Joe opened the box of high top chucks, untied the wound up shoelace on the right shoe, and inserted it into the bottom eyelets. He carefully measured the lace endings to be equal in length and then laced the right shoe to the sixth eyelet. Then he pulled the tongue back and widened them on the sides. “Put your right foot up, Eric.” When Eric did so, Mr. Connor expertly placed the shoe on his foot. “Now finish lacing that shoe up while I get the other one ready.” He quickly did the same procedure with his left foot. When Eric finished lacing up the other shoe, Joe turned to the others and said, “Gentlemen, may I present to you Mr. Eric Acosta!”
Jason and Daniel applauded and whistled their approval. “You look awesome, Eric. How do those chucks fit?”
“They feel great, just like the rest of these new clothes,” Eric said with a big smile on his face. “Thank you so much for doing this for me!”
“It’s our pleasure to help you out!” Jason replied. “You are long overdue for some special treatment and some new clothes!”
A few minutes later, there was a knock on the front door. Anna came in and answered the door, then ushered Maria Esplanade into the living room. “Maria, this is Joseph Connor, my son Eric, and his two new friends Jason and Daniel.” Greetings were exchanged all around, and then a chair was set up on the linoleum floor of the kitchen, so that Maria could give Eric a haircut.
“Give Eric a nice medium short haircut, with a good layered athletic look and complete hairline trim on his neck and face. Give him your best $200 haircut,” Jason said.
“Is that what you want, Eric?” Maria asked.
“Oh yes,” said Eric. “Give me the latest style. I’m tired of looking ratty!”
After Eric sat in the chair, Maria put a drop cloth over him and tied a paper protector cloth around his neck. She got to work with her shavers and scissors. The others got some drinks and chips and went back into the living room while Anna returned to her work in the kitchen. About forty-five minutes later Maria was finished. She showed Eric how it looked with a couple of mirrors. “How do you like it, Eric? It is satisfactory for you?”
“It looks great!”
“I’m glad you like it. That was a lot of hair to trim! I will just clean up all of the mess and be on my way.”
When Eric went back into the living room, he had a big smile on his face. “What do you think, guys?”
“I think that the girls of Silicon Valley will be all over you, Eric. I think we will have to teach you some defensive maneuvers,” Jason replied.
The changeover was amazing. With his new clothes, thorough cleaning, grooming, and the haircut, Eric was an attractive and handsome young teenager.
He really was a “swimmer boy” with his tall slender body, big feet, and blonde towhead of hair. With good posture he was about an inch taller than Daniel, and with a smile on his face had a winning look, even with the bruises.
Jason went into the kitchen where Maria was just finishing up her cleaning and was talking to Anna. “You did a great job with Eric. He looks so much better now. Here’s the rest of the money you were promised.”
“You have already paid me plenty,” Maria said. “I don’t need any more.”
“But we want your discretion also. Like this meeting never happened. Thank you so much for coming on such short notice.” Jason then slipped her a one hundred dollar bill.
After Maria left, Anna announced that dinner was ready. She had made baked chicken breasts and thighs with linguiça pieces and a cranberry/raisin sauce, mashed potatoes and gravy, a fresh vegetable medley with carrots, corn, beans and peppers, and fresh homemade biscuits with butter and jam. Everyone filled up their plates and ate heartily.
“This is a great meal, Mrs. Acosta,” Jason said. “Everything is terrific.”
“Yeah, Mom, this hits the spot!” Eric said.
Anna beamed with pleasure. “It’s so good to see you eating well again, Eric. Everyone please help yourselves to second helpings.”
After dinner the boys went to Eric’s room. Jason said, “If there is anything personal you want to bring along, now is the time to get it and pack it up. We have already packed up all of the clothes and toiletries we bought for you and put them in the car.”
“You know I don’t have any other clothes besides my swimming trunks, and I don’t have much in the way of personal possessions. I would like to bring along a few books and some family pictures.” Eric packed up those few belongings in a box and then they went downstairs.
It was time for the boys and Mr. Connor to leave and go back north to the Silicon Valley. They said their goodbyes to Anna and thanked her for the nice dinner. She brought out a care package of leftovers for Eric to take with him. There were tears in her eyes as she went up to Eric and held him in a long embrace. “Eric, I love you so much. I am so sorry that you have to leave me, but I know it is the best thing to do right now. I will call you when I get a chance, and hope to come up and visit soon.”
“Mom, you have to get away from here and from that evil Rogelio. I worry that he will hurt you like he hurt me. Can’t you come up to the Silicon Valley also? I’m sure you could find work up there, at least the same job you are doing now!”
“Eric, I can’t just run away from this house and my life here. It is all I have in the world, and I don’t want to just walk away from it! Plus I have to figure out what to do about Rogelio.”
“Don’t wait too long to do that, Mom. That man is mean and likes to hurt people. I don’t want him to hurt you!” He said goodbye, and that he loved her, then with a very sad face, Eric walked out to Joe’s car and got in.
A NEW LIFE FOR ERIC, PART I
(Tuesday Evening and Wednesday)
Eric got in the back seat of the car with Daniel and was very quiet and reserved for the first part of the trip. He still felt some guilt about leaving his mother and the fact that he was leaving the only home he had known weighed on him heavily at first. Jason and Daniel could see that he was upset, and gave him some space to work it out in his head. But as they got closer to the Silicon Valley, Jason started to talk about all of the new things that Eric would be experiencing there. No spokesman for the Chamber of Commerce could have done a better job than Jason in making the Silicon Valley sound like a great and exciting place for a kid to grow up in.
“Eric, I can’t wait to introduce you to all of the fun and rewarding activities that are available for teenagers like you and me. There are a lot of really neat people for you to meet and become friends with. Your aunt and uncle are looking forward to having you stay with them and our neighborhood is a great place to live. There are many families with kids our age around and I’m sure you will fit right in.
“One of the first things we will do tomorrow is get you some medical attention. I’ve arranged for you to see Dr. Timothy Cartwright, the same doctor who treated me after my kidnapping. He will give you a complete physical examination to make sure that you are recovering properly from the bruises on your body and any physical complications from what your stepfather did to you. Our goal this week is for that healing to occur before we start introducing you to a lot of new people and things to do, so you won’t be embarrassed by the bruises on your body and face.
“Dr. Cartwright has recommended a very good counselor for you, Dr. Louis Agoura who you will also meet. If you like him, Dr. Agoura will help you deal with the mental and emotional turmoil you must be experiencing right now from all of the abuse that was done to you. Plus I know you are upset having to leave your mom behind. The important thing for you to remember is now there is a team supporting you in all kinds of different ways. Don’t worry about any costs. The Whatever Foundation is picking everything up.”
Eric broke his silence. “Jason, I am really overwhelmed by everything you are doing for me. I hope I don’t sound ungrateful for asking, but why are you doing this for me? Today has been like Christmas and my birthday all at once yet I have barely known you guys for half a day!”
“First of all, Eri
c,” Jason replied, “Daniel, Joe, and I are doing this because it is the right thing to do! As soon as we heard about some of the things that your stepfather had done to you, it was clear that you were in some sort of abusive situation, and that you needed to be immediately rescued from it before more harm came to you. I know that I speak for all of us when I say that what was done to you was one of the most horrendous cases of child abuse I have ever heard of! My blood boils when I think of how he was trying to beat and crush the very soul out of you!
“Second, because of my own experiences as a crime victim, I know the stages of fear, humiliation, and uncertainty that you are going through. You cannot combat this alone. You need a support team and you need a lot of positive experiences to overcome the wrongs that were done to your mind and body. I have the means to help you do this through my Whatever Foundation, which is devoted to helping teenaged crime victims like yourself get restarted living useful lives again. I feel extremely privileged and proud to cover whatever it costs to help someone like yourself go through the recovery process.
“And finally, I think that you would have to agree that one of the finest things you can do in life is help others when they are suffering and vulnerable. It makes us feel good to know that we are helping you get back up on your feet, return to the world of normal people, and start living up to your potential again. Saving a life is priceless!”
“I really am in your debt for all that you are doing for me. How can I ever repay you for all of your kindness and assistance?” Eric asked in a very emotional voice.
“You can repay us with your friendship and by becoming a productive member of our community. That is all we would ever ask of you. Your debt isn’t really owed to us, it is owed to society. The only way to repay that debt is to do something similar for another person someday in the future. Then you will experience the same happiness that we feel right now helping you out!”
“Wow, Jason, you are an amazing person!” Eric said gratefully. “I’ve never met anyone like you before.”
“Yeah, he really is a person of destiny,” Daniel interjected. “Yet all he wants in life is just to be a normal guy like you and me. I think that is really cool.”
“Daniel, those nice words are appreciated but they are not going to get you off the hook in our next game competition! Hey look, Eric, we are entering the outskirts of the Silicon Valley. Check out the sights of your new home!” Then Jason started to point out various landmarks that could be seen from the freeway.
About ten minutes later, they took the exit nearest to the neighborhood where the Hunters and the Ferreiras lived. A few minutes later they arrived at the Ferreira house. “Here we are,” Joe announced.
As they were going in, Joe pulled Jason aside and said, “I want you to keep Eric occupied while I describe what happened to his aunt and uncle. That way they will know what happened without having to ask Eric to go through describing everything again. It will help them to know why he may be suspicious of adults, especially men.”
“Okay, Joe, we’ll keep him busy putting away all of his new clothes and grooming items.”
As soon as they knocked on the door, it was immediately opened by Marilyn Ferreira. “Hello everyone! Eric, is that you? You’ve grown so much since I last saw you. You look great!” She embraced Eric and gave him a big hug. “Welcome to our home! We are so looking forward to having you stay with us! Hello, Jason! I am so pleased that you were successful in your mission. Please introduce me to your friends.”
“It’s my pleasure. This is Mr. Joseph Connor, our friend and advisor, who drove us down to Springdale, and this is Daniel Holmes, my best friend and detective partner.”
Marilyn shook hands with Joe and Daniel and told everyone to come inside. When they were inside, she introduced her husband. “This is my husband, Jorge.” He gave everyone a big smile and a hello, and shook hands all around. “Please make yourselves at home. We are so happy that you could bring Eric to us today.”
Jason said to Marilyn, “We have a lot of clothing and grooming items that were purchased today for Eric. Why don’t you show us where his room is, and we will help him bring it all in and unpack.”
Marilyn had the three boys follow her down the hall to Eric’s new room. “Here it is, boys. I hope you will be comfortable here, Eric.”
“This looks great, Aunt Marilyn,” Eric said. The room was a spacious bedroom, with a large window looking out on the back yard, comfortable bed, desk, dresser, and a large closet.
Meanwhile, Joe was talking to Jorge and telling him that Eric had had a particularly difficult time ever since his mother had remarried. Jorge then went and got Marilyn so she could hear what they had learned that day. Jorge fixed drinks for them and while the boys were bringing all of Eric’s new clothing and other belongings to his room, Joe told them about Eric’s very difficult life during the past couple of years.
“I never liked or trusted Rogelio Fernandes,” Jorge said. “He always struck me as a slimy bastard, but I didn’t realize that he was a sexual predator! Poor Eric! He must have suffered greatly, even more so without any support from family or friends.”
“I feel bad that we weren’t more proactive by insisting on visiting there,” Marilyn added, “but it was difficult to do since Rogelio didn’t want any relatives to visit for obvious reasons! I am surprised actually at how good Eric looks, given all that he has been through.”
“You can thank Jason and Daniel for that!” Joe exclaimed. “You chose wisely when you asked Jason to help. He came up with a great plan to break through and communicate with Eric, first by being relentlessly cheerful and friendly, and then getting Eric to trust him by revealing a lot of the horrible things that happened to him during his kidnapping. Jason has invested a good chunk of his foundation money in getting Eric new clothes, grooming items, and a haircut. He has arranged for medical care and counseling for Eric, which he desperately needs. Jason has plans to help Eric acclimate to his new home and will fund music lessons and other activities to help Eric regain his self esteem and resume pursuing his personal interests.
“His friend Daniel was a great help too, working all afternoon to help Eric get cleaned up. Daniel helped treat his bruises and spent over an hour to get all of the adhesive residue off of Eric’s skin. When they were first trying to get through to Eric, he played and sang a wonderful song that helped break the ice. When we arrived there, I think Eric was very close to going into a catatonic state!
“Eric has been through some of the worst abuse and degradation that I personally have ever heard of being done to a kid. Now your role is critical. He needs active family support and love. Jason and I know how important that will be to his recovery, and one of the reasons that he started his foundation was to facilitate things by covering all of the extra outside expenses, leaving you free to concentrate on family activities and outings. At the same time, I hope you understand that Eric may be hesitant to confide in or even trust adults at first because of the way he was treated by his stepfather and ignored by his mother due to her spending so much time away from home working.”
“We are just ordinary people but we do love Eric, and will do everything that we can to make him feel welcome here, and hopefully recover from his ordeal with Rogelio,” Marilyn said.
“I don’t know Eric as well as Marilyn does,” Jorge added, “but I really enjoy doing practical activities around the house. Both of my sons enjoyed doing them with me, and I hope Eric will do the same. I certainly will give him opportunities and attention, but I do understand that he may be hesitant at first. I think that all kids eventually will respond to kindness and respect from adults, and that they do like to be asked to participate and learn about the activities of their parents or guardians.”
“I am so pleased to hear what you are saying, Jorge and Marilyn. I think you will do wonders for Eric. He really needs some strong and positive family support right now.”
A few minutes later, the boys came into the living room where the adu
lts were. Marilyn said, “I hope you are getting settled in, Eric. Now everyone, how about some dessert? I made a chocolate cake and there is ice cream also.”
“That sounds great!” the boys responded enthusiastically. Marilyn served out slices of cake with scoops of ice cream to everyone.
After they finished eating, Mr. Connor got up and said, “Thank you for your hospitality, but now we need to take our leave. I need to get the boys back. It’s been a long day!”
As everyone was saying their goodbyes, Marilyn came up to Jason and gave him a big hug. “Jason, you have been a miracle worker today. I really appreciate everything you have done for our family, and especially Eric. You really are a special person!”
“It’s the greatest feeling in the world to help someone in need, and I want to continue to help. I will go with you tomorrow for Eric’s medical appointments. The foundation will pick up all of those costs and I will make those arrangements at the doctor’s office. Would you like me to come here, or will you pick me up at my house?”
“We’ll pick you up at your house around 10:00 AM. See you then!”
After Jason, Daniel, and Joe left, Marilyn and Jorge sat with Eric for a while in the living room just talking about their normal daily routine. “We know that you have been through a lot today, Eric, but we want you to know that we are here for you and want to help you in whatever ways we can.”
“Everyone has been so nice to me today,” Eric replied. “I feel overwhelmed with kindness! I’m not used to all of this attention.”
“Jorge and I know how you have had to suffer in silence with all of the abuse you received,” Marilyn told Eric. “But we are here to protect you from that and to help you recover. You have been repressed and denied a chance at a normal life that every young boy should have. Now we are here to help you recover that in your life again.”
Double Fugue Page 5