Puppet

by Ed Kightlinger

  Clay promptly replies in a contrite tone, “Sir, Sophia can serve as a backup with the United States Secret Service. She is that darned good!”

  CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

  PANDEMONIUM

  “Anthony was killed this past weekend.”

  Part I: In Memoriam

  Diana Jane is standing behind a podium in the center stage of the Claymore High School auditorium. It is mid-morning on Wednesday, the day of Anthony Marvella’s memorial. Well-wishers pack the auditorium.

  Diana Jane is wearing a lovely, full-length, black gown speckled with silver sequins. She has her beautiful, waist-long, brown hair neatly gathered on the top of her head. The elegant hairstyle is identical to the way she wore it during last year’s play, The Sound of Music, at Claymore Middle School. Diana Jane had superbly acted as Frau Schmidt, Captain von Trapp’s housekeeper.

  She gently taps the microphone with her forefinger. “Ahem, testing, testing one, two, three.” She gives a thumbs up to the technician offstage. She looks out at the audience, manages a slight smile and nods her head as a welcoming gesture. She begins to speak from her heart extemporaneously.

  “Good morning. On behalf of the Marvella family and their friends, and the faculty, teachers, and students of Claymore High, I thank you for coming. My name is Diana Jane Bower. It is my honor to be here today as we pay tribute to one of our dearest friends, Anthony Marvella.” She gestures with her hand to her left. “My dear friend, the Minstrel, Colette Campbell, is playing the lovely requiem music to which you are listening.

  “Anthony was killed this past weekend. He was jogging in the bicycle lane of Grider Street. His parents asked me to remind you that Anthony was but one of five unexplained pedestrian fatalities that occurred on that sad day. The others were four members of the Marvella’s extended family. The Marvella’s asked me to remind you that there also were at least twenty-five unexplained injuries on Grider Street the same day. Therefore, as we pay tribute to Anthony, it is important that we remember the other Claymore townspeople who were killed and injured on the same day Anthony had died.” Diana Jane nods her head a little at James. He is sitting with Chloe, Brenae, and Sophia in the third row to the left of the stage.

  Diana Jane scans the audience with her eyes. Her heart seems to skip a beat as she becomes aware of over five hundred pairs of sorrowful eyes looking up at her. Her eyes become watery, and she has to clear her throat once more. Mercifully, thanks to her grit and skillful speaking skills, she keeps her composure. Her gaze rests on the middle front row. That is where the Marvella’s and their extended family and closest friends are sitting.

  Her voice slightly cracks. “Mister and Missus Marvella, on behalf of all of us here today, as well as the entire town of Claymore, please accept my sincerest condolences for the untimely passing of your son. I did not know Anthony personally. All the same, I knew all too well of Anthony’s remarkable athletic accomplishments and exceptional reputation.” She slowly moves her hand from left to right as an acknowledging gesture to the entire audience. “Like all of you who are here today.

  “All of us knew of Anthony’s distinguished reputation and fantastic prowess on the football field. Yes, Anthony was a phenomenal Claymore High School icon, our star quarterback four years in a row. And yes, Anthony was a hero of the entire town of Claymore. Then again, Anthony Marvella was much more than a star quarterback. He was a leader in our community and an inspiration to hundreds of Claymore residents.

  “What you may not know, Anthony likewise provided generous support to the community as a volunteer. He volunteered on weekends at the children’s hospital. He sat with the children, and he inspired them as well. Anthony helped the nurses with changing bedsheets, serving meals, cleaning hospital rooms, and running errands. He volunteered every Monday after school, fifty-two weeks out of the year for six years without stopping, to assist kids at the YMCA. His volunteering at the YMCA is especially noteworthy. Many of you may not know this. Anthony was an accomplished swimmer. His specialties were the butterfly and backstroke. He was instrumental in creating the YMCA swimming program.

  “That Anthony found ways to support the community, despite his rigorous football schedule and challenging academic workload, speaks highly of his well-rounded, all-star character. Anthony was a 4.0 student across the board four years in a row. To say he was an inspiration to his fellow students is an understatement.

  “Therefore, ladies and gentlemen and my fellow Claymore students, it is time for Anthony’s stellar life to speak for itself.” Diana Jane gestures with a nod of her head to the wide-screen behind her.

  “Please join me in paying tribute to Anthony’s admirable life in a matter that will be much more poignant than whatever I have to say – via moving photographs from the day he began kindergarten to the Friday before his untimely departure from our lives. After the photo presentation, the Claymore High School Choir will sing Anthony’s favorite song, “Over the Rainbow.” Afterward, the entire football squad and Claymore High’s cheerleaders will come on stage to lead all of us in singing the Claymore High Fight Song.”

  Diana Jane departs to stand a few feet offstage as two teenagers remove the podium from the stage. She says into the microphone, “I am honored to present the amazing life of Anthony Marvella.”

  The lights on the stage and in the auditorium dim slightly as all eyes focus on the wide-screen.

  *****

  Part II: In Commotion

  Diana Jane’s narration of the photo presentation of Anthony Marvella’s life goes exceptionally well. Even taking into consideration the sad setting, her entire performance is a total success. There are short bursts of applause and sporadic, good-natured laughter from the audience. These incidences result from a few of Diana Jane’s quips and complimentary comments, in addition to the audience’s reaction to a few of the more moving photographs.

  Once the photograph presentation is over, and the chorus has sung, “Over the Rainbow,” the football squad and cheerleaders take the stage. They lead the standing audience in singing the Claymore High Fight Song. Everything goes well and according to plan up to the time Missus Davenhill takes the stage. That is when pockets of alarming commotion begin to erupt throughout the auditorium.

  A few of the younger people in the audience start yelling and making absurd references to puppets and coils of twine. As they pump their fists in the air, others chant loudly in unison, “Puppets, puppets, puppets! Long live puppets!”

  A few students run through the aisles and begin to laugh hysterically. Some remain seated in their seats and weep openly. Others stand up with emotionless stares, and then they walk out of the auditorium. A few depart without informing their family members or friends with whom they were sitting. Fortunately, a large portion of the audience, mostly older students and parents, remain in their seats. Nevertheless, the surprised looks on their faces reflect their growing alarm.

  Missus Davenhill continues to stand center stage despite the commotion. She appears calm, although she will later admit that she was perplexed as she stood on the stage uncomfortably. She had an inkling what had caused the commotion, but she had no idea how to counter it.

  After more than a minute of Missus Davenhill’s steadfast silence and the contrasting noisy commotion in the audience, Chloe scrambles onto the stage. She whispers something to Missus Davenhill, and then she dashes to the wings to speak to Colette. A few moments later Colette appears on stage rolling the hammered dulcimer before her.

  Once Colette and her hammered dulcimer are situated alongside the podium, Missus Davenhill lowers the microphone, so it is close to the instrument. Colette immediately begins to play her rendition of “Amazing Grace.” Not only is Colette’s choice of songs appropriate for the occasion, but it is also beautiful. More importantly, the touching music quickly grabs the attention of the entire audience, to include those that are acting disorderly.

  After a few moments, the commotion begins to subside markedly. Those who were shouting and
running through the aisles calmly return to their seats as if nothing had happened. The yelling and chanting come to an end. Those who had walked out of the auditorium, and are within earshot of the lovely, sweet music, begin to reenter. They quietly return to their seats and lovingly watch as Colette plays.

  Missus Davenhill begins to speak. She motions for Colette to continue playing, but she presses her forefinger to her lips so Colette will know to play the music as softly as possible. She crosses her fingers behind her back. She is about to tell a little white lie.

  “I have a few, short comments. For those of you who just witnessed an inappropriate outburst, please accept my sincerest apologies. It would appear that some in this auditorium thought it funny to pull a prank on me before I began my short speech. They probably wanted to embarrass me.” She raises her voice noticeably and says in a scolding tone, “They were wrong. What they did is an insult against the Marvella’s and the memory of our beloved, star quarterback.” She looks directly at the front middle row.

  “Mister and Missus Marvella,” she scans the audience, “as well as anyone else who was embarrassed with the outburst, please accept my apologies. Likewise, please trust me when I say this. I will take appropriate disciplinary action against those responsible for causing the commotion.”

  Missus Davenhill breathes a noticeable sigh of relief when she sees that Mister and Missus Marvella are nodding their heads and smiling.

  “Okay, thank you. As I said, my speech will be short, very short. Please stand and join me for a moment of silence as Miss Racheal Marie Wilson, our band’s first chair trumpet player, plays a moving piece as a final tribute to our beloved son, brother, friend, and fellow student, Anthony Marvella. The piece is Racheal’s rendition of Leroy Anderson’s, “Trumpeter’s Lullaby.” Colette Campbell will accompany Racheal as she plays.”

  As Racheal walks onstage, Missus Davenhill walks offstage to her right. Racheal curtsies gracefully, and then she begins playing her beautiful, touching rendition of “Trumpeter’s Lullaby.” Colette’s accompaniment likewise is beautiful.

  As soon as Racheal and Colette finish playing their duet, they curtsy elegantly, and then they walk offstage. Missus Davenhill returns center stage. She says, “Thank you, Racheal and Colette. That was lovingly uplifting.” She turns her attention to the audience.

  “From the bottom of my heart, I thank you for attending this moving tribute to a wonderful young man. I also thank Miss Bower, Miss Campbell, Miss Wilson, and everyone involved with this tribute for their solid performance.” Missus Davenhill’s recognition of her students’ performance results in a short round of applause from the audience.

  Missus Davenhill’s gaze rests on the Marvella family and those that are sitting with them.

  “More importantly, we thank you, Mister and Missus Marvella, for the honor of allowing us to pay tribute to your son, our beloved fellow student and star quarterback, Anthony Marvella. Missus Davenhill closes her eyes and raises her head slightly. “Anthony, rest in peace, son. We praise you. We love you. We already miss you.” She looks out at the audience.

  “This concludes our ceremony. Please join us in the cafeteria where our fantastic cafeteria staff is waiting to serve donuts and beverages, compliments of Mister David Cheaply. I will dismiss classes,” she glances at her watch, “at half-past eleven.”

  She places her hands over her heart.

  “In closing, I must say this. Parents, please do not forget to hug your kids tonight. Students, please hug your friends as well.” She smiles, and then she says in a good-natured tone, “Obviously, outside of school. Go in peace, stay safe, and may God bless.”

  CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

  SO MANY UNANSWERED QUESTIONS

  “Investigate and get results!”

  “So many unanswered questions,” Chloe moans.

  Chloe and the other members of the Sextet are sitting around a long table at Tony’s Pizzeria. Missus Davenhill and Officer Bennet are with them. They are eating lunch. Three half-eaten pepperoni pizzas, four nearly empty baskets of chicken wings, and eight half-full glasses of milkshakes are on the table.

  Missus Davenhill says, “Yes, Miss Brown. There are too many unanswered questions.”

  “What I do not understand,” James offers, “is why they agreed to do it. What did Jake have to gain by forcing Emmy, Clay, and the three other guys, John, Paul, and Zeke, to try and scare us like that?”

  “Control,” Brenae says. Her teammates give her quizzical looks.

  Brenae snatches a half-eaten slice of pizza from Sophia’s plate. She hurriedly begins to take huge bites from the pizza until she has stuffed most of it into her mouth. She bites half of the crust, and then she casually tosses what remains of the crust onto Diana Jane’s plate.

  Sophia whispers, “Goodness, Bre! Why did you do that?”

  Brenae is inclined to answer, but her mouth is full of pizza. She shakes her head and points to her mouth as she chews.

  Diana Jane says, “Ugh! I love Sophia, and I love you too, Bre, but there is no way I want the crust on my plate after the two of you chewed on it!” She removes the crust from her plate with a napkin and sets it aside.

  Sophia says with a frown, “You know, Bre, you are my best friend. In spite of this, sometimes you scare me, do you know that? As you know, I am not easily scared.” She chuckles. “Okay, so what is your point? Why did you chomp my slice of pizza to death?”

  Diana Jane says to Brenae, “Yes, why did you do it? We know you are unpredictable and that you have a good reason for doing the things that you do,” she chuckles, “even the most absurd things imaginable. Still, sometimes you can drive me bonkers.”

  “I see what Bre is getting at,” Colette says with a laugh. “Maybe I can speak for our beloved ventriloquist while she continues to choke on her pizza, rightly so.” She points to the three half-eaten whole pizzas in the middle of the table.

  “Sophia and Diana Jane still have choices before them. Aye, they could easily snatch any slice of pizza off one of the trays. Instead, Sophia focused on what Bre had taken from her, and Diana Jane focused on what Bre had given to her.” She looks at Brenae. “Am I right?”

  “Yes, you are correct, Minstrel,” Brenae mumbles as she continues to chew and swallow.

  “Even though I knew that Sophia could kick my butt from here to Memphis, and the rest of you could gang up on me and beat me to a pulp, I exerted control. Why? Because by doing so I put you on the defensive. Maybe I have something on you that would embarrass you if I told the others. Or, hypothetically speaking, maybe you owe me something, perhaps ten bucks.” Brenae looks at Sophia. Jokingly, she says, “By the way, my trustworthy Accountant, where is that ten-spot you owe me?”

  Sophia replies in a playful tone, “You can kiss my butt, Bre. I said I would pay you back next week. Get over it.” With a wave of her hand, she says lightheartedly, “Get on with your story if you please.”

  “Seriously,” Brenae says, “exerting control is all about intimidating someone for whatever reason. It is about projecting power as well. Maybe Jake knows something about his sister, Emmy, that if he tattles to their parents, she would be in a world of hurt. Besides, since Jake is the larger of the two, and both guys are football teammates, he undoubtedly had no problem exerting control over Clay. Clay may have been an unwilling player in the prank.”

  “That makes perfect sense,” Sophia offers. “I could tell that Clay wasn’t an eager, participating member of their twosome scheme once we discovered who they were.” He even suggested to Jake that the six of them should skedaddle. His word, not mine.”

  “That fits perfectly with what I am saying,” Brenae says. “As far as it concerns the three other guys, the ones in the rafters, I bet Jake had something on them as well. Perhaps he was exerting control over them by threatening to blackmail them for whatever reason. At least those are my thoughts. Otherwise, I would seriously have to doubt the integrity of my fellow teenagers.” She grins, and then, with a twinkle in he
r eyes she says, “Like the sugariness and uprightness of the six of us.”

  Missus Davenhill says, “You are something else, Miss Woodbine. You have remarkable intuition, and you’re always upbeat. It is refreshing, to say the least.” Brenae’s face turns beet red as she says thank you.

  Missus Davenhill shrugs her shoulders. “Regrettably, I cannot give you the details, since I am not at liberty to divulge your fellow students’ private information. Suffice it to say,” she glances at Officer Bennett, “the three boys in the rafters were accused of impropriety. I would bet Mister Silverman knew of the offense, and he exerted control over the three other gentlemen by threatening to expose them. Mister Silverman had the power. He was in control. The others had no power, and they were not in control. For those reasons, they were at his mercy.” She smiles at Brenae. “Just as Miss Woodbine had inferred.”

  Chloe says, “All six of them were members of the computer club. They had access to the equipment, and Emmy, an unwilling participant, had the brains. Jake had the brawn, and, as our principal and Bre alluded to, he had a good reason to exert control over them.” She shakes her head slightly and frowns. However, a couple of things still do not add up.”

  “What would those be?” Missus Davenhill asks.

  Chloe replies, “Why didn’t the videotape recordings of the cafeteria food fight show Spaghetti Kid? How was it no one was seen on the cameras removing the videotape from your desk? How could Jake and the others relocate that equipment to the warehouse without being detected? How did Jake and the others know we would be in the warehouse in the first place?

  “Finally, and more importantly, who caused all that commotion during Anthony Marvella’s memorial ceremony? That was very distasteful.” Chloe glances around the table at the others. “I think all of you will agree with me when I ask, what sort of depraved person or persons does something like that? The Marvella’s must have been in complete shock when chaos broke out in the auditorium. I know that I was. I was in tears!”