by Sioux Dallas
Reaching down to ruffle Hope’s hair he said, “Hope, we must take you to see Marshall and Chuckles soon. Don’t you agree?” She sure did.
The weather was much colder. Beautiful multi-colored leaves were falling off the trees which meant more yard work. Herb took the twins for driving practice on the open highway.
The Saturday for the football game and dance was cold, but clear. Fairfax High and the rival school both had bands and cheer leaders who marched in the parade in the city. There were politicians in cars, the Chief of Police, police on motorcycles, floats from businesses as well as school groups, booster groups, baton twirling schools, 4-H horse groups and many more.
The football game started at two. Anna came for a surprise visit. She got permission to announce over the loud speaker that her class of college freshmen was going to have a talent show open to the public. There would be prizes and a door fee of three dollars. “Our college President has a nephew who uses a service dog. That’s why he’s willing to do all he can to make this work. If the talent show is successful, we’ll be able to do more in the future.” The crowd cheered and whistled.
The announcement was made that there would be a barrel at the main gate for donations if anyone wanted to help. Tim had explained for the benefit of the visiting team and their sponsors about the plan to buy a service dog. The day was memorable when Fairfax won the game. The barrel held six hundred eighty dollars and thirty-six cents. Jimmy was still going bonkers at the odd change. This made a total, so far, of six thousand sixty-five dollars and forty cents.
The dance started at seven and was a tremendous success. Trina Fuller refused to ride home with her date because he had sneaked out and was drinking.
“Tom, I’m sorry, but I need a favor,” Trina looked miserable. “I need a ride home and you live on the same street so--I thought ----” she stopped embarrassed.
Tom looked at his date, Susan Woodson. She smiled and nodded. Susan put an arm around Trina. “I’m glad you had more sense than to get in the car with Garry. It isn’t smart to drink and drive. It isn’t smart to drink at all.”
Tom smiled. “You girls wait here. I need to speak a minute with Mr. Grissom and then we’ll leave.”
“Susie, I’m sorry to be such a bother. I bet you and Tom had plans after the dance.”
“No. Tim and Eileen are with us and we had agreed to go home right after the dance. Church tomorrow and, too, the twins want a visit with their sister before she goes back to college. Relax. You’re no bother. We’d rather you go with us than risk your life with someone drinking.”
“Thank you, Susie. I’ll be right back. I want to tell those girls something.” Katrina walked off and in a minute came running back to Susan. “Susie, please tell Tom I appreciate the offer of a ride, but I’ve found a ride home. Thanks again.” She ran off.
“Trina, wait,” Susan called but she was already out of sight.
Irene came into the living room where her three children were laughing and visiting. “I don’t want to hear groaning this morning. We have church.”
“Aw, Mom. It’s been a long time since we could have a good talk with Anna. We have a lot of catching up to do,” Tom told her.
“Will wonders never cease. I remember, not too long ago, when you boys thought your sister was too bossy and avoided her.”
“I guess all little boys feel like that. I hope we’ve outgrown childish behavior such as that.”
After church, Irene had prepared their favorite; chicken and dumplings, raw sliced carrots, cauliflower and pickled beets with deviled eggs and buttermilk biscuits. Groans were heard all around the table when she brought in her delicious pumpkin pies.
While Anna and Irene cleaned the kitchen, Tom and Tim played a video game in their room. Suddenly Herb gave a shout. “Come here, quickly. There’s news on television you’ll all want to hear.”
The reporter looked sad and surprised as he gave the story. “This is a disastrous happening after a great game and a good time at a high school dance. It’s unfortunate, but there’s usually one who will drink, take drugs, or do something they shouldn’t and it is horrendous that innocent people pay for their stupidity. Last night, at about midnight, a student at Fairfax High, Alex Bauman, drove his father’s car to and from the high school dance without being licensed. He had two girls with him in the car. Sergeant Larry Thornton, Virginia State Patrolman, has the facts. Sgt. Thornton.”
“Well, we got a call from an excited, elderly man who reported that a car just passed his house at a high rate of speed and, instead of making a curve, had run straight on hitting a concrete pole and bounced off to hit a parked car. I arrived on the scene because I was on duty in that area. At first I thought they were all dead. The driver was draped over the steering wheel and his head had made a hole in the windshield. No seatbelt. The passenger, beside him, had her seat belt fastened, but had been thrown forward and snapped back so hard she appeared to have a broken neck. The girl, in the back seat, had no belt and had been thrown forward over the front seat. She was hanging with her head against the dashboard.”
“Thank God they were unconscious and not dead, although it is difficult to believe that they survived. I called for ambulances and EMT assistance.”
“Sgt. Thornton, was the car badly damaged?”
“The front end was sliced off and the car was crumpled all over. All windows were cracked and the driver’s head had made a hole in the windshield. The jaws of life were used to cut the metal enough for the young people to be lifted out without doing further injury to them. The dashboard had been pushed back against the two in the front seat.”
“When did you find out who they were and when did you notify families?”
“An ER nurse recognized one of the girls as Trina Fuller. When Trina’s parents came they identified the other girl as Meg Dawson and the young man as Alex Bauman. Neither teen had an ID on them.”
A doctor gave the report. “As to their injuries, Alex has a spinal injury and some internal damage. Meg has broken ribs, glass cuts and abrasions. Trina has a concussion, glass cuts and minor injuries. I cannot guess what their futures are. Meg and Alex have regained consciousness, but Trina is still unconscious.”
“Thank you, doctor. We have Mr. and Mrs. Bauman on live camera. Reporter Raenell Pierson is interviewing them. Raenell, can you hear me?”
“Yes, Quincy. I’m at the home of Alex Bauman and have been talking to his parents.” She turned to a distraught couple. “How do you feel about your son’s accident, and do you accept any responsibility?”
Mrs. Bauman was crying. “Alex is a good son. He has never given us any trouble. I don’t believe he was taking drugs. I’m sure they’ll find it was a mistake in the blood testing. Alex knows not to drink or take drugs. We have never allowed any of that.” She was so nervous and upset, she kept babbling.
Mr. Bauman gulped audibly. “I don’t want to believe that our son was taking drugs, but as an attorney, I’ve seen it happen in many good families. I want to know more facts before I say more publically. I will say this. If Alex was on drugs, I assure you that I will not rest until I discover who is making drugs available to our young people. That’s all. Please respect our grief and let us take care of our son.”
Chapter Thirty-Three
“Dear God,” Irene breathed on a sob. “Those poor families. Those innocent girls. How dare Alice say her son has never given them trouble and that he isn’t taking drugs. She has never paid enough attention to him to know what he’s doing.”
“Or who he’s running around with,” Tim spoke softly, obviously shaken.
Herb sat stunned. The twins were in shock and Anna, standing between them, had an arm around each brother.
Hope couldn’t understand why her family was sad. She whined and trotted from one to another, finally standing in front of the children to bark.
“Oh, Hope,” Anna said, dropping to her knees. “You know we’re upset and you don’t understand. It’s unfortunate that peopl
e aren’t nicer like dogs, at least like you.”
“I need to go to the hospital and visit them,” Tom finally was able to talk. “Dad, can you take us, please?’
“Son, I have to see that your sister gets back to college. It’s too soon after the accident. I’m sure the doctors won’t want anyone but immediate family visiting. They need to gain strength and there may be more injuries that will show up later. I’m surprised the information was given out at all. Wait a few days, at least until after Tuesday.”
“But, Dad. We don’t expect them to talk to us. We’ll just feel better if we can look at them. I know we can’t do anything.” Tim was gulping and choking on a sob.
Irene said quietly, “I can’t help but feel thankful that you boys were not in that wreck. I know that some parents may not know what their children are doing, but that’s no excuse for not constantly reminding them of right and wrong. Children need to know that parents check on them because they love them and want the best for them.”
“Wait and pray, boys,” Herb told them.
“Dad’s right,” Anna told them. “Trina is still unconscious and Meg and Alex are still in shock and too weak for visiting.”
The twins walked sadly to their room. Herb took Anna to the bus and gave her money. He looked at her with moisture in his eyes and hugged her over and over. “I’m so proud of my children and love you so much. It would break my heart if I found either of you were sneaking and doing something you’d be ashamed to tell me about.”
“Dad, we love you and mom. You will not find either of us in serious trouble because you’ve loved us and taught us well.” She gave a weak smile. “Except for Tom’s experience with the dynamite. Remember, Alex was left with a nanny and housekeepers all of his life. He must have been twelve when he was entirely on his own. His parents have wealth and top jobs, but they haven’t shown the love and caring you have for us. Thank you, Dad.” She hugged him again and then boarded the bus.
Mr. Grissom called a special assembly on Monday morning. “Students, whether you believe it or not, I care about each and everyone of you and I’m here for you if you need me. I beg you, if you have experimented with drugs, or are drinking alcohol, please come to me or one of the counselors and let us help you break away from something that will destroy you. I never encourage students to tattle, but in this case, I am. If you know of another student who is drinking or taking drugs, please tell me so that I can have a chance to help that person. Your name will never be mentioned. Otherwise we may be burying that student. Go to your homerooms and remember, if you need to talk, I’m here, not to pass judgment, but to help.”
Tuesday, after school, the twins went by the hospital. Alex tried to talk, but he was too weak and still unclear as to what happened. They just told Meg they were praying for her and wished her well. They weren’t allowed in Trina’s room because she had only regained consciousness that day and was very weak. A nurse told them Trina had no memory of the accident. The twins, with heavy hearts, made their way home.
The following Saturday, at Canine Wonders, the group was disappointed that Marshall did not come. For the first time the work was just another job.
“Mom,” Tom called as he and Tim entered the house.
“In here, boys. I’m making jelly and can’t leave the berries cooking.”
“Mom,” Tim began as they came into the kitchen, “today is the first day that no one brought Marshall. We’re afraid he might be too sick to come.”
Herb came in as they were talking and they told him of their fears. “After supper you can call and check on him. He may have had a medical appointment. If he’s sick, Sharlene might be upset, so be kind. They might not want Marshall to know how sick he really is, so be careful what you say.”
“Sharlene? Hello. It’s Tom Jackson. Tim and I missed Marshall today.”
“Thank you for calling. The last two days have been bad. He’s showing a little more interest today, but he isn’t well. Marshall wants to talk.”
“Hi. Who’s this?”
“It’s Tom. And me, Tim, on the extension.”
“Oh, goody. Next Saturday is my birthday. Mommie says we’ll have a family party, so could you and the others come for cake and ice cream?”
“Anna and the girls won’t be here, but we boys sure can. What time is your party?”
“Mommie, what time can they come?”
Sharlene took the phone. “Oh, my. We planned on a quiet time just us, but we’ll be glad to have all of you. We hadn’t planned a big occasion. You know why. Can you come at five after you leave the kennels?”
“You bet and we insist on bringing the cake and ice cream,” Tom told her.
“Oh, thank you, but no. That won’t be necessary. I’ve already planned on what I will serve.”
“But you didn’t expect a bunch of us. Please, Sharlene. We want to do this for Marshall.”
“I’ll reluctantly say okay, but Brian won’t like it. He’ll appreciate it, but he’ll feel we should feed our guests.”
“We insist. We’ll furnish everything, dinner and all. If you want to decorate, that’s okay.” Tim stated firmly.
As the twins told their parents, Herb and Irene were excited and wanted to help. “I’ll make his favorite meatloaf, mashed potatoes and peas. I’ll get Rita Dodd to make something and Marsha Tully will want to furnish her delicious rolls and maybe a beverage. I’ll talk to them and help you plan.”
“I’ll give you money for a large sheet cake and about a gallon of ice cream,” Herb offered. “Have his name written on the cake with maybe a dog and balloons printed on it. Find out what his favorite ice cream is and get enough for the crowd. Don’t forget paper plates, cups, napkins, tableware and whatever is necessary. We want to make it easy for Sharlene so she won’t be cleaning up. Tell your friends to bring simple gifts like puzzles, books, so forth.”
“Do you know something that we don’t?” Tom asked his parent.
“Such as ----” Herb looked puzzled.
“Like you know he may not live much longer.” Tim had a choked voice.
“Sharlene does say he’s getting weaker by the day. Yes, boys, it could be any time, but we don’t know for sure. We’ll all grieve when it happens, but you wouldn’t want him to linger in pain and misery,” Herb spoke haltingly.
“No. No.” both boys answered. “We’ll do what we can and make this the best birthday party ever. We’ll tell the others so they can be prepared and won’t let Marshall suspect.”
Tom, Tim, Doris and Ellen went to the hospital to visit their friends. A nurse told them that Meg Dawson had been discharged. She was to stay at home for a week, have a doctor’s appointment and then be told when she can return to school.
“Hey, guys,” Alex spoke weakly. “I am ashamed of myself. I need to apologize to you for ignoring you, my good, true friends. I’m ashamed that I neglected you for those others. Will you forgive me?”
Tom took his hand. “Yes, of course, Alex. You made some bad decisions but you’re paying for it. If you learned a lesson from this and will never do it again, it’ll be great. If you had only hurt yourself, it would be bad enough, but you hurt two innocent girls.”
“That’s the worst of it. I didn’t mean to harm anyone, but it happened because I was stupid and thought I was being a smarty. Those yo-yos I was running around with didn’t help any.”
“Blaming someone else is not going to help you,” Tim spoke kindly. “Face up to what you did and make a vow that you will never take any more drugs or drink any alcohol. You were always on the first honor roll and you’ve let yourself down there. You’re in danger of failing and not graduating with us this year.”
“Alex,” Ellen took his hand. “You know drugs and alcohol cook the brains. Thankfully you haven’t been on them long enough to have done much damage to your brain, but who knows. Plus they damage your heart, liver and kidneys. You may have more troubles in the future.”
“I know what you say is the truth, but you all s
ound so serious.”
“We are serious,” Doris told him. “We know how much good you can offer the world and what a great future you could have. You can do something great by warning others what can happen to them.”
“I heard you say one time that you wanted to either be a brain surgeon or a college professor of science. You have the ability to do it, but you have to be willing to apply yourself. You can talk to individuals, or groups, and tell them what your bad decision caused,” Ellen said.
They talked a few minutes more and wished Alex well. They then went to visit Trina. As they walked down the hall, they met Alex’s mother.
“Alex is going to have more trouble than he knows about. When he was thrown over the steering wheel into the windshield, he had an injury to the back of his neck at the top of the spine. The broken bones will heal but the nerve damage is questionable.”
Tom hugged her. “We are so sorry this happened, but to tell the truth, we knew for some time that Alex was an accident waiting to happen.”
“You kids pretend to be his friends. He went everywhere with you. Why didn’t you tell us what he was doing? Why didn’t you talk to Alex and stop him?”
Doris touched Alice Bauman’s arm. “We did try to talk to Alex. He laughed at us and went off with his new friends. They ganged up and followed us, harassed us and taunted us. One even threatened Tom and Tim because they tried to talk Alex into leaving that gang.
“Surely not. Did Alex know about it? Who are these boys anyway?”
“Yes, Alex knew. He was with them when they threatened us and Alex just laughed.” Tom told her the boys’ names and she gasped.
“I know those boys and their parents. Surely you’re wrong. Why the father of one of those boys is our family doctor. They’re all from good homes.” she babbled.