by Rob Edwards
“This is good,” Judith said. “We need them now anyway.” She let in Rena and Taysha. They had both agreed to assist Judith with this public relations video to help Delton and Noah get back together again.
“With all the work we have to do today, I thought it might be good if we could add a little enjoyment,” Taysha said, and she held up a jug of sangria.
“Well, now we know who’s got the brains in this outfit,” Darlene said, clapping. “I’ll get the glasses.”
The four women set to work on the video. Using what was already recorded as the foundation, Judith recorded more narration to be used as a voice over. Taysha, had brought the file on Delton she was given when she started the program. There were three pictures of Delton, which Darlene laid out on a table, shot and edited them in, using video-editing software on her laptop she and Jim had bought to edit their vacation videos.
“I’ve never put one damn video together,” Darlene said. “So I’m kinda learning as I go.”
“I put a small video together last year for a class project,” Rena said. “I can do that if you want me to.”
“Girl, take the wheel,” Darlene said, and she relinquished her computer to Rena, who set to work like a pro.
Rena plugged in a small hard drive she’d brought with her that had all the recordings of Delton and Noah together in the room. She had already tagged the important days, such as Noah’s first words, Noah laughing, and the conversations they had.
Drinking their sangria, and eating pizza they had delivered, the four women deliberated over what clips to show, wanting to keep the video from being too long for anybody to watch.
They made their decisions, and Judith recorded a bit more narration to introduce each segment. Rena finished the editing, leaving in the part where Judith broke down and asked for the camera to be turned off.
“Sweetie, you can’t get more genuine than that,” Taysha said, when Judith protested. “That is the money shot right there. That has to stay in.”
By the time they were done they had finished two large pizzas, the whole jug of sangria, and had a four and a half minute video to show for their efforts.
Darlene set Judith up with a YouTube channel and uploaded the video. “It begins now,” she said.
The next morning Judith checked her channel before she went to work, and to her dismay, saw that her video had only logged 12 views. And she knew that four of them were Darlene, Rena, Taysha, and her. They had all agreed to check it on their computers when they got home to make sure it was playing correctly.
She called Darlene from work to share the sad news.
“Actually, it’s worse than that,” Darlene said. “I watched it twice myself, and then showed the thing to Jim. So three out of the 12 views were just me.”
“Ugh,” Judith groaned. “This is a disaster.”
“No, not really. Jim thought the video was great.”
“It doesn’t matter how great it is, if nobody watches it.”
“I have an idea,” Darlene said. “I’ll share it on Facebook. I’m sure it will get a little more play that way.”
That evening, after Judith had gotten Noah’s dinner, she sat down to rest and checked her views again. It was up to 985. By the end of the week the count had reached 37,056.
Judith was working alone in her cubicle on Friday, when she heard a knock on the metal frame of her doorway. She turned to see Simon, Shelley, and Evelyn. “We came to give you a group apology,” Simon said. “But I need to give you one just from me as well.”
Judith said nothing. She couldn’t. She knew if she opened her mouth, she would probably cry and that would completely destroy the moment. She pinched her left hand with her right one and listened.
“Well….eh…” Simon began, “We judged you, and we judged this Delton fellow, and we had no right to.”
“We saw the video you made,” Shelley said. “We realized we had no idea what was really going on.”
“We only listened to what they said on the news,” Evelyn said in her tired voice. “We never took into consideration there was another side to the story.”
“I feel like a fool,” Simon said. “After how I acted, and all the stupid things I said. I apologize.”
There was no way Judith could pinch hard enough to keep the tears from coming now. She brought her hands to her face and cried.
Her team descended on her, gave her hugs and reassurances that everything would be all right, and they would stand by her completely from this moment forward.
Bernie strolled by carrying a large folder, saw what was taking place, and rolled his eyes. “My God, I’m like running a commune here.” Then he shuffled away.
Not feeling much like cooking after work, Judith picked up Noah from Keener’s and had Lance’s Burgers by the park. She watched her son eat, stoically. There was something lost inside him. He went through the motions of life, but there was no engagement. Behind his eyes, where curiosity and giddiness bloomed just three short weeks ago, there was nothing. The light was extinguished. His movements now were made just to sustain breath. Nothing more.
Judith watched Jack Brody put his wife in the car and drive away. She finished her diet Coke and drove home as well. When she pulled into the driveway, she saw Neil sitting on her doorstep and sighed. This was certainly not something she needed to deal with right now. He walked over. “Hey, Judith. Can we talk?”
Judith got out and went around to the other side to let Noah out. “This is not a good time, Neil.”
“There’s no time like the present when you’re fighting for something you care about,” Neil said.
Judith unbuckled Noah and helped him down. “I don’t just mean a good time to talk. I mean this is not a good time for a relationship.”
Neil followed her to the door. “Judith, I’ve given you your space, but I still don’t understand what from. If I did something wrong I wish you’d let me know so I have a chance to fix it.”
Judith fumbled for her apartment key. “No. You didn’t do anything wrong. I just have to focus on Noah right now with everything that’s happened.”
“Well, that’s what has me confused,” Neil said. “How is it I have to be out of the picture while you focus on Noah? Why can’t I help you with that?”
“Because, you can’t.” The door opened and Judith pushed Noah through. “I have to do this myself.” She walked in and Neil followed right behind her. “Oh, come on in. Make yourself at home.”
“Why, Judith? Why do you have to do it by yourself?”
Judith threw her keys on the table and closed the door. “Neil, what do you want from me?”
“I want you to let me help. I want to be a part of the solution.”
“There’s no part for you to play.” Judith was getting frustrated and started talking with her hands. “Noah has autism. He has been through a traumatic experience. He needs me. I can’t just go off and do whatever I want, whenever I want, when my son is hurting. I have to fix this. You can’t fix this. I have to.”
“I understand that. I care about Noah too, and I can help.”
“How is it you think you can help?”
Neil shifted his weight and looked at her. She knew he was suppressing his bruised feelings. “I saw your video on Facebook.”
Judith crossed her arms. “I’m glad you are one of the 38,000.”
“I could have helped you put that together,” Neil said. “I had video production classes all through high school. I would have loved to have worked on that with you.”
“Oh, really?” Judith blurted out.
“Yeah,” Neil smirked, that damn cute, yet cocky little smirk that she always thought was attractive, but really irritated the hell out of her right at this moment. “It would have turned out a hell of a lot better too.”
Judith pursed her lips. “Oh, really?” She finally said.
Neil nodded. They stared at each other for a moment. Then his smirk faded. “Judith, I just want to spend time with you.”
“Let me get to know you better.”
“I’m not worth the trouble.”
Neil stepped closer, and grasped her shoulders firmly. “I strongly doubt that.”
The doorbell rang.
Judith moaned loudly. Neil stepped back and chuckled. “Timing is everything.”
Judith raised a finger. “Give me one moment.” She turned and opened the door.
Jack Brody stood on her doorstep. “Hello, Judith. I’m sorry to bother you, but I have to know. Do I have a son?”
Chapter Forty-Three
Jack Brody had the same look— handsome carved face, hair looking like he brushed it with his fingers, though always remaining perfectly in place— yet now it had wisps of gray that hadn’t been there before. His stance was the same too. His waist was still trim, and shoulders broad, most of his weight on one leg, with his hands in his pockets and head bowed slightly, with an heir of Jason Dean cool. But what was different on Jack were his eyes. They now bore a few more lines; they looked tired. Years of caring for his beloved, failing wife had dimmed the light within them. Yet now those tired eyes were fixed sternly on her. “Well?”
“Uh…Jack.” Judith stammered. “What are you doing here?”
“I saw your video. Your son, Noah, seemed…the right age,” Jack said. “I had to come over to find out.”
Neil stepped to the doorway. “Who is it, Judith?”
Jack held out his hand. “Name’s Jack Brody. I’m sorry to interrupt, but I need a moment of Judith’s time.”
Neil shook his hand. “Neil Keating. It has to be okay with Judith.”
Both men looked at her. She wished a trap door to hell would open and swallow her whole. That would be more comfortable. “Uh…sure, Jack. Come in.”
She stepped back from the door and Jack entered. His eyes landed on Noah sitting on the couch. The boy acted unaware of anybody else in the room. He lay back, zipping and unzipping his jacket continuously. Jack slowly walked over. “Hello, Noah. I’m Jack.”
There was no acknowledgment from Noah. He continued with the zipper on his jacket.
Jack looked up at Judith. “I have to know Judith. Is this my son?”
Ice coursed through her veins. She wanted to say yes, but was terrified to.
“What?” Neil said. “Your son?” He looked over at Judith. “I think you’re mistaken. She said this was in vitro fertilization.”
“Is that what you’re telling everybody?” Jack said to Judith. “That you just decided to quit the firm and have a baby on your own?”
Neil looked at her. “Judith? What’s the story here? Is this man Noah’s father?”
Judith looked up at him, still unable to speak. Not knowing exactly what words should come out even if she were to try.
Neil nodded, and sighed sadly. “I see. Well, I’m sure you two have a great deal to discuss, so I’ll get out of your way.” He nodded toward Jack. “Nice to meet you, Jack.”
“Neil, wait,” Judith cried, but he did not slow. He bolted out the door and let it close behind him.
“Judith, I have to know,” Jack said, from behind her.
She whirled on him, angry now. “What are you doing here, Jack?”
He looked shocked at her outburst. Gesturing toward Noah, he opened his mouth to speak but she cut him off. “What if he is your son? There’s nothing you’re going to do for him now anyway.”
“If he’s my son, I’ll get involved,” Jack said.
“I don’t want you to get involved,” Judith said. “I have everything under control. I don’t need you.”
“Oh, is that so?” Jack snickered. It was irritating. “Is that why there’s a video out on YouTube discussing how screwed up things are?”
“Jack, I can’t have you involved.”
“He’s my son, isn’t he?” Jack said.
“Jack, you have too much going….”
“He’s my son, isn’t he?”
“It’s okay, Jack…”
“He’s my son, isn’t he?” Jack yelled.
Then the only sound was Noah’s zipper traveling up and down his jacket.
Judith looked at the floor, and nodded.
Jack ran his fingers through his hair, sat down in a chair across from the couch, and looked at Noah.
“Jack, I didn’t want you to know about this,” Judith said. She walked over and sat next to Noah. “You have so much going on with your wife, and that is exactly where your attention needs to be.”
Jack looked from Noah to her. His tired eyes now glaring with anger, and perhaps hatred. After a moment he spoke. “I need to help my son.”
Judith shook her head. “Jack, your wife’s sick. She needs you now. Go be with her.”
“Why did you put out that video?” Jack asked, ignoring her statement.
“I need to turn public opinion around,” Judith said. “Noah needs Delton, more than he needs anybody else in the whole world. And Delton isn’t getting out, because the whole world thinks he’s a drug-crazed murderer who’s better off behind bars. And that simply isn’t the truth.”
Jack nodded and looked back at Noah. His eyes calm now, yet resolute. “That’s how I can help my son.”
“Jack, it’s not….”
“I’ll help get my son’s most important person back into his life,” Jack said.
“What do you mean?”
Jack looked over at her. “Turning public opinion is what I do for a living. I’ll help you with that.”
“And just how do you plan to do that?”
“I need to think on that for a bit. But you’ve gotten the ball rolling with your video already. Let’s see what happens from here.” He stood, and looked down at Noah. “Goodbye, son. Nice to finally meet you.” He looked over at Judith. “I am still trying to figure out how I’m feeling about you right now. But I am going to help you with this.” Then he walked slowly to the door, opened it and paused. “I’ll be in touch, when I have something.” He walked out and closed the door quietly behind him.
Noah continued with his jacket zipper, oblivious of the tempest of complex emotions that had been swirling around him the last several minutes.
Her phone buzzed. She ran over to her purse and pulled it out. Without recognizing the number she answered it anyway in case it had something to do with Noah.
“Miss Higgins?”
“Yes.”
“I’m Jason Kitchener, from Michigan-Online. I’d like to set up a time to talk with you about your video that’s on the verge of going viral.”
The following is the article that appeared on michigan-online.com, August 25, 20xx.
Mother of Marmont/Two Rivers Program Son, Speaks Out
Posted 10:10 pm
By Jason Kitchener [email protected]
What began as an unconventional rehab program for special needs children, disintegrated into a murderous drug-ring scandal. But now one mother is speaking out against all the furor, and telling a much different tale.
And why does her voice mean anything? Because her son was at ground zero of the scandal. He was the one being cared for by the alleged “murderous drug-lord.”
A week ago a video appeared amongst the vast ocean of videos on the internet. What was different about this video was that it was narrated with a mother’s desperate voice. A voice pleading for her son.
It was the voice of Judith Higgins, mother of Noah Higgins, a boy with autism spectrum disorder. Seven-year-old Noah had not spoken a word in his life until entering into the Marmont program, with direct thanks going to the man everyone thinks is the crazed drug-lord inside Two Rivers Correctional Facility.
“He is not a murderer,” Judith Higgins said. “He’s actually a kind, gentle young man who has worked very hard in this program, and is now locked away for doing nothing more than defending himself.”
Miss Higgins said she was visited by an inmate, weeks after the
news broke about the murder, and the program being dissolved. “He was there the moment Rick Simpson was killed. He told me that there was a whole gang of men surrounding Delton. The rest of them held him back, while Rick Simpson attacked Delton with a shank (term for a knife crafted within a prison). Delton was slashed and stabbed several times, but in the end, Simpson slipped and fell on his own knife, and died.”
This had not been the story that had flooded news outlets the past several weeks. “The news has been completely wrong about this,” Higgins explained. “It was Rick Simpson who was into drugs. He was getting them from Sadie Hanson (the mother of the boy Simpson was assigned to), and Delton thought that was wrong. Delton told authorities about Rick, which resulted in Rick’s removal from the program. Rick was retaliating when he died.”
This is new information that, if true, spins this story in a whole new direction. But also brings up the question, why is Judith Higgins speaking out now?
“For several reasons,” Higgins said. “Delton Hayes is being treated unfairly, unjustly, and if no one will speak out for him, then nothing will be done about this and he will be punished for something that was beyond his control. He has a little sister who loves him very much, and has been depending on him getting out soon.” But Higgins’ reasons weren’t completely altruistic. “My son needs him. Noah began to speak after spending time with Delton. And now that Delton isn’t in his life, Noah has lost his voice again. In fact he’s worse off than he was before he started the program, because his heart is now broken too.”
And so, amid the shouts of condemnation, comes one single voice of reason. But it is a voice powered by a mother’s love.
COMMENTS:
TammyG381: Here’s a stupid question. where’s the boy’s father?
EWarner: True whys the only man in this kids life some dude behind bars.
Tigerfan25: The saying is that it’s time to cut bait. This guy may have helped her son but hes in prison for a reason. Hes always going to get messed up in this sort of thing. I can’t imagine she wants her son around that as he grows up.