by Nye, Laine
“Yer boy fell down the hole tonight. It plumb dragged him in like a sack of potatoes thrown off a truck.”
“You got him out?” Steve asked.
“That I did. Your son did most of the work before I got there though.”
Steve spoke to his wife. “Kate, this is Albert Belasco. Albert, this is my dear wife Kate.”
Albert began to respond but was interrupted by Kate. “Don’t know if I should hug you for saving my son tonight or smack you for putting him anywhere near that horrible hole.”
“Kate.” Steve intervened. “Remember the tornado. It would have killed our son if Albert had not taken him to the hole. He saved our son's life twice now.”
Kate had tears in her eyes. She nodded her head reluctantly. “And Brad and I would have been seriously hurt by those guys at the beach. I know.” She said quietly. “I'm sorry Albert.
“No need.” Albert said. “I know my ways take some getting used to. I just wanted to help your son out a little and didn't mean for any of it to turn bad on him.”
“Thank you for saving him tonight.” Kate said as she walked over to shake his hand.
Albert did not allow her to shake his hand but he put his hand on her shoulder.
He did not want to do the memory exchange with her. Pleased to meet you Brad's mom,” He said.
“Okay Brad,” His father said to him. “How did you get yourself into this mess and how bad were you hurt?”
“Brad explained everything from the dreams and the compelling feelings he had to come to the hole. He told them how easy it was to find it this time, how he was sucked in and how he tried to get back out before Albert came. He showed them his injuries and told them that Albert was afraid that he had a concussion. They listened quietly, then Steve spoke.
“I worry about what else is going to happen to you because of your ability and because of that hole. Brad, you have got to be extra careful with all of this. Okay?”
Brad said that he would.
“What can you do Albert?” Kate asked him.
“Ma'am?” He questioned.
“What things can you do because of that hole.”
Albert shrugged his shoulders. “Nothing too fancy. Not like your son. He got the biggest gift from that strange hole of anyone that has been there.”
“I have never really considered it a gift Albert. But I guess it has helped me out a couple times.”
“Well gift or no. You have done some impressive things with it.”
“You always know when I use it?” Brad asked.
“I did not know what ability you had but I knew that you used more energy with your gift than any of the rest of us. I knew it had to be something big. Then it just sort of came to me one day.”
“Mr. Belasco,” Kate interrupted, “You didn't answer my question.”
Belasco didn't like being called Mr. anything. He just liked Albert, but he showed some deference to Kate.
“I'm strong Kate. Much stronger than I should be for my age. I can run like the wind. I can exchange memories with anyone who I shake hands with. See. Nothing like Brad.”
“Has it been worth it for you?” She asked.
“Life seems to be a little better for me since I first discovered the hole and took a ride on it. Yesiree. The others I have helped have avoided many problems in their young age that I wasn't able to. That gives me satisfaction,” Albert replied sincerely. “Don't like bullies hurting and intimidating others.”
“This is all so unreal to me,” Kate said. I still am trying to adjust to all of this.”
“I understand ma'am. I truly do.”
“Mr. Belasco, why do you take these risks. I am sure that the kids think you are dangerous and the parents probably think you are some kind of pervert the way you chase these kids around. It seems to me that you make a lot of people afraid of you.”
“Kids are always afraid of something Kate. If they weren't afraid of me they would be afraid of something else. Like most childhood fears that have no basis in reality, I am harmless as well. Your son knows that.”
“Yes, but you are putting yourself at risk. Some angry dad is going to come over here and beat you to a pulp.”
“He won't be able to ma'am. Not unless I permit it. I told you I am very strong.”
“Well what about the police. They must have taken an interest in you a time or two.”
“Yes, they have Kate. But there is nothing they can charge me with. I don't stalk these guys when I go out at night. I just look for the next good candidate to help. Besides, I enjoy my night time runs. It's invigorating.”
“You are a strange man Albert. Very unusual.”
“Yup. Pretty much told that all my life. I'm used to it.”
“We need to take Brad home now Albert.,” Steve announced, breaking up their conversation. “He is going to need plenty of downtime to recover from these injuries.”
Albert nodded his agreement. Brad didn't this time.
“I think we had better take him to the emergency room. Let's make sure he's okay.” Kate added.
They said their goodbyes to Albert and Steve drove his car that Brad had borrowed while Kate drove hers. Brad sat quietly with his mom on the way home listening to her express her worries and concerns and her love for him.
Chapter Seven
The hospital said that the concussion was moderately serious. Albert had done an excellent job on the bandages but they still took them off, re-cleaned the wounds and re-bandaged him. They recommended that he stay home from school for a few days and only start being active when he felt better. Brad grumbled about it but accepted it reluctantly. He rested at home for three days when his father approached him.
Brad's father Steve took Brad to a movie on day three of his confinement. Steve waited for a text from His wife Kate to signal when it would be okay for them to return home. When she hadn't made contact by the time the movie was over, he took Brad with him to a hardware store to check out some tools. It was just a delaying tactic until his wife texted him.
Finally, the text came through. Everything was in place for Brad's surprise.
They drove back home. In the late afternoon they pulled into their driveway to find a car parked next to Kate's.
“Somebody's here,” Brad stated.
“No. No visitors, son.”
“Well whose car is that?” Brad asked puzzled as his mom came out the door.
Steve did not answer him. Kate walked up to Brad's side of the car and asked, “How was the movie?”
But Brad did not answer her. He had a sneaky suspicion arising. “Mom, whose car is that?”
Kate turned and looked at the car in question. “Oh, that old rattle trap? Well. I guess it's yours son because you have the keys in your possession.” She said this as she pressed the keys into his hand.
Brad stood there with his mouth open. “Mine?'
The car was only two years old, in excellent condition. Brad looked at the Ford in shock.
“Yes. It's yours. Bought and paid for and insurance already on it. Why don't you take it out for a spin?”
Brad grabbed his mom in a bear hug. “You're squishing me son.” She told him.
Steve came around from his side of the car with a big smile on his face.
“Brad let go of his mom and hugged his dad. “Thanks guys. Thank you for trying so hard to help me get back on my feet. I know that that is what you are doing.”
“Take your car Brad,” Steve told him. “Go spend a little time getting acquainted with it.”
Brad eagerly went swiftly to his car and jumped in. He adjusted the seat, mirrors and steering wheel then started it up. As he shut the car door he said to his parents, “I'll be back in about an hour.” And off he went.
Brad settled very quickly into his school routine with his friends around. They had all asked him about his sudden absence so soon after his return to school and he told them that he fell and hit a rock causing a concussion. Couldn't come to school for 3 days while
he got to feeling better. He found every reason or excuse he could to spend time with Sherry and she with him. It had been only a few days since he first saw her, and he still hadn't been able to work up the nerve to ask her if she could spend a Friday evening with him. After the incident with Linda Day, he was more reserved than ever.
One day, Jeff approached him between classes to tell him how glad he was Sherry was spending time with Brad.
“Why do you say that?” Brad asked.
“Because this year, she has started hanging out with some people that I don't like her being with. There are two girls and three guys that are nothing but trouble. She's been spending less time with them since you arrived.”
This was quite a revelation to Brad considering his friend's past. There were times that Brad would not spend time with Jeff because of the kind of mischief Jeff had been drawn to for a while. His family did not have the best reputation in Huntsville because of the kinds of things that Jeff's older brother Dan had done. He had been involved with drinking, theft, burglary, and vandalism. The town would have been happy if the whole family had moved away. Then to make it worse, Jeff started in on his brother's dark path.
Fortunately, Jeff had pretty much gotten back on track after a time of rebellion. When he did, Brad seemed to be drawn back to him again. They had been best friends for most of their lives. Yet even now, Brad saw Jeff say and do things he was not comfortable with.
So, for Jeff to be worried about his sister and who she hung around with was encouraging to Brad. Jeff used to hang around with the kinds of people he was now trying to warn his sister about. He wondered if he should worry about the impact Sherry's friends had on her. Brad seemed to light up whenever he saw her. His heart started racing, and he felt he could forgive her of any trespasses she may have made in company with those so-called friends.
There was one day when he had been back in school about a week that he saw her get angry with another student who had provoked her. Her face clouded with a dark, hateful expression that surprised and disappointed him. Her countenance had gone from cheerful, bright, radiant to malevolent hatred. But when she turned and saw Brad after hateful words were thrown at the offender, her whole countenance changed in an instant and all he could see was the lovely girl that had so completely captured his attention. Her smile made his concern evaporate. Her radiance was beaming from her with enthusiasm.
Finally, he worked up enough nerve to ask her out. He had been in school with her for almost three weeks when he approached her at the location where her bus would pull in.
“Sherry, would you be willing to spend a little time with me after school?”
She smiled broadly at him, her deep brown eyes sparkling “What do you have in mind?” She asked him.
“Well, I thought we could go get some food somewhere then go to a park and spend some time getting to know each other again. Does that sound good?”
“That sounds great.” She said pleasantly. “Of course, I'll have to ask my dad, the ogre. If I just cleared it with mom, I'd have to go into hiding for a month, or maybe even the witness protection program. I am his only daughter you know.”
Brad laughed. “Well, ask him and make sure you use those big brown eyes on him while you are pleading your case. That would have to work! It sure works on me.”
Now she laughed. “Okay, I'll ask, but, well, we'll just have to see. Besides, you never spent any real time around my father. You don't know what he's like.” She said with look of melancholy, even fear in her eyes.
Much to her surprise, Jeanine, Sherry's mother, fought for her to receive permission to go until her father, Mack gave in and agreed to let her go with Brad Friday night. Brad would drive her home after their date. Brad told his friends about his date, and they all razzed him about moving too fast, what a lady's man, what's his secret, etc. Brad was elated.
It was Monday when she came to him looking a little disappointed and told him that her father had changed his mind. They could still go out, but it would have to be on Thursday. She would also have to be back home no later than 10:45pm. Brad was disappointed too, but at least they were still on for their date. She explained that her father wanted her to go with her mom to a play on Friday that he had no interest in seeing.
Brad could not wait to get to school on the Monday he first returned so that he could show his friends his new car. He showed them before school started. They were all impressed if a little jealous.
“I wish my parents would do that for me.” Brent said wistfully.
“My parents expect me to pay for this car later on when I get a job.” Brad told them. “We had a talk the night they gave it to me and they told me that they felt it would be irresponsible for them as parents to just hand it over.”
“I would take that arrangement any day.” Allen said forcefully.
“Why did they feel it would be irresponsible to just give it to you?” Jeff asked, puzzled.
They just feel that it is important to teach me to make my way in life. They have pounded that idea into my head since I was very young. They don't like it when kids get a free handout from their parents. They always call it entitlement. They say that people get a sense of entitlement and think that the world owes them just for being alive.”
“You sound just like my mom.” Brent complained. “But if my parents gave me a car, I would definitely agree to get a job to pay for it. I doubt that will happen though.”
Shortly thereafter, it was time to go into school to start their day.
One of the things that had excited Sherry about the idea of going out with Brad had been the fact that he now owned his own car. Only a couple of her friends had boyfriends that owned their own car. That was considered to be a level of status among her friends. Now she would have it.
For a couple of weeks, Brad had been thinking about going camping with his friends. Since he could not be with Sherry on Friday, he thought his friends could come to stay over at his place that night then leave Saturday morning to hike up into one of the canyons and stay overnight near the top of the mountain.
After getting permission from his parents, he called Jeff, Rudy, Brent and Allen to see if they could all go. He asked Allen to include his brother Paul. They all got back to him the next day at school to say they were interested and all of them could go except Paul, who opted not to camp out. He wasn’t into an outdoor experience like camping. His idea of camping was to be in a nice warm bed in an RV, he told them. There was no changing his mind.
Brad was glad that Jeff would be able to come even though Jeff's father had killed Brad's date plans with Sherry for that very same night. Before school was out that Tuesday, Brent joined the others at the bus stop for those that lived in the valley. He told the guys he could pick up all their friends in Huntsville and bring them down to Brad's house They could surely find something to do. They all agreed to this idea and cleared it with their parents Tuesday after school.
Brad was excited that he had so many enjoyable activities planned Tuesday through Sunday, he was going to be able to spend time with his friends. Thursday was reserved only for Sherry. Brad’s parents reminded Brad of the importance of staying on top of his school work if he wanted to participate in the week’s activities. Brad readily agreed.
The warm temperatures were still holding out for another two weeks or so then it was expected to cool off again. It was for that reason that each of their parents had allowed them to get together. Spring fever was in the air. Everyone was excited about the coming summer. But with just a little over a month left in school, they were going to be able to do a couple of their favorite summer time activities.
Monday night while they were eating supper, Brad's mom said, “Okay Brad, I've finally started to get used to this thing you can do. I'd like to see a little demonstration of your abilities.”
“In here?” Brad asked, “It's kind of a small space to use g-force Mom. Some things could get broken.”
“You mean like our chandelier?” she as
ked making a point. “But, I don't mean in here. Let's wait until it's dark and you can show me in the backyard. I don't want the neighbors to see.”
“Okay.” Brad agreed.
It was getting dark at around 8:30pm now, so at that point in time Steve and Kate called Brad out of his room and all three went out to the back yard.
“Okay Son, show me what you can do.” Kate said. She was trying to be a good sport about all this and trying not to let her apprehensions show through. She had a sense of dread about her son being capable of such an incredible thing.
Brad walked out in the middle of the lawn. “Come on Mom, you can come up with me.”
“No! I cannot young man and I won't even try. So, count me out!”
“Okay.” Brad said as he shrugged his shoulders and smiled. He bent down slightly then jumped into the air as he released the gravity force from under him. He shot up into the air about thirty-five feet where he slowed his ascent until he stopped. He looked down at his parents. “You sure you don't want to go up to the fourth floor with me Mom.”
She just stood there staring at him in wonderment without answering. Steve's Father chuckled. “Go on Kate. All you have to do is walk underneath Brad and you can join him.
She shook her head. “No! I can't do that. I'm afraid of heights.”
“You are afraid of falling Mom. That's what people are really afraid of when they don't like heights. But you can't fall with me helping you. Watch.”
Brad started plummeting to the earth then stopped himself and drifted back up to where he had been. “See Mom. It's up to me how much gravity is around me.”
“Do me a favor Brad,” his mom said to him.
“What's that,” Brad asked.
“Get back down here. You are scaring me.
A breeze had started. Brad was being gently pushed towards the edge of their yard by the wind. He felt like he was flying. “This is great Dad!” He exclaimed. “You should try it again.”
“Brad, you are about to be over the fence in the neighbor's yard. You'd better come down now,” Steve said.