“Claw your way out and find your way back to her heart. Well Casanova that’s another song; Jefferson Starship! Shit we sure do make beautiful music together.”
“You’re both sick, get me a doctor. I NEED A DOCTOR! These wounds feel like they’re infected. I will find out your identity and hunt you both down and see to it that you’re put in jail for the rest of your life!”
“Uh uh uh; such harsh words from a man who’s entombed in cement. Ha ha ha! Go ahead hit me. I dare you.”
Craig exerted every ounce of strength he had remaining trying to free himself from his zoo-like captivity. The difference; he didn’t receive as many spectators during the day as the other zoo animals did.
“Please continue to try to rouse us. Your feeble escape attempts amuse us. Try to move your legs and your feet. I must say we’ve done a thorough job, as always, with the cement work. Try to wiggle your toes I thought we left them open so you could move them around. Hell, we’ll use this method more often.” chuckled the taller captor.
“Try to move your hair Casanova, then try moving your eyelashes; focus, focus, focus. If you can wiggle your wrist enough you may free up your other fingertips so you can claw at the rough and crumbling gunite with that hand. Hell, let’s give him a break and make it easier for him. First, let’s cover up your eyes so there’s no finger pointing. Then I’ll take the ice ax and give you a bit more wiggle room. Hell how about I free up both of your arms so you can sink your fingertips into that course, lime skin irritant known as gunite. Seriously though Casanova you’re not going to do much with that right hand; ever.” said the shorter captor.
“You can do what you want. Nevertheless, from what I can see you’re already grinding bone on gunite when you try to claw yourself out of isolation. Damn that looks like it hurts! You should have a doctor examine that.” said the taller captor as he picked up the ice ax and swung it toward a weak and pulverized Craig.
One crushing blow with the ax, delivered full on, emitted a loud thump as half of the ax’s head met with gunite. The other half, made full contact with Craig’s wrist. This crushing blow destroyed any remaining solid bone left in that wrist. Craig winced in sheer agony as his body flinched within the minuscule perimeter between it and the surrounding Styrofoam barrier. He spit blood as he coughed and let out a telltale ‘oooaughoaua’. As he winced in pain, time began to tick away at the remaining hours of his life as the infection ran rampant through his course veins.
Chapter 50
Jaid appeared at the bistro jubilant and determined. Angie exited a private area reserved for VIP’s of the Italian bistro.
Walking toward each other the women met on equal ground. Both arrived at the bistro looking to fill their bowl with sugar.
“Angelina you’re just the person I want to talk with.”
“What a surprise, to see you Jaid?” Have any developments occurred with Craig’s disappearance? Angie asked.
Amid Domenico Modugno’s silky voice belting out Volare, the backdrop of the bistro brimmed over. Customers in search of an afternoon delight rushed through three rounds of speed-dating to scratch that itch. Success in Angie’s life progressed slowly like delicate petals opening on a flower. However, on this rare occasion she’d earned the right to savor every sip of a fine cabernet sauvignon encapsulated in crystal.
“I always enjoy your company Angie. Sorry, no news on Craig yet. But, I did have lunch with Senator Schroeder.”
“You had lunch with Senator Schroeder! Holy Toledo, who let the dogs out?”
“Well it seems that Judge Hall wants to avoid a riot during this crucial election year.” Jaid said.
“Do I see light at the end of the tunnel?”
Each sip of the cabernet sauvignon melted away another layer of nervousness. After all Angie had nothing to hide as she’d done nothing wrong.
“The progress since Craig went missing resembles a case of bacterial-pneumonia before and after antibiotics. Much of the credit goes to Brit; she squawked like a hen on an icy grenade. She’s taken her story to the morning news shows parading his picture in front of millions of people in America. Unknown to Brit, underneath his picture they ran the byline Child Support Absconder; Owes $50,000. Brit unknowingly posted his image on the minds of Americans while sentiment in our country remained at an all-time low. In Alabama, a family forced from their home, due to lack of child-support money, bound and gagged the noncustodial parent and drove that parent to the police station. The economic crisis we’re experiencing in this country has lit the fire in the belly of the beast. Fueling the fire stems from little to no action taken against absconders.” Jaid said.
Sharp sensory messages fired throughout Angie’s body as tears cascaded over her rosy cheeks. Finally, a smile invaded her mouth. The heavy burden Angie carried for so long lifted off her shoulders like a hot-air balloon gaining altitude.
“Justice prevails.” Angie said.
“The horizon that once looked bleak now appears as a ray of promising sunshine. Angie I believe we’re about to see change that will revamp the entire child support system. Families will no longer suffer from lack of support.
“Tell me what’s happening.”
“Parents continue rioting across the country. However, here in Michigan, they’ve come out in droves; they’re rioting with a heavy fist and have begun to undermine Judge Hall’s reelection campaign. Rioters demand to know why Judge Hall never questioned Craig’s reasoning for remaining $50,000 in arrears. They suspect a cover-up because Craig received preferential treatment. He wants the spotlight taken off him and the negative attention to stop. Thank heavens elections occur this year. If Brit chose to splash her face all over the television in a nonelection year she may not have gotten the time of day. The judge’s right hand man approached me, who I might add I have a date with tonight.”
“You do; that’s great!”
“I’m excited as I believe this key union may help sweeten the pot. The senator asked me for specific ideas and I provided concrete examples of changes to existing law that will forever change the landscape. These changes will cross the desks of Congressional members this week. Upon reaching a fifty one percent approval, I’ll then ask the picketers to disband and stand behind the proposed changes.”
“Changes; what changes?” Angie asked.
“Life altering changes. Last year I began writing a book on child support changes that would benefit both custodial and noncustodial parents. I sought support by lawmakers, but changing the law isn’t easy. I took those ideas and presented them to the senator.”
“These changes include what?”
“First a $1,000 trigger point starts a chain reaction of events. Changes include revocation of all licenses and mandatory fingerprinting. The FBI runs all fingerprints through the national database. The $1,000 trigger also causes an automatic seizure and auction of vehicles owned by the noncustodial parent, automatic wage garnishments and tax interceptors. Lastly, the noncustodial parent must open an account where all spending flows through an ACH account. This prevents noncustodial parents from working under the table as well as claiming they’ve received no money.”
“I commend you on your ideas, they’re brilliant.” Angie said.
“Angie you deserve credit for an instrumental change; life insurance. Establishment of a child support order requires the noncustodial parent to set up a life insurance policy naming the child as the beneficiary. This uniform system will remain free of judicial discretion. Equally important, child support laws will fall under the federal government providing stiffer penalties.” Jaid said.
Tears filled in Angie’s eyes and her throat became thick. The proposed changes gave her hope and lifted choking weights she carried atop her shoulders. Finally, a calm weightless feeling ensued. Angie breathed deep and fought back tears.
“Take a moment and let it settle in. In a case such as yours where you’ve dealt with prejudice and unlawfulness for an extended duration, change lifts a heavy burden.” Jaid sai
d placing her hand on Angie’s shoulder.
“Jaid I’m ecstatic. My uphill journey has ended. Years of oppression under the slanted child support system left me feeling powerless, as if they tied my hands behind my back. Finally, fairness and equality will prevail. I can’t imagine how parents feel who’ve battled this slanted system for ten or more years.”
“I respect your diligence as I’ve had ringside seats to many custodial parents’ uphill-battles with the biased system.” Jaid said.
“Perhaps they’ll name this law Craig’s Law. After all his disappearance and Brit’s tweets on Twitter catapulted this to the forefront of the public’s eye with lightning speed. Anyway thank you for all your help!”
“My mother encouraged me from a young age to help people. The first lessons she taught me centered on a person’s will and choosing one’s actions. She taught me differences between getting to do something and having to do something. I take pride in getting to help people. She spoke of a recurring dream that began at my birth. In the dream, she stood next to a bonfire where a great flame rose above the tallest Sitka tree. This flame spit sparks that released hot embers high into the midnight sky. The great wolf spirit visited my mother in this dream and recited to her the Legend of Two Wolves.”
A Native American Chief sat with four young warriors and told them his experience as a young warrior. “I went to the chief to learn how to deal with rage I felt toward my brother who dishonored me.”
“The story begins on the plains where a great hunt for food began. Winter approached and we needed to increase the stockpile before the herd left the area. My older brother wanted to win the affection of a young girl within our tribe. While on the great hunt, he took the shot I called as my take. Anger and resentment brewed between us for years. The chief said I chased two spirits and needed to make a choice.”
“Hate spread in me like wildfire on the plains.”
“I soon realized it took more effort to hate the enemy. At that moment, two great wolf spirits lived inside me. One continued following the customs and traditions of the Native American way of life. The other spirit sided with evil spirits of the sky.”
“One spirit tugs at disrupting lives, while the other accepts the ebb and flow of life. The first spirit; impatient, confrontational, and cagey, the other; contemplative, fair-minded and brave.”
“Life on the plains became weary, as an internal battled occurred. Anger spewed like molten lava when I thought about losing my first kill to my brother. At night when I heard the joy and laughter between my brother and his girlfriend the gentler spirit reminded me he meant me no harm and wanted harmony among his people.”
The four young warriors asked which spirit won. I told the warriors, “The one I choose to feed.”
“My mother recited this to me throughout my adolescent life. My goal, to bring about change through the book, has taken root. Our paths did not cross by coincidence. The wolf spirit caused our paths to cross so our joint efforts would reduce the load on many people. I choose my path in law because I realized the opportunity before me. Fresh out of law school I turned down a position with a top Western firm that offered me a starting salary of $100,000. People share a larger purpose in life to facilitate change for those who share the land after us.”
“What research did you do for the book?” Angie asked.
“I compiled a questionnaire and asked colleagues practicing in family to have their clients fill it out. I researched top cases in each state that went unpaid for five years or longer and spoke with the parents. That’s it for now as I’m due in court shortly.”
“Bye Jaid thanks.”
Angie remained relaxed sitting atop the leather upholstered bar stool sipping her cabernet sauvignon as Anthony approached.
“What good news did Jaid bring you? Anthony said grinning.
“Apparently the virtue of patience does pay off. Jaid had lunch with Senator Schroeder. Judge Hall received negative publicity because he allowed Craig to break the law and never penalized him with jail time. Closing his eyes to blatant injustices jeopardized his reelection campaign. Picketers found out that Judge Hall was the sole judge on Craig’s child support case, yet he allowed many injustices to slip through the cracks. Images splashed across the airwaves of parents picketing and rioting caused him to fall lower in the polls. Judge Hall brought Jaid in to facilitate change and settle the grievance between citizens and lawmakers as elections happen soon.”
“What type of changes do citizens seek in this grievance?” Anthony asked.
“Changes that will make man think twice before eating a fish that belongs to a bear’s cub.”
“Angelina I have to say I hold the utmost respect for you.”
“Thank you. That means a great deal coming from you.”
“You’ve withstood immense difficulties. Yet your perseverance will bring a smile on the face of millions through justice. You’re the epitome of class.”
“Thank you Anthony, you’re sweet.”
“I didn’t mean to make you blush.” Anthony said.
Angie thought about how Craig’s disappearance and Brit’s firm hand in front of the cameras created a movement through a grassroots effort. It seemed ironic that Of the People, By the People, For the People once again held the same supreme strength they did in President Lincoln’s historic Gettysburg Address. For years, Angie pondered how criminal sentencing for robbery remained stronger than robbing your children of a decent life for failure to pay court ordered child support. Now justice will prevail through one unified system.
“At last legislation that doesn’t lack teeth.” Angie said.
Angie’s thoughts drifted back to a history class where the topic ‘change’ overtook a lecture. The lecture focused on James Madison’s idea highlighted in his Federalist Paper No. 10. It stated that when you expand the reach of the extended republic far and wide you reduce the chance of radical factions. One unified child support system in our country expands the reach and reduces the chances of noncustodial parents skipping state to abscond from their child support orders. Thank the lord justice came about for children who’ve suffered at the hands of these ill-fated laws.
Chapter 51
“Wake up Casanova the days of your once-tolerated social vices by your friend the judge have come to an abrupt end. It’s time to pay the piper. The shrilling metallic tones emitted from the wind chimes sounds like a screeching train in my ears this morning; it’s deafening! Do they whisper in your ears as you try to sleep; or hiss and growl as you attempt escape from isolation?”
A low guttural menacing sound released from Craig’s lips as his listless body forebode a looming tragedy on the horizon.
“Good lord Casanova, what have you done out here? I’m overpowered by the bitter smell of rotten fish and ammonia. I suppose there’s much truth to the guise surrounding the smell of a drunk the next morning bathing in his or her own feces. Anyway, your time to pay the piper has arrived. We did our best but could not extract the information we needed, so we enacted similar measures.”
“You enacted similar measures on whom?” Craig asked releasing overt tones of worry in his voice.
“Sorry you had your chance. You’re a betting man; here’s a tip, I wouldn’t bet on you or your relatives surviving the firestorm of activity happening topside. She never left Casanova. However, she made you three clowns famous all across the United States by splashing her face all over the airwaves regarding your disappearance. She remains the agitator in uprising custodial parents across the nation with your picture on the news, Twitter and Facebook with the words ‘Owes $50,000 in child support’ in big bold letters underneath. As a result, parents created a poster board of you three clowns with the words ‘thieves of children’ printed underneath your names. These posters adorn picket signs all across the U.S. You’re famous Casanova.”
“Take me to a doctor you sick idiot!” Craig muttered, sounding as if he’d take his last breath.
“Don’t give me ord
ers. We tried to reason with you on many occasions. However, since you show no mutual respect then neither will we. We intended to take you out the same way you arrived. Here’s hoping you don’t succumb to an overdose of chloroform. Goodnight. At least you don’t have the strength to struggle like you did last time.”
One of the captors extended his right arm out at a ninety-degree angle and held a cloth soaked in chloroform over Craig’s nose and dry cracked lips. A short sigh emitted from Craig’s lips as every muscle in his body went limp.
“Good I’m glad he went down quicker this time. Grab the sledgehammer. I’ll start busting him out of the cement.” said the taller captor.
“Great idea, I hope you don’t hit him, as that would inflict more permanent damage. Funny isn’t it, the words permanent damage. Think about the permanent damage this jerk imposed on so many people.” said the shorter captor.
“You’re right, I’ve changed my mind; have at it. If you hit him with the sledgehammer, don’t give it a second thought. He’s left a trail of scars on many cheeks. I’ll get the truck while you bust up the cement around him.”
The shorter captor grasped the sledgehammer with a firm hand and through a series of swings and crushing blows alongside Craig’s lifeless body broke apart the cement that entombed him in his isolation.
“Take the gag off idiot number two, and then throw their sorry bag of bones into the truck.
“Well it seems our hometown boy made considerable progress clawing at the cement. That gunite broke up easy. I think I may have busted up his arm in the process though, oops he’ll want to have that set by a doctor!”
Chapter 52
Jaid woke up from short bursts of sound emanating from her telephone.
“It’s 6:00 A.M. What’s so important?” Jaid muttered.
“Hello, Jaid speaking.”
“Jaid do you have the news on this morning?” Sam asked gasping for air.
ISOLATION: Child Support 911 Page 23