Jason continued in a somber voice, “I am really sorry about your mom and that we weren’t smart enough to anticipate what your stepfather might want to do.”
Joe then came over and said, “Let’s give Eric some space for a little while to begin dealing with his grief. It’s hard for me to believe what this kid has been put through today. This is the last thing he needed to hear!”
Lieutenant Garcia responded, “I know that you are angry at me, Joe, but I am caught between a rock and a hard place here. Eric’s aunt was informed and so she is already in mourning. Imagine Eric coming back to her house, not knowing this happened, and then having to find out from his aunt. As painful as it seems, I think it was better for Eric to find out the truth right away.”
“At least waive any more police questioning for now,” Joe requested. “With Fernandes dead there is no hurry to get any statement you may need from Eric. You already have the information about what happened to him today, and he has no specific knowledge of any other potential victims. We need to get Eric back to the family he has left.”
“Yes, you are free to go. I’ll be in touch for anything else we may need.” Lieutenant Garcia went over to Eric. “Son, I am very sorry for the loss of your mother. You have been very brave to get through all that happened to you today, and your quick thinking made it possible for us to find you and take out Rogelio Fernandes. He will never harm you or any other kid again.”
Grim faced, Daniel went and sat beside Eric. “I’m so sorry, Eric. It seems that life hasn’t been very fair to you today.”
Joe then came over and said, “Come on Eric, let’s go home. Why don’t you sit up in the front seat. I have a few more things to tell you.”
The three boys and Mr. Connor then loaded their gear and got into his car to make the long trip back to the Silicon Valley.
Instead of a happy trip back celebrating Eric’s rescue, the atmosphere was grim and silent. At first Eric just stared ahead with a stunned look on his face. He was just starting to absorb the meaning of what Lieutenant Garcia had told him. Jason and Daniel were in the back seat unsure whether to try and talk about things, or to just sit there quietly and allow Eric to grieve over his loss. They settled for quiet. So it was up to Mr. Connor to deal with things again. Once the car was on the freeway, he stayed in the right lane and began talking to Eric.
“Eric, it seems that today is my day to give impassioned speeches. I think you know how we feel about you as a person, and about the horrible times you have had to live through. I have been wracking my brain trying to think about what I could compare your experiences today to, and basically all I could think about was warfare. Most Americans no longer have a real concept of what it would be like to survive a war, since most warfare occurs elsewhere, but when I was serving in Latin America, I ran into plenty of situations where a family would be instantly destroyed or forever changed in a single day.
“Unlike what you often see in the media, real war always has a lot of casualties on both sides, many times unnecessary deaths that you would think could have been avoided. Unfortunately that seems to be what happened to your mother. I know from talking to her the day we came down to get you that she loved you very much, and that she felt terrible guilt for what happened to you. I know that she would never have willingly told Fernandes where you were staying. I think she underestimated the cunning that Fernandes had and didn’t quite understand the depth of his obsession about you.
“So as you think about your mother, you can be sure that she died trying to protect you. You need to be thinking about all of the good times you had with her, because they will always be a part of you and are the things you want to remember when you think of her. What you don’t want to do is hide yourself in a shell of guilt and self-remorse. Anna lived her life the way she wanted to. I am sure that despite all of the hard times and adversity you had to live through, you still loved her as much as she loved you. You need to talk about your feelings for her and you need to think of what kind of a tribute would be appropriate for her.”
“It is hard for me to respond right now,” Eric replied, “because I feel these little prickles of hurt and shock all over my body. Inside, I feel totally empty because even when my real father died, I still had my mother to be with.”
“But that is a start, Eric,” Joe said in an encouraging voice. “You are expressing some of the hurt you feel in a way that others can relate to. I know you have had a lonely existence for a lot of your life. You know how frustrating and empty that was for you. Now you have friends and family that are looking out for you. Lean on them a little, now.”
“You are right, Mr. Connor. I could use some help from my friends. Jason and Daniel, I know you have been quiet out of respect for me and what happened to my mom, but what I really need from you guys is some conversation and some of your normal enthusiastic behavior. That would be a real comfort to me right now!”
Jason reached out and placed his hands on Eric’s shoulders, massaging them for a few seconds before sitting back again. “Try to relax and let go of some of the tension gripping you. You know that Daniel and I are here for you. What exactly should we talk about?”
“We could actually talk about anything,” Eric replied. “Even the events of today. Everything right now seems so unreal when I think about what I have experienced today. If I were a cat I would probably only have six lives left after what has happened to me since this morning!”
“Well, Eric,” Jason began, “I would like to talk some more about today. I was so impressed with the way you handled yourself in the face of brutal danger. You have come such a long way in just a week and a half. I really have a gut feeling that you will eventually do something great in this world, now that you are free from the oppression that was ruining your life!”
“Those are mighty nice words coming from you, Jason,” Eric said with a little smile on his face. “I think you are the poster boy for doing great things. Look at what you have done for me!”
“Yes, Eric, we opened the door, but you have come through it in a grand fashion. It just doesn’t seem fair that you have had all of this constant misfortune to deal with!”
“I would like to talk about music,” Daniel said. “I have found that music has a real healing effect when adversity hits. I know that it helped me get through the bad times when Jason was kidnapped and we had no idea what had happened to him. Eric, I think you should start thinking about some sort of musical tribute that you could do for your mom.”
“That is a really nice thought, Daniel. I would like to do something special for her funeral service, but I am not sure what to do. Does anyone have any ideas?”
“I have a suggestion,” Mr. Connor said. “When Daniel was playing his guitar and singing a little when you were first trying to break through to Eric, Anna said to me how moved she was by the song ‘Shenandoah’ that you sang. She told me it was one of her favorite songs, although she hadn’t heard it for many years. Why don’t you play it during the service?”
“That is a great idea,” Eric responded. “Would you be willing to play it during the service, Daniel? It would mean a lot to me! And I would like to join you on the bass. I will work really hard to learn the bass part.”
“I’ll do my best for you, Eric,” Daniel replied, “but I don’t have any experience performing in public as a soloist. I would like some additional help with the vocals. I think I will ask my friend Diana Miglione if she would sing a duet with me. That would be a lot easier for me to pull off.”
“Whatever you are comfortable with, Daniel,” Eric told his friend. “I just remember that you did a great job when you sang at my house. It was one of the first things you guys did that really connected with me. I was very touched by it.”
With the ice broken, the boys and Mr. Connor had pleasant conversations on the drive back. It made the time pass more quickly and helped Eric keep his mind off of the terrible loss he had just experienced.
When they arrived at the Ferreira’s
house, everyone went inside to see how Marilyn was holding up and offer her their condolences. When she saw Eric she ran up to him and embraced him with a big hug. “Eric, I was so scared that I would never see you again. Thank God that you are safe! I don’t know what I would do if you had been taken from us in addition to Anna.”
She then went around to Jason, Daniel, and Joe Connor and gave each of them a big hug. “I owe so much to you guys! Thank you for bringing Eric back home! Please make yourselves comfortable and have something to eat! There is plenty of food here. I have been in the kitchen cooking all afternoon.” There were some great aromas coming from the kitchen.
Jorge said, “Why don’t you all go into the living room and make yourselves comfortable. I will get you all drinks. What would you like?”
Joe and the boys took turns updating Marilyn and Jorge on the extraordinary events of the day. “I’m sure there will be media coverage of this due to the SWAT team going in,” Joe added after his report, “but the police won’t release Eric’s name because he is a minor. However, be prepared in case somehow Jason and Daniel’s role in this case gets revealed!”
Marilyn was overcome with emotion when Eric revealed what happened during his final encounters with Rogelio Fernandes. “That man was nothing but human slime. I’m sure he was responsible for my sister’s death and he nearly killed you, Eric.”
“Eric, you showed today that you are no longer a boy but a young man!” Jorge stated with feeling. “I am so proud of you and your bravery trying to protect your aunt and myself. You have the heart of a lion. You were willing to sacrifice yourself for others. There is nothing more courageous or selfless that you can do in life!”
“We all second that notion,” Jason said. “Eric has really come a long way in the last couple of weeks! We were privileged to be the ones to help him get through his ordeal and transition to a normal life again.”
“Life has been tough for you lately, Eric, but you now should know that you have what it takes to get through any hardship in your life,” Joe added. “Remember that your family and friends are here for you!”
Eric then said, “I know you guys have done so much for me already today, but there is one more thing that I would like you to do for me. Please stay here and keep me company for a while. I just can’t stand the thought of being alone right now!”
“I’m sure Jason and Daniel will be able to stay with you,” Joe said, “but unfortunately I have a number of things I need to do so I will take my leave.”
Eric came up to Joe and shook his hand. “Joe, you have been so kind and thoughtful of my feelings and what I have been going through today. The things you have told me today have given me real comfort and consolation. Thank you again for all of your concern!”
“It’s an honor to know you, Eric,” Joe replied. “You are a very fine young man!”
The boys then walked Joe to the door. Jason said, “Joe, you said it was an honor to know Eric, but it is also an honor for us to know you! I am so pleased that you are serving on the foundation board. Your assistance today was so important to us and to Eric.”
“Yeah, Joe, I’m so glad that my father decided to join the Rotary Club,” Daniel added. “Meeting and getting to know you has changed all of our lives for the better!”
“You guys take care, and watch over your friend Eric,” Joe said as he was leaving. “He needs your support now more than ever!”
After Joe left, Marilyn told Eric that Dr. Agoura wanted to talk to him, and said to call him whenever he could, day or night. “Why don’t you call him right now, Eric? He was really concerned about you when I talked to him earlier today and told him why you would be missing your session with him.”
Eric got on the phone and talked with Dr. Agoura for about ten minutes. They agreed to meet in person on Friday morning for a longer session. Dr. Agoura said he would be willing to come over to Eric’s house, because he understood that the family was in mourning for Eric’s mother, and that his aunt and uncle would have a lot of things to do.
Meanwhile Jason and Daniel both called their parents to update them on what was going on and explain that they needed to stay at Eric’s for a while. Both of their parents said that was okay, and Daniel’s parents said that they would pick him up in a few hours.
Jason then said, “This gathering could use a few more people, and we need some girl friends to cheer us up and make things more pleasant and comforting. I think I will give Laura a call and see if she and Diana can come over.”
Jason called Laura and explained briefly what they had been through with Eric. “It sounds like you have had quite an adventure,” Laura responded. “I know that Diana and I really want to meet your new friend Eric, but will he want us to be there given the tragic turn of events?”
“Oh, yes!” Jason replied emphatically. “He really wants some companionship tonight, and so do I! We have had an incredibly difficult day. It would be so nice if you and Diana could come over for a while. Eric’s Aunt Marilyn has been cooking up a ton of food, and I know we would enjoy your company.”
“Well, believe it or not, Diana is right here with me,” Laura said. “The only thing is that we have a third person, a new girl in town named Rebecca with us. We can’t just desert her.”
“Why don’t you bring her with you?” Jason continued. “I’m sure that it would be okay. I think that a new face will cheer everybody up!”
After a brief conversation with her friends, Laura said, “Yes, we can come over. My mom has agreed to give us a ride.”
About twenty minutes later, the three girls arrived, and after introductions, the atmosphere at the Ferreira household quickly became more cheerful. Marilyn had put out a buffet of all the food she had been preparing. The girls were quite impressed with everything there. Diana’s mother was a professional baker and soon she and Marilyn were chattering away about food preparation. After a while Laura took Jason by the hand and they went over to a corner of the living room to talk about all of the things that had happened in the past week. Then Daniel came in and wanted to talk with Diana.
Rebecca Navarro was a pert brunette with pretty brown eyes, a few freckles, a nice smile and a slender build. Although shy at first, she made an effort to talk with Eric, and the two hit it off. There was an immediate attraction between them like they had been friends for a long time. They ate together and then sat talking for a long time in the living room.
Meanwhile Jason had been updating Laura about all of his recent adventures with Daniel and then their rescue of Eric. Laura said, “You certainly have had a lot of adventures this summer, Jason. I really think you need some rest and relaxation! I sure hope you can come over and go swimming at my house soon.”
“That sounds really great, Laura. I have missed being with you this past week, but all these strange things kept happening to me, first with Daniel, and now with Eric. I still can’t believe what those two have had to go through lately! Can we get together tomorrow?”
“Yes, that would be super, Jason. Say about one? By the way, Diana and I still want to do our shopping session with Eric. Maybe that will help him get his mind off of all the bad things that have happened. I’m sure Diana will help Daniel out, also. Just look at the two them!”
Jason and Laura looked over to where Diana and Daniel were in an animated conservation. Daniel was talking with Diana about all of the very upsetting events of the day involving Eric and telling her more about Ethan Savage and his parents’ rock background. Most important was his request for her to sing with him at the funeral service for Eric’s mom.
“Laura, I just realized we are neglecting Eric. I hope he is doing okay!”
“Not to worry, Jason,” Laura said with a big smile on her face. “Take a look over there!”
Eric and Rebecca were sitting together on a little love seat over in the corner of the living room holding hands and looking into each other’s eyes as they were having an intimate conversation. Eric was smiling and he looked very relaxed and happy.
“So much for our guy pep talks and intense therapy. I think, Laura, that you brought over the best possible cure for what ails Eric!”
“Rebecca is new in town, and is really sweet. It’s neat to see that two of them are hitting it off! Now why don’t we have some of that intimacy ourselves?”
“That’s the best plan I’ve heard of all day!” Jason said moving a little closer and taking hold of Laura’s hand. “Being with you is such a pleasure!” he said as they embraced and kissed.
As the evening progressed several friends of Marilyn and Jorge stopped by to offer their condolences and visit. Most of the time the six young teens stuck together and kept Eric occupied with conversation and simple activities so that he wouldn’t get depressed. Eventually Laura’s mother Dorothy came to pick the girls up. As the girls were walking to the door, Dorothy told Eric, “I am so sorry for your loss, Eric. If there is anything that we can do for you, please don’t hesitate to call on us.”
“I appreciate you bringing over the girls tonight,” Eric replied. “I have enjoyed meeting them. They have been a real comfort to me. Their presence here has cheered everyone up!”
As the girls were leaving, Rebecca slipped a piece of paper into Eric’s hand. “Give me a call later, or tomorrow, or whenever you want to talk. I like you a lot, Eric.”
“It’s been so nice to meet you, Rebecca. You are so easy to talk to! I hope that we can get together again soon! Good night.”
Shortly after that, Daniel’s parents stopped by to take Daniel home. Both Eric and his Aunt Marilyn gave Daniel a big hug as they thanked him and said goodbye.
Marilyn told Daniel’s parents, “You should be very proud of your son. He has been so supportive of Eric. We are extremely grateful to him and Jason!”
“Gary and I have been discovering all through the summer how special Jason and Daniel are,” Melinda replied. “They both have really taken a liking to you, Eric, so I know you must be special too!”
Double Fugue Page 22