“I can’t thank you enough for what you are doing for me,” Brandon replied. “Just rescuing me from those creeps was enough!”
“But I can do more, Brandon, and I want to do more for you,” Jason went on. “I know from personal experience some of the things that you are going through. There will be times when you will have self-doubts about what happened and how you reacted.”
“Jason is right,” Aunt Melba said. “You need to keep active and not spend all your time dwelling on that awful time you had. You also need to relax and work out some of the stress you have been going through. Your Uncle Seth has a couple of vacation days left he needs to use up, so we are going to take you to the coast later this week. There is nothing more relaxing than spending some time by the ocean.”
“That sounds like fun, Aunt Melba,” Brandon replied enthusiastically. “I haven’t been to Santa Cruz in a long time!”
After they returned to Aunt Melba’s house, Jason helped Brandon carry all of his new gear into the room where he was staying. Then Jason sat down and had a one-on-one conversation with Brandon.
“I hope I am not being too forward with you, Brandon, but what happened to you was an unfortunate life-changing experience, just like it was for me when I was kidnapped. I learned a lot about myself and about life from that time. My experience was not exactly the same as yours, but several other teenagers Daniel and I have personally helped were attacked by predators. I never thought that one of my roles in life would be to help fight against evil people who prey on kids, but now I have both the resources and determination to do just that.
“That’s why it is very important for you to meet with Dr. Agoura tomorrow and start working out what is going through your head. He is very good at listening to what you have to say in a way that won’t threaten or embarrass you. And if for some reason the two of you don’t get along, he will be the first to recommend someone else to counsel you.”
“I know that it is very difficult for me to talk about what happened,” Brandon replied, “and that already I am having all kinds of conflicting feelings about what was done to me.”
“What you are experiencing is a normal reaction, Brandon. You were suddenly snatched away from your family and friends, held against your will, and forced to participate in a very ugly side of life that kids are supposed to be protected from. It’s a horrible realization to find this out the hard way, and your mind doesn’t know how to deal with this yet. That’s why the counseling is so important!
“Plus I would like for you to meet Robbie Nelson, another kid who was tricked and kidnapped by those two men in the same way you were, and went through nearly the same experiences that you did,” Jason continued. “He is almost your age. In fact, the two of you could pass as brothers because you look so much alike. I think the two of you could benefit from talking with each other. After all, Robbie truly understands what you went through.”
While Jason was talking, Brandon stared down at his new sneakers. Although Jason’s words were very reassuring, he still found himself close to tears. “Everything you are telling me seems right on, Jason,” Brandon began in an emotional and choked up voice. “I still find it difficult to decide whether I resisted enough even though I was beaten and kept bound and gagged most of the time. And then the things those men forced me to do …..”
Jason gripped Brandon’s shoulders and told him in an emphatic voice, “Enough, Brandon! Don’t beat yourself up over what happened. You did the most important thing that you could — you survived! Eventually everything will work itself out in your head. Dr. Agoura can help you deal with that. After I was kidnapped, I had those same depressing thoughts and feelings that I was somehow responsible for what was done to me and that I was to blame for what my family and friends suffered. There is no logic to these thoughts, but it is part of the process your mind goes through to deal with the terror and horror you experienced.”
Brandon looked up at Jason, who then released his grip. “Okay, Jason, you are right. I am letting my imagination get the better of me!”
“That’s the spirit, Brandon! Start fighting back against your self-doubt. Nothing that happened to you was your fault! You did resist them as best you could! You were up against two strong adult men who had to drug you, tie you up, beat you, and put a gag in your mouth to keep you under control. Don’t ever forget that!”
“Wow, Jason, you should be one of those counselors,” Brandon said with a smile. “You have already made me feel better.”
“Good!” Jason exclaimed, smiling back. He got up to leave. “Now my friend, I want you to relax, and enjoy the rest of the day. You are safe now, and on the way to a full recovery!”
“You called me your friend,” Brandon replied. “Do you really mean that?”
“Oh yes, Brandon. We are friends for life. When you go through an experience like we did on Saturday, it is something you never forget. The connection we made is too strong to ever die!”
“Meeting you has been one of the best things to ever happen to me,” Brandon said holding out his knuckles. “You are right, I will always remember how you have gone out of your way to help me and be forever grateful that you and Daniel showed up when you did!”
“The feeling is mutual, Brandon,” Jason affirmed giving Brandon a knuckle hit back. “My only regret is that Daniel and I didn’t get to you sooner.”
Chapter 33
Settling the Score
(March 27-30)
Jason also met with Robbie Nelson later that Sunday afternoon. He and his mother Camille were waiting for Jason in their new apartment. When Jason walked in it was clear that they had done a lot to make it a nice home, with pictures and prints on the walls, and nice house plants throughout. “Wow, you have really done a lot with this place,” Jason complimented. “I really feel at home here.” Robbie then showed Jason his room, which was straightened up and had sports and rock band posters on the wall. All of Robbie’s new clothing was neatly put away in his closet and dresser. In one corner of the room was a desk with a good light where Robbie could do his schoolwork.
“Awesome room, Robbie!” Jason said enthusiastically. “I’m glad to see that you have settled into your new place.”
“Thanks to you, Jason!” Robbie replied. “You have really helped turn our lives around. Already I am starting to do better in school.”
“That’s great, Robbie,” Jason continued. “I can see that the Foundation’s investment in you is starting to pay dividends. Now come with me back into the living room. I have some important news for you and your mom.”
After they returned to the living room and sat down, Jason told Robbie the good news about the men who kidnapped and molested him. “Those men will never harm another kid again! Unfortunately, they were able to do just that before we were able to track them down.” Jason told Robbie and Camille Nelson about Brandon Jacobs and how his encounter with the human traffickers was almost identical to what Robbie suffered through. He told them about Brandon’s rescue and how similar Brandon was in appearance to Robbie.
“The scary thing was that you both were profiled by those predators, probably because some customer of theirs asked for a kid matching your descriptions! Luckily, they will be behind bars for a very long time. I would like you to meet Brandon. He is staying down here this week to get away from all of the attention he would experience at home and school if he was still in Tracy. You are the only other person who truly knows what he went through. I know you could help him out a little, because right now he is experiencing many of the conflicting emotions and doubts that you did, Robbie.”
“I would like to meet Brandon,” Robbie said. “I don’t know how much help I could be.”
“Just be a friend to him, Robbie,” Jason replied. “He is a nice kid, just like you, who got lured into the same trap you were. He is only a year older than you, so I am sure you would hit it off.”
“If you will set up a meeting time and place, I would be happy to bring Robbie there,” Camille
said. “I agree with what you are saying, Jason. A meeting could turn out to be beneficial for both boys.”
“Good, I will leave his aunt and uncle’s phone number with you. I have already mentioned this to Brandon. Maybe you could get together tomorrow after school or in the evening.”
“That would work for me,” Camille replied. “I am working tomorrow, but it is a morning shift from seven to three.”
“See, already you are into some payback by reaching out to Brandon,” Jason went on. “He is having a rough time dealing with what happened to him, because it was so unexpected and so brutal.”
“Boy, do I know exactly what he is going through!” Robbie said emphatically.
“It took me a long time to work through what happened to me, but now I am starting to get over it and deal with the nightmares and flashbacks.”
“You have been very brave about things,” Camille said to her son. “You’re my little hero. I am very proud of you!”
Robbie seemed somewhat uncomfortable by his mom’s comment. Jason just smiled at him and said, “Don’t feel embarrassed, Robbie. That’s what moms are for! Now I have some special news for you that you will really like. Normally our foundation attorney would handle this, but he is out of town this weekend, so I said that I would take care of it for him.” Jason removed an envelope from inside his jacket and handed it to Robbie. “Open it, Robbie!”
When Robbie opened the envelope and took out its contents, his mouth opened wide in astonishment. Inside the envelope was a certified check for $30,000. “Is this for real, Jason?”
“Oh yes, this is very real. This check is from your father and covers four years of past due child support plus interest. In addition, your father will regularly send a monthly check until you turn eighteen. No more life of poverty for the two of you!”
“Look, Mom!” Robbie exclaimed. “This is a check for $30,000!” Robbie handed the check over to his mom.
“How were you able come up with this?” Camille exclaimed. “This is totally unbelievable!”
“Our foundation investigative team is very good,” Jason answered. “When I told them about your situation, they got right on it, and soon found where Robert Nelson senior was living. The most ridiculous thing about it was that he was here in the Bay Area, living in Burlingame!”
“Do you mean to tell me that all this time, Robbie’s father was living only 30 miles away?” Camille asked, floored by the news. “He was that close and yet he totally abandoned his son!”
“Yes, he has remarried and has an entirely new family,” Jason reported. “I have no idea why he totally reneged on his obligations to you, Robbie, but after our attorney confronted him about his lack of support for you, he decided that he needed to fulfill his obligation to you, since that was better than being sued in court and face possible jail time for his negligence.”
“Even if he had sent one quarter of the money, it most likely would have been the difference from living in an apartment or being homeless!” Camille said with some bitterness in her voice. “I totally understand why he abandoned me, but why Robbie? Robbie never deserved that kind of treatment!”
“I almost feel like tearing this check up and throwing it in his face!” Robbie said with anger in his voice. “I still don’t understand why my father hated me so much! Was it that much trouble for him to at least make sure I had a little money to live on?”
“You have every reason to feel angry,” Jason replied. “Was there some reason why the two of you didn’t get along?”
“I thought that Dad and I got along fine,” Robbie said. “But I was just a little kid. I do remember hearing Mom and Dad arguing a lot about things. At the time, I thought it was just the way parents were supposed to act. When Dad left and then disappeared from my life, I was totally caught off guard!”
“No, the reason has nothing to do with Robbie,” Camille Nelson explained. “It was because of the way we broke up. When we got engaged and married, we were on the same page in terms of how we wanted to live our lives. I had stars in my eyes because for the first time in my life I thought I had some stability. I was a foster child from my teenaged years on, had no immediate family, and barely scraped through high school. I tried to do more by taking some courses at a community college, but all I really wanted was some sort of a job. I really wasn’t cut out for a professional career. I totally relied on Robert for everything.
“As the years went by, we began drifting apart because our personal goals were so different. Robert wanted a high-end, fashion-conscious trophy wife, upward mobility, and a jetsetter life style. He only wanted to associate with like-minded people. I wanted a more simple life, focused on raising our son and maybe another child or two. I didn’t have a college education and felt very uncomfortable with the crowd of people that Robert wanted to cultivate.
“Eventually Robert decided that our marriage was hopeless, filed for divorce, and just walked out on us. He did send a few child support payments right after the divorce, long enough for the courts and lawyers to be satisfied. Then he just disappeared. I was totally unprepared for this, and the last four years were a very difficult struggle to just survive. I didn’t have the money or resources to hire investigators and attorneys to go after Robert. I really believed that he had left the Bay Area. How on earth did you find him?”
“At the Whatever Foundation, we do have the resources to go after deadbeat dads who have shirked their responsibilities,” Jason explained. “We have a good investigative team, because we have to watch out for people who try to scam us. After a number of years go by, deadbeat parents become less wary, and do things that makes it easy for a good investigator to locate them.”
“What you have done for Robbie and me has been nothing less than amazing,” Camille said. “As far as I am concerned, you are that teen angel in the song! We are so grateful for everything you have been doing for us!”
“Like I said before, Mrs. Nelson,” Jason said, “it is my pleasure to help out people in need, especially someone like Robbie who was brutalized by those horrible predators, and forced to live in the street because of his deadbeat dad. I am so happy to see the two of you back on your feet and thriving again! That’s what makes me feel good!”
“Yeah, Jason, Mom’s right,” Robbie said. “You are our guardian angel! I am so happy for everything you have done for us, yet at the same time I feel real anger inside for the way I was neglected by my father. How do I deal with that?”
Jason went over to Robbie and put his arm around him. “Hey, my young friend, sometimes you just have to accept how things in life work out. For years you have struggled with little or no money. Now you have a substantial nest egg to work with. Use this money wisely, Robbie. It is meant for you. Maybe you should put some away toward a college fund. At the same time, you should spend some on yourself right away. Get yourself a computer, maybe some games, sports gear, a musical instrument, or other fun things. At the least you deserve that!”
“Jason is right, Robbie,” Camille said. “You should spend some of it on yourself. I felt so terrible that for the last four years I didn’t have the means to buy you the things that most kids take for granted these days!”
“Mom, what about you?” Robbie asked in response. “You sacrificed everything you had so we could just survive! I think some of this money belongs to you! Or maybe we should pay back Jason’s foundation for what they have just spent on us.”
“No, what the foundation did was part of our mission,” Jason said emphatically. “You don’t owe us anything. This support money is for you to use now and for your future. You need to sit down and carefully plan what you want to do with it.” Jason then got up in preparation to leave. “You know, after all of these years of no communication, your father has finally owned up to his responsibilities and sent you this money. That is a positive step. Yet that doesn’t relieve him entirely for abandoning you. His address is on the check. Maybe you should communicate with him. Let him know how you feel about what has
happened to you over the past four years.”
Later that evening, Robbie wrote his father a letter.
Dear Father,
I really don’t know if I should call you that any more, since it has been clear for the past four years that you do not want that role in my life anymore. I don’t know what I did to offend you or make you mad at me. At eight years old, I don’t know what I could have done to drive you away, other than the normal kid things that young boys like to do to get attention from their parents.
Whatever caused you to abandon me, I know I have felt the hurt and loss deeply ever since you left. Over that time I went from living a normal life in a house with two parents to gradually worse and worse places to live. The past six months, Mom and I were homeless, without enough money anymore to afford our own place. I don’t think you have any idea of the suffering and shame that caused me, and of course Mom. There is nothing worse than living your life in fear, fear of others trying to rip you off because you are poor and weak, fear of the weather when storms come and you can’t get shelter, and fear that you will never be able to return to a normal life!
Then there were the many little things that are so important for a young boy that I never got to experience. I didn’t have a dad to take me to sports events, be my coach on a baseball or soccer team, or just sit in the stands and root for me. I didn’t have a dad to show me about guy things like tools and cars, or how to defend myself against bullies or others who see a poor kid and want to pick on him. I didn’t have a dad to help me with homework, or attend school activities with me, or even just go in the front yard and play catch. Mom tried to fill in as best she could, but it still hurt to know that you didn’t want to share any of those growing up experiences with me.
I am very lucky these days because I no longer have to fear being homeless. Mom and I are living in a nice apartment, we have plenty of food and clothing now, and I have my own room again where I can stay safe from the streets and do my schoolwork. We have all of this today, not because of the check you just sent, but because of two teenagers, Jason Hunter and Daniel Holmes. They rescued me from those two predators who kidnapped and molested me and wanted to sell me off as a slave. One of the men who grabbed me was actually surprised that I resisted them because as he put it, “it would be a better life than living on the streets.”
Days of Destiny Page 27