Silent Sanction: A Novel

by Joseph D'Antoni

  6

  Wade took the tests the following weekend. The next week parents were called for a meeting with Mr. Peter Colmes to discuss the results. The battery of tests included IQ, math and English proficiency, overall scholastic aptitude, attitude, preference, mechanical skills, and three psychological profile tests. Most tests were tied to national data sources with which a student’s scores could be compared and ranked according to national scales. Three tests were included in the battery which indicated tendency toward criminal behavior, anger and reaction to violence, and social issues.

  Westbrook’s entire approach to education was based upon pre-diagnosed behavior patterns, counseling, and course work designed to meet academic and behavioral deficiencies.

  Peter Colmes grew up in North Carolina. He graduated with honors in psychology from North Carolina State College. He attended Tulane University in New Orleans for his master’s degree in clinical psychology and also graduated with honors from Tulane. His thesis was on child and adolescent behavioral problems. Colmes conducted extensive research on problem youth and young adults. He collected data working with youth gang prisoners in a variety of facilities including Louisiana juvenile detention facilities, older youth in Angola State Prison, the New Orleans Police Department and Child Services Administration and two private hospitals. Mr. Colmes was in the second year of his Ph.D. program at Tulane continuing similar work while preparing his dissertation on testing procedures for students with educational and behavioral problems.

  The meeting with Wade, his parents and Mr. Colmes was on a Friday afternoon. As the door opened, Wade and his parents looked at Mr. Colmes and they all immediately smiled. Peter Colmes was not what they had expected. He was a short, frail, skinny man with a long neck and protruding Adams apple that moved when he spoke. He wore horned rimmed glasses and a bow tie. Peter Colmes could be a stand-in for the television comedy host at the time, “Mr. Peepers,” played by Wally Cox. He was a living caricature of “Mr. Peepers.” While students publicly called Mr. Colmes “Mr. Pete,” it was not uncommon to hear him referred to as “Mr. Peepers” behind his back. .

  In a quiet and almost apologetic style, Colmes started the meeting by thanking the Hanna’s for coming and said to Wade directly, “I feel I know a little about you after reading your test results, but I am glad you have come today. Feel free to call me Mr. Pete, and I want any of you to feel free to ask any questions you might have as we go through Wade’s test results.”

  Wade nodded. His parents also nodded and remained silent.

  Mr. Pete continued. “I will be starting with your IQ.” Wade immediately put his head in his hands, expecting the worst and ready for embarrassment in front of his parents. Mr. Pete said,” Wade, you have a very high IQ. As a matter of fact, your IQ ranks in the top 1 % of the country.”

  Wade’s mother quickly interrupted, “If he is so damn smart why is he having so many problems in school?”

  “We are coming to that, Ms. Hanna.” Pete resumed speaking to Wade. “You also have high math skills. Were you aware of that?”

  Wade shook his head from side to side.

  “You also have good English comprehensive and recognition scores. You were a little weak in spelling and sentence structure.” Mr. Pete continued, “You show strong mechanical skills. Your preference testing was extremely mixed and contradictorily. We have a lot of that in this school.”

  Mr. Pete looked at Wade’s parents, “We frequently find this pattern in students with problems at home.”

  You could hear a pin drop in the room as Mr. Pete looked at each family member. He continued speaking to Wade, “You show good distinction between right and wrong and do not show a tendency toward criminal behavior, although you do show strong feelings against authority. This is also not uncommon for students with problems at home.”

  Mr. Pete paused to look directly at each of Wade’s parents, and then turned back to Wade, “Your aptitude and interest levels toward learning are slightly above the norm. You are quickly frustrated when you are not challenged, which is why you probably scored high in the competitive assessment ranking” He commented, “That tendency, if unchallenged and not directed can also lead to problems. You have a high score in “Investigative Curiosity” which is interesting in itself. You may find it interesting to see your results charted in terms of how they compare to national averages.”

  Mr. Pete proceeded to lay out charts and graphs on the conference table.

  Wade’s father stood up, taking an immediate interest in the results as he studied the charts. He commented, “This is very interesting. It definitely takes a very scientific approach.”

  Wade stood with his father, overlooking the conference table and charts. His mother remained seated, showing little interest in the discussion of details. Wade’s father was more engaged. He now saw the tests results being expressed as data points similar to a scientific experiment he could understand rather than as Wade’s behavioral and academic profile.

  Wade’s mother seemed left out of the discussion and looked irritated as the data discussion sailed over her head. After Mr. Pete and Wade’s father exchanged a few details comparing the scores, his mother commented, “This is all well and good, but can’t a student fake the results? I think Wade probably faked all these tests results.”

  “That is a good question Mrs. Hanna. However, the answer to your question is no. It is highly unlikely that Wade could have faked his answers. These tests all have built in mechanisms to catch a person who is faking answers, and I have spent many years studying and reviewing test results. I am able to quickly spot someone who is trying to fake them. I do not believe Wade did anything like that here,”

  Wade’s mother continued, “What does it mean about Wade’s acceptance in this school?”

  “What it means is that Westbrook is prepared to accept Wade, and we will design a course program to address the academic areas he is behind in. And he will have to undergo counseling sessions with me twice a week or more. We’ll evaluate Wade again at the end of the school year.”

  Mr. Pete paused before continuing, “There is one more condition for Wade’s acceptance.”

  His mother asked, “Which is?”

  “You and Mr. Hanna would have to agree to participate in several counseling sessions with me as well. These sessions may or may not include Wade. I will determine that.”

  Wade’s Mother sounded defensive. “Are you saying we need counseling?”

  Mr. Pete replied, “A family functions best as a unit. If there is a problem with a family member in the unit it usually involves more than one person. I can’t tell you yet how many sessions would be needed, but I need your commitment to attend at least three in order to obtain Wade’s acceptance in the school.”

  His mother replied, “Yeah, we’ll do it,”

  “Well then,” Mr. Pete continued, “We’ll be sending you the paperwork for Wade’s enrollment in a few weeks”.

  Wade settled in with his Aunt May and his new school and would experience a year he could never have imagined. For this year there would be no beatings and no problems at home. In time, Wade even grew to like his weekly sessions with Mr. Pete.

  7

  Wade did well at Westbrook. His skill deficiencies improved and he moved his stronger subjects ahead by two grade levels. His separate sessions with Mr. Pete were also helping. Instead of punishment there were counseling sessions where Wade had to confront uncomfortable aspects of his childhood anger and his behavior toward others. These sessions gave Wade insight about how he approached personal problems and led to Wade making better decisions and taking responsibility for their consequences. Wade felt more confident and in control of his life. He was also away from his troubled home. Aunt May and her family also provided a much needed positive home environment.

  His new school experience had its own twists. Unlike his grammar school, this school was truly co-ed, with boys and girls mixed in every class and on the playfield. Although awkward at first, Wad
e quickly warmed up to the idea of girls being around. He was still naive when it came to the opposite sex. His only experience with girls was with his two sisters and his female cousins, and that experience did not provide any help for the lessons he was about to learn. One of the older girls, who often saw him around the school, and on the playing field with his shirt off, took a liking to him. Her name was Janelle.

  Nobody had told Wade that Janelle ran the largest female gang in the surrounding Lakefront area. Her gang, like most female gangs, was associated with an extremely violent male “brother” gang in the same area. Janelle had been arrested for stabbing another girl and two boys in the year before coming to the school. She was on bail awaiting trial in both cases. Janelle had inflicted damage on a captured boy from another gang when he did not obey her command. When a male gang captured a member from another gang in a fight, the captured gang member was generally held for ransom. Captured members would be exchanged for weapons or car parts or for another gang member who may have been captured by the opposing gang. The value of ransom depended on who the gang prisoner was and what ranking the captured member held in the gang. Lower level gang members did not command much ransom. A prisoner who was of little value to the gang was sometimes given over to the sister gang to do with as they pleased.

  Some said Janelle was eighteen years old, but others said she was nineteen or older in that school year. She was definitely older than Wade by several years – and much older in street smarts. Prior to her probation, Janelle had been in trouble with juvenile authorities on several occasions. The police department was now giving her a last chance to get herself straight, and Westbrook Alternative was part of that last chance. She had served much of her childhood in foster homes and detention facilities and had been in trouble from a very young age.

  Janelle was attracted to Wade and much about her fair complexion and long, light brown hair attracted him to her. One day near the corner of the playing field, the boys were taking a break after a game of touch football. Janelle and other girls were over at the nearby basketball court just finishing a basketball game. Janelle waved for Wade to come, and began walking toward a tree near a fence at the far end of the large school yard.

  Wade jogged towards her without bothering to put his shirt on. As he approached, Janelle disappeared under the overhanging branches of the large tree. As soon as Wade got close, she took a few steps, putting Wade between her and the large tree trunk. Wade offered no resistance.

  She faced him and moved close. “I’ve been looking at you around the school. I like you with your shirt off.”

  As Wade moved into her approach, she pulled his head toward her firmly by the back of his neck, at the same time using her body to push him against the tree.

  The kiss was forceful, her tongue plunging deep. Her thigh pressed firmly between Wade’s legs.

  Janelle’s breath caught. “I want you.”

  Any cautionary thoughts Wade might have had were wiped out by the penetrating kiss. “I want you, too,” he heard himself say.

  “I’ll find a place where we can be alone soon.”

  “That would be great” were the words that came out of Wade’s mouth.

  Janelle abruptly turned and walked off toward the other girls, stopping only once to turn back, smile, and wave.

  Still stunned, Wade joined the other guys with a smile on his face.

  “I saw you with Janelle,” an older boy said.

  “Yeah,” Wade replied, still smiling.

  “I hope you know what you’re doing.”

  Wade looked at the other boy, “What do you mean?”

  “She can be one mean chick. She runs the Red Aces gang. She’ll turn on you in a heartbeat.”

  “You’re kidding,” was all Wade said.

  No more words were exchanged as the boys returned to the locker room.

  Wade didn’t have any classes with Janelle and only saw her on the playing field, except for sometimes before and after class from a distance. She was always with the same few girlfriends. A few days after the kiss under the tree, during a break in math class, a nice girl sitting next to Wade said, “Janelle says you are her new guy”.

  “I don’t know what you mean.”

  “She says you are hers. I guess you’ll find out.”

  Wade felt worry creep into him. He was concerned about what had happened and about the strange new relationship he seemed to have gotten himself into. He was pleased with the way things were going at his new school. He didn’t want to blow everything.

  Wade had a counseling session coming up in two days with Mr. Pete, and he wondered if he should mention the incident. By this time Wade felt comfortable in his counseling sessions. Sometimes the sessions got tough, especially when Wade was asked to explore feelings about his parents and early life at home. Nothing had ever come up in his sessions like the incident with Janelle. Toward the end of each session Mr. Pete would always ask, “Is there anything you want to talk about?”

  In this session Wade said, “Yes” and nervously told Mr. Pete about what had happened.

  Mr. Pete asked Wade several questions. “When she told you that she wanted you, what exactly did you say?

  “I said I wanted her as well.” Wade told Mr. Pete that he hadn’t known anything about Janelle until afterwards, when he was told about her reputation.

  “What were you told about her?”

  Wade repeated what the older student had said on the practice field. Mr. Pete thought quietly for a moment before saying, “I think you may have a real problem here. Janelle is a gang leader. She’s had a very violent past. Her reputation is everything you’ve heard and a lot more. When you said you wanted her, she may have taken that as a commitment from you.”

  Mr. Pete paused for a moment before continuing. “She has a strong need to control those around her in order to remain head of her gang. She can not only be violent in her own right, but she has the affiliation with her brother gang members, who can be extremely violent. If she told other students that you were hers, she’s probably also told that to her other gang members as well. For her to not succeed in winning you as her new toy would now be an affront to her authority. If she feels you have rejected her, all she has to do is ask her brother gang to enforce her retribution.”

  “If you go forward with the meeting you agreed to, and for some reason you can’t or don’t perform to her satisfaction, she may turn on you. In fact, you may find that your private meeting is not so private after all. She might well decide to bring other members of her gang and have them watch or participate in your activities. You would be at their mercy, which means it may not end well for you. If you try to break off this thing with her at this point, she’s likely to see that as a rejection and loss of face.”

  Wade felt fear in the pit of his stomach. He was angry with himself as well for being such a fool that he hadn’t thought any of this through. “What do I do now?”

  Mr. Pete thought for almost a full minute, looking the whole time at Wade, before replying, “Over the weekend I want you to think about your situation. Look at each scenario. Think through what happens if you take a certain course of action. What is she likely to do? Think also about what could happen if you don’t take that action. I am not at this point concerned about whether you feel being with her is moral or not. I just want you to think through all of the possible moves you can make and all their possible consequences.” He continued, “Our next meeting is next Tuesday, and in that session I want you to tell me what options you have seriously considered and why. We can devote the entire session to this. In the meantime, I don’t want you going to any of the places Janelle goes or to places where you could end up in a chance meeting with her. You know what times she’s on the field, you know where she hangs out on breaks, and you know where she goes after school. Don’t, under any circumstance, find yourself in any of those places when she is there. Change your normal habits. Have no communication with her or her close girl friends. In fact, the less
said to anyone the better. Do you understand?”

  “Yes, sir”.

  Hanna took to heart everything Mr. Pete said and spent most of the weekend in serious thought considering alternatives and their consequences. He even made a chart of action alternatives and probable reactions. The following Tuesday in his session, Wade was eager to tell Mr. Pete all the scenarios and consequences he had considered. After hearing Wade go through his list of scenarios and consequences Mr. Pete indicated, “Those are very good but there is one scenario you didn’t mention.”

  Wade had no idea what it might be. “Really, what’s that?”

  “What happens if you get Janelle pregnant?”

  Wade’s eyes opened wide as he sat upright in his chair. He was at a loss for words except to say, “I don’t know.”

  Mr. Pete said “Think about this scenario and its consequences. Follow your life through, with the child of a gang member as part of it.”

  There was silence for a few moments.

  Mr. Pete looked directly at Wade. “Well, what have you decided?”

  Wade still wasn’t ready.

  Mr. Pete repeated, “What have you decided to do?”

  More silence, broken finally by Mr. Pete. “It’s your decision. After thinking it all through, do you want to continue the relationship with her – or do you want to try to find a way to get out of it?”

  “Definitely I want to get out of it.”

  “Do you have any idea as to how you would go about that?”

  “I can’t confront her or they will put a contract out on me. I can’t let her think I am still interested because she may set up a place and I’m stuck.”