kathy. You’ll just have to wait and find out. Enough of our meeting, you two need to get to class.”
As the girls left Peter’s office, and said their goodbyes to Margot, they headed to first Kathy’s hall locker before going to Marge’s. And like Monday, when the other students were looking at them after the false rumor got started, the other students were again watching the girls as they walked down the hallway. Marge chuckled as she told Kathy, “They’re doing it again, Kathy. Just like they did on Monday.” Kathy smiled at Mage’s observation and told her, “Yeah, so I noticed. Are we the only ones in this school they’re fascinated with? I mean, isn’t there some he said she said going around with anyone else? Ya know, like the reason the head cheerleader dumped the Captain of the football team was due to him not wanting to get into her panties, when she wanted him too? Or something like that? Oh, well, I guess the best response to having the spotlight on us is, ‘this too shall pass.’” Marge laughed this time at Kathy’s mock attempt at drama, as she said the last part. Then Marge caused both girls to start laughing when she said, “Yeah, like passing gas in a crowded theater.” And Kathy egged the laughter on by the expression she gave the usually meek girl for what she just said. Their laughter died, though, when Kathy opened her hall locker and several sheets of paper fell to the floor.
Kathy stooped down and picked them up, giving a few to Marge. As they both read through them, one thing was clear, they were not everyone’s favorites. Kathy read one out loud to Marge which read: “When my parents are through with you, you won’t be so special anymore. We don’t need any fake girls at this school.” Then Marge read one out loud that read: “Someone should have fixed you long ago, so you can’t breed anymore queers.” Kathy read another one that got even nastier, which read: “Too bad Bakes didn’t get the chance to take care of you when he had the chance. But don’t worry, we will.”
Kathy didn’t take any books out of her hall locker, instead, she closed the locker door and told Marge, “Come on,” and led them to their science class. She stopped them in the doorway to the class and said out loud so everyone could hear, “Mrs. Stokes, Marge and I are going to see Principal Stepel. I just found threatening letters in my hall lockers. We may be late to class or not here at all.” She didn’t wait for a reply from Brigette, she simply took Marge’s hand, turned them around and headed to the school office.
Margot could tell the winds blew ill will, as she saw Kathy and Marge walk into the school office. When they reached Margot’s desk, Kathy said, “We need to see Principal Stepel. We’re being threatened.” Margot got up from her desk and bid the girls to follow her, as they walked down the short hallway to Peter’s office. She knocked on his office door, didn’t wait for a reply, as she opened the door and told Peter, “We have a situation against the girls.”
Peter had been talking with Tina, the school’s Vice Principal, when Margot had knocked on his office door and came into his office. Margot’s declaration got both of their attention and Peter simply waved Margot and the girls into his office. Neither Kathy or Marge said a word, they just laid the notes on Peter’s desk and found two chairs to sit in. Margot closed the door and stood there with her back to the door. Almost at the same time, both Peter and Tina said, “Aw, shit.” Then he told Margot to go call Robert and tell him he was needed right now. Then Peter got up from his chair, told the three ladies he’d be right back and left his office. A few moments later they heard his voice over the school PA system, announcing an assembly in the gym to start right after the second bell rang. And it was mandatory for everyone.
He came back into his office red in the face, then asked Tina to take all of the notes and make copies of them. When she came back with the copies, he took the originals from her then turned to Kathy and Marge, telling them, “I want you two to stay with Tina in her office. I’m going to have Robert station two of his men here in the school office. I’m going to do what I should have done the first time, and it isn’t going to be pretty.” Tina and the girls got up out of their chairs and walked out of Peter’s office, Peter was following them. As they reached Margot’s desk, Robert arrived, asking Peter, “What’s up boss?” Peter handed him the notes, and after reading them, got on his radio and told two of his men to report to the school office. Peter chuckled after Robert’s call, telling him, “I was going to ask you to get two men up here to watch the office while the girls are in with Tina.” It was Robert’s turn to chuckle, as he told Peter, “I was going to have two men shadow the girls the rest of the day of school.” They both laughed, then as two of Robert’s men showed up, Peter left them all to sort things out as he headed to the gym. And the ass chewing he should have given them the first time.
Peter was the last staff to arrive, and by the way he stormed into the gym, everyone could tell it was not going to be good. One of the AV boys held out the wireless microphone and Peter jerked it out of the boy’s hand. He walked out to center court of the basketball court, and started walking in a circle around the mascot painted on the floor. He held the hand ritten notes in his left hand. And as he started speaking, those who guessed things weren’t going to be good, got their confirmation.
“When that false rumor was flying around this school about what happened after last Friday’s dance, I wanted to rip every one of you a new one. I wanted to crawl down your throats for spreading such a vicious rumor. But I was talked out of doing so by a lot of people who were concerned how you would react. They told me if I did get angry with you, it could have the opposite effect.” He kept walking as he held up the hand full of handwritten notes. “Well, judging by what I’m holding in my hand, some of you didn’t get the message. Some of you know that there are parents of some students in this school who are opposing Walter Williams getting her name changed.” Peter stopped dead in his tracks when he heard, “Him, he isn’t a her.” Peter slowly turned towards where he heard the words and walked over to where it came from, and with a growl demanded, “Who just said that? WHO JUST SAID THAT?” As Peter watched, students started sliding to their left and right until one girl was sitting by herself. Peter turned to see Robert and yelled, “ROBERT. TAKE THIS GIRL TO THE SCHOOL OFFICE. PUT HER IN ONE OF THE CONFERENCE ROOMS AND HAVE ONE OF YOUR MEN STAND OUTSIDE OF THE DOOR TO THAT ROOM. THEN HAVE MARGOT CALL THE POLICE!” One of Robert’s men came over where Peter was standing and told the girl to, “Come with me, Miss.” Because the girl was so angry, she made the mistake of saying, “You just wait until my parents get through with him. He won’t be so special anymore!” Peter read the girl’s name from her school ID hung around her neck, quickly read through the handwritten notes he was holding, found the one he wanted, and wrote her name on that note.
A girl had stood up and called out, “Principal Stepel?” Peter looked around until he saw the standing girl and asked, “Yes. You have something you want to say?” The girl took a deep breath, then told Peter, “My parents are one of the parents involved in that suit. I tried to tell them they were wrong about Walter, um, I mean Kathy. That she wasn’t some boy trying to be a girl, but because of that accident in the science class, had transformed into a girl. They wouldn’t listen to me. I even tried to tell them it was going to turn out bad for them. They grounded me for the rest of the school year, because they think I lied to them.”
As Peter was watching the girl as she spoke, and when she finished speaking he heard, “We don’t want no queers in this school!” Peter turned towards where the voice came from but didn’t have to ask who said it, the students had already isolated the boy as they’d done the girl. “ROBERT, THAT BOY TOO. THE CONFERENCE ROOM AND A CALL TO HIS PARENTS.” Peter saw the boy’s name on his ID, shifted through the notes, found the one he wanted, wrote the boy’s name on it, and handed it to the security man who was escorting the boy to the office.
Peter walked back to center court and again started walking in a circle around the mascot painted on the court. He held the microphone up and asked, “Any more brave souls who want to confess they were the ones who put these other four notes into Kathy Williams’ hall locker?” The gym had an eerie silence to it, even when filled with the entire student body. “I’ve got four more notes in my hand. You four monsters haven’t the guts to take credit for your work? Come on, now. Crawl out from under your rocks and take credit for not being brave enough to tell Kathy to her face what you cowardly wrote on notes and stuffed into her hall locker. Because that’s all you are, cowards. And that’s all you’re ever going to be, cowards. And those of you who watched them stuff those notes into Kathy’s hall locker are no better for remaining silent. TO HELL WITH THE DAMN STUDENT CODE OF SILENCE. FOUR OF YOU HAVE THREATENED ANOTHER STUDENT. A STUDENT, WHO NO FAULT OF HER OWN, NOW FINDS HERSELF A GIRL INSTEAD OF THE BOY WHO STARTED HIS FRESHMAN YEAR AT THIS SCHOOL AND I WANT TO KNOW WHO THOSE OTHER FOUR STUDENTS ARE!!!!”
Peter had been walking the circle with his head down, but brought it up when he heard shuffling sounds coming from several places around the gym. What he saw were four individuals who had been isolated like the first girl and boy. This time Peter simply pointed at each individual and Robert knew what he wanted. As each student was told to go with a man on Robert’s team, Peter asked each one which note they wrote, writing their name on the note they pointed out. With all six out of the gym, he started his circle walk again. When he calmed down a bit he said, “I’m sure there are more of you who agree with those six, but chose to keep your opinions to yourselves. A wise move on your part because you will still be coming to school. But I would advise those of you whose parents are involved in the suit to stop Walter from changing her name to Kathy, and prevent her, a girl, for God’s sake, from coming to school dressed as a girl, to reconsider their position. Because as sure as I’m standing here, they are going to lose, and lose big. And after they lose, you can bank on it that the Williams will then come after your parents for Defamation of Character. And ask for a huge settlement, one that might have you moving into other accommodations. Ones much less grand than where you live now. You best take that to your parents and make them see reason. Because. They. Are. Going. To. Lose! One last thing people. If anything happens to Kathy and/or Marge, anything at all by any of you or anyone you know who doesn’t attend here, if any more notes appear in either girl’s lockers, someone better say something because otherwise, this whole school will go on a two week suspension. I will not tolerate any more threats against those two girls or anyone else in this school. If something happens and you see it happen you better let me know yesterday, last week, two years ago. Or all of you will have very poor grade averages come the end of school. And I don’t give a damn if you’re a straight ‘A’ student. You’re part of this student body, just like everyone else! Now, get out of here and back to whatever class you’d be in this time in the morning.”
And Peter kept circling the mascot, even after everyone had left. Or so he thought, until he heard a voice say, “Do you think that’s going to do any good?” It was Jenny, and she was worried about him because he just kept circling that mascot painted on the court. Peter stopped walking and looked up, “I have no idea. But it’ll stop those six. And hopefully any others will be able to convince their parents to pull out of that suit. Now I have to go and confront the parents of those home bread monsters, who are only parroting what they heard their parents say. Care to come along?” Jenny nodded her head and answered, “I think I better. If only to keep an eye on you. To make sure you don’t fly off the handle much like your niece can.” Peter nodded his head in agreement, then tossed his head towards one of the gym doors. Time to go face the dragons.
Right Time
By Jamie Lee
Most often people talk about being in the right place at the right time. Maybe they achieved a beautiful photo of a sunrise, or the antics of children or animals. Maybe they found something someone lost and received a big reward when it was returned. But how often do they talk about being in the wrong place at the right time? If they do, it’s often about the death of someone or maybe witnessing a crime. And if this is the case, they are sad or horrified. Walter Williams often is in the wrong place at the right time, though his reaction to the incidents he encounters is much different than anyone would expect. And, life-changing.
When Peter and Jenny walked into the school office, it sounded like recess in grade school with all the shouting and yelling. Peter and Jenny tried to suppress chuckles as they heard Margot tell one man to shut his foul mouth or she and him were going to the little boys room where she’d wash his mouth out with soap. He seemed to get the message, because he found some other place to be at that moment. And when all of the parents saw Peter walk into the school office, they descended on him like buzzards who just found a carcass.
“What the hell are you playing, at Stepel?” One angry parent asked. Another yelled, “Who gave you the fucking right to keep my daughter a prisoner?” And the questions went on and on until an air horn sounded, held aloft by Margot. And she didn’t mince her words, as usual. “Now listen up, you whiny babies. Your precious monsters are here because they threatened another student, and that won’t be tolerated at this school. And all of you can give yourselves the credit for their behavior because they got it from you. Now, go down to that conference room, keep your damn mouths shut, and you’ll learn what you taught your children to do on your behalf.” And when the parents looked back at Peter, Robert and four of his team members were standing behind and around Peter. As everyone stared at him, he told them, “Well, you heard the lady people. MOVE. NOW!”
Peter’s entourage followed the throng of angry parents to the large conference, where they found not only the six students, but six police officers as well. All of the parents moved to stand behind their child, as they waited for Peter to explain himself. A few moments later Tina came into the room and gave each officer a copy of all the notes, then stood back and remained silent. Robert and one of his team was in the room and the other two were standing outside the closed door.
“Good, I see we’re all here, so let’s get started. Ah, Mr. and Mrs. Jordan. There you are, this is for you, the note your daughter wrote and stuffed into Kathy Williams hall locker. Mr. and Mrs. Borden, ah, there you are. And this note is for you, done by your son. Mrs. Burgman, ah, there you are. This was your son’s handiwork.” And so it went until each parent had a copy of the note their child had written and stuffed into Kathy’s hall locker. “Mr. and Mrs. Douglas, I’m particularly taken with your son’s writing: ‘Too bad Robert Bakes didn’t get a chance to take care of you. But don’t worry, we will.’ Did you two teach him that attitude, to hurt someone because they are different? For that matter,” and Peter looked around the room, “do any of you personally know Walter Williams, who now goes by Kathy Williams?” One woman spoke up and angrily said, “You mean that queer prancing around this school dressed as a girl. Yeah, I know him. What of it?” Peter just shook his head, and Jenny softly laid a hand on his arm. “Mrs. Burgman, did you hear about the accident Walter was involved in during his science class? Where shelves collapsed? Where glass bottles of various chemicals broke? Where Walter fell into all of that and was cut by the glass and contaminated by a variety of chemicals? And how those chemicals tampered with his DNA and transformed him into the girl she is today?”
When Patricia Burgman shook her head, Peter then asked, “Have any of you heard about that accident?” Several parents shook their heads, but it was Mrs. Douglas who said, “I heard about that accident, and how badly he was hurt. I even consulted several doctors who said it was impossible for him to change into a girl just because of a few chemicals. And we’re going to court to put a stop to all of this nonsense.” “Mrs. Douglas, call your Ob-Gyn and have her call Dr. Stomer over at General Hospital, and have them talk about Walter Williams. Then have your doctor call you back, and don’t be surprised by what you hear.” Mrs. Douglas became indignant as she said, “I’ll do no such thing. I wouldn’t believe anything a woman involved with a freak had to say. Doctor or not, she’d say anything she had to in order to keep a freak from getting what’s coming to him.”
“Ah, Principal Stepel, if I may,” the Sergeant police officer said. When Peter nodded his head, the officer continued. “Ladies and Gentleman, these six teens have committed a crime by what they’ve done. It may not seem like it to you parents, but it’s a crime nonetheless. We will be arresting all six and taking them down to the station for booking. My advice to all of you, get your lawyers and meet us there.” And the room erupted in bedlam, as parents began shouting this and that threat to the police, to Peter, to Tina, to the school board, that they’d go to the Governor if they had too. But it did no good, the six teens were arrested and taken out to the police cruisers. As each parent passed Peter, he heard the usual, “You haven’t heard the last of this. We’ll sue this entire school district.”
When the students had left with the police officers, and the last of the angry parents had left, Peter collapsed in a chair, and laid his head down on the table. Tina had gone back to her office and came back with Kathy and Marge, who sat down next to Peter. Kathy reached over and hugged her Uncle, telling him, “What do you always tell me, Uncle Peter? Hang in there, it will get better?” With his head still on the table, he asked Kathy in a muffled voice, “Damn, girl. Do you always have to throw my words back at me?” When he looked up at her, she saw the tears streaks down his cheeks. He then told her, “But thanks for reminding me.” And she pulled him into a tight hug.
Peter broke the hug and told the girls they’d best get to class, and asked Robert to have two of his team shadow the girls the rest of the day; one would watch each girl when they had different class sections. Jenny sat down beside him and asked, “Guess you didn’t like what you had to do, right?” Peter looked at her, shook his head and told her, “No, not one bit. But neither could I allow this to continue, and they had to know I wouldn’t. Jenny, is it enough to teach these kids just what we’re teaching them? Shouldn’t there be another class that teaches them how to think, to reason, to look beyond now and try and see possible consequences of their actions? If we don’t, who will? Will they learn those lessons when it’s too late and they’re standing before a Judge and Jury? Or they’ve gone through their second, third, or umptenth marriage? Or have been fired from their umptenth job? If not us, then who, Jenny? Who’s going to teach them these lessons if not us?”
Peter’s assembly had lasted until third period, which is where the girls separated and went into two different sections of the same English class, each girl’s shadow making sure they arrived safely then standing outside of the classroom. Like Monday, when there were bees in the classroom, when Kathy walked into her English class, there were bees there too. Until Mrs. Donna Baker shut the classroom door then called for silence.
Donna was much like Peter, in that she cared deeply for her students and the subject she taught. And as she was about to get into today’s lesson, a boy sitting third from the front and next to the classroom windows, raised his hand. “Yes, Charles?” Donna said, recognizing the boy. Charles stood up, turned to face Kathy and told her, “Um...Kathy, my parents are also part of that suit trying to stop you getting your name changed, and all the rest, like that girl said. I wanted you to know I tried, like that girl, to talk my parents out of doing it, told them I’d seen what happened and the changes you’ve gone through. My dad said I was a liar,” and he pointed to the bruise near his right eye, “and I got this from him because of what I told him. I wanted you to know, those of us whose parents are involved, we all tried to get them to see they were wrong, and it was going to cost them when they learned the truth as we watched it happen.” Charles thanked Donna for letting him speak and sat back down in his chair. As Donna looked around her classroom, she could see trying to proceed with the lesson she had planned would be useless, her student’s minds were on what happened in the impromptu assembly and what Peter had told them. “Alright, class. I can see that it would be a waste of time trying to get to today’s lesson, you all are still in that assembly in the gym we just had. So, let’s do something different, and maybe just as important. Let’s talk. You may say what’s on your mind without fear of retribution, or being admonished for what you say. I can see most of you have something to say, good or bad. Charles started us off, who’s next?”
Donna was surprised to see Kathy being the next to speak, as she told everyone in class, “Um, I’m really sorry for being the cause of all this. It wasn’t like I had much choice in the matter.” A girl sitting in the back of the class said, “Yeah, you had a choice. You could have told Mrs. Stokes you needed help getting that alcohol bottle, instead of trying to get it yourself.” The girl, Barbara Toner, was one of the students in Kathy’s science class, and it didn’t take a genius to see she was very upset. Kathy nodded her head in agreement, but asked Barbara, “How many times have you got something off a higher shelf, stood on a shelf to reach it? How many times have you had the shelf you were standing on break, or even consider it might break? You’re right, I should have asked Mrs. Stokes for help. But neither was I expecting those shelves to break as they did. And just so all of you know, all I ever wanted was to just be Walter, not Kathy. Just a boy.” Tears leaked out of her eyes, and she pulled a tissue out of her purse and wiped them away. Donna’s decision to let the students talk was the right decision, as everyone had something to say. And when the first bell rang, even Donna could see they were calmer than they had been at the start of class. Donna caught Kathy’s eye, then told her, “Hang in there, girl. It will get better.” Kathy laughed then told Donna, “Thanks Mrs. Baker. I’ve an Uncle who’s been saying that a lot lately.” Kathy was surprised when Donna then said, “You mean, Principal Stepel?” She then winked at Kathy and watched as she picked up a shadow as she left the classroom.
When the two girls got together after their English classes, they compared notes and found them to be the same. Neither class covered today’s lesson, both classes just talked. And so it would be throughout the rest of the day in their classes. Teachers seeing the futility of trying to cover their lessons and let the students talk, and seeing after class let out how much good it had done. More than one teacher decided they were going to take one day a week and just let their students talk. Let them say what they’ve kept bottled up and no one to share it with.
Nothing seemed special as Marge and Kathy walked hand in hand to the cafeteria. But that changed as they walked into the cafeteria. As they stood in line to get their food, other students were coming up to them and asking them to sit with them for lunch. All except one group of students who were sitting at a table off in the corner of the cafeteria. Since most of those asking the girls to sit with them were in basically the same area, Marge and Kathy decided to sit at the two empty chairs that were almost in the middle of all those who asked. They had to walk by the table in the corner to get around to the two vacant seats. And as they passed that table, they heard, “Sluts,” “Faggot,” “Queer,” “You just wait,” and a few other words before Kathy stopped, turned to face those students, and to the surprise of everyone who’d heard what they’d said, she told them, “Thank you for your opinions, though you’re wrong, but thank you anyway.” She then turned and continued to follow Marge to the seats they’d chosen. Many had seen it when Kathy was lit up, her temper and the tenacity with which she delivered her words. So it came as a shock when she calmly thanked those students and walked off. And by the looks on some of the faces of those who’d been mean to Kathy, they too were shocked that she didn’t stand her ground and give them hell.
The events of the previous day seemed to have fallen by the wayside, or those students harboring hate towards Kathy and Marge learned to keep their opinions to themselves, and not to act out, as teachers were once again able to present their lessons to their classes. Peter had contacted the school attorneys, and set up a meeting to discuss the ramifications to the school from the lawsuit against the Williams. The school attorneys had contacted Marshall and Marshall and asked if they could have copies of everything sent to them on the Williams case, explaining their reasons for asking.
When Peter and the school attorneys met, and Peter expressed his opinion about how the lawsuit would go, the attorneys agreed with him, telling him, “We consulted with several specialists and while none of them ever heard of a boy being transformed into a girl after being contaminated by those chemicals on the list, none could positively say that it was impossible. Highly unlikely, but not impossible. It would seem, Peter, Mr. Walter Williams was that one in a million person who could be affected by the chemicals on that list. Even those who looked at the images confirmed the internal structures were of a female. We agree with you, Peter. The lawsuit against the Williams will likely be found in favor of the Williams. And I wouldn’t want to be in those parents’ shoes when the Williams get through with them. And because of our beliefs, we don’t see any problems arising that will adversely affect the school, other than what has already happened. But, because we could get some moron for a judge, who would site with the parents, despite the overwhelming evidence against them, we have gone ahead and worked out a contingency plan just in case. And we’ll hold off talking about that for now.”
When their meeting concluded, Peter thanked them for taking the time to meet with him, and walked back to his office after seeing them out of the office. There was a soft knock on his closed office door, before it opened and a voice asked, “You okay, Peter?” Margot had walked back to Peter’s office, softly knocked and walked into his office. There, sitting in his chair, Margot saw Peter with his head down on his folded arms on the desk. He lifted his head, shook it, and replied, “Yeah, Margot, I’m okay. I just wish I knew how that lawsuit would turn out. Then I could figure out what we needed to do. Given the evidence that will be presented by Marshall and Marshall, I can’t see any outcome but a win for Terry and her family. But as our attorneys pointed out, if we get a bozo of a judge, one who feels like those parents, then all the evidence in the world won’t do us any good.” Margot caught the ‘we’ in Peter’s answer to her, and committed with, “Um...we, Peter? Why are we involved in this case?”
Margot had heard about the lawsuit brought by several parents, but not the particulars. Peter sighed then said, “If my sister’s family lose that lawsuit, Kathy won’t be able to get her name changed from Walter to Kathy, which won’t be a deal breaker. However, she will also not be able to come to school dressed as a girl, either. She won’t even be able to be treated as the girl she is. She will have to be treated as the boy those morons believe she is underneath her clothing.” Margot went wide-eyed hearing what would happen if the parents won their lawsuit. Then she saw a nasty grin form on Peter’s face as he told her, “You know, Margot. Maybe they need to attend a show and tell.” When Margot saw the feral look on Peter’s face she asked, “What do you mean, show and tell?” Then it clicked and she told Peter, “Oh, Peter, that might not be a good idea. Kathy is still having adjustment problems, and to have her undress in front of total strangers? Even if it’s only the women? That just might push her over an edge she might not come back from. Have you talked to your sister about this idea? Or mentioned it to the school attorneys? Or your sister’s attorneys? Peter, you better talk with all of those people before you take it to Kathy. Because if you take the idea to Kathy before talking it over with your sister, well, it was nice knowing you.”
Peter was nodding his head, agreeing with everything Margot told him. And she was right about Terry, she would kill him if he went to Kathy before talking it over with her. He made that mistake one day when they were both in middle school, and it took both of their parents to hold Terry down after Peter had decided to do something without consulting her. And he still had the scar on his right shoulder where she hit him with a metal lamp. He picked up the phone on his desk and dialed Terry’s number. “Hi, sis. I have an idea I’d like to discuss with you…”
When Peter didn’t melt after talking to his sister, Margot left his office and went back to her desk. The idea he had held merit, though it was actually up to Kathy if she’d be willing to follow through with Peter’s idea. Those parents thought there was a boy under the dresses and skirts Kathy was wearing? Maybe a show and tell for the women in those families would change a lot of minds.
With only a few days until their 9:00 A.M. Court hearing on Monday, Marge was very attentive to Kathy during the final few days. When asked, Kathy would declare she was okay, but her starting to get short with others told a different story. Thomas and Terry even talked, and Marge would be spending several hours Saturday and Sunday with Kathy at her home, even spending Sunday night at the Williams. By the time Sunday evening arrived, Kathy was like a caged Tiger, pacing her bedroom, or the living room, or up and down the hallway to her parent’s bedroom. She couldn’t sit still. She’d sit down for five or ten minutes then would be up pacing. Finally, Terry looked at Marge, threw her head towards Kathy’s bedroom, then pointed down to her groin. Marge understood Terry’s message, she only hoped Kathy would respond.
The girls didn’t come out of Kathy’s bedroom until two hours later, and Kathy looked much more relaxed than she had looked. She had a glow about her. And Marge didn’t look too bad either. And when it was time for Kathy to go to bed, a few hours later, she had little trouble falling asleep after another couple of hours under Marge’s tutelage.
Marge helped Kathy wake up Monday morning as she had helped her go to sleep the night before. Their time was shorter, since both had to get ready for the 9:00 a.m. Court hearing. But even that shorter time together was enough to help Kathy relax before they left for the hearing. After showering together, and a bit of play, they dressed and went down to breakfast. Terry and Shelby were already up and dressed, and Terry had placed simple items on the kitchen table for them to eat.
Peter had called to tell Terry he’d been advised not to attend the hearing, the school attorneys would take care of that chore. Dorothy and Thomas also called, telling Terry they’d be at the hearing for moral support. Marshall Sr. called to remind them of the time the hearing started, and not to let Kathy dress in anything flamboyant, they didn’t want her to appear any way but as a normal girl. It was 8:30 a.m. when Marge and the Williams left the Williams’ home for the fifteen minute drive to the Court House. Fifteen minutes that seemed to last forever, to Kathy. And fifteen minutes Marge used to try and keep Kathy calm. Marge also thought to herself if they should have brought rope so they could tie Kathy to a chair.
Marge wasn’t the only one who thought about Kathy’s reaction to what she might hear during the hearing. Everyone who knew her and her temper, hoped she’d be able to keep it together no matter what she heard. And so did Kathy.
Shelby pulled their car into the Courthouse parking lot, found a parking space near the back of the lot, took a deep breath, turned to Kathy and asked her, “Kathy? You are going to hear a lot of things said in the courtroom that may or may not be intended to get you riled up. Things said that may or may not be true. They’re going to keep referring to you as a boy, not the girl you are. They’re going to address you as Walter, which, technically, is still your legal name. They are going to try and make you out to be a queer, faggot, a sissy boy, and likely other names, saying this is an abomination and shouldn’t be allowed. That you shouldn’t be allowed to prance around school pretending to be a girl. And it won’t matter what we know, our doctors know, or how you now appear. You told us when you went back to school the other day, that you realized everyone has a right to their opinion, and that if someone got nasty with you, you’d thank them for their opinion and walk away. I’m asking you, right now, to do that in the courtroom. Let them say what they want. Let them call you anything they want. Let them think they’re dealing with a boy who wants to be a girl. Let them denigrate you all they want.”
Shelby saw Kathy was about to say something, and held up his hand to stop her. “No, let me finish. You know who you are, you know you’re a girl through and through. You know there is no way they can prove you’re a boy because anatomically, you’re not. Let them say anything derogatory about you they want, in that courtroom. Because anything they say will be recorded, and give us the ammunition we need to go after them for defamation of character. And sweetheart, your mom and I plan to go after them with all guns blazing. And all we ask is for you to grin and bear it. Silently thank them for their opinions and silently walk on. Do you think you can do that, for all of us?”
Kathy was silent after what her father told her and asked of her. Then she got a smirk on her face and told her father, “Daddy, after all you and mommy have done for me since all this started, for all Marge has done for me, and to me,” and Marge blushed a bit, tightening her grip on Kathy’s hand, “and doctors Taylor and Stomer, and Uncle Peter, I’d walk through hell to try and save anyone of you. Yeah, I can let those morons have their say, silently thank them and silently walk on. Besides, I want to see how much you and mommy take them to the cleaners for afterwards.”
Marge tightened her grip on Kathy’s hand, then took her other hand and sandwiched Kathy’s hand between hers. Terry cleared her throat and got a funny look on her face before saying, “Um, sweetheart. We should have talked last night about an idea Peter had, concerning how to prove to the old bitties you aren’t just a boy prancing around school, pretending to be a girl. He, ah, well,” Kathy just laughed and told her mom, “He thinks I should undress and show those old prunes my sleek new girl body, right? With its perky new breasts, slim waist, and lovely new vaginal opening?” Shelby must have swallowed wrong, because he started coughing when Kathy mentioned vaginal opening. The three women laughed, and Terry beat on his back, telling him, “Oh, honey, you know what that is, and what its made for. You’ve demonstrated that knowledge often enough. And delightfully so, I might add.” Shelby was now as red as a beet, and the three women were in fits of hysteria.
When Shelby’s normal coloring returned, and the women had stopped laughing, it was Kathy who told her mom and Marge, “Oh, gads, now we look a sight. We’ll need to fix our faces before going into court.” Then she got deadly serious, a look the three had seen all too often before she popped her cork. “Mom, if it takes me to undress before those prunes to prove I’m no longer a boy, then that’s what I’ll do. But don’t be surprised if I unload on them afterwards. It won’t be anything vile or vulgar. But they will know how stupid they are for doing all this in public, and on record, when they could have just come and talked with us. Yeah, mom and dad, I’ll keep my temper. I’ll let them have all the rope they need to hang themselves. And then we can sit down and discuss how we would like to remodel our house, after our lawyers take them to the cleaners.”
When Kathy finished talking, Marge, Shelby, and Terry were just looking at her. What she just said would have been how Walter would have handled past situations. He’d laugh after they happened, and move on. Never losing his temper because it happened to him. Both of her parents looked at each other, thinking the same thing, that Kathy was coming to terms with her now being a girl. Terry reached back and stroked Kathy’s right cheek, telling her, “I’m so proud of you and how you’ve handled this whole situation.” Then she told the three, “Let’s go knock ‘em dead, right after we girls fix our faces.” Three compacts suddenly appeared, as did three wipes. It didn’t take the three girls long to clean off the tear streaked makeup and to apply fresh makeup, before all four got out of Shelby’s car, and with Marge and Kathy holding hands, and Terry and Shelby holding hands, they strode to the Courthouse, went up the steps and into the building. Knowing that after today, they and their lawyers were going to be slightly richer people.
Right Time
By Jamie Lee
Most often people talk about being in the right place at the right time. Maybe they achieved a beautiful photo of a sunrise, or the antics of children or animals. Maybe they found something someone lost and received a big reward when it was returned. But how often do they talk about being in the wrong place at the right time? If they do, it’s often about the death of someone or maybe witnessing a crime. And if this is the case, they are sad or horrified. Walter Williams often is in the wrong place at the right time, though his reaction to the incidents he encounters is much different than anyone would expect. And, life-changing.
When they entered the Courthouse, both Marshalls were waiting for them, as were the school attorneys. Everyone greeted each other before, with the Marshalls leading, headed to the Courtroom where their hearing was to be held. As they walked a woman came up to the group and asked if she could speak with the Marshalls and the other attorneys. The Marshalls knew the woman, Carol Backton, a lawyer in private practice with her partner Toni Sumer. “What is it, Carol?” Bret Sr. asked. “Bret, after Toni and I went over everything sent to us for this hearing, and asking those in the know, we tried our darndest to talk those folks out of this lawsuit. We told them they didn’t have a chance in hell of winning anything they sought. But they were adamant about going through with it, not believing they are going to lose. Toni and I are on your side, though we’ll have to put on the best case we can. I just wanted you to know there are no hard feelings between us on this one.” Bret Sr. took Carol’s offered hand, shook it, then told her, “Carol, there are never any hard feelings between our firm and yours. As long as it’s a good fight.” They both smiled at each other, before dropping hands and going towards the Courtroom.
They hadn’t gone more than a few feet more, when a woman stepped in front of Kathy and told her, “Well, well, looky here. Here’s that faggot queer who thinks he’s a girl. Well let me tell you something sissy boy, when we get through with you, you’re going to wish you’d never had a thought of trying to be a girl.” All four attorneys, Terry, Shelby, and Marge held their breaths, watching to see what Kathy would do.
Kathy didn’t shy away from the hateful look in the women’s eyes. She chuckled, got a big smile on her face, then told the woman, “I thank you for your opinion, but I think you’re going to learn something today you will find hard to believe. But true nonetheless. Have a good day.” Having said that, Kathy walked around the woman and continued heading to the Courtroom.
The group had almost reached the entrance to the Courtroom, when a big man stepped in front of Kathy and almost yelled, “If you were my son I’d beat the living hell out of you to knock that silly ass shitting idea of being a girl out of your head.” Conversation in that hallway stopped, and every head turned to look at Kathy as she started fully laughing. It was some minutes until she could stop long enough to tell the man, “Sir, there is no way I could ever be your son. It is no longer possible for me to be any man’s son. But thank you for your opinion.” As Kathy was about to step around the man, Terry saw the man start to bring his arm up and rushed to stand before him with fire in her eyes. Her breasts were pressed right into the man’s chest, as she growled at him, “If you want to walk out of this Courthouse with the same manly equipment you came in with, you best not raise that arm any higher. Or I WILL rip your equipment off your body and feed them to you.” Even though the man was a good foot taller than Terry, and several pounds heavier, the look in Terry’s eyes caused him to back up, turn away and go into the Courtroom. That was another exchange that hadn’t gone unnoticed by those in the hallway. Including all of the security cameras in that area.
The eight were finally able to enter the Courtroom without any further trouble, both Marshalls going up to the defendants table and the school attorneys sitting with the Williams family and Marge in the gallery. It wasn’t long before they heard, “All rise,” and stood up as the judge came into the Courtroom from her chambers. They then heard, “The honorable Judge Trudy Sharp proceeding.” Judge Sharp sat down, banged the gavel, then said, “You may be seated.” As they watched, the court clerk stood before the bench and read aloud, “Charles Templeton, et al. versus Walter Williams, case number 102562.” After he sat down, judge Sharp asked, “Is counsel for the plaintiffs ready?” After they said they were, she asked, “Is counsel for the defense ready?” And Marshall Sr. said, “Yes we are your honor.”
The Williams family and Marge were sitting directly behind the Marshalls. The two individuals, and many others of like mind, were sitting in one section of the gallery. Trudy had reviewed the case, even consulted her own specialists about some of the material in the case file. Even her own Ob-Gyn had looked at the images, and told her that she was looking at the images of a very healthy young girl. Every person she had consulted told her the same thing, this young girl was very healthy. And when she consulted a chemist friend she knew, after looking at the list of chemicals which had contaminated Walter’s body, she couldn’t believe the boy was still alive. When Trudy posed the main question to her, about transforming a boy into a girl, the woman could not give Trudy a definitive yes or no. There were just too many variables to take into consideration.
Trudy had always been of the mind that as long as a person wasn’t harming another person, they had a right to control their own body. And that included operations which changed the person’s gender. She’d had a few friends over the years that were transgendered and saw how much happier they were after their operation. But what the documents, medical reports, pictures and images showed, was not a boy who’d had an operation to change his gender, but a boy who had been transformed after being contaminated by a wide variety of chemicals. And she couldn’t understand how Charles Templeton, et al. couldn’t see that. After she read through all of the documents, and consulted others, she’d decided on trying to nip this whole thing in the bud.
“Will Counsels approach the bench,” she said, then waited until all four attorneys were standing before her. Trudy put her hand over the microphone on the bench, then addressed the lead attorney for the plaintiffs by saying, “Ms. Backton, have you talked with your people about all of this? Gone over everything you have about this case? And I don’t mean just a glancing blow, I mean covered everything in detail?”
Carol Backton was the lead attorney for the group of parents who were out to stop Walter from changing her name and going to school dressed as a girl. “Your honor,” she began, “I’ve talked to them until I’m blue in the face. My partner and I brought in specialists who went over everything and came to the same conclusions we have. And they told those parents that very thing. But, your honor, they will not drop the suit. They don’t believe what our specialists said or what we say. They simply do not believe the accident at the high school changed a boy into a girl. They are of the opinion he is still a boy who is trying to be a girl.” And that was the opening Marshall Sr. had hoped for.
Bret Sr. asked, “Your honor, may I confer with my client for a moment? I think we can shorten this hearing by several hours if I can have a few moments.” Trudy nodded her head, and Bret Sr. walked back to the defense table, walked around it and leaned over the rail to ask Kathy, “Did your mom speak to you and ‘show and tell?’” Terry and Shelby had leaned over to hear what Bret Sr. softly asked Kathy, and it was Terry who said, “We talked about it, but I left it up to Kathy to make the decision.” Kathy nodded her head at what her mom said, then told Bret Sr., “I have been thinking about it. Though I’m worried that if I do that, those old bittys will each have a heart attack.” There were chuckles all around, before Kathy said, “But yeah. Let’s go give those pricks a thrill.”
Bret Sr. walked back up to the bench and told judge Trudy, “Your honor, we have a solution that would shorten this hearing my hours. If you’d approve.” Both Trudy and Carol had puzzled looks on their faces, with Carol asking, “What’d you have in mind?” Bret Sr. smiled and told Trudy and Carol, “Show and Tell.” It was Trudy who caught on first and asked, “You mean, your client undresses and shows the plaintiffs the truth? All of the plaintiffs? The men too?” Bret Sr. shook his head and replied, “No, your honor, just the women. Have everyone assemble in your chambers. We show everyone Walter’s fingerprints, the ones on file with the high school and those taken when he was admitted to the hospital. And if they contest that, then Walter can give another set of fingerprints and they can bring in their own consultant to verify the prints. Of course that will take time, and maybe give them something more to think about so my client doesn’t have to undress in front of anyone.”
Carol and Trudy were nodding their heads at Bret Sr.’s idea. Then Trudy told the two attorneys, “They won’t have to find their own fingerprint consultant, we have a fingerprint man upstairs.” Trudy motioned to one of her bailiffs, who came over and heard, “Go upstairs and get, oh, what’s his name? The fingerprint guy. Tell him to bring his equipment to my chambers, pronto.” The bailiff nodded, then left the Courtroom. Trudy then had Carol and Bret Sr. step back, took her hand off of the microphone, and said, “I want to see all parties in this case in my chambers.” She banged her gavel, the clerk said, “All rise,” and everyone involved in the case followed Trudy into her chambers. Bret Sr. held the Williams family back to let the angry parents go first, he didn’t want any more incidents. He told Marge she’d have to stay in the gallery, but Terry told him it was best if she stayed with Kathy; she helped keep Kathy calm. Bret Sr. understood, and led the Williams family, Marge, and Bret Jr. into Trudy’s chambers.
Trudy had taken off her robe, hung it up and walked over to a small fridge to get a bottle of bottled water. She’d just sat down in the chair behind her desk when the first of the parents started walking into her chambers. She could tell it was going to be trying, when one of the men asked, “What the fuck are we doing here? Why aren’t you out their roasting that queer’s butt?” Trudy had just cracked the cap on the bottle of water when the man asked his questions. She sat the bottle of water on her desk and told the man, “Sir, you don’t not dictate what goes on in MY Courtroom. And you do NOT come into a judge’s chambers making any demands or use that type of language, unless you want to be a guest of our exquisite accommodations.” The man knew she meant jail, so backed up to try and hide himself in the crowd of other parents.
It got even nastier as the Williams family, and Marge, walked into Trudy’s chambers. “What the fuck is that sissy boy doing here?” One woman asked. Another said, “He should be taken out and fixed so he can’t breed any more queer perverts.” When Terry stepped in front of a man who started for Kathy, Trudy shouted, “ENOUGH. EVERYONE SHUT UP AND BACK UP!” Seeing the look on Trudy’s face caused all of the parents to move themselves to one side of Trudy’s chambers, while the defendants stood on the other side. There was a knock on the chamber’s door, and when it opened, the bailiff came in with a man carrying a case behind her. “Here he is, your honor,” she told Trudy.
The court reporter had set up his machine in a corner that kept him out of the way. He sat down, poised his fingers over the machine, and began pressing keys when Trudy started speaking. Trudy turned to face the still angry parents and told them, “I have reviewed everything about this case. I even consulted experts on a lot of the material for this case, and I have to tell you people, you’re a bunch of idiots. You don’t have a chance in hell of winning this case. I know your attorney will put on a good case, but after the defence calls expert after expert, you will lose. Now, there is a simpler way to handle this mess and that’s to show you copies of Walter’s fingerprints that are on file with the high school, that were taken at the hospital, and that will be taken here today. And if you still aren’t convinced Walter isn’t the young lady you see before you today, then all of you men will leave my chambers and you ladies will get to see Walter in the buff. What do you say, parents?”
Carol was standing with the parents, nodding her head at them. But even her encouragement wasn’t enough to prevent some of the husbands to say, “You’re not going to have that fairy undress before my wife. I’ll kick your fucking ass if you try it.” Trudy didn’t say a word, as the bailiff still in her chambers walked over to the man, told him he was under arrest for threatening a judge, handcuffed him and took him out of Trudy’s chambers. That caused several other husbands to abruptly close their mouths. Trudy saw the reaction and said, “A wise move, gentleman. Now mister fingerprint man, Tommy, oh gawd, I remembered your name. Now Tommy, if you would be so kind as to get Walter’s prints so we can compare them to the other prints we have, maybe we can get this case settled. And go home early.”
Tommy then asked for Walter to step forward, and watched as Kathy stepped over to him. He set up everything he’d need to take fingerprints, and when he was ready, instructed Kathy to, “Just relax your hand. Let me do the work, okay?” When he’d taken prints of both of Kathy’s hands, he handed her a wipe to clean the ink off her fingers. He then took the prints Trudy held out to him, laid all three out on her desk and began comparing the ones he just took with the ones Trudy handed him. One of the women was a bit impatient and angrily asked, “Well, is that the queer’s fingerprints or not?” Trudy looked at the woman and gave her a Judge’s look, which shut the woman right up. Those on the defense side just smiled, as the court reporter kept pressing the keys on his machine. After a few minutes Tommy looked at Trudy and told her, “All of the prints are a match. One hundred percent.” Trudy thanked him, told him he could go, and listened to the parents complain that prints don’t prove a damn thing. And it was the very thing they’d been leading up too.
When Trudy gave the parents the ‘look,’ they all shut up in a hurry. “People, we felt just fingerprints wouldn’t be enough to prove this young lady is indeed a young lady,” and she pointed to Kathy, “so I want all of you gentlemen to leave these chambers, you ladies stay. Mr. Court reporter, please get your replacement and have her come into my chambers.” All hell broke loose when Trudy told the men to leave. “I’m not going anywhere and leave my wife in a room with that faggot. Not today, not no time.” Another said, “What the fuck do we have to leave? I’m not going anywhere.” When the husbands got upset, Trudy’s bailiff had stepped out of her chambers. And when she returned, there were four other bailiffs with her, each holding two pairs of handcuffs. In a calm voice Trudy asked, “Well, gentlemen, what’s it going to be? Leave on your own or join your friend in our fine accommodations? Your choice.” The husbands quickly got quiet, and started walking out of Trudy’s chambers, followed by both Marshalls and Shelby. A woman now sat where the male court reporter had sat, fingers poised over the keys of the machine.
“Ladies, you’ve failed to believe what your attorneys have told you. You’ve failed to believe what the experts they brought in told you. Now you’re going to see for yourself that Walter Williams is no longer a male. And before you ask, no, he has not had any surgery. What you will see is the result of being exposed to chemicals during an accident in the supply room of the science class.” Terry and Marge both shook their heads as they saw not only the smirk on Kathy’s face but a feral look as well. And both palmed their faces as Kathy said, “Ladies, you might want to sit down for this.”
When all of the wives found a place to sit, Kathy reached behind her and pulled down the zipper of her dress, handing it to her mom. She stepped out of it and took off the slip she was wearing, also giving it to her mom. She was now standing before the wives in her panties and bra, and asked, “Ladies, I will undress further but am hoping you’ve seen enough.” One of the wives snarked, and said, “Bullsht, you’re wearing breast forms and have tucked your dick between your legs.” Kathy just laughed, as she reached behind her and unhooked the straps of her bra, giving it to Terry. She then used her hand to demonstrate to the woman that she wasn’t wearing breast forms, that her small breasts were real. Then, and Terry and Marge saw it, Kathy took her time pulling down her panties and sexually stepping out of them. Twirling them around one finger before handing them to her mom. And there she stood, completely naked before the wives, who were shocked by what they saw. The woman who accused Kathy of tucking her penis, came over and actually bent down and looked closely at Kathy’s groin. When she stood up, she said, “Oh holy shit. She is a girl.” One of the wives wasn’t as convinced and walked up to Kathy and started to touch Kathy’s groin, but had her hand grabbed by Kathy and told, “Sorry, you aren’t my type.” She gave Kathy a dirty look, and stomped back to the other women.
While Kathy stood naked before the wives, Trudy asked them, “Well, ladies. Convinced?” The woman who tried to touch Kathy’s groin, and two others, told Trudy it was all a hoax. That Walter was wearing something that made him look like other girls down there. Trudy just smiled at the women and asked, “Do any of you have a gynecologist you could call to come to the Courthouse? You could have Kathy examined by that gynecologist. Oh, and don’t forget to tell him, or her, why you want them to come to the court house.” Several of the women pulled out their cell phones and made the call. All but one were unable to come to the court house, and the one who would, would be there in about thirty minutes. Trudy told Kathy to get dressed, no sense of her standing around naked for thirty minutes. Trudy asked for the doctor’s name, then had her bailiff go to the foyer and wait for the doctor.
Thirty five minutes later there was a knock on Trudy’s chamber door, which opened and her female bailiff came in carrying a blanket and pillow, followed by a woman carrying a black bag. When the woman saw the assembled group, and one woman she knew, she asked that woman, “Paula, what’s going on? And why am I needed?” Paula’s spine was still stiff and pointed and said, “That fa…,” but never finished the word as Trudy gave her a Judge’s look. “That thing over there thinks it’s a girl, but it’s actually a boy underneath those clothes. We saw it naked, but its put on something so it hides its boy parts and fake breasts.” Seeing the smug look on Paula’s face made Terry want to walk over and slap the woman into last year.
“Ah, excuse me, but could you please address me, Doctor…?” Trudy said to the woman talking to Paula. “Oh, excuse me, your honor. I’m doctor Mary Tuner, Ob-Gyn. But why am I here?” Mary was very confused, why had she been asked to come to the Courthouse? Was there an emergency of some type? “Um, your honor. I’m rather confused. Is there a medical reason I’m here?” Mary asked, and Trudy nodded her head and asked Mary to sit down. When Mary was seated, Trudy explained the nature of the case, even giving her Trudy’s own case file. Everyone was quiet as Mary looked over everything in the folder Trudy gave her. Mary held some of the images up to the light, before looking at Trudy and asking, “Okay. All of this pertains to a normal teenage girl, about fourteen, I’d say. So, why am I here? Surely the doctors who examined this girl can help you better than I can?”
Trudy took a deep breath, then told Mary, “That’s part of the problem, doctor. You see, those ladies over there won’t believe their own eyes or listen to anyone connected with this case. They think everyone is in on trying to pull the wool over their eyes. You are here to give that young lady,” and Trudy pointed to the folder Mary was holding, “a complete gynecological exam.” When Mary looked over where Marge and Kathy were standing, Kathy raised her forearm and wiggled her fingers at the doctor. “Hi ya, doc. Those are my insides you’re looking at,” Kathy told the woman in a casual voice. Mary stared at Kathy for a long moment before asking, “And these photos of the boy with all the cuts. That’s you? And in the other photos? You as well?” Kathy nodded her head and simply said, “Yep, that’s me before now,” and ran a hand from her head down to her feet.
Mary turned her attention back to the photos, and found the one whe wanted. Then she said, “If you’re really the boy in these pictures, then you should have a cut, or scar, just below your right shoulder blade. Mind if I look?” Kathy turned her back to the doctor and told her, “Be my guest, doc.” Mary got up out of her chair, walked over to Kathy, pulled the zipper of the dress down far enough to expose Kathy’s shoulder blades, and without difficulty, saw the still pink scar just below Kathy’s right shoulder blade. She zipped up Kathy’s dress, then returned to her chair, returning to the folder and the reports from Drs. Taylor and Stomer. She then turned to Paula and asked, “So you think all this is a hoax? That there’s a boy under those clothes? Because I have to tell you, after examining these documents, that young lady is no longer a boy. But a girl in every way.” Paula started to say something nasty, but one look from Trudy and she snapped her mouth shut.
Trudy got Mary’s attention by saying, “Doctor Tuner. You can use the conference table over there,” and Trudy pointed to the far end of her chambers. “I had my bailiff bring a blanket and pillow so Walter doesn’t have to lay directly on the surface of the table. Doctor, I’m trying to help these, um, ladies over there, see they are not going to win the lawsuit they’ve brought before this Court. And they won’t be satisfied until someone not involved in this case proves, or disproves, what they believe. So, will you help us?” Mary turned to Kathy and said, “Get up on that table, young lady.”
The chairs were pulled away from the conference table, as Kathy once again got completely undressed. The bailiff spread the blanket over the surface of the table and laid the pillow where she thought Kathy’s head would lay. Mary had sat her bag down on the right side of the table, opened it before going to the sink in the chambers and washing her hands. When she came back to the conference table, she pulled out a pair of disposable gloves and put them on. She then took out a towel, placed it on the conference table, and then a speculum and set it on the towel. When Kathy saw the speculum she asked, “Um, doc? Have you warmed that thing yet? It was quite a shock during my first ever exam because it was so cold.” Mary chuckled and told Kathy, “I’m afraid not. At least for your second exam you’ll know what’s coming.” When Mary was ready she instructed Kathy to get up on the conference table, with her feet facing her. She had Kathy just lie on the table, legs straight, and arms at her side. And Mary proceeded to give Kathy as complete an exam as she could given the circumstances.
When Mary had finished her preliminary physical exam, she had Kathy move up so her butt was at the edge of the conference table. With Terry and Marge acting as stirrups, Mary then proceed to give Kathy an internal exam. Kathy’s “geez that’s cold” caused Terry and Marge to laugh, but did nothing to warm the speculum. When Mary was finished, she told Kathy, “You can get dressed now, dear. I’m all through.”
As Terry and Marge helped Kathy get off the conference table, and Mary wrapped the speculum in the towel, put it into her bag, then went and washed her hands, Paula couldn’t remain quiet any longer. “See, what did I tell you, Mary. That faggot has something on him to hide his dick and balls. See, didn’t I tell you?” As Mary washed her hands, she started shaking her head. “Ahh, sorry to burst your bubble, Paula. But that young lady IS a young lady. She has a vagina, a curvex, a uterus, and the other two organs necessary to have children. In short, Paula, she is a girl.” Mary turned off the water, dried her hands, then walked back over to sit in the chair before Trudy’s desk. “Your honor, that person right there,” and she pointed to Kathy, “is one hundred percent female. Her breasts are real, not fake. Her vigina is real, not some appliance. And there’s not a chance that what I observed inside her is fake. So, Paula,” Mary said, as she turned to face Paula, “still think she’s a boy underneath those clothes? Because if I’m called to testify I’ll tell out there what I’m telling you in here.” Then Mary turned to Kathy and said, “Young lady, be very careful, because it doesn’t look like you’d have any trouble getting pregnant.” There was a screech before Paula and the other six ladies stormed out of Trudy’s chambers, with Carol trying to catch up with them. When Kathy was dressed, Trudy told her bailiff to let the Marshalls back into the chambers. She had a feeling they’d have a few questions for Mary. And they did, which confirmed what everyone had been telling the parents who brought the lawsuit.
After a few minutes there was a knock on the chamber door. When the bailiff opened it, Carol walked in with both an angry and frustrated look on her face. All she said was, “Those damn fools still don’t believe Walter is now a girl.”
Trudy had tried to be patient with everyone. Meeting in her chambers was out of the ordinary, but not illegal. She even agreed to have their own Ob-Gyn doctor examine Kathy, but now she’d had enough of their foolishness. She looked at her bailiff and said, “Bring those stupid people back in here. It’s time they learn what they’re facing when they lose this case.” She then looked at Bret Sr. and asked, “Are your other documents prepared?” Bret Sr. had a predatory smile on his face when he answered, “They are your honor. And have been since this case began.” Nodding her head, Trudy said, “Good. Let’s show those fools a bit of reality, shall we?”
Right Time
By Jamie Lee
Most often people talk about being in the right place at the right time. Maybe they achieved a beautiful photo of a sunrise, or the antics of children or animals. Maybe they found something someone lost and received a big reward when it was returned. But how often do they talk about being in the wrong place at the right time? If they do, it’s often about the death of someone or maybe witnessing a crime. And if this is the case, they are sad or horrified. Walter Williams often is in the wrong place at the right time, though his reaction to the incidents he encounters is much different than anyone would expect. And, life-changing.
Paula’s husband was the first through the chamber door. And when he saw Mary he angrily said, “Oh, so they’ve got you on their side now. How the fuck could you join them against us?” Chuckles could be heard as Trudy’s bailiff reached up and grabbed the man’s ear, pulling her toward her and telling him, “If I remember correctly, you were told to watch your language. So, keep a civil tongue in your mouth.”
When everyone was in the chambers, Trudy said, “Ladies and gentleman, we have had a doctor of your choice examine Walter, who now goes by Kathy, and YOUR doctor has told us that Walter is no longer a boy. But is in every way a girl, and quite capable of conceiving should she choose to do so one day. Now, Bret Marshall Sr. is going to speak with you for a bit, and explain what WILL happen when you lose this case. Bret…” Bet Jr. then took out six sets of papers and handed one to each couple. It became real quiet as page after page was turned, until the last page when the language ban was broken.
First it was Paula’s husband. “What the fucking hell? You can’t sue us for defamation of character. Who the fuck did we defame?” Then another cried, “Holy hell, how the fuck are we going to afford 200 million dollars?” And another, “You’re fucking with us, right? Hoping we’ll drop this fucking case, right? We are not dropping this fucking case. That faggot queer will not be going to our high school.” And the court reporter happily punched away at the keys on her machine.
Bret Sr. really played it up, as he said, “Oh, my, I’m afraid you misunderstand, sir. YOU won’t be paying the 200 million dollars yourself. It will come from all of you, together. Each of you involved in the lawsuit will have to pay your share of the 200 million dollars to the Williams family. You people have refused to believe the evidence put before you by not one but three doctors. You have caused problems not only for this Court but at a high school that is not yours alone. I assure you, we will collect the entire 200 million dollars from you as a group. And no Applet Court will go against us when they see the evidence we have.”
Trudy had seen some pig headed people in her time, but these twelve people took the cake. First they saw the documents, photos and images, and still think Walter is a boy in a dress. Then the women get to see Walter completely naked, she is examined by one of their Ob-Gyns, and they still refuse to believe what their own eyes tell them. She felt it was time to step in and explain more to them.
Trudy turned her attention to the still angry parents and told them, “I find all of you a remarkable group. There is a court reporter here in my chambers, recording everything said, and you continue denigrating Walter Williams. You are, all on your own, making Mr. Marshall’s case for him. You ladies. You’ve seen Walter naked, you’ve seen she wears no special apparatuses to make herself look like a girl, even calling in one of your own Ob-Gyns to examine her. And despite being told she is all girl, you simply refuse to believe. You are all simply remarkable pig headed fools, who deserve everything you’re going to get when Marshall and Marshall take you to court. Because there is ample evidence to prove, beyond a reasonable doubt, that Walter is female, I’m summarily ruling for the defendants. This case is closed. Mr. Marshall, it’s all yours now.”
Twelve pairs of eyes stared at Trudy in shock, as their mouths fell open upon hearing her ruling. And when Trudy’s words finally registered, all hell broke loose. There were threats against Trudy, which was the wrong thing to do, as the husband who made the threat suddenly found himself in handcuffs and taken out of Trudy’s chambers. Others made threats to take this to a higher court, with Trudy explaining the result of doing that. Others made direct threats to the Williams family, which again resulted in handcuffs and removal from Trudy’s chambers.
When those parents left in Trudy’s chambers had quieted down a bit, Bret Sr. went to work. “You three ladies, and you three gentlemen, I propose to you the following settlement. As my son has researched everything there is about all twelve of you, we know my proposal isn’t going to hurt any of you. Each family involved in this lawsuit will pay my clients ten million dollars, payable immediately. Should we find it necessary to take all of you to court, we will ask for the original two hundred million dollars, plus the needed amount to cover our firms’ fees.” Bret Sr. could see their faces going from white to pink to red, so he held up his hand to forestall any replies until he was finished talking.
“Before any of you speak, and get in deeper than you are already, let me assure you that all of you have the needed capital on hand to pay my clients without any problems, as I already said. Our firm also knows about the separate accounts your husbands have and what’s in each of those accounts, which is a drop in the bucket of what we’re asking in payment.” The husbands still in Trudy’s chambers with their wives all got disgusting looks from their wives. And the wives whose husbands were taken away, because so enraged they were speechless. And the husbands still in Trudy’s chambers knew the other wives would tell their wives about their separate accounts.
Everyone on the defendants side, including the court reporter and Trudy, had to school themselves severely in order not to laugh at the way the wives were acting towards their husband or saying what they were going to do when they saw their husbands. Then Bret Sr. dropped the bomb, by telling them, “I will expect to have your certified checks in my hand by one this afternoon. If I don’t have your checks, all of your checks, by one this afternoon, then my firm will see all of you in court.” And the rush was on. Husbands asked how they could see their wives. Wives asked how to see their husbands. And the husbands and wives still together, were still giving each other what for, with the wives promising something about taking their husbands to the cleaners. Trudy’s bailiff took the herd out of Trudy’s chambers and down to the holding cells, once again bringing silence to Trudy’s chambers. Since their business was concluded, Trudy dismissed the court reporter, asking the Marshalls and Williams family, and Marge to remain.
Trudy got up out of her chair, asking if anyone wanted something to drink. When she heard water from everyone, she motioned them to help themselves as she’d opened the small fridge in her chambers. When everyone had quenched their thirst, she had everyone sit down around the conference table. “Now, providing those boneheads pay what they owe, I don’t see any reason why I can’t hear the petition for Walter to change her name this afternoon about two. Katherine Elizabeth is so much more fitting for such a beautiful young girl.” And Trudy looked directly at Kathy and told her, “And don’t you let anyone tell you differently, young lady. You got that?” Kathy smiled, then nodded her head, blushing as she did so. Trudy saw the time, 11:30 a.m., and told the group they should go get lunch while they wait to get paid. And if all went well, she’d know about it and then would see them again at two that afternoon. She still had to deal with those parents who’d caused problems; perhaps a hefty fine would ring their bells some.
As the Marshalls, Williams family, and Marge were eating lunch at a nearby cafe, Bret Sr.’s cell phone rang. When he answered it, it was a Court employee, informing him that six families were waiting for him at the Courthouse. He told the others to continue eating, excused himself, and walked the one block to the Courthouse. When he arrived, he was shown into a conference room where the parents waited. Also there was a Court employee who would record the transaction so there was a record of the payments having been made. He also saw several husbands with red handprints on their faces, no doubt created by their angry wives. As their names were called, each handed Bret Sr. a certified check for the ten million dollars stipulated in the settlement, with each transaction being recorded. As soon as that was done, the wives, to a one, got on their cell phones and started giving orders, orders Bret Sr. didn’t hear as he left just as he heard the name of several lawyers he knew. He didn’t go back to the cafe, but phoned his son to give him the good news, and to have everyone meet at their offices; they’d have time to return to the Courthouse by two that afternoon.
Bret Sr. wasn’t about to carry sixty million dollars worth of certified checks on his person longer than he needed to arrive at their firm and place the checks in the vault. After he had done that, and everyone else arrived, they got to work getting the files ready in order to petition the Court for Walter’s name change, saying they’d come back to the offices and discuss what their fee would be and give the Williams family advice as to what to do with the money. Bret Sr. was one who believed it wasn’t necessary to give the Governments all of their winnings. And he and Bret Jr. could provide excellent advice on investing it right off.
At 1:50 p.m. the Williams family, Marge, and both Marshalls walked into the Courthouse. At 2:30 p.m. Terry, Shelby, Marge, Bret Marshall Sr., and Bret Marshal Jr. walked out of the Courthouse. Along with one Katherine Elizabeth Williams, the girl whose name was suggested by the young woman whose hand she was now holding as they walked to the Courthouse parking lot.
They returned to the offices of Marshall and Marshall, where Bret Jr. began the process of getting the name on Walter’s other documents changed. As the Williams family, Marge, and Bret Sr. were sitting in his office, he told them, “We shouldn’t have any trouble getting Walter’s name changed on the other documents, now that Walter’s name has been legally changed. I do see, however, a problem when it comes to getting the name, and gender, changed on the birth certificate, given the less than intelligent people we dealt with the first time. Junior and I may have to talk to their supervisor and slowly explain all of the evidence we have that proves Walter is now a girl, whose legal name is now Katherine Elizabeth Williams. And if their supervisor is as slow as those we dealt with, or balks at making the changes, we’ll have to take them to court. And Kathy,” Bret Sr. turned his attention to Kathy, “if we have to take them to court, hopefully we won’t need you there to prove who you are. But if we need you, we’ll let you know. And if they act like those parents did, we’ll have to jump through the same hoops to prove you were Walter the boy, who now is Kathy the girl because of the accident. And,” and he hesitated before saying, “we may even have to do another show and tell. Even another Ob-Gyn exam in front of them.”
All eyes turned to watch Kathy, to see how she’d react after what Bret Sr. just told her. She pursed her lips, shook her head, took a breath and told him, “Mr. Marshall. If those people are as dumb as those parents, a show and tell may not even convince them. However, if it’s necessary to put on our circus act again, then count me in. I’ll even suffer another cold speculum if it proves our point. Or…” It was Terry who knew what Kathy was going to say next and interrupted her with, “Oh no you won’t, young lady. And don’t even say it.” Kathy and Marge giggled, Shelby and Bret Sr. just looked at Terry with puzzled looks. Seeing the looks on her husband’s and Bret Sr.’s faces, Terry looked to the ceiling, closed her eyes, shook her head, then looked at the two men before telling them, “Kathy was going to suggest if those people didn’t believe all the evidence we have, then they could have sex with her and would then know she was a real girl.” Shelby facepalmed himself, while Bret Sr. chuckled, saying, “Oh that would indeed prove you are the young lady we know you are. But may also get them in trouble with the law, since you are a minor. No, we won’t do anything as drastic as that, Kathy. But if we do go to court, I think there’s a certain Judge who could explain what they will be facing. And that we will likely seek damages because of their ill will towards you, Miss Williams. But let’s not jump on that horse just yet. Let’s see what roadblocks my son runs into first, then make our plans. Okay, everyone?”
Once it was understood they would wait on Bret Jr., they started discussing Marshall and Marshall’s fee for handling their case. Bret Sr. never got the chance to suggest an amount when Shelby asked, “Bret, would fifteen percent of the settlement be a fair amount for all the work you’ve done and are doing?” Bret Sr. raised his eyebrows at hearing the sum proposed by Shelby, and told him, “Well, Shelby, it is a fair amount but perhaps a bit more than we were prepared to ask for. You have been good clients over the years, and we wanted to keep you as clients, so didn’t want to take advantage of your sudden windfall.” When Bret Sr. proposed a lower percentage, Shelby shook his head and declared it was too low for all the work they are doing for his family. In the end, though somewhat reluctant, Bret Sr. agreed to the percentage proposed by Shelby. After the firm’s fee was settled, Bret Sr. started talking about how to deal with their settlement, and avoid paying the Governments a substantial amount of their settlement.
There was a knock on Bret Sr.’s door, before it opened and Junior walked in. “Ah, son, I was about to call and have you join us,” Bret Sr. told his son, as they all noticed the smile on Junior’s face. “I have some great news, dad, that’s why I came. It seems we have fulfilled this State’s requirement for getting Kathy’s birth certificate amended. We have already attended a Court hearing which granted our petition for Walter’s name to be changed, so all we have to do is fill out the necessary papers, submit them and within a few days a new birth certificate will be issued. So, what did you want to see me about, dad?” Their fear of a Court battle to get Kathy’s birth certificate changed was now behind them, so Bret Sr. explained to his son the need to invest the settlement so the Governments wouldn’t take the lion’s share right off the bat.
Then it was Shelby who said, “Bret Jr., at the firm I’m partnered with, we have set up several investments, including a trust for each of us for our retirement. What I’d like is to not only set up strong investments but two trust funds, one for Kathy and one for Marge, for them to use if/when they attend College/University or whatever endeavor they pursue. If they attend College/University, it will be used to pay for tuition, books, fees, room and board, meals, and any other essentials. But with stipulations, such as keeping their grades up, that sort of thing. And if they pursue another endeavor, then it will be used as seed money to start the endeavor and pay for all necessary items needed for that endeavor. Plus to keep it running until it stands on its own. At our firm, our Trust Funds are invested, with the interest going back into the Trust. With both girls now fourteen, and four more years before it will be needed, if what I’ve seen our’s do, their Trust Funds should be substantial by the time it’s needed. And, with a provision to revisit the use of those Trust Funds should it be necessary.”
“Mr. Williams, I can’t possibly allow you to do all that for me. I think my parents would object even more than me,” a shocked Marge said after hearing what Shelby wanted to do. Shelby got up out of his chair, walked over where Marge was sitting, knelt before her, took her hands in his, and told her, “Marge. You have been Walter’s friend since you both started school, though he didn’t know it at the time. You have stood by him when all this happened and are standing by Kathy now. And, dear child, I may be considered old by kids your age, but I’m not blind. I can see how much you loved Walter, and how that hasn’t changed now that he is Kathy. And the love you both share isn’t some hormone driven desire with both of you, it’s a real love. It’s a love that weathers storms that come along. It’s a love that lasts no matter what others might say. You are Kathy’s life partner, just as she is yours. And you both deserve something that will help you get off to a wonderful start when it comes time to start your lives together in the real world. And yes, your parents might object, but I think only a little bit after they hear why I’m doing it. Besides, consider this a very early wedding gift. Your parents will, I think.”
When Shelby mentioned marriage, there were tears in both girls’ eyes, as they each reached into their purses and pulled out small boxes. Marge opened the small box she was holding and showed it to Shelby, saying, “Kathy gave this to me a few days ago, I just gave her one. We were afraid to wear them, thinking others might get upset by our pledging ourselves to each other.” As tears flowed down Marge’s cheeks, Shelby took the promise ring out of the box, took Marge’s left hand, and placed the ring on her ring finger. He then went to Kathy and did the same, telling both girls, “It’s not your problem if others don’t like what they see on your fingers, it’s their problem. Wear those rings proudly, knowing one day you’ll give each other real engagement rings. And Marge, unless your parents are blind, they already know you and Kathy are going to live your lives together someday.” Kathy reached out her right hand towards Marge. Marge extended her left hand, and the two held hands throughout the rest of the meeting with the Marshalls.
Shelby sat back down in the chair next to Terry, she reached over and took his hand, smiling at him with that smile which told him she was going to give him the ride of his life later.
As Bret Jr. stood up from his chair, Shelby made one more want known. “Bret Jr., one other thing. I would also like you to consider setting up monthly payments that aren’t hair raising, but enough to slowly build up savings accounts over the next four years. I’d also like you to take five million and find five of the most worthy organizations that would benefit from a one million dollar donation; filed with the IRS but with a provision they keep the donation quiet.” Terry gave Shelby another smile which told him he might be very sore when she was finished with him later that night.
Junior excused himself, left his dad’s office and returned a short time later, carrying several pamphlets with him. He then started explaining the different options they could choose from in order to invest their money and the different payout methods that would be taxed when the payouts occurred. He told them about the pros and cons of each one, and that going one route with one could be less risky than going another way with another option. He even showed them one option which offered insurance so that they’d be paid their entire principle should all of their investments tank. Choosing this option allowed their guaranteed payout, in case of a complete loss of their initial investment, to increase when their investments increased. That would then become the new guaranteed payout in case of a complete loss of their investment. He also explained the maximum amount that could be invested in any one plan, so they’d likely end up with 30-60 separate accounts if they decided to go with that option. He also explained the fee Marshall and Marshall charged for handling investment accounts, which they would charge for handling all of the Williams’ accounts.
Shelby had dealt with investing at his firm, since they needed to do something with much of the money they earned from their clients. He pointed out the investments his firm engaged in and that they returned a steady rate of return so far. The returns weren’t huge, but they were steady. He told Junior that he wasn’t completely at ease putting all their money into one option, but felt it better to split it into two or three different plans. That way if one died, they’d still have the others to work with. Once it was decided the plans, and how much would go into each plan, there was nothing more they could do until the paperwork was started and investments selected. Before the Williams family and Marge left the offices of Marshall and Marshall, both Junior and Senior cautioned them about the sudden onrush of hands coming their way. It would soon be public knowledge about the amount of the settlement they received, and they’d soon have every charity from the sun to the moon asking for money. They also might find out they had more relatives than what was actually in their family trees. When this started happening, they were instructed to tell these people to contact Marshall and Marshall and they’d deal with these people. Gladly.
Handshakes were exchanged and the Williams family and Marge left the offices of Marshall and Marshall. Once they were in Shelby’s car he asked, “Is anyone as hungry as I am? I also think we should celebrate our new daughter’s name change and our victory over a bunch of idiots. And I think maybe it might be a good time to talk with your parents, Marge. So why don’t we go to your house and invite them along for our celebration?” Neither Terry or Shelby heard anything from the back seat, in answer to his question. When they turned to find out why it was quiet, they saw Marge and Kathy exploring each other’s mouths. Terry smirked and gave Shelby an eyebrow, before saying, “OH MY GAWD! THERE’S A SNAKE IN THE CAR!” Terry didn’t know about Marge, but Kathy was not a fan of snakes, and reacted like Terry thought she would, she screamed. When Terry and Shelby started laughing, a visibly upset Kathy told them, “Not funny.” Shelby was still laughing as he told the girls what he’d asked them, getting a yes from Marge.
When they arrived at Marge’s home, there was a strange car parked on the street in front of her house. “I wonder who that is?” Marge asked, as Shelby pulled his car into the Markman’s driveway. The four got out of Shelby’s car, started walking up the walkway to the front door, and were halfway to the front door when it opened and Thomas stepped outside. “Shelby, Terry, there are some people here looking for Walter,” Thomas said, causing Shelby and Terry to wonder who’d be looking for Walter, which was no longer possible.
Thomas led the way into his home, and as Terry and Shelby entered after Thomas, they heard, “Mr. and Mrs. Williams? I’m Eileen Foster, and this is Joel Dunker. We’re from CPS and are looking for Walter Williams. We were told if you were not at your house, you’d likely be here. We have a complaint that you and your wife have been sexually abusing your son, forcing him to dress and live as a young girl. We’re here to take custody of him. The two of you will be summoned to Court in order to face the charges against you. If you do not surrender your son, I will be forced to call the police and have the two of you arrested. Now, where is your son.”
The response Eileen and Joel were expecting didn’t happen, but they were puzzled as first Kathy started laughing, followed by Marge, then Terry and Shelby. Shelby got control of himself a bit, pulled out his phone, dialed a number, spoke to a person, giving that person the Markman’s address, cut the connection, and began laughing again. When Thomas gave Shelby a questioning look, Shelby nodded his head. When Shelby stopped laughing a bit, he told Thomas, “They’re looking for Walter.” It then dawned on Thomas what Shelby meant, and why he had nodded his head, Walter no longer existed. Walter’s name had been changed. He told Dorothy what was going on, and they both started laughing along with everyone but Eileen and Joel. Laughter could still be heard ten minutes later when the Markman’s doorbell rang. When Thomas opened the door, he stood face to face with Bret, Sr. and Bret, Jr. Marshall.
Eileen had tried to get things under control, telling Shelby and Terry if they didn’t produce their son, they would be arrested for violating a Court order. Instead of causing Shelby and Terry to fear being arrested, they simply started laughing again. Harder this time. When Terry and Shelby saw the Marshalls arrive, they were able to stop laughing, telling the two why “these two” were here. By now everyone had stopped laughing, and Bret, Sr., asking Thomas if he could use the dining room table, asked Eileen and Joel to sit down and read through all of the documents they brought with them. Bret, Sr. saved the best for last, as he produced the Court decree that Walter Williams was now and forever known as Katherine Elizabeth Williams, female.
Eileen threw the Court decree back into Bret, Sr.’s face, telling him, “I don’t give a damn what some fake piece of paper says. You will produce Walter Williams or all of you will be arrested.” Then Bret, Sr. got a nasty look on his face, as he asked Eileen and Jeol, “Miss Foster, can you and Mr. Dunker and your department stand to lose a 200 million dollar lawsuit? Can the two of you stand to lose your jobs and have to pay the rest of your lives your part of that 200 million dollars? Because that’s what you and your department will face if you take this any further. By the way, where is your paperwork? I don’t believe you bothered to show it to us. Oh, and just one moment.” Bret, Sr. then went to the front door, waved his hand, and in a few moments, their secretary came walking into the house. Terry had an idea what Bret, Sr. was going to do and beat him to the punch by grabbing Eileen’s hand and telling her, “Come with me, dearie. It’s time you see the truth.” And with that, Terry pulling Eileen with her, Dorothy, Marge, Kathy, and the Marshall’s secretary went back to Dorothy’s bedroom. And all the men heard, before the bedroom door closed, was, okay girl, strip. Joel started to get out of the chair he was sitting in, but Thomas held him down, telling him, “Terry was telling her daughter to strip. Not Eileen.”
What none of the men heard was Terry telling Eileen the story of how Walter was now Kathy, a complete girl, inside and out. They also didn’t hear Terry relate the Court battle they had in the morning with parents who didn’t believe Walter had been transformed into a girl. Terry told of the doctors who certified she was a girl. Of the parents’ own Ob-Gyn who certified Kathy was now all girl. And it was only when Judge Trudy Sharp gave a summarily decision, and the threat of a 200 million dollar lawsuit, that settled everything. Or that Terry made it explicitly clear it was the same lawsuit Eileen and her department were facing if they didn’t see reason, given all the evidence presented to them.
When the bedroom door opened, and the six women came out into the dining room, Shelby told Terry, “Gina instituted this whole thing. My dumb ass sister.” Terry did her look to the ceiling, shake her head, roll her eyes, then said, “It could only be her. She has her head so far up where the sun don’t shine, I’m surprised she hasn’t flushed it down the toilet.” Shelby pulled out his cell phone, dialed his sister’s number, and when she answered, said, “Hey, sis, it’s me, Shelby. How’s it on the nut farm? Just called to tell you to get a real good lawyer, cause you’re going to need it. Oh, and tell that jackass of a husband you have to figure out how he’s going to pay us 100 thousand dollars,” and Bret, Sr. held up two fingers, “um, make that 200 thousand dollars for all the crap you’ve caused by sicking the CPS on us. We’ll see you two morons in Court.” And he hung up.
The minute Shelby hung up, Joel asked Eileen, “Well? What’d you discover? Is that young lady really Walter Williams or not?” Eileen was shaking her head, telling Joel, “Joel. The evidence is on the table before you. Walter Williams no longer exists. What you and I read in all of those reports is true, Walter Williams was transformed into Kathy Williams. She is every bit the young lady we see before us.” Eileen caught what Joel said, but he said it so softly only ‘Gina’ was heard. It was Shelby who voiced, “So, it seems Gina is in hot water with more than just us.” Joel started nodding his head, as he told Shelby, “That she is, Mr. Williams. She’s in big trouble for filing a false report. I hope she takes your advice and finds herself a good lawyer. She’ll need it.”
Eileen and Joel made their apologies, and Bret, Sr. promised to messenger them copies of everything they had, and when the Marshalls and Eileen and Joel had left, it was Marge who said, “Mom, dad, we have to talk. But we came to ask if you’d like to go out to dinner with us?” And she waved her left hand in front of her mom and dad. Then Kathy waved her left hand in front of Thomas and Dorothy. Both frowned for a few moments before they realized what the rings meant, and the four had a group hug. Thomas and Dorothy then told the girls how happy they were for the two. When the group hug broke up, Shelby said, “And there’s more you need to hear about. Chinese?”
Right Time
By Jamie Lee
Most often people talk about being in the right place at the right time. Maybe they achieved a beautiful photo of a sunrise, or the antics of children or animals. Maybe they found something someone lost and received a big reward when it was returned. But how often do they talk about being in the wrong place at the right time? If they do, it’s often about the death of someone or maybe witnessing a crime. And if this is the case, they are sad or horrified. Walter Williams often is in the wrong place at the right time, though his reaction to the incidents he encounters is much different than anyone would expect. And, life-changing.
Chinese food had always been the Williams comfort food when the family was stressed or just needed to be supportive of each other. They were familiar faces to the restaurant owner, and as usual, when they walked into the restaurant they were taken to their usual table in a quieter part of the restaurant. After the all were seated, had ordered their drinks, and their meals, it was Terry who started off by telling Thomas and Dorothy, “I want to tell you both, it’s been one trying day for us, let me tell you. First those morons for parents forced a hearing to try and prevent Walter from having her name changed--which they lost, big time. And now Shelby’s stupid ass sister sicks the CPS on us because she believed we’d forced Walter to live as a girl. Even after we explained to her, several times, what happened to him. But the best part was finding out our daughters have pledged themselves to each other.” The look on Dorothy and Thomas’ faces didn’t go unnoticed by Terry or Shelby, and Terry asked, “You two knew about this?”
It was Dorothy who replied with, “Terry, Shelby, it wasn’t that we knew they’d pledged themselves to each other, specifically, but rather that they were head over heels in love with each other. And not some puppy or hormonal love either. They are genuinely in love with each other.” Dorothy shrugged her shoulders then said, “They are soulmates, and will be together until it’s their time to move on.”
The four adults then looked at their daughters, who were holding hands and reaching up to the other and wiping tears off the others’ cheek. As Kathy wiped Marge’s cheek, they heard her say, “Yes, we are soulmates. And will be with each other until our lives end.” It was at that moment the two girls turned and hugged each other, with Kathy telling Marge, “I love you Marge,” and Marge telling Kathy, “I love you Kathy.” Both Thomas and Shelby suddenly had something caught in their throats, as both tried to clear their throats and hoped no one saw them wipe their cheeks. Dorothy and Terry were women, so didn’t care if anyone saw them take tissues out of their purses and dab at their eyes. Men!
They received a nice surprise when it was the owner herself who brought out their meals, and other items which she placed on the lazy-susan in the middle of the table. When everything had been placed on the table she bowed to them and said, “Yuàn nǐ de shēng huó yǒng yuǎn bèi wēn róu de fēng suǒ zhù fú. It means, ‘May your lives always be blessed by a gentle wind.’” Then she told them, “Your meals are on the house.” She then kissed Marge and Kathy on their cheeks before walking back toward the kitchen.
It took several moments before all six of them were able to pick up their jaws from the floor, but when they did, marveled at the dishes placed on the lazy-susan. And the ones they’d ordered. When everyone had subdued their appetites it was Shelby who broke the silence by telling Dorothy and Thomas, “When Terry and I learned of the promise rings, while we were speaking with our attorneys, we knew the girls were serious about each other. And that there would be a wedding sometime down the road, we set up provisions for their wedding and the likelihood they both would attend College/University. Or would begin an endeavor of their own.” Terry held Shelby’s hand under the table as he continued. “So we instructed our attorneys to set up a Trust Fund for both Marge and Kathy from the settlement we received today. They will be able to use it for anything needed for their College/University education, and/or to start their own business if they prefer. If they attend College/University, it will cover all costs associated with their education, for as far as they wish to go. If they start their own business, it will be their seed money, and money to keep their business going until it stands on its own. We’d, um, like this to be considered our wedding present to the girls.”
The girls already knew about the Trust Funds and the other items Terry and Shelby had discussed with the Marshalls, so nothing Shelby said was new to them. It was Marge’s parents the four were watching. Watching to see how they would react to the news.
What the four saw on Dorothy and Thomas’ faces was the look of ‘dumb foundedness,’ mixed with surprise, mixed with happiness, since they’d both talked about how to finance Marge’s College/University expenses. They had no doubt there’d be scholarships in her future, but what Terry and Shelby had done was fantastic and went a long way to relieving a lot of stress in their lives. It was Dorothy who took a tissue from her purse and began dabbing her eyes, as they filled with tears because of what Shelby just told them. And this time Thomas was not bashful of wiping tears off his cheeks as he told Shelby, “That is a wonderful wedding present for our girls. And it takes a lot of stress off of Dorothy and my shoulders, because we weren’t sure how we were going to pay for a lot of Marge’s College/University. I never expected we’d be sitting here, becoming a big family, the day I first saw Walter wheeled into the emergency room.
“And, um, there’s one other thing we need to tell the two of you,” Shelby told Thomas and Dorothy. “We also set up a payout plan that will put something into both girls’ savings accounts. Over four years we determined there’d be a substantial amount for them to help start their lives together, or for schooling, or what they each decide. This is our way of saying thank you to Marge for her continued support of Walter and now Kathy.” He then looked at both girls and told them, “You both understand, these savings accounts will be inaccessible until you both graduate high school. You both may contribute to them, but that’s all.” He then looked at his watch and said, “Oh, dear, it’s getting late, and these girls have school tomorrow.”
Hugs were exchanged, as well as a kiss between Marge and Kathy, as the Markman family stood on the front porch and watched the Williams family get into Shelby’s car. They waved as Shelby backed the car out into the street, and drove away towards their home. After Marge had gone to bed, Dorothy and Thomas celebrated their fortune as a loving couple often does.
Kathy was already up and in the bathroom the next morning, letting the water from the shower head rinse off the body wash she had used. She shut off the water, rang as much water out of her hair as she could, toweled herself off, and wrapped a towel around her head. She then put on the clean pair of panties and the bra she brought into the bathroom with her. She played with her hair a bit more with the towel before getting out the blow dryer and giving her hair a good going over. Once her hair was dry, she put on her robe and returned to her bedroom, where she put on the clothes she’d decided to wear to school that day. She added a bit of makeup to her face, and when she liked what she saw in the vanity mirror, slipped on her shoes and went downstairs to eat breakfast.
Terry and Shelby were already in the kitchen, Shelby just finishing his scrambled eggs and sausages, and Terry just getting started on hers. When Kathy came into the kitchen, both parents could see a slight spring in her step, and watched as she took a plate out of the cabinet, spooned the rest of the scrambled eggs out of the pan, and added two sausage links. She sat down in her usual place, reached for one of the glasses sitting on the kitchen table and poured herself a glass of orange juice, before digging into her breakfast. Terry looked at Shelby and both raised their eyebrows, before Shelby asked, “Got a bit of spring in your step this morning. Care to share?”
Kathy had just taken a fork full of scrambled egg into her mouth, and held up a finger as she chewed the mouthful. After taking a sip of her orange juice to wash down the scrambled eggs, she said, “Sure, what do you want to know?” And put a bit too big of a piece of sausage link into her mouth. Both Terry and Shelby gave her the ‘too big of a bite’ look as Kathy quickly chewed the sausage before swallowing. She got the other look from Terry, the one that said, ‘you know what we’re talking about.’ Kathy took another sip of her orange juice before telling her parents, “I’m just happy my name has been changed and the thing with those parents is over. And, of course, the Trust Fund will be there when Marge and I go to College/University. And...that I have two of the most wonderful parents in the whole world.”
Kathy’s last statement caused both of her parents to wipe their eyes and clear their throats. It wasn’t every day they heard parents tell of a child who said that to their parent(s). With a choked voice, Terry told Kathy, “That last statement of yours means a lot to your father and I. Thank you. You do know how much we love you, right? Walter or Kathy, it doesn’t matter to us. You’re our child and will always be no matter what comes along.” Still chewing on another bit of sausage, Kathy got out of her chair and went around to her parents where the three hugged until someone rudely burped and polluted the air around them.
Shelby finished his breakfast first, taking his plate and drinking glass to the sink, where he rinsed both off and put them in the dishwasher. He then gave Terry a kiss on the lips, then Kathy on top of her head, before bidding his ladies, “Have a nice day,” picking up his briefcase, opening the front door and walking out to his car. Both women heard his car start up and listened as the noise faded as Shelby backed his car out into the street and headed to the firm’s office.
Kathy glanced at the clock on the wall and saw their hug fest had put her behind getting her breakfast eaten, and going to the bathroom to brush her teeth. It took Terry telling her, “Slow down, or you’ll choke on something,” before Kathy slowed her eating. When she finished her breakfast, she did as her dad did, rinsed off her plate and drinking glass and put them into the dishwasher. She then headed upstairs to the bathroom where she brushed her teeth and reapplied her lip gloss, a little darker color this time. She then went into her bedroom, grabbed her backpack, and went back downstairs, where she found her mom standing by the front door, keys in hand. The both went out the front door, Kathy closing it behind her, and got into Terry’s car. The drive to Marge’s house seemed to take longer to Kathy, but a pat on the thigh by Terry helped to calm Kathy down. And after pulling into the Markman’s driveway and Marge came to Terry’s car, both Dorothy and Terry thought they saw two lovers who’d not seen each other in years. It took Terry to tell them, “If you two don’t stop greeting each other you’ll be late for school.” That caused both girls to blush, as Marge got into the front seat first, sitting next to Terry. Once Kathy was in the car, and had closed the front passenger door, Terry backed out of the driveway and headed for the high school. As she glanced at the girls, she saw they were again holding hands, both still wearing their promise rings.
Instead of letting the girls out as Terry usually did when they arrived at the high school, she found a parking place, since she and Kathy had to go to the school office to get Walter’s name changed on all of his school records. As they walked into the school and turned left towards the office, several of the students already there said hi to Kathy and Marge, but as some walked by they said just loud enough to be heard by all three, “Oooo, there go the lesbian queers.” It was Kathy who turned around and said, “Morning to you too, Carol.” But Carol didn’t get very far, as one of Robert’s men also heard what she said, and he told her, “Turn around and follow me, Miss Burns.” And together they headed for the school offices, and a nice chat with Tina.
Margot was the first to see the three enter the office, and informed Peter that his sister, niece, and his niece’s girlfriend were here. Peter came out of his office and his first words were, “Well, how’d it go?” Both Terry and Marge saw the smirk on Kathy’s face, and shook their heads, as she walked up to Peter and said to him, “Hello, Principal Stepel. I’m Katherine Elizabeth Williams,” and held out her hand to him. He took her hand, shook it, and told her, “Well, it’s nice to meet you Katherine Elizabeth Williams. And congratulations. Was it bad with the parents?” The smirk was back, the heads shook, as Kathy told her Uncle, “Naw, I just had a show and tell with the wives. And we almost needed doctors to sew their jaws back on their faces.”
Both Terry and Marge face palmed themselves, as it took Peter a moment to understand what Kathy had just said. He got a bit red in the face before asking, “You mean, you,” and he mimed taking his clothes off. Kathy nodded her head and replied with, “Yep, bare as the day I was born.” All four turned as they heard Margot chuckle, then heard a “What?” as she questioned why they were looking at her. “Well, if those old bitties didn’t want to believe what they read, then showing them was the next best thing, right?” Peter said something none of the women could hear, before taking them to the reception desk and explaining what needed done to one of the assistans behind the desk.
Terry then produced all of the documents needed to get Walter’s name changed on all of her school documents. They even took new pictures of Kathy for her school ID that now included Katherine Elizabeth Williams on it. Once Kathy and Marge were no longer needed, Peter told them they best get to class, and took Terry into his office where the two talked for almost an hour. During that almost hour, Peter learned everything which had taken place in the Courtroom and Judge’s chambers. And he was more than surprised by the amount of the settlement they’d received in lue of going to trial. He also heard that the girls had given each other promise rings, which were not driven by hormones or puppy love. But a true love for the other person. Terry told Peter that he’d be invited to their wedding, one day, after the two graduated high school.
After Terry left, Peter called Robert and asked that he keep their eyes open for anything against the girls, and why. It wasn’t long until there was a knock on his door, and after telling the person, “Enter,” he watched as Tina and Carol Burns walked into his office after opening and closing the door behind them. “Principal Stepel, it seems Miss Burns has something against Miss Stillman and Miss Williams, and she expressed herself to them this morning.” Tina then turned to Carol and told her, “Tell Principal Stepel what you called them, Carol.” Carol looked at the floor and said what she’d called the girls. It was Peter who said, “Miss Burns, look at me.” When Carol raised her head and looked at Peter, he then asked, “What did you say to them, Carol?” Neither Tina or Peter could tell if the tears they saw in Carol’s eyes were because she was angry, embarrassed, or sorry for what she’d said. But she told Peter, “I called them lesbian queers.”
As Peter got up from the chair behind his desk, he motioned for Tina to sit down, and asked Carol to sit as well. He then turned one of the other chairs in front of his desk around so he was facing Carol and asked her, “Carol, why would you call those girls that? How did they react when you called them that?” Carol was looking at her hands she’d placed in her lap, before saying, “Because that’s what I heard my parents call them. And all Kathy said to me was, ‘morning, Carol.’” In a gentle voice, Peter asked, “Do you know what happened to Walter in his science class? The whole story? The true story?” When Carol shrugged her shoulders and said, “No, just rumors,” Peter proceeded to tell Carol the whole story. Even the morning when Walter discovered he was no longer a boy. When Carol asked questions, he corrected the rumors she’d heard, giving her the truth about the rumor. When Peter had finished, all Carol said was, “Oh, boy. I messed up, didn’t I? Guess I’ve got some apologizing to do, huh?” When Peter told her, “Yes you did, and yes you do,” he then gave her a warning to not let it happen again. Because the next time she would have known better and would get two weeks detention after school. When Carol assured Peter, and Tina, it wouldn’t happen again, Peter told her she could go. Carol had opened Peter’s office door, stopped and looked from Tina to Peter before telling them, “I’m sorry for having caused a problem for you two,” and walked out of Peter’s office, closing the door behind her. Tina and Peter watched where Carol had been standing before Tina turned to Peter and asked, “Do we need another assembly?” Peter shook his head, then looked at Tina and told her, “Let’s wait and see if it’s needed. See if any others have moms and dads like Carol’s. I’d hate to rake the whole school over the coals just because of a few students. But if we hear about any more talk like Carol’s, then I guess it will be necessary. And maybe not just for the students.”
Kathy and Marge walking to class holding hands had become a familiar sight in the high school, so very few watched them as they walked first to Kathy’s hall locker and then Marge’s. There were a few, though, who felt like Carol once did, and they vowed to make sure the two got the message loud and clear. And those same students didn’t go unnoticed by Robert’s team members.
Marge and Kathy were not the first to walk into their first period science class, nor were they the last either. There had been a buzz heard coming from the classroom before they walked into the classroom, which stopped the minute they entered the classroom. And those students involved in the session breaking apart and going to their usual seats. Who these students were was not lost on Kathy or Marge, but unknown to Brigette as she walked into the classroom just after Kathy and Marge. “So, care to share with the rest of the class when everyone is here?” Brigette asked those now sitting in their regular seats. “I did catch a few words that have me worried, worried enough to have all of you, except Marge and Kathy, taken to the office and explain yourselves to Principal Stepel. Worried enough to have all of your parents called, even the police, after what few words I heard.”
More students entered the classroom until everyone had arrived just as the second bell rang. “Well, I’m waiting,” Brigette told the students who’d had their own little session before class. “For those of you who are wondering what I’m talking about, before Marge and Kathy, and myself, came into the classroom, six of your fellow students were having their own little session, a session which sounded like they were making plans to explain the way of life to Marge and Kathy. Those of you I’m talking about please stand up. NOW!” The six who’d been talking stood, most looking at the floor or somewhere else, while two were burning holes into Brigette’s eyes, angry they’d been singled out in front of the entire class. Brigette looked at the two angrily looking back at her and said, “Well, it looks like the two of you are the ring leaders of this little group, care to share with the rest of the class, or take a walk and make your explanations known to Principal Stepel? I can assure you, if you go see Principal Stepel you won’t like the results. You may even get to spend two weeks extra after school. So, talk here or I’ll have that lady standing at the back of the classroom march you six up to see Principal Stepel.”
Everyone turned to see Bobbie Hamphil standing at the back of the classroom. They’d been so busy paying attention to Brigette that they didn’t hear her come into the classroom, as she intended. Bobbie was one of two women on the school’s security force, and a woman many found out the hard way not to take lightly. Several of the larger male students thought they could take the petite woman, until they ended up face down on the floor. They hadn’t known she’d been an unarmed combat instructor while in the military. And Bobbie just smiled at the students, which was enough to get two of the six to start talking.
It was Patty Palmer who spoke first, saying, “The six of us decided we don’t want that queer faggot in our class any more,” and she turned to look directly at Kathy. “Its a fake, its nothing but a boy perverting the way it should really be. Boys are boys and girls are girls, and they can’t be the other.” It was then Doris who added, “And when we can, we’re going to explain that in detail to it.” As Brigette and Bobbie watched, two of the six sat down, one saying, “We tried to talk them out of this, Mrs. Stokes, when they talked about hurting Kathy. But they threatened us if we didn’t go along with them. Our parents are the ones who want us to hurt Kathy, because they don’t believe Walter ever turned into a girl because of that accident.”
The serious atmosphere of the classroom was broken by the laughter of first Kathy and then Marge. Both girls were belly laughing so hard, Brigette first thought they were laughing out of the thought of being physically hurt. But when they’d both slowly stopped laughing, it was Kathy who spoke.
“My gawd, you people are dumber than two pet rocks. Yesterday, after some of your parents lost in a major way trying to block my name change, I was allowed by the Court to change my name from Walter James Williams to Katherine Elizabeth Williams. Walter Williams no longer exists, either on paper or physically.” She looked at Brigette and said, “Mrs. Stokes, if you’ll permit me a few minutes I think I can clear up this whole stupid thing.” And when Brigette told her to go ahead, Kathy turned to Bobbie and asked her to bring all six girls to the class’s supply room. With Kathy in the lead, and Bobbie bringing up the rear, the eight walked into the supply room. A few moments later the entire class heard through the thin door, “NO FUCKING WAY;” “OH MY GAWD;” “Well I’ll be damn;” “You didn’t have surgery?;” “My parents are going to blow a gasket.” And a few moments later six dejected girls followed Kathy out of the supply room, followed by a chuckling Bobbie.
All six girls took their seats, looking a bit green around their gills. Both Patty and Doris had their heads in their hands, Doris saying, “My parents are going to flip out when I tell them about this.” She then looked up to Brigette and said, “They aren’t going to believe me, Mrs. Stokes. They may even come up to school and demand Kathy be kicked out of school.” Then Patty told Brigette, “Mrs. Stokes. I can guarantee my parents will come up to school and demand Kathy be kicked out of school, after I tell them what I saw. They won’t believe me when I tell them Kathy is a real girl.” The six girls who were forced to attend Kathy’s show and tell, knew now how wrong their parents were to think ‘Walter’ was trying to present himself as a girl. And how wrong they were to listen to their parents. After all six apologized to Kathy, it was Kathy who told them, “You six are learning something my parents have taught me from the time I was little. Listen to everything others say, but decide for yourself where the truth lies. And never be afraid to talk to the person who is at the center of any controversy, because they know the whole truth about themselves.” She then looked to Brigette and Bobbie, who was standing next to Brigette, and asked, “Wouldn’t you agree a lesson has been learned here and now? And that things have been settled? And maybe Principal Stepel can be told how we settled things, instead of these six girls needing to talk with him?”
All six girls were staring at Kathy, realizing she was pleading for them. Realizing she was trying her best to keep them from having to face Principal Stepel’s anger, as some have done. Realizing Kathy wasn’t angry with them, but showing them mercy. And all six realized they had tears slowly sliding down their cheeks. It was Doris who asked Kathy, “Why are you asking Mrs. Stokes all this? We were really going to hurt you, thinking you were still Walter as our parents said.”
Kathy looked at each girl one at a time, seeing how their tears were now black streaks lining their cheeks. She looked at the expecting Brigette and Bobbie, shrugged her shoulders and told them, “Because it’s the right thing to do. And you realized you were wrong, and admitted it. I have forgiven all of you, you learned a lesson, what can be gained if you have to talk with Principal Stepel? He’ll be told the matter was handled and settled, which is what he would want.” Everyone had been so intent on the six girls and Kathy that no one noticed Bobbie had left the classroom, a sure sign she was no longer needed in the classroom. A sure sign she agreed with Kathy that the matter had been settled. It was Brigette who voiced what Bobbie felt as she left the classroom, “Yes, Kathy, I think the matter has been settled, and lessons learned. And speaking of lessons, let’s see how much of our today’s class lesson we can get through. Shall we?” And with that, Brigette started the lesson she’d had planned, knowing Kathy had just gained six allies who were likely in for a rough time when they got home and told their parents what they saw today in the supply room.
It was rather strange how Bobbie always appeared in Kathy’s next class, and how one or two female students learned the same lesson Patty, Doris, and the other four girls learned. And how Bobbie left each class after the same scene played out, with each girl saying the same thing about her parents.
And both girl’s predictions, and the predictions of the other girls, proved true, as the next morning found angry parents demanding to see Peter, and also demanding that the ‘pervert’ be kicked out of school. Patty also came to school with a rather large bruise on the right side of her face, something that warranted action by the school.
Peter had been told by each of Kathy’s teachers of the scene in the classrooms, and how each had been settled, and of the predictions from each girl. Knowing the predictions might come true, he’d called Terry and told her what had happened and that she and Shelby might be needed at school the next day. He also suggested they contact Marshall and Marshall and have them be at school in the morning. And bring their amminuation with them. His preemptive actions proved a wise move.
As the angry parents arrived at the school the next morning, parents who hadn’t been party to the lawsuit brought against Walter Williams, were shown, in turn, to the big conference room. Where they found Terry and Shelby Williams and two other men already seated in the conference room. It did take long for the parents to recognize Terry and Shelby, and for the threats and insults against Terry and Shelby to begin. None of the parents spotted the recorder that Bret Marshall, Sr. had already placed in front of him on the table. Or that he had started recording the moment the first set of parents entered the conference room. Five sets of parents ended up in that conference room, and it was five sets of parents who were recorded making threats and insults to Terry and Shelby. And Kathy.
When the door to the large conference room opened again, it was Peter and Robert, along with three of Robert’s team, who entered the room. It was also at that moment five sets of parents all began at once to holler at Peter, each threatening him, the school, and of course, Terry, Shelby, and Kathy. Peter ignored them as he walked to the podium that was at the front of the room, while Robert and his team took up positions at the back of the room. Peter let them rant and rave for a full five minutes before he reached under the podium and pulled out a small horn, which he let blast until everyone had quieted down.
“Ah, there now, it’s quiet. So let’s have no more outbursts or the people at the back of the room will help you leave the school grounds. Now, let me make introductions all around, shall I?” Peter first introduced Terry and Shelby, Kathy’s parents. He then went on to introduce the parents, and the name of their child in the school. And when he introduced Bret Marshall, Sr. and Jr., and when Bret, Sr. made it known he was recording the meeting, and had been recording when the first parents entered the conference room, all hell broke out again. Some claimed it was an invasion of their privacy, until it was pointed out that Peter had given Bret, Sr. permission to record the meeting. Others claimed they’d been trapped, until it was pointed out that it was they who decided to say what they’d said without provocation of any kind. And still others threatened a lawsuit if the recording was made public, again being reminded they were in a public institution.
When all the objections to the recording of the meeting had been voiced and quashed, Peter turned the meeting with the parents over to Bret, Sr., who opened his briefcase and removed all of the same documents, pictures and images used during the meeting in Trudy’s chambers. “Ladies and gentlemen, sitting on this table are the exact same documents used to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that Walter Williams no longer exists due to the accident he experienced in his first period science class. There are doctor statements and reports. There are photographs showing Walter, now legally known as Kathy, when he, now she, first arrived at the emergency room at the hospital. There are also a series of images taken when he, now she, first arrived and of her subsequent checkups. Ladies and gentlemen, because of that accident, and Walter’s exposure, now Kathy’s exposure, to a wide variety of chemicals, the DNA of his, now her body, was affected and transformed him into the young lady she is now. Those parents of the lawsuit even called in their own Ob-Gyn who examined Walter, now known legally as Kathy, and their own Ob-Gyn certified Walter, now known legally as Kathy, as 100 percent female. In every way. I would advise all of you to examine these documents and see the truth for yourself. Otherwise, if you still persist in making these outrageous demands, you will give the Williams no choice but to take all of you to Court for defamation of their daughter’s character. And threatening the lives of the Williams family. And I believe one of you is already going to face questioning by the police because of the bruise your daughter is sporting today. So, take as much time as you like, look over these documents, and the five of us,” and he indicated his son, Terry, Shelby, and Peter, “will leave you to yourselves. Understand. If we go to Court, I will seek to drain every one of your bank accounts dry, and then some. And with the documents before you, it WILL happen. The choice is yours.”
And with that, Terry, Shelby, Jr., Peter, and Sr. got up out of their chairs and left the conference room, running into a police detective and a person from CPS waiting in the hallway of the school office. Also waiting down near Peter’s office were Marge, Kathy, and Patty, who was sitting between Marge and Kathy. The two girls appeared to be consoling Patty, as Patty dabbed her eyes several times during Peter’s viewing.
As the five waited on the parents, they talked with the detective and the woman from CPS. “Principal Stepel, I’m detective Brian Grom. And this is Patricia Winslow, from child protective services. With the help of your Vice Principal, Patricia and I spoke with Patty Lunker while you were in with the parents. Because this appears to be an abuse case, we were within our rights to keep the young lady away from her parents while we talked with her. And it was as you suspected. When she told her parents about Kathy’s condition, they called her a liar, and her father slapped her hard enough to leave that bruise. It didn’t help that the force of the blow knocked her into the trim of the doorway between the living room and the kitchen. We think that may have been the actual cause of the bruise. As it stands right now, once you are finished in there,” and he pointed to the conference room, “Patricia and I will have a word with her parents. And depending how they respond to our questions, will determine whether we move Patty to one of her immediate relative’s homes. What I’m hoping is what little I heard you say, Mr. Marshall, they’ll realize the mistakes they’ve made and be as upset by what they did to their daughter as they are about the lies they’ve listened to. Either way, there’s going to be mandatory counseling in their future.”
In the pause with detective Grom, they all heard a heated discussion going on in the conference room, with the men unconvinced after reading the documents and looking at the photos and images. Then all of a sudden they heard from one of the women, “You assholes wouldn’t believe anything unless you stuck your dicks into it, now would you? The women in here have seen enough images in their lives to know the real thing when they see it. And we’re telling you, jackasses, those photos and images are the real deal. That accident Walter suffered through transformed him into this Kathy Williams. A very real girl. And I suppose none of you men would believe us unless you could fuck her. Right? None of you would believe us unless you could feel her up. Right? Well, Tommy Donald Lunker, you better get this through your thick skull right now. That young lady was Walter Williams, a boy, and is now Kathy Willaims, the girl. And unless you want to spend the rest of your days alone, and pleasing yourself, you’ll change that tune you’ve been whistling ever since you listened to that moron involved in that lawsuit. And you know what it cost them, right? Well, buddy, it ain’t gonna cost us nothing, not if I have anything to say about it. And from here on out, I do.”
There were a lot of suppressed chuckles from those standing just outside of the conference room, and a lot of surprises too. It was only a few moments later that Mrs. Lunker opened the conference room door and asked Peter, “Principal Stepel, would it be possible if we spoke with Kathy Williams? We have a personal question to ask her.” Detective Grom and Particia were lost as to why they wanted to speak with Kathy, but Peter, Terry, and Shelby had an idea why. The women in that room wanted a show and tell from Kathy, one that would put a lid on the arguing they’d heard coming from the conference room. Peter walked down towards his office, where Marge, Patty, and Kathy were sitting, and told Kathy, “The wives in the conference room would like to have a word with you. If you don’t mind.” Kathy looked at Marge, and Marge looked at Kathy before they said in unison, “A show and tell, again.” They then laughed at their own silliness before telling Peter they didn’t mind. Peter reminded Kathy it was only for her, but Kathy reminded Peter, “Marge has been my support throughout this whole stupid thing, and I’m not about to drop her like a rock now. And I want Patty to come with us.” Hearing her name spoken, and why, caused Patty to give Kathy a questioning look. And all Kathy said after shrugging her shoulders was, “Friends stick together through thick and thin. And you’re my friend.” Patty couldn’t help herself, and the tears fell from her eyes. After all the things she’d said about Kathy and to her, Kathy considered her a friend.
When the four walked back to the large conference room, five very grumpy men were milling about outside of the room. Each mumbling to themselves about this and that, and it was all a bunch of lies. Peter stopped when he reached the conference room, but Kathy went right ahead and opened the door, closing it after Marge and Patty had gone in behind her. The shade on the window in the door was pulled, and low voices could be heard from those standing quietly outside the room.
“So, let me guess,” Kathy boldly proceeded, “you still have questions and want to see the truth for yourselves? Right? You want a show and tell? If I show you mine,” and Kathy never finished what the smirk on her face said she was going to say, as Marge cleared her throat and told Kahy, “I don’t think you should finish that statement. We aren’t here to embarrass these ladies.” It took a few moments for some of the wives to realize what Kathy was about to say, and chuckled at the thought of them showing Kathy theirs if she showed them hers.
Kathy asked the ladies to sit down, and then went on to tell exactly what happened the day the accident occurred. And about the subsequent days as her boy body started changing. She explained the number of tests she’d endured, and the lack of definitive answers from any doctor who’d been consulted, as to why those chemicals her body had absorbed were affecting her DNA. Affecting it to the point of transforming her into the girl that stood before them at that very moment. And after her story, she very calmly disrobed down to her birthday suit. Even allowing the women to inspect her to make sure what they were seeing was the complete, whole, truth. That she was now a young fourteen-year-old girl. In every way a girl could be. Once Kathy had redressed, Mrs. Lunker raised the shade on the door window, opened the door and unceremoniously told the husbands, “Get your butts in here, NOW!”
Because of the tone in Mrs. Lunker’s order, and the look on her face, all of the husbands were as little boys who’d been caught smoking out behind the shed by their mammas. None said a word as they filed into the conference room, a wise move once they saw the angry looks on their wives. One of the other wives ordered, “SIT DOWN, YOU MORONS,” and each husband found the closet chair and dropped into it. Each not saying a word.
It was Doris’ mom who said, and in a very tightly controlled voice, “You stupid assholes almost caused us a lot of trouble, listening to your ‘good buddies’ like you did. That young lady right there,” and she pointed to Kathy, “is as much a young woman as we ourselves used to be at her age. There is no boy under her clothing, she has everything that you’ve seen on us many a time during our marriages. But that could change at any minute, if you catch my drift. And I mean permanently. All those documents, photos and images, that you butt holes dismissed, are completely true. We tried to tell you that but, nooo, you wouldn’t believe us. Well, ask any of us and we’ll tell you the same thing. Kathy matches every photo and image, and doctor’s report lying on that table,” and she pointed to everything scattered on the table. “Gentlemen, your future with us depends on a few things. One, we’re going to marriage counselling. And it’s not an option. You may think our marriages have been peachy, but let me tell you they’ve been anything but, with all of you acting like you’re the king of your castle. And you’re going to get up off your butts and help more around the house. Nothing major, just cleaning here and there, and helping with the dishes and such. Because right now, gentlemen, you all are on the verge of being single again. Think about that for a few moments. And Mr. Lunker, I believe two people at the back of the room would like to have a word with you after we’re done here. Am I right, sir?” And she looked at detective Grom, who nodded his head.
After what Mrs. Palmer had just said, their husbands looked as though they’d had a severe session with the school principal. And most cringed when they heard the price of what their stupidity was going to cost them. But even though they were pig-headed in many ways, their wives still were in love with them, and honestly wanted a better marriage than what they’d had for the past several years. It was another of the wives who said, “Kathy, I can see all of this has been difficult for you, but I think it was meant to happen. I think you are meant to open people’s eyes to look past what people see on the outside and look to what’s on the inside of a person. My husband can be a jerk at times, like now. But he’s my jerk, and I want to grow old with him.” A lot of feelings were ripped open in that conference room during that meeting with Peter. And although it’s said grown men don’t cry, none of the husbands in that room seemed to have remembered that saying. As not one of them had a dry eye after what they’d just heard. Even Mr. Lunker apologized to Patty for hitting her, and asking her to forgive him. When Peter, detective Grom, and Patricia saw Patty and her dad hugging, both crying, they knew the mistakes which had been made were going to be mended in time, and the two people left the conference room.
The husbands then made the rounds, apologizing to Kathy and her parents, and to Peter for causing a needless problem. But what the one wife said resounded in the minds of Marge, Terry, Shelby, Peter, and Kathy. Had Walter’s accident actually been an accident? Or might it have been something more? Something that would bring out an attitude in other people, an attitude they never realized they had? Something that would help others grow in ways they’d never considered? Something that was meant to teach people to look at a person’s actual self, and not what shows on the outside?
Right Time
By Jamie Lee
Most often people talk about being in the right place at the right time. Maybe they achieved a beautiful photo of a sunrise, or the antics of children or animals. Maybe they found something someone lost and received a big reward when it was returned. But how often do they talk about being in the wrong place at the right time? If they do, it’s often about the death of someone or maybe witnessing a crime. And if this is the case, they are sad or horrified. Walter Williams often is in the wrong place at the right time, though his reaction to the incidents he encounters is much different than anyone would expect. And, life-changing.
Because of the ‘show and tell’ in the Judge’s chamber at the Courthouse, and the exam by their chosen gynecologist, and the ‘show and tell’ held in the large conference room of the high school office wing, and the one held in the supply room of the first period science class, attitudes and opinions at the high school, and elsewhere, started changing. Those wives and mothers of students at the high school spoke to other wives and mothers of other students and made it abundantly clear there was no trace of Walter under any of the clothing Kathy wore on any given day. Even the girls who were in the supply room spoke with, and corrected, other girls at the high school who were still under the impression Walter was under the clothing Kathy wore. Even so, some still had a hard time believing what they were being told, and had to see things for themselves. Two of the girls who had to see things for themselves happened to be in Kathy’s last period PE class.
Mrs. Connie O’Conner, the girls PE teacher, had sent the last period girls class into the girls locker room to shower and get ready to leave school for the day. She had gone into her office for a few minutes but came out after she heard all of the showers shut off, to make sure the girls weren’t planning to leave school early; some girls in the past had left before the last bell rang to dismiss classes for the day.
Showering as a girl had been a new experience for Kathy, she was still trying to come to grips with some of the sensations she experienced while showering. Sensations which caused her body to react in new, and unfamiliar, ways. She had talked to her mom about this new experience, and was assured, they were normal for many girls.
Kathy was the last out of the showers, had toweled herself dry, and was standing in front of her gym locker with her panties in her hand. She was about to step into her panties when she heard, “Are those real?” Connie had come out of her office just before the question had been asked, stopping where she was so she could see how things played out. All of the other nine girls’ attention was on Kathy, so none but Kathy saw Connie standing near her office watching. Kathy surreptitiously nodded to Connie, letting her know it was okay, before looking at the nine other girls whose attention was on her. She then asked the girls who’d asked the question, “Are what real? My breasts?”
Carol Stigman was the shy one of the class, but intelligent in her own quiet way. Carol looked around at the other girls before telling Kathy, “Yes. Are your breasts real?” Kathy could see the fear in the girl’s eyes and knew from past times that Carol, while intelligent, lacked self confidence. Kathy smiled at Carol and replied, “Yes, Carol, they are real. They are the result of the accident I had in the supply room during my first period science class.” Kathy saw her explanation didn’t satisfy Carol so she told the girl, “Come see for yourself.”
Kathy saw Connie start to walk towards the girls, and again, surreptitiously, shake her head, causing Connie to freeze where she stood. Carol again looked at the other nine girls watching the scene before she slowly walked up to Kathy. Kathy could see how hesitant Carol was to touch Kathy’s breasts, and said in a soft voice, “Go ahead, it’s okay. I don’t mind.” Reassured by Kathy, Carol brought both hands up and started examining Kathy’s breasts. She felt how warm they were; how firm they were--Kathy’s breasts were pushing the boundaries between a ‘B’ and ‘C’ cup. Carol then examined the area around Kathy’s breasts, presumably looking for any indications the breasts were glued on. She then examined underneath Kathy’s breasts, looking for any indications the breasts had been surgically enhanced. When Carol realized she was ‘feeling’ real breasts on another girl, she jerked her hands back and with tears in her eyes told Kathy, “I...I’m sorry. I didn’t know. I...I thought what others were saying was true.” Even though both girls were still naked, Kathy gently put her arms around Carol and told her, “It’s okay. There’s nothing to be sorry about. You needed to know the truth, and that’s all that matters.” Only Kathy saw Connie smile.
After Carol backed away from Kathy, another girl, one who was ‘full’ of herself demanded, “Yeah, your breast might be real. But what about between your legs?” Kathy saw Connie start to move again, and again, surreptitiously, she shook her head, causing Connie to freeze where she stood. A pin could have been heard hitting the floor because of the girl’s question, and all eyes were on Kathy. Instead of reacting bitterly to the vehenmentaly asked question, Kathy told the girl in a compassionate voice, “If you need to find out for yourself, then come and see for yourself. I won’t mind.”
This girl, Debbie Marlow, was not timid. Had never been timid in her life, which had caused her some problems in the past. Unlike Carol, she walked right up to Kathy, who had spread her legs wide, and when Debbie started to reach for Kathy’s groin, Kathy grabbed her wrist and told Debbie, “Only the outside. Got it?” Debbie saw a look in Kathy’s eyes which said there’d be no debate, and when Debbie nodded her head, Kathy let go of her wrist. Debbie was not rough examining Kathy’s groin, but she was thorough. She felt Kathy from belly button to rectum, on both sides. She even bent down to look for anything which said ‘glued on.’ Still bent over, Debbie looked up at Kathy and said, “Damn, there’s nothing fake on you down here either.” Debbie had a puzzled look on her face as she saw the smile on Kathy’s face, and asked, “Why are you smiling? Are you trying to make fun of me?”
As Debbie straightened, Kathy gently took the other girl’s hands in hers, and looking straight into Debbie’s eyes, said, “No, Debbie. No one is trying to make fun of you. You don’t know what you’ve done, do you? You don’t know what you’ve done for the girls now in this locker room or out there,” and Kathy threw her head in the direction of the door to the girls locker room. “Debbie, I’ve seen how other girls look at me, how they examine me with their eyes. They look first towards my breasts then to my groin, asking themselves, ‘Is everything real?’ They think I’m Walter under the clothes I wear. They think my breasts are fake, that I’ve got something applied to my groin in order to appear ‘girl like’ down there. Can you even imagine how it feels to be a boy one day and suddenly start to become a girl the next?” Tears started forming in Kathy’s eyes, some even slipping out of her eyes. “Do you even understand how frightening that is, knowing you’re becoming something you never even considered becoming? And you have no control over any of it? Please,” Kathy said, as she looked at the other girls, and Connie, “there’s nothing wrong about being a girl. It’s just...it’s just not something I ever wanted to be. I was happy being Walter. I was so much freer than I am as Kathy.” Tears were now running freely down Kathy’s cheeks, and it was Debbie who reached up and wiped the tears off Kathy’s cheeks.
“How were you much freer as Walter, Kathy?” Connie asked, letting the girls know for the first time that she’d been standing there and listening to everything. Nine heads whipped around to look at Mrs. O’Conner, each showing uneasiness. “It’s okay, girls. No one is in any trouble. In fact, I’m proud of all of you for the way you’ve conducted yourselves in all of this,” Connie told the girls, which caused each one to visibly relax. “How were you freer as Walter, Kathy?” Connie asked again, causing the nine girls to once again focus on Kathy.
Kathy took a shuddering breath then said, “Do any of you realize how much pressure you are under by being a girl? Likely not, since it was applied a little at a time as you got older. Until it got to the point it all became ingrained. As Walter, a boy, there was no pressure to always wear something that fit my body correctly. There was no pressure to have my makeup applied correctly for this or that occasion. I didn’t have to worry if the shoes I wore matched the clothes I was wearing, unless I attended church, a wedding, or a funeral. All of you know how other girls look at you if your hair is not properly styled, or combed neatly. As Walter, that wasn’t a problem I had to worry about. I was a boy, boys often have messy hair. Boys’ clothing is often disheveled. Boys hardly ever consider fashion to be important.”
“But now as a girl, I’ve been thrown into a life I’m not familiar with. I went from a fourteen-year-old boy to a fourteen-year-old girl in a matter of months, and I don’t know all the rules and regulations connected with being a girl. And I’m frightened. Frightened I’ll make a mistake being a girl. Frightened I’ll upset someone because my mind remembers everything about being a boy. Frightened because, if the doctors are right, I’ll experience something in a few days that only girls experience and I don’t know how I’ll handle that time.”
All but two of the girls in the locker room had grown up with Walter, and watched how he handled the situations which wanted to knock him down. They’d never seen him frightened or scared, as Kathy was at this moment. They all watched as she let go of Debbie’s hands, turned, sat down on her towel, put her face in her hands, and openly cried. It was Debbie who bent down, put her arms around the distraught girl and told her, “It’s going to be alright, Kathy. We’ll help you learn to be a girl. We’ll even help when your period comes, though no hands on, you understand.” This caused Kathy to laugh, and reach up to take Debbie’s hands and tell her, “Thanks Debbie.” It wasn’t long before other hands were hugging Kathy, or rubbing her back, trying to let her know she wasn’t alone. That she was now part of a family that transcended being blood related.
Connie stood back and let the girls comfort Kathy, and mused on what Kathy told Debbie about what the girl had done for other girls. She chuckled as she bet herself that Kathy didn’t know what she’d done for other girls, girls who were shy or feeling left out or lacked a good self image. Connie knew how many in the school had been in school with Walter from kindergarten to this point in time. She also knew how many of them envied how he handled the situations which seemed to come his way. And how they now were watching Kathy to see how she handled a situation she’d been thrown into. Connie was brought back to the group of girls around Kathy when she heard Kathy say, “This situation I’m in is like the other ones I encountered. And like those situations, I have no control over what’s happened to me now. But I do have control over how I deal with it.” And in a softer voice, Kathy said, “And with help from all of you I think I can learn to be happy as a girl.” Connie just smiled as she watched a group pile-on group hug with the naked girl sitting on the bench in front of her locker. Connie hated to do it but, “Okay girls, you all need to let Kathy get dressed, and get dressed yourselves.” Connie just laughed as she heard ‘awww’ as the group hug broke up and the girls returned to the lockers and their clothes. Maybe the girls didn’t feel it, but it was there. That change of atmosphere in the locker room. Every girl was happier, even Kathy, as she got herself dressed. The last bell of the day rang, signaling the end of school. But not the end of an encounter which was really going to test Kathy’s ability to handle.
It was a Monday, a few weeks later, when Mr. and Mrs. Stoner, Jackie and Thomas, arrived at the high school with their two son’s, Tony and Patrick. They were walking from where Tom parked the car in the visitor parking, and had just started walking towards the school’s front doors when Tony spotted a gorgeous girl walking ahead of them--it was Kathy. As he watched the girl reach the front doors of the school, and pull one open, he became aroused, and decided right then she was going to be his, all his. And he was going to enjoy her to the fullest. Little did he know, then, how his lascivious desire was going to cost him and Patrick their freedom. Or their physical well being. But that was something Tony never considered when he was on a conquest. All he desired was to get between the legs of his target, and enjoy his time there. Whether she enjoyed it or not.
Thomas held the school office door open as Jackie, Tony, and Patrick walked into the school office. Following behind them, he watched as Jackie stopped at the desk of an older woman and asked where they registered the boys for school. Jackie then introduced herself, Thomas, Tony, and Patrick, before the four proceeded to the reception desk to register Tony and Patrick. As Margot greeted the four, she saw something in Tony’s eyes that rang every bell in her body, and when the four had passed, she picked up her notepad and pencil, went down the short hall to Peter’s office, knocked, and entered without waiting for Peter to say ‘enter.’ She then sat down in the middle chair of the three sitting before Peter’s desk, and remained silent.
Peter had looked up when the door to his office had opened and Margot entered without being bid to do so. And when she sat down he knew something was wrong. Very wrong. Margot had been with Peter the entire fifteen years he’d been principal, and he’d come to trust her when she was in the state he now saw her. Several times before she’d done this very thing, and several times before she was right on with her warnings. So he knew to give her a few minutes to calm herself or it’d take longer for her to give him the warning. But he wasn’t prepared for what she would be telling him.
“Peter,” Margot said after about ten minutes, “we just got a predator in our school. His name is Tony Stoner, and he looks really hungry. The parents are gems, and the younger brother is just a follower--might be Tony beats him to do what he wants, there are a few light scars on him. But it’s Tony you need to watch, he’s major trouble.” Margot was shaking now, a sure sign to Peter that she was shaken. Peter got up out of his desk chair and walked over to the small fridge in the corner of his office. He opened it, took out a bottle of bottled water, handed it to Margot and told her, “You sit and work on this bottle. I’ll go introduce myself and see what is with us today.” Margot looked at him with pleading eyes, before saying, “Please, Peter. Do something before he starts in on our girls.” Peter loved the older woman like she was his mother, and reached out to gently touch her cheek and said, “Don’t worry, Margot, we’ll do something.”
Margot was still shaking as Peter left his office and headed to the reception desk. As he approached the desk he saw the four Margot had spoken of, two parents and two teen boys, one of which was watching every girl behind the desk or walking by the four. Peter had no trouble recognizing what the boy was doing, and saw Margot was right, this boy was major trouble. He walked up to the adults and said, “Hello, I’m Peter Stepel, Principal at West High School.” Jackie and Thomas turned to face Peter and replied, “Hello, Principal Stepel, I’m Thomas Stoner and this is my wife Jackie. These two are our son’s, Tony and Patrick. Our company transferred the two of us here to this City to troubleshoot some problems the company’s facility in this City has been having. So we need to register our sons for school. We have all their school records from Tonga High School.”
Peter could see from looking into the eyes of Jackie and Thomas that they were good people. But not telling him the real reason they were here in the City. Peter shook hands with the two, then extended a hand first to Patrick then to Tony, the latter having a cold feel to his hand. Looking into Tony’s eyes, Peter had no trouble seeing what Margot had told him, this kid was a predator. But keeping the smile on his face, Peter told Jackie and Thomas, “Well, it’s great to have another family move into our City, and two more students in our school. I hope you enjoy your stay,” and turning to Patrick and Tony, “and I hope you two boys enjoy your time at our school. If you’ll excuse me, my paperwork is never done. It was nice to meet you.” Peter then turned and walked back to his office, where he found Margot much calmer and another bottle of bottled water in her hands; the empty one sat on his desk. He walked around to his desk chair, sat down, picked up the phone and dialed two numbers. When the person at the other end answered, Peter said, “Robert, please come to my office. We just inherited a major problem.” After hanging up he dialed two more numbers. And after a quiet word with the person at the other end of the line, hung up the phone and opened the bottom drawer of his desk. He removed several binders before he found the one he was after, the directory of every school in the State and the surrounding States.
More years ago than Peter’s been principal at West high, a Superintendent got really pissed when she was trying to find the phone number of a school in the Eastern half of the State. She finally found it, but it took over a half hour. That’s when she had the idea of a Statewide school directory which would include those surrounding States. She sent out letters to every Superintendent of every school district in the State and the surrounding States, stating her case and giving her reasonings. The result, after much collating, was the school directory Peter was now thumbing through.
“Tonga High School...T...To...Ton, ah here it is. Tonga High, Jessie Milner Principal. Oh my gawd, this should be real fun.” Margot sat quietly as Peter made the comment, knowing by his facial expression the fun he was really going to have. He picked up the phone, dialed the number for Tonga High School, and when it was answered he said, “This is Peter Stepel, Principal at West High School. May I please speak to Principal Milner? Thank you, I’ll hold.” Now with a smile on his face, Margot was sure some fun was about to happen.
Peter had put the phone on speaker, so when Principal Milner answered, she said something Margot knew wasn’t Principal etiquette. “Oh gawd, Stepel. Don’t tell me you’re still having problems working quadratic equations. I thought I’d taught you how easy they were to solve.” Margot saw the biggest grin on Peter’s face as he shot back, “Yeah, no problems with quadratic equations today, Jessie. But since we’re bringing up old times, who pulled your butt out of the fire in your chemistry class? As I remember it, you couldn’t even grasp what a chemical was at the time.” The two old friends sat back and laughed at the banter between them, before Jessie asked, “So, Mr. Principal at West. How ya’ been Peter? And what can I do for you?” Peter thought how good it was to hear Jessie’s voice again, they made a wicked pair in undergrad and graduate school. “I’ve been at West fifteen years, Jessie. They’ve been some of the best years of my life. And I’m doing fine, actually getting married soon.” Margot tried not to laugh when she heard, “Wwwhhhaaattt...some gal wants to put a saddle on you? How much did you pay her, Peter?” Jessie laughed after what she said, and waited on Peter. “Jessie, she isn’t putting a saddle on me, just a ring. And no, it isn’t going through my nose. She’s the school’s Vice Principal, and yes, you’re going to be invited to the wedding. So don’t ask.”
Then Peter got serious and told Jessie, “Jessie, I really wish this was a social call, but we have a problem and I need information from you. I understand Tony Stoner was a student at Tonga, as was his brother Patrick. What can you tell me about the boys?” All Peter and Margot heard at first was, “Aw fucking shit!” They then heard file drawers being opened and slammed shut. They then heard Jessie yell, “Barry, get me that file on that Stoner kid. And make it yesterday.” There was several minutes of silence before they heard a male voice say, “Where’d those two bastards end up, Jessie?” And when Jessie told Barry, Margot and Peter heard, “Hope someone doesn’t kill them this time. Good luck to you whoever you are.”
Peter and Margot heard Jessie shush Barry, as Jessie started talking to Peter. “Peter, Barry is right about hoping someone doesn’t kill Tony this time. Tony is a predator, pure and simple. The parents are gems, and how Tony ended up like he did is anyone’s guess. His younger brother is a freshman, and follows Tony, though I think Tony beats the hell out of him if he doesn’t do what Tony says. Peter, that animal abused ten girls here at the high school before they picked the wrong girl to go after and they ended up in the hospital. We never heard about the ten girls before the boys got their butts kicked, because Tony threatened to do worse to them if they talked. Why they didn’t end up in juvie for the remainder of their teens, I don’t know. It was taken out of my hands. I will tell you there were ten fathers who wanted five minutes with both boys, and I didn’t blame them.” While Jessie spoke about Tony, there was a soft knock on Peter’s office door and when it opened, Robert stepped in and closed the door behind him. Peter indicated a chair and put his finger to his lips. Robert just nodded and sat down next to Margot, taking her hand and giving it a gentle squeeze. The look on Margot’s face told him all he needed to know. Margot smiled at Robert, returned the squeeze, then returned her attention to the conversation with Jessie.
“Peter, you got to put someone on Tony the whole time he’s at school. He’s a sneaky bastard, and will try to get an unsuspecting girl to go with him using some excuse or other. And unless I miss my guess, he’s already picked out a target at your school. So watch him like a hawk, Peter. And Peter, pray someone doesn’t kill him when they learn he’s done something to one of the girls at your school. We had to confine all of our students to their classes when the EMT’s came to take them to the hospital. Especially our football players. Several of them had sisters Tony abused. I’ll send you a copy of his complete file, if it isn’t too late already.”
The three in Peter’s office could hear Jessie sigh then say, “Peter. I can only say two more things. Good luck with Tony, and I’ll see you at your wedding. Can’t wait to see you in a monkey suit, you dog. Bye Peter, take care.” And the line went dead. Peter hung up his end, then turned to Robert. “Tony and his family are still at the reception desk. I need your crew to keep an eagle eye on that kid. Keep someone on the cameras the entire time he’s at school. Hopefully we can keep him from doing anything, but that’s wishful thinking. Margot? You doing better?” Margot nodded her head then told Peter, “Yes, I’m better now that we know what we’re dealing with. I best get back to my desk.” Peter watched as Margot got up from the chair, walked to the door, opened it, and closed it after leaving Peter’s office. Peter ran his fingers through his hair then whispered, “Awww shit. Just what we don’t need.”
Robert didn’t say anything, as he got up from his chair, picked up a spare clipboard, shoved some paper under the clip, and left Peter’s office, heading for the reception desk. He saw a man and woman with two boys at the reception desk, focusing on Tony’s face. He walked in behind the reception desk and acted like he was checking the counters which were kept on the far wall. As he watched Tony, he could see what the boy was doing, as Tony watched every girl that walked by the desk. Robert walked over to a phone, picked up the receiver and dialed two numbers. Very quietly, he spoke with the person on the other end. And out of sight of the Stoner family, a camera moved and focused on Tony. Robert then told the person to follow that kid everywhere he goes, not to lose sight of him. And to pass the word to have everyone meet in their offices. The Stoners had finished registering the boys and had started walking back to the entrance, papers in hand of the boys classes and school regulations. Robert stealthed his way behind them, watching Tony as he continued watching every girl that walked by. He followed the family until they turned into the bookstore, and he then continued on to his offices. This kid was trouble, big trouble. Trouble like they’d never had. Trouble which could get both boys killed if they messed with the wrong girl.
The next day a courier arrived at West High School. He stopped at Margot’s desk, telling her he had a special delivery for Principal Stepel. Margot signed for the package, then got up and went to Peter’s office. After knocking on his door, and waiting until Peter said ‘enter,’ she went into his office and handed Peter the package from Jessie. “Margot, have Tina handle anything while I read through this material. And field my calls, tell them I’m in a meeting and will call them back when I’m free.” Margot nodded her head after Peter spoke, then left his office. Peter took a deep breath, then opened the package and began reading. He didn’t realize how loud he had said ‘oh shit,’ but Margot heard it and knew something was bad. She knew just how bad when Robert passed her desk, knocked on Peter’s office door and walked right in. Margot’s intercom buzzed a few minutes later, meaning Peter wanted her in his office. After waiting to hear ‘enter,’ Margot walked into Peter’s office and saw Robert looking out the only window in the office. Peter never said anything but handed her the file to read. It didn’t take a mind reader to see how upset Peter was and Margot had been around Robert long enough to see he too was upset. Actually, Robert was really pissed. When she finished reading the file, she asked, “How has that kid kept from being jailed? West is the fourth school he’s been in in the last year, and he’s been expelled from the other three. Who’s pulling strings to keep him out of jail? I don’t get the feeling it’s his parents, they don’t seem the type to let something like his behavior slide. Any ideas, Peter? Robert?” She sat and watched both men, as Peter shook his head and Robert shrugged his shoulders and shook his head. Peter picked up his phone and dialed Jessie’s number, finding out she was out of the office until late afternoon.
It was Robert who spoke first by saying, “Whoever is keeping that little shit out of jail has a lot of juice. Enough to influence three other Cities. I know some people who might be able to find out, Peter, if you’d like.” All Peter said was, “Do it, Robert. Quietly.” They had to find out and find out quickly, before Tony struck at their school. Robert pulled out his cell phone, as he left Peter’s office and called the one person who could find a fly on the moon. When the person answered, Robert gave her the score and was assured he’d have his answer in about an hour. Exactly sixty-five minutes later Robert’s cell phone rang, and Robert learned who was pulling strings to keep Tony out of jail. Students stepped out of Robert’s way as the big man made his way to Peter’s office; they’d seen the look on his face before. Robert went right past Margot without a word, knocked on Peter’s door, and walked right in, closing the door behind him. Peter knew what the look on Robert’s face meant, and knew to let Robert speak first. Peter saw the big man work to keep his emotions under control as he told Peter, “It’s the fucking grandmother who’s pulling strings. She’s got money pouring out of her ears, and knows people. That fucking bitch is enabling her grandson to continually abuse girls. I made another call before I came here, Peter. Her days on the free market are about to come to an end. If that little shit does anything this time, his ass IS going to jail. And everything in his recent past will be added.” Robert said “no more,” as he angrily left Peter’s office. Peter knew why this grandmother grated on Robert’s nerves, he’d seen something similar when he was in the military. And it took everyone involved blowing the whistle to bring down the officer who was pulling strings then.
For three days, Robert’s team kept an eye on Tony no matter where he went. There was always a member of his security team walking any of the halls where Tony had a class. They made sure he went to class and made sure he came out of class to go to his next class. When he went into the restroom, they made sure no one came out of that restroom in worse shape than they went in. And made sure Tony came out of that restroom in time to get to class.
Robert had made it clear to his team they needed to find out which girl Tony had targeted, and fast. It had been the second day of his time in school that security started noticing Tony was in the same area as Kathy Williams. They noticed how he paid attention to where she went and at what time; Tony always was looking at his watch when around Kathy. They even caught him following Kathy at one point, but he turned into another wing for his next class. By the fourth day Robert was certain Tony was going after Kathy Williams, but couldn’t provide proof to substantiate his feelings. So they continued to watch Tony and let the boy string out his own rope. It was three weeks later when all hell broke loose at West High, when Tony finally struck.
It was on a Friday that started calm and peaceful, like it did every Friday. Everything was fine until after the last bell of the day had rung, and an event occurred which drew the attention of school security away from watching Tony. One of the kitchen staff was cleaning a piece of equipment when something caused a fire to start on that piece of equipment. It acted more like a burner which had been turned up too high, but it drew a lot of attention to get it put out.
At the same time, Kathy came out of the girls locker room from her last period PE class, when Tony and Patrick, who’d been waiting near the boys locker room door, grabbed her and pulled her into the boys locker room.
At the same time Marge, followed by Bobby, were coming out of the class wing where they both had history. Marge heard a scream and when turning to the sound, saw Tony and Patrick pulling Kathy into the boys locker room. She yelled at Bobby, who was walking the other way, “Bobby, that little piece of shit and his brother have grabbed Kathy and taken her into the boys locker room.” She’d started running towards the locker rooms as she yelled at Bobby, so didn’t hear him whistle and yell to other football players who were in the main corridor.
When Marge ran into the boys locker room, she could hear Tony talking to Kathy. “So, the bitch thinks she’s too good for me, does she? Well, bitch, you’re going to get a good lesson in manners when it comes to me. I’m going to have so much fun with you and leave you with a reminder who it was who gave it to you.” Marge heard a slapping sound, followed by a cry from Kathy. When Marge rounded a set of lockers, she saw Tony standing in front of Kathy, his jeans and underwear down around his ankles, and his penis fully erect. Patrick was behind Kathy holding her by her arms, her skirt and panties lying on the floor off to the side. Marge didn’t mince words as she yelled, “WHAT THE FUCK DO YOU ASSHOLES THINK YOU’RE DOING?”
Marge’s intrusion caught Tony and Patrick off guard, and they turned their heads to look at Marge. This slight distraction was all Kathy needed. Kathy was so enraged by what the two boys had done, and were about to do, that the force of her right leg snapping up, and the instep of her foot slammed into Tony’s naked groin, actually lifted the boy off the floor a few inches. Tony screamed, grabbed his groin, before dropping like a rock to the floor, ending up in a fetal position still holding his groin. Kathy then brought her right foot up and slammed the heel of her three inch high heel shoe into the instep of Patrick’s foot. She was so angry that the force of her strike drove the heel of her shoe completely through Patrick’s instep and sole of his foot, striking the floor beneath his foot. She pulled her shoe free just as Patrick started screaming and released her, himself dropping to the floor and holding his punctured foot as he screamed.
Bobby was the first of the football players to arrive in the boys locker room, and watched as Marge picked up Kathy’s skirt and panties and led her towards the showers to help get Kathy redressed. Bobby walked over and blocked the path to the showers, just as the other players arrived. Bobby pointed at Tony and Patrick and growled, “These two pieces of shit went after Kathy. Two of you drag that piece of shit,” and he was pointing at Tony, “and two of you take that piece of shit,” and he pointed to Patrick,”to the office, and don’t bother putting their clothes back on. The rest of you stick around, we need to help Kathy when she gets dressed.” A few kicks landed on both boys as two players picked up Tony and two picked up Patrick, and as someone held the locker room door open, four football players dragged, or carried, the boys out of the locker room and towards the office.
When Marge and Kathy came out of the area of the showers, Bobby could see how upset Kathy was, and how Marge was supporting the girl. Bobby tried to help Marge with Kathy but it caused Kathy to move away from Bobby. Bobby had turned and started walking towards the locker room door, but his friends stood firm and shook their heads; they knew what Bobby planned to do but wouldn’t let him get himself in trouble. Instead, with Bobby leading the way while the other players followed, and Marge and Kathy between them, they slowly headed towards the office. The small group hadn’t gotten far when several school security came running toward them, then tried to get the football players to move along when the security people reached the group. The small group stopped, and five angry football players formed a line in front of Marge and Kathy. It was Dwight who told security, “You want to come with us, fine. But we’re going to escort both girls to the office. And if you want to argue about this, bring it on. We need to kick the shit out of somebody today.” All five teens stood a good foot taller than most of the security people, and outweighed most of them by a good one hundred pounds.
It was Robert who arrived last and pushed his way through his people, before he stood in front of all five boys. Robert was probably the only man there who could take on all five boys and end up with only a few bruises, and the boys knew this. But they weren’t moving. When Robert finally spoke, he used a soft voice, attempting to keep his anger under check. “You five continue guarding Marge and Kathy as you take them to the office. I’m going to have Millie and Susan go with you, the girls need women with them until their parents arrive. Keep a lid on it, boys. Don’t do anything to get yourselves into trouble. I know exactly what you want to do to those pieces of shit, it’s what I want to do as well. But we can’t, unfortunately. Millie, Susan, go with this group to the office. Put the girls in one of the meeting rooms, and stay with them. No one but school staff, police, or medical gets in to see the girls. Got it?” Robert received two ‘yes, sir’ before the boys regrouped around the girls and the group continued towards the office.
Peter was standing in the office hallway when the four football players brought Tony and Patrick into the office. “Where do you want these pieces of shit, Principal Stepel? We’ll throw them wherever you want them.” Sam Wilson was one of the players Walter, then Kathy, tutored in math so he could remain eligible to play football, and he was pissed. Peter knew exactly how the four felt, Kathy was, afterall, his niece. “Take them down to the big conference room, and don’t throw them onto the floor. Set them down, away from each other. We have to handle this the right way, though I totally understand how you boys feel,” Peter told the four, who followed Peter’s orders to the letter. It wasn’t long before the second group arrived, and Peter could see how upset Kathy was because of what two animals almost did to her. “Take the girls to one of the small conference rooms,” Peter said to Bobby. Bobby nodded his head and led them to the first small conference room they came to. Millie and Susan waited in the room with Marge and Kathy, while five tigers stood guard in front of the door to that room.
At the Williams’ home, Terry was going nuts after receiving the call from Peter. Her car was in the shop so she had to wait for Shelby to come by to pick her up. She never let Shelby shut off the engine of his car, as she opened the front passenger door even before Shelby had completely stopped his car. “Go...go...damit, GO, Shelby,” Terry almosted screamed, as Shelby accelerated away from the curb in front of their home. Shelby was doing the speed limit, which didn’t sit well with Terry. “DAMIT, SHELBY! GO FASTER. BREAK THE SPEED LIMIT. DO YOU HEAR ME! MOVE!” Shelby pulled the car over and stopped, turned to Terry and said in a firm voice, “Terry, I will not endanger our lives to satisfy your need to get as quickly to the high school as you need to get there. Kathy is in good hands, and there’s nothing we can do if we end up in the hospital. So sit back, calm down, and we’ll get there in a few minutes.” The look on Terry’s face after being lectured by Shelby could have cracked granite, but she did as he said, and Shelby put the car in gear and drove them safely to the high school. Once in the parking lot, at the loading zone, Shelby had to throw the car into Park, and jump out of the car to catch Terry before she got too far. He caught up with her just as she entered the school, grabbed her shoulders, spun her around, shoved her up against the wall and told her in no uncertain terms, “Damit, Terry, stop it right now. If you go charging in there and do what you want to do, you’ll blow whatever case an attorney had of convicting those two assholes. NOW, stop it right NOW. You WILL stay right here while I go park the car. You WILL wait for me and we WILL go into the office together. And you WILL keep your mouth shut and let Peter tell us everything. Do you understand me, Terry?” Terry had never seen Shelby in such a state with her before now, but she knew he meant every word he said. So she simply nodded her head and watched as Shelby went back outside to move the car. When he came back into the school, he gently took her hand and together they walked into the office wing.
When Shelby and Terry walked into the office wing, Peter took them into his office and started explaining everything he’d been told. Shelby put an arm on Terry’s arm, as he saw her start to rise out of the chair she was using. All he said was, “No, Terry. Stay seated.” Peter then took them down to the small conference room where Marge and Kathy waited. When they approached the room, the five boys parted to let them enter the room. Shelby let Terry enter first, a wise move since Kathy rocketed out of her chair and practically jumped onto Terry. “Oh gawd, mom, what they were going to do to me,” Kathy said as she held onto her mom with a death grip. “If it hadn’t been for Marge, they’d...they’d...oh gawd…” and Kathy broke down and started sobbing. Shelby gently pushed Terry further into the small room so he could close the door behind him. Once the door was closed, the five tigers once again made it impossible for anyone but authorized personnel to enter the room.
Sometime later there was a knock on the small conference room door, and two women entered. One was in a police uniform and the other in plain clothing. They saw Millie and Susan, nodded to them, then looked at Marge, Shelby, and Terry holding a still distraught Kathy. All were sitting around the table in the room. “I’m detective Barbara Stevens, and this is officer Jo Dunnley. I realize this is a bad time but I need to speak with Kathy and Marge.” Looking at Terry and Shelby, Barbara said, “I take it you are Kathy’s parents?” When both Shelby and Terry nodded, Barbara told them, “Good, you need to be here so I can legally question Kathy.” She then looked at Millie and Susan, and both shook their heads, they were not leaving the girls alone. Barbara understood, but was a bit miffed.
“Kathy,” Barbara asked, “do you think you can answer some questions for me?” Kathy was sitting in Terry’s lap with her head on Terry’s shoulder. She lifted her head, turned it towards the detective, and told her, “Yeah, I think so. What do you need to know?” For the next thirty minutes, Barbara asked the usual questions: ‘Where were you when the boys grabbed you?’ ‘Did you do anything to encourage them in any way?’ ‘What did they do to you?’ ‘How did they get hurt?’ ‘How did Marge help you?’ As Kathy answered each question, she became calmer, almost angry again, but didn’t go off the rails. When Barbara had all the answers she wanted, she told all of them she would be back after she questioned others. When Barbara opened the small conference room door, she almost ran straight into Peter, who was trying not to drop an arm full of bottled water. He backed out of her way before going into the room and setting the bottles on the table. With the door closed behind him, everyone reached for a bottle of water; Shelby got three, handing two to Terry and Kathy.
Peter sat down in one of the chairs, and told the four, “Well, the EMT’s arrived shortly after the police arrived. We sent them directly to check on Tony and Patrick. Kathy, you really did a number on both boys. But I don’t blame you. They had to give Tony a muscle relaxant in order to check his injuries. From what they saw, he won’t be giving his parents any grandkids in the future. But that’s not the worst thing I could hear. Boy, girl, you must have been really pissed to punch a hole straight through Patrick’s instep. They said you missed any major vessels, or bones, but it’ll take some time for that hole to heel. Where’d you learn to do those things anyway?” He watched as Kathy looked at his sister, then turned to him and tell him, “After I fully transitioned, mom thought it a good idea if I took lessons from a friend of hers who helps people relearn how to walk, eat, that sort of thing. Mom said just because I turned into a girl, it didn’t mean I knew how to walk like a girl. And as it turned out, mom’s friend also taught self defense classes. No Martial Arts stuff, just plain old ‘poke them in the eye’ type stuff. She’s the one who taught me where to hit a guy when it was him or me.” Peter chuckled, shook his head, then said, “Smart mom you got there, kid.”
They were making small talk when there was a knock on the small conference room door and Barbara and Jo came into the room. “Principal Stepel, Mr. and Mrs. Williams, the two boys are on their way to the hospital. I’ve spoken with their parents, and your’s, young lady,” she said, pointing to Marge, “and took statements from your guard dogs just outside the door. I’ve done all I can do tonight, but I will need everyone to come to the station tomorrow morning and give a formal statement of the incident. Mr. and Mrs. Williams, it might be a good idea to take Kathy to the ER and have them give you a good check up. Just to make sure she didn’t get hurt when those two dragged her into the locker room. And Kathy. I understand you’re new to being a girl. I’m so sorry you had to experience something like this. Something every girl fears might happen to her. It’s a hell of a way to be introduced into girldom. Thank you all for being so patient with me, and giving me your time at such a horrible time. One thing I can assure everyone, those two boys won’t be returning to this, or any other, school. I hope you all can have a better evening.” And with that, Barbara and Jo left the room, letting everyone finally leave the room as well. When they stepped out of the room, all five football players were still there. Terry turned to all five and told them, “Guys, thank you very much for looking out for the girls. Shelby and I really appreciate what you did.” With Kathy and Marge’s parents there, the five boys walked out of the office to head home. As the small group watched the boys walk away, it was Kathy who said, “One day some lucky girl is going to get quite some guy for her boyfriend. And he’s going to treat her like a princess.”
There was a slight fuss when Shelby told Peter they’d take Kathy to the ER as the detective suggested. Kathy agreed to go, but only if Marge came with her. Shelby and Terry tried to reason with Kathy, telling her Marge might be very tired after everything, but it did no good. Shelby looked to Dorothy and Thomas, Marge’s parents, and they agreed letting Marge go with Kathy was a good idea; the Williams could bring Marge home afterwards. As Peter watched another small group walk out of the office, he said to the older woman standing besides him, “Damn, Margot. Will that kid ever get a break? Is there something she’ll do in the future that requires her to go through all this crap?” Margot patted Peter on the back and told him, “Only time will reveal that answer, Peter. Why don’t we close this place up and get out of here? Don’t you have someone waiting for you?” Peter chuckled and openly agreed with everything Margot said, before doing exactly that.
Marsha was standing at the reception counter in the ER when the doors swished open, causing her to turn to see if she was going to be needed right away. A big smile formed on her face as she saw Shelby, Terry, Kathy, and Marge walk into the ER. That smile faded as she saw the look on all of their faces, this causing her to quickly make her way to the group. “Hi, guys,” Marsha cautiously said, “is everything alright?” Marsha watched as Terry and Marge both put their arms around a visibly upset Kathy, who was again starting to shake; her mind was replaying the events which had taken place only a few hours ago. Shelby stepped closer to Marsha, lowered his voice, and told her, “Marsha, Kathy was attacked at school by two boys. They dragged her into the boys locker room and had torn off her skirt and panties, and were about to rape her when Marge showed up. They never got the chance to do anything more to her, as the distraction of Marge showing up gave Kathy the chance to take care of both boys. We need to have her checked over to make sure she wasn’t hurt by the boys as they dragged her into the locker room.” As Shelby told Marsha why they were in the ER, Marsha looked over at Kathy and saw the tears freely flowing down her cheeks. It then hit her, and she asked, “Did one of the boys have sandy colored hair? And the other a dirty blonde?” When Kathy nodded, Marsha realized she had treated both boys when they’d been brought into the ER. Marsha stepped over to Kathy, gently took the girl’s hands, and told her, “I initially treated those two boys when they were brought to the ER, both were a mess. The older one is now up in surgery, his testicles were severely damaged and will have to be removed. The younger one was taken up to the surgical floor so the doctors could evaluate how to repair the hole in his foot. Sweetheart, I’m so sorry you had to experience something like this, but you did good in defending yourself.” Marsha then asked Shelby to wait in the waiting room, called over two female nurses and told them to prep exam room three, and asked the woman to follow her.
Shelby stood rooted where he was as he watched Terry, Marge, and Kathy follow Marsha through the doors leading to the exam rooms. He wanted to do more than kick one of those boys in the groin, and punch a hole through the foot of the other. He wanted to kill both of them, slowly. But he resigned himself to let the law deal with them, as it should and would, if he had anything to say about it all.
When Marsha and the three women reached exam room three, Kathy laughed when she saw the number on the door. That laugh caused Marsha, Terry, and Marge to look at Kathy, but she shook her head and told them, “No, I’m alright. It’s just, this room is where it all began. It was in this room where Walter was examined after the accident. And it was in this room Kathy found out she was a total girl. And it’s in this room I’m going to find out how banged up I am.” Kathy smiled at Marsha and asked, “Guess you still have those revealing gowns to wear?” Kathy’s question, and her recollection of past events had two effects. The gown question caused all of them to laugh, Walter’s butt had always been flying in the wind. Kathy’s recollection brought tears to Terry’s eyes, memories of a hurt boy lying on the exam table and the loss of her son rushed back to her. Then Walter popped up as Kathy said to Marsha, “Maybe you should rename this room ‘The Katherine Elizabeth Williams Exam Room,’ Marsha. Or maybe I should try and gain squatters rights to the room.” The smile on Kathy’s face after what she said spoke volumes, and Marsha knew it. It was the way Walter had handled the situations he’d run into. It was Marge who said, “Well, someone is feeling better.”
Right Time
By Jamie Lee
Most often people talk about being in the right place at the right time. Maybe they achieved a beautiful photo of a sunrise, or the antics of children or animals. Maybe they found something someone lost and received a big reward when it was returned. But how often do they talk about being in the wrong place at the right time? If they do, it’s often about the death of someone or maybe witnessing a crime. And if this is the case, they are sad or horrified. Walter Williams often is in the wrong place at the right time, though his reaction to the incidents he encounters is much different than anyone would expect. And, life-changing.
Kathy may have appeared to be better after her ordeal, but Terry knew better, as she could see it in Kathy’s eyes. It was Terry who said, “Hi, Jenny, didn’t take you long to arrive.” Marsha, Marge, and Kathy turned as one to see Jenny Thomas walking down the hall towards them. Then the three, as one, turned to look at Terry, who was still watching Jenny approach. “Okay, mom, what gives?” Kathy asked, as she then turned her attention back to Jenny. When Jenny reached the three women, she hugged Terry and told her, “I got here as fast as traffic allowed. No since getting into a wreck or speeding ticket.” “Mooom…?” Kathy said in a questioning tone. It didn’t take Marsha but a moment to realize what was taking place, and told the others, “I think we should take this into the exam room, ladies. Don’t you?”
Kathy barged past Marsha and went into the exam room first. Marsha looked at Terry and mouthed, ‘Dumb move Terry.’ Terry didn’t care what Marsha thought, Kathy was her only concern at the moment. It didn’t take a puzzle master to decipher the look on Kathy’s face when the four women walked into the exam room. And Kathy didn’t hold back when Marsha closed the door after Jenny had entered the room. “OKAY, MOM, WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON? WHAT IS JENNY DOING HERE? IF YOU THINK I’M ABOUT TO TELL ANYONE BUT THE POLICE WHAT HAPPENED, THEN YOU ARE SORELY MISTAKEN?”
Terry was no one to let her daughter speak to her in that tone of voice. Marge saw what was about to occur as Terry quickly walked over to Kathy. Marge was closer to Kathy so she quickly stepped in front of Kathy, facing her, and hugged her to pin her arms to her side. She then told Terry, “You don’t want to do that Terry. Given the state she’s in, she will hurt you. And believe me, she can do it, thanks to those lessons you insisted she take.” What Marge said pulled Terry up short, causing her to stop and step back. When Terry looked into Kathy’s eyes, she could see the truth in Marge’s words. Kathy was in a state, and not one Terry’s seen before. Jenny stepped up behind Terry, put a hand on her shoulder, and told her, “Terry, you need to calm down and step back from all of this. If you don’t, you could lose your daughter and any chance the lawyers have of getting a conviction against the two boys. I would tell you to step out in the hallway with me, but because Kathy is a minor you have to be here. The only question is, what state are you going to be in while you’re in this room?”
The nurse in the room had come around the exam table and was standing next to Marsha, both women ready to grab Terry if she made another move towards Kathy. Terry dropped her head, nodded, then let Jenny lead her to one of the two chairs in the room. The tension in the room had dropped, but hadn’t dissipated. Marsha had the nurse take out a gown from one of the drawers below one of the counters, held it out to Kathy and asked her to step behind the screen and get completely undressed before putting the gown on. Marge let go of Kathy, but Kathy didn’t let go of Marge, as she grabbed Marge’s hand as she took the gown in the other hand. Both girls went behind the screen and Marge held Kathy as the girl broke down and sobbed into Marge’s shoulder. Jenny felt Terry start to get up, but kept a firm hand on the woman’s shoulder, keeping her in her seat. “She needs this, Terry. Let her be,” Marsha told Terry, pushing harder as Terry tried to break free of her grip. Terry almost broke free of Jenny’s grip and if it hadn’t been for Marsha standing before Terry with a hypodermic in her hand, Terry would have succeeded. “Now Terry, you have a choice. I can sedate you to calm you down, or, you can calm down on your own,” Marsha told her, the look in Marsha’s eyes telling Terry she meant every word she said. Jenny felt Terry relax, and she lessened her grip on Terry’s shoulder; but kept her hand there just in case.
Marsha set the hypodermic on a gauze pad on the counter, just in case it was needed, and watched as first Marge then a gowned Kathy came out from behind the screen. Marsha then went through a preliminary exam, height, weight, DOB, before having Kathy get up on the exam table. She had Kathy sit at first, taking her blood pressure then her temperature. She checked to make sure Kathy’s pupils were equal and reactive, then had Kathy lie down. Kathy insisted Marge hold her hand, even though Marsha wanted to examine her arms for any signs of injury. She spotted bruises on both of Kathy’s upper arms, bruises in the form of fingers. Marsha then asked if either boy hit her. Kathy told her, yes, she’d been slapped on the right side of her face. Marsha gently turned Kathy’s head to get a better view of the right side of Kathy’s face, noting the welt that was on display just below Kathy’s right cheekbone. The gown stopped at Kathy’s knees, so Marsha started examining Kathy’s lower legs next. She started at each knee, going down to each foot, articulating the lower leg and foot to see if anything was damaged. When she reached Kathy’s right foot, however, she saw a semi-circle imprint on the instep of the foot. Knowing what happened to Tony, she asked the nurse to get Kathy’s right high heel shoe from behind the screen. When the nurse returned with the shoe Marsha gently put the shoe on Kathy’s right foot, and saw how the curve of the top portion which covered Kathy’s toes exactly matched the imprint on Kathy’s foot. Marsha tried to not let on how much force Kathy had used to cause such an imprint when she kicked Tony, but Kathy’s keen eyes caught it nonetheless. “What, Marsha? What do you see?” Marsha looked at the nurse, then Jenny, then Terry, hoping to get some affirmation if she should tell Kathy the truth. But no one offered a sign. Marsha sighed, then said, “Kathy, you kicked Tony with so much force that an imprint of this portion of your shoe is on your foot,” and she showed Kathy the location on the shoe that caused the imprint. “It isn’t anything to worry about, none of the blood vessels look damaged, so it should fade in a few days.” Marsha had been drawing things out, trying to slowly work up to what she had to do next. She only hoped Kathy wouldn’t come apart when she did.
Still drawing things out, Marsha asked if Kathy needed anything to drink. Jenny saw the look on Marsha’s face when Kathy told her no. She also realized what had to be done next, and whether both mother and daughter could tolerate it.
Marsha took a deep breath, and told Kathy, “Kathy, I need you to be completely honest with me because I’m going to start examining your upper body. Did the boys touch your breast, punch you in the stomach, hit you in the back? Did you bang into anything when they took you into the locker room? Or did they just take off your skirt and panties?” Jenny tightened her grip on Terry’s shoulders, as tears fell from Kathy’s eyes. “I don’t know what it was, but I bang my back on something as they took me into the locker room. Then they sort of dropped my feet and my heels hit the floor, before they took off my skirt and panties.” Kathy’s grip tightened on Marge’s hand as she told Marsha the whole truth. Marsha took a tissue and dabbed Kathy’s eyes, catching the tears which had slid towards Kathy’s ears.
Taking another deep breath, Marsha asked, “Kathy, did either of those two boys enter into your body with themselves or anything else?” Just after Kathy told Marsha, “No,” she rose up from the table and took Marge in a death hug, as she again cried on Marge’s shoulder. Jenny firmly pushed Terry back into her seat. She bent down and whispered in Terry’s ear, “remember what I told you about losing your daughter and fucking up the case against the boys.” Terry again relaxed in her seat. When Kathy had cried herself out, Marsha did insist Kathy drink quite a bit of the bottled water Marsha gave her. When Kathy had drunk half of the water in the bottle, she had Kathy sit up and turn so her feet were hanging over the edge of the exam table. She told Kathy to hold on to the front of the gown so it didn’t fall down, as she untied the back so she could examine Kathy’s back. What she saw was a good bruise that ran just below Kathy’s shoulder blades and from left to right. Kathy jumped slightly as Marsha palpated the entire area, paying close attention to the backbone that lay under the bruise; That place would need to be scanned. Marsha checked the rest of Kathy’s back, before having the girl lie back down on the exam table.
Kathy again flinched, and gripped Marge’s hand harder as Marsha gently pulled the top of the gown down to expose Kathy’s upper body. Even with her eyes tightly closed, the tears fell as Marsha gently examined every inch of Kathy’s upper body. Kathy then felt the gown being placed back over her upper body, and knew what was coming next. She couldn’t speak, but only nodded, when Marsha told her, “Kathy, I have to examine your groin now. I want you to lie how you are right now. Then I’ll tell you when to raise your legs so your feet are flat on the table. Okay?” When Marsha saw Kathy nod, she said, “Okay, here we go.”
Marsha took the hem of the gown and lifted it and pushed it up until it lay just below Kathy’s chin. It wasn’t hard to see the fear in Kathy, as her body had started to shake. Kathy let out a cry, then whimpered, as Marsha started to palpate Kathy’s abdomen and upper thighs. Kathy reached out with her other hand towards Marge when Marsha had her raise her legs until her feet were flat on the table. Kathy had let Debbie Marlow examine her groin, and didn’t bat an eye as she did so. But that was before what Tony and Patrick had done and planned to do to her. Now she only muffled her crying as Marsha examined the inside of both thighs, both sides of her groin, and the entrance to Kathy’s body. It got to be too much for Kathy as Marsha examined the folds of skin, and the girl burst out in tears. Marge had bent down to let Kathy hold her as Marsha said, “I’m almost through, Kathy.” Marsha tugged the bottom of the gown out from under Marge, and pulled it down to once again cover Kathy. Marsha patted Kathy’s arms and told her, “Okay, sweetheart, I’m all through. No more. You can get dressed now.”
Marge pulled Kathy into a sitting position, before Kathy swung her legs off the exam table and got off the table with Marge’s help. The two girls went behind the screen and were there for some time as Kathy had more tears to shed. While Kathy was getting dressed, Marsha wrote up her notes, then turned to Terry and told her, “There are no signs of penetration. No bruising in the groin region, though there is the welt on the right side of her face, and a bruise just below her shoulder blades, running from left to right. Because it runs across a vertebrae I’m going to send her down to imaging so they can have a good look at that area. Also, I know why you called Jenny, and agree with your decision. So, I’m going to prescribe that she see Jenny three times a week to start with, then leave it up to Jenny to set further appointments. I know of Walter’s past and how he reacted to situations. But even Walter couldn’t have come out of something like this unscathed. As for you, Terry,” and Marsha wrote on her prescription pad, “I want you to get this filled and follow my instructions. These won’t put you to sleep, but they will help you calm down and get through all of this crap.” She tore the script off the pad and handed it to Terry, looking her in the eye and telling her, “I meant what I said, Terry. The needle or the pills, and I’ll be checking with Shelby to make sure you’re taking the pills. Don’t risk blowing things by letting yourself get out of control. I know what you’d like to do, but that won’t undo what’s been done.” Jenny was nodding her head at everything Maraha was telling Terry. Then a shocked Terry heard, “And Terry, I’ll call you and let you know the time and date for your appointment with me.” When Terry looked up at Jenny, Jenny told her, “You need me as much as Kathy does at the moment. You both have been attacked.” Terry thought about Jenny’s last words and nodded her head in understanding. By now both girls had come out from behind the screen. Marsha picked up the phone in the room and dialed a number. Then she said, “This is doctor Taylor in exam room three. I need an orderly to take Kathy Williams and friends up to Imaging. I’ll be calling up there to let them know what I need. Okay, thanks.” A few minutes later there was a knock on the door. After opening the door, Marsha gave instructions to the orderly and after hugs were exchanged, Marsha apologizing to Kathy, watched as the four followed the orderly to the elevators. It was the first time the nurse with Marsha spoke when she asked, “Do you think she’ll be alright, Marsha?” Marsha chuckled, then told Betty, “Betty, let’s go get some coffee and I’ll tell you about the exploits of one Walter Williams. Better known today as Kathy Williams.”
Kathy’s experience in Imaging went much better, as they took her in right away then asked her to put on another hospital gown. Marge stayed with her, right up until it was time to perform the scan of Kathy’s back. Except for some of the noise, Kathy was able to relax as the scans, and images, were taken. When they were done, Kathy was allowed to get dressed, and asked to wait in the waiting room; Marsha had told the person in charge to make sure to let the Williams know of their findings before the Williams left. And, a little more than an hour later the doctor handling the scans and images came out to the waiting room. “Marsha was insistent I tell you of the results before you left the hospital, she was concerned there might be some damage to the vertebrae that would warrant further treatment. I am glad to say everything looks fine, there were no signs of fractures or anything out of the ordinary. Judging by the bruise you have, young lady,” and the doctor looked at Kathy, “you’re going to be sore for several days. Momma,” and she looked between Jenny and Terry, as Terry raised her hand. “Mrs. Williams, I want you to keep an eye on your daughter. Watch for any signs of out of the ordinary movement, pain when none had occurred before. Any dizziness, nausea, anything you know your daughter has never experienced. If you see anything out of the ordinary, get her back up here yesterday, last week, two years ago. Otherwise, I’d use a cold compress wrapped in a towel for 10 to 20 minutes a day. Also, if you notice any abnormal swelling, get your daughter back up her pronto. And young lady,” she addressed Kathy, “you take it easy. No jumping, twisting, or anything else until that bruise is gone. Understand?” When Kathy, and Terry, nodded their understanding, the doctor shook everyone’s hands before bidding them goodbye. The doctor then returned to her office, where she sent the results of the scans to Marsha, where it would be added to Kathy’s file, which would be turned over to the police.
The hospital work was done, but Jenny had yet to start her part, as she suggested getting something from the hospital cafeteria so they all could talk. Jenny walked behind Terry, Marge, and Kathy, watching to see how relaxed, or tense, they were now that the tests were over. Kathy and Marge were holding hands, and Kathy was almost attached to Marge’s right hip, something Jenny hadn’t seen the girls do at school. She also noticed how robotic Terry was as she walked, again, something she’d not seen Terry do before. She also saw Terry clench and unclench her fists, a sure sign Terry really needed to unwind. The only one who seemed to be doing alright was Marge, the rock Kathy and Terry had been, and still were, leaning on.
When they reached the cafeteria Jenny asked what everyone wanted to drink, or snack on. Once she had everyone’s preference, it only took a few minutes before she sat a tray of drinks and snacks on the table the girls chose. Jenny waited until Kathy and Terry had their mouths occupied by their snack before she said, “Okay, you two,” and she pointed to Kathy and Terry. “Kathy, I want to see you after school in my office at school Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. And if you need Marge to come with you, that’s okay. Terry, I will see you in my downtown office Tuesday evening at 7 pm, no ifs ands or buts. And if I have too, I’ll have Shelby bring you. And if neither of you shows up, I’ll be at your home within fifteen minutes after your appointment. I’m deadly serious, Terry. While Kathy and I need to talk, you may be the one who needs my help the most. This is a first for you, having your daughter attacked, something that Walter would never have gone through. So,” and she looked both Kathy and Terry in their eyes, “are you two going to corporate of your own free wills, or do I have to get a Court order to get you both to comply? And believe me, after what happened, I know just the Judge who will agree with me.” Kathy nodded straight away, while Terry, more reluctant to agree, since she didn’t feel the need to speak with Jenny, finally nodded her head in agreement. “Good,” Jenny said, “then I think it’s time to get Kathy home and let her get some rest.”
They all finished their drinks and snacks, before Jenny walked with them out to the waiting room to pick up Shelby. Terry filled Shelby in about Kathy’s exam, and Jenny told him about the appointments Kathy and Terry had with her starting the following week. She then suggested Shelby take his girls home so both could relax and get the rest they needed. It was Kathy who then turned to Marge with pleading eyes, and as Jenny, Terry, and Shelby watched, Marge pulled out her cell phone and called her mother. Thomas and Dorothy had been notified by the high school about the incident, so Dorothy wasn’t surprised by what Marge told her over the phone. “Hi mom. I’m going to spend the night with Kathy, she’s still upset and wants me with her. I know we have to be at the police station at 9 am, so I’ll catch a ride with the Williams and meet you and daddy there. I love you too, mom.” Jenny was rather pleased at the non-reaction from Shelby and Terry, when they heard Marge basically invite herself to spend the night with Kathy. But it was easy to see the change of expression on Kathy’s face when she learned Marge would be with her throughout the night. And Jenny had a feeling it was going to be a rough one at that. The small group walked out to the parking lot together, where Jenny said her goodbyes, and watched as the Williams, and Marge headed to Shelby’s car. She walked the short distance to her car, got in, pulled out her cell phone, and when her call was answered, said, “Hi sweetheart, I’m on my way home. See ya in a few.”
After everyone was in the car, Shelby asked where everyone wanted to eat. Marge kept quiet, as the question was directed at Terry and Kathy. When both answered with, “I don’t care,” Shelby turned so he could look at both Kathy and Terry. “Look, girls. I know Marge will eat anything we choose, she isn’t picky. But you two are somewhat picky. If I have her pick a place, it might not be one either of you likes. So, what do you want to eat tonight? And don’t say pizza, we’ve pizza’d things out for a while.” Shelby waited, and almost started pulling on his hair, when Kathy said, “Um...Chinese sounds good.” Shelby looked at Terry and watched as she nodded her head in agreement. Shelby continued looking at Terry’s face, seeing how tense she was and hoping his idea, when they got home, helped her relax. He might have to force her to corporate, for her own good, but he knew if she didn’t relax it would be one hell of a weekend. Shelby started the car, backed out of the parking space, then pulled out of the parking lot and headed to their favorite Chinese buffet. As he drove, he watched Kathy and Marge through the rear view mirror. Kathy had almost laid herself down on Marge’s lap, though she actually was resting her head on Marge’s breasts. Her eyes were closed, and she saw Marge mouth to him, ‘She’s asleep.’ Shelby nodded his head and concentrated on his driving.
No one spoke the entire drive to the restaurant. Shelby occasionally glanced at Terry, who looked the same as when they first got into the car. Shelby slowed the car as he turned into the restaurant parking lot, then shut off the engine when he’d parked in a space near the entrance. Marge hated to do it, but she quietly spoke to Kathy in order to wake her. When Kathy finally opened her eyes, and realized where her head had been, she quickly sat upright and tried to apologize to Marge. Marge looked Kathy in the eyes and told her, “Kathy. You were tired, and needed to lay your head some place you felt safe sleeping. I was here and offered you a safe place, which you took advantage of. You haven’t caused me any embarrassment or shame, so to apologize for feeling safe is not needed.” Kathy reacted by throwing her arms around Marge’s neck, and thanking her for being there with her. It was Shelby who broke the spell by suggesting they head inside to get something to eat.
Normally Terry would wait for Shelby to open her door, as he always did. Not this time. This time Terry all but bolted out of the car and was at the entrance to the restaurant before the others had gotten out of the car. Shelby had to call out to Terry and order her to wait on them, as she was just about to open the door and go inside the restaurant. As the three walked to the entrance, Shelby did something he’d only done a few times in their marriage. He told the girls to wait and grabbed Terry’s arm and dragged her away for a private conversation. Terry had been angry in the hospital and the entire drive to the restaurant, but she was now pissed because of what Shelby just did. And Shelby didn’t mince his words.
“Now you listen to me, Terry Marci Williams, and you listen good! None of this is about you, as you are trying to make it. It’s about our daughter, and the animals who attacked her. It’s about something our daughter, as Walter, would never have considered happening to him. You’re pissed because of the way people have kept you in line, to keep you from fucking up the case against those animals, and from causing our daughter more trauma.” When Shelby mentioned Terry causing more trauma she gave him a sharp questioning look. “Yes,” he went on, “you could cause Kathy more trauma than she’s already suffered. You would smother her with your concern to the point she would start rejecting you, doing anything to keep away from you. You would start running her life, just to make sure this type of thing doesn’t happen again. You’d have to be everywhere she went. You’d probably hire someone to be with her the whole day at school. She’d never be rid of you if she wanted to go out with her friends. And perish the thought she and Marge would ever have a moment to themselves. In trying to protect Kathy so this type of thing never happens again, you’d push her away from you because of your actions and attitude.”
And then it happened, Terry cracked. She threw her arms around Shelby’s neck, pulled him close and began to cry. It wasn’t long before she felt other arms go around her, as she lifted her head off Shelby’s shoulder, she looked down and saw Marge and Kathy there with them, their arms around Terry. Terry let go of Shelby and grabbed Kathy and pulled her in close. Through tears that continued to fall she said, “I’m so sorry baby. I’m so angry about what happened to you that I forgot it wasn’t me who needed the support and love. Oh sweetheart, please forgive me.” Both were letting tears fall freely now, as Kathy told Terry, “It’s okay, mom. I’ve seen you this way before. You’re angry with yourself because you couldn’t do anything to prevent it from happening. And you took that anger out on others, as you often do. But it’s okay, really. Because if you hadn’t done this, it would have shown you didn’t really care about me or daddy.” Shelby found he had something in his eyes, as she took out his handkerchief and wiped his eyes. Marge even opened her purse and took out a tissue to use on her eyes. The healing of these four people had begun, but it would take much more time before they let all of the tension they carried fall away. And more time before Terry and Kathy could come to grips with what was done to Kathy.
Because the girls’ makeup was in shambles, Shelby entered the restaurant first. The ladies followed but made a beeline to the ladies room to make the necessary repairs. Shelby was shown to a table for four, sat down and because he knew what everyone would want to drink, ordered their drinks. It was just a few minutes before he saw his girls walking toward their table, Marge on one side of Terry and Kathy on the other side; Terry had her arms around both girls. Shelby stood when his girls reached the table, telling them he’d ordered drinks and they should go and get their meals from the buffet carts. Through the years of work Shelby did, he’d developed the ability to tell when tensions were high during a conference with a client. And he reached out with that ability now and discovered the tension he felt in the car had drastically dropped, which pleased him no end. His plans for Terry when they got home just might work. The rest of their time at the restaurant was pleasant, thought stilted. Terry and Kathy were talking again, which was good, but skirting the issue they needed to talk about.
Marge and Kathy went to the buffet a second time, wanting to try some of the other dishes offered. This gave Shelby a chance to speak with Terry for a short time. “Terry, I’m sorry I spoke to you the way I did outside. But I just couldn’t let you steam roll over others in the state you were in. And frankly, it was the only thing I could come up with at the time.” Terry reached over with her right hand and gently rubbed Shelby’s right cheek, telling him, “I’m glad you were able to get me to see how wrong I’ve been acting. And you were right, I was trying to make all of this about me and my not being able to keep Kathy safe.” She then chuckled before going on with, “I’d forgotten she’ll be leaving us one day and I can’t be there to protect her no matter how much I’d want to be there. You’re one hell of a man, Shelby Williams. And you do have your moments.” She then leaned over and gently kissed Shelby on the lips, just as they heard, “Eww...get a room.” Terry turned her head so her cheek was against Shelby’s cheek. What they saw was two girls who had the biggest smiles on their faces, and each holding a plate piled high with food. As if a signal had been given, Shelby and Terry stuck out their tongues at the girls, at the same time, causing both girls to start laughing. More healing had occurred.
The drive to the Williams’ home found the couple in the front seat, and the couple in the back seat cuddled together. Terry had her head on Shelby’s shoulder, while Kathy had her head on Marge’s shoulder. Shelby couldn’t put his arm around his wife, as he wanted, but Marge could put her arm around Kathy and had pulled Kathy tight to her; they even practiced applying each other’s lip gloss with their lips during the drive. Because they had to be at the police station at 9 am Saturday morning, Terry and Shelby decided they all needed an early bedtime, though nothing was said what time they each had to be asleep. Each couple bid the other a goodnight, and hand in hand, the couples headed to their respective bedrooms.
At some point during the evening, Shelby’s idea for Terry somehow reached Marge’s brain. Marge had planned to shower with Kathy. She planned to completely wash Kathy, making sure to get the girl aroused while they were in the shower. She’d try to bring Kathy to orgasim while they showered together, keeping her on the edge afterwards, so that when they got in bed, Marge could work her magic again and make sure Kathy was so relaxed she’d have no trouble sleeping. This was pretty much Shelby’s idea, but with an adult flair. Marge’s and Shelby’s plans worked great, until about three o’clock in the morning.
Marge had brought Kathy to ecstasy three more times in bed, before Kathy fell into a deep, exhausted, sleep. Marge cuddled Kathy to her and fell into her own exhausted sleep. The clock showed three in the morning, when the house rang out with a horrid scream. Even though the door to Shelby and Terry’s bedroom was closed, they had no trouble hearing it. Both were out of bed and running down the hall to Kathy’s bedroom as another scream was heard. Terry was through the door first, and flipping on the ceiling light, saw Marge tightly holding a hesterial Kathy. Just as Marge had done in the exam room, she had her arms tightly around Kathy’s arms, a bruise already forming on her right cheek. “She had a nightmare about what they were going to do to her,” she told Terry and Shelby, as she softly talked to Kathy, trying to get her to calm down. It was then Terry and Shelby realized Kathy was still asleep, and trying to fight the boys again. It took a few minutes, and soft words from Marge, before Kathy finally woke up, only to find herself sitting up and Marge holding her arms at her side. “What happened? Oh gawd, I dreamed those two assholes were about to rape me. How’d you get that bruise, Marge? Did I do that?” Kathy then broke down, Marge releasing her arms and taking Kathy in her arms to let the girl cry as long as needed. Only then did Shelby let Terry walk over to the bed and help Marge comfort Kathy. Shelby had something in his eyes again. Kathy cried for ten to fifteen minutes, before Terry suggested everyone head to the kitchen for something hot to drink. Hot chocolate maybe. Terry moved back so Marge could help Kathy out of bed, and with Kathy wrapped about Marge, Terry and Shelby led the way to the kitchen. While Terry made everyone hot chocolate, Marge took Kathy to the bathroom. After using the toilet, Marge helped Kathy wipe off her face with a warm washcloth. It took about an hour and a half before Kathy felt calm enough to go back to bed, and hopefully just sleep. Terry and Shelby followed the girls back up to Kathy’s bedroom, watched as they both got into bed, and as Marge laid on her side, Kathy spooned into her, pulling Marge’s arm tight to her chest. Shelby shut off the ceiling light, and followed Terry back to their bedroom, where Terry did the same to Shelby as Kathy had done to Marge. The rest of the early morning was peaceful, until an alarm went off at 7 a.m., and four very tired people stumbled out of their beds.
Showers were again taken, and as was done the previous evening, Terry and Kathy enjoyed the time Shelby and Marge spent helping the two relax, though Shelby and Terry in an adult way. Once everyone had finally dressed, and powdered their noses, they met in the kitchen for a simple breakfast; Shelby planned to take them out for brunch after the interviews were over. At 8:30 a.m. they piled into Shelby’s car, drove to the police station, where they met Marge’s parents and the nine football players and their parents. The desk Sergeant called upstairs and informed detective Barbara Stevens, the detective handling Kathy’s case, that all of the witnesses of the high school attack were in the waiting room. It was only a moment later Barbara arrived and asked everyone to come with her. The sight of several big teens following the petite woman made quite the sight, as more than one male detective stopped and asked if everything was fine. When Barbara explained why they all were there, more than one detective removed their hand from their firearm.
With the number of interviews that would be conducted Barbara had reached out to other departments and borrowed other detectives so the time the teens spent giving their statements could be kept as short as possible. She didn’t want anyone just sitting around waiting their turn. Each detective took a football player and their parents to an interview room, but a problem arose when Barbara wanted Kathy to go with her while Marge and her parents went with another detective.
Kathy refused. She wasn’t going anywhere without Marge by her side. Much like Shelby did to Terry at the restaurant, Marge grabbed Kathy’s arm and pulled her over to a bench sitting by one wall. She wasn’t kind as she shoved Kathy down onto the bench, and lit into her with a full head of steam.
“Listen, girl. You are not acting like the person I learned I was in love with back in grade school. The one who always got up off the ground when ‘he’ was knocked on his butt. I can understand how frightened you are because of what those ASSHOLES did to you, but you can’t let them control the rest of your life. You have to take control, act like Walter would have acted afterwards. Spit in those BASTARDS’ faces. Kick them again in your mind and watch as they again hit the floor. And watch in your mind as your friends come to your rescue. If you continue being afraid of every man, boy, shadow, being without me at your side, those ANIMALS will have done within your mind what they weren’t able to do in the locker room. And you risk losing me in the bargain. Because I’ll have a hard time staying with a person who allows herself to continually be raped in her mind. I realize getting through this isn’t going to be easy, and I’ll be there with you, but only if you’re willing to fight your way through.”
Marge had verbally slapped Kathy across the face, and Kathy knew it. Especially the part about possibly losing Marge. It was as though Marge’s words were a sledge hammer that shattered the glass wall Kathy had formed in her mind after the attack. And as everyone watched, Kathy turned to Marge, grabbed her love and broke down harder than ever before. Terry and Shelby walked over to the girls and sat down on either side of the girls, reaching out to hug both girls. Terry could see tears falling from Marge’s eyes, and Shelby could see tears falling from Terry’s. He too, he realized, had something in his eyes. In fact, many watching the girls found their cheeks wet from tears, especially Marge’s parents.
When Kathy had cried herself out, Terry suggested she and the girls go to the ladies room, to freshen up, as she put it. Shelby and Terry helped the girls to stand, as Officer Dunnley showed the women to the ladies room. After Shelby’s women left, he sat back down hard on the bench, putting his head in his hands and his elbows on his knees. It wasn’t long before someone had sat beside him and placed a hand on his back. He looked up only to find Barbara sitting next to him, a concerned look on her face. “There wasn’t anything I could do to protect my daughter, Barbara,” a tearful Shelby confided in Barbara. “And I can’t even fully understand how Kathy is feeling right now, or how to help her through all this,” he lamented. Shelby watched as Barbara nodded her head, in understanding, before she told him, “Shelby. One thing I learned with my kids is that I can’t be there with them 24/7, and wherever they go. I can only give them the tools to try and keep themselves safe. No one knew your daughter had been targeted by those two boys, but she did give them exactly what they deserved--and you didn’t hear that from me. As to helping Kathy through all this? How’d you help Walter when he had something hit him? Didn’t you listen to him when he needed to talk with you? Weren’t you just there for him when he needed you? You may not understand how Kathy feels after that attack, hell, she doesn’t even know how she feels at this point. But you can be there for her, listen to her, and hold her when she wants you to hold her. Every woman fears what Kathy experienced, and it will take time for her to want you to hold her, because you are a man and the memory of those boys is fresh in her mind. But she will eventually trust the man in her life and want his arms around her.” Officer Dunnley had returned with her three charges, and Barbara patted Shelby on the back before she got off the bench and walked over to the three women. “How’s everyone doing?” She asked, as she paid close attention to Kathy. It was Kathy who spoke first by saying, “I think I can go with you, Detective Stevens. I think someone spanked me hard enough to make me realize you don’t bite. And that I’ll be safe with you.” Three groans sounded when Kathy said ‘bite,’ but Kathy, holding Terry’s hand, did let Barbara, and Office Dunnley, lead them into a room so Kathy could give her statement. Shelby sat back down hard on the bench and waited. He understood why Kathy shied away from him, and wished he could have five minutes alone with those two boys, no, animals. But if he did that he would do the very thing he’d already told Terry. No, he’d wait until Kathy came to him, needed him again. And he hoped it was soon, because he missed hugging his daughter and being needed by her.
Barbara had a meeting with all of the detectives who would be interviewing the teens an hour before the teens arrived. She outlined the questions they should ask, making sure to cross every ‘T’ and dot every ‘I.’ She pushed her own memories back down into the depths of her mind, lest they interfere with the case, as she told them she was tired of boys like these two getting off with a slap on the wrist.
The interviews with eight of the football players lasted a little over forty-five minutes, since they hadn’t really witnessed much of anything other than the two half naked boys. Bobby’s interview lasted almost an hour, since he’d seen more. Because Marge and Kathy were the primary witnesses, their interviews lasted almost an hour and a half, as Barbara made sure every question a defense lawyer could ask was asked by her.
Shelby had put his head back against the wall and closed his eyes as he sat on the bench, so he was unaware of the nine football players who’d formed a semicircle in front of him. It wasn’t until he heard, “Is Kathy alright, Mr. Williams?” That he opened his eyes and brought his head forward. There, standing in front of him, were nine rather large teen boys, each having a concerned look on their face. When Bobby realized Shelby hadn’t heard his question he asked it again. “Is Kathy alright Mr. Williams? We’re kind of concerned about her.” Shelby had watched each of the boys in front of him grow up, and he’d worked with their parents at some point in the past.
“Thank you for asking, Bobby. And to answer your question, all of your questions, yes and no.” The boys’ parents had joined their sons to hear what Shelby had to say, and a few of the wives held tight onto their husbands when they finally heard what Shelby did say. “Guys, physically Kathy has a few bruises where those two an...boys grabbed her arms and banged her back against something hard. Physically, she’ll just need time to heal.”
“Mentally? She’s a mess, to put it bluntly. All of you boys grew up with Walter, so imagine how you’d feel suddenly finding yourself transformed into a girl and then have something like this happen. She was still coming to grips with being transformed into a girl, and then two boys grab her and want to...well, all of you were there and know what they were about to do. Guys, right now she’s going to be afraid of you and every male who comes near her, because of those two as...boys. Give her time. Give her space. But be there if and when she needs you.” Shelby’s voice cracked as he added, “And guys, please watch after my daughter. She means the world to me and her mom.” Shelby then reached up and wiped tears off his cheeks. Bobby was the first to offer his hand to Shelby, who stood and shook eight other hands. The boy’s parents were slowly following behind their sons as they filed out of the detective’s room. The last thing they heard as they left, was Shelby saying, “That’s a mighty fine bunch of boys walking out of here.”
Shortly after the football players and their parents left, two more doors opened and Marge and her parents, and Kathy, supported by Terry, came out of the interview rooms. To Shelby’s eyes, both girls were a mess, as it was obvious both girls, and their parent or parents, had been crying. Shelby squeezed his eyes shut until he saw red, clenching his fists as he did so. Five minutes with those assholes, he thought, just five minutes. He relaxed, opened his eyes and hands, hoping Kathy would come to him for the comfort he could give her. But she didn’t. She even flinched when he reached up to wipe tears off her cheeks. Even though Shelby understood why Kathy flinched when he touched her, it still hurt.
Terry and Dorothy said they were taking the girls to the ladies room before they left the police station. Shelby and Thomas watched as the four ladies left the room, before both men sat down on the bench. It was Thomas who broke the silence as he said, “I bet you’d like to get your hands on those two little monsters. I bet if you did, it’d be you going behind bars instead of them, right?” Shelby nodded before saying, “Yeah, Thomas, I would like to have just five minutes with both of them. But what I want and what is right has to be considered. So what I want has to stand aside and let what’s right lead the way. But whoa if the Judge slaps them on the wrist. And double whoa if a defense attorney comes after Kathy. If that happens it won’t be me who might get to see the inside of a jail. It’ll be Terry, and me visiting her.” Thomas nodded his head, knowing from Marge just how bad off Kathy was at the moment. Thomas kept his own counsel, as Shelby continued with, “She had a nightmare at three this morning. Thank God Marge was there to be with her, Thomas. If it wasn’t for your daughter, I really believe Kathy would be totally out of it. We’d have to commit her until she was mentally well enough to be released. Five minutes, that’s all I’d need, Thomas.” Thomas put his hand on Shelby’s shoulder and squeezed it, just as the four ladies returned.
The two men stood up and as Shelby cleared his throat, he said, “Um, would you and Dorothy like to come with us for some brunch, Thomas? I’d like the company, and I think Terry would too.” Thomas looked at Dorothy, who nodded her head in agreement, as she knew for a fact Terry needed the company. Shelby got his answer as Thomas told him, “Yes we would, Shelby. We’d like that very much.” Led by Marge and Kathy, holding hands, Dorothy and Terry followed behind the two girls, with Thomas and Shelby bringing up the rear. Everyone was throwing out a name for brunch, and when one name kept coming up, it was settled they would have brunch at that restaurant. Thomas looked at Shelby, and Shelby at Thomas, as the two men watched as Terry took Dorothy’s hand as the six walked out of the police station. Dorothy had suddenly become Terry’s Marge, something Terry definitely needed at the moment. Both men simply nodded their heads in a silent agreement.
Right Time
By Jamie Lee
Most often people talk about being in the right place at the right time. Maybe they achieved a beautiful photo of a sunrise, or the antics of children or animals. Maybe they found something someone lost and received a big reward when it was returned. But how often do they talk about being in the wrong place at the right time? If they do, it’s often about the death of someone or maybe witnessing a crime. And if this is the case, they are sad or horrified. Walter Williams often is in the wrong place at the right time, though his reaction to the incidents he encounters is much different than anyone would expect. And, life-changing.
It was after brunch, and before they left the restaurant and went their separate ways, that Marge talked with her parents. She told them of Kathy’s needs at the moment, and of the nightmare Kathy had in the early morning. Surprisingly, it was Dorothy who told Marge to stay with Kathy, to have Shelby bring her by the house so she could pick up more clothes and what she’d need for school on Monday. And it was Dorothy who told Marge to do ‘everything’ she could to help Kathy through this terrible time. Dorothy just smiled when she said ‘everything,’ knowing Marge understood her meaning. And Mage had no trouble with her understanding of ‘everything.’
Shelby followed Thomas and Dorothy out of the restaurant parking lot, heading for the Markman home. When they arrived, Shelby parked the car at the edge of the sidewalk, before the four left the car and went into the Markman home. Everything almost seemed planned, as Marge and Kathy went to Marge’s bedroom, Dorothy and Terry slipped out into the kitchen, and Thomas and Shelby sat down on the couch. It was quiet in the house, so not hard to hear the crying coming from the kitchen and bedroom. Shelby was glad Kathy was with Marge, because there were some words coming from the kitchen she didn’t need to learn at the moment. Shelby put his head back and asked, “Gawd, Thomas. How can I get through all this? Kathy shies away from me. Terry’s wound up so tight she blows up at the least thing. I’ll be there for both of them, but…” and his voice trailed off.
Thomas sighed before saying, “Well, Shelby. To start with, take it one day at a time. Be there when the girls need you and don’t push anything on them. Don’t get angry because it’s taking so long for them to get their heads straight. And don’t go beating two pieces of shit into a pulp, that won’t help one bit. And, you might not like this one, but make an appointment to talk with Jenny, the woman Terry and Kathy will be seeing.” Shelby gave Thomas a questioning look when Jenny’s name was mentioned. “Terry told Dorothy and Dorothy told me. She was going to see about Marge talking with Jenny too, but found out Marge will be going with Kathy to help keep Kathy calm. So that’s taken care of.” The two were quiet again, listening to more coming from the kitchen and bedroom. Thomas broke the silence when he said, “Shelby, it was two young men, two pieces of shit, who caused this problem. Us two older men can not step in and try to fix it. We’ve been hurt by it just as much as the ladies, only in a different way. We weren’t there to protect our girls from animals who are a waste of space on this planet. We weren’t there to kick the shit out of those two assholes the minute they grabbed Kathy. Our egos have been assaulted, Shelby. The one thing that really rips a man apart. And we’ll just have to let our egos heal, as we watch our women suffer through their own healing processes. But as I said, Shelby. Don’t do anything stupid. And if you decide to be stupid, call me. I’ve got a shovel and a map.” Shelby chuckled at Thomas’ last words, something a father often tells the boys who date his daughter.
There was cuddling on the drive from the Markman home to the Williams’ home, a hand or two drifting into nether regions. Terry’s hand had drifted to Shelby’s groin, quietly explaining to Shelby what she wanted when they got home. Shelby hissed because of the problem her attention was causing him while driving. Terry only chuckled and enhanced her actions. Kathy had pulled one of Marge’s hands between her legs, and helped Marge understand what she wanted, what she needed from Marge. They were all tired from the morning’s events, and the events in general. They’d planned to relax the rest of the day, but not how they’d spend the day relaxing. That decision seemed to have been decided by two of the people in the car, as they both continued to silently explain that need to their partners with greater gusto. When Shelby pulled the car into their driveway, no one said a word as they got out of the car, went into the house, and went their separate ways to their bedrooms. The rest of the afternoon was spent giving and receiving some much needed attention.
Around five o’clock in the afternoon, water could be heard running in both bathrooms, as two showers were being taken. After about an hour, or so, both showers shut off, and thirty minutes later everyone gathered in the kitchen dressed in fresh, relaxed clothing. It wasn’t hard to see how relaxed Terry and Kathy were, after being helped to relax most of the afternoon. Maybe Terry and Kathy were ignoring the look on Shelby’s face, or just didn’t recognize what it meant. But Marge saw it and knew exactly what it meant, and said something about it to Kathy. She took Kathy’s hand and told her, “Kathy, do you know you’re punishing your dad because of those two assholes? Do you realize how you’re reacting every time he tries to hug you or put his arm around you? You even did it when Bobby tried to help me take you out of the locker room, you shied away from him. You’re punishing those men and boys who love you and are concerned about you, just because two boys attacked you. They’ve been hurt enough because of what you experienced, and almost experienced. You don’t need to continue hurting them just because they’re males.”
Marge had pulled Kathy to her as she told her these things. She knew Kathy was silently crying because her tears were falling onto Marge’s arm. In a throaty whisper caused by her tears, Kathy said, “I’m sorry, daddy. I’m so sorry.” Shelby so wanted to hurry around the kitchen table and take his daughter into his arms, giving her a hug he hoped would comfort her in her time of need. But Thomas’ words echoed in his mind, “Let her come to you,” so he just sat watching his daughter hurting. As everyone watched, Kathy broke Marge’s embrace, got up from her chair and walked around the table to where Shelby sat. It was then her silent crying broke into the open, as she tearfully apologized to her father before throwing her arms around his neck and bawled on his shoulder. Shelby nestled his head into Kathy’s neck, pulling her tightly to him, his own tears falling freely.
The two stayed as they were for more than a half hour, it took half that time for Kathy to cry herself out. It was a few minutes more when Kathy said, “I missed you, daddy. And I’m so sorry I pushed you away. I didn’t think about how hurt you felt from all of this, I’m sooo sorry.” Shelby sniffed, cleared his throat, before saying, “Oh, sweetheart. I’ve missed you too. I’m so sorry I wasn’t there to help prevent all of this.” Kathy lifted her head off her father’s shoulder, sniffed herself, and told her father, “There was nothing you could have done. No one knew those two were going after me. No one could have known who they were going after.” Shelby looked at his daughter’s tear streaked face, her red eyes, and took in her words. She was right. There wasn’t anything he could have done, but he couldn’t shake the feeling that he should have been there. “Daddy,” Kathy started, seeing the wheels in her father’s mind turning, “it’s noble of you to always think you have to protect me, but you can’t. You can’t be with me every minute of the day I’m not in this house. You couldn’t be there when I encountered all of those other situations, and you couldn’t have been there for this one. I’ll just have to learn how to deal with this one as I did the others, though I think this one will take more time to deal with.” She laid her head back on her father’s shoulder, feeling the warmth of her dad’s body emanating through his clothing. She’d missed that warmth. That feeling of safety as he’d hold her. She’d unintentionally hurt her father more than he’d already been hurt by the attack. More tears fell onto Shelby’s shirt.
Kathy actually broke up the somber atmosphere as she straightened up, let go of her father, and said, “Aw, crap. I have to pee.” It must have been urgent, because Kathy ran to the downstairs bathroom. Marge was the first to laugh, as she said, “That’s Walter for you.” While Kathy was taking care of things in the bathroom, Terry walked over to Shelby, pulled his head to her, and told him, “It’s going to be alright, honey. Just be patient.” Shelby had just nodded his head in understanding when they all heard, “MOM, I’M BLEEDING! OH GOD, MOM. I’M BLEEDING!” Terry dropped her head to her chest, then said, “And so it begins.” Marge just chuckled and said, “Yep, Walter is definitely no longer a boy.” Terry and Shelby slowly turned their heads to look at Marge, before both gave Marge the stink eye. And before all three burst out laughing, though to Kathy, it was no laughing matter. It was now time for THAT mother/daughter talk, about certain things. Terry kissed the top of Shelby’s head before going to the downstairs bathroom to help her rather new daughter with her first period.
Marge was doing her very best not to continue laughing. To have known Walter practically all her life and now to hear of a situation he would never have encountered had finally arrived, just struck her as too funny. When Shelby asked her, “What’s so funny,” she had to explain her thoughts to him. He thought about it for a minute, then agreed with her, it was a situation Walter could never foresee himself getting into. And as much as he tried, he couldn’t keep from chuckling at the thought. After a few moments, Terry came out of the bathroom and went upstairs. She returned carrying a clean pair of panties and disappeared into the bathroom again.
A few minutes later Terry led an embarrassed Kathy out of the bathroom. She didn’t immediately run off to her room, or go and demand a cuddle from Marge. Instead, she crawled up into Shelby’s lap, putting her arms around his neck and buried her head into his chest. The elephant in the room was finally approached when Kathy said, “This is so DAMN embarrassing.” Shelby bent his head down and kissed the top of Kathy’s head, before telling her, “Language, sweetheart, language.” Marge had clamped her hands over her mouth because she kept snickering at the thought of Walter finally having to endure what women have had to deal with for ages. Finally, the humor of it all became too much for her and she started to laugh until tears rolled down her cheeks. Shelby knew why she was laughing, and worked hard not to join her , Terry was in the dark. Kathy only turned her head and gave her love a death glare like she’d never given anyone before. In a deep, throaty voice, tinged with malice, Kathy demanded, “Okay, soon to be ex girlfriend, what’s so DAMN funny?” Kathy’s attempt to intimidate Marge only backfired. Marge took one look at Kathy’s face and began laughing all the harder. She laughed so hard she actually fell out of her chair and onto the floor, where she continued to laugh. And then, for no apparent reason to the others, she started to cry in earnest. She lay there, on the kitchen floor, crying so intently she never felt herself pulled up off the floor and put into a comforting hug by Kathy. She simply grabbed the person holding her, and continued to cry. Terry had become so upset by what she witnessed that she took Kathy’s place on Shelby’s lap, attempting to bury herself into his chest. There wasn’t a dry eye in the kitchen at that moment. Kathy was talking softly to Marge, trying to help her calm down, as Shelby was doing the same with Terry. Shelby looked up at the kitchen ceiling, and not for the first time, wondered how they’d ever get through all this. “One day at a time,” Thomas said in Shelby’s mind. “One day at a time.”
It was close to half an hour before Terry and Marge’s tears stopped flowing. But neither girl let go of their comforter. It wasn’t until they all heard, “Aww, man, I gotta go pee,” from Marge. That was followed by Terry saying, “Best you use the upstairs bathroom, dear. So do I.” Just the way Marge informed everyone she had to pee, and what Terry told her, hit Kathy and Shelby’s funnybones, because both broke out laughing. Trying to maintain her dignity, Terry stood off Shelby’s lap, and said in a snooty voice, “I don’t see what’s so funny about two girls who need to pee.” If the two weren’t laughing hard to begin with, they were now after the manner in which Terry addressed them. Looking down her nose first at Kathy, then at Shelby, she took two of her fingers and reached down and grabbed Shelby’s chin, forcing it up so he was looking her in the face. The laughter remained in his face as she told him, in her snooty voice, “You’ll pay for this, mister. You wait and see if you don’t.” She let go of his chin, then as she passed by him, she lightly smacked him on the back of his head. Terry’s last statement, and her last action, set Shelby and Kathy off again. And they were still laughing when Marge, then Terry, returned to the kitchen.
By the time Marge had returned to the kitchen, Kathy had gotten up off the floor and was again sitting in her chair. As Marge started to sit in her chair, Kathy reached out and pulled her into her lap, wrapping her arms around Marge’s lovely body. “Hey, you. I was worried about you lying on the floor crying. What’s up? How can I help you?” Marge started playing with a button on Kathy’s blouse, while her mind tried to form the words she wanted. As Kathy waited for Marge to answer her question, Terry had taken glasses out of the cabinet and filled each one with water, then sat a glass before Shelby and the two girls.
Kathy, as Walter, had been around Marge enough throughout his life to know what the look on Marge’s face meant. She was thinking, trying to find the words she wanted. And when that look appeared, Kathy knew it was a matter of patience until Marge was ready to speak. Terry and Shelby both smiled as they watched Marge unbutton the button just below Kathy’s breast and slowly slide her hand into Kathy’s blouse. They both chuckled as Kathy lightly smacked Marge’s hand and told her, “Stop that. Not here you goof.” They both saw the smirk on Marge’s face. After Kathy rebuttoned that button, she asked, “Okay, enough stalling. Why were you crying and how can I help you?”
Tears started leaking out of Marge’s eyes as she said just above a whisper, “I wasn’t there for you when they grabbed you. If I’d been there we could have kicked their asses before it ever got into the locker room, and you half dressed. Or Bobby ever seeing you half dressed. He was nice enough about it, never saying a thing to the other guys. But he saw anyway.” Like Shelby, Marge felt guilty, felt she failed Kathy by not being there to help protect her. Kathy pulled Marge tightly to her before telling her, “Oh, sweetheart, you’ve done nothing wrong. You couldn’t have known what those two rectums were about to do, any more than I could. We can’t be in the same class every time, be together every moment at school. I know you feel guilty because you couldn’t protect me from those slime balls, but don’t. Everything is on their heads. They decided to act out like they did. They decided to try and rape me, not you. And they are the ones who’ll get to see the inside of a detention center, or jail, until pigs fly. Or I’ve a feeling two people in this kitchen are going to demand an answer as to why not. I will always be there for you, my love. Especially when you feel like poo poo.” The kitchen got extra quiet. Marge lifted her head off Kathy’s chest and looked the girl in the eyes. And in a dead panned voice she asked, “Poo poo? Really? Poo poo? You had to say, poo poo? Gads, Walter! You haven’t used those words in, um, maybe, nine years? You first used those words when that dog took a dump on the playground, and you walked over to look at the pile. I walked over to see what you were doing, and you pointed to that pile of dog crap and told me, ‘poo poo, that’s dog poo poo.’” If Marge, Terry, and Shelby had laughed any harder the ceiling in the kitchen would have collapsed. Kathy couldn’t help herself and joined in the laughter before saying, “Well, I think they’re cute words. They’re expressive without being vulgar.” Then she got a funny look on her face and hurriedly told Marge, “Oh, crap. Get off, get off, get off,” before bolting out of her chair and running to the bathroom. A moment later they all heard, “MOM! I NEED A CLEAN PAIR OF PANTIES!” Terry chuckled then said, “We will have to do some serious underwear shopping soon.”
Shelby held up both hands, palms facing Terry, and told her, “Sorry, dear, count me out on that trip.” Shelby had been with Terry long enough to read her facial expression to a tee, and what he saw now told him she was getting an idea he WASN’T going to like. Shelby looked at Marge’s face when Terry looked at her, and saw the same smirk on her face as the one Terry was wearing. He was quick on the uptake this time, as he realized what Terry had in mind. “Don’t you dare. Don’t even think about it, because it isn’t going to happen.” Then it was the innocent face on both girls, as Terry said, “Why, dear, whatever do you mean?” Shelby’s head fell back as he said, “God help me royally this time.” The bells went off in Shelby’s head, as Terry walked over to him, swung her leg over his so she was facing him, and started lightly kissing him on the lips. While one hand was busy doing something else. After breaking the kiss, she leaned close to Shelby’s ear and whispered, “It’ll be our secret, sweetheart. And I promise you’ll love what I can do for you.” Terry had a cheese eating grin on her face as she watched her red faced husband try and not act like he was enjoying what one of her hands was doing at the moment. But the magic was broken when they heard, “MOOOM! I NEED SOME CLEAN PANTIES!” Both girls then laughed when Shelby said, “Darn, now I have to use the bathroom.” Terry crawled off his lap, and because of what Terry had caused, Shelby tried to stand without things being too obvious. But he failed, and Marge saw his bulge. Shelby acted like nothing was amiss, and left the kitchen for the upstairs bathroom. Terry had a big smile on her face as she watched Shelby walk out of the kitchen. She then looked at Marge, who told her, “You’re such a stinker.” Terry only laughed, then replied, “Yeah, ain’t I.” Both girls laughed until, “MOOM! PANTIES!” Marge watched as Terry hurried out of the kitchen to get Kathy a clean pair of panties. With Kathy waiting for a clean pair of panties, Terry off getting her a clean pair, and Shelby using the upstairs bathroom, Marge sat alone in the kitchen with her thoughts.
While she was alone, she reflected on the events of the past couple of days, and this morning. She found herself playing the should have, could have, would have game, always coming back to the beginning without solving anything in her mind. She was so lost in thought she didn’t hear the question put to her until she felt something touch her arm. Then her eyes came back to the present and she found herself looking into Shelby’s eyes. “A penny for your thoughts,” he asked again, gently touching her arm. An enigmatic smile formed on her lips as she said, “Oh, I was just thinking about the last couple of days, and this morning. How much I love Kathy, have loved Walter for so long, and our love making. And, um, your’s and Terry’s.” Shelby’s eyebrows rose upon hearing her refer to his and Terry’s love making, and his face asked the question which Marge answered by saying, “Um...your bedroom isn’t soundproof. And Kathy and I have laid awake listening to your love making. And you don’t know this, but hearing you two making love fills Kathy with happiness.” Shelby blushed with what Marge told him, but he was also filled with his own happiness knowing he and Terry brought happiness to Kathy, if in an unusual way. Marge went on with, “And Shelby, no matter what I thought I always came back to the beginning. I keep kicking myself, Shelby, and yet realize there wasn’t anything more I could do.” Marge’s eyes were moist, but held onto their tears. Shelby reached out with both hands and took Marge’s hands in his. “Sweetheart, you and I are in the same boat. We’re both kicking ourselves for not doing more to prevent all of this. And the sad thing is, there wasn’t anything more we could have done. I spoke with Peter and they’d been watching Tony, but didn’t know when he was going to do something or who they’d chosen. What else could you or I have done? And the truth is, Marge, nothing. Ab-so-lu-te-ly nothing. That’s what hurts us the most. Right?” Marge was silent for a few moments before she simply nodded her head in agreement with Shelby.
Terry walked by the two sitting at the kitchen table holding hands, and gave them a questioning look but kept heading to the bathroom. They heard the bathroom door open then close, then, “GAWD, I HATE THIS. HOW LONG DO I HAVE TO PUT UP WITH ALL THIS CRAP?” The reply was quick and with some heat. “Listen, young lady, you’ve been told more than once about your language, and just because you’re going through something completely new to you is no reason to start dropping bombs all over the place. You know, you’re not too old to have your mouth washed out with soap. As to how long you have to put up with all of this crap, a long time, just as all women have put up with it for ages.”
Marge and Shelby, still holding hands, had dropped their heads onto the kitchen table and were laughing as quietly as they could. They were still quietly laughing when they heard, “And just what do you two think is so funny?” Both looked up and found Terry standing there looking at them with both hands on her hips. What she asked, and how she looked, caused both to burst out laughing. Shelby kept laughing even as Terry smacked him on the back of the head. That only caused him to laugh harder. He kept laughing as Terry grabbed his chin, turned his head to face her, as she told him, “You’ll pay for this, mister!” And when an embarrassed Kathy came into view, their laughter started again. The sour look Kathy gave her dad and Marge had the same affect Terry’s look had, they both laughed harder.
Terry had walked off to put Kathy’s panties in water to soak, when the front doorbell rang. After drying her hands she walked to the front door and opened it, only to find Jackie and Tom Stoner, Tony and Patrick’s parents, standing there. When Shelby heard Tom ask Terry, “Mrs. Williams, may we come in? We’d like to talk with you and your husband,” he walked out of the kitchen and joined Terry at the front door. He read Terry’s expression and stepped close to her, trapping her right hand to her side and using his left arm to trap her left hand to her side. But he was surprised when he heard Terry tell the Stoner’s, “Yes, Mr. Stoner, you and your wife may come in.” Shelby looked at Terry with a frown on his face, wondering what Terry had in her mind. Shelby let go of Terry and led Jackie and Tom into the living room, inviting them to sit down on the couch. Terry turned to Kathy and Marge, who had followed Shelby, and told them, “Girls, why don’t you go up to Kathy’s room.” Before both girls had taken one step, Jackie said, “Please, Mrs. Williams, let the girls stay. They need to hear what we’d like to say.” Terry looked at the girls, then at Shelby, who nodded his head, and Terry nodded to the girls for them to stay.
Once Terry, Shelby, Kathy, and Marge had seated themselves, Jackie said, “Mr. and Mrs. Williams, we didn’t come here to apologize to Kathy for what our boys did, that’s their task, because it was their decision to act as they did. We never taught our sons to treat girls as they did Kathy, but we think we know where they got it from.” It was at that point the front doorbell rang again, and again Terry answered the door while everyone else remained seated. It didn’t take long before Tom was on his feet and practically running to the front door with what he heard coming from that direction.
“Sooo...you’re the mother of the whore who enticed my Tony and had him arrested.” Standing before Terry was an elder woman, maybe in her 70’s, accusing Kathy of being a whore. Terry’s blood boiled, and the palm of her right hand lashed out as she slapped the woman so hard the woman spun on her heels. The elder woman turned back around and told Terry, “Yeah, that’s right. That’s the action I’d expect from the mother of a whore.” This time when Terry struck, her strike was hard enough to knock the woman down on her butt. It was then Tom showed up at the front door, groaning when he saw who the woman was making all the noise. It was his mother, Glenda Maria Stoner, the woman who’d been pulling Tony and Patrick’s chestnuts out of the fire. And who Tom believed, had been teaching Tony and Patrick their manners behind Tom and Jackie’s backs.
Tom addressed Terry by saying, “Mrs. Williams,” which Terry stopped him and said, “It’s Terry, Mr. Stoner.” Tom then said, “Okay, it’s Tom then, Terry. I think you should know, that’s my mother, Glenda Stoner, the reason, we believe, for the attitude of our sons. She has a restraining order to stay away from your home, and your family, Terry. She also has a restraining order to stay away from Tony and Patrick, which she broke yesterday at the hospital. She was stupid enough to think her money could usurp any Court order as she tried to see Tony. But she made a mistake and attacked the uniformed officer guarding Tony’s hospital room. She spent the night in jail until she bailed herself out. She isn’t supposed to be here, so she’s violated the terms of her bond and the restraining orders. If you’ll excuse me for a moment.”
Tom stepped back while pulling out his cell phone. Terry could hear who he called, the police. A patrol car must have been in the area, since a patrol car pulled up just as Tom put his cell away. Tom stepped back next to Terry as the two officers approached the Williams’ home. “Officers, my name is Tom Stoner, I made the call to have you come here. That woman,” and he pointed to his mother, “is Glenda Stoner, my mother, who had violated terms of her bail agreement and a restraining order to stay away from the William’s home and the family.”
One officer stepped away and made a phone call on her cell phone. A few moments later she came back and told her partner, “Everything he said is true. She bailed herself out this morning and signed an agreement to stay away from this house and family. She also has a restraining order for this man’s sons. She to be arrested and taken to the station.”
Glenda paid no attention to the two police officers, she was glaring at Tom and started giving him what for. “YOU FUCKING TRATOR. YOU PUSSY WHIPPED SON OF A BITCH. THAT FUCKING WHORE YOU SHACKED UP WITH HAS MADE YOU SOFT. I’M SURPRISED SHE STILL LETS YOU FUCK HER, AS SOFT AS SHE’S MADE YOU. ARE YOU SO SOFT YOU CAN’T GET IT UP TO STUFF INTO HER? YOU TWO MOLLY COLLIED THOSE TWO BOYS, BUT I TAUGHT THEM HOW TO BE MEN. I TAUGHT THEM HOW TO TAKE WHAT THEY WANTED. ME, THE ONLY MAN IN THE FAMILY. EVEN YOU, A WIMPY FATHER, COULDN’T DO WHAT WAS RIGHT IN RAISING YOUR SONS. OH, NO, HE KEPT ME FROM RAISING YOU RIGHT. HE HAD TO HAVE HIS OWN WAY. BUT NOT ME, NOT NOW. I KNOW HOW TO RAISE BOYS. I KNOW HOW TO TEACH THEM TO TAKE WHAT THEY WANT, WHETHER OTHERS LIKE IT OR NOT. ME, A WOMAN!”
When Glenda had started her rant, one of the officers had turned the recorder on their cell phone on to catch her every word. When she ran down, they both walked over to her and informed her that she was under arrest, and stated the reasons. They then advised her of her rights, then helped her off the ground and began to handcuff her when she lashed out with both hand and foot, striking both officers. Glenda’s rant brought Jackie, Shelby, and the girls to the front door. And as they watched, both officers then took Glenda to the ground, putting her on her stomach and pulling her arms behind her to handcuff her. Once she was handcuffed, they lifted her off the ground, but slammed her back down on her stomach when she started kicking out at both officers. One of the officers held Glenda down as the other officers went to their patrol car and returned with a pair of leather straps.
As the one officer held Glenda’s legs down the other officer put one of the straps around Glenda’s ankles, pulling it tight before running the end through the buckle. That same officer held Glenda’s legs, the other officer placed the other strap just about Glenda’s knees, tightening it then running the end through the buckle. As those in the Williams’ home, and neighbors who’d come out to watch the action, watched, both officers each grabbed one of Glenda’s lower arms then the strap at her ankles, before lifting her off the ground and carrying her to their patrol car. They sat her down on the street, her mouth still running, as the back doors of the patrol car were opened. They picked her up again then placed her half-way into the back of the patrol car. With that down, one of the officers went around to the other side, got into the back, grabbed Glenda under both arms, and helped the other officers pull Glenda into the patrol car. They then pulled out four straps, which they secured to rings on the floorboard, and having placed the seatbelts to secure Glenda, closed the back doors and returned to the William’s home.
When the police officers reached the front porch of the Williams’ home, Shelby asked, “Would you care to come inside, officers?” The woman officer, who seemed to be the senior partner, replied, “I’m sorry sir, we can’t. Not with a prisoner in our patrol car. But we would like to know how all this started, and how the woman ended up on the ground.”
Kathy didn’t wait for an invitation and said, “It all started last Friday just when school let out, and two boys, that woman’s grandsons, attacked me at the high school. They dragged me into the boys locker room, pulled off my skirt and panties, dropped their jeans and underwear, and were about to rape me if it hadn’t been for my girlfriend here,” and she pointed to Marge. “Detective Stevens has the case and everyone’s statements.” No one said a word as Kathy gave the officers the highlights of what happened, or hushed her either. She needed to have her say.
Then Terry picked up the story with, “As to how that bitch ended up on her butt on the ground, I did that after she called our daughter a whore for the second time. And was spewing her filth. With everything going on, what happened to our daughter at school, and how we’re all feeling at the moment, that bitch picked the wrong day to get into my face.”
Tom then spoke up and told the officers, “Officers, my mother has done this before, after our sons attacked other girls at the other high school they attended. She’d go to the family and threaten to take them to court if they didn’t agree to drop any charges brought against the boys. And if she couldn’t intimidate them into remaining quiet, she’d buy them off. She’s the reason our sons act as they do. We tried to keep the boys away from her, but she seems to always know where they’ll be when they go out by themselves. Well, she may have gotten by with her antics in the past, but no more. She may have forgotten, but I have her power of attorney to handle her medical needs if she ever becomes incompacitated, and as far as I’m concerned, she’s become incompacitated right now.”
And if Glenda’s drama scene wasn’t enough for that morning, a car came racing down the street and screeched to a halt right in front of the Williams’ home. As everyone watched, a man got out, ran to the patrol car, which piqued the officer’s interest, looked inside, then came running over to the officers and said, “I’m James Perkins, Mrs. Stoner’s attorney. I demand you release Mrs. Stoner right this minute, or I’ll file police harassment charges against both of you, your department, and this City.” The two officers looked at each other before shaking their heads at each other, then the woman officer said, “Mr. Perkins, your client is in deep dog poo. Not only did she violate the terms of her bail, but violated two Court issued injunctions to stay away from this house and this family. Plus, Mr. Perkins, she created a public scene at this house. And, Mr. Perkins, she attacked both of us, a real big no no, Mr. Perkins.” Twirling a pair of handcuffs around her index finger, she went on with, “And Mr. Perkins, if you are planning to make a scene here and now, we have plenty of room in the holding cells at the station.”
James Perkins was a mousey man, never one to stand up to a confrontation when he could use the nearest exit. Not even in a courtroom. His weapon of choice was bluff and huff, which often worked until he came up against someone who didn’t bluff or tolerate his huff, like right this moment. James was contemplating what to do next when the woman officer went on with, “Plus, Mr. Perkins, if an investigating pans out, your client may be facing some serious jail time. Money or no money, Mr. Perkins. So unless you wish to join your client I suggest you hold your huff and bluff and wait for your client at the police station.” She was still twirling the handcuffs around her index finger when James decided her words had merit, and left in his car.
The two officers did their best to keep a straight face, but it was rather hard to do after Marge said, “Gawd, what a putz. And he passed the Bar?” Everyone looked at the straight faced Marge before breaking out in laughter. The officers cleared their throats, attempting to regain their composure, before the woman officer said, “Mr. Stoner, I think it might be a good idea if you came down to the station and gave a full statement of everything you know about your mother’s actions. After what you’ve told us I have a feeling there are others who would be very interested to hear what you have to say. If, as you’ve said, she’s done something like this before, she could be in serious trouble. Trouble she isn’t going to buy her way out of.” She then handed Tom a card and told him to contact them if they have any more trouble from his mom or Mr. Perkins. Those neighbors still standing outside watching the show, went back into their homes after the two police officers drove off. Everyone at the Williams’ home did the same, collapsing into a chair after the front door was closed. Every head slowly turned to stare at Kathy after she said, “Aw darn, I forgot the popcorn.” Kathy did her best to block the numerous pillows that came her way from her family, and the Stoners.
After Kathy had to pick up all the pillows, and return them to their rightful locations, Tom started to say, “Shelby, Terry, Jackie and I…” but he never finished what he was about to say. Shelby spoke up and told him, “Tom. If you’re about to apologize for your mother, don’t. She’s the one who owes all of us an apology. She’s the one who decided not to honor the restraining orders or the bail agreement, it’s all on her. Not you or Jackie. In fact, if you will excuse me for a moment,” and Shelby got out of his chair and went upstairs to his and Terry’s bedroom. He returned a short time later, looking like he just ate the canary. Terry saw the look right away, and asked, “So, who’d you call?” While Shelby was upstairs, doing whatever, Terry had gone to the kitchen and came back with something liquid for everyone. As Shelby sat down he said, “Who said I called anyone?” To Jackie and Tom it looked like a huge fight was about to take place between Terry and Shelby, judging by the expression on Terry’s face. But they became confused as they saw Marge and Kathy start giggling. “Shelby Benton Williams, you called someone. You have that ‘I did something really smart’ look on your face. So give. Or would you want to forgo any further after hours entertainment?” Now Marge and Kathy were outright laughing, which confused Jackie and Tom further. To them, Terry looked like she could chew a mouth full of nails and spit them out in smaller versions of their former shape.
But when Shelby said, “Oh, heavens. I’m being threatened with the end of my sex life. Oh, dear me. Whatever shall I do?” And he did so in a poor attempt at dramatic acting that the two girls were almost rolling on the floor with laughter. Jackie and Tom finally realized the couple was teasing each other. “Well, my glamorus sex partner, if it will not end my sex life, and you just have to know, and because what that woman called Kathy, and what Tom told the officers, I called detective Stevens. And she should be here…” and the front doorbell rang, finishing Shelby’s statement for him. He got up and went to the front door, opening it and finding Barbara and officer Jo standing there. “Hello detective Stevens, and you officer Jo, won’t you two come in? I think you’ll find what has to be said rather interesting.”
Shelby stood aside and Barbara and Jo walked into the Williams home. The two women followed Shelby to the living room where they said hello to Terry, Marge, and Kathy before Shelby introduced Tom and Jackie Stoner. The parents of the two boys who attacked Kathy. Terry took over and told Barbara about their recent visitor, Tom’s mother, and what Terry did and what Tom’s mother said. Tom went on to tell Barbara about his mother violating two restraining orders and the terms of her bond. He then told Barbara exactly what he told the two uniformed officers about his mom doing something like this several times before, and the places it occurred. He got a sad look on his face as he told Barbara about his mother being the reason their sons acted as they did. Barbara got so interested in what Tom was saying, she asked if they had any objections to letting her record all the information Tom had to give. No one objected, so Barbara sat a portable recorder on the table in front of Tom and asked her to start at the very beginning when it all started. Terry came back from the kitchen with drinks for Barbara and Jo, then sat down and listened to Tom and Jackie’s story.
When Tom and Jackie finished their story with the recent attack on Kathy, Terry and Shelby looked at each other and silently, together, realized their problems, because of the attack on Kathy, was miniscule compared to what the Stoners have been dealing with over the years. And for them, it wasn’t over. It wouldn’t be over for them until something could be done about the woman’s interference in Jackie and Tom’s lives. Shelby thought to himself of a way to end this, but he didn’t look good in an orange jumpsuit.
Tom and Jackie were in tears after finishing their story, a story which started the day they married. And had gotten worse with the birth of Tony then Patrick. When Tom could speak he asked Barbara, “Detective, what can we do to keep my mother away from us and our sons? Our company has moved Jackie and I several times now, but she keeps finding out where we live. It’s got to stop, detective Stevens, we just can’t go on like this any more. And short of shooting her, nothing we’ve done legally has helped.”
When Kathy had been Walter, Shelby and Terry had discovered he had a knack of being able to read the expression on people’s faces. And it was Kathy, who saw the predatory smile on Barbara’s face, who said, “Mr. Stoner. If I’m reading the expression on detective Stevens’ face correctly, I think your ‘problem’ is about to disappear. I think you might have given detective Stevens cause to investigate those previous attacks, and your mother’s involvement in them.” When Kathy finished talking, Barbara turned to Shelby and Terry, with a puzzled look on her face, and asked, “Does she always know what others are thinking?” Shelby and Terry chuckled before Terry said, “Barbara, as Walter, we found out he could read the expression on a person’s face and accurately tell what they were thinking or going to do. He was accurate ninety-five percent of the time. And it looks like, as Kathy, the ability remains.” Barbara then looked at Kathy and told her, “Young lady, that’s a remarkable ability you have, but I ask you to keep what you’ve discerned to yourself. I don’t want what I’ve planned to spoil anything. Okay?” Terry, Shelby, and Marge had seen the look on Kathy’s face before. So they knew how deadly serious she was as she said, “Ma’am, if it puts that bitch away so they can’t hurt the Stoners any more, and if it helps the boys get out from under her influence, then I won’t tell a soul what you’ve planned. I only hope you cross your ‘Ts’ and dot your ‘Is’ so she can’t wiggle out of anything.” The Stoner’s respect rating for Kathy shot up to one hundred by what she told the detective. Kathy’s tone as she spoke to the detective, made Jackie and Tom understand why their sons were in the hospital. When Kathy was serious, it was best to find a place to hide.
Detective Stevens spoke with everyone for a few more minutes, asking if anyone had anything to add, before she and Jo left. As Shelby closed the front door behind them, an elephant crept into the living room, noticed by the adults and revealed by the girls. With Terry looking at Shelby, then Shelby looking at Tom, then Jackie looking at Terry, it was Kathy who asked Marge, “Do you want to say it or should I?” Marge shrugged her shoulders and said, “Naw, you say it.” The back and forth between the girls had the attention of the adults, as all eyes shifted to Kathy with what Marge had said. With the usual smirk, Kathy said, “They do make a lovely couple, don’t they?” With the elephant exposed the adults began to admit they saw the attraction between the two ladies, and it was strong, but didn’t want to say anything with the two ladies in the room in case they were wrong. This time it was Terry and Shelby who first saw the smirk on Kathy’s face, and knew she was about to say something which might get her in dutch. But when they heard her say, “You weren’t wrong. They are a couple,” Terry relaxed and thanked the stars that was all she was going to say. Tom and Jackie added more to their original story, more which showed they were totally miserable. It was Terry who went and sat down by Tom, taking one of his hands in hers, and one of Jackie’s in her other. “Look guys,” Terry said, as she switched her gaze between Jackie and Tom. “Any time you two need a shoulder, call us. It seems we’re all in this together whether we want to be or not. And, I know a woman who would love to help you two, we’re going to be seeing her, Kathy quite a lot. I can give you her number and you can mention us when you speak to her. I think she’d find it interesting to learn how all this began. And it’d help the two of you learn how to get some peace in your lives.” Jackie had tears running down her cheeks after hearing the generous offer made by Terry. No one in the past has ever wanted anything to do with the Stoners, once they learned about Glenda Stoner. Jackie leaned across Tom and gave Terry a hug, whispering ‘thank you’ in Terry’s ear. They talked for another thirty minutes before Tom and Jackie said they had an appointment to keep, and thanked everyone for their support. The Williams and Marge followed the Stoners to the front door, where hugs and handshakes were exchanged before Shelby opened the door and the Stoners left. As the four watched the Stoners walk to their car, Kathy said, “And I thought I had problems. Those two are a mess.” No one said a word in disagreement, as Shelby closed the door once the Stoners had driven off.
“Gawd I feel drained,” Marge said, as they all walked back into the living room. “I think I really need a nap now,” Marge added, seriously wanting to sleep. As she looked at Kathy, then at Shelby, then at Terry, she saw all three had smirks on their faces. She rolled her eyes and told the three, “Guys, I really mean sleep...though relaxation before sleep wouldn’t hurt.” The four burst out laughing before Terry took Shelby’s hand and Kathy took Marge’s hand and they headed to their bedrooms. They did take naps, only after helping each other relax.
Two hours later, and after both upstairs showers had been used, they again met in the kitchen, where Shelby suggested they go out to eat. Their naps, and relaxation sessions, had caused them to miss lunch, and more than one stomach reminded them of that fact. With a consensus reached, they got in Shelby’s car and headed to their restaurant of choice, another buffet. The drive to the restaurant would take a little over a half an hour, because the restaurant was in another town. It was during the drive that Marge noticed Kathy was quieter than normal. She asked Kathy if anything was the matter, getting no response from her, as Kathy kept staring out the window. It wasn’t until Terry turned to look at Kathy, then gently touched her leg, that Kathy turned to look at Marge then her mom. Tears were falling from her eyes, and her lips were trembling. She cleared her throat, but still found it hard to ask, “What do I do about tomorrow at school? No doubt what happened has gotten around to most everyone. How can I face everyone?”
Marge pulled Kathy into her, holding the girl as she cried. Shelby found a place to pull off the highway so he could stop and park the car. Kathy was having another full blown cry, and Marge was speaking to her softly, reassuring her they were there for her. Would be there for her. And they loved her and always would. It took several minutes before Kathy was just sniffing her nose, at which point Shelby asked if they should go home. Kathy shook her head and told him, “No. I’m hungry.” That short statement caused the other three to chuckle, as Shelby turned back around, started the car and pulled back onto the highway, heading for the restaurant. As Terry and Shelby held hands in the front seat, looking out of the windshield, they heard Marge say, “You goof. You and your stomach. HAY, none of that now!” Terry and Shelby heard squealing coming from the girls. Shelby looked in the rearview mirror, while Terry turned to look, and saw the girls tickling each other. Terry and Shelby squeezed hands, as they realized they would be alright after a while.
The atmosphere at the restaurant helped the four forget all about their troubles. They joined in with the entertainment held on the weekends. They sang along, clapped, laughed, but most of all, enjoyed the fine food. But the magic ended when they left the restaurant and headed home, and real life stared them in the face once again.
On the drive home, Marge told Kathy, “You know, we never answered the questions you asked on our way up here. And I think the answer lies in how did Walter handle the situations he found himself in? As I remember, that day the paint got poured over you, you made a joke out of it. You said you were the Pepto Bismol boy. And could take everyone’s heartburn away. You may not have seen it, but every teacher who heard you say that rolled their eyes and shook their heads, but laughed. It may be hard to do, but I think Walter would hold his head up and not let on that anything had happened. And if someone makes a big deal out of it all, or tells you that’s what you get, look them straight in the eye and ask them if their IQ is the same as their shoe size. Then walk away.” Shelby and Terry had been expecting something wise from Marge because of her build up. But they weren’t expecting her last statement, and snickered before laughing. Even Kathy had to laugh at the idea. Marge turned so she was facing Kathy and told her, “Look, sweetheart. No matter what anyone else thinks, I’m still there with you. I’m still in love with you, and if you want I’ll deck the jerk for you.” Terry turned and looked at Marge. Shelby shared the road with the rearview mirror. And Kathy gave Marge a funny look, each seeing the straight face Marge held. It didn’t take long before all four were laughing again. And Kathy was showing Marge her appreciation for sticking with her; Terry and Shelby kept their eyes looking out the windshield, as what the girls were doing would make it hard for Shelby to drive if Terry tried the same thing. She’d save that for later tonight.
When they arrived home, and in the house, Shelby could see how the events of the day still held his girls’ attention, too much of their attention. He looked at the clock on the wall and saw it was time for a program on TV they often watched at this time in the evening. He turned on the TV, turned to the right channel, and like Terry and the girls, settled back in his chair to watch the mindless drivel in the hopes of leaving the day’s events behind for a little while.
Shelby’s idea worked, in fact it worked too good. Terry, Marge, and he were so engrossed in the program they didn’t see the anguish look on Kathy’s face. They didn’t see how it contorted from pain to humiliation to embarrassment and back to pain. They didn’t see the panicked look which suddenly formed on Kathy’s face, but they did hear her cry out, causing Terry and Shelby to turn their attention to their daughter. They saw the look of horror on Kathy’s face as she crawled up onto Marge’s lap and tightly hugged Marge. Shelby could see Kathy’s lips moving, meaning she was saying something, but her voice was so soft he couldn’t hear what it was she was saying. He pressed the power button on the TV remote, and as the sound from the TV died, Kathy’s word could then be heard.
“I can’t do it, I can’t do it, I can’t do it. Everyone will know what happened. They’ll know I was half dressed, and going to be raped. I can’t face them, I can’t face them, I can’t, I can’t, I can’t. They’ll all know, I’ll become the laughing stock, they’ll point, laugh, and laugh, I can’t do it, I can’t do it…” Kathy’s mantra continued without letting up. Shelby heard Marge speaking softly to Kathy but her words seemed to be ignored. Terry got up out of her chair and went into the kitchen. A few moments later Shelby heard her talking with someone but not what Terry was saying. Kathy was still reciting her mantra when Terry returned to the living room, sitting down again to watch her daughter, feeling helpless.
Right Time
By Jamie Lee
Most often people talk about being in the right place at the right time. Maybe they achieved a beautiful photo of a sunrise, or the antics of children or animals. Maybe they found something someone lost and received a big reward when it was returned. But how often do they talk about being in the wrong place at the right time? If they do, it’s often about the death of someone or maybe witnessing a crime. And if this is the case, they are sad or horrified. Walter Williams often is in the wrong place at the right time, though his reaction to the incidents he encounters is much different than anyone would expect. And, life-changing.
It was perhaps thirty minutes later when the front doorbell rang, causing Terry to get up out of her chair and go to the front door. This time, after Terry opened the door, Shelby could hear what Terry said, as he heard, “Jenny. Oh thank gawd you could come. Kathy’s in a tizzy, a meltdown. She’s been reciting the same thing over and over again since a few minutes before I called you. She seemed fine when we arrived home after eating out, then she is as you see her on Marge’s lap.” Terry had led Jenny into the living room, where the two women stood looking at Kathy, still in Marge’s lap, still reciting her mantra. Jenny then addressed Marge by asking, “Marge, will you be alright with Kathy for a few minutes? I need to speak with Terry and Shelby alone.” It wasn’t hard for the three adults to see the tears in Marge’s eyes, but she nodded, and it was Terry who suggested they go into the kitchen. Once there, Jenny started asking probing questions. How was Kathy yesterday? Was she upset at any point? Did anything happen today? It was with this question Terry and Shelby regaled Jenny with the day’s events, even what Glenda screamed at them. Word for word. And that Kathy seemed in a good mood going and coming from the restaurant. The two parents did tell Jenny about Kathy’s question about school tomorrow, and how to handle it since it was likely word had spread of the event.
After speaking with Shelby and Terry for a few minutes, Jenny now felt she understood what had Kathy frozen in her own thoughts, and a possible way to thaw out those thoughts. And help alleviate her fears. Standing, Terry and Shelby followed Jenny into the living room, where she proceeded to sit on the couch so she could see Kathy’s face. Gently, so as not to startle Kathy, Jenny touched Kathy’s arm as she spoke, “Kathy, sweetheart, it’s Jenny. It’s Jenny, sweetheart. Can you hear me, Kathy? Kathy, sweetheart,” and she gently shook Kathy’s arm to try and get Kathy’s attention. Kathy’s mantra faded and was replaced with, “J-e-n-ny...J-e-n-n-y?” Jenny smiled and replied, “Yes, sweetheart, it’s Jenny. Can you look at me, please?” Kathy had been staring at nothing down and away during her mantra, and ever so slowly raised her head so she was looking at Jenny. When Jenny was looking directly into Kathy’s eyes, knowing she had Kathy’s attention, she softly said, “Hi, sweetheart. I understand you’re really upset about school tomorrow. I’d like to hear why you’re upset, I think I can help you.” At the mention of school on Monday, Kathy started to drop her head, but Jenny softly placed her extended fingers under Kathy’s chin and gently lifted her head.
“Kathy, no sweetheart, keep your head up so I can see those beautiful eyes.” This time Kathy let her head be raised, and let the tears fall as she told Jenny, “I’m scared, Jenny. How can I face everyone tomorrow? Like everything else that happens at that school, it won’t have taken long before everyone knows exactly what happened. They’ll know those two bastards pulled off my skirt and panties, making me half naked. And that they were going to rape me, both of them. The boys will wonder what I looked like half naked, some girls will say I deserved what I got. How do I handle all that? What do I say? What do I do?” Marge held Kathy tight, as Kathy broke down and sobbed on Marge’s shoulder. Jenny had reached over and was gently rubbing Kathy’s back as she cried. Terry and Shelby weren’t doing any better.
As Jenny gently rubbed Kathy’s back she softly said, “Oh, you sweet girl. You are adjusting to becoming a girl and then this gets thrown onto your back. Kathy, I’ve watched you as Walter, the boy who always got up when a situation knocked him down or threw something at him. I’ve watched you now as Kathy, and you still get up when a situation knocks you down or throws you into a mess. The heart you had as Walter still beats within the girl now known as Kathy. When you found yourself transforming, you could have gone several ways, none healthy. But you stood your ground, you accepted what was happening and continued on with your life. I’ve heard about the ‘show and tell’ sessions you held, which would have been impossible for some girls to do. Even being examined by a doctor in front of all those women, which is often embarrassing for most women. Kathy, your mom and dad have instilled in you a will to go on no matter what hits you or what you have to walk through. And it’s a good thing they did, because like some your age, they could be sitting here today wondering why you ended your life. What they could have done differently, why they didn’t see any signs of your impending death.” Jenny’s mention of suicide caused both Marge and Kathy to really lift their heads and listen to what she was telling them. And it shook Terry and Shelby because it wasn’t something they’d even consider Kathy might do.
And Jenny continued with, “But that’s not who you are, Kathy. You’ve gone through an event which would have driven other boys your age insane. You’ve gone through a horrendous experience which would have caused many girls to fold up and hide themselves away. And yet, you went through those experiences and are stumbling out the other side, trying to get your feet back under you so you can continue on with whatever plans you have for your life. Kathy, that takes an inner strength most people, adults included, don’t have. That alone makes you a very special young lady who will take others by storm in your future. And if you let this other beautiful young lady,” and Jenny reached over and lightly caressed Marge’s cheek, “help you through these times, and the ones to come, you are going to be a storm to reckon with at some point in your life. Both of you together.”
“Now, how to handle tomorrow at school? Well, how did you handle things when Walter discovered he was becoming a girl? What did you say to those who made fun of you or threatened you? You did exactly what Walter always did, you held your head up and continued on with your life. And that’s what I recommend you do tomorrow at school. So what if the school knows what happened? So what if they hear what those two animals did and were about to do? What they will remember, and talking about the most, is how you and Marge put them into the hospital. How the girls in that school will never have to worry about Tony attacking them or having offspring who will follow in his footsteps. You will frighten the boys who weren’t there because they will hear what you did to Tony and Patrick, and wonder if you’d do it to them if they bothered you. What I think you’re likely to find is a school who will stand up and protect you from now on. Because you stood up for yourself during a horrendous time and walked out the other side. Yes, you’re a little beat up, and rightly so, but you’re still on your feet. You aren’t folded up in a ball, unable to be reached by anyone. And you’re still alive to carry on with your life.” Jenny then leaned forward and gently kissed Kathy on the cheek, telling her, “Be Walter tomorrow, when he learned he was being transformed into a girl. And I’ll see both of you in my office at school after school tomorrow.” Jenny then lightly touched each girl’s nose with her finger before standing up and asking to speak with Terry and Shelby.
When the three walked into the kitchen, Jenny lowered her voice and told the couple, “I know some of what I told Kathy and Marge shocked both of you, especially about Kathy taking her own life. I know it isn’t something either of you would have considered because you wouldn’t think it was something Walter would do. And you’d be right. But we’re not dealing with Walter any more, it’s Kathy we’re dealing with, a fully functioning fifteen-year-old girl. Who now has a different mindset because she is a girl. And who now knows the terror an attempted rape can pose, and she’s going to dwell on that for longer than she did when Walter learned he was becoming a girl. Like you, I think her inner strength will keep her safe from herself, but we still have to be mindful of the other possibility, slim though it may be. Terry, you’ve grown up knowing about the possibility of rape every woman and girl is open to, let Kathy know your feelings about it, let her share hers with you. Encourage her all you can without pushing too many buttons. She was doing good adjusting to being a girl, until now. Now I think she might really want to be Walter again, a boy who would have never considered he could be raped. And because they are like two peas in a pod, let her lean on Marge as much as she has too. Believe me when I tell you this, as it’s something you might not have considered. Marge is kicking herself right now for not being there for Kathy. Right now she blames herself for the boys getting to Kathy because she wasn’t with Kathy. Marge needs Kathy as much as Kathy needs her. And they both need the two of you, since you’ve basically accepted Marge as your second daughter. And because you have let them be together. I don’t think either of you realizes how special you are as parents. Not only have you instilled in your child an inner strength which has gotten her through some terrific events, but you’ve accepted her falling in love with another girl. Many parents would have been up in arms, would have either beat their child to try and make them change their mind, or shunned the child completely. I know you were firm with Walter, and now Kathy, but you did so with love. And you continue to show that love despite everything that’s happened to Kathy.” Jenny paused as she looked at Terry and Shelby, both having wet eyes, before she said, “Well, I think I’ve done all I can tonight. I’ll see Kathy and Marge after school tomorrow,” and pointing at Terry she said, “and you Tuesday at seven in the evening at my downtown office. Right?” Terry nodded her head before she found herself in a hug from Jenny. Jenny hugged Shelby before the two walked Jenny out of the kitchen, and towards the front door. As Jenny walked by Marge and Kathy she softly bid the girls a ‘goodnight girls’ before opening up the front door, saying ‘goodnight’ to Terry and Shelby and heading home.
When Shelby had shut the front door Terry slumped against him, put her arms around him, telling him, “God, Shelby. How much more is Kathy going to face before she’s left alone? God I’m tired, Shelby.” Shelby pulled Terry into him, kissing her softly, then answering, “Honey, life is how it is. We can’t control everything in our daily lives. We can’t control the actions of others. All we can control is how we respond to the stupidity of others. As Jenny said, and told Kathy, she’s still standing, though a bit unsteady at the moment. We’re all hurting because of what happened; us because our daughter and her girlfriend are hurting. But we’re all still standing, while the two who caused this fell flat on their faces. The memory of all this will be with us for the rest of our lives, though it may dim with time. It’s the emotions that will eventually ease to the point where we can function again without letting the events bring us to the point we are right now. Oh, I don’t doubt we’ll shed tears when the memory is revisited, but we will have built up callouses to help us get through the time it does reappear. But we will still be standing, and ready to spit into the eye of the next situation that comes our way.” He then lowered his voice so the girls would hear him say, “Let’s get the girls to bed and I’ll help you shower. Then afterwards I’ll help you relax so you can get a good night’s sleep.”
The location of the front door was guarded by a short wall which stopped at the opening to the living room. For anyone to see the front door, or anyone standing at the front door, the person would have to stand at the opening to the living room. Knowing this, Terry began giving Shelby a passionate kiss, as one hand worked on Shelby’s excited manhood. When Terry paused the kiss, and pulled her head back from Shelby’s face, Shelby saw the school girl look on Terry’s face, the one which always told him Terry was eager for him to be within her. Shelby tried to softly clear his throat, as Terry continued her ministrations, then said, “Ah, sweetheart. With my desire for you at full tilt, and you doing that, it may be difficult for me to walk back into the living room without the girls understanding our pre-planned activity.” Terry’s hand continued its work, as she slowly lowered her head to Shelby’s neck, before telling him, “Tough. Let them notice,” then proceeded to lamprey her lips to Shelby’s neck. Shelby thought the moan which had escaped his lips had only been heard by Terry. But when they both heard the girls giggle, then say as one, “GET A ROOM,” then break down in laughter, Terry and Shelby realized they hadn’t been as quiet as they thought. And they both blushed.
The blush on their faces went from a light pink to a darker red, as they walked back into the living room and heard, “Oh, look Marge. Daddy must have burned his neck with a curling iron. And looky there, Marge,” and Kathy, smirking all the time, pointed to Shelby’s groin. “I think they have plans that don’t include us.” The smile Terry and Shelby saw on Marge’s face told them it wasn’t over yet, as she said, “No, Kathy. That isn’t a curling iron burn. That’s a hickey, and a nice one too. Your mom sure does a good job handing those out.” The darker red on Terry and Shelby’s faces increased even more as Marge finished with, “Oh, yeah, I see what you mean. Some beautiful lady is going to get lucky tonight. And I wager they don’t get much sleep.” Both girls sat on the couch, looking at Terry and Shelby with smirks on their faces. Terry looked at Shelby, and he looked at her, a slight nod was exchanged, and the two moved as one to trap both girls on the couch and began tickling them fiercely. It was one sided at first, but it only took a moment and the tickling was reciprocated. Their antics culminated in a group hug, the laughing doing its job of relieving a lot of tension the four had felt. Terry and Shelby were surprised when the girls broke their hug, stood up, then helped Terry and Shelby off the couch, telling the two, “You two go enjoy yourselves. Make each other happy, you deserve it.” Terry couldn’t help the tears she felt holding in her eyes, as she cupped the chin of both girls and told them, “You do the same.” And again, Shelby found he had something in his eyes.
The house got quiet after both showers ran for about an hour, at least for fifteen minutes. The silence of the house was broken by sounds emanating from both bedrooms, sounds ignored by both couples. But the four did sleep soundly that night, after they let sleep overtake them all
Each bedroom’s wake up call was how the couples ended their previous evening, including the length of their showers. When the girls arrived in the kitchen, dressed for school, they found Terry and Shelby as they always found them, with Shelby sitting at the kitchen table dressed for work and Terry fixing their breakfast. The girls sat down at the kitchen table, after setting their backpacks on the living room floor, and began on the bowls of fruit Terry had placed before them. The tension they all felt yesterday, while not completely gone, had lessened to the point of not weighing on them as it had the previous day. It also wasn’t hard for the four to see how each couple looked at the other, knowing how the intimacy they shared last night and early this morning had drawn each couple closer together. The girls giggled when they saw several ‘curling iron burns’ on Shelby’s neck. All three girls chuckled as they watched Shelby try and pull his shirt collar up to hide the ‘curling iron burns’ from their view. The girls then laughed as Shelby’s shirt collar refused to be drawn up where he wanted it to stay. Shelby just rolled his eyes and shook his head. They would crucify him at the office today.
It got serious after Terry set a breakfast plate in front of Shelby and the girls, then sat down at the kitchen table with her own. She looked at the girls and asked, “How are you two doing this morning? Kathy? Are you going to be okay going to school today? Maybe you need a few more days staying home or doing something else? After what you experienced, I don’t think the school would mind if you took a few days off.” Marge reached across to Kathy’s hand as Kathy told Terry, “No, mom. Jenny was right. I faced being Walter turning into a girl those first few days, as I did everything else, so I need to face today just like that. Running away from what others might say won’t accomplish anything. And if I start running, when will I stop? Running away isn’t me, mom, and you know it. It just took some loving people to make me remember that fact. Besides, if I know Uncle Peter as I do, he’ll have the whole security staff guarding me the entire day.”
If either Terry or Shelby had been wearing suspenders, they could have thumbed them in and out, proclaiming the pride they felt in their daughter at that very moment. Not many her age would have the courage to face so many in such a short time after such an attack. Terry held her tears, this time. And Shelby had dust or something in his eyes. Marge and Kathy could see it coming, as Terry smirked and asked Shelby, “Dear, might you want to skip work for a few days? Those ‘curling iron burns’ might cause you problems at the office today.” Terry smiled, the girls giggled, as Shelby gave Terry his ‘you just wait, woman’ look. The tables turned as Shelby smirked as he told Terry, “No, dear. It will be okay today. Of course I know there will be questions, and teasing. But all I have to tell them is that I married a lamprey woman who does good work. Besides, I feel certain when your work is admired, one of the women will want to make them less conspicuous. We do, after all, have a reputation which must be maintained.” Shelby then stuck his tongue out at Terry, causing them all to laugh. Chit chat followed as they ate their breakfast, with Shelby finishing first and after kissing his girls, left for the office. The girls helped Terry clear the table and put things away before they too left the house and headed to the high school, soon to learn how the school would respond to the attack on Kathy. Kathy had a death grip on Marge’s hand the entire drive to school, it didn’t lessen as they got out of Terry’s car and walked towards the front doors of the school.
Both girls were surprised as the front school doors opened and five boys walked out and formed a corridor for the girls to walk through. They were the five football players who escorted Kathy and Marge to the office that Friday after Kathy was attacked. Bobby stood at the head of the four boy corridor and told the girls, “We’ll be escorting you both to your classes this week. Next week five more players will replace us, and so on until the end of school. Or you two decide you’ll be okay as you were before. This is not up for discussion, we’ve cleared it with Principal Stepel. Besides, all of us have classes in the same wings as you both do, so it won’t be out of our way.” Kathy, more so than Marge, felt tears wet her cheeks, as Bobby took the lead, with two boys beside them and two following. The group stopped when they reached the spot where Peter stood, having waited for Kathy to arrive for the past thirty minutes.
“Hi girls, doing any better today? And before you answer, Terry phoned me and filled me in. So BS won’t be accepted today from either of you. Understand? You need to talk, go see Jenny or come see me. Got it? It was necessary to inform the school staff about last Friday, so neither of you will get gigged if you suddenly need to go talk with someone. Okay?” Peter saw the smirk on Kathy’s face, and knew something smart was coming his way. And he was right, as he watched Kathy turn to Marge and ask, “How should we answer all those questions? In reverse order or how they were asked? Or I could answer one then you could answer one, but I think one might be left over, so we’d have to flip to see who answers that one.” Peter saw by the smirk on Marge’s face there was more to come. “Oh, I don’t know,” Marge began. “If we answer them in reverse order do you think he can remember the first question he asked us? And if we answer them in the order they were asked, can he remember the last question he asked us? What if we start in the middle and work both ways? You can go forward and I’ll go down. How’s that idea sound to you?” By now, the football players were having trouble not laughing because of the girl’s antics. When Peter finally called a halt to the girl’s antice, the football players finally broke down and started laughing, receiving some haunting looks from Peter.
Kathy knew by the look on her Uncle’s face that he was dead serious now, as she told him, “We’re doing better, Un...um, Principal Stepel. Not one hundred percent, but better. Marge and I have an appointment with Jenny after school, and on Wednesday and Friday. I have a feeling we’ll see her for some time, since that attack caused other problems which need ironed out. Problems that were being worked on at the time. And yes, we understand about going to talk to someone if we suddenly have too. Believe me, we DO understand. I was hoping the whole thing could have been kept quiet, since there are those who are going to be snide about what happened. But I do understand you had to do what was needed.”
Kathy didn’t fool her Uncle, he’d seen her facial expressions too often. So when she told him they were doing better, he could see the fear in her eyes she kept from her face. Peter walked up to the girls, put a hand on each of their shoulders and told them, “Girls. Stop trying to pretend you aren’t scared to be here today, I see it in your eyes. After what you both went through, you have a right to be scared. I want you both to know there will be a security person shadowing you both wherever you go today while you’re in school. Along with your escorts. I think you’ll also find how the other students handle those who try to blame you both for what happened, so don’t be surprised how it gets handled. It’s time for certain lessons to be administered. Now, if there’s nothing more, off you go. Try to enjoy your time here today, okay?” Both girls said they’d try, as Peter stepped out of their way and with their escorts, headed for their hall lockers.
Peter had told both girls not to be surprised how those spewing snide remarks would be handled, so they went on their way as a girl standing near a wall yelled at them, “Stupid, cunt bitch. You got what you deserved.” The next thing the group heard was, “HEY! WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU’RE DOING? GET YOUR FUCKING HANDS OFF ME!!” They later learned how their shadow had taken the girl by the arm and frog marched her to the office. She was suspended for the week. She was also one of several girls who thought themselves better than everyone at school. Including the school staff.
A real surprise occurred the minute the group entered the classroom wing that housed the girls’ hall lockers, and their first period science class. A surprise which brought back something Jenny told the girls last night. Students were applauding as the group walked down the hallway. Many of the girls told Marge and Kathy, “Way to go gals. Way to go.” And some girls even shouted, “Thank you, Kathy and Marge. It’s so much better around here now.” The applause even brought those already in class, waiting for school to start, out into the hallway to add their own applause. But of course, there were the overtly made snide remarks, which immediately caused the offender to be frog marched to the office, shouting the whole way. Before the school day had ended, six students had been suspended the entire week, with a standing invitation to bring their parents with them the following Monday for a serious meeting with the Principal. And their future at West high school.
After their escort made sure the girls were safely in their first period science class, they left to go to their own first period classes. It seemed a message had been sent to everyone in their first period class because everyone was already sitting in their seats. And when the girls entered the classroom, they all stood up and began applauding both girls. Jenny had told Kathy and Marge they might be surprised how well liked they both were, and upon seeing everyone standing and clapping, they realized Jenny’s words were true. The scene was repeated each time the girls went into a classroom wing for their next class, and in each of their classes.
But the biggest surprise happened at lunch, as the entire lunch room crowd stood and cheered as the girls entered the lunch room. Kathy and Marge were really touched as the boy who Walter helped off the floor after he stepped on a wet spot on the floor, then gave him his lunch, approached them carrying two lunch trays. “If you ladies would follow me, please.” He led them down an aisle between tables to their usual table, where he sat the trays down then pulled out each chair for Marge and Kathy to sit down in. It seemed like an hour before everyone finally sat down to eat their lunch. And it was at that time, in that moment of silence before it too was broken, when they heard, “Too bad those boys didn’t get to finish what they started.” And as happen previously, they heard, “HEY, GET YOUR FUCKING HANDS OFF ME. DO YOU KNOW WHO MY PARENTS ARE? MY DAD IS GOING TO KICK YOUR ASS FOR THI…” The boy’s rants were cut off when the lunch room door closed behind him and school security. The boy was another one who received a week’s suspension.
The experiences Marge and Kathy envisioned they’d have that day during school had been turned on their heads by what they actually experienced. Besides the applause when they walked to class, or in their classrooms, girls would often stop them and thank them for what they did to Tony and Patrick. The surprise for both girls were the times a shy boy would thank them, explaining how the two boys had been bullying the boy(s). If Marge and Kathy were surprised by the school’s reactions, Kathy was about to have her very own surprise. A surprise which occurred because of her standing up to the two boys and kicking their butts.
As usual, Kathy was the last girl out of the showers in her last period PE class, there was no need to hurry since school was almost over, and there were no more classes to attend. All ten girls were either completely naked or semi-naked when the door to the girls locker room opened and ten girls walked into the locker room. Nine heads snapped up and looked in the direction of the door when footfalls were heard walking in the locker room. Kathy wasn’t paying attention until she noticed the other nine girls had formed a wall in front of Kathy, blocking her from being seen by whoever had entered the locker room. When the ten girls were in sight, Debbie Marlow, never a timid one, asked, “What the hell do you all want?” Her voice was challenging and loud, indicating they weren’t going to take crap from the new girls, which brought Connie out of her office. Connie stood where she was, watching the new girls and her girls, waiting to find out what would happen before she acted; the new girls might not be a threat and if Connie reacted incorrectly, there might be more problems than wanted. The tension level dropped, somewhat, when they all heard, “Um...we’d like to speak with Kathy. She really did us a favor taking care of those two assholes. She also showed us something else.”
Debbie felt a hand on her shoulder, turned and saw Kathy standing behind her. “It’s okay, Debbie, they aren’t here to cause problems. But thank you for being my big sister in this.” Debbie got a surprise of her own as Kathy kissed her lightly on the cheek, before stepping between Debbie and another girl to stand in front of the other nine girls. As Kathy, and the nine girls in her class, stood looking at the ten girls who just came into the locker room, they all could see how embarrassed each girl appeared. How each girl felt as self-conscious as they looked, and how all ten were about to drop a boat load of tears. The real shock came when the girl who first spoke, did let her tears fall as she said, “We’re glad those two bastards are gone, I only wish we’d had the courage to fight back against them at the time.” Her lips were quivering now as she explained, “Those two pricks forced us to do things to them both. They threatened to do worse if we didn’t do what they said. The ten of us were so scared of what they’d do if we didn’t do what they told us. We were really scared of what our parents would do if they found out what they made us do.”
The question hung in the air until Kathy took it and asked, “How did Tony and Patrick force you to do anything to them? All you had to do was tell a teacher or go to the Principal, and tell them what those two pricks wanted.” The girl was crying now, and shaking her head, as the words stumbled from her mouth. “We...all...have...younger...sisters.” When the girl continued, her words were vicious, filled with hate, and venomous. “Those two BASTARDS threatened to go after our younger sister if we didn’t do what they wanted. We couldn’t let that happen, so we gave in to them.” Even though Kathy was naked, she stepped forward and pulled the girl into a hug, letting her cry on her shoulder. As the girl cried Kathy told her, “You might not believe this, but what you did for your younger sister was very brave of you. You could have thrown your sister to those bastards to save yourselves, but you didn’t. And I think when your parents learn why you did what you did, if they haven’t already, they will think you’re the bravest girl they’d ever seen. At least in your familys.” Nine naked, or semi-naked, girls each took one of the now crying new girls and held her as she cried. Connie watched as her girls comforted the ten girls, knowing what she’d like to do to two pieces of slime if she had the chance. ‘On the other hand,’ she thought to herself, as she watched the twenty girls in front of her. ‘Maybe those two bastards did this school an unexpected favor.’
The ten girls in Connie’s PE class had each stepped forward to comfort one of the ten girls who came into the locker room. Now, though, it looked as though those ten girls were comforting her girls, as Connie saw tears sliding down the face of each of those girls. She’d also watched the reaction when Kathy and Marge had walked into the cafeteria, and how students reacted when the girls, together or individually, walked down the halls to their classrooms. Those two bastards unwittingly had helped bring the students in West high together over a common foe. And at the same time, placed themselves in grave danger if they ever showed their faces at the school again. Connie had no doubt how the students, as a whole, would react if those two ever showed their faces here, at school, or anywhere, again in this City. She also had a feeling she knew what several parents would gladly do to those two.
There were giggles, when one of the girls said, “Oh, crap, I got your dress wet. I’m so sorry.” The giggles stopped when the girl said, “That’s okay, it was worth it. I really needed that hug. We were all so scared how all of you would react to what we had to tell Kathy.” It was Debbie who caused a cheer to go up from the twenty girls, and Connie to cover her ears, when she yelled, “BULLSHIT! WE’RE ALL SISTERS IN THE FIGHT AGAINST FUCKING BASTARDS LIKE THOSE TWO SHIT HEADS!” Connie would have a private word with Debbie later. The locker room got quiet as another of the ten girls who came into the locker room said, “We also wanted to tell you, Kathy, because of your courage being here in school today, after what happened last Friday, the ten of us went to Principal Stepel and told him everything we’d been through with those two animals. And why. And…” and here her story faltered, before she continued with, “um...he had to call our parents. So they know everything, and the why of it all. And you were right, they were proud of us standing up for our younger sisters, but sort of upset we didn’t come to them about it.” She started to cry again, and again was pulled into a hug.
The girl was still being hugged, but had calmed down, after several minutes. The other girls had been watching her, some tears leaking from their eyes. What caught everyone off guard was Kathy starting to chuckle, then outright laughing, which gained in intensity until she broke down and began sobbing so hard she made no sound. Debbie immediately grabbed Kathy and held her as she cried. Connie had been standing off to the side, watching the girls interplay, and now knew Kathy was doing more than just crying, not like she’d seen Kathy cry before. She went to the locker room door, poked her head out and told one of the football players guarding the door to go get Marge, it was an emergency. All of the boys escorting the girls knew the location of each class the girls were in, so Bruce, the boy Connie spoke to, ran off to Marge’s history class. He reached the classroom just as the last bell rang, dismissing school for the day. A student came out of that classroom so Bruce didn’t have to open the door and barge into the classroom. He saw Marge getting up from her desk and hollered, “Marge! It’s an emergency! Kathy needs you!” Thankfully for the other students in her class, when they heard ‘Kathy needs you’ they made ‘a hole’ as they watched Marge sprint out of the classroom; Marge would have run over each and every student in her way as she made her way out of the classroom.
Right Time
By Jamie Lee
Most often people talk about being in the right place at the right time. Maybe they achieved a beautiful photo of a sunrise, or the antics of children or animals. Maybe they found something someone lost and received a big reward when it was returned. But how often do they talk about being in the wrong place at the right time? If they do, it’s often about the death of someone or maybe witnessing a crime. And if this is the case, they are sad or horrified. Walter Williams often is in the wrong place at the right time, though his reaction to the incidents he encounters is much different than anyone would expect. And, life-changing.
The door to the girls locker room was held open by another of the football players as Marge came running towards the locker room. A ‘thanks’ was heard by Marge as she flew past him and towards her love. She heard the reason she’d been called the minute she entered the locker room, Kathy was having another meltdown. She rushed up to Debbie holding Kathy and softly told her, “I’ve got her, thanks,” before telling Kathy, “I’m here, baby girl, I’m here.” Marge pulled Kathy to her as she backed up against the bench in front of Kathy’s locker. Sitting down, she let Kathy crawl into her lap and held her as Kathy broke down even harder, now that Marge was holding her. The other girls found a place to sit, or quickly dressed, since their getting dressed had been interrupted by the ten girls coming into the locker room. Once dressed, they too sat down but in front of their lockers.
When Kathy had calmed down to a whimper, Connie then softly asked Marge, “Should I send for Jenny? I know you two have an appointment with her, but maybe she needs to help Kathy now.” Marge shook her head, telling Connie, “Thank you for asking, Mrs. O’Conner. But I don’t think Kathy is quite finished yet. I think she was about to tell the girls something and was overcome with emotions. This kind of thing happened a few times over the weekend, and usually resulted in Kathy finally being able to say what she wanted without melting down again, once the emotions were out of her system.” Connie watched as Kathy nodded her head in agreement with Marge’s statement.
When Kathy had completely calmed down, she took a deep breath, got off Marge’s lap and sat beside Marge, leaning her head on Marge’s shoulders, with Marge’s arm around Kathy’s waist. No one said a word, as Kathy took another deep breath and said, “I apologize to all of you for the meltdown. What was being said hit me harder than I realized it would. When you talked about your parents finding out what those two bastards made you do, or they’d go after your younger sisters. How about your parents finding out you’re turning into a girl? Or this entire school? Talk about being scared, I was terrified. Your parents would be horrified because of what you were made to do, you were already girls. But a boy transforming into a girl? How were my parents going to react? Can you imagine the fear I had at the time? The double fear? I was becoming a girl, how could I be a girl like the rest of you? All of you have grown up being girls, learning what it means to be a girl, and all the pitfalls. But I was being thrown into the deep end of the gender pool and told to swim as a girl. How? What did I know spit from anything about being a girl? I’d been a boy for the past fourteen years. I knew boy, not girl. Thankfully, my parents were there for me, as was this beautiful young woman holding me. A beautiful young woman I dearly love with all my heart. Another thing many would object to, and have. But the real fear which played on my mind was being accepted by others, and those at this high school. If you all would remember, things didn’t go well when I could no longer hide the fact I was becoming a girl because of that accident. Given the school news drums, I’m sure you all heard about the treatment I received from many in this school. At the time, I handled it like I would have when I was Walter, and got up off the ground and continued on.”
As the other girls listened, and watched, tears fell from Kathy’s eyes as she continued with, “And then Tony and his brother, Patrick, came to our school. Two animals who thought they could take from any girl what they wanted.” The venom Kathy put into those words caused chills to run up the spines of the other girls, none had ever seen Kathy so angry before. They hoped they never had her that angry at them.
Kathy continued by saying, “Those two assholes caused me to wonder why I was transformed into a girl. A person who boys and men only saw as having one function, to get between our legs in order to satisfy their animal desires. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying all men or boys think this way, but those who do, like those two animals, made me want to become Walter again. Something I knew was impossible. I was now a girl, like it or not. And I had to make the most of it by learning how to be a girl. My past fourteen years can’t help me now, can’t help me be the girl I am now. I can tell all of you how to be a boy without any problems. I was learning to be a boy while all of you were learning to be girls. I was getting along okay until last Friday, when I received a hard lesson on why being a girl can be scary.” She got quiet after that, Marge still holding her and Kathy’s head still resting on Marge’s shoulder.
The silence was broken when Debbie cleared her throat, wipped her eyes and told Kathy, “Kathy. Like I said before. We’re all sisters here. We’re all girls, though we sometimes don’t get along. We’re still sisters. And we have to stick together, even welcoming a new sister into our fold.” The others watched as Debbie stood up, walked over to Kathy, kissed her on the cheek, hugged her, and told her, “Welcome sister, I’ll help you any way I can.” Connie had to hide herself for a bit, as she watched girl after girl welcome Kathy into the sisterhood, in order to hide the tears falling from her eyes, as each girl followed Debbie’s lead. Marge and Kathy were the last girls to leave the locker room. With Marge still holding Kathy tightly, the two girls let their escort lead them to their appointment with Jenny, who would know about the locker room from the call she received from Connie. A tearful Connie.
The four football players with the girls watched as the girls went into Jenny’s office, before they left to do other things; School security would watch the girls now, making sure they made it safely to their ride when it arrived.
The minute Jenny saw Marge and Kathy, with Marge supporting a very distraught Kathy, she knew what Connie told her wasn’t as complete as she first thought. “Hi girls,” Jenny said as the two girls came into Jenny’s inner sanctum. Jenny could tell just by looking at both girls that they both needed water to replenish the tears they’d shed. “Here,” and Jenny handed each of the girls a bottle of bottled water, and told them, “drink a good portion of the water, you need it.” Jenny chuckled to herself as Marge drank about a fourth of her bottle of water, while Kathy drained her entire bottle in one drink. Jenny took another bottle of bottled water from her small fridge, handed it to Kathy and told her, “A little slower this time, yes?” A smirk played across Kathy’s lips as she replied, “Yeah, okay. I was thirsty.” Jenny smiled before getting down to business, prying information out of Kathy when Kathy was likely to be too embarrassed to say. Jenny then decided the blunt approach was needed at this moment, and told Marge and Kathy, “Mrs. O’Conner called me and told me about the events in the girls locker room. I’d like to hear the whys and wherefores from you Kathy, like why you had another meltdown that required Mrs. O’Conner to send for Marge.” Jenny sat back and waited until Kathy was ready to explain what happened.
Jenny watched as Kathy played with the security ring at the top of the bottle of water which had been attached to the bottle’s cap before the cap had been removed. Kathy spun it around one way, then the other. She lifted it up, then let it drop. She lifted one side, then the other. All the while not looking at Jenny. Jenny might have to ruffle some feathers as Marge said,” Kathy...,” but she never said any more as Jenny held up her hand. “Marge. I know you’re trying to help Kathy, and that’s admirable, and loving. But I need Kathy to tell me what happened. She needs to talk about the events in that locker room and why she had another meltdown. If she doesn’t talk about it, she’s going to keep having meltdowns and one day you won’t be there to help her. And if that day comes, she might go totally around the bend. And if that happens, her parents and I will have no choice but to commit her to a mental health center until she pulls herself together.” Jenny turned her attention back to Kathy and asked, “Is that what you want, Kathy? To be committed to a mental health center until you get your head straight on your shoulders? Because I will tell you, there won’t be any trying to bluff anyone. Those who work with you will know all the tricks and dodges. You will have to square yourself away or they will keep you for as long as it takes.” As Jenny watched Kathy for any reaction, she tried her hardest not to sigh as she watched Kathy continue to play with the security ring.
Jenny waited another ten minutes for Kathy to say something, anything, but the girl remained silent. Finally, after another five minutes went by, both girls heard Jenny say, “Kathy. I’m not going to force you to say anything you aren’t ready to say. But unless you’re willing to talk with me today, then the three of us are wasting our time here in my office. So, I’ll see both of you after school on Wednesday. And Kathy, you better think hard about what I said about having meltdowns and ending up being committed. Because as a licensed Psychologist I can have you committed over the objection of your parents if I feel you are a danger to yourself. And that’s what will happen if you don’t start talking to me. That means no more school. No more friends, or lover. It means you will go directly to a mental health facility and be there until they know you’re alright. I’ll see you both Wednesday after school.” Jenny and Marge watched as Kathy all but bolted out of Jenny’s office, Marge then hurrying to catch up with her.
When Marge came out of Jenny’s office, she found Kathy pacing back and forth in front of three school security people, they were not letting her leave until Marge was with her. As the three started to escort the two girls to the parking lot, they stopped and turned when they heard, “What the HELL is the matter with you? That woman in there is trying to help you, and all you can do is give her the cold shoulder? You want to be taken out of school and basically locked up? Because the way you’re acting right now that’s EXACTLY what’s going to happen. And to be truthful, I’ll help them get you there. Your mom and dad will have to know about this, if Jenny hasn’t already called them. And if I know your mom, as I do, she’s going to ream you a new one. And you know she isn’t going to beat around the bush when she does. GAWD, you’re so DAMN INFURIATING!” Marge started walking towards the parking lot, only to be held up because Kathy wasn’t moving. Marge walked back to Kathy, grabbed her arm and told her, “Let’s go, your mom is waiting for us. And I’ll be damn if I’m going to spend the night here just because you’re throwing a tantrum. Now COME on.” Kathy let herself be pulled along by Marge, not really caring what Marge did from now on.
When the small group reached the loading zone, Terry could tell something was dreadfully wrong, since Marge was basically pulling Kathy along with her. Marge thanked the security people, then opened the front passenger door and shoved Kathy into the front seat. She sat down hard on the front seat, slamming the door after she got into the car. Terry looked at Kathy then at Marge and asked, “So, which one of you is going to explain what’s going on. Because we’re going to sit here until I hear an explanation.” Terry had seen Marge angry, but never as furious as she was at the moment. Terry was really taken aback when she heard Marge say, “This stupid bitch had another meltdown, this time in the girls locker room. Some girls came in to thank her for giving them the courage to talk with Peter about those two pricks, and one of the girls said something and her highness went to pieces. And instead of talking with Jenny about the whys and wherefores, she acted like a clam and said nothing. Jenny told her if she doesn’t start talking, Jenny could have her committed because she’d be a danger to herself. Take me to my house, Terry. This stupid bitch needs to get her shit together before I’ll spend any more time with her.”
Terry was completely stunned by what Marge just said, and the ferocity of her words. Terry shook herself, then took a hard look at Kathy. Only Kathy wasn’t there, her eyes were dead. The spark she always had was gone. Kathy was in a bad place at the moment, and Terry needed help. She got out of the car and whistled, getting the attention of the two security people who hadn’t gone back into the school. She waved them over to the car, then asked them, “Can you two stay here and watch the girls. I need to get Jenny.” One of the security told Terry that wasn’t necessary, as she took out her hand-held two-way and called Jenny’s office. When Jenny replied over the radio, the security woman explained the situation and they all heard Jenny say, “I’m on my way.” It was only moments later Jenny came running out of the school, out of breath, stopping when she reached Terry’s car. She saw the terrified look on Terry’s face as Terry told her, “Jenny. Kathy’s not here. She’s physically here but emotionally gone. This time is worse than previous times, and I don’t know how to help her. Even Marge wants to go to her house, she wants nothing more to do with Kathy until she gets herself together. What do we do Jenny?” Tears were falling from Terry’s eyes, as she pleaded to Jenny for help. Jenny bent down so she could look into the front seat and see Kathy’s face. ‘Oh, gawd,’ Jenny thought to herself. ‘She’s worse off now than when she was in my office.’ Jenny straightened, looked at Terry, and told her, “Call Shelby. Tell him you’re taking her to the ER, I’ll have phoned them by then. They’ll check her into the psych ward and start doing an evaluation on her. They’ll want you and Shelby to stay out, but let Marge in, since she has a positive influence on Kathy. I’ll go directly there from here. Now go…” The two women were surprised when they heard Marge talking to Shelby, telling him what happened and where they were going. Marge was still in a mood, because she told Terry, “Terry, you can’t stand around here talking. We need to get Kathy to the hospital NOW.”
No one had kept their voices low when speaking. No one had whispered when they spoke. Everything Jenny told Terry could be clearly heard inside Terry’s car. And yet, Kathy remained silent, didn’t react when Jenny told Terry Kathy needed to be checked in at the psych ward. She just sat there, emotionally gone. Staring straight ahead, with that same dead look in her eyes Terry first saw. Kathy had locked herself up emotionally. She had people who loved her, more than overly concerned about her, so wound up they were willing to use what could be considered drastic measures in order to help her. The last thing said before Terry took Kathy to the ER came from Jenny, as she told Terry, “Terry, look at me. I can tell you’re really wound up right now. But you need to calm down. It won’t do anyone any good if, in your state, you get into an accident. We’ll do all we can for Kathy, that I can assure you. What we don’t need is having to put Kathy’s mother in the hospital as well. Things are urgent, but not lights and sirens urgent. Do you understand me?” Jenny watched as Terry started taking deep breaths, attempting to calm herself down. Terry nodded her head, got into her car, and after starting the engine, drove sedately out of the parking lot, heading towards the hospital. She’d have her own meltdown later, in Shelby’s arms.
Terry couldn’t help glancing at Kathy as she drove them to the hospital, Marge was watching Kathy. Marge was also watching as Terry glanced at Kathy at the wrong time and almost ran a red light. The car screeched to a stop, just in time, and Marge told Terry, “You keep driving like that and we’ll all end up IN the hospital. Stop trying to watch Kathy and keep your eyes on the road. I’m watching her, she’s fine, so far, there’s no change. She’s still shut down.” Terry bristled because of how she was spoken to by a fifteen-year-old girl, but the look she saw on Marge’s face made her realize Marge was right. There was nothing Terry could do for her daughter but to get her safely to the hospital. Terry reached across Kathy, took Marge’s hand, and told her, “Thank you Marge.” Marge squeezed Terry’s hand in acknowledgement, and when the light turned green Terry took her hand back and was more careful as she drove them to the hospital.
After parking the car, Marge pulled an unresponsive Kathy out of the car, never letting go of Kathy’s arm. Terry came around to the girls, and taking Kathy’s other arm, the three entered the ER, where they were met by Marsha. Marsha was shocked by the lack of expression on Kathy’s face, or the missing light in Kathy’s eyes. No pleasantries were exchanged, she simply told Terry and Marge, “Come with me.” They’d almost walked out of the ER waiting room when they heard, “TERRY, WAIT!” Terry switched hands on Kathy’s arm as she turned to see who called her name. He got some dirty looks from the hospital staff as he came running into the ER, and shouted Terry’s name, but Shelby didn’t care. All he cared about was his wife and daughter, and the others could be damned. When he reached his girls, Terry threw her one free arm around Shelby’s neck, as he grabbed her in his arms. As he felt Terry’s tears on his shoulder, he asked, “How’s Kathy? Has there been any change?” Marsha walked back and put an arm around Terry, then Shelby, before telling him, “No Shelby. She’s still shut down. Come on, we need to get her upstairs. Jenny will meet us up there.” Shelby looked at Marge and could see the worry and concern on her face and in her eyes. He gently hugged her, kissed her lightly on the cheek, and told her, “It’s going to be alright. It has so far, hasn’t it?” Marge nodded her head as tears started running down her cheeks. “Yeah, so far,” she choked out. But thought to herself, ‘But so far it’s just been Kathy adjusting to being a girl, and not trying to get over what those two animals did to her.’ Shelby had his arm around Terry’s waist, as the three followed Marsha and pulled Kathy along with them.
It was a feeling a father would have for his daughter. It was an expression of wanting a desire known to be wrong. But as they rode up in the elevator, Shelby said in a low voice, “Gawd, if I could have five minutes alone with those two animals, this world would be a better place.” Marge heard it first, then Terry, and finally Marsha. It started deep in Kathy’s throat, a growl that kept increasing in intensity until it was a full blown scream, and Kathy was lashing out at Terry and Marge who were trying to keep her from hurting herself inside the elevator. Marge was finally able to pin her arms at her side, as she’d done several times before, and she started to softly speak to Kathy in an attempt to calm her down. It wasn’t long before the light in Kathy’s eyes returned, and as best she could, with her arms pinned to her sides, she reached around Marge’s waist, pulled herself into her girlfriend and began bawling. She was still bawling as they reached the floor for the psych ward. Jenny met them at the elevator and could hear the crying even before the elevator doors opened. She even knew who was crying, as the elevator doors parted, and she saw Marge holding a bawling Kathy. Kathy crying was a start, but just a start, barely a start, because Kathy would have a long road ahead of her. She had gone through a traumatic event she couldn’t Walter away, as she kept trying to do.
Because Kathy was back, so to speak, Jenny had her room assignment changed from a room in the lockdown portion of the ward, to a private room where she could have visitors. One visitor, in particular, who would be crucial to Kathy’s recovery. One visitor who needed counseling as much as Kathy did.
Jenny told Shelby and Terry to go fill out the necessary paperwork to admit Kathy while she took the girls to Kathy’s room. Two of the nurses almost caused another meltdown as they tried to separate Kathy and Marge so they could take Kathy to her room. Marge kept trying to tell the nurses to stop, as Kathy was beginning to get agitated as they tried to take Kathy out of Marge’s arms. It took Jenny to rip some flesh off both nurses as she told them, “STOP, NOW! KATHY HAS JUST COME OUT FROM LOCKING HERSELF IN HER OWN MIND. THAT GIRL, MARGE, IS THE ONLY ONE SHE TRUSTS AT THE MOMENT. IF YOU TWO CAN’T SEE THE HARM YOU WERE STARTING TO CAUSE, THEN I’M SURE WE CAN FIND SOMEWHERE ELSE FOR BOTH OF YOU. LIKE ON THE UNEMPLOYMENT LINE.!” Jenny was pissed, and concerned for Kathy’s welfare. She didn’t need two stupid, rule following, morons to put Kathy back where she’d been for the past few hours.
The head of the psych ward came out of her office when she heard Jenny yelling. After asking for, and getting an explanation, she turned to the two nurses and softly told them, “Ladies, I realize we have rules on this floor for a reason. Most, if not all, are for our patients’ safety. I realize you two were only following the rules we have set up. But sometimes, like this one, it’s necessary to skirt the rules for the patient’s well being. This young lady,” and the head of the psych ward lightly rubbed Kathy’s back, without any adverse reaction from Kathy, “is rather special to all of us. And somewhat of a miracle. The two of you weren’t here several months ago when a boy came into the ER after he was in an accident in the supply room of his science class. It seems some shelves collapsed as he was reaching for something he needed on the top set of shelves. The shelves broke, and he fell into broken glass and a lot of mixed up chemicals, which caused those in the ER to thoroughly wash him down before they could stitch up the major cuts. He was brought back to the ER several weeks later, complaining of chest pains after slamming his chest against a door jamb. Imagine the surprise of those attending him when they discovered he was developing breast buds.”
The look on the two nurses’ faces caused their boss to chuckle, as she continued with, “The surprise on your faces was the same expression of those in the ER. How could a boy be developing breast buds, it was medically impossible, unless the boy was taking something. Which wasn’t the case with this boy. A thorough exam was then performed on the boy, which led to the discovery that his genitals were smaller than they had been when he first came to the ER. Well, to shorten the story, the girl you see before you, Kathy, who Marge is holding, was that boy who was involved in that accident. Somehow, which no one can determine, all of those chemicals he was exposed to caused his DNA to be rewritten and transformed him into a full functioning girl. Who, last Friday, was attacked at her high school by two predatory bastards who planned on raping her.” She chuckled again as she said, “But they bit off more than they could chew. Instead of raping her, she put both of them into this very hospital. The older boy won’t be fathering any children, and the younger one will have future problems with his foot because of the hole she punched through his instep and out the sole of his foot. This girl also gave other girls the courage to come forward and tell what those two monsters did to them. They also had the courage to seek help from us. So you see how special she is to us, and other girls? This young lady had been through one hell of a ride, so far.”
The nurses’ boss, while admonishing them, did so in a way which didn’t cause resentment to grow within either woman. What she did, with love and concern, was to offer an explanation why it’s sometimes necessary to throw the rules out the window. This time, instead of trying to separate Kathy from Marge, both women put their arms around Marge and Kathy and guided them to Kathy’s room. They thought no one noticed as each lady wiped a tear off their cheek. But they were wrong, as the four walked down the hallway to Kathy’s room, Kathy walking side-by-side with Marge, her arms around Marge, meeting on Marge’s right side. Her position changed as they walked into what would be Kathy’s room, she shifted so she was face on with Marge and her arms around Marge, meeting at Marge’s back.
When the four entered the room Kathy would occupy, Marge saw it wasn’t much different than the room Kathy had been in while in the hospital. The only difference were the security screens on the outside of the windows, and the dead bolt, which locked from the outside, on the door. Kathy lifted her head off Marge’s shoulder, looked around the room, sighed, then asked, “Now what?” One of the nurses told her, “Now we get you into a hospital gown.” When Kathy gave her a funny look, she laughed and told Kathy, “No, not the ones which let everyone see all of your back. No, these gowns are like granny gowns, just made of a different material.” Kathy laid her head back on Marge’s shoulder before saying, “Great. Just great. Now I’m going to look like a younger version of my grandmother.”
Both nurses chuckled as they let go of the girls, one getting the bed turned down, and the other going to a chest of drawers and pulling out the granny gown. But Kathy didn’t move, didn’t let go of Marge. The nurse holding the granny gown then said to Kathy, “Okay sweetie, let’s get you undressed and into this gown.” Kathy didn’t move. Marge could see the exasperated looks on the faces of both nurses, and just shook her head in disgust. She then turned her attention to Kathy as she told her, “Listen, you dope. You have to get undressed before they can put that gown on you. So let go of me and let them help you undress.” Kathy didn’t move, but raised her head to look at Marge and ask her, “You called me a dope. Why’d you call me a dope? I’m not a dope, I’ve gotten better grades than you have in almost everything. So how can I be a dope?” Kathy watched as Marge closed her eyes, mumbled under her breath, shook her head before opening her eyes and telling Kathy, “Oh, yes you are a dope. You’re trying to be Walter through this whole thing. You’re trying to laugh it off as Walter did. You’re trying to do it all as Walter did, not wanting any help because Walter didn’t need help. Well, you aren’t Walter anymore, you aren’t that boy who could laugh it off when something happened and continue on his way. You are a girl now, and whether or not you realize it, pushing your emotions down as you did as Walter...DOESN’T WORK ANYMORE! GAWD...you piss me off sometimes with your trying to be someone you’re not anymore. There are times, recently, I’d like to knock you into next week, just to try and bang some sense into that smart brain you have. Which at the moment is rather dumb.”
Marge then reached around to her back, grasped Kathy’s wrists, and pulled them apart. She then pushed Kathy back a couple of steps and told her, “Now, stop being a dope and let these two ladies help you get undressed so they can put that gown on you. GAAA…” And with that, Marge started pacing the perimeter of the room, or as much as she could, all the while mumbling to herself. Some of Marge’s mumblings could be understood as she walked past the two nurses helping Kathy undress, causing both nurses to eye each other and silently acknowledging, ‘it’s getting hot in here.’ One such pass of Marge’s allowed the nurses, and Kathy, to hear, “Oooo, I’m Walter, I can tolerate anything...the stupid bitch. I don’t know why I ever got involved with him, um, her. gaaaa…!” After hearing that, six pairs of eyes followed Marge around the room, catching more snippets of her mumblings as she continued to pace. One of the nurses caught the eye of the other nurse and mouthed, ‘We best hurry and leave. It’s going to explode in here, and soon.’ The other nurse nodded her head, and after getting the gown on Kathy, made a hasty exit of the room. As the nurses walked back down the hall to report to Jenny, and Beverly Staton, the resident psychologist, they saw the two walking towards them. They stopped when they reached the two doctors, and told them, “There’s a fierce storm brewing in that room, and from all accounts, it’s going to get ugly.” Jenny laughed after hearing what one of the nurses said, causing Beverly and the nurses to give her strange looks.
They gave her even stranger looks as Jenny said, “Oh, this is perfect. It’s exactly what they need.” She laughed a little harder upson seeing the faces of the three, explaining when she’d stop laughing, “Look, as a boy, Walter always laughed off any situation he encountered. It would happen, he’d laugh about it, get up off the floor, usually, and go on. He may not have known it then, but he gave a lot of kids the courage to ‘move on’ with their heads held high when they too encountered a situation. But he was thrown a real curve by being transformed into a girl, a situation not even as Walter he could see happening. And up until last Friday, Kathy gave the appearance of dealing rather well adjusting to being a girl. She had accepted there was no going back to being Walter. Or so she said.”
“And then the event of last Friday occurred, causing Kathy to question her desire to continue being Kathy if something like what she experienced is always a possibility. She had a meltdown over the weekend and one today, which shows she’s been trying to handle the transition, and attempted rape, as Walter would have handled it. Laughing it off and tamping down her emotions.”
“Now we come to Marge, who has secretly been in love with Walter since grade school. And who stood up for him, in class, when he could no longer hide his transitioning into a girl. She has been with Kathy almost night and day. When Kathy was in the hospital the first time, Marge was there. When Kathy has had an emotional breakdown, Marge was there. Marge has been Kathy’s rock, and advisor. Kathy has accepted Marge as her rock, they have expressed their love for each other, but she hasn’t been willing to listen when Marge gives her advice. Marge is one smart cookie in the area of psychology, and can see what Kathy needs to do in order to come to terms with everything. And because Kathy ignores Marge’s advice, Marge has become frustrated with Kathy. So frustrated, in fact, I learned she wanted to be dropped off at home and not see Kathy again until Kathy got her head on straight. And then Kathy locked herself in her own mind, and well, Marge is here being Kathy’s rock.” Jenny then looked at the two nurses and told them, “What you two saw start in that room, between the two girls, has needed to happen for some time. Kathy needs to hear how her actions, or lack of them, have affected Marge. And Marge needs to vent, be completely honest with Kathy. They both need mine and Beverly’s help right now, only one of them doesn’t realize it.”
After Jenny finished speaking, the nurses continued on their way, as did Jenny and Beverly. When the nurses had left Kathy’s room, they’d left the door partially open, so it wasn’t hard for Beverly and Jenny to hear what Marge was saying. And Kathy’s responses. They stopped outside the room, out of view from either of the girls in the room.
Kathy hadn’t moved from the spot where the nurses left her. Instead, she was turning to follow Marge as she continued to pace the room. Every now and then Marge’s mumbling was clear to hear, as the one time she said out loud, “Gaaa...how stupid can an intelligent girl be? She’s got all these people who want to help her and she gets all, ‘Walter.’ What a dope. NO, not dope, a STUPID dope. GAAA…!” The confrontation came to a head during a time when Marge started walking right by Kathy. “Who’re you calling a stupid dope? Where do you get off calling me a stupid dope?” Jenny had to cover her mouth to keep from laughing out loud, causing Beverly to give her another funny look. “DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA HOW IT FEELS TO GO FROM BEING A FOURTEEN-YEAR-OLD BOY TO SUDDENLY FINDING YOURSELF A FOURTEEN-YEAR-OLD GIRL? DO YOU KNOW HOW HELPLESS YOU FEEL WHEN TWO BOYS GRAB YOU AND DRAG YOU INTO A LOCKER ROOM, STRIP YOU DOWN SO THEY CAN RAPE YOU? HAVE YOU? DO YOU? WELL I DO. UNTIL YOU DO, STOP TRYING TO TELL OTHERS WHAT THEY SHOULD DO OR HOW THEY SHOULD FEEL.” Kathy was on a boil that showed in her face, as her eyes tried to burn holes into Marge’s face.
Marge had lit the match, Kathy had thrown fuel on the stick, and Marge was going to continue fanning the flame as she got toe to toe with Kathy and yelled back, “YOU’RE SUCH A STUPID BITCH. I DON’T HAVE TO EXPERIENCE TRANSITIONING FROM A BOY TO A GIRL, OR ALMOST BEING RAPED, TO KNOW YOU ARE PUSHING EVERYONE TRYING TO HELP YOU AWAY SO WALTER CAN HANDLE THING ON HIS OWN. JUST LIKE HE ALWAYS DID. I TOLD YOU BEFORE AND I’LL REMIND YOU--YOU AIN’T WALTER ANYMORE! YOU ARE A GIRL NOW, LIKE IT OR NOT. AND YOU CAN’T CRAM YOUR EMOTIONS INTO THE SAME BOX WALTER DID EVERY TIME SOMETHING HAPPENED TO HIM. IT WILL SCREW UP YOUR, NOW, GIRL MIND, AS IT’S BEEN DOING SINCE FRIDAY. AND DAMN YOU! DON’T YOU EVER TELL ME TO STOP GIVING YOU ADVICE OR TELLING YOU WHAT YOU SHOULD DO. I love you too much to stop doing that.”
Marge had been the one Walter, and now Kathy, had turned to for a shoulder to cry on. This time it was Marge who turned to Kathy for a shoulder to cry on, and she did so in wracking sobs. Kathy held on the Marge for dear life, as Marge held onto her. Like Marge had done for Kathy, Kathy now did for Marge, as she softly told Marge how sorry she was for hurting her. And admitting she had been trying to handle things as she once did. Jenny and Beverly heard crying coming from the room, and stepping closer to the door, saw Marge crying on Kathy’s shoulder. They also saw tears falling from Kathy’s eyes. “Now we go in,” Jenny told Beverly. “They’re ready for the two of us,” Jenny said, as she softly knocked on the door to Kathy’s room, before opening it and walking into the room with Beverly.
“Hi girls,” Jenny said to Marge and Kathy, in a more cheerful voice than either girl was ready for at the moment. “This pretty lady with me is Beverly Staton, the hospital’s resident psychologist. Say hi girls.” Both women had to suppress giggles as Marge waved with her right hand and Kathy her left. But they did respond to Jenny, which in Jenny’s mind, was good enough at the moment.
It was Beverly’s turn when she said, “Nice to meet you girls, especially you Kathy. I’ve heard you had quite a go of it since the accident. And I must say, you’re much prettier than I’ve heard others say.” Kathy slowly turned her head to look at Beverly, while Marge took the time to snicker as she said to Kathy, “I told you so, you dope. Didn’t I tell you how pretty you were? Didn’t I?” Again both women had to suppress giggles as Kathy turned back to look at Marge, and tell her, “Shut up, you goofball.” The girls’ banter was making it hard for Jenny and Beverly to maintain their composure, as they heard Marge say, “Who’s a goofball, you dope? I’ll have you know that I’m the one who’s been pulling your fat out of the fires you’ve been in lately. And that can’t be done if the person is a goofball, you dope!”
To laugh quietly, or not make a sound while laughing, is difficult to do, but Jenny and Beverly were doing just that, as the banter between the girls continued. It went unnoticed until Jenny let out a snort, then two heads slowly turned to look in her direction. “And just what do you find so humorous, Miss Thomas?” Kathy had tried to be as serious as she could, in asking Jenny why she was laughing. But the way she asked, and the expression on both girls’ faces was too much for both psychologists, they broke out laughing. They were laughing so loud it brought the same two nurses to the room to make sure everyone was alright. And when Marge deadpanned to the nurses, “These two children are having trouble controlling themselves at the moment. Everything is alright,” it caused both psychologists to laugh even harder. Both nurses looked up to the ceiling, rolled their eyes, shook their heads, before walking out of the room, closing the door behind them and sliding the slider from ‘open’ to ‘do not disturb.’ It wasn’t long before both girls were laughing at the two psychologists, another good sign, to Jenny at least, Kathy was going to be alright after all.
Once everyone had laughed themselves out, Jenny suggested the girls sit on the bed while Beverly pulled two chairs over to the bed. “I must say,” Jenny began, “when we heard the exchange between you two before we came into the room, I wondered to myself why you’re here, Kathy. And how you responded after what Marge told you in the end, I believe you’re wondering the same thing, Kathy. Because what everything Marge yelled at you is correct. You are Kathy now, and with being Kathy a different set of rules apply. Lone wolf girls seldom fare well on their own. They tend to lock themselves into themselves, pushing everyone away because ‘they can handle things just fine.’ That worked for Walter because boys are expected to pick themselves up and go on as though nothing happened. But the chemistry for girls is much different than boys, and if a girl tries to handle situations like you experienced, Kathy, they lock themselves into themselves as you did after school today, Kathy” As Jenny was speaking, Beverly was watching both girls, trying to see if what Jenny was saying had any meaning to either girl. More importantly, to Kathy.
Kathy had laid her head on Marge’s shoulder as Jenny spoke. As the silence lingered, it was Kathy who broke the silence by asking, “I was Walter for fourteen years, Jenny. I’ve only been Kathy for a few months. How am I supposed to stop acting like Walter and be Kathy? I don’t know how to stop thinking like I am still Walter. My mom and dad always taught me to be self reliant, and I was as Walter, to a point. I’m not used to needing to lean on others when it hits the fan. How do I do that as a reflex? How do I undo fourteen years of not needing to do that very thing?” Marge felt Kathy’s tears wet her top, and put her arm around Kathy’s shoulder and pulled her in closer.
Beverly saw the honest love between the two girls, and felt sure they’d wed sometime in their future. “Those are honest questions, Kathy, and questions we’ll discuss as time goes on,” Beverly told Kathy. “Neither Jenny nor I know the trauma you went through when you discovered you were becoming a girl against your will. I believe you were told this, but many boys would have folded up and made it necessary to commit them to a mental health institution. But because of how you handled events as Walter, you had the knowledge and experience in picking yourself up and moving on. Not many learn that and end up miserable their entire life. While Jenny may not have been involved in a near rape, I have, and know what you went through. Fortunately for me, a rather protective dog I had made it clear to my attacker it didn’t like what he was trying to do. By the way, that guy had to have twenty stitches in the butt after my dog got finished with his explanation.” Jenny and Beverly watched as Kathy and Marge got far away looks, both believing the girls were trying to picture how the dog had bit the guy in the butt. It didn’t take long for both girls to start laughing, as they could picture how the guy reacted to being bitten in the butt. When their laughing slowed, Kathy asked, “You did reward your dog, didn’t you? Maybe something less rare and fatty?” Kathy’s last question started both girls laughing again, thinking about the man’s butt as rare, fatty, meat. Jenny looked at Beverly and gave her a slight nod, telling her they were going to be alright tonight.
When both girls stopped laughing, even the giggles they got picturing the guys fat, meaty butt, Jenny got serious. “Kathy, you scared the woo-hoo out of your mom and Marge when you zoned out after school today. Why’d you zone out? Did someone say or do something which took you back to Friday?” Jenny, knowing Kathy as she did, watched Kathy form her response. Watched as she gathered the correct words she wanted to use; she’d explain all this to Beverly later. When Kathy had it in her head, she said, “No, not back to just Friday, Jenny. But back to the accident and me becoming Kathy. Ten girls came into the girls locker room while we were getting dressed after class. Some of the girls thought they’d come to start something, but all they wanted to do is thank me for giving them the courage to go to Uncle Peter and tell him about those two bastards. It was when they mentioned how scared they were, how they didn’t know what to do, because Tony threatened to go after all of their younger sisters, that I lost it. I started chuckling and then laughing. I told them how scared I was being Kathy. How they’d grown up learning to be girls and how I was thrown into the deep end of the gender pool and told I was Kathy now and forever. Without having grown up being a girl. That’s when I wanted to be Walter again, to be who I knew. To not have to worry about some other asshole wanting to drag me off just to rape me. And I felt what’s the point of being a girl if I have to worry all the time.” Kathy put her head back on Marge’s shoulder, and let the tears fall.
Both Beverly and Jenny were nodding their heads, showing their understanding of what Kathy just said. And knowing she had a point. Girls learn day by day how to be girls. They’re treated as girls, nurtured as girls, even taught a few things boys would run from. Kathy HAD been thrown into being a girl, without all the experiences the years would have given her. And then experiencing the worst nightmare any girl dreads facing, the possibility of being raped. Kathy went from having a pile of bricks on her back, to a ton of bricks on her back because of two boys. Both women knew it wasn’t just a case of helping Kathy cope with her experience last Friday, but of helping her learn to be a girl. Helping her learn what years would have taught her as she aged.
It didn’t take a psychologist to see how tired Kathy and Marge were because of the stress of the last few hours. “Okay, girls, I think we’ve made a good start tonight. For tonight, you’ll both sleep in this room. Your parents have brought clothes for you to wear for school tomorrow. Beverly will be here in the morning to check you out from the psych ward, Kathy. However, tomorrow, after school, you’ll both come here and meet with me and Beverly, and will do so each day after school. We have a lot to talk about, and to teach you, Kathy. You two sleep well.” And with that pronouncement, Beverly and Jenny moved their chairs back where they’d come from before opening the door, moving the slider and walking out of the room. A few minutes later the two nurses came into the room to help Marge get into the same type of gown Kathy was wearing. And to show the girls a menu for their evening meal.
When the two nurses returned to Kathy’s room, carrying a tray for each girl’s evening meal, they found Kathy and Marge still sitting on the bed, leaning against each other, fast asleep. The first nurse said, “I sure hate to wake them, they’ve been through a lot today.” They both sat the trays on the table in the room, as the second nurse replied, “True, but they need to eat something.” Both nurses walked over to the girls, and very softly shook each girl, telling them it was time to eat. It took Kathy and Marge a few moments to remember where they were, and to stretch the sleep out of their bones, before going over to the table to eat what they’d ordered.
Marge paused as she was eating to watch Kathy shoveling her food into her mouth. “Um, Kathy? Why are you eating like this is all the food you’re going to get for the rest of your life? You do realize women don’t eat that way? Or us young girls? Slow down and take your time, we aren’t going anywhere tonight.” Kathy stopped chewing and with a mouth full of food, told Marge, “Imph phngry!” Marge just looked at Kathy, rolled her eyes, shook her head before telling Kathy, “I can’t understand what you just said. Swallow what’s in your mouth and say that again.”
Marge had watched nature programs about rodents, and had seen how fast they chew. At this moment, Marge was watching a replay of one of those programs, as she watched as Kathy chewed as though her life depended on it. Quickly swallowing, Kathy grabbed her drink, down half of it, before telling Marge, “I said I’m hungry. I haven’t had anything since lunch, and I was starving.” Marge snorted before telling Kathy, “Well, at least you can act like a lady as you starve. And eat like a starving lady too. Boys are expected to eat like pigs, whereas you, a young lady, are not. Take smaller bites, chew slowly, and swallow what you have in your mouth before taking another bite. Besides, I am NOT sticking my fingers down your throat to pull out some gross mess blocking your windpipe because you thought we were racing to see who could eat the fastest.”
The look on Kathy’s face said it all, she’d been acting like Walter again, when he was hungry. Sheepishly Kathy said, “Um...sorry. Guess I’ve a lot to unlearn now that I’m Kathy.” Marge could see Kathy’s eyes get wet, and got up out of her chair and went around the table to hug Kathy. “Oh, Kathy. I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to hurt you by what I said. I should realize there will be times Walter will automatically show up, just because he was around for fourteen years. And I shouldn’t be so matter of factly telling you something I forget you haven’t learned growing up.” She laid her head against Kathy’s and told her, “You and I both really need to get it together.” Kathy reached up and took hold of the arms surrounding her chest, saying, “Yeah. We sure do.” Marge kissed the top of Kathy’s head before going back to her chair to finish her evening meal.
When the nurses returned forty-five minutes later, they found both girls in bed, with Marge spooned against Kathy’s back and her left arm over Kathy. Both never heard one of the trays hit the floor, as it slipped out of one of the nurses hand. The girls were sound asleep.
“Kathy, Marge, it’s time to get up and get ready for school,” a voice belonging to Betty Moore, one of the day nurses said to the girls. She had to laugh when Kathy replied, “Okay, mom. Just a few more minutes.” Betty used both hands to gently shake both girls, telling them, “Come on girls. Kathy needs to be checked out of the ward before you go to school today. And you two need to clean up before getting dressed.” One of Kathy’s eyes opened and looked at the woman speaking to them. “Oh, hi. You’re not my mom.” She then lightly elbowed Marge and said, “Marge, we got a new nurse with us today.” Betty chuckled when Marge answered with, “That’s nice. Tell her to go away. I want to sleep.” Marge had her face against Kathy’s back, so couldn’t see Betty or Betty see Marge’s expression as what Kathy told her sank in. “Oh, yeah, we’re at the hospital aren’t we?” Marge then lifted her head and told Betty, “Um...hi.” She then sat her chin on Kathy’s side and asked, “Guess we need to shower before getting dressed, huh?” Betty nodded her head and said, “Yeah, you should. I’d be a kindness to the other students.” Kathy had closed her one eye, but both popped open at what she heard Betty say. “Heey...are you trying to tell us we stink?” Betty laughed out loud before responding with, “Well, I wouldn’t say you stink. But both of you are rather aromatic this morning. Now come on, showers, bathroom routine, get dressed and I’ll have your breakfast here when you’re through.” Marge’s hand had drifted a bit south of where she had her chin on Kathy’s side, and as Betty was leaving the room, she heard, “Not now Marge, I have a headache.” The girls could hear Betty laughing as she walked down the hallway. Marge then kissed Kathy on the cheek before telling her, “Come on, get up. I have to pee buckets. And no funny business in the shower. You’ve got a headache, remember?”
Right Time
By Jamie Lee
Most often people talk about being in the right place at the right time. Maybe they achieved a beautiful photo of a sunrise, or the antics of children or animals. Maybe they found something someone lost and received a big reward when it was returned. But how often do they talk about being in the wrong place at the right time? If they do, it’s often about the death of someone or maybe witnessing a crime. And if this is the case, they are sad or horrified. Walter Williams often is in the wrong place at the right time, though his reaction to the incidents he encounters is much different than anyone would expect. And, life-changing.
By the time Beverly entered Kathy’s room, both girls were almost finished eating their breakfasts. She pulled out the one chair left around the table, sat down and asked, “So, how are you girls feeling this morning?” Kathy was the first to swallow what she’d been chewing before she replied, “I feel rather foolish because of how I acted yesterday. Rested, but foolish.” Beverly then looked at Marge and heard, “Yeah, me too. I said a lot of things I didn’t mean, and I’m afraid I hurt Kathy.”
Beverly saw moisture form in both girls’ eyes, and to diffuse what seemed to be coming, said, “Girls. Kathy. You have no reason to feel foolish. You have been through a lot in the past few months. A lot that you’ve tried to take care of by yourself. And yesterday it all came crashing down around you and you froze up. Anyone would under those circumstances. Your reaction is quite normal when you hear something that triggers that type of reaction. So, chin up, move on. And it’s something we’ll be talking about in the days to come.”
“Marge. I’ve not watched the two of you as long as Jenny has, but I can tell you both are deeply in love with each other. What you did yesterday, what you said yesterday, is only done when someone really loves another person. You could have told Kathy to stick it, and left. But you didn’t. You told Kathy off. You expressed your love and concern for her by telling her off. Never feel foolish for being in love with someone or wanting to help them anyway you can. Girls, I’ve counseled many people your age. But I’ve never seen two who love each other more than you two love each other. I’ve seen those who say they’re in love, but when it hit the fan, they bailed. I’ve spoken with Jenny, and she tells me you two always seek out the other when there’s trouble. That right there says something for the both of you. And that’s something else we’ll be talking about in the days to come. But right now, you need to finish your meals, grab you bags and come so we can get Kathy checked out of here. Don’t forget. Both of you are to come here after school for the rest of this week. Okay?”
Beverly watched both girls nod their heads, before finishing their breakfasts. They went to the bathroom to brush their teeth, before grabbing their things and packing them in their cases. Cases in hand, they followed Beverly down the hall, where she signed the required papers releasing Kathy from the psych ward.
Terry and Dorothy came walking down the hallway as Beverly had just handed the papers back to the nurse at the reception desk. The girls hugged their moms, before arms went around waists and the four went down and out to the parking lot, where Terry’s car was parked. Jenny had conferenced Terry and Dorothy in a phone call and told them about last night. So instead of getting the story told again, the mothers asked more general questions. Such as, ‘how’re you doing this morning,’ and ‘did you sleep well,’ to name a few questions that were asked. The girls replied with, ‘better than yesterday,’ and ‘good,’ and ‘we found out we have a lot to talk about.’ It was quiet in the car for a few minutes before Dorothy said, “Girls, Terry and I, and Shelby and Tom, are also going to be seeing Jenny and Beverly. And before you ask, no, it’s not because we have a ton of bricks on our backs. We’re going to be meeting with Jenny and Beverly because the four of us want to know what’s going on and how to help all of us. I know you two can’t see it, but when the two of you are hurting, we hurt because we don’t know how to help the two of you.” Terry cut in with, “Kathy, your dad and I have been trying our best to help you since you transformed. But I guess we haven’t done a very good job. That’s another reason we’re going to meet with Jenny and Beverly.”
Two arms circled around Terry and Dorothy from behind. Terry had both hands on the steering wheel, but reached up with one hand and held onto Kathy’s arms; Dorothy was able to use both of her hands. What they heard next caused both women to clear their throats several times before they could speak again. “Mom, Dorothy, we couldn’t have two better moms looking out for us. I don’t think Marge or I would have made it this far if it hadn’t been for you two and our dads. You four aren’t the only ones who have a lot to talk about, and to unlearn.”
Terry had to wipe her eyes so she could see clearly to drive. Dorothy was using one hand to wipe her eyes, while holding Marge’s arms with the other. They all would be alright, in time.
The high school jungle drums had spread the word about Kathy the day before, and both girls were shocked to see a large group of students waiting just outside the doors to the school. “Um, what’s going on, mom?” Kathy asked the question as she spied not only the football players, but the ten girls who came into the locker room to thank Kathy in that large group. When Terry stopped her car at the loading zone, she turned to Kathy and told her, “Given that your protection detail is in that group, I’d say your supporters have gathered to make sure you two girls are alright after what happened yesterday after school. I’d say you two have made quite the impression on those kids.” Unnoticed by the girls, Terry spotted Peter off to the side of the doors, looking out one of the huge windows. She finger waved to him, and he replied in kind. She then gave him the ‘okay’ sign, and saw him nod his head in understanding. She also saw him wipe his eyes.
“Well,” Marge began as she gathered up her backpack, which she left in Terry’s car, “guess we’d better go and face the music. I’ve a feeling we’re not going to walk straight into school without a lot of hugs.” And she was right. Terry and Dorothy sat and watched, after receiving kisses on their cheeks, as the girls walked towards the doors to the school. As they got closer to the doors the large group surrounded them and the hugs started. Terry and Dorothy also watched as several of the students in the group wipped their eyes, then followed Marge and Kathy into the school. Terry laid her head on the steering wheel and let her tears fall. Dorothy scooted over and embraced Terry, wetting the back of Terry’s blouse with her own tears.
Peter had spoken with the football players before the huge group had assembled, so when he told the group, “Okay everyone, it’s almost time for classes to start, so you should get to your classes,” they already knew to stay with the girls. The boys stood off to the side as Peter walked up to Kathy and Marge and asked, “Are you two okay? You had a lot of people worried about you.” Kathy found something interesting on the floor before she looked up at Peter and told him, “Yeah, Un...um, Principal Stepel. We’re okay today. We’re meeting with Jenny and the resident psychologist of the hospital all this week after school. We have a lot to talk about, I have a lot to talk about. And a lot to unlearn.” Marge could hear Kathy’s voice start to crack, and took her girlfriend’s hand for support. “Seems I’ve been doing Walter’s routine of handling things on his own, which was made perfectly clear to me by a very foul mouth little girl.” Peter saw the smirk on Kathy’s mouth, and knew something was coming from the girls. And he was right, as Marge asked, “Who you calling a foul mouth little girl? Especially ‘little?’ I’m six inches taller than you are, and I recall you churning out some rather colorful words these past few days. So if anyone is a foul mouthed little girl, it’s you.” Kathy looked at Marge incredulously and replied, “Who was it ranting in my room last night? You looked like some pent up tiger trying to find a way to escape. And some of the words you used would not be considered words a ‘lady’ would use.” Marge sniffed her nose, held her head up and said, “Well, I’m not a lady. So I can use whatever language that gets your attention when necessary.” The expressions on the girls’ faces as they bantered were priceless to Peter, which made him cover his mouth with his hand in an attempt to keep from laughing out loud. And it didn’t escape his notice of the handful of snickers coming from the football players, as they watched the girls’ antics. Trying to be serious, and almost failing, Peter told the girls, “Okay, you two. That’s quite enough. Both of you need to get to your first period class.” After the girls replied with, “Yes, sir,” Peter watched as their protection detail formed up and the small group walked down the hallway towards the girls’ science class. He wiped his eyes again, knowing the banter between the two girls was a good sign, before going back to his office.
As more well-wishers materialized as the group headed to the girls’ science class, so it was the entire school day. Neither girl realized how many of the students cared about them, or how many they’d helped by standing up to Tony and Patrick.
Peter had notified all of their teachers about Kathy’s meltdown the day before, so the teachers gave the girls until the next day to turn in missed homework. At the beginning of Kathy’s algebra class, resentment raised its ugly head when the girl who thought herself better than anyone in school asked, after hearing Kathy had an extra day to turn in missed homework, “Ah, Mr. Miller. I think it only fair if everyone in the class is allowed an extra day to turn in that night’s homework. Don’t you?” Charles Miller always found it easy to like the students in his classes, but Charlene made it impossible for anyone to like her with her self-serving superior attitude. And it was time she was taken down a peg. So he told her, “Why that’s an excellent idea, Charlene.” Charles saw the smug look on the girl’s face, until he finished what he was about to say. “Just as soon as two boys grab you, take you somewhere with the intent to rape you.” Charlene’s smug expression changed to one of indigent contempt, that anyone should speak to her in that way. It didn’t help when the entire class, but one, snickered at her expense. Charlene was so incensed that she got up out of her chair and started for the classroom door. She’d only made it two steps before she heard Charles tell her, with a growl in his voice, “Sit down, Charlene. And keep your mouth shut unless you have questions about the material we’re going to cover.”
Charles watched as Charlene turned and stared at him, her face so far past red it almost looked black. Charles had met her parents at a parent/teacher meeting and fully understood where she got her self-serving superior attitude. She was an exact copy of her parents, only younger. All three reminded him of characters in Victorian novels he’d read, where those with money thought anyone without money was hardly worth even acknowledging they existed. And Charlene’s parents had money, more than they could possibly spend in ten lifetimes. Charles actually felt sorry for the girl, for her life was going to be nothing more than the need to buy friends to have around her. She’d never know the value of true friendship.
A few more trials cropped up during the day, which were handled much the same way as Charles had handled the Charlene problem. And it didn’t take long for word to spread, and for those with something horrible to say finding it better to keep their mouths shut.
By the time school let out for the day, Marge and Kathy were worn out from all the concern shown by many in the school. From the hugs they received and the appreciative encouragement the two girls had inspired. They were ready to get away from school. They needed to get away and quickly, before both let being overwhelmed cloud their judgements and they said something which shouldn’t have been said. When their escort had picked up both girls, Kathy told them, “Guys. Marge and I need to get out of school now. We need to go directly to the parking lot. It’s been a really trying day.” Bobby had seen what the girls had endured throughout the day, and understood Kathy’s reason for wanting to get away from school. The six boys had intense looks on their faces, as they escorted Marge and Kathy to the parking lot. Upon seeing the look on the boys’ faces, no one got in their way. No one tried to stop them in order to speak with Marge or Kathy. Even Peter recognized the need to wait to find out how the girls were doing after today. Someone even opened the school doors to allow the group to exit the school without stopping.
A concerned look formed on Terry’s face as she watched the purposeful moving group head towards her car. She saw the determined look on the boys’ faces and a weary look on the faces of the girls. She told Dorothy, “Something happened,” which got a reply of, “I don’t think so. I think they’ve been overwhelmed by all the support they’ve been shown today.” The football players got hugs from both girls, before the two girls got into the backseat and basically collapsed against each other. Terry’s concern continued to exist as she asked, “What happened girls? Do I need to speak with Peter about something.” Dorothy laid a gentle hand on Terry’s arm and softly told her, “Give them a minute, Terry. Something happened, alright, but not what your mind is telling you.”
Silence seemed to stretch for hours, until Kathy said, “Yes, Dorothy. You’re right. Mom’s mind is on overload right now and it’s not what she thinks. You saw what we encountered this morning?” When both women nodded their heads, Kathy continued with, “Well, multiply that by the entire school.” “I got hugged so many times I’m not sure someone didn’t cop a feel,” Marge put in. “We got hugs, words of concern, even some girls telling us how they appreciated our strength in standing up to those pricks.” Terry gave Kathy ‘the’ look after she said ‘pricks,’ but Kathy didn’t care. The two were tired and needed to get away from school. “Um, Terry, if you don’t mind, can we just go. Kathy and I have to get away from here for a little while. I don’t think I can stand any more support like we got it today.” Marge put her head back on Kathy’s shoulder after speaking to Terry. When Dorothy looked at Terry with a ‘I told you so’ look, Terry stuck out her tongue and blew Dorothy a raspberry. The antics by their moms made the girls laugh, something that actually felt good to them after their day.
After arriving at the hospital the four entered the hospital through the main entrance, where they were met by Beverly, who saw something in the girls’ faces. Something they’d talk about shortly. After hugging all four ladies, she told them, “If you ladies will come with me, we’ll go upstairs. Jenny will be joining us shortly.” As they rode the elevator up to the psych ward floor, Beverly tried to get the girls to talk about their day. But all she received for her questions were non-committal answers. As she watched the girls’ body language, she came to the conclusion that both girls were tired after their day at school. But not why they were tired. Granted sitting in a classroom can be boring, but not boring enough to make the girls as tired as they now looked. When they reached the psych ward floor, Beverly explained to Terry and Dorothy that she and Jenny would like to meet with just the girls for the first few sessions, before having Terry and Dorothy join their session. She led them to the reception desk, where Terry and Dorothy were given paperwork to fill out. Beverly turned when she heard the elevator ding, and when the doors opened, saw that Jenny had finally arrived. Beverly then led the girls and Jenny to a small conference room, where after the three had entered the room, slid the cover until ‘do not disturb’ was showing. She then closed and locked the door from the inside. When she turned around she saw both Marge and Kathy had taken seats, and had put their heads down on the table in the room. She wondered how much they’d accomplish if the girls were this tired, but they’d try anyway.
Beverly didn’t ASK the girls, but sat bottles of bottled water in front of each girl she’d taken from a small fridge in the corner of the room. “Girls, take a good drink from those bottles in front of you. It’ll help.” Both girls looked at Beverly before sitting up, breaking the seals at the neck of the bottles, and actually draining the contents. Beverly looked at both girls and asked, “I’m going to guess you didn’t drink much today, right?” Marge and Kathy shook their heads before asking if they may have more. Beverly chuckled, shook her head, before going to the fridge and taking out two more bottles of water. After handing the bottles to each girl, she and Jenny watched as both girls drank about a fourth of the new bottles. After drinking a pint and a fourth of another bottle, the girls looked a bit better but still tired. Beverly decided to press on anyway.
“You two look as though you haven’t slept for a week. I’d like to know why that happened today?” Beverly watched as a silent discussion occurred between the girls before Marge said, “We got hug and concern overloaded today. A big group of students were waiting for us when we got to school, and they ALL hugged us. Then as we went to our classes, it was concern this and concern that, more hugs, and more girls telling us how they appreciated our standing up to those two, um, boys. I had a couple of girls in two of my classes, and Kathy had a girl in her algebra class, who thought they’d get cute about Kathy and I being allowed to turn in our homework tomorrow, but the teachers shut them down in a very brisk manner. Gads, I could sleep for a week after today.” When Marge finished talking she laid her head down on the table. Kathy lifted her head and told Beverly, “The girl Marge talked about in my algebra class was Charlene Chapman.” When Kathy saw recognition on Jenny and Beverly’s faces, she said, “Ah, you know who I’m talking about then. She’s a royal pain. Thinks she’s better than anyone in school, and lets everyone know it. Mr. Miller shot her down when she suggested it’d only be fair if everyone could turn their homework in late. He told her that was a good idea, provided two boys dragged her off with the intent to rape her. Oh, she got blistering mad being talked to like that. She tried to leave the room, but he told her to sit down and keep her mouth shut unless she had questions about the material he was going to cover. Knowing her, and her parents, Uncle Peter is going to get an earful at some point. Is today going to be repeated tomorrow? ‘Cause if it is, I think I’m going to stay home.” Kathy also put her head back down on the table, as Beverly looked at Jenny and asked their silent question.
Jenny had been keeping an eye on the girls throughout the day, so already knew how Charles handled Charlene. She also knew Charles had already talked to Peter, and Peter was not happy at the moment with the Chapman girl. “Kathy. I don’t think you have to worry about Peter getting chewed out by Charlene’s parents. She’s been a boil on the school’s butt long enough, and he’s going to explain that very thing to the Chapmans if they call or show up at school. Maybe what he’s going to tell them will help Charlene down the road.” Kathy had lifted her head off the table and was looking at Jenny while she spoke. She shook her head and said, “Iiii don’t know, Jenny. She’s too stupid to see how much of a problem she’s caused at school because of her attitude. But she gets it from her parents, so I wouldn’t put much hope in what Uncle Peter would tell them.”
Beverly changed the subject by saying, “Okay, we now know why you two look like last week’s leftovers, so how about we talk about meltdowns.” Marge groaned and asked, “Do we have to, right now? I’m really pittled out.” Beverly kept the chuckled in her throat from escaping, as she said, “Yes, Marge, we have to. Kathy has had two meltdowns in as many days. We need to find out why your girlfriend keeps going into a catatonic state, unless you prefer her to be in a catatonic state once in a while?” No one could see the smirk on Marge’s face as she said, “She’s always in a catatonic state. She’s just too doopy to realize it.” Marge hadn’t raised her head as she spoke, so her voice was muffled. But Kathy heard every word and slowly lifted her head and said, “There you go again, calling me doopy. Girl, I’m not the doopy one here, you are.” Jenny and Beverly had their hands over their mouths, stifling laughter that wanted to fill the room because of the girls’ antics. It really got hard to do as they watched Marge raise her head off the table, look at Kathy and tell her, “Oh yeah. You’re so doopy you didn’t even know I was in love with you since grade school. Even though I tried several times to be blunt, you were too blind to see it. And you’ve been doopy because you keep pushing everyone away who wants to help you through this situation that jumped up and engulfed you. You keep trying to Walter your way through it. You dope!”
What Marge just told Kathy caused the laughter wanting to escape from Jenny and Beverly to die as quickly as it had formed. Both women saw tears in the eyes of both girls, and Jenny asked, “Is that what you’re doing, Kathy? Pushing people away who want to help you? By trying to do what Walter did in a situation?” Kathy’s voice broke as she told Jenny, “I didn’t know it’s what I was doing. It’s just something I’ve always done. I don’t know how to NOT do it. I don’t know any other way to handle situations.” Marge reached across the small table and took Kathy’s hand, telling her, “Please. Don’t push us away. Don’t push me away. I can’t stop wanting to help you, and I can’t afford to lose you either.”
Beverly took over as she told Kathy, “Kathy. We briefly talked about you trying to do things now as you did when you were Walter. How there were differences between what is expected from boys and girls. You remember I said boys are expected to pick themselves up and move on? Well, as crazy as it sounds, girls are expected to fall apart in similar situations. For some stupid reason, society has told girls for years how to react in given situations. When something occurs like what has happened to you, girls are supposed to get upset, get all emotional, cry and fold up into a ball. But some girls tell society to stick it, and handle the experiences like you’ve been handling it. They get back up, spit in its eye, and move on. Only to have a meltdown sometime later on. Or become so insufferable that no one can stand to be around them. There’s a fine balance between meltdowns and spitting in the eye of an experience, a balance which allows the person to grieve but also continue on. And that’s what Jenny and I are going to try and help you learn. That it’s okay to be upset. That it’s okay to cry, to be emotional. But that you don’t have to dwell on the situation which caused all of those feelings to erupt, and let it run your life. Right now, you’re still trying to adjust to being a girl. Your mind is still coming to terms with you being Kathy for now and forever. And just when you were starting to accept you’re going to be Kathy, Friday occurs, and you start questioning the worth of being Kathy.”
When Beverly had started talking, Kathy’s head was still on the table, but she’d shifted her head so her chin was resting on the top of her hands. Marge had done the same thing. Jenny and Beverly watched the girls’ facial expressions, watched as both girls shifted through everything Beverly had told them. Both girls gave a slight nod, whether to what Beverly said or just to each other. Whichever, it didn’t matter, they were responding.
Kathy lifted her head, and continued up until she was again sitting up. “That’s all well and good, Beverly,” Kathy said, then took a deep breath, “but how do you not dwell on something? How do I handle all these emotions I’m feeling? Emotions I never had as Walter? I can accept I’ll be Kathy until time decides my time is over, that I’m now a girl, a fully functioning girl. But if I now have to keep looking over my shoulder everytime I go out, what’s the point of being a girl? What’s the point of MY being a girl? The doctors could have washed all those chemicals off me and used medication to neutralize what was absorbed by my body, or entered through all the cuts, but why was I transformed into a girl? And having to learn to be a girl on the run? I just don’t understand why?” When Marge saw the tears start to leave Kathy’s eyes, she got up and went to the chair next to Kathy, sat down and pulled her girlfriend into her. Both girls then looked at Beverly and Jenny expectantly. Looking to the two women for answers to Kathy’s questions.
They saw a look in Jenny’s eyes, and after a few moments heard her say, “To answer you last question first, Kathy, Walter would never have been grabbed by two boys whose intent was to rape him. And since this would never have happened, they’d never have seen him stand up and move on. I think you two need to know a little more about Tony and Patrick, and maybe why you were transformed into a girl.”
Jenny let both girls absorb what she just said before continuing with, “You were not the first girl they molested, Kathy. Both boys were expelled from several other schools because they’d been caught molesting many of the girls in those schools. And like the girls in our school who finally came forward, Tony would always make threats to those girls if they ever said anything to anyone.” She chuckled before saying, “In fact, they met up with a girl who did what you did in standing up to them. While she didn’t cause Tony to have surgery or Patrick to have extensive work done on his foot, she did put them into the hospital. They didn’t know she’d been studying martial arts since she was five. She broke Tony’s nose before dislocating one of his knees. Patrick had to wear a full cast on his right arm because she broke the three major bones in that arm. And she was so angry, if someone hadn’t stopped her, she was ready to do more than she had done. According to the teacher who’d intervened, it looked like she was getting ready to actually kill both boys. It’s also been discovered that it’s been their grandmother who’s been putting ideas into Tony’s head. It was learned, from Patrick, she would tell him to take whatever he wanted. If he wanted girls, to take them and do what he most wanted to do to them. After all the scars, welts, and bruises were seen on Patrick’s body, he was asked how he got them. Seems he never wanted to get involved with anything Tony wanted to do. Seems if he spoke up and told his grandmother or Tony what they were talking about was wrong, either his grandmother would severely beat him or Tony would beat him up until he was unconscious. Because of how Patrick was treated, and forced to do, he’s in quite the mental state at the moment. And likely to get counseling instead of detention and maybe later, jail time. Grandma is really in a bind because she was actually the facilitator in Tony’s crimes against the girls. She may be facing some serious jail time, and this time, she won’t be able to buy her way out of trouble.”
Jenny paused again to give Kathy, and Marge, time to think about all she’d said. As she was about to continue, both girls opened their bottles of water and took hefty drinks. Jenny was uncertain how Kathy was going to take what she said next, but she went ahead with, “Kathy, I don’t know what your religious beliefs are, but it could be you were chosen because you had the whereforall to endure these types of situations. Because you’d learned how to accept what happened, get up and move on. I realize it doesn’t seem fair you were just dumped into the girl pool, but it could have been because Marge would be there to help you through the quicksand until you found solid ground. And I could be talking through my hat, and it all just happened as the result of that freak accident. But think about this. Because you stood up to those two boys, ten girls came out and had the courage to tell what they did to them. Word got back to the other schools and more girls had the courage to speak out. Had you been Walter, none of this would have ever happened and those two, um, pricks, would have continued to molest girls until one of them, or the girl’s father, killed them both. Because of what you did, you saved countless other girls from similar fates. Can you imagine what they’d be like as adult men? You actually saved future women the same fate. And there’s something else that has happened since Kathy appeared. Care to guess what that is, Kathy?”
Jenny paused, took a drink from her own water bottle, and watched both girls shift through their memories to come up with an answer to Jenny’s question. It was Marge who replied with, “Well, when Kathy first came out, kids at school were nasty to her. Many of the girls thought it was Walter under the dresses she wore. She was confronted by several girls who threatened her, and parents who wanted her kicked out of school. She had to do several ‘show and tells’ before people finally understood it wasn’t Walter under the dresses. After that, things became a bit calmer, kids were more accepting of her. Oh, there were still a few morons who wouldn’t believe what they saw, but the majority accept Kathy for who she is now. And like Walter had done, we both still help other students when they ask for help with their homework.”
“Um, that’s essentially correct, Marge. But it goes much deeper than that.” Jenny told Marge this as she thought to herself what a wonderful psychologist Marge would make. “What Kathy did, during the transformation, was to force those kids to examine themselves. They knew Walter, many had been in school with him since grade school, so they knew his character. But during the transformation they had to examine what they believed about a boy becoming a girl, and not a transgender boy either. They had to examine their beliefs because Walter was becoming an actual girl, which to some was an abomination. Walter’s change was not his choice, he had no control in it happening. It was happening whether he liked it or not. I know how many kids reacted to him when he first came out as Kathy, and they weren’t kind to him. I heard some of the names they gave him, even called him, but they were still forced to examine their beliefs when they learned it wasn’t Walter who made the choice to transition. And how were they forced to examine their beliefs? Simple. By how Kathy handled the transformation.”
Jenny stopped and took another drink from her water bottle, then continued with, “Because of how Walter was treated by many of those kids when Kathy first appeared, he had the right to tell all of them to go to hell. But he didn’t. When those three boys grabbed you and your mom beat the hell out of them, you had the right to tell the whole school to go to hell and leave school. But you didn’t, Kathy. Instead, you kept going. You explained what was happening, held your head up and kept going. Just like you’d done as Walter. And the kids started realizing what you were going through wasn’t your fault, or your choice. They also saw how you returned kindness for some very nasty comments. Kathy, throughout everything you’ve gone through, even the event of last Friday, you continued being the person you are deep inside. And the kids saw this too. You actually created calm waters within a sea of hormones.”
Beverly and Jenny watched as both girls mulled over everything Jenny just said. They both saw the question form on Kathy’s face before she asked, “Yeah, I guess I can see all that Jenny, though I didn’t set out to do any of it. But, if as you say, I created calm waters, how do I don’t do that here and here?” Kathy had pointed to the area of her heart then her head, and silently looked at Jenny and Beverly. Jenny and Beverly could hear each other think, ‘gads, what a question,’ before Beverly spoke. “Kathy. You have asked a question humans have been asking for ages. Some turn to religion. Some turn to other forms of beliefs. Some turn to drugs, mostly to numb those constant turbid feelings. I’m not going to say any but the drugs are bad, because if they find peace in those beliefs, then so be it. What you’re feeling right now, Kathy, are the memories from everything you’ve been through up to this point. They are not the actual events anymore. To find release from those memories, you have to accept they are memories, did happen and can’t be undone. When you understand playing could of, should of, and would of, won’t change what happened, you go a long way to overcoming the control your memories have on you at the moment. I’m not saying it won’t hurt when those memories surface, but they won’t control your life.”
Jenny then spoke up and told Kathy, “And when those memories do surface, let your emotions out. Cry if you have to. Turn to Marge, or someone you trust, in order to get through the moment. Acknowledge they’re just memories, and realize they have happened and can’t be changed. Let the moment pass, before going on with other things. I know it all sounds easy, but it takes work on your part, Kathy. You have to ‘want’ to not let your memories rule your life. You have to learn to rule your memories. The more you take charge of your memories, the easier it will be to let them pass and go on with what you’re doing. Right now, Kathy, the memories you have are open wounds, fresh wounds, that haven’t had a chance to heal. And it’s easy for someone to accidentally pour salt into those wounds by what they say or do. It will take time for those wounds to crust over, to become less sensitive than they are right now. So you have to be patient and allow that to happen.”
Again, Beverly and Jenny watched as both girls mulled over what Jenny and Beverly told them, before they saw the question again form on Kathy’s face. “Well, I understand everything you’re saying,” and Kathy stopped speaking. “But,” Beverly added. “Yeah, but how do I learn to let my feelings out without ending up in la-la land? Or not act like ‘me Tarzan, you Jane’ when something else happens? And if the days ahead are like these past days, entering la-la land is a distinct possibility. As in trying to handle something on my own.”
“Kathy,” Beverly began, “believe it or not, you’ve taken the first steps in helping yourself through all of this. You’ve recognized the possibility of the very things you don’t want happening. And that’s the hardest part. Why did you respond with kindness, most of the time, when you started transforming? Because that’s who you are, and you wanted to. I understand as Walter you ran into a lot of uncontrollable situations, and you will in your future. Everyone does, but not everyone handles them as well as you do. But there are those times when we can see a situation coming, and can decide how we’ll respond. Likewise in deciding not to handle the situation by yourself. Or tamping your emotions down and believing everything will be okay. You have to decide to let your emotions out, air them out so you’ll feel better afterwards. How have you felt these past few days after you’ve had a good cry and calmed down afterwards? You can’t tell me you haven’t felt better, because Jenny and I have seen that you do feel better.”
“And there’s something else, Kathy, something which really affects girls during this time in their lives. When you became a full fledged girl, you were entering puberty, just like you were as Walter. It’s a time when the body is producing hormones which help develop the body for its adult stage of life. Most boys get taller, more muscular, heavier, their voice changes, and their facial features even out. Their bodies are being prepared to attract a mate when she is met. With girls, a lot changes which never occurs in boys. There’s breast development, their figures become more pronounced, and their bodies start waiting to be impregnated. And when pregnancy doesn’t take place, the girl has her period. Plus, Kathy, and this is what really bothers many girls, besides having a period. Their hormones run from hot to cold while their bodies are becoming adjusted to the hormones. If you find yourself crying because someone dropped a tissue, blame it on your body not fully adjusted to your hormones. And if you and Marge have a row, like you had yesterday before Jenny and I walked into your room, blame it on the hormones you both are adjusting too. This time in a boy or girl’s life drives some parents crazy, and causes some to be more strict. And it’s because the kids don’t know how to handle the fluctuating hormones. They let the hormones do their thinking for them. And like teens before them, they get upset when restrictions are put on them because their parents, like parents before them, have been there, done that, and know what can happen if hormones control their child’s actions. It’s not because the parents are trying to be cruel. It’s because the parents love their children and don’t want to see them make mistakes because they can’t think straight most of the time. Now understand, you two. I’m not saying there aren’t those who handle the adjustment well, or whose bodies have become adjusted to the hormones being produced. But generally, teens of your age are often a mess until the hormone levels level out, and the body becomes adjusted to that level.” Jenny had to control herself at times when Beverly was speaking, especially when she mentioned a girl having her period. Given the expressions on the girl’s faces, it’s a wonder Beverly could keep speaking.
Jenny looked at her watch and said, “Girls, we’ve covered a lot of ground for our first session, but it’s time for you two to head home. We’ll see you both again tomorrow, same Bat time, same Bat channel.” Beverly and Jenny chuckled as they watched both girls screw up their faces, look at each other, then look at Jenny and said together, “Huh?” Jenny shook her head, then said, “You know, Batman and Robin. The TV show? The show ended with ‘same bat time, same bat channel, in telling viewers to watch next week.” Both girls gave Jenny a blank stare, before Jenny asked, “You’ve never seen the TV show of Batman and Robin?” Both girls slowly shook their heads. “Hm,” Beverly mused, “maybe we need to fix that. But enough for now, you girls git.” What surprised the women next was Marge and Kathy coming around the table and hugging both women, before leaving the room. For the next forty-five minutes, Jenny and Beverly discussed the progress they’d made with the girls for their first session. They both agreed, though, Batman and Robin was going to take up thirty minutes of one session.
Right Time
By Jamie Lee
Most often people talk about being in the right place at the right time. Maybe they achieved a beautiful photo of a sunrise, or the antics of children or animals. Maybe they found something someone lost and received a big reward when it was returned. But how often do they talk about being in the wrong place at the right time? If they do, it’s often about the death of someone or maybe witnessing a crime. And if this is the case, they are sad or horrified. Walter Williams often is in the wrong place at the right time, though his reaction to the incidents he encounters is much different than anyone would expect. And, life-changing.
Kathy and Marge left the small conference room, not in so much of a daze, but more in a state of mentally examining everything Jenny and Beverly told them. But to Terry and Dorothy, who’d been sitting in the waiting room, it looked like the girls had been run through the mill. “Girls, are you two alright?” Terry asked, concern written on her face. What Terry and Dorothy weren’t expecting to hear was, “Same bat time, same bat channel,” from Kathy. The two girls could only stare at the moms, with blank looks, when they heard, “Oh, that. It’s from the Batman and Robin TV show,” from Dorothy. And, “It’s how the show ended that week, reminding viewers to tune in next week for another exciting episode,” from Terry. Marge and Kathy then looked at each other, before turning back to face their moms and Marge saying, “Gads...you four ladies are old.”
Terry and Dorothy then caught sight of Jenny and Beverly standing in the doorway of the conference watching the scene before them. Both women had smiles on their lips as they listened to what was being said. The moms caught on what Jenny and Beverly had done, so Dorothy sniffed, and in a snooty voice said, “No, girls. We are not old. We are mature women.” It didn’t take the girls long to realize their moms were looking at something behind them, and turned to see Jenny and Beverly standing there with the same expressions as Dorothy and Terry had put on their faces when Dorothy spoke. Both girls looked at each other, rolled their eyes, shook their heads, before Kathy said, “Girlfriend, I think we’ve been had by these MATURE women.” The resulting laughter brought several nurses down the hall to make sure nothing was wrong. The laughter only increased when Marge told Kathy, “Girlfriend, we have a lot to learn.” Hugs were exchanged before the girls and their moms went to the elevator, punched the down button, and waited for the ride down to the ground floor of the hospital. What Jenny and Beverly witnessed just then was a sure sign to them that the girls were going to be alright in the end. If not sooner.
When they all were in the privacy of Terry’s car, Terry started asking questions about their session. She had to be more specific when Kathy first replied with, “Well, we sure have a lot to think about.” Dorothy spoke up and told Kathy, “Dear, you’re always going to have a lot to think about throughout your life. What your mom would like to know is what all of you talked about.” Terry tried to put on her serious face when Kathy told her, “Mom, it’s not like we took notes or anything,” but failed, and laughed. “Sweetheart, I know that. I’d like to know if you learned why you keep zoning out. Why you go into la-la land at times. That’s what concerns me the most.”
Terry was still looking at Kathy, watching her form her words in her mind, before Kathy said, “Well, Jenny and Beverly did say a lot of things concerning that problem. And it comes down to things being an open sore not yet healed. My becoming Kathy against my will is still fresh in my mind. And still fresher, is what happened last Friday. Jenny said both events are like open sores that need time to heal, or scab over. That both are memories which I have yet learned to control and not let run my life.” Both women were nodding their heads because of what Kathy was saying, and continued nodding when Kathy continued with, “And because I stood up to those pricks, I showed other girls how to have courage to come forward. Some of those girls are in the other schools those two attended. We were also told that I actually saved other girls in our school from the same fate me and other girls experienced. Something I’d never even considered, that Jenny brought up, was by exposing the boys we actually saved women when those two became adult men.”
“Jenny told us more about Tony and Patrick, and their grandmother. It seems the only one of the three who knew what Tony was doing was wrong, was Patrick. But if he spoke up and said something, either to Tony or his grandmother, both or one of them would beat the tar out of him. Tony’d beat him until he was unconscious. They found a lot of scars, welts, and bruises on him, and when he explained how he got them, they then learned everything grandma’s been telling Tony. Jenny hoped Patrick would get the counseling he needed, because of his mental state at the moment.” Kathy had stopped talking, and both Terry and Dorothy saw she was again forming her words. “We were also told, or I was told really, if another situation comes up that rubs my open sores, not to hold my emotions in, not to bury them like I’ve been doing. Recognize it for what it is, grieve, and move on. Don’t dwell on it, accept it happened, realize it’s a memory and can’t be changed, and move on. Because if I dwell on it, la-la land here I come.” The two women were again nodding their heads, and as Kathy spoke, Marge took her right hand in her left, Terry reached for Kathy’s left hand and held it. And Dorothy was holding Marge’s right hand. Kathy was in a loving sisterhood circle as she spoke.
“Was there anything else,” Terry asked, as she continued holding Kathy’s hand. Kathy rolled her eyes, looked up, shook her head, then said, “GAWD, yeah, there was more! Beverly explained what might be my big problem right now,” and Marge chuckled, then inserted, “That you’re doopy?” Kathy slowly turned her head until she was looking at Marge, then told her forcefully, “NOOO...HORMONES! Hormones are affecting me more now, as Kathy, than they would have as Walter. Beverly said I might start crying if someone dropped a tissue, and that’s been true so far. She also talked about girls having periods, because their bodies realize they’re not pregnant. Gawd, I wish I was Walter again when that was happening. I may wish that every time it occurs. How do you all handle it month after month? Gawd, I wish I was still Walter.”
Terry could see Kathy getting emotional, tears sliding down her cheeks were the indicator. “It’s okay, sweetheart. You don’t have to say any more until you’re ready. As to how women handle a period month after month? I guess because we know one day we’ll have life growing inside of us. That we’ll be bringing another life into this world. Girls, men help start that life, but women carry that life for nine months. And it’s a feeling unlike anything you’ll ever experience, though not always a pleasant experience. You may have morning sickness because your body is once again playing with your hormones. You may have crazy food cravings. Of course as the baby grows, you’ll gain weight, and sometimes a lot of weight. Oh, and let’s not forget the more time you spend on the toilet peeing, because the baby is pushing against your bladder. And when you sit down, you may need a tow truck to help you stand again.” Terry got somber as she continued with, “Some pregnancies, unfortunately, risk the life of the mother. And sadly, some women never get to see their babies because they miscarry early in the pregnancy. Even though a woman may experience these things, it’s why there’s often a stronger bond between a child and their mother than the child and their father. And it’s also the reason moms know when their child has done something they were told not to do.” Marge and Kathy got sheepish looks on their faces, until Terry and Dorothy burst out laughing. When their laughter died to chuckles, Dorothy told the girls, “Don’t worry, girls. What you’ve done is not on the major infraction list. You two are part of the next generation of teens who give their parents gray hairs.” Then Terry broke up their discussion with, “Lets go get something to eat. You girls choose.”
While Terry drove, and while they ate, Marge and Kathy regaled their moms with more of what Jenny and Beverly told them. And Terry and Dorothy did their motherly best to answer the girls’ questions. Even the question about how it feels to make love to a man. When that question was asked, it was lucky neither Terry or Dorothy had anything in their mouths at the restaurant or they would have spit it all over the girls. And fortunately they were sitting at a table away from other diners. When both women got over the initial shock of the question, both told of their experiences with the girls’ fathers, then pinky swore the girls to silence. Both girls giggled when they heard Dorothy whisper to Terry, “Gawd...with all this talk about sex, I need to show Tom my love for him in his favorite way. Last time I showed him my love, we didn’t get to sleep until three in the morning.” They giggled again as Terry squirmed a bit and replied with, “We should change the subject, my panties are getting wet. Wonder how big a smile I can put on Shelby’s face tonight?” This time the women double pinky swore the girls to silence, then all four laughed, causing the other diners to look at them.
Their meal finished, Dorothy insisted she pay the check, for everything Terry and Kathy had done for her and Marge. Terry then drove to the Markman home, where she and Dorothy hugged then kissed each other on the cheek. Kathy then hugged Dorothy, kissed her on the cheek, then thanked her for being there and helping all she could. Kathy watched as Dorothy then whispered something to Terry, but heard her mom say, “Sure, it’s not a problem. Have fun.” Kathy was about to follow Marge into the house when Terry held her back. When Kathy gave her a questioning look, Terry softly told her, “Dorothy is going to help Tom get his motor running, and we don’t need to get in her way.” Kathy smiled, then they both giggled. Terry was surprised when Kathy said, “I hope they have fun.” Terry playfully swatted Kathy on the arm before they both broke out laughing. Shelby and Marge were both going to get lucky this night.
They watched as Marge kissed her mom at the door before coming back to Terry’s car. Like they always did, both girls sat in the front seat, with Marge in the middle. As Terry drove them home, she kept glancing at Marge and Kathy, noticing where both girls had one of their hands. She squirmed again, thinking about how lucky Shelby was going to get tonight. And she had a feeling so would Marge.
When the girls came down to breakfast the next morning, the elephant in the room came with them. It didn’t take Terry or Shelby but a moment to see how more relaxed the girls were and the glow they seemed to emanate. Of course, it didn’t take the girls but a moment to see how more relaxed Terry and Shelby were. Or the glow surrounding Terry. As Shelby and Terry watched, the girls seemed to be having a silent argument, first one nodded her head toward the parents, then the other would nod her head. After looking at Terry, and they both rolled their eyes, Shelby told the girls, “Yes, girls. Terry and I enjoyed each other last night making love. And Terry desperately needed me, Kathy. Because she was so worried about you.” Kathy’s hormones kicked in, causing tears to flow, and her to get up from her chair and almost run around the table to her mom. She threw her arms around Terry, and with a broken voice, told her, “I’m sorry mom. I didn’t mean to worry you.”
Mother and daughter hugged like the world was going to end, before Terry told Kathy, “Sweetheart, I know you didn’t. You were thrown into situations out of your control, and for that you don’t need to apologize. You are my child, and always will be, so whether boy or girl, I’m going to worry when you’re hurt or hurting.” Terry kissed Kathy on the cheek, before telling her to finish her breakfast. Marge hugged Kathy just as she sat back in her chair, letting her go once Kathy told her she was alright now. Terry looked at Shelby and they both snickered before Terry asked, “So, did you girls sleep well this morning? You both seemed awfully relaxed when you came into the kitchen this morning. And I don’t know, Shelby. But don’t they look like they’re glowing this morning?” Even though both girls tried to study their breakfasts as they ate, their cheeks took on a lovely pink shade. Again, Terry and Shelby watched as another silent argument took place between the girls. Finally, with a bit more emphasis from Kathy, Marge lifted her head and told the parents, “Yes, we slept well after we got to sleep sometime this morning. And Yes, we made love and helped each other relax.” She then looked into the face watching her and added, “And I needed Kathy so much last night. I’ve been so worried about her since this whole thing started.” As the parents watched, the girls kissed a soft, sweet kiss, before turning back to the food. Shelby didn’t experience the hormones a woman did, but he always seemed to have something in his eyes at moments like what he’d just witnessed. Terry, on the other hand, openly let her tears fall, knowing her daughter was in good hands with Marge, her girlfriend.
Shelby tried to speak, but found it necessary to clear his throat. When the three ladies looked in direction, they saw how moist his eyes were and that he was wiping them with the back of both hands. Marge looked at Kathy, who looked at Marge, and they both looked at Terry, and almost as one, the three got up from their chairs and went over to Shelby, putting their arms around him. It was Kathy who caused his dam to break as she told him, “It’s okay, daddy. It’s just us here. And we all love you very much.”
Like many men, Shelby seldom cried openly. But Kathy had said the right words which caused him to start crying openly, while his ladies hugged him. When he cried himself out, he said, “Gads, I don’t know why I’m crying.” He reached to the table and took the napkin and used it to wipe his eyes. While wiping his eyes, Terry told him, “Yes you do, honey, but have trouble admitting it. You’re as worried about everything that’s happened as I am. And like our son used to do, and Kathy was trying to do, you continued on with your head held high. Your emotional tank finally reached the top and it could no longer hold any more of the emotions you tried to tamp down. Society has told men they’re weak if they cry. Society has told men only females cry. How many men do you know, who openly cry, that are still thought of as men? And how many men do you know, who never cry, that are angry almost all of the time? Shelby, there are women who are never seen crying, and they’re real bitches. And there are women who openly cry and are the sweetest women you could meet--until you piss them off. My point, Shelby. Our emotions, the ones which bring about tears, are a pressure relief valve. They allow us to release our anger, the built up tension, our frustrations, and a host of other feelings, so we can feel better and go on with our lives. Never feel embarrassed to cry, my love. In every way that counts to me, you’re one hell of a man.” Marge passed out the napkins.
When everyone had dried their eyes, the girls had to go back up stairs to fix their makeup and brush their teeth. Shelby gave Terry a kiss that did more than curl her toes, then told her, “I want you tonight.” Shelby almost came right there as one of Terry’s hands found his excited member and gave it a nice send off.
When the girls came back down to the kitchen, they found Terry at the kitchen sink wiping her face with a wet cloth. The girls walked over to her, put their arms around her, as Kathy told her mom, “Ya know, mom. It’s nice to have two parents who aren’t afraid to show their love for each other in front of their child. Too bad their child can’t watch when they really show their love.” Terry let out a laughing, “Ha,” before looking at both girls with a laughing smile on her face. “Girls, just between you and me. Shelby can make me scream when he’s in me. He makes me want him all that much more. And girls, he makes me whole, he makes me feel complete.” She then got a tender look on her face as she told the girls, “And I hope you two are helping the other feel complete. Just looking at you two, people can see you two belong together.” Terry used the wet cloth to blot the tears which threatened to fall from the girls’ eyes. “You two cry and you’ll have to fix your makeup again. Come on, we’d better get you both to school.” With one last big hug, Terry picked up her purse while the girls picked up their backpacks. If it had been night instead of day, others would have seen the glow coming from inside of the car that passed them on the road.
Yesterday’s group gathering didn’t happen when they reached the high school. Instead, only the ten girls who spoke with Kathy in the locker room were waiting at the door to the school. And unlike the crowd who wanted to hug Kathy and Marge, the girls were content to only hold out their hands in support. The same girl who’d been the spokesperson was again, as she said, “We heard what happened the other day, and wondered if you were alright.” Somehow, Marge instinctively knew what Kathy was going to say. So she elbowed Kathy in the ribs before Kathy had a chance to open her mouth. Kathy chuckled before saying, “I was going to say that I’m alright, before my girlfriend reminded me I can’t keep saying that when it isn’t always true. Right now, we’re both doing okay, not perfect, but better than the other day. I’ve been learning I can’t do things like I did as Walter. I can’t keep cramming my emotions into a mental bucket, because when that bucket reaches the top, damaging things can happen to my mind. I do thank you all for being concerned about us.” While the ten girls only offered their hands to Marge and Kathy, the girls offered hugs to all ten girls. Shaking hands wouldn’t do.
Once the ten girls found out Marge and Kathy were okay, they were in a much better mood as they walked into the school in front of Marge and Kathy. Even Marge and Kathy were in a great mood after the encounter. As the girls walked into the school they spotted their escorts, and weren’t paying attention when someone shouted, “THERE SHE IS!” Their attention shifted, though, when Kathy was suddenly jerked away from Marge. “Yeah, that’s the bitch who got me in trouble yesterday,” an angry Charlene Chapman said. When Kathy looked at who was painfully gripping her arm, she instantly recognized Gerald Chapman, Charlene’s father. “So, this is the bitch who thinks herself mightier than everyone else. Thinks she’s better than my daughter. Thinks the rules don’t apply to her, does she? Well, let’s see what the Principal has to say.”
Gerald Chapman stood about five feet ten inches, and when he turned to drag Kathy to the office with him, he ran straight into the chest of a boy who stood six feet one inch. That boy was Bobby. “Get your ass out of my way, boy before I move it for you.” Bobby just smiled, leaned down, and asked Gerald, “You and what army, asshole? Now, just so you don’t get that monkey suit you’re wearing all dirty, let go of Kathy and you can continue on your way to the office. Because if you don’t let go of her arm…” Bobby was never able to finish the sentence because he heard, “I got this, Bobby.” All but Gerald recognized the voice of Robert Walker, head of school security. Bobby hadn’t taken his eyes off Gerald as he said, “Sure thing, Mr. Walker.” On a parting word, Bobby told Gerald, “Your ass is in big shit now, asshole.” Bobby stepped aside, and the man who took his place blocked the light from the overhead fixture that had been shining on Gerald’s face. Gerald almost pissed himself, as he looked up into the face of the man who stood a foot taller than he did, whose eyes told Gerald he’d made a huge mistake by grabbing Kathy’s arm, whose eyes told Gerald there’d be no wiggle room getting out of this one.
“So, asshole, are you going to let go of Kathy’s arm or do I have to send you to the hospital as I help you let go of her arm? No one comes into this school and handles any of my students, including asshole Gerald Chapman." Charlene had been standing close so she could hear everything being said. Her already known stupidity took over as she actually tried to punch Robert. It was easy for him to catch her fist with his right hand, and close his fingers on her fist, while pushing her arm down. Charlene screamed as Robert’s vise-like grip forced her fingernails into the palm of her hand, and the downward pressure he was exerting forced her down to the ground, where he held her. He never took his eyes off Gerald while he handled Charlene, and asked the little man again, “Well, asshole, what’s it going to be? You going to let go of Kathy’s arm or do I help you?” Robert smiled as he watched sweat start beading on Gerald’s forehead; It was a smile every student knew meant real trouble was coming.
Gerald Chapman had gotten where he was today with intimidation and bluff, and he was not about to give in yet. “Listen you neanderthal, this bitch got my daughter in trouble and she’s coming with me to the office. This bitch has gotten away with too much at this school and it’s time to put an end to it.” Gerald saw it happen, but didn’t understand why it happened, as everyone but Kathy and Charlene took several large steps back away from Robert. Robert leaned down until he was eye level with Gerald, and only a few millimeters from his nose, and told the man, “You call Kathy a bitch one more time, and you’ll end up in the hospital with every appendage in casts. That’s after they pull your head out of your ass.” As the students of the school knew, Robert had very pretty blue eyes. Until he was angry, as he was now. Gerald was now looking into the strangest colored eyes he’d ever seen. Eyes that told him his very existence was in jeopardy.
It was now demonstrated where Charlene got her stupidity, as Gerald told Robert, “You neanderthals always think you can intimidate anyone you want. Well, you can’t intimidate me, prick.” The smile on Robert’s face was back, and his teeth showed, as he calmly reached up with his left hand and gripped Gerald’s upper right arm so tightly Gerald’s face contorted with pain. It wasn’t long before there was no feeling left in Gerald’s arm, Robert had compressed the nerve in the arm, and Kathy felt Gerald’s fingers go limp. She pulled herself free and immediately six football players formed a wall in front of her, blocking any attempts from Gerald to grab her again. When Robert knew Kathy was free of Gerald’s grasp, he released Gerald’s right arm, which allowed feeling to return in that arm. Still looking Gerald in the eyes, he abruptly lifted Charlene off the ground so her feet were dangling in the air, and told Gerald, “Now asshole, you and your brat can go to the office.” Robert let go of Charlene so quickly she didn’t have time to arrange her feet before she fell from his grasp. When she hit the ground, her feet went out from under her and she ended up in a pile on the ground. Robert had straightened up and stood aside, allowing Gerald unfettered passage to the office. What happened next actually shocked everyone, even Robert, as Gerald started walking towards the office without helping his daughter to her feet. Without stopping, Gerald yelled, “CHARLENE. GET YOU ASS OFF THE GROUND AND COME ON!” He never looked back, never stopped, he kept on walking as an embarrassed Charlene got up off the ground, wiped the tears off her face, and slowly followed her father to the office.
It was a day for strange happenings, but this one wasn’t totally unexpected. As those watching the exchange between Robert and Mr. Chapman looked on, Kathy took off at a run towards Charlene, calling out the girl’s name as she ran. Kathy reached Charlene just as the girl turned upon hearing her name. Charlene was caught by surprise as Kathy threw her arms around the girl and pulled her into a hug, telling her, “It’s going to be okay.” No one had ever hugged Charlene without wanting something in return. But she was being hugged by Kathy Williams, the girl who gave of herself to others and never asked for anything in return. This alone got to Charlene and she started crying, leaning on Kathy for support as she cried. And as she cried, Kathy kept telling her with a soft voice, “It’s going to be okay, Charlene.” In that moment of offering herself to the girl the whole school hated, Kathy filled a void Charlene had had her whole life. She no longer felt alone. And she was never alone again, though she had a lot of fences to mend along the way.
A set of double doors guarded the entrance to the school offices, with nice large window on either side of the double doors. Gerald didn’t see them, but Peter was looking out one window and Charles Miller the other. Both men saw everything that had occurred before Gerald started his march to the office, and both men were not about to let a trumped-up piece of shit get away with what he’d done. Peter turned his head and nodded to Margot, who picked up her phone and made the phone call.
When Gerald reached the double doors, he threw them both open, turned and again yelled, “CHARLENE, GET YOU FAT ASS UP HERE NOW. GOD, WHAT A STUPID COW.” Peter and Charles were looking at Gerald, who was half through and half out of the doorway. And when Gerald yelled, “WHAT THE FUCK,” both men looked back where Kathy was still holding Charlene. What they saw caused both men to laugh, as Charlene had raised both of her arms and presented Gerald with two birds for his viewing. Gerald then made the mistake of yelling, “BY GOD I’LL TEACH HER TO FLIP ME THE GAWD DAMN BIRD,” before he started briskly walking back toward his daughter. Unfortunately, Robert met him before he got anywhere near his daughter, took the angry man forcefully by the arm and told him, “I think your meeting is the other way, asshole.” Robert’s vise-like grip on the man’s arm showed on Gerald’s face, as Robert all but dragged him to the office.
Robert brought Gerald to a stop just inside the double doors, so Peter could have a word with him. As Robert held the man so he was on his tiptoes, Peter said, “Ah, Mr. Chapman. Nice to see you. Let’s go into my office.” Peter’s greeting may have sounded pleasant to Gerald, but Peter’s face said something altogether different. Margot led Robert pushing Gerald along down the short hallway to Peter’s office, where she opened the door then stood out of the way as Robert pushed the man into the office and down into a chair. She waited until Peter and Charles had entered the office before stepping out of the office and closing the door behind her.
Peter walked around his desk and sat down in the desk chair, Charles stood at Peter’s left. Both men could see the fury in Gerald’s face, and as Gerald was about to yell at them, Peter told him, with a growl in his voice, “Forget it, Gerald. You don’t speak until I tell you to speak. This is my domain, not yours. We’ll follow my rules during this meeting.” Peter knew Gerald was a slow learner, he saw it when the man tried to challenge Robert. And he expected the same now, and wasn’t disappointed. All Gerald was able to yell, before being cut off by Robert’s grip to the back of his neck, was, “YOU LISTEN TO…” And Gerald gaged as Robert’s large hand suddenly grabbed the back of the man’s neck and squeezed. Robert then bent down close to Gerald’s right ear and said, “You were told to keep your mouth shut. You were told you’d be told when you could speak.” And still bent over near Gerald’s ear, Robert lifted the man until he was no longer sitting in his chair. “Do you now think you understand what you’ve been told? Or do I have to explain it in further detail?” Robert let the man down so he was again sitting in the chair. He took his hand off Gerald’s neck, and the now frightened man said in a low voice, “Yeah, I understand.”
Peter had known Gerald Chapman for several years, and knew he didn’t like to be addressed in the familural. But he wanted to keep the man angry, that way Gerald would continue digging his own grave. A grave Peter would gladly fill. “Gerald, after watching how you just treated your daughter, I think this school has gotten the wrong picture about her. I think she’s been forced to act like she has under your orders. And I think because of those two birds she flipped you, she’s not going to take orders from you any more. I also know you committed a crime the minute you grabbed Kathy Williams’ arm and started pulling her along with you. That’s assault, and attempted kidnapping. Your pecker is in a heap of trouble, Gerald.”
Peter let the man stew before going on. “I suspect you initially came here to ream someone’s butt because Charlene got herself in trouble yesterday in class because of what she said. Am I right?” Robert bent down and looked at the frightened man in the face, and watched as Gerald nodded his head. “Ah, I thought so. And I’ll bet because of how you treat Charlene, she blamed it on Kathy because she knew what you’d do to her if she told you the truth. Am I right, Gerald?” Robert hadn’t moved, and was still looking at Gerald. Again, afraid to speak, Gerald simply nodded his head. Peter smiled then said, “I thought it was something like that.” Just then there was a knock on Peter’s office door. It opened, Margot stuck her head in, and said, “They’re here.” Peter’s smile got even bigger as he told her, “Please show them in, Margot.” Robert stepped back behind Gerald, out of the way, as the door fully opened and Margot stepped out of the way, Detective Barbara Stevens and Officer Jo Dunnley walked into the office. Gerald’s pants suddenly became wet.
The odor from Gerald’s pants had become apparent, but was ignored, as Barbara shook hands with Peter, Robert, and was introduced to Charles. No one noticed the door closing as Margot quietly left the office. “So, Peter, got yourself another problem, do you? And let me guess, it’s Mr. Chapman here, right? What’d he do this time?” When Robert saw the two police women enter the office, he caught Peter’s eye and pointing to himself, he then showed a thumb of him leaving the office. When Peter mouthed, ‘go get the girls,’ Robert nodded and left the office.
“Well, Barbara, it seems ol’ Gerald here has been mentally abusing his daughter. It seems she is so afraid of him she’ll lie to keep him from tormenting her. She lied that Kathy Williams had caused his daughter to get her in trouble in class yesterday. He came into school today, with a full head of steam, made his daughter point out Kathy, then grabbed Kathy by the arm and began dragging her towards the office. Where he was stopped by the football players I’ve had escorting Kathy and her girlfriend around school for their safety. And he almost got his head handed to him by one of those boys. But Robert stepped in and tactfully persuaded Gerald to release Kathy’s arm, using his own brand of tact.” Barbara and Jo chuckled after Peter told of Robert using his own brand of tact with Gerald. Both women had known Robert for years, and knew his background. Around kids, Robert was as gentle as a lamb, but he didn’t tolerate BS from anyone.
“So, we’re talking about possible child abuse, assault on a student at this high school, and attempted kidnapping. Is that about it?” Peter was nodding his head when Charles said, “Detective Stevens, I can’t speak about the child abuse, but the other two are correct. Peter and I were witnesses from the time Kathy was grabbed to the time she was released. We also witnessed how he was treating his daughter after Kathy was released.” Then Peter threw in the final straw when he said, “And everything was captured on tape.”
Barbara then turned her attention to Gerald and told him, “Mr. Chapman, I’m arresting you on possible child abuse, assault on a student at this high school, and attempted kidnapping. You have the right to remain silent. You have the right…” And Barbara continued advising Gerald of his Constitutional rights, before Jo told Gerald to stand up, and she handcuffed his hands behind his back. Before Barbara and Jo took Gerald out of Peter’s office, Barbara asked Peter for a copy of the tape and for him and Charles to come down after school to give their formal statements. Barbara said her goodbyes to Peter and Charles, before she and Jo took Gerald off the school’s hands. After the women had left, Charles told Peter, “I’ve a feeling Mr. Chapman’s life is about to take a big nosedive. After seeing Kathy helping Charlene, I’ve a feeling her life is about to improve.” Peter nodded his head before replying with, “I believe you’re right, Charles. On both counts. And I’m going to do all I can to help Charlene get her life together.”
After Robert left Peter’s office, he left the school offices and walked back where the football players were guarding Kathy, Marge, and Charlene. When he reached the small group he told the football players, “Gentlemen, you did a good job helping these three girls this morning. Your parents should be proud of you. But now it’s my turn so all of you should get to your classes. I’m not sure when your help will be needed again today, as you’ve been doing, but all of you will be notified when that time comes.” Robert watched as the boys told the three girls bye, and told Charlene to keep her head up, before they left for their classes.
Robert then looked at the three girls, and saw the panicked look in Charlene’s eyes, and the tears forming; Her grip on Kathy and Marge’s hands tightened.. “Whoa, sweetheart,” he told Charlene, “what’s with that look? You’re not in trouble, but your father is in big trouble.” The stress was too much for her, and she burst out crying. Marge and Kathy immediately pulled her into a hug, holding the girl as she cried wracking sobs. It took her some time to calm down, and to hear Robert tell the three, “Girls, let’s get Charlene to the office, I think Principal Stepel may want to talk with her after a while.” When Kathy asked Charlene if she was okay to walk, and received a nod from Charlene, with Marge on one side and Kathy on the other, the three followed Robert to the school offices. He held the door open and could only shake his head, as the two girls helped guide Charlene into the offices.
Knowing a woman needed to be with the three, he took the girls to Tina’s office, knocking on her closed office door. Hearing, “Come in,” he opened the door, explained the situation and received a hearty, “Of course they can come into my office. You too for that matter.” Robert and Tina had clicked as friends when Tina had started as Vice Principal at the school. They even shared memories they were trying to cope with, and were closer than just friends. He smiled at Tina, opened the door wider and let the girls go in first before following them and closing the door behind them. He then watched as she picked up the phone, dialed a number, then said, “Hi, Peter. Robert brought all three girls to my office, if you need to speak with them. Okay, bye.”
After the police women took Chapman out of Peter’s office, he got up from his chair and went to the window, muttering as he stood there looking outside. “That damn son-of-a-bitch. His mother tried to tell him his cocky attitude was going to get him in trouble one day, and now it has.” He turned around, sat back in his chair, pulled up the student files on his computer, and dialed a number.
“Hello? This is Principal Stepel at West High School. May I please speak with Mrs. Chapman. Thank you, I’ll wait.”
“Peter, it’s good to hear from you,” Toni Chapman said into the phone. “How have you been?”
“Um, I’ve been fine, Toni, but that’s not why I’m calling. It’s about Gerald. He’s been arrested. He came to the school because of something Charlene told him, lied to him about, grabbed one of the girl students here and was trying to drag her to the school offices. Charlene is okay, she’s with two of our best girls, and our head of security in the Vice Principal’s office. I’ve heard some things, Toni, and I need you to be straight with me.”
“Oh gawd! So he went and did it. Charlene told me the truth about yesterday, Peter, but was afraid what that prick would do to her if she told him the truth. I tried to stop him, Peter, and got his usual backhand across my face. And let me guess, Charlene has mentioned about the abuse she’s been subjected to also? Or are you guessing based on something you witnessed?”
“No, Toni, I haven’t spoken to Charlene yet. It’s a guess based on how I saw Gerald treat Charlene here at the school. The police will likely get in touch with you about this very thing. Listen, I can’t in good conscience let her go home, not after what I witnessed this morning. Is there somewhere she can go, family close by she can stay, or live with?”
Peter heard Toni laugh over the phone, before she told him, “Funny you should ask that question, Peter. That bastard’s backhand this morning was the last straw, he’s hit me for the last time. I’ve been to a divorce attorney and had divorce papers drawn up, citing spousal abuse as the reason for the divorse. Tell me where they took that bastard and I’ll have them served there. That should shake up that asshole. As to where we’re going to live? I’ve been in contact with his mother, of all people, and she invited Charlene and I to move in with her. So that base is covered. And before you ask your next question, yes, I’m financially set. Since we had a joint bank account, I cleaned it out.”
This time Toni heard Peter chuckle before he said, “Damn, Toni. You were always one devil of a woman. Gerald won’t know what hit him. Okay, I’ll have security keep an eye on Charlene the rest of the day, though I think two girls may do that on their own. I’d like you to come pick her up after school, I’ll have her in my office. Toni, is there anything you’d like me to do for you and Charlene?”
Toni laughed in Peter’s ear, then told him, “You bet your ass, Peter. Always have been and always will be a devil of a woman. Thank you for looking out for Charlene. I know you all think she’s been a pain in your butts, but threats were made if she didn’t act that way at school. Yeah, Peter, I’ll be there to pick her up, we’re going to my mother-in-law’s home tonight. I’ve been packing everything we’re taking, plus a few personal bits. And I’ll be bringing her to school from now on, just to be safe. Thanks for the offer, Peter, we’re good right now. But I’ll keep your offer in mind if I need something.”
They said their goodbyes, then Peter and Charles left Peter’s office. Peter told Charles he’d drive them to the police station after school, as Charles started heading to his first period algebra class. Peter knocked on Tina’s office door, and opened the door when Tina said, “Come in.” He stood in the doorway, looking at the five in the office. He could see Charlene’s eyes were red, so figured she’d been crying. And as he expected, Marge and Kathy were holding the girl, trying to comfort her the best they could. “This office is a bit small for a conversation. Let’s all go to one of the conference rooms. You too Tina, please.” He stepped out of the doorway to let all five leave Tina’s office, before turning to Margot and asking her to come with them to take dictation. With Tina leading, then the three girls, then Robert, followed by Peter and Margot, Tina opened the door to one of the medium size conference rooms which would be perfect for the group. She led everyone into the room, going directly to the small fridge against the far wall. She counted heads, then took out a bottle of water for everyone.
After everyone was seated, Peter waited as Charlene drank deeply from the bottle of water Tina had given her. “Charlene, I want you to understand you are not in trouble, though Robert may want to speak with you after we’re through here. I think I understand why you tried to punch him, so I’m not going to do anything about that. What I want to know, and so will the police, is how has your dad been treating you and your mom. It’s really important. And did you know your mom has filed for divorce? And that you’ll be living with your father’s mom?”
With tears falling from her eyes, she closed her eyes and said, “Oh gawd, I’m so glad she finally did it. She’d been telling me she was going to do it each time he hit her. Guess she’d had enough after this morning. And no, I didn’t know anything about living with grandma.” She then went on to tell them about everything that had been happening at her home, including the threats Gerald had made to her. Robert clenched his fists when he heard Gerald had threaten Charlene with rape by some of his ‘friends’ if she didn’t do everything he told her. Charlene was still talking, after about an hour had passed, with Margot flipping page after page and rapidly writing in shorthand. Because of all Charlene had told them, Robert, Peter, Tina, and Margot all had their own opinions about what should happen to Gerald. And none of it would be pleasant for Gerald.
When the bell rang, signaling the end of second period, Peter said, “I think that’s enough for now, Charlene. You three girls go ahead to your third period classes. Oh, and Charlene. Your mom is picking you up after school, you’re going to your grandmother’s tonight.” After the three girls left the conference room, the adults discussed their thoughts on Gerald’s future, none were pleasant. Peter asked Margot to type up her notes on school stationery, make a copy for him, Tina, Robert and one for the safe. He said the original would go to the police. Gerald’s ass was toast.
Right Time
By Jamie Lee
Most often people talk about being in the right place at the right time. Maybe they achieved a beautiful photo of a sunrise, or the antics of children or animals. Maybe they found something someone lost and received a big reward when it was returned. But how often do they talk about being in the wrong place at the right time? If they do, it’s often about the death of someone or maybe witnessing a crime. And if this is the case, they are sad or horrified. Walter Williams often is in the wrong place at the right time, though his reaction to the incidents he encounters is much different than anyone would expect. And, life-changing.
As Margot and Peter walk back towards his office, Peter asks her to notify the girls’ teachers to let them know about the incident with Charlene’s father. Peter also had a feeling what Kathy and Marge were going to do, and asked her to notify Kathy and Marge’s teachers and explain the girls would be helping Charlene Chapman for a few minutes in each of her classes. He wasn’t a hundred percent sure, but he had a feeling Charlene would need their support for what she might be going to do. As it turned out, based on what he saw during his meeting with her in the conference room, he was right.
Charles Miller watched as Charlene came into his algebra class, followed by Marge and Kathy. He had received the notice from Margot, so wasn’t too surprised to see Marge. After the second bell rang, and he took roll, he saw Charlene had raised her hand, something unusual for the girl who always spoke without waiting to be recognized. “Yes, Charlene?” He could see the fear etched on the girl’s face, and her trembling lips, before she said, “Mr. Miller. I’d like to say something to the class, if I may.” Marge was standing next to Charlene, her left hand on the girl’s right shoulder. Kathy regularly sat to the girl’s left, and had reached out to take Charlene’s left hand. As he examined the scene before him, both Marge and Kathy were nodding their heads, while Charlene looked like she was about to cry.
The young girl he now saw was not the cocky girl he saw on a regular basis. The girl who always looked down her nose at everyone. Something had happened to that girl, and there was only one way to discover what she had experienced. “Of course, Charlene. Won’t you come up to the front of the class, please?” Charles had expected only Charlene to come to the front of the class, but wasn’t really surprised when both Marge and Kathy came with her. When the three reached the front of the class, it wasn’t hard for anyone not to see the once overly bold girl actually shaking. Marge and Kathy had their arms around Charlene’s waist, offering words of encouragement to the scared girl. The whole class watched as Charlene took several deep breaths before she started speaking.
“I need to apologize to everyone in this class for the way I had been acting. I had been threatened by my father to have some of his ‘friends’ rape me if I didn’t do everything he ordered me to do. And he’d ordered me to act like I was better than everyone, above everyone, or…” She stopped speaking as the tears fell and she hung her head and cried. One of her classmates, sitting in the back of the room, was heard to say, “Damn, what a bastard.” All Charles said was, “Language, Tommy, language.” Tommy’s reply was, “Sorry sir, but it isn’t right what her dad threatened to do.” Charles simply said, “No, Tommy, it isn’t.”
When Charlene could go on she told the class, “I was scared what my father would do if he learned the truth about why I got in trouble yesterday, so I lied. I blamed it all on Kathy, and I was wrong to do that. Because of my lie, my father came storming to the school this morning, made me point out Kathy, and he grabbed her arm and was trying to pull her with him as he went to the office.” She turned to face Kathy, tears still falling from her eyes, and said, “Oh, Kathy. I’m so sorry for all this. I was so scared he was going to have me raped if I didn’t do what he said.” Kathy pulled Charlene to her and replied, “Charlene, I know exactly how you felt. I faced that very thing a few days ago. Only then it wasn’t a threat.” Charlene turned back to the class and continued with, “My mom tried to talk him out of coming to the school, but he slapped her and told her to mind her own business. It wasn’t the first time he’d hit her, but it was going to be the last. My mom is going to serve my dad with divorce papers and we’ll be living with my grandmother. Maybe I shouldn’t have told all of you this much, but I felt you were owed the truth about me.”
The classroom was silent for several minutes, Charlene sniffing her nose the only sound heard. “Charlene Chapman, that took guts to stand up there and say what you did. You’re one hel...ah, heck of a girl.” Tommy then stood up and started clapping, and it wasn’t long before the entire class followed. Charlene had feared if she told the truth, because of how she acted in the past, the entire class would scorn her, tell her she had it coming for the way she acted. What she didn’t expect was the applause and the smiling faces. Kathy and Charlene then returned to their seats, and Marge left for her class.
When the applause ended, while Charles looked at Charlene, he told the class, “None of your parents has the right to threaten you with anything as drastic as Charlene faced. If they threaten you with anything drastic, like locking you in a room, tying you up, or like the threat Charlene faced, even though you’re scared, tell someone. I can guarantee something will be done, and you will be kept safe. And if a certain Principal hears about it, you best hope your parents, or parent, has a one way ticket to some place far far away.” Charles chuckled after he said, “Now, let’s talk algebra,” and the entire class groaned.
When the bell rang to end third period, Charles noticed several things. One of his students in the front row had already got up and opened the door to leave, only to find it necessary to walk around Marge as she stepped into the room. Standing outside his room, he saw the football players, standing across the hall against the lockers. He also saw Tommy rush up to Charlene, and caught a bit of their conversation amongst the noise of the students leaving. “Um, Charlene. Do you mind if I walk with you to our next class?” Tommy was the first boy to ever show an interest in her, and she wasn’t sure how to respond. “Um...sure...I guess..if...you’re...sure.” Charlene was used to hearing derogatory remarks aimed at her, and cringed before hearing, “Yeah, I’m sure. Charlene. And here, this is my phone number, just in case you need someone to talk to.” Charlene and Kathy watch Tommy’s expression change, not as harsh as Charlene’s had been before she stood up before the class, but in that range. “I’d, um...um...I’d like to explain some things to you.” Their short meeting was interrupted when Charles told them, “You four need to get to your next classes. Right?” Charles watched as the four left the classroom, with Marge going first, followed by Kathy, and Charlene walking next to Tommy. He chuckled to himself as he watched Charlene reach over and take Tommy’s hand in hers. He didn’t know where the feeling came from, but he felt those two had a lot to talk about. And would in the coming days.
Fourth period is when half the school went to class, and half went to lunch. When fifth period arrived, the reverse happened. The football escorts, Marge, Kathy, Charlene, and Tommy were in class during this time, the last time Kathy and Charlene were in the same classes. As Charlene did during the first part of her algebra class, she received permission to speak during the beginning of her fourth period class. And Kathy and Marge were standing with her. Her reception was cold to start with, but the mention of the threatened rape, attitudes drastically changed. It wasn’t a boy who spoke up first this time, but a girl, and she was blunt about what should happen to Charlene’s father. And like Tommy, their teacher understood the emotions flowing in the class and simply cautioned the girl.
Robert was standing with Peter at the start of the fifth period lunch. Both wanted to be there to make sure Charlene was alright. Both were surprised when Charlene walked in ahead of Marge and Kathy, holding Tommy’s hand. “Seems she has had a secret admirer,” Robert told Peter. Robert just nodded his head when Peter told him, “For Tommy’s sake, he best treat her right.” As they watched, Charlene began a discussion with Marge and Kathy, one which seemed to get heated before the three girls hugged and Charlene and Tommy, followed by Marge, Kathy, and the football players, walked to the microphone kept in the cafeteria in case announcements needed to be given only to the students in the cafeteria.
With Kathy standing on one side, Tommy next to Charlene, Marge next to Tommy, and the six football players standing behind all four, Charlene reached up to the microphone and slid the on switch and said, “May I have everyone’s attention, please. May I have everyone’s attention.” The droning of conversation upon conversation, and laughter upon laughter stopped, as all eyes turned to see who called for their attention. When the cafeteria was quiet Charlene said, “My name is Charlene Chapman.” She didn’t get another word out before hearing, “Yeah, we know who you are bitch.” Robert saw who called Charlene a bitch and was about to go and remove the boy from the room. But Peter put a restraining hand on the man’s arm and told him, “Wait, Robert. Let’s see how this plays out.”
Charlene squeezed Tommy’s hand hard, as she felt him start to move, nodded her head and said, “Yeah, I was a bitch wasn’t I? And I don’t blame any of you for thinking that, because that’s how I was ordered to behave by my father.” There had been a low key rumbling when Charlene started talking, but even that stopped when she told why she acted as she did. “I need to apologize to all of you for my past behavior, because if I hadn’t done what my father ordered, he threatened to have some of his ‘friends’ rape me. I think every girl in here can understand how scared I was at the thought of being repeatedly raped, so I did what he ordered me to do. He even physically assaulted my mother, when she stepped in to try and stop him from coming to school this morning. I learned she’s going to divorce him and we’ll be living with my grandmother. I wanted all of you to hear the truth from me, not from some rumors. If you’re still mad at me because of my past behavior, then all I can offer all of you is, I’m sorry.”
Every eye shifted to a boy who stood by himself, the boy who called Charlene a bitch. “Um, Charlene, I owe you an apology for what I called you. It took a lot of courage to stand up there and tell us your truth. I’m sorry you had to go through something like that.” Peter turned to Robert and smiled, causing Robert to roll his eyes. He bent down and whispered in Peter’s ear, “Don’t get cocky, Peter. You could have guessed wrong.”
The applause started with a scattering of girls, who stood up and began clapping. Girl after girl stood until every student, and teacher, were standing and clapping.
Because of orders from her father, and his threat hanging over her head, Charlene had been a royal bitch since the beginning of school. But under the acting was a moral character which was kept in check by way of his threat. When her father was arrested, and her mom told her about the divorce, and where they’d be living, that moral character had been released to do the right thing. And it started with her algebra class. She had no illusions that everyone would accept the reason for her actions, she even felt sure there’d be more than a few who would outright scorn her. What she wasn’t ready for was the overwhelming recognition for her courage to stand up and admit she’d been wrong, and why. Even now, as the entire cafeteria was clapping, her tears flowed freely, as her emotions were overwhelmed by what she was witnessing. Tommy reached up and shut off the microphone, before leading Charlene and the rest of their group to the lunch line.
Peter and Robert left the cafeteria after seeing Charlene was better than alright. Robert started his walk around the school and Peter returned to his office, to call Toni.
The afternoon matched that of the morning, with Marge and Kathy standing up with Charlene as she apologized for her past behavior and why it occurred. The reaction of the girls in her classes was immediate, they were the first to stand and start clapping. The boys, who wouldn’t understand the fear girls had of being raped, did admire her courage to stand up in front of the whole class and explain herself. By the end of the school day, every student in West High had heard why Charlene had been such a bitch, and more than a few had their own ideas of what punishment her father should face. And more than one was cautioned about language.
When Toni and Gerald’s mom pulled up to the loading zone, they were surprised to see such a large group standing with Charlene. And Charlene holding the hand of a boy. Peter, Robert, Marge, Kathy, the football players, Tommy, and a host of other students were there with Charlene, to make sure she was safe. Gerald’s mom stayed in the car, but Toni couldn’t get out of her car fast enough to embrace her daughter. “Oh, sweetheart, are you alright? Your Principal called and told me everything. He didn’t hurt you, did he?” Charlene smiled, shook her head and told her mom, “No, mom, he didn’t hurt me. But he grabbed Kathy, here,” and she pointed to Kathy. “And even after what daddy did to her, and after my being such a bitch...yes mom I know, language,..she still came and hugged me, letting me cry on her shoulder. And I had to do the right thing, mom, and apologize to those in my classes and those at lunch for how I’d been acting, Marge and Kathy stood with me while I spoke. And mom, I told all of them about daddy’s threat.” Toni looked into her daughter’s eyes, and saw a strength she’d lacked with her father’s threat hanging over her head. She wasn’t positive, but she felt it would be the last time any man threatened her. Toni saw Charlene blushing before she said, “Um, mom. This is Tommy. He’s been secretly chasing me since the beginning of school. I don’t know why, after everything I’ve done.” Toni shook Tommy’s hand, watched as he shrugged his shoulders, then said, “Because I could tell it wasn’t the real you. There were little signs that said so.” Toni then thanked Robert and Peter for all they’d done for Charlene today, before watching Tommy give her daughter a kiss, as she opened the rear passenger door for her daughter. As she walked around the car to get in by the driver’s door, she told Peter, “I’ll be in tomorrow morning to give the school our change of address.” Everyone standing there waved as Toni drove off to their new home, and her thoughts of finally having a peaceful life for a change.
Robert and Peter were the last two watching Toni drive off. As they watched the car drive out of sight, Robert said, “First the right shoe dropped. Today the left one dropped. Do you think both will ever drop at the same time?” Peter thought for a minute, then told Robert, “Robert, if the right shoe dropping caused that much trouble, and the left shoe dropping caused this much trouble, think about the trouble both shoes dropping would cause. No, thank you, my friend. Let’s stick to one shoe at a time.” Robert chuckled before both men went back to their work. Peter and Charles still had to go down to the police station to give their statements, so Peter returned to his office to quickly finish some work which needed to be completed by the end of the school day. And Robert calmly strolled in and out of the buildings, checking for this and that, and any lovers who decided to take the opportunity to express their love to each other.
Robert’s both shoes event was about to occur because Peter had neglected to call Terry and tell her about the morning’s events, and let her know Kathy was all right. So, when a few minutes later, after Toni drove out of the high school parking lot, Terry pulled into the loading zone, and Kathy and Marge got into her car and Kathy said, “Wow, what a day, sure hope that doesn’t happen again any time soon.” As Terry was pulling away from the curb she asked Kathy what she was talking about, and when Kathy finished telling her story, Terry slammed on the brakes, put the transmission in park, left the engine running, and stormed into the school and to Peter’s office.
Margot all but put on her flack jacket when she saw Terry coming, the look on Terry’s face said it all. “WHERE IS THAT BROTHER OF MINE,” she yelled at Margot, not realizing her voice carried into Peter’s office. Margot used her right thumb to indicate his office, just as the door to Peter’s office opened and he yelled, “TERRY! GET YOUR ASS IN HERE!” Margot tried not to smirk, at least not let Terry and Peter see her smirk, as she watched Terry storm down the short hall and the door to Peter’s office slam shut. She knew if she got caught, she’d get some of what was about to happen in that office, but she didn’t care. She had to hear what the two bulls were about to say. Silently creeping to the door to Peter’s office, she stood so her silhouette wouldn’t be seen against the frosted glass in the door.
Brother and sister eyed each other, she was pissed because her daughter had been in danger and her brother failed to tell her. He was pissed because his bull headed sister had come into the school office acting like she was out in the middle of nowhere yelling her lungs out. Terry then got toe to toe with Peter and growled, “How dare you not call me after what happened this morning. What were you thinking, that I wouldn’t find out? That I wouldn’t be upset if I heard it from Kathy and Marge? Were you even thinking, or just being the jerk you have a tendency to be? WELL?”
Pointing to the three chairs in front of his desk, Peter growled back, “You will sit your ass in one of those three chairs. You will then listen to what I have to say with your ears, not your mouth. GOT IT, sister dear?” Peter often acquiesced to Terry, but she saw something in his face that told her today was not one of those times. She backed away from Peter, turned and sat down in the chair to the left of Peter’s desk, and watched as Peter walked around his desk and sat down in his desk chair. Her brother was more often than not, very laid back, handling things with a mild manner. But she could see he was anything but mild mannered right now, as she watched him try and get his emotions under control before he spoke.
When Peter had calmed down, he looked at Terry and said, “Terry, I didn’t call you and tell you about what happened this morning because I knew you’d come charging up to the school and want to get into Gerald’s face. May even rearrange it a bit. I knew if you did that, or something worse, you’d compromise the entire case against him, and make matters worse. Kathy hadn’t been hurt, she might have a bruise on her arm where Gerald grabbed her, but that was it. Did she tell you Gerald’s daughter, Charlene, flipped him off after he walked off, not helping her to her feet when she tried to punch Robert? Did she tell you it was her who helped Charlene by going up to the girl and hugging her, letting her cry on her shoulder. Did Kathy tell you why Charlene had been acting like a bitch since the beginning of school? Did she tell you that that asshole, Gerald, threatened to have some of his ‘friends’ rape Charlene if she didn’t do as he ordered? Well, did Kathy tell you all of that? Did she also tell you that she and Marge had stood up with Charlene as she told her classes, and the whole cafeteria, why she’d been acting like a bitch? Or did she just give you the highlights? Had you have heard the WHOLE story, you wouldn’t be in here right now, you would be praising your daughter, and her girlfriend, for what they did for another student. But nooo...not you. You act first and listen after you’ve beat the hell out of the person who’s hurt your baby. Sister dear, have you talked with Jenny about this propensity of yours to act before listening? Spouting off before you have all the facts? One of these days, dear sister, you’re going to act before you get all the facts, and it’s going to be you who needs the lawyer to get you out of jail.”
In a small voice, Peter heard, “Um, no, I didn’t know about most of what you said. I’m sorry.” She then dropped her head.
In a calmer voice Peter replied with, “I thought so, or you wouldn’t have come storming in here as you did.” Terry’s hands were in her lap, and Peter watched as she played with her fingers. In a soft voice he said, “Sis, I love you more than I can express in words. You’ve helped me through some very trying times in the past, especially when mom and dad died. I don’t feel closer to anyone more than I do to you. But I can’t have you rushing up to the school every time something happens that involves Kathy. You’re like a mother bear protecting her cub, except when you act that way it causes more problems. Problems we’ve had plenty of this school year. I’m not totally ignorant why you act as you have. Walter is now a girl, a girl who hasn’t grown up being told everything other girls are told. She doesn’t know all the pitfalls a girl can run into, or of all the bastards out there who’d only want to get between her legs. Whether she wanted it to happen or not. And maybe you feel a bit guilty because all of this happened to Walter, that you weren’t there to protect him, and now Kathy. Terry, you need to discuss this with Jenny, ask her for help. Because if you can’t get your impulse to rush up to the school every time Kathy is involved in a situation, I’ll have to ban you from the high school. You’ll leave me no other choice.”
He got up from his chair, took the two steps to the window and looked outside. He chuckled, turned to Terry,then told her, “I think you have a problem of your own right now,” and he nodded towards the window and outside. Terry got up out of her chair, walked to the window and looked out. The girls were still sitting in her car, only Kathy was dangling the car keys out the window and pointing to herself. The message was clear, she wanted to drive. Kathy may have seen Terry shake her head, or she may have not wanted to see her mom shake her head. No matter, she kept dangling the keys and pointing to herself.
As they stood watching Kathy’s antics, Terry put her arm around Peter’s waist, leaned her head on his shoulder and told him, “You’re right, Peter. I do blame myself for not being able to protect Walter or Kathy when all this started. And you’re right, Kathy is a very ignorant girl right now. She hasn’t had the years of teachings that help a girl learn how to be cautious. And if you try and ban me from this high school, little brother, I’ll kick your ass so far up your body you’ll be eating and shitting out of the same orifice.” Peter only smiled at this comment.
This banter between the two siblings began shortly after their parents were killed in a traffic accident. A semi truck was approaching a red light at a controlled intersection. The driver down-shifted and stepped on the brake pedal for the air brakes. Only nothing happened, the brakes didn’t engage. He down-shifted again and continued stepping on the brake pedal. Because the load the truck was carrying gave the truck so much interia, the driver knew the truck wouldn’t be able to stop using the gears alone. The traffic light for the Stepel’s traffic turned green, so they proceeded into the intersection, just as the semi barreled into the intersection and drove right over the top of their car, killing the couple instantly. It was discovered during the investigation that the truck’s brakes had been tampered with, the linkage from the brake pedal had been cut just enough for the brakes to work several times before the cut caused the linkage to completely fail. Further investigation found security tapes showing when the sabotage was done, who did it, and by a rival trucking company. With insurance payments, and lawsuits, Peter and Terry lacked for nothing for the rest of their lives. Except their parents.
“If you remember, sister dear, the last time you tried to give me one orifice I put your head in the toilet. Despite all your best efforts. Gawd, did we make a mess that day. I thought grandma was going to kill both of us. I miss that lady.” Peter felt Terry shaking, and looking down at her face, saw tears falling from her eyes. “Yeah, we sure did. And I miss her too.”
Peter then raised his voice and said, “The storm is over, Margot. You can return to your desk. There was no blood shed.” Terry turned her head to look towards the door when she heard, “Damn,” coming from outside the door. She turned back to Peter with a question written on her face. Peter shrugged his shoulders and said, “She’s a bit protective of me. She would have come in here and tried to kick your ass if you’d gotten physical. Though I don’t think she would have stood a chance.” He kissed Terry on the forehead then said, “You better get out there and explain to your daughter how old she needs to be before she’s allowed to learn how to drive. And put more gray hairs on your head.” The two turned to face each other and pulled each other into a tight hug, telling each other, “I love you.”
Peter had put the idea of Kathy learning to drive into Terry’s mind so she wouldn’t see what he believed Kathy was trying to do. And while he couldn’t understand what was being said, the exchange between mother and daughter was clear. And it was only when Kathy gave him a thumbs up that his belief proved true. Kathy was drawing attention to another subject pertaining to her in order to help calm her mother down. And it had worked. Kathy would make one hell of a psychologist some day, Peter thought to himself, as he went out to thank Margot for her consideration of his health. He also considered having a word with Jenny, and the two exploring that possibility with Kathy.
Things at school seemed to have calmed down, the students having talked themselves dry about the previous events. But that didn’t stop them from finding something else of interest, like who was going with who, why this person was wearing ‘this’ or ‘that,’ what fashions were in style, which were now lame, and the list went on and on. Peter kept the football players escorting Marge and Kathy one more day before thanking them for their help and dismissing them to their regular routines. He would, though, have Robert’s team keep an eye on the girls, eyes that, this time, wouldn’t be drawn off even if an emergency occurred.
Because of the previous events, Peter started making it part of his school routine to walk around the school during class changes, and when classes were in session. The students knew Peter was no pushover, and would administer punishment when warranted. But because of the previous events, they also discovered how much he cared for them, so they would say hi to him as he walked the halls during class change. Walking the halls after classes started gave Peter a chance to listen as he walked by the classrooms. And he liked what he heard, the energetic voices of the teachers, the energetic voices, and sometimes silliness, of the students, and the calmness he felt rather than heard. It also gave him time to speak with Jenny, and work through some problems he was still having because of his wife’s death. Namely, was he doing the right thing by marrying Tina? Was he betraying Pamela’s memory? Was he trying to take the place of Tina’s husband?
Jenny had been sitting behind her desk as Peter fired questions at her, almost as wound up as Terry had been when Walter had been taken to the hospital after the accident. She got up out of the desk chair, walked around the desk, and sat down next to Peter, taking his hands in hers. “Peter, STOP! You have been talking non-stop since you came into my office, now, stop. Listen to me for a few moments. Okay?”
The suddenness of Jenny’s voice when she told him to stop the first time, actually shocked Peter into silence. When Jenny saw she had his attention she said, “Peter, you’ve been a widower for what, five years? You haven’t dated in all that time. You haven’t met anyone you wanted to follow around like a puppy following its mother. You’ve closed yourself off to any possibility of finding another love in your life. And you really haven’t dealt with the death of your wife, either, have you? Like your nephew, you put it into a box and now with your impending marriage, the box opened and you’re full of doubts. Now you’re considering what Pamela would think of you getting married again. Now you’re wondering if you’d be replacing Tina’s husband or if she is using you to replace the love she once had in her life. They may seem like valid questions, to you Peter, but in a way they’re you trying to find excuses not to do what you need to do in order to again be happy. Peter, there is a flow in this world that begins with conception. Then development, birth, life, and as hard as we don’t want it, death. None of us can escape that path. It was Pamela’s time to die, why, that can’t be answered. It was also time for Tina’s husband to die, again why can’t be answered. But the two of you have a chance to make the other happy by being in this life together, until you too follow life’s path on this planet. Or you can continue using the deaths of your spouses as the reason to remain unhappy. Neither of them can answer your questions on this Peter, but I strongly feel they’d want you both to be happy.”
She watched Peter chew on what she just told him, and she was not allowed to tell him Tina had asked Beverly basically the same questions. Or that Beverly told Tina basically the same as she told Peter. Privately, though, both women wanted to shake some sense into these two lonely people, they both could see they were perfect for each other. And as Beverly told Tina, Jenny told Peter, “Peter, I suggest you and Tina go out to dinner somewhere cozy, where you two can share your concerns with each other. Given you’re asking me these type questions, I can make an educated guess Tina has asked them as well. But as your friend, don’t let her get away. I see how she looks at you, how her eyes light up when you’re around. Peter, she’s been alone just as you have. She was devoted to her husband, and like you, has never dated since his death. And something else, my friend, your eyes light up just as bright when you’re around her. So as your friend, get your butt out of here, make dinner reservations and take your woman out and talk with her. Share your concerns with her. Share your worries with her, I think you’ll find hers are the same.” Jenny watched as Peter just sat there, mulling over what she just told him. So she put a bit of muscle in her voice and said, “DIDN’T I JUST TELL YOU TO GET YOUR BUTT OUT OF HERE AND GO GET YOUR WOMAN?” Peter cracked a smile and replied, “Yes, mother.” Jenny stood up as Peter did, and got the shock of her life as Peter kissed her on the cheek then said, “Thanks, sis,” and walked out of her office. She would have to meet with Beverly and talk more about these two people, and find out if Tina said anything shocking to her.
Peter was virtually bouncing when he came into the school offices. Margot watched as he walked toward her, a light in his eyes that had been missing when he’d gone to walk the halls. “So, Peter, was Jenny finally able to get through that thick skull of yours? Did she convince you to do what a lot of people have been trying to get you two to do for some time? If I wouldn’t have gotten fired, I’d have kicked some sense into your mushy brain weeks ago. But I don’t have a Ph.D. after my name so you would have just fired me instead of listening to me.” Peter just smiled at her, kissed her on the cheek, then said, “Guess we’ll never know now, will we.” He just reached the door to his office, when Margot said, “The number for the restaurant is lying on your desk. It’s cozy, and both of you like the type of food served. Plus, I get a free meal if I send them some business.” Peter chuckled, shook his head, then opened his office door and went into his office, closing the door behind him. Peter found the phone number for the restaurant, but something more on the note Margot left him. “Tina needs you as much as you need her. Her memories, like yours, are still raw with the emotions you both have held for the loves you both have lost. Be gentle with her, Peter, and she will help you fill the need you’ve had for far too long. And you her. Margot” It wasn’t long before Peter’s tears started spotting the note lying on his desk. The answers he looked for from Jenny were answered by the note Margot left him on his desk. He picked up the phone and made two calls, one only after he spoke with the woman he was going to marry.
Right Time
By Jamie Lee
Most often people talk about being in the right place at the right time. Maybe they achieved a beautiful photo of a sunrise, or the antics of children or animals. Maybe they found something someone lost and received a big reward when it was returned. But how often do they talk about being in the wrong place at the right time? If they do, it’s often about the death of someone or maybe witnessing a crime. And if this is the case, they are sad or horrified. Walter Williams often is in the wrong place at the right time, though his reaction to the incidents he encounters is much different than anyone would expect. And, life-changing.
Doris Palmer had always been vocal in their first period science class, but Kathy had noticed over the past few days how quiet she’d become. When Kathy tried to speak with her before class, during class, or after class, Doris curtly told Kathy it wasn’t any of her business. It wasn’t until Kathy saw her sitting in the bleachers at the ball field as her class was playing softball, that Kathy finally found out why Doris looked upset and dejected.
When Connie finally told the girls it was time to head in to shower and get dressed to go home, Kathy told Connie she’d be in after speaking with Doris. She was about to object to Kathy being alone with Doris, when she spotted two figures watching from a distance. She also noticed that one of those figures was a rather huge man. She watched as Kathy made her way around the chain link fence, climbed the bleachers and sat down next to Doris. Kathy stared at Connie until she got the message and followed the rest of her class into the girls locker room. Connie stared at the two figures on her way in, but one just motioned that everything was okay.
Kathy sat quietly next to Doris, trying to figure out the best approach to get Doris to talk to her. Doris had been curt with her when Kathy tried to speak with her. Maybe she should be curt to Doris. Maybe a personal approach would get her to open up, and that’s what Kathy did as she told Doris, “I’m worried about you, Doris. I can see something is bothering you but you refuse to let me try and help you. I shared something very personal with you and a few other girls in the supply room, and believe me when I say, I was scared. I was afraid of what all of you would say, or do. Please, won’t you let me try and help you? I know some people who might also like to help if you’d let them.”
Neither girl noticed when Robert and Bobbie moved so they could watch the two girls better. Nor did the girls notice the two were now close enough to hear everything the girls were saying.
Kathy remained quiet and watched Doris’ face. She saw the anguish form on the girl’s face before her whole body started shaking. Kathy put her arm around Doris and pulled her into a hug, just as Doris burst out crying. “Oh gawd, Kathy. Help me, please,” she choked out before grabbing Kathy and starting to bawl.
Bobbie had to grab Robert’s left arm with both hands to hold him back. Then she whispered, “Wait, damn you! Wait!”
When Doirs’ bawling slowed to a whimper, then to a low moan, she was still clutching Kathy when she said, “It’s my brother, Kathy. He found my diary a few days ago and has threatened to show it to my parents if I...he comes into my room each night, Kathy. I’ve done some stupid things, Kathy, and I’m afraid what they’ll say if they see what I’ve written. I didn’t know what to do but to give in to him. He takes me when our parents go out to dinner or to a meeting, then comes in when I go to bed. I...I don’t know what to do Kathy. I’m so ashamed of myself. I can’t go on like this, Kathy.”
This time, Bobbie had to get in front of the big man and threaten to kick him in his jewels if he didn’t let Kathy try and help Doris. He gave Bobbie a dirty look, but he also covered his jewels in case Bobbie was sincere about her threat.
Kathy was back in the boys locker room, with Patrick holding her and Tony standing in front of her, his jeans and underwear around his ankles, and his erection evident. ‘Not this time,’ Kathy muttered, before asking Doris, “Doris. Do you trust me? I mean, really trust me? Trust me enough to come with me and tell this to someone who can put an end to your being raped by your brother? Because that’s what he’s doing to you, Doris. Pure, abusive, rape. What do you say, Doris?” Kathy couldn’t see Doris’ face because she planted herself into Kathy’s chest as she clung to Kathy. But she could feel Doris nod her head, and told the girl, “Come, on, let’s go.” Kathy helped Doris stand, then held her hand as they both climbed down the bleachers to the ground. Kathy put her arm around Doris as she led her back towards the school, and to Jenny’s office. Kathy turned her head to look at Robert and Bobbie and told them, “Thanks, guys. But you both need to learn how to whisper softer. We’re going to Jenny’s office. You might want to call Uncle Peter.” Doris had her head on Kathy’s shoulder as they started walking, but raised her head to look at Kathy when she heard the word ‘uncle.’ “Principal Stepel is your Uncle?” Doris asked Kathy. Kathy chuckled, nodded her head, then held up her pinky finger and said, “Pinky swear you didn’t hear that. Okay? Please?” From a tear stained face a beautiful smile grew, as Doris held up her hand, took Kathy’s pinky with her own, and said, “Pinky swear, girlfriend.”
Peter was standing outside of Jenny’s office as the two girls came walking toward him. He started to say something, but Kathy shook her head, telling him, ‘Not right now.’ Kathy opened the door to Jenny’s office, let Doris go in first, and feeling Peter right behind her, turned and put a hand in his chest, stopping him in his tracks. “Not yet, Uncle Peter. Don’t screw this up by being like my mom.” Robert and Bobbie had been following the girls, and it was Bobbie who put a hand on Peter’s shoulder and told him, “She’s right, Peter. Let Jenny get things going legally.” She then stepped around Peter and followed Kathy into Jenny’s office, closing, and locking, the door after her.
Robert watched as Peter paced back and forth in front of Jenny’s office door, before telling him, “Peter, wearing out the soles of your shoes won’t make what has to happen go any faster. Think maybe I need to give you my right to chill you out, or can you do that on your own?” Peter stopped mid-stride and looked at the big man. Robert had just suggested that he hit him with his right hand, to help him chill out. Peter looked at the man’s massive hand, then his forearm, then his upper arm, and thought better of having Robert help him calm down. He looked at Robert and told him, “Uh, no, thank you, Robert. Being put into the hospital right now isn’t going to do anyone any good, is it?” And Robert only smiled in response.
Robert’s ploy had worked, and the big man watched as Peter pulled out his cell phone and dial a number. “Detective Stevens, please. This is Principal Stepel at West High School. Thank you. I think we have another case for you, Detective. Insest. Brother. Forced. She’s in talking to our school psychologist right now. Kathy Williams and one of our female security people are with her. Seems her brother found her diary and threatened to show it to their parents. Seems the girl has written some things she did and the brother is using the threat to get his way with her every night and when the parents go out for the evening. Yeah, okay, I’ll have that information for you when you arrive.” Peter hung up then dialed another number, telling Margot to get Doris Palmer’s file out and make a copy of her personal information. Peter almost had to shout at her to get her ass in gear when she started asking questions. But a hand on his shoulder by Robert, calmed him down and he told her he’d explain later.
Peter had walked back to the school office to get the copies he was going to give to Barbara. As Barbara and Jo came through the front doors of the school, Peter was standing there waiting on them. “He’s a copy of Doris’ personal information. Her home address, her parent’s names, and their telephone number. And if you’ll come with me I’ll take you both to Jenny’s office.” The three were quiet as they walked to Jenny’s office. Peter knocked on the door and said, “Bobbie, open the door please.” There was a click before the door opened, and Peter told her, “Bobbie, this is Detective Stevens and Officer Dunnley.” Bobbie opened the door wider to allow Barbara and Jo into the office, then closed the door and locked it again.
Peter was again standing with Robert, waiting for whatever they were doing in Jenny’s office to conclude. Robert was facing the direction of the main corridor and when he saw the two people turn the corner coming their way, he told Peter, “Um, Peter. Incoming. And the rockets are at full throttle.” Peter never turned around, closed his eyes, grimaced, and asked, “It’s Terry, isn’t it Robert?” Robert chuckled and replied, “Oh you’re good, Peter. Yep, it’s Terry, and Marge, and she’s got fire in her eyes.”
Terry’s gatling gun questions started even before she reached Peter and Robert. “Where is Kathy, Peter? Is she hurt? Did someone get to her again? Is she in Jenny’s office? WHY THE HELL DIDN’T YOU CALL ME, LITTLE BROTHER?”
Peter watched as Robert flexed his massive right hand, the message very clear, stay calm. Peter turned to face Terry, smiled, and let her reach him before telling her, “Jenny’s office. No. No. Helping another girl. Because it’s none of your business, this time.” Because Peter didn’t parrot Terry’s questions, his responses threw her for a moment, until she realized three people were looking at her, waiting for her to calm down. Before Terry could start up again, Marge calmly asked, “Is Kathy alright, Peter? Mrs. O’Conner said she was talking with Doris Palmer when their class ended. Is that what’s going on, Peter, she’s in Jenny’s office with Doris?”
Peter was about to answer Marge’s questions, when Terry got right into his face and was about to give him what for, when Robert laid a hand on her left shoulder and gently squeezed. The pain Terry felt registered in her face, as her right hand came up to grip Robert’s right wrist. “Terry, maybe you should listen for a few minutes before you start talking again.” Robert then gently moved Terry a few steps away from Peter, then took his hand off her shoulder. As she was rubbing her left shoulder, Peter told her, “Terry, nothing has happened to Kathy. Not everything happens to Kathy. The Doris girl Marge mentioned has some problems at home, and Kathy brought her to Jenny so things could be straightened out. And Terry, this time, it’s none of your business.”
Still rubbing her left shoulder, and while looking at Robert, Terry asked, “So, why are the police here, Peter?” Peter sighed, shook his head, then said, “It’s none of your business, Terry. Any question you ask about anything connected with what’s occurring in Jenny’s office is none of your business. Do you understand me, Terry. None. Of. Your. Business.”
Terry’s head slowly turned from looking at Robert to focus on Peter. “Don’t you DARE ever tell me it’s none of my business when my daughter is involved.” And she moved again until she was within inches of Peter’s face. “How DARE you tell me it’s none of my business. Little brother…” but she never finished what she was about to say, because Robert grabbed her by the upper arm, spun her around and told her, “Let’s go wait up in the office. Shall we?” Robert’s comment was his usual way of giving an order, an order Terry was fighting against, as she tried to pry the massive fingers off her arm. And even though Terry fought not to go with Robert, Robert simply pulled Terry along like she weighed nothing. As Marge and Peter watched Robert pull Terry along with him, Marge said, “Oh, Peter, she’s going to have your guts for garters. You know that, right?” Peter chuckled at Marge’s use of the saying, then told her, “Yeah, Marge, I know. But I’m still not allowed to tell her anything, no matter how mad she gets. This time it really is none of her business.” Marge then told Peter she better go stay with Terry, and help calm her down. Peter agreed and watched until Marge turned the corner into the main corridor. Peter pulled out his cell phone, dialed a number, leaned against the wall, then said, “Hi sweetheart. I could sure use a friendly voice right now. I really want to be with you right now.”
As Peter was waiting for the meeting in Jenny’s office to conclude, he caught movement out of the corner of his eye. Turning, he saw Margo with a man and woman walking behind her, coming toward him. They stopped in front of Peter and Margot told him, “Peter, this is Mr. and Mrs. Palmer. Detective Stevens called them.” Peter knocked on Jenny’s office door and said, “Bobbie, the Palmers are here.” Bobbie unlocked the door before opening it to let the Palmers into the office, closing the door and locking it once more.
About thirty minutes later the door to Jenny’s office opened and Bobbie walked out, followed by Mr. Palmer, Doris, and Mrs. Palmer. Kathy followed behind Mrs. Palmer. To Peter, Mr. Palmer looked as though he wanted to punch his fist through a plate of steel. The expression on Mrs. Palmer’s face was a mixture of helping her husband with that steel plate and unhappiness. Doris, of course, looked upset, but also relieved. And Kathy looked as though she wanted to kick someone’s something. Peter noticed Bobbie had put her arm around Kathy, not so much to comfort her but to hold her back. The Palmers had been walking away, with Doris in the middle, their arms around her and her arms around each one of her parents. The Palmers stopped when Doris stopped, turned and ran back to Kathy, hugging her and telling her, “Thank you, girlfriend.” With a big smile on her face, Kathy replied, “You’re welcome, girlfriend. Any time.” Doris walked back to her parents and they continued on before turning the corner to the main corridor.
Last to leave Jenny’s office was Barbara and Jo, followed by Jenny. All three could see the questioning look on Peter’s face, so Barbara told him, “I can’t give you all of the details, Peter, but it’s a matter of forcible incest by the brother. We’re going over to the Palmers right now, and I’m afraid their son will be coming with us. What happens after that I haven’t a clue. It depends on several things that I’m not going to go into. As I said, Peter, ‘I’ can’t tell you any more,” and she looked at Jenny as she said it.” Peter looked at Jenny, who nodded towards her office, and Peter followed her back to her official office, after Jenny closed and locked the door.
Peter sat down on the couch, and Jenny sat in one of the facing chairs, before she told Peter, “Peter, I can’t tell you everything Doris told me, you understand. So I’ll give you the gist of her problem. Seems her brother found her diary, and because of some things she’d written in it, threatened to show it to their parents unless Doris gave herself to him at night. And any time their parents were out of the house. And, um…” Her voice trailed off for a moment before she said, “And when Kathy saw her, she was contemplating sucicide. She was too scared to go to her parents because of what she’d written in her diary, and too embarrassed to go to anyone here at school. If Kathy hadn’t taken it upon herself to get her to me, you would have read about Doris Palmer in the obituaries. Peter, this goes no further than between those in this room and you. All you can tell anyone, even Terry, who I heard quite clearly, is that Doris has some problems at home. We have to step back and let the police handle this one. And Doris will be meeting with me, and likely she’ll want Kathy with her.”
Peter nodded his head at the last part of what Jenny told him. Then he said, more to himself than Jenny, “Yeah, getting the message through to Terry might not be easy. She hasn’t taken ‘none of your business’ very well. Gads, poor Kathy. Terry is going to rip her a new one when Kathy tells her the same thing. Or tells her she can’t tell her. Maybe you should be with me when I face Terry, she seems to respect your opinion better than mine.” Jenny nodded her head, and together they got up out of their seats, left Jenny’s office and walked to the school offices.
After the Palmers had turned the corner into the main corridor, Bobbie had taken Kathy to the girls locker room so she could get dressed in her school clothes. Once Kathy was dressed, Bobbie walked with her towards the main corridor, where they met Jenny and Peter. Jenny and Peter could see by the expression on Kathy’s face, that they didn’t have to ask the question. So Peter just asked, “You ready?” Kathy chuckled, then replied, “About as much as I was ready for the hospital after the accident. But it’s got to be done.” Bobbie and Kathy followed Jenny and Peter as the four walked the rest of the way to the school offices. Once inside, it wasn’t difficult to know where Robert had taken Terry because she was yelling her head off. The four followed the shouting and found Robert had taken Terry to one of the smaller conference rooms. Bobbie stepped in front of Jenny and Peter, opened the conference door and walked into the room before the other three. She wasn’t shy when she told Terry, “TERRY! EVERYONE OUT HERE CAN HEAR YOUR SCREAMING. SO SHUT YOUR MOUTH RIGHT THIS MINUTE!” The shock of how Bobbie spoke to Terry had the desired effect, Terry stopped shouting.
Just after Terry stopped shouting, Jenny, Peter, and Kathy walked into the room, Kathy closed the door after her. Robert had again grabbed Terry’s arm and forced her to sit in a chair, and Bobbie was staring daggers at her to keep her quiet.
Jenny spoke first by asking, “You haven’t been taking that medication I prescribed, have you?” When Terry sheepishly shook her head, Jenny said, “I thought so. It shows. You’re going to hate me for this, but I don’t care. Peter is going to take the girls home, and you’re coming with me to the hospital to spend a few nights in the psych ward. We’re going to find out why you’re so wound up, and refusing to take the medication I prescribed.” Jenny held up her hand to stop Terry from speaking. “This is not negotiable, Terry, you’re going. Even if I have to have Robert carry you to my car, hold you down and carry you into the hospital. You’re going!”
Marge spoke up just then, and told Terry, “Terry. I tried to tell you what was going to happen if you didn’t calm down. Because that’s what you’d already been told. Don’t blame Jenny, Peter, Kathy, Robert, Bobbie, or me. This is all on you.” Terry tried to give Marge a nasty look, but Marge didn’t flinch under Terry’s stare. She simply told Terry, “That’s not going to work this time, Terry. You know I’m right in what I said.”
Peter took his turn by saying, “Terry. I told you before but I’ll tell you again, this particular situation is none of your business. It’s a matter for the Palmers to work out. Kathy’s only involvement was to save the life of Doris, because the girl was thinking of taking her own life to put an end to her problem at home. I also told you not everything happens to Kathy, other people have problems that Kathy is sometimes in the right place to offer help. And I hate to say this...no I don’t hate to say it, Jenny is right. You need some time by yourself talking to someone in order to find out why you keep being so wound up. And the hospital is the perfect place to go. And if you try to fight this, I’ll find a judge who knows you and ask to have you committed. And believe me, sister dear, you’ve made yourself known because of what happened to Walter. And I’ll have no trouble finding someone to sign the papers.”
After Jenny, Marge, and Peter spoke, everyone could see the fire in Terry’s eyes, and the angry look on her face. She started to get up from her chair, but Robert put his hand on her shoulder, gently squeezed and pushed her back down into the chair. He then bent over and told her, “Stay seated, Terry. And listen. You’ve said enough for today.” He kept his hand on her shoulder.
Kathy walked around the table to her mom, put her arm around Terry and told her, “Mom, I know you would have hounded me for answers but I couldn’t have told you more than what you’ve already been told. It wasn’t for me to tell, plus, anything said in Jenny’s office is privileged. And you would have gotten angry with me because I wouldn’t tell you anything. And knowing you, as I do, you probably would have grounded me for no reason other than I wouldn’t answer your questions. Mom, I dearly love you, but you need to get yourself under control. Even daddy can see that.” Terry pulled Kathy into a hug and cried into her chest. Robert took his hand off Terry’s shoulder, then motioned to Bobbie for them to wait outside the room.
The ride in the Palmer car from the school to their house was deathly silent. Doris sat in the front seat between her mom and dad. Both parents had an arm around her, though her dad often had to use both hands on the steering wheel. When they reached their house, Dale reached up and pressed a button on the remote for the garage door, waiting until the door was fully open before driving into the garage. He hit the same button again, causing the garage door to close, before getting out of the car. He waited for his wife and Doris, taking their hands in his as the three walked into the house.
Tad Palmer, Doris’ brother, was in the living room watching TV, and was so engrossed in the program that he didn’t hear the garage door open or close. His attention was averted when his father walked over to the TV and shut it off, standing in front of it with a look Tad had seen a few times over the years. Tad realized something was up when his mom walked to the front door, opened it, and let two women into the house, one a uniformed police woman. He then looked over to Doris, who was standing out of his reach, but was also staring at him with a look of triumph written on her face. Tad swallowed hard.
“Hi everyone, so what’s up,” Tad said, trying to sound matter-of-factly. No one said a thing, they just kept staring at him. In a voice Tad had never heard Dale use, Dale told his son, “Doris had told us everything, Tad. It won’t do you any good to try and pretend nothing is wrong. This woman there is Detective Stevens, the other woman is Officer Dunnley. They heard everything, Tad.”
Tad had pulled the same innocent game on his parents several times before, and got himself out of trouble. Because the police were in the house, he felt it was his best chance of getting out of it this time too. “Doris told you everything about what, dad? You know she’s always making up stories about this or that, so you can’t always believe what she says.”
It was Joyce who told her son, “That innocent ploy isn’t going to work this time, Tad. You’re in it up to your neck this time.” Tad tried to look exasperated as he said, “Mom, I don’t have the slightest clue what you and dad are talking about. Maybe if you told me what this is all about and why two police women are here, it might help.”
There was a coldness in Doris’ voice that sent a chill up Tad’s spine. “It’s no good, Tad, they know about my diary, and how you found it and had threatened to show it to mom and dad if I didn’t let you screw me every night and when mom and dad were out of the house.”
Tad put on his best ‘I’m innocent’ look and said, “Doris, I don’t know what’s gotten into you, but I haven’t been in your room for ever. I think you must have been dreaming or writing one of your stories.” Tad didn’t like the smile that formed on Doris’ face, as he watched her walk out of the living room towards the bedrooms. She returned a moment later with a plastic bag, held it up and asked her brother, “So, brother dear, if these officers took what’s in this bag to their lab, they won’t find your sperm and my fluids on them? And my blood as you forced yourself into me?”
Still trying to wiggle his way out of this mess, Tad said, “I don’t know where you got those, Doris, but they aren’t mine. I think you’re trying to get back at me for that prank I pulled on you last year.” Doris handed the plastic bag to Detective Stevens.
Dale spoke again as he told Tad, “Tad, take your mother and Officer Dunnley to your bedroom and give Officer Dunnley the diary you took from Doris’ bedroom.”
But Tad wasn’t finished trying to play the innocent one at this moment. “But dad, I don’t have Doris’ diary. I never took it, or anything, from Doris’ bedroom. I don’t understand why she’s accusing me.”
Dale got a real ugly look on his face, as he slowly walked towards his son. He bent down until he was inches away from Tad’s face, and said, “Tad, either you go with your mother and Officer Dunnley, or Officer Dunnley will go with me and I’ll tear your bedroom apart and find that diary. And gawd knows whatever else you’re hiding in there.”
Tad pulled all the stops out now, as many stops as he’d acquired. “Dad, I’m telling you, I don’t have Doris’ diary. And I’m not hiding anything in my bedroom.”
Dale straightened, nodded his head, then said to Jo, “Officer Dunnley, would you please come with me to Tad’s bedroom.” Dale started walking out of the living room with Jo behind him. Tad stood up and yelled, “YOU CAN’T GO INTO MY BEDROOM, IT’S PRIVATE.” Dale stopped, turned to face Tad and told him, “The only private bedroom in this house is your mother’s and mine. The other bedrooms are open for inspection any time we like. Now sit down and keep your mouth shut.” Dale again turned and started walking down the hallway to the bedrooms.
Tad took one step to follow his father and the Officer, when his shirt collar was grabbed from behind and he found himself again sitting on the couch. Joyce bent down and snarled, “Your father told you to sit down and keep your mouth shut.”
About fifteen minutes later, Dale and Officer Dunnley came back into the living room, Dale carrying the diary and Jo carrying a duffle bag. “Well, look here, Joyce, look what we found in Tad’s bedroom. And look what else we found in this duffle bag.” Jo sat the bag on the floor, unzipped it and pulled the sides down, revealing bag after bag of various colored pills. And a lot of money lying at the bottom of the bag.
Barbara had constantly watched Tad throughout this whole time, and was amazed that he was able to keep his cool. Even when confronted with the lie he’d been telling. “Where’d you find the diary, Mr. Palmer? And the duffle bag?” Jo had taken everything out of the duffle bag and laid the contents separately across the floor. In all, there were thirty bags of pills and twenty-five hundred dollars in mostly twenties and tens. Jo had picked up one of the bags and examined its contents. Then she said, “Barbara, there’s a little of everything in this one bag. And it looks like the same in the others.”
After Jo had finished speaking, Dale said, “The diary was under the mattress and the duffle bag was hidden in the back of the closet. We found some other things under that bag, which we left along, but it might be best if you see them for yourself.” Dale took Barbara back to Tad’s bedroom, and when she came back she told Jo to repack the duffle bag, told Tad to stand up, he was under arrest, and then told everyone to get out of the house. It wasn’t long before scierns could be heard and the bomb squad arrived at the Palmer house. Two people got out of the truck, put on protective gear, took a heavy looking container off the truck and carried it into the house. Another police car arrived, a K9 unit, and when the two in protective gear came out of the house, declaring it safe, the Officer with the dog went into the house. She came out a few minutes later saying, “There’s no more explosives, but you better come and see this, Detective.”
The Officer with the dog led Barbara into the house and back to Tad’s bedroom. The Officer had her dog ‘sit’ and ‘stay’ as she showed Barbara what Rexy had found hidden in the clothes closet. Behind a concealed panel Barbara saw what must be one hundred of the same bags they found in the duffle bag. And at the bottom was even more money. Barbara pulled out her phone, dialed another number, and within minutes, two more police cars arrived. The Officers came into the house, Barbara directed them to the closet, and let them carry out their jobs. These four Officers were from the drug unit.
Barbara went back outside, walked up to Tad, being held by the arm by Jo, and told him, “Tad, you are under arrest for rape of a minor, possession of illegal substances for intent to sell, and possession of explosives.” She then went on to read him his Miranda rights, making sure everything was done by the book. She had a feeling what they found in Tad’s room would clear several cases the drug unit had been working on. And a couple the ATF had in their possession.
It wasn’t long before the Officers with the drug unit came out of the house, carrying a large plastic bag with the bags of pills they were shown in the closet. They were also carrying a plastic bag which contained all of the money also found with the bags of pills. When it was all finally counted, it’d total just shy of fifty thousand dollars in tens and twenties.
The K9 Officer was again asked to have Rexy make one more sweep of the house. The Officer came out a few minutes later and told Barbara the house was clear. Jo then opened the back door of their car and placed Tad inside the car, pulling the seat belt across him and latching it before closing the back door. Barbara went back into the house with the Palmers, while Jo stayed at their car, and Barbara went over the procedures for booking Tad and his need to make a first appearance in Court for a bail hearing. Dale looked at Joyce, who shook her head, before Dale told Barbara, “He won’t be bailed out, Detective. He’s too much of a flight risk. He’ll stay in jail until his Court date. We’ll get him a lawyer, but it’s time he receives what he’s due. I know you think we’re being too harsh, but this crap has been going on for far too long.”
Barbara chuckled, then told Dale and Joyce, “Mr. and Mrs. Palmer, with what we found in his bedroom I seriously doubt if he’ll be granted bail. The Courts are cracking down on those found with explosives in their possession. And those five pipe bombs are going to cost him a lot of years in prison.” Barbara said goodbye to the Palmers and left the house. Dale got on the phone and called their lawyer, who recommended a good criminal lawyer, one who was fair but knew when it was best for their client to take a plea instead of going to trial. Dale hung up then dialed the number their lawyer had given him. When the call was answered, he told who he was, who recommended that firm, and asked to speak with the lawyer recommended to him. After explaining the circumstances to that lawyer, that lawyer told Dale with everything the police found, the best chance Dale’s son had was to plead guilty and hope he got out of prison in just a few years. Because if they went to trial, Dale’s son could be old and gray by the time he was released from prison. Dale gave that lawyer all the information Barbara gave him, then said he’d bring the retainer by in the morning.
After Dale finished the phone call, he, Joyce, and Doris collapsed onto the couch in stunned silence. None of them could believe what Tad had been doing or how bad it had gotten. It was Doris who verbalized what Dale and Joyse were thinking, by saying, “Gads, what a fucking mess.” For once, Doris got away with cussing in front of her parents. “Yeah,” Joyce replied, “what a big fucking mess.” Despite the severity of the situation, Doris looked at her dad, who looked at her, then the two looked at Joyce, and burst out laughing. This had been the first time anyone had heard Joyce cuss. She was always the one correcting anyone’s language, and here she’d drop the ‘F’ bomb in front of her daughter and husband. She turned to face Doris and Dale, who were both still laughing, and asked, “What’s so damn funny?” This only caused the two to laugh harder, until tears rolled down their cheeks. And kept rolling as their laughter turned into crying, with Joyce joining them.
The lawyer that had been recommended to Dale spoke with Tad, and laid out the possible sentences the boy was facing if he pled guilty or went to trial. Tad was still trying to pull off his innocent act, until the lawyer told him to cut out the bullshit, the police found his fingerprints on everything they found. And he was going to prison, how long was the question. When the DA came into the mix, Tad was given a choice. Ten years for the pipe bombs and five years for the drugs. Or face a jury trial and face a possible twenty years for the pipe bombs and ten years for the drugs. Tad wisely chose the former, even though there was no chance of parole. He’d be in his early thirties when he was released.
Right Time
By Jamie Lee
Most often people talk about being in the right place at the right time. Maybe they achieved a beautiful photo of a sunrise, or the antics of children or animals. Maybe they found something someone lost and received a big reward when it was returned. But how often do they talk about being in the wrong place at the right time? If they do, it’s often about the death of someone or maybe witnessing a crime. And if this is the case, they are sad or horrified. Walter Williams often is in the wrong place at the right time, though his reaction to the incidents he encounters is much different than anyone would expect. And, life-changing.
As everyone left the conference room, Kathy continued holding onto her mom, Terry doing the same with Kathy, as they started walking down the hallway to the office doors. Peter pulled out his cell phone and dialed Shelby’s number, telling him what was happening when Shelby answered his phone. “I’m not surprised, Peter,” Shelby told him, “Kathy and I have been gently telling her she needed to open up during our meeting with Jenny and Beverly, but she kept telling us she was fine.” Then he chuckled, “I guess now we know where Walter got his ‘up and at ‘em’ attitude after encountering a situation. I’ll let everyone here know I’m leaving and meet everyone at the hospital.”
Margot watched as a distraught Terry, holding onto a very concerned Kathy, walked by her desk, Kathy acknowledging Margot as they passed. The two were followed by Jenny, who was followed by Bobbie and Robert. Peter stopped at Margot’s desk and told her, “Margot, I’m going to the hospital with Terry and Kathy. Terry popped her cork one too many times, and Jenny’s putting her in the hospital for a few days, hopefully so Jenny and the hospital psychologist can learn why she gets so wound up lately. So, if you would, make sure everything is locked up before you leave. Or kick out those hanging around.” He smiled when he said the last part, he knew some of the kids would come and talk with her, Tina, or one of the others in the office. They all acted as unofficial counselors.
Kathy helped guide Terry to Jenny’s car, Peter and Marge would take his own car to the hospital; they’d figure out something with Terry’s car later. Jenny opened the back door of her car, waiting until Terry and Kathy were inside before closing the door, then going around to the driver’s side and getting into the driver’s side of the car. As Jenny backed out of the parking space, she saw Terry had her head on Kathy’s shoulder, and the two were holding each other. Terry didn’t see the tears slowly sliding down Kathy’s cheeks, or her trembling lips. No one said a word all the way to the hospital, or when they’d arrived. Jenny parked her car, Peter pulling in beside her. After the five got out of the cars, and started walking to the hospital entrance, it took Terry only a moment to see Shelby standing in front of the hospital entrance. She let go of Kathy and almost ran to Shelby, embracing him as the rock he’d become for her all the years they’d been married. Kathy watched her parents show a love for each other she’d seen her entire life. She caught up with them, put her arm around her mom again, and the three followed Jenny into the hospital and to the floor for the psych ward. Marge and Kathy had to wait in the waiting room, as Shelby filled out the necessary paperwork, while Jenny took Terry to the room which would be her’s for as long as Jenny deemed necessary. Terry remembered the two nurses who’d been with Kathy, and chuckled when they handed her the same type gown to put on. Terry went into the bathroom, changed into the gown, then gave her clothing to the nurses. Terry’s clothing was neatly folded before being put into a plastic bag, which left with the nurses as they left Terry with Jenny.
Jenny led Terry over to the bed, had her sit down on the bed, then told her, “The usual suspects will be visiting you this evening. Vampires, a quack who’ll be giving you a complete physical, and I mean a COMPLETE physical, you’ll get your usual last meal before you’re put before the firing squad, and you’ll be allowed to say goodbye to your husband and child before the prison closes its gates for the evening. Any questions?” Terry laughed before telling Jenny, “You wait and see if I invite you to my wedding. You’d probably want to examine everyone there.” Jenny banterted back, “Good, I wouldn’t come anyway. You already have one excellent husband, you don’t need another one. Plus, you have an adorable daughter.” Then Jenny got serious, telling Terry, “We’re going to take blood samples to check all of your body’s chemical and enzyme levels. Marsha will be coming up to give you a complete physical, it’s been a while for you, hasn’t it.” Terry nodded before Jenny continued. “Your evening meal will be smuggled into the hospital, the last thing I want is for you trying to escape after you taste the hospital food. After Shelby gets all the paperwork sorted out, I’ll bring him and the girls back and you can have them for a while. Then I’d like you, me, and Beverly to chat a little bit this evening before you go to sleep. And you will go to sleep because you’ll be given something to help you go to sleep. Terry, whether you see it or not, you have a lot of people worried about you. You have five who love the hell out of you.” Terry gave Jenny a quizzical look before Jenny said, “Tina.” Jenny then told Terry she’d be right back and left Terry in her room with her thoughts. Thoughts which were running around in her head like six-year-olds at a birthday party. Thoughts which had a core but couldn’t be seen at the moment. Thoughts which needed prioritized and shifted through. Thoughts which Terry needed to come to grips with. It wasn’t long before Beverly came into Terry’s room, followed by Shelby, Marge, and Kathy. It was hard to do, but the three managed to all hug Terry at the same time. Jenny brought over the box of tissues sitting on the chest of drawers in the room.
A short time later Peter came into Terry’s room, guided there by one of the nurses. Terry happened to look up and spotted Peter standing near the door, tears falling from his eyes, his lips trembling, and his hands crossed together at his stomach. He looked much like he did when he heard their parents had been killed in that car accident. Terry told her group, “Please, let me get up. It’s important.” The three moved back as Terry stood and walked over to Peter, who she took into a hug and let him cry on her shoulder. It’s the same thing he did that day too.
When Peter could speak, he told Terry, “I hate to see you in here, but you’ve kept things bottled up for too long. You kept our parents’ deaths there, you kept how you found me that day there, and you’ve been keeping Walter into Kathy there. You need to tell them everything, EVERYTHING, you understand? And believe me when I say I saw how you having to become my parent affected you during that time. That’s when you started packing everything away in your private box, and passed that ability on to Walter. It’s what almost caused us to lose Kathy, because she didn’t know how to share. Tell them everything, please?”
Another set of arms encircled Terry and Peter, each receiving a kiss on the cheek. “We’re going to get through this, you two. I love both of you very much.” Terry and Peter looked at the new person with them and saw it was Tina, who had a sad look in her eyes but a smile on her face. “Both of you have stories to tell, stories you’ve kept to yourselves for far too long.” She then looked directly at Peter and said, “And Terry isn’t the only one who’s buried his feelings in his own private vault. I think it’d do you good to visit a certain lady while you’re at school. Wouldn’t you agree it’s time all of you stopped storing all of your memories in your vaults? Treasured ones, sure. But not the ones that threaten to rule your lives if they escape confinement. And because of recent events, some of those memories you’ve locked away have escaped, and are at this moment causing all of you loads of grief. My sweet ones, these two women,” and she nodded her head towards Beverly and Jenny, “are two of the most trusted in the profession in this area. They won’t condemn you for anything you tell them. They won’t make you feel terrible about yourself because of what you tell them. They are compassionate and will walk you through a process that will help you feel better about yourselves in the end. I know, I’ve had to use their services several times in the last few years.”
Tina let go of Terry and Peter and said, “And now, if you’ll give me a minute,” and she walked back out into the hall before returning with several bags, “it’s dinner time.” And she held up the bags for everyone to see.
A nurse came into Terry’s room after a cheer emanated from the room. She took one look at the various items sitting on the table, snorted, turned, and left the room. No one heard her say, as she walked back down the hall, “Lucky stiffs.”
Once everyone had finished eating, Beverly broke the news that it was time the family group left so she, Jenny, and Marsha, who had just come into the room, could get down to business with Terry. Beverly walked Peter and Shelby out of the room, stopping in the hall with them, telling both, “We’ll keep in touch. Not much is going to happen the rest of the evening, it will start in earnest tomorrow. Now both of you understand something. Neither Jenny or I will be able to get into details with either of you. If Terry wants to tell you anything that will be her decision. Don’t press her for information, give her time and space. She’s not a China Doll, but she’s awfully close to it right now. As it stands right now, she’ll be with us for a couple of days, I think it will take that long for her to get past her built-in defenses. It’s something similar we experienced with Kathy. I’ll let you both know something tomorrow evening, okay?” Both men nodded their heads, hugged her, thanked her, turned and followed the girls down the hallway. Neither man had to ask the other the questions about Terry they both were thinking about, they knew the answers.
One question both men didn’t know the answer to was how the girls would get to school and back home. As if that thought had been projected around open space, Shelby’s cell phone rang, it was Dorothy, Marge’s mom.
“Hello, Dorothy. How are you doing?” He wasn’t prepared for Dorothy’s response, but grateful anyway.
“I’ll come straight to the point, Shelby. The girls will stay with Tom and me while Terry gets her head screwed back on. I know what time you normally leave for the office, and that’s way too early for the girls to be at school. OUTSIDE, by themselves. I’ll take no arguments from you or your brother-in-law, it’s a done deal, so says Kathy and Marge!”
All Shelby could say was, “Um, Dorothy, could you hold on for a moment?” When she told him she could, he looked to where Marge and Kathy were standing, smiles on both of their faces.
Kathy saw the look of displeasure on her father’s face, and told him, “Yes, daddy, Marge and I talked it over. With you worrying about mom, and us needing to get to school so we could walk safely into school, Marge called her mom and asked if she would watch after us while you concentrated on being there for mom.”
Peter finally caught on to what the call was about, and softly told Shelby, “Damn, Shelby, she’s more concerned about you and Terry than herself. That’s a heck of a daughter you got there.” Shelby cleared his throat and replied, “Yesh, she is. She even surprises me sometimes.”
Shelby put his phone to his ear again, and told Dorothy, “Uh, Dorothy, seems like I’ve been out voted by you ladies. And I want to thank you for doing this for us. Terry would have my head on a pike in the front yard if I left those two alone at school before it opened. I’ll take Kathy home to get some things then bring them by. Okay?”
Dorothy was nodding her head at the other end of the phone, but told Shelby, “That will be fine, Shelby. And you’re to come over for dinner until they spring Terry. Shelby, in all honesty, you and Terry have done so much for Marge this is the least Tom and I could do for you two. Right now you need to be concentrating on your wife, and let us deal with the girls. After all, I suspect we’ll become in-laws one day.” Dorothy said her goodbyes, then cut the connection.
Shelby walked over where the girls were standing, pulled them both into a hug, telling them, “If you two don’t beat all.” Both Marge and Kathy felt drops of water hit their blouses.
Before Peter and Shelby drove their separate ways, it was arranged for Shelby to meet Peter at the high school, after dropping the girls off with Dorothy, so Peter could drive Terry’s car home. Shelby would then take Peter back to the high school so he could pick up his car to drive home. What should have taken about an hour to complete, took a bit over two hours, as both men sat in the high school parking lot and talked, Peter telling Shelby his story after his parents were killed.
Meanwhile, back in Terry’s psych ward room, Beverly walked over to the door, slid the marker mounted on the door from ‘open’ to ‘do not disturb’ then shut the door. Then it was Marsha’s turn as she told Terry, “Okay, lady, strip.” Terry gave Marsha ‘the look’ but was told, “Sorry, Terry, that look doesn’t work on me. I looked through what medical records anyone has on you and it’s been quite some time since you had a complete physical. So, Strip. Or the three of us will help you reveal your outer beauty.” Jenny and Beverly had no trouble seeing how frosty Terry reacted by being told to do something she didn’t want to do, and maybe another reason why she becomes easily upset. It would be something they’d explore with Terry tomorrow.
Marsha had spoken to Beverly before either had come to visit Terry, agreeing not to use kid gloves with Terry. Both had seen Terry when she was upset, and knew a clam could be opened easier than Terry when she was upset. “Come on, girl. Strip. It’s only us women in this room, and you are going to get a physical with or without your cooperation.” She then walked over to Terry, who was pouting like a five-year-old child who couldn’t have a cookie instead of broccoli, sat down on the bed next to her, and told her, “Terry, I’m not going to pretend I know how you’re feeling at this moment. I’m not going to pretend I know how you feel every time something happens and Kathy’s involved, maybe one day I will. But I can see how wound up you are and it isn’t healthy. Before these two headhunters,” and she pointed to Beverly and Jenny, “have a crack at you, they need to know there’s nothing physically wrong under the hood. And that’s where I come in.” Marsha got off the bed, took Terry’s hand, pulled her off the bed and told her, “So, strip, Terry.” Terry gave Marsha a weak smile, nodded, then pulled the gown up over her head, then pulled down and stepped out of her panties. It was Beverly who said, “Hub-ba hub-ba,” followed by Jenny’s “No wonder Shelby walks around with a smile on his face. And a hard on in his pants. Girlfriend, you look spectacular.” Terry seldom undressed in front of other women because the circumstances never arose, so she blushed at the compliments paid to her before saying, “Too bad you ladies won’t get the opportunity to see what I get stuck with.” Jenny, Beverly, and Marsha all looked at each other for a minute, before getting the double entendre Terry had just made. The three slowly turned to look at Terry, who had that innocent school girl look on her face, before all four burst out laughing.
When Marsha could finally speak, she told Terry, “Gads, woman, you’re terrible.” She chuckled before having Terry sit back on the bed and began her cursory exam of Terry. Once Terry’s ears, eyes, nose, and throat were examined, Marsha then palpated under Terry’s jaw, checking to see if there were any swollen glands or other abnormalities. She then listened to Terry’s heart, her lungs, even thumbing Terry’s back, listening for any unusual sounds. Masha then palpated Terry’s breasts, checking for any unusual lumps or overly sensitive areas. She tested Terry’s reflexes, inspected her hands and feet, then she surprised Terry by going to the foot of the bed and lifting up two stirrups which had rested down near the legs of the bed. Marsha looked at Terry and told her, “You’ve been here before and know the drill, so assume the position.” Terry stuck her tongue out at Marsha before lying down at the foot of the bed and putting her feet into the stirrups.
Beverly and Jenny chuckled when they heard, “DAMN, that thing is cold,” coming from Terry. They nearly lost it completely when Terry asked, “Do you doctors keep that thing cold on purpose, or just to test other reflexes.” And Marsha replied with, “No, we keep it cold so you won’t get aroused while we play with you.” While the two psychologists held it together, Terry lost it completely, and started laughing a deep throaty laugh, which ended with Terry crying. Marsha took Terry’s legs out of the stirrups, went around and sat on the bed next to Terry, picking her up and cradling her as she cried. “It’s okay, Terry. It’s going to be okay,” she told Terry as she held her. Beverly and Jenny watched the smirk form on Marsha’s lips, then heard her say, “Terry, everything looks good, you’re a healthy woman. Your pelvic exam looks good, so you can continue to be stuck on Shelby.” It took a moment for Terry, still crying, to stop crying, look at Marsha through tear laden eyes, and seeing the innocent look on her face, tell her in a choked up voice, “Oh gawd. Now who’s terrible?” Marsha had been just holding Terry as she cried. Now both women were holding each other, a bond forming that would last for years to come. Then Marsha told Terry, “Come on, let’s get you dressed then get your face washed.”
Marsha helped Terry get off the bed, handed Terry’s panties to her, then her gown. She then went into the bathroom with Terry and stayed with her in case Terry needed any help. While the two women were in the bathroom, Jenny told Beverly in a low voice, “I think it’s fair to say those two will be close friends for some time to come. Something that girl needs. She’s so like Kathy, all balled up inside.” Beverly nodded her head and replied, “But I don’t think she’ll be as quick to open up as Kathy was during her stay. She’s hiding something, something that’s really affected her up to this point in her life.” Jenny just nodded.
After Terry and Marsha came out of the bathroom, Beverly opened the door, slid the slide to show ‘open’ on the plate, then the four women sat and chatted. It wasn’t long before they heard a knock on the door, turned to look, and saw a tech standing there in the doorway. “Um, doctor Taylor. I’m here to get the blood samples you wanted,” the young woman said. Marsha looked at her watch and saw it was two and a half hours after Terry ate, so would be a good time to get the samples. “Okay, Sandra. Here’s the victim, do your worst,” and Marsha had pointed to Terry. Terry had slowly turned her head so she was looking at Marsha when she said, “You’re loving this, aren’t you. Just remember, I’ll know where you live.” Marsha laughed, nodded her head, then said, “Oh, girlfriend, you know I am.” Sandra came over where Terry was sitting, set her carrying case down, took out an elastic band and wrapped it around Terry’s upper arm, just above her elbow. She took an alcohol swab and swabbed the area just below Terry’s elbow on the inside of her forearm, then, “OUCH, damn that hurt,” Terry cried, as Sandra inserted the needle into the vein in Terry’s arm. Sandra filled one tube, switched to another and filled that one, before removing the needle from Terry’s arm. She then taped a gauze pad over the puncture, removing the elastic band and telling Terry to leave it on for about an hour, before picking up her equipment and leaving the room.
By now, it was around nine-thirty in the evening, and time, Marsha thought, for Terry to get some much needed sleep. It wasn’t long before a nurse came into the room, right at nine-thirty, and proceeded to get a glass of water from the bathroom, before giving a pill to Terry. Terry held the pill in her hand, a dubious look on her face as she looked at Marsha. All Marsha said was, “It’ll help you sleep. Even I can see how tired you are right this minute, and I don’t want you tossing and turning, worrying about something instead of sleeping. So be a big girl and take the pill.” Once again Terry stuck her tongue out at Marsha, before popping the pill in her mouth, swallowing it before drinking the glass of water to wash the pill down. The nurse helped Terry get into bed, asked if she needed anything, seeing a smirk form on Terry’s lips, and hearing Marsha say, “Don’t say it,” before she left the room. It was Beverly who then told Terry, “Breakfast is at eight, then we get to work on your problem. Keep in mind, Terry, it’s all up to you how long to visit us here. So being completely open with Jenny and myself will be in your favor.”
Jenny and Beverly left the room, while Marsha sat with Terry until the sedative started taking effect. They chatted about the girls, their relationship, Terry’s concerns for their future, and Shelby. Marsha had a feeling Terry never heard her name mentioned, because it wasn’t long before Terry’s eyelids started drooping. Marsha leaned down, kissed Terry on the forehead, and wished her a good night’s sleep. Terry never noticed when Marsha left the room, or when the lights were turned off, or when the door was partially closed. Terry didn’t remember anything until a nurse was gently shaking her, telling her it was time for breakfast. Terry told the nurse, holding the tray of food, that breakfast could wait for a few moments, as Terry got out of bed and made her way to the bathroom. It was a strange place for Terry to make a realization, but she realized how rested she felt. And as she thought, in those first moments of waking, she hadn’t had one single nightmare or dream. Terry was still chewing on that particular thought, as she came out of the bathroom. The nurse had sat the tray of food on the small table in the room, and Terry, still mulling over the dreamless night, sat down and mechanically ate her breakfast. This was something she’d have to ask Beverly and Jenny about. It was nine in the morning when Beverly and Jenny came into Terry’s room, Jenny moving the slider until ‘Do Not Disturb’ was displayed. The work on Terry’s mind had begun.
Terry sat on the bed with her legs hanging over the edge, and Beverly and Jenny pulled two of the six chairs in the room over to her bed. Jenny started off by asking, “Do you have any questions before Beverly and I start peeling your brain apart?” They watched Terry as she formed her words, then heard, “I don’t remember dreaming or having any nightmares. Why? Was it because of the sedative I was given?”
“Yes it was,” Beverly said. “You see Terry, we wanted you fresh this morning, not bothered by any dreams or nightmares, something we’ll talk about, so I had you given a sedative which shut down your thinking process. Most people, when they sleep, are constantly thinking about this or that, which can precipitate dreams or nightmares. And because they don’t have a sound sleep, they’re draggy the next morning. You mentioned nightmares. What are they about? Do you have them often? Is there a pattern to them?”
Both women watched as Terry scooted back from the edge of the bed, then brought her legs up until they were tucked into her chest. They both also saw the look of despair on Terry’s face, the look of helplessness. Terry then wiped her eyes with the back of her hands, but remained silent. Jenny had an idea what Terry’s nightmares were about, and decided it was time Terry got it out into the open. “Terry, Peter told me about the accident and what almost happened to him, but I don’t think Beverly has heard the entire story. I think it’s time you told it from your perspective. I think it’s time you face the demon which has been haunting you since the death of your parents.” Jenny stopped talking and watched Terry go through a series of emotions, again wiping her eyes with the back of her hands.
Both women had discussed how to approach Terry, how to get her to open up. How to get Terry to finally release everything she’d been pushing down all these years. And because Terry was a strong willed woman, they both felt the direct approach was best. There’d be no kid gloves, no beating around the bush. They were going to confront Terry and force her to face what she’d been afraid to face since the death of their parents. Her emotions.
It seemed an eternity before Terry began to speak. And when she did, her voice was broken with emotions as she spoke. “I...um...don’t remember where mom and dad were going, but according to the police report, they were at a controlled intersection and had stopped for a red light. When the light turned green dad started the car into the intersection. Coming from their left was a semi truck hauling a heavy load, and coming to the red light for his lane. According to the driver’s report, he downshifted and stepped on the brakes, only to realize the air brakes hadn’t engaged. He downshifted again and kept pumping the brake pedal, but couldn’t get the air brakes to work. The load he was hauling gave the truck so much interia that it was impossible to stop the truck without brakes. He downshifted a third time, still pumping the brakes, but shot into the intersection. Mom and dad were right in the truck’s path in the intersection, and the truck drove right over the top of the car, killing them instantly. When the investigators inspected the brakes on that semi, they found the linkage from the brake pedal had been sawed almost all the way through. They figured the brakes would have worked for a time until that linkage finally broke where it had been sawed.”
Terry paused to clear her throat, take a drink of water, and wipe her eyes again, before going on with, “They then went to the company the driver drove for and started going through the company’s security footage, and found the video which showed someone tampering with that truck. They then had the date and time, and unknown to the man sabotaging the truck, they also got a good, clear, picture of his face. Once they identified him, and learned where he worked, they paid him a visit at his home. It wasn’t in their report, but one of the investigators told me, when they showed him the security footage of him sabotaging the truck, he wet himself. And when they told him he was going to be charged with two counts of murders, he sang like a canary. He told the investigators, ‘if he was going down, so was the bastard who paid him for the job.’ It seemed the company the driver drove for was making a name for itself for fast, on time, deliveries. And for how they treated the cargo they hauled. The owner of the other company, the one where the man who sabotaged the truck worked, was losing money because he wasn’t willing to put up with crap from any of his customers. His drivers didn’t care if they arrived on time, or if their cargo was damaged or missing. In fact, as the investigators discovered, some of those drivers had been selling some of their cargo on the side, then claiming it was stolen while they stopped to rest. Plus, that company was having trouble retaining drives, because the owner shortchanged them every time they went out.”
“The investigators now had a video confession from the saboteur, telling them everything. Even how much he’d been paid. They then confronted the owner of the other company, who denied everything at first. But when he saw the video of the sabotage taking place, and the video confession, he became belligerent, telling the investigators they were full of shit. That the man on the video confession had been fired some days ago. The investigators produced documents showing that was a lie, that the man still worked for the owner. The real kicker was when they produced a thumb drive the man had given the investigators, one with a video the man had secretly recorded. On that video, as clear as day, was the owner handing the man ten thousand dollars and telling him to sabotage one of the other company’s trucks. It suddenly smelled funny in that room, but no one could figure out what it was or where it was coming from. It wasn’t until the police were escorting the owner from his office that they noticed the owner had messed his pants. Both men were facing two counts of murder, and pled guilty, hoping to get lighter sentences. It didn’t work. Because of the nature of the crime, both got life in prison. Peter and I, and our attorney, had no trouble with the insurance company mom and dad used, they paid out almost immediately. The other company’s insurance provider balked at what our lawyer was asking, until our lawyer told them if we went to court she’d be asking for ten times that amount. Needless to say, they paid what our lawyer had asked for, and Peter and I have nothing to want for as long as we live.”
Tears were running down Terry’s cheeks, and her lips were trembling, but she continued with, “The courts appointed our grandmother, my mom’s mom, as our guardian. I think mom got her attitude from her mom, that was one sweet old lady. But you didn’t want to get on grandma’s bad side, never. Grandma took Peter and I to the mall, one Saturday, to get clothes for school. Grandma took Peter into a store that sold boys’ clothing and let me window shop while they were shopping. I was looking at the display in the window of this one store, when I heard two guys start asking me questions. One guy wanted to know if I knew how to be a woman to him. The other asked if I gave good head. The first time I turned around and told them to get lost, to stop bothering me. But they just laughed, and kept following me as I continued to window shop. I ended up back at the store I first encountered the assholes, and those two were starting to get downright scary. People around us couldn’t help but hear what they were saying, they weren’t whispering. Just after one of them told me to let him fuck me so I’d be a real woman, both suddenly screamed, and I heard a voice I always dreaded hearing. Grandma was behind me and them. I turned around and grandma had grabbed one boy’s right ear lobe, and the left ear lobe of the other boy, pulled them down so they were sideways to her face, and asked them in that bear like voice, ‘Don’t you assholes understand when someone tells you to go away?’ One of those boys, I think it was the mouthy one, made a mistake and said to grandma, ‘Hey, you bitch, let go of me.’ Now grandma was all of five foot five, six, seven if she was wearing her favorite shoes, but when she was mad she was seven feet even. That mouthy boy never had a chance, as grandma did let go of his ear, and just as quickly, reached between his legs from behind and grabbed that boy’s crotch. Talk about a high pitch scream, that boy sang loud and long. And she had him up on his tip toes. Then she asked him, ‘What did you say, asshole?’ You never saw a boy back step as fast as that kid did. He told grandma he didn’t say anything, nothing at all. It was funny. Grandma then maneuvered both until they were facing away from me and told them next time it’d be worse. Boy, did those two beat a hasty retreat. We didn’t know three mall security guards were watching us until they started applauding. Grandma turned to look at them, and received three thumbs up. And in grandma’s fashion, she bowed twice to those guards.”
“We visited more stores, and were on our way out of the mall when grandma spotted those same two boys, doing the same thing only to another girl. She handed me her purse, and packages, walked up behind those boys, and reached between their legs from behind and grabbed each boy’s crotch. I could tell she was squeezing as she held them, cause each boy was screaming in pain. Then grandma told them, ‘I told you the next time would be worse,’ and proceeded to maneuver the boys until they were facing the direction where the security guards had been. She whistled that high pitch whistle of hers, got the attention of the guards, and yelled, ‘They’re at it again,’ and marched them down to the guards. As grandma turned them over to the security guards, and was walking back to Peter and I, she had a smile on her face as the mouthy one screamed, ‘Keep that crazy bitch away from us.’”
“Peter and I stayed with grandma for two years. She’d come into our rooms in the morning to make sure we were awake and getting ready for school. She’d have breakfast waiting on the kitchen table and kiss each of us as we left for school.” Terry stopped speaking, she indicated the tissues on the nightstand, received them from Jenny, wiped her eyes, drank more water, then continued with her story. “I can’t tell you why, but I woke up one moring with a strange feeling in my stomach. I knew grandma should have come into our rooms to wake us up and make sure we got ready for school, but she wasn’t there that morning. I left my bedroom and went into the kitchen, but nothing was on the kitchen table. I then went to grandma’s bedroom, knocked on the door but she didn’t answer. I opened the door, went into her bedroom and saw her lying in her bed. I went over to her, called her name, shook her, then realized she was cold and had a bluish tint to her skin. I called 911, told them about grandma, and when the paramedics arrived they said she’d been dead for some time. The coroner said she died of a brain aneurysm, and had died some time during the night.”
“Peter was still sleeping, somehow, given the sirens the ambulance had on when it arrived at grandma’s house. I woke him, tried to prepare him the best I knew how, then told him grandma had died some time during the night. And I found her that way this morning. He cried on my shoulder, then got up and started getting ready for school. I told him I’d call the school and tell them what happened and that we wouldn’t be in school that day. But he was adamant, he was going to school. I called the school anyway, and talked to the principal. He said we didn’t have to come back to school until we’d got my grandma’s arrangements made, and her estate settled. I told him Peter was adamant about going to school, so I would go as well. I couldn’t let Peter go along, especially after...I just could let him go alone. Dad’s folks helped us get things settled, grandma’s funeral, her estate taken care of, and wanted us to live with them. I told Peter what they said, and he almost threw a fit as he said no. So they helped us get me appointed Peter’s guardian. Grandma left us everything. Her house, and furnishings. All the savings she had in the bank. She even left us what the life insurance paid out because of her death.” Terry hung her head, sniffed her nose, then said, “Gawd, we do miss that old lady.”
It was Jenny who pressed the point when she said, “That’s about the same story Peter told me. But you left something out didn’t you? Something that happened shortly after your parents were killed. Why are you avoiding it? Beverly needs to hear that part as well.”
Right Time
By Jamie Lee
Most often people talk about being in the right place at the right time. Maybe they achieved a beautiful photo of a sunrise, or the antics of children or animals. Maybe they found something someone lost and received a big reward when it was returned. But how often do they talk about being in the wrong place at the right time? If they do, it’s often about the death of someone or maybe witnessing a crime. And if this is the case, they are sad or horrified. Walter Williams often is in the wrong place at the right time, though his reaction to the incidents he encounters is much different than anyone would expect. And, life-changing.
Terry didn’t know Jenny had already told Beverly the Stepel story, including what almost happened to Peter. “Terry,” Beverly said, “I need to hear all of the story. It won’t do you any good to shy away from something that happened. It’s probably why you’ve been having those nightmares. And why you keep getting so wound up when Kathy is involved in some situation. As you’ve been told, it’s up to you how long we keep you here. If we feel you’re holding back, aren’t being completely honest with us, you’ll be here until you start being completely honest with us. And while you’re in therapy, visitors will be limited.” Beverly was hoping Terry didn’t know that was a lie, that visitors could come and see her. She was hoping that by using this ploy, Terry would decide she wanted to see her family sooner rather than later.
Terry surprised both women by saying, “Um...I have to pee.” She quickly got up off the bed and almost ran to the bathroom. Both women chuckled as they heard Terry say, “Ahhh...that’s better.” When Terry returned from the bathroom, she again sat on the bed, pulled her legs up to her chest, wrapped her arms around her shins, then laid her head over her knees. Jenny and Beverly could see Terry had a glazed look to her eyes, as though she was seeing but not looking at anything in particular. They waited, but Terry remained silent. Beverly looked at Jenny, who nodded her head, then said, “Terry. Jenny told you about the length of time you’d stay with us if you weren’t open and honest with us. I reminded you and now I’m reminding you again. Your stay here is dependent upon your honesty and openness with us. Jenny and I can return to your room day after day until you tell us what happened to Peter and why you glossed over it in your story. The longer you’re here, the less time you’ll have with your family. The longer you’re here, the less you’ll be available if Kathy gets involved in another situation or event.” Beverly hoped the last words she spoke would provoke Terry into talking with them, but again Terry remained silent.
Beverly again looked at Jenny, who nodded her head, and both women got up out of their chairs, moved them back to the table in the room, and started walking to the door. They were about two feet from the door when Terry said, “Peter tried to hang himself two days after our parents were killed. And I wasn’t there to stop him.” Both women stopped where they were, turned to face Terry, and waited. They had to make it plain to Terry they would not allow her to get off hiding anything about her life from them, so they stood and waited. It only took a few moments before Terry opened up and told the two what she’d glossed over in her original story.
Terry took a deep breath, sighed, then looking at Jenny and Beverly said, “I was in the kitchen fixing lunch for us, grandma had gone shopping. As I was fixing lunch, I heard a cry, a crash, and a thud, coming from the garage. I thought Peter was looking for something, or moving something, and had dropped it or hurt himself in some way. When I opened the door to the garage, the first thing I saw was a rope hanging from a rafter, its end frayed. Then I saw a chair lying on its side. I couldn’t see around grandma’s other car, so I walked around the front end and found Peter lying on the garage floor, a rope looped around his neck, and the end frayed. I rushed over to him, took the rope off his neck, checked his breathing and pulse, then went back into the house and called 911. I told them what happened, and that Peter was breathing and had a pulse but was unconscious. It seemed like hours to me before the paramedics arrived and started checking Peter before putting a neck collar on him, then putting him on a backboard and then onto a gurney. Grandma came home just as they were putting Peter into the ambulance.”
“I thought for sure she was going to deck the police officer who was questioning me, when he told grandma to stay back and let him do his job.” Terry chuckled, then continued with, “She got right into his face and told him she was Peter’s grandmother, and if he didn’t get out of her way she was going to get him out of her way. That officer started getting angry with grandma until his partner, a woman who knew grandma, called him over to her. All I heard him say to his partner was, ‘no shit,’ before he apologized to grandma and allowed her to question me. I told her what I’d been doing, the noises I heard from the garage, and how I found Peter. She growled that I should have kept a better eye on him, given his state, but softened it with an apology and she was just taking her worry about Peter out on me. I told her I understood, because I was blaming myself for it even happening, but she corrected me and told me it wasn’t my fault for what Peter tried to do. Neither she or I had seen something like this possibly happening. She told me to make sure everything was shut off in the kitchen, and to throw what belonged in the fridge into the fridge, and we then headed to her car. That same police officer wanted to ask me, and her, more questions, but grandma got into his face, again, and told him to get the hell out of her way because she was going to the hospital. I really thought grandma was going to put that officer down, and she would have, she had more than enough skills to do it, but again the partner stepped in and told grandma to follow them to the hospital.” Terry chuckled yet again, and said, “At one point we were doing fifty in a thiry mile an hour zone. Anyway, we got to the hospital, grandma parked the car and we both ran into the ER, grandma going right up to the reception desk and asking about Peter.”
Terry reached over to the night table and pulled a tissue out of the box, blew her nose, held the tissue in her hand, then continued. “Grandma was someone you didn’t want angry at you, she knew things she never talked about or showed us. Where she learned it all, no one ever knew. Peter and I stayed with her for a few days during one summer, and while we were at the mall with her, we watched as she put this big guy, who’d been bothering me, down on the ground without so much as a ‘by your leave.’ That guy was about a foot and a half taller than grandma and a hundred plus pounds heavier than her, but he went to the ground in the blink of an eye.”
Terry hadn’t noticed Jenny and Beverly got their chairs and placed them where they’d been, before sitting down to listen to Terry tell her story. They remained silent as Terry kept talking.
“Peter and I learned how to gauge granda’s moods by her voice, and the voice she was using with the person at the reception desk was her ‘I’m patiently angry’ voice. That voice was two levels before her DI voice, one you never wanted to hear. And if she used her ‘patiently sweet angry’ voice, it was time to be someplace else; the guy I told you about at the mall heard that voice before he got personal with the floor of the mall. The woman police officer who escorted us to the hospital, and knew grandma, finally came over and explained the situation to the person behind the reception desk, and gave him a discreet warning, before he finally phoned someone. A nurse immediately arrived, explained things to grandma, and had to threaten grandma with a sedative if she didn’t calm down. She then placed her hands on grandma’s shoulders, looked grandma directly in the eyes, and told her she’d had something similar happen in her own family, and understood how concerned grandma was at that moment. She also told grandma the doctors would send Peter to imaging to get pictures of his head when they’d finished their cursory exams; he had nasty bump on the side of his head. She then suggested we go to the cafeteria and get something to eat or drink, that she’d come to get her when the doctors knew more. She then did something which kind of shocked grandma, as she reached up and wiped tears off grandma’s face. The two hugged for a few moments, then grandma cleared her throat, and told me we were going to the cafeteria.”
“Someone must have called the cafeteria because we were treated like royalty when we entered the cafeteria. Someone took us to a table, asked if we’d like anything, brought back what we asked for, and kept an eye on us the entire two hours before the same nurse came and got us. She took us into a small room, where a doctor sat looking over some pages in front of her. She told us Peter did have a concussion because of his head hitting the garage floor, his hyoid bone wasn’t broken, which was good, and until Peter regained consciousness they couldn’t tell how much damage was done to his vocal cords. She also told grandma something she simply hated, that Peter would be kept in the psych ward, under suicide watch, until the resident psychologist felt Peter was no longer a danger to himself. Grandma asked if she could see Peter, and the doctor said we could, and took us to him. She took us up to the psych ward, past a locked door to Peter’s room. He was still unconscious, IV’s in his arms, and a rope mark around his neck. Grandma sat down beside him and started talking to him, telling him she and I were there for him, and to come back to us. We needed him. She told him we had to go but the doctors would keep us informed of how he was doing. The entire time I knew grandma, I’d known her to cry only twice, that time sitting besides Peter was the second time.” Terry put her head in her hands and cried. She didn’t notice the extra weight that was added to the bed, but felt the two pairs of arms that held her as she cried. With her nose and eyes running, Terry said in a choked up voice, “And I wasn’t there to stop him,” before her emotions took hold again and she continued crying.
When Terry’s crying eased, Jenny asked, “Did Peter give you or your grandmother any hint he was thinking of killing himself?” Terry just shook her head. “Did he say or do anything, like arrange his things, or give you something, which would have made you feel he was acting out of character?” Terry again shook her head. “There was nothing you could have done to prevent Peter from attempting suicide because he never gave you any clues that’s what he was thinking. Your grandmother was right, it wasn’t your fault. It wasn’t her fault either. Peter would have attempted suicide whether at her house of someplace else. You’ve got to realize this, Terry. You and Peter were upset over the death of your parents two days before. You felt a sense of loss. You both may have been depressed, maybe Peter more than you, because you saw it was necessary for you to become Peter’s parent, his big sister, his protector, like your parents were to both of you. So you pushed your feelings down in order to take care of your younger brother. And you’ve continued to do that all of your life. And, you passed that same thing to Walter, who is now your daughter Kathy. You both have repressed feelings that have finally reached their limits in your minds, and are now manifesting as outbursts which have caused both of you problems. In your case, Terry, outright aggression when Kathy is involved in a situation. You couldn’t be there for Peter on that day, so you’re trying to be there for Kathy. You’re trying to make up for not being there for Peter.”
Jenny’s last statement caused Terry to lift her head and look at Jenny. “You really think that’s what I’m doing every time I go charging in like a bull? Making up for not being there to stop Peter?” Terry’s questions caused Jenny to nod her head. Beverly joined in by telling Terry, “We both think that’s the primary reason you get so wound up every time Kathy is involved in any situation, good or bad. That and repressing your feelings.”
Both women watched as Terry got a strange look on her face, before looking at Beverly then Jenny. Terry stared at Jenny long and hard then asked, “Peter told you everything, didn’t he?” She then looked at Beverly and said, “Because it would be the only reason you’d know so much about all of this. Gads, little brother looking out for big sister for a change.”
Jenny just smiled and said, “Terry. Peter has been looking out for you ever since they released him from the hospital after his attempted suicide. He could see how you were acting like a mother hen, making sure you knew where he’d be, what he’d be doing. Even being with him a lot of the time. He could see how worried you and your grandmother were about him so he made sure to do exactly what he said he was going to do. Or go exactly where he said he was going. He didn’t want you or your grandmother to worry more than you already were worrying.”
Terry laughed then said, “Why that little bastard. And here I thought I was the one taking care of us.” Terry used the tissue she was holding to blow her nose, then pulled another one from the box on the nightstand to wipe her eyes before asking, “So where do we go from here, docs? You both got me to open up about everything, told me a few things I didn’t know, but haven’t really told me how to change it all. What do we do now?”
Just then Beverly’s stomach growled, and she said, “I think the first thing we should do is have some lunch. I’m hungry. Then after lunch, Jenny and I can tell you some more things, like we told Kathy, and the two of you can work together to help each other make those changes you asked about.”
Beverly and Jenny got off Terry’s bed, Jenny going to the door and opening it, moving the slide over to reveal ‘open.’ She then stuck her head out of the door and nodded to someone Terry couldn’t see. As Terry continued wiping her eyes, four people walked into the room, and stood waiting until Terry saw them standing there. When Terry saw them she flew off the bed and pulled Shelby, Peter, Kathy, and Marge into the tightest hug they’d ever received from her. She also noticed each one was carrying a bag from her favorite deli. It was Beverly who caused a chuckle from everyone when she said, “Aww...come on guys. Let’s eat. I’m hungry.” It took a few moments for the five, seven if you count Jenny and Beverly, who did their best not to be seen leaking tears, to dry their eyes before they all sat down around the table in the room and caught up as they ate.
Terry had assumed she and the doctors would still have a lot to talk about in the afternoon. What she didn’t count on, when she started saying goodbye to the five, was Beverly saying, “Oh, Terry. Did I forget to mention these five are part of your afternoon session with us? Oh, well, I must be getting senile in my old age. Your actions of late have affected them as much as you and those around you at the time. They need to understand why you’ve been so wound up and to voice their concerns for you. I think we’re all comfortable here around this table, so, Terry, why don’t you tell them your story.” Beverly’s last words were more of a command than a question, though a gentle command. Terry gave Peter a pained look, causing him to reach across the table, take her hand in his, and tell her, “It’s okay, Terry, go ahead. They have a right to know.”
The brother and sister had since learned how to read the expression on the other’s face, and when Terry gave Peter the ‘are you sure’ look, he nodded his head and said, “Yeah, I’m sure.” She gave him the ‘if you’re sure’ look before taking a deep breath and began telling the five everything she’d told Jenny and Beverly. She only stopped once, as Kathy got up from her chair and retrieved the box of tissues from the nightstand by the bed. “...and if these two quacks are right, I’ve been flying off the handle when Kathy is involved in any situation because I’m trying to make up for not being there to stop Peter’s attempted suicide. Grandma was right, it wasn’t my fault, but I still blamed myself for not being there when he needed me.” She then looked at Peter and told him, “If I’d have lost you, I’d have died inside. I would have likely gone off the rails for good. It was hard losing mom and dad, but to lose you too? It would have been too much.” Peter reached across the table and took Terry’s outstretched hand in both of his, the other hand was wiping tears out of her eyes with a tissue.
Kathy chuckled as she wiped tears out of her eyes. She chuckled again when Terry asked, in her ‘it’s not funny’ voice, “And what are you chuckling about, young lady? You do realize none of this is funny. I almost ended up here as my new address for all my mail.” Marge saw the smirk on Kathy’s face and said, “Oh, no. Here we go again. Okay, love, spill.”
Now with a sheepish look on her face, Kathy said, “I can’t help realizing this is like that movie, ‘It’s a Wonderful Life.’ You know the one, where the guy owns that savings and loan his father started, goes to commit suicide and is saved by the angle. Then he wishes he’d never been born, and gets his wish, only to find out he did have a wonderful life. Mom, if you’d gone off the rails, I wouldn’t be here today. You wouldn’t have met dad and I wouldn’t have met the love of my life. None of the things I experienced in grade school wouldn’t have happened, and I wouldn’t have been here to help put an end to Tony and Patrick’s actions against other girls. Maybe you have been trying too hard to make up for not being there for Uncle Peter, but you’ve been there. You were there when me or dad needed you. And from what I’ve heard, you enjoyed being there for dad.” There were snickers from those around the table, except from two very red faced adults. Shelby turned to Kathy and said with a smirk of his own, “From what your mother and I have heard, you two seem to be enjoying yourselves in your bedroom at night.” This time the snickers started with Peter, worked their way to Jenny and Beverly, then to Terry, Shelby, and finally to the two girls, who after getting over their embarrassment, finally laughed out loud.
When the laughter died down, Peter, with a smirk of his own, said, “I wonder what it would cost to soundproof both of those bedrooms?” Several wadded up tissues flew at Peter, until he took one and waved it as a flag of surrender. His waving the white flag, and what he said, started everyone laughing again. It wasn’t until Marge took one of Terry’s hands in her own that things got serious again.
Marge used her other hand to wipe tears off her cheeks, then said, “I’m also glad you didn’t throw in the towel, I don’t know if I’d be as happy as I am today. You and Shelby have been so kind to me and accepting of Kathy and I being together. But you do worry me when you go rocketing into things when Kathy gets involved in something. I keep worrying you’ll finally go over the edge in trying to protect her. I think of you as my second mother, and I’d hate to lose that because of something you did.” Marge had trouble finishing what she said, as her voice choked up and she began crying. Terry pulled Marge into a hug and let the girl cry on her shoulder, telling her, “Oh, sweetheart. I’m so sorry I worried you. But knowing what I know now, I can work on not doing that anymore.” Terry held Marge until she cried herself out.
As Terry held Marge, Peter told her, “Sis, I’ve been talking with Jenny during some free time I had at school. The events with Kathy, what we found out about those two boys, and a few other things, made me start thinking about our past. Especially the days after mom and dad were killed. The more I thought about the days after they died, the more I realized how much hell I put you through because of what I tried to do. I was so wrapped up with myself, and how I was feeling then, that I never considered how you might be feeling. And because of my attempting suicide, I was part of the reason you started tamping down your emotions. It may not mean much now, but I’m sorry I never considered your feelings at the time.” When Terry offered one of her hands to Peter across the table, he could only give her one of his hands. The other was having a hard time keeping his eyes clear so he could see the smile on Terry’s face, and the tears sliding down her cheeks. And in a rather husky voice Terry told him, “You’re wrong, little brother. It means a lot to me right now.”
Terry looked down at Marge and asked, “Better now?” And when Marge nodded, Terry released her and watched as Kathy took her place, Marge leaning her head on Kathy’s shoulder as Kathy held her.
Beverly and Jenny had remained silent throughout the entire time, letting the family have their turn to voice their feelings without any clinical examination.
Shelby reached over and took Terry’s hand in his, cleared his throat a couple of time before he was able to speak, and wiped his eyes with the other hand before telling Terry, “Before you came along, honey, I don’t think you realize how close I was to going down a path which might have put me behind bars or pushing up flowers at some local cemetery.” Peter handed him a tissue, as Terry took his hand in both of hers. Shelby cleared his throat again then said, “But that day we met for the first time, I could see something in you I wanted to know better. And the more I knew about you, the more I wanted to be better, do better, for you. I did so because I didn’t want to lose the most wonderful person I’d ever met.” The tissue was fighting a losing battle, as tears streamed out of Shelby’s eyes. He reached over with both hands and took Terry into an embrace, and with everyone watching, unashamedly cried on her shoulder. Terry joined him, but on his shoulder. Kathy and Marge got up out of their chairs, walked about the table, and put their arms around the two parents, tears falling from their eyes as they held Terry and Shelby.
Jenny and Beverly looked at each other and smiled, giving each other a slight nod of their heads. Things were going as they planned, as the two hoped they would for this family. Both ladies knew the hard part was getting everyone to open up, to let their emotions out, to say how they felt. And it looked like the floodgates for this family had finally opened, their healing could finally start taking place. They all still had a hard road ahead of them, learning new habits to replace old ones. But it would have been much harder had they not opened up and allowed their feelings to show openly.
Jenny had a sudden thought, and catching Beverly’s eye, nodded towards Peter, who she felt might be feeling left out, since the Williams, and Marge, were in a group hug at the moment. But when both women looked at Peter, all they saw was contentment on his smiling face, as he watched his sister and her family. He was more than extremely happy for her.
The two women looked at each other, again, smiles on their faces, and Beverly mouthed, ‘tomorrow,’ and Jenny nodded her head. Beverly then said, “Shelby, I think it would be best if you come late tomorrow afternoon to collect your lovely lady. She, Jenny and I will talk some more tomorrow, like we did with Kathy. We’ll give her some lessons she, and Kathy, can practice so she, and Kathy, don’t fall back into their old habits.” When Beverly used Shelby’s name, he’d lifted his head off Terry’s shoulder, as did Terry, and leaning their heads together, they looked at Beverly as she spoke. Beverly then told Shelby something he didn’t expect to hear. Beverly looked directly at Shelby and told him, “And you, mister, could do with a bit of our help as well. While you may not have flown off the handle as Terry did, you still have packed your emotions down into your own vault. I think if you sweet talk Jenny, she might have time to meet with you at your convenience.”
When Shelby leaned back and turned his head toward Terry, she did the same, so they were looking into each other’s eyes. His throat was tight as he said, “I...I think I like that idea, Beverly.” The two then kissed, as everyone watched. Almost as one, Kathy and Marge said, “Eww...you two need to get a room.” Terry and Shelby turned to look at both girls, with Terry saying, “Oh, hush, you two. We already have a room.” She then turned to look at Shelby and told him, “One which we’re going to use quite soon.”
Beverly and Jenny laughed as they watched both girls finally catch on to what Terry just said. And after another round of ‘Eww,’ from the girls, Shelby turned to them and said, “Oh, hush. You both know you’re going to do the same thing,” which caused both girls to turn beet red. It was Kathy who reached down and took Marge’s hand, looked Marge in the eyes and said, “You’re right dad. We will be doing the same thing.” Marge reached down and took Kathy’s other hand in her own, and leaned in and kissed Kathy.
While Jenny and Beverly might have been thinking ‘TMI’ at this point, they couldn’t be happier at the openness they saw displayed by the family members.
A knock on the open door caused everyone to look that way, only to see Marsha standing in the doorway. “From the sounds of things,” she began, “it sounds as though you’re having an orgey in here. I, uh, just stopped by to let Terry know all of her blood tests turned out normal. There’s nothing we need to look at further.” She’d heard some of what was said as she walked down the hall to Terry’s room. When she’d given Terry the good word, she walked over to Terry and Shelby, gave them a hug, and told Terry, “Don’t be a stranger, call me. We’ll do something together.” Terry hugged Marsha back and told her it was a date.
Shortly after Marsha left there was another knock on the door, and when everyone turned to see who was at the door, they saw a nurse with Tina standing beside her. With a sheepish look on her face, she told Peter, “I, um, snuck off a little early, I had to come and see how Terry was doing.” As everyone watched, Peter got out of his chair, walked over to Tina, and gave them a toe curling demonstration of his love for Tina, as he kissed her so passionately she ended up with her legs wrapped around his waist. The nurse, who brought Tina to Terry’s room, said so all could hear, “You two need to get a room,” before she chuckled and left the room.
If it wasn’t plain to the others, it was to Terry. Peter was in desperate need of the woman he fell in love with. The woman who had helped him not long after Pamala died. The woman who verbally kicked him in the pants when his depression threatened to overpower his will to live. The woman who became first his friend, then his love and lover. The woman who’d become his rock, as Shelby had become Terry’s and Marge had become Kathy’s.
It wasn’t long before everyone could see the change that came over Tina’s expression, as their kiss ended and she gave Peter an extremely concerned look. She lowered her legs until she was again standing on the floor and could be heard whispering, “Oh my gawd, you poor man,” and she pulled Peter tightly into her as Peter began to shake. And it wasn’t long before everyone heard why Tina looked concerned and had pulled Peter into her. Even the nurses came running, as Peter was crying so hard he was actually screaming.
It was Kathy who first got up out of her chair and walked over to the couple and put her arms around the two, resting her head against Peter’s side. With tears running down her cheeks, she told Peter, “It’s going to be okay, Uncle Peter. We’re here for you.” It wasn’t long before Marge followed Kathy, then Terry, then Shelby. All four were hugging the couple, each saying something to try and help Peter get through the moment.
The six were so engrossed in comforting Peter that they didn’t notice Beverly or Jenny having trouble keeping their professional composure. As each one had to reach for the tissue box to dry their own eyes, and regain their aloof composure before Peter was calm enough for them to continue.
It took several minutes for Peter to cry himself out, only to apologize to the five holding him for becoming so upset. Terry gently lifted his chin off Tina’s shoulder, looked him in his eyes, and told him, “No, little brother, you don’t have anything to apologize for. You’ve been affected by all that’s happened as much as we have, and your emotional bucket couldn’t hold any more. You’ve been doing the same as Kathy and I have been doing, tamping our emotions down until our emotional buckets overflowed. Guess we all need help on that score.”
When Peter said he felt better, they all returned to the table and sat down, Tina sat in Peter’s lap. For the next few minutes, Jenny and Beverly talked to all of them about holding in their emotions, how it can lead up to uncontrolled outbursts, causing more problems than was meant to occur. How it not only could affect them mentally but physically too. And that contrary to popular belief, men were more prone to this than women, since society considered it a weakness for men to cry; not that some men cared what society said.
Beverly looked at her watch, and saw it was close to Terry’s dinner time. She hated to do it, but it’d been a long and emotional day for Terry. And she wanted Terry to get plenty of rest before tomorrow. She cleared her throat, then said, “I hate to do this, but I think it’s time for the five of you to head home. It’s almost Terry’s dinner time, and she’s had a long, and emotional, day. I want her to get plenty of rest before tomorrow. So, skaddale. Vamoose. Be gone. Go home, already. Say goodnight, Gracie.” Her last statement was the wrong one to say in front of Shelby, Kathy, and Marge. For that’s exactly what they said together, “Goodnight, Gracie.” Then they just smiled at Beverly. Beverly looked towards the ceiling, rolled her eyes, then said, “I should have known better,” before everyone broke out laughing. The five said tearful goodnights to Terry, with Shelby improving on Peter’s toe curling kiss, just as Terry’s dinner arrived at her room. While Terry ate, Jenny and Beverly talked with her, telling her how more relaxed she was compared to the morning. They then chatted about nothing of importance before telling her to have a good night.
After Terry bathed, and put on a clean gown, the night nurse helped her get comfortable in the bed, before she too bid Terry a goodnight. Terry slept more soundly than she had in years. And without the sedative of the night before.
As to Peter and Tina. After Peter left early the next morning to get fresh clothes for school, a single woman living next door to Tina, who’d been friends with Tina for years, came over for a chat. The neighbor woman had no trouble seeing the glow surrounding Tina and just had to know, “What does that man do to you that makes you scream so loud?” Tina blushed for a moment, then answered, “What doesn’t he do?”
At nine in the morning, Jenny and Beverly walked into Terry’s room in the psych ward, each woman carrying their own brand of morning poison to drink. They greet Terry, who is sitting at the table eating her breakfast. After they sit down across from Terry, they start the usual, “How did you sleep? Did you have any dreams or nightmares?” And run of the mill general information about how Terry was feeling after yesterday’s session. They had hoped, and were pleased, that Terry’s answers were positive, because it meant Terry was understanding many events of her past were not her fault, or hers to correct now. It also meant she had come to understand it was okay for her to show her emotions. That she didn’t have to pack them away until they exploded to the surface. Because of the positive results Terry was showing, both felt they could proceed with helping Terry learn how to keep from falling back into old habits. Some of the things they would tell her could be used alongside Kathy, who had similar habits.
Jenny and Beverly spent the morning explaining the process of creating new habits, habits which have to be consciously worked on or the old habits would intercede. They also told her, if she was diligent in working on the exercises they would explain to her, in time, her old habits would become less than faint memories. But she had to practice the exercises. One thing they stressed most of all, with Terry, was her stopping to think before she acted in most situations. She had to stop thinking every situation Kathy was involved in was serious. Because as she previously found out, it wasn’t. She was helping another girl who’d been abused at home. Once their explanations were completed, they had Terry practice the exercises until it was time for lunch.
It was 1 p.m. by the time the three women finished lunch in Terry’s room. They were just chatting when they heard a knock on the door. Terry was sitting facing the door, and when she looked up and saw Shelby standing there, she gave Jenny and Beverly a puzzled look. Beverly just smiled and told Terry, “I asked him to come at this time. He has some exercises of his own to work on.” Beverly turned and told Shelby, “Come on in and take a seat,” and waited until Shelby gave Terry a kiss then sat down beside Terry.
As the morning had started for Terry, answering Jenny and Beverly’s questions, Shelby’s afternoon began the same way. “Yes, he slept very well. In fact, better than he had for some time.” “Yes dreams, but no nightmares.” And on they went, until Jenny and Beverly were satisfied Shelby was also doing better. They went on to explain much the same things as they’d explained them to Terry in the morning, including the exercises they’d told Terry about. They then had Shelby practice the exercises to be sure he understood how they should be done and when. Beverly then gave the couple a piece of paper that turned out to be an appointment schedule. Shelby’s was in one column, Terry’s in another. Both were told it was a no latitude schedule, unless there was an emergency. She also told them she’d already checked their work loads and knew they could make each appointment. When asked how she found out, Beverly just smiled and said, “Ve have our vays.” Terry and Shelby chuckled at Beverly’s comical answer, but gave her assurances they’d make the appointments.
Then Beverly did something so comical Terry and Shelby couldn’t help but laugh. Beverly stood up, pulled out a wand, with a star on top, waved over Terry and Shelby’s heads, and said, “I now pronounce you fit to leave. You may kiss the doctors on their way out.” Jenny and Beverly received more than kisses on their cheeks. Both received hugs and Terry and Shelby’s profound thank yous for their help. Before Jenny and Beverly left the room, Jenny told the couple, “Now you two understand. Nothing will be a walk in the park. It will mean work on your parts, conscious work. You can’t decide to do the work one day and not the next. You must practice every day or you’ll be right back to square one. And things could be much worse if they fall back to square one.” Beverly then told Terry that the discharge papers would be ready by the time she was dressed and had her things packed. Both were admonished to make their appointments, or else. ‘Or else’ wasn’t explained, but the look Beverly gave Terry and Shelby let them know they didn’t want to find out what ‘or else’ meant.
Beverly pulled Jenny to a stop just out of view from the couple in the room. When Jenny gave her a questioning look, Beverly told her, “Just listen for a few minutes.” Both stood there and listened, only they didn’t hear anything at first. It wasn’t long before the sound of a kiss ending reached their ears, and, “Gawd, I’ve missed you,” from Terry. Then they heard Shelby give a gasp, as Terry told him, “And I’ve missed him too. I’m afraid he’s going to be busy for the next few nights, or days, or both. I need you so bad I’ve a mind to shut and lock the door and take you right here.” It was Terry who gave out more than a gasp, as Shelby told her, “I think he’s missed her too. And he’s more than willing to fill her anytime she wants. Let’s get you packed and go home. I think we might have time for makeup lessons before the kids get home.” It was quiet again, until the end of a kiss could again be heard. Beverly smiled at Jenny, who said, “I think I need a bit of TLC tonight. Or something a bit stronger and longer.” Both chuckled at what Jenny said, turned then walked down to the reception desk. As they walked, Beverly thought to herself, ‘So do I.’
Jenny and Beverly waited as Terry and Shelby all but ran to the reception desk. Terry signed the papers so fast that her signature was almost illegible. Both women were about to say something to Terry, but Terry beat them by saying she’d see Beverly at her first appointment. Shelby was holding the elevator and Terry practically ran into the elevator, where she and Shelby began, there, what they’d finish when they got home. While watching Terry and Shelby’s beginning, before the elevator doors hid the scene, this time it was Beverly who said, “My Bill is going to be in for one heck of a ride tonight.” Hearing this, Jenny gave Beverly a shocked smile, as both women laughed before heading to the elevator. Whatever else they had planned at work, could wait. There were more important matters to attend to at the moment.
Peter parked his car in the Williams’ driveway, and walked Kathy and Marge into the house. The minute the front door closed, it was obvious to the three that Terry and Shelby were home. There were smiles on three faces, as Marge turned to face Kathy and Peter before saying, “Well, I guess Terry and Shelby are home.” Kathy replied, “Yeah. Guess they’re working on some of the lessons Jenny and Beverly gave them.” Peter suddenly got something caught in his throat, and did his best to stifle a cough. Kathy and Marge chuckled together, before they each got a twinkle in their eyes. Peter saw the twinkles, and told the girls he had another meeting and would see them at school. As he was leaving, Kathy, a smirk on her face, said, “Say hi to Tina for us.” Caught off guard, Peter said, “I wi…,” then realized he just told the girls where he was going. He showed Kathy a fist, but with a smile on his face.
It didn’t take Kathy and Marge long to change into nothing, and practice their own lessons.
When everyone finally came up for air, and convened at the kitchen table, it was Terry who said, “You two seemed to be working on some lessons rather fervently. I thought the neighbors might come over and complain.” The smirk was back on Kathy’s face, as she asked Marge, “What did that Roman Emperor say to his best friend before those Senate boys killed him?” Marge played along, and acted like she was thinking, before she said, “I think it was ‘Et tu, Brute?’” Kathy turned to look at her mom and said, “Et tu, Terry?” Terry gave Kathy a funny look, but Shelby caught on and started laughing. Terry slowly turned her head to look at him and asked, “Okay, funny boy. What’s so funny?”
The look Terry gave Shelby only made him laugh harder, and that infuriated Terry. When he finally stopped laughing, or to a point he was just chuckling, he said, “The girls must have heard us when Peter brought them home. You complained the girls were too loud, and they must have heard us all the way by the front door.” Terry turned back to look at Marge and Kathy, who had the biggest smiles on their faces Terry had seen. Terry put her head down on the kitchen table and began banging it lightly on the table as she kept repeating, “Oh, my, gawd.” It wasn’t long before all four were laughing because they’d each heard the other couple during the throes of love making. Kathy reached across the table and took both of Terry’s hands in her own, causing Terry to look up at Kathy. Terry got her concerned look on her face when she saw tears in Kathy’s eyes. Kathy shook her head when she saw the look on Terry’s face, and told Terry, “No, mom. Not unhappy tears. Happy tears, that you and dad can still enjoy each other in that way. I’ve heard too many stories at school about other parents who fight all the time. I’m just very happy for both of you.” Now it was Terry who had tears in her eyes, after hearing what her daughter just said. When Terry could finally speak, she said, “Thank you, sweetheart. That really means a lot to you father and I.” She then turned her head to look at Shelby and asked, “RIGHT, laughing boy?” In answer to her question, Shelby leaned in and gave Terry so passionate a kiss that she almost drug him from the table and back to their bedroom. But settled for his hand to be where he just put it.
After he ended the kiss, reluctantly, he said something the three girls hadn’t considered. “It’s kind of funny. But our talking about our love making noises, is actually practicing what Jenny and Beverly talked about. Sharing our emotions, being open with each other. They may not have meant this particular topic, but still, we are sharing together.” He watched as the three women thought about what he just said, then as they each started nodding their heads.
Marge must have been taking lessons from Kathy, because Shelby saw the smirk form on Marge’s face. He had a feeling it would be a good one, and it was as she said, “You’re right, Shelby.” She paused for a few seconds, then said, “I mean, about the noises.” The reaction from the other three was as Marge predicted. Kathy and Terry facepalmed themselves, while Shelby sat stunned before he started laughing. It wasn’t long before the napkin holder sitting on the kitchen table was empty, as balls of wadded up napkins came flying in Marge’s direction. The laughter coming from that kitchen was enough to wake the dead.
Since no one had showered, yet, and it was on the late side, they decided to order out, and chose Chinese. The water heater worked overtime that evening, after which, Terry and Shelby relaxed on the couch watching television while the girls did their homework. They all would need another shower in the morning, unless the neighbors complained about the noises to the police.
When the girls arrived at school the next day, Terry received a kiss from each of them, before watching them walk into the school. She saw Peter standing by the front door with a goofy grin on his face. It only took her a moment to realize he must have been with the girls when she and Shelby were pleasing each other. She shook a fist at him, then smiled and blew him a kiss. He acted like he caught it, before walking out to the car. He blushed a bit when he reached Terry’s car, and said, “Sorry about hearing you and Shelby yesterday afternoon. It wasn’t intentional.”
She reached out of the driver’s window, took his hand, and told him, “You have nothing to be sorry about. I’m almost positive you and Tina bothered her neighbors last night as well.” Now he was really blushing and could only nod his head. Terry squeezed his hand and told him, “Peter. The four of us have been told to work on being more open with those we love. Not to hold our emotions in, not to put them in our special boxes, as it was said. You are my dear brother, whom I dearly love with all my heart, and I want to be more open with you. And if that means you hear Shelby and I on occasion, then so be it. You don’t need to feel embarrassed because you do.” Peter reached up and wiped tears out of his eyes before saying, “I love you too sis.” They exchanged kisses before Peter stood back so Terry could pull away from the curb, and out of the school parking lot. Neither one noticed two girls standing at a window, watching the two of them.
The days passed, lessons practiced, appointments kept, and as they all discovered, replacing bad habits with new ones was more difficult than they realized. A case in point: Over the days since Charline, Kathy had others come to her because of the trust Charline had given her about her problem at home. And word had spread. Shortly after Terry had been discharged from the psych ward, she received a call from Kathy, telling her she was helping another student with a problem much like Charline’s problem. Terry immediately told Kathy she’d be right there, until Kathy reminded her of the lesson they were given by Jenny and Beverly. Terry was silent for a few moments, before thanking Kathy for reminding her and asking Kathy to call when she was ready to come home. Another time Terry had a spat with Peter, over nothing of importance, but brooded about it all day until the girls and Shelby came home. They could see she was upset, but refused to say why. It was only when Shelby reminded her about the lesson of being open to each other that Terry finally told the three why she was in a bad mood. And it wasn’t only Terry who tried to fall back into old habits.
Kathy had been in a stall in the girls’ restroom, when, judging by the voices, three girls entered the restroom. “Who does that bitch think she is? I’ve known Patty longer than her but who does Patty go to with her problems? Kathy, fucking, Williams. That bitch has only been a girl for a few months, and she acts like she knows all about being a girl. Girlfriends stick together, they tell each other their problems. They don’t go running off to some twat with their problems.” When the first girl stopped talking another girl said, “Maybe Patty went to Kathy because Kathy doesn’t gossip about other people’s problems, like you do. Maybe Kathy has a level of trust you lack.” Kathy didn’t have to see the anger displayed by the first girl because of what the second girl said. “JUST WHO THE FUCKS SIDE ARE YOU ON? THAT TWAT DOESN’T HAVE ANY MORE TRUST THAN I HAVE. I KNOW HOW TO KEEP SECRETS.” The third girl then spoke up, saying, “Yeah, we all know about your trust issues. That’s why after you posted about Kelly’s problem her parents came to your house to talk with your parents. Yeah, you’ve got trust, alright. Trust that you can’t keep your mouth shut.” The first girl screamed, “FUCK YOU BOTH,” before storming out of the restroom.
The two girls left in the restroom froze as a toilet flushed, a stall door opened and Kathy walked out of the stall. She walked over to a sink, washed her hands, dried them, before turning to the still frozen girls. “Don’t let her get to you. Or that I heard it all. I’ve accepted that not everyone is happy with me or when others confide in me. I didn’t ask for any of this, but it’s how my life has become. Well, I guess I’d better get to class.” The two girls didn’t see the tears falling from Kathy’s eyes as she walked out of the restroom, or how quickly she wiped her eyes when she approached Marge. Marge could see that Kathy had been crying, and when she questioned Kathy, Kathy just told her, “We better get to class.”
Later, when Terry picked up the girls from school, Marge again asked Kathy why she’d been crying. Kathy was sitting between Terry and Marge, and just shrugged her shoulders, then mumbled, “It was nothing.” It was Terry who reminded Kathy of the lessons Jenny and Beverly told them about, and it wasn’t long before tears fell from Kathy’s eyes as she told them about what she’d heard in the girl’s restroom. Marge pulled her close, let her cry, before Kath blubbered, “Why can’t people just accept me for who I am now? I didn’t ask for any of this.” Terry turned left instead of turning right towards their home. It wasn’t long before she parked the car in front of the Ice Cream Shoppe.
As the days passed for the Williams and Marge, so too the days passed at West High School. Ever since the first day Walter came to school dressed as Kathy, and the three boys took it upon themselves to teach Walter a lesson, only to have Terry teach them a lesson, the school had gotten tougher on those bullies who used physical violence to get what they wanted. Because the school upgraded the security cameras, and added many more, no one on campus could escape being seen by the cameras. And because some places had camouflaged cameras, more than one bully had received an immediate two week suspension for their actions against another student. And when their parents learned what they’d done at school, they were often grounded for the rest of the school year or made to volunteer at a shelter of some type. Peter received several handwritten letters thanking him for informing them about their child’s conduct at school. Some were less than kind, as a couple of families felt entitled, as did their ‘little Johnny or Joanie,’ who did nothing wrong.
Because of the crack downs, and the additional cameras, the school had settled into a rhythm which seemed to suit all of the students who attended the school. That is until Tony and Patrick arrived, and attacked Kathy. But with the help of all the students, it wasn’t long before that rhythm was restored. It did help when the students learned Tony was in Juvenile Detention until he turned eighteen, then would be transferred to State Prison to serve the rest of his sentence. And Patrick, who’d been abused by his grandmother and Tony, was in a mental health facility getting the counseling he so needed.
The days counted down to the end of the school term. Awards were given at an assembly in the gym, with Kathy and Marge receiving the Citizens of the Year award for all they’d done to help the students during the year. They were even approached by the advisor for the National Honor Society, who told them if they continued next year as they had this year, they’d be eligible to join. But when they learned what would be expected of them, they declined. Even though Terry, Shelby, Dorothy, and Thomas told them how much it would impress those who looked at their resumes. As the girls told their parents, they wanted to be accepted for who they are, not because of the club they had joined.
The final school dance was held a week before graduation, and it seemed the entire school attended. No one acted as they had during the first school dance, when Marge and Kathy danced together. More than a few cornered the girls and thanked them for all the help the girls gave them during the year. Especially those who Kathy helped get the needed help with a problem at home.
The lessons the four had been given by Jenny and Beverly were paying off, some of their old habits had become distant memories. But a few old habits still wanted to take over, which sometimes caused a few problems that were soon fixed.
When Terry picked up the girls for the last time at school for that term, Terry started asking all sorts of questions, questions the girls did their best to answer. “Do you two have plans for the summer?” “There are a few things I think you might be interested in doing.” “Have you both given any thought to what you’ll do after you graduate, it isn’t too soon to make plans.” The girls tag-teamed Terry by alternately saying, “We’ll know in a couple of days what we’ll be doing this summer.” “So if that pans out, we won’t have time for other things.” “Yes, Marge and I have discussed our future plans, together and with two others.” When Terry tried to press the girls for more details, they told her they would tell her after they found out about their summer plans. Two days later Terry learned both girls would be spending their summer with Beverly, under a special program for high school students at the hospital. And if they did well during this summer, they would spend each summer with her. They also told Terry their plans after graduation.
FROM: State Safety Investigating Board
TO: Peter Stepel, Principal West High School, and Board of Education
RE: Accident at West High School, Science Room one, supply room
After further investigation of the accident that happened in Science Room one, the supply room, upon further interviews conducted by past employees of said Science Room one, and upon deep analysis of the shelving involved, it has been concluded that the school was at fault for said accident.
After interviews with Dr. Mary Tillard, former science teacher in Science Room one, it was learned of what she found when she took over the teaching assignment from a Mr. John Roberts, freshman science teacher in Science Room one for thirty years. Mr. Roberts had stored heavy science equipment on the failed shelves, equipment which should have been stored on shelving which could handle the excessive weight. After surveying the supply room, she requested metal shelving and replacement wooden shelves. The metal shelving was granted by the then principal, but the replacement wooden shelving was denied, inspection of said shelves by the then maintenance worker said nothing wrong could be found with the wooden shelves. Microscopic exam of the broken wooden shelves revealed stress fractures along the entire centerline of all the broken shelving. Because of these stress fractures, it was only a matter of time before all the shelves would fail.
It is recommended that all wooden shelving be replaced with a sturdier material, material suitable for storage of material necessary for class lessons. It is also recommended that all liquid and powder chemicals be secured behind locked doors, thereby making it necessary for any teacher to be present when chemicals are needed.
As to the matter of the transformation of Mr. Walter James Williams, now known as Miss Kathy Elizabeth Williams, no conclusions have been forthcoming. Several experts have been consulted in several fields, and none can provide any explanation as to the event. And since it has been learned she is a healthy fifteen-year-old girl, it is then recommended yearly physical exams be conducted to further ascertain her ongoing physical health.
END OF REPORT